Diego watched him leave, a fireball ready and waiting in his right hand and his sword in the other. That man would have raped me if Diego hadn't gotten here and stopped him. Another sob passed my lips and curled into a ball whilst crying. Diego's head snapped over to me and he ran over dropping his sword next to me and the fireball in his hand diminishing.
"Atlas, are you hurt?" Diego asked softly putting his hands on my shoulders. I lunged forward and hugged him tightly for comfort. He tensed but quickly relaxed and sat back on his heels and hugged me back.
"I am hurt, yes." I sniffed wiping at my eyes that more tears fell from.
"Where?" Diego asked gently.
"M-my back," I cried.
"Let me look at it, Atlas. I won't touch it don't worry." Diego promised, releasing me so I could turn around. I pulled up my top and pointed to my lower back where Damari had punched me.
"That looks like a nasty bruise but no skin is broken," Diego told me. I turned around and hugged him again. "He didn't do anything to you before I got here did he?"
"He was going to rape me." I choked. "H-He tired t-to."
"Shh Atlas, he's gone now. But did he get to do anything before I stopped him?"
I cried harder and Diego hugged me tighter. "No, n-not really."
"No really?" Diego asked again.
"He didn't, he just touched me." I clung to Diego and buried my face his chest.
"Atlas you're shaking, you need to slow your breathing down. Come on, breathe with me." Diego showed me how to control my breathing and stopped me shaking and all around calmed me down. Damari wasn't here, he was gone so I don't need to think about him right now.
"W-What are you doing here, Diego?" I asked as I started to feel calmer. My mind was a lot clearer and I was starting to wonder how Diego was here.
"Your father called in allies to help with the attack on the Kingdom. He told a group of us to follow your trail, sent some of the best trackers out and we found you. We were also following the Black Pearl tribe and when they attacked you, your mother, Daz, Calder and Pearl we fought them. They have been taken away and are on their way home."
I looked into the forest where the roar of a battle was still taking place. Some of the trees were ablaze with orange fire which was quickly spreading. "Everyone's safe then?"
"Yes, the battle at your Kingdom has stopped and your family are safe and well," Diego confirmed. I felt relieved that they'd left my family and Kingdom alone but I knew Damari would just keep following me. I looked into the forest again watching the flames engulf the trees as the fire spread. I could see a shadow of a person emerging and I tensed watching the figure to try and see who it was. As they jogged closer, the moonlight shone down casting some light over the beach I saw it was Daz and breathed a sigh of relief. I still felt a twinge of anger, though, even though I probably had no right to but in my eyes, I did. He left me and that meant I almost got raped and taken away. It wasn't Daz's fault for being almost being raped but it was his fault for leaving me when he knew Damari was here and he was after me. He was the one who chose to leave and let me go off on my own knowing I had no protection against Damari.
"Atlas? What's going on?" Daz looked annoyed at seeing me huddled up to Diego and stabbed his sword into the sand.
"What do you mean?" I asked coldly. Diego let go of me and put some distance between us knowing that Daz wasn't happy with what he thought was a display of affection when really it was just comfort.
"Why were you in his arms?" He questioned picking up his sword again and using it to gesture at Diego with.
"I'll have you know I just saved your boyfriend from being raped, you rude islander," Diego growled defensively picking up his sword.
"You did what?!" Daz barked. "What the fuck happened?"
I'd had enough and got up and started walking along the beach. I don't know what's wrong with Daz but I've had enough for today I thought to myself as I made purposeful steps along the sand.
"Atlas? Come back here!" Daz shouted to me but I ignored him.
"Don't order him around! He's not a dog." Diego said in my defensive.
"Stay out of it, pretty boy."
"Do you want me to burn you again like I did last time you tried to pick a fight with me?" Diego shouted back and I heard the clang of swords as they began fighting.
"Stop it!" I screamed. "STOP!!"
Both boys turned to face me as I collapsed on the sand and screamed in anger. I could hear their footsