A gray shadow sent Ziphra to hide among the rocks. The squirting ink hid her well and Armida lost track of her entirely. And this time, far from her home territory where Ziphra might feel safer.
Armida slowed and some of the heaviness she'd felt lifted. ≈Liath! Nudger and Warbler found you!≈
As Liath rolled in full-body circles, Armida whirled around him, skirted beneath his fins, then rose around his head. Their play continued with no words between them until the dolphins dove from the surface to join them.
≈You are thinner than last we met, Armida.≈
≈ But stronger, I warrant.≈ Armida grabbed a fin and Liath attempted to shake her off. ≈I am dizzy.≈ She let go as he was flinging his fin forward, propelling her away from the group.
≈Hey, Liath, be gentle with her. She still has some healing to do.≈
Liath rolled, exposing his massive belly. ≈I wouldn't hurt a krill. Many krill, however...≈
Ziphra sped to Armida. ≈You must be exquisitely careful. Without you, none of this works.≈
Armida shrugged. ≈Without any one of us, it won't work.≈
The seriousness of the situation cast silence over the group.
Armida turned to her friend. ≈Ziphra must be credited. Without her, we would not have understood the green sand. The olivine crystals weather and absorb the acid and the heat, but we must not use them if the volcano shaft is too deep. The crystals are unstable if they fall too far and can cause earthquakes. Yet, without the green sand, we have no chance of success.≈
Ziphra wrapped a tentacle around Armida's wrist. ≈Without your necklace, I might not have been assured of the connection to my inherited knowledge.≈
Armida's laugh trickled out to her friends. ≈My necklace came from Paolo. How fitting he may be the one to save us.≈
Warbler moved out and away. ≈Come. We must keep going. We must prepare.≈
And she was right.
Soon they passed the still-silent Watcher Station.
Armida turned to Ziphra. ≈Welcome to Marea. You will be safe here.≈
Liath soared to the surface, breached, and slapped his tail. ≈I will monitor the surface and the perimeter until such time as we leave.≈
Armida stared at the cave entrance she hadn't seen for many weeks. Not since she left for Venice. She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug. How long since she thought of her father? Was he still alive? Her mother was in there with Paolo. She closed her eyes and squeezed her arms tighter.
Ziphra stole up on her and slipped a tentacle in at Armida's elbow. ≈You need to open your eyes and your heart to find those who will help you.≈
It was exactly what the original—whatever that meant—Ziphra had said to her as she continued her journey to Thalassa. Armida wasn't sure her understanding had grown any clearer.
Armida's warmth for these Ziphras was the same; she couldn't pull them apart. The suckers on Ziphra's tentacles tickled as Armida found herself secure in Ziphra's arms. She left the embrace with reluctance.
≈You're home. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised I'm the last to know. You always had time for your games with dolphins and the like. It is a bit of a shock to see you being hugged by an octopus.≈
≈Hello, mother. I guess some things haven't changed.≈
The others vanished. Armida was alone with her mother. Being chased by a sludgeshark was less terrifying.
≈ How long will you stay?≈
≈We leave tonight.≈
≈We? And who would that be?≈
≈Me and anyone who wants to save Marea.≈
≈Well, you will need to eat. Come, I've invited Isabetta to join us.≈
≈Where is Paolo? I must see for myself how he is recovering.≈
≈He is still not himself.≈ Celestina swam ahead. ≈But he is brave and perceptive like you.≈
The current ruffled over Armida. Paolo hovered in the doorway with a faint smile laboring to form. ≈Hi, Armida.≈
≈Paolo!≈ Armida darted to his side and embraced him tightly. ≈I cannot call you Little One any longer. Not for someone as strong and brave as you.≈
≈I don't mind. You can call me Little One if you want.≈
When his smile spread, Armida supposed her heart would melt.
✧✧✧
They traveled east, then north, to bypass Venice and la Laguna. The noxious fumes and emissions of Venetian industries had obscured the true nature of the insidious ruin of the Adriatico and were not their first concern. Maybe Rinaldo would find a way to convince them to protect their water.
Collective wisdom was essential to success. At dawn, they awaited Bertoki. From the air, the cormorants gathered information not otherwise available to Armida and the others. Then, armed with these latest details, Armida could lead them to the volcano. From there, Nudger and Warbler would help locate the green sand beach.
≈Fish lady, I have unfortunate news. Many boats are between us and the smoker. They have prepared devices that shoot flames from their ships over great distances. I have seen them practice. I will spare you the additional horror of what I witnessed.≈
≈How is it possible? How have they discovered our plan?≈
Bertoki landed on the water next to her. ≈It is a riddle that may never be answered.≈
Armida trembled that Stavlakis anticipated them. The escape of the mermen the night of the Ball might have led him to prepare for an assault. Or Stavlakis could have tortured a merman. If she was right about the torture and she survived, she would go to Venice to seek revenge. If she was wrong, the plan was the same.
For now, she had to remain focused on the immediate crisis.
It was like a legend from the Delivered—too ridiculous to be true. On one side, a powerful enemy. On the other, a mermaid, a whale, two dolphins, an octopus, and a bird. It sounded like a fable, not a strategy for naval success.
≈I have no right to ask you few to join me in battle. It is probable that none of us will survive. You should go to your families and the others of your kind and help them locate new homes.≈
Armida took in the view of the blue waters and cloud-dappled sky. It was breathtaking and unbearable because the dark poisons were not far off. Black dots on the horizon grew and approached with great speed. They darkened the sky but Armida's heart sang. The cormorants rose and dipped and settled near Bertoki.
Bertoki flapped his wings. ≈It is not so few any longer, Armida.≈
≈It is wonderful, but you saw the fireshooter. Your nestgroup might not survive.≈
Warbler and Nudger circled Armida. ≈The rest of our pod will be here soon. We will work with Liath underwater in ways they will not expect.≈
Ziphra welcomed thirty from her territory, but when Warbler said hello, they flew to the sand and rocks. Their camouflage was nearly instant.
≈Armida, I must have some time with the others. They knew of your mindpath skills but had not expected to share words with a dolphin of all creatures. Some are my siblings who share the memory of a dolphin's attack on your Ziphra.≈
≈I remember the day with regret still.≈ Armida's next question had been brewing for some days. ≈Have they not shared mindpaths with other species?≈
≈You do not yet understand, I see. My memory fades into another's, but a Ziphra once said you did not yet comprehend your potential when you were with her. It is your empathy that powers your mindpath. She predicted you would rescue the waters and the air. You would unite us. Through you we share mindpaths. With you, we are legion. Without you, we are small.≈
Armida shook at the awareness that she was a conduit, that she alone mustered the forces needed to stop the Terrans and their terrible scheme. From the beginning, starting with Delfina, she had been ready to die in her endeavors, oblivious to the fact her death would have ended the resistance. She trembled at the risks she still must take. She remembered Torquato again. And Rinaldo doing cartwheels. Her father's love. How she wished she was back in that moment to hug them all.
Failure exists only if you do not try.
✧✧✧
Their numbers were modest, no matter if Armida counted every bird.
A cormorant arrived with a report of an imposing ship with the captive mermen in a wooden cage attached to the hull by chains. Four other ships had the fireshooters, and a fleet of smaller boats sailed around them.
Armida considered the assembly of her navy. ≈We must first release the mermen to eliminate the main obstacle to our attacks.≈
Bertoki grew agitated, flapping his wings and bobbing his head. ≈We have no tools, no weapons.≈
Armida found her inner Torquato, forcing her inner Boop-boop to hibernate. ≈We must create weapons from what we have. You must learn to look for them.≈ She withheld her smile but knew she would have made Torquato proud.
≈I wish your father could see you. He would be proud. As I am.≈
≈Mother! What are you doing here? It is far too dangerous. You are the Custodian.≈
≈Exactly. I am the Custodian. I am free to choose, as is everyone. This is your moment. I choose to fight alongside you. As do these many mermaids. They can replace me. In fact, I will be replaced. It is the way of the ocean.≈
Armida saw friends, mothers, grandmothers gathering. ≈How?≈
≈The mermen who escaped with Paolo knew of the volcano. And you are my daughter. We are more alike than you guess.≈
≈And some mermaids remain in Marea to establish new homes and build new families if we are unsuccessful here today?≈
≈Yes, with Isabetta to guide them.≈
With the knowledge Isabetta would survive, a wisp of happiness allowed Armida to smile. "How is Father?"
The sadness that dimmed her mother's eyes sliced across Armida's heart.
"He is recovering. As we said our farewells, we shared our happiness about your courage. Your father and I had a great love for each other and are prepared for the future that comes for us."
"You have a great love. I will consider no other possibility." Armida caught movement from the corner of her eye. Dark ribbons slithered along the seabed. Moray eels. She had learned to fear them as a merpup because the slime coating their bodies was toxic.
≈We heard the call. Count us among your soldiers. How can we help?≈
Then sea turtles and stingrays and mako sharks arrived to the war. The only thing that would have shocked Armida more was if sludgesharks had appeared. They wouldn't, but she was sure they weren't far, waiting for the devastation to provide dinner.
≈Thank you. We will each find our way to contribute here today.≈ Armida swelled with confidence and strength unlike any she'd ever known. In her mind, the path forward unrolled with crisp clarity. ≈Mermaids, it will be up to you to release the mermen. We need deft hands to unlatch the chains or strong tails to batter the crate. Go! We must begin our assault.≈
Armida and her mother hugged before the mermaids swam to their destinies. Armida stuffed deep down the fear some would die. She must continue to direct actions.
As the mermaids worked to release the cage, arrows rained down on them. Rosamunda was the first to fall. Two mermaids pulled her to safety, and the rest took cover directly under the ship. Celestina darted to the crate. The arrows fell around her as she ignored them. When one nicked her shoulder, she did not relent.
Armida tended to Rosamunda, whose wound was not fatal. For now, at least, she would not need to deliver bad news to Delfina. She busied herself to avoid watching as her mother risked her life.
At last, the chain fell away and the crate was free. The impact on the seabed popped the door open, freeing the mermen. The mermaids were still beneath the boat and unable to dodge the arrows and lances raining down.
Celestina recovered two lances and launched to the surface. As she breached, she threw the lances. In the distraction she caused, the mermaids swam to safety.
Armida watched helplessly as Celestina sank, leaving a trail of blood rising like a red mist from her side.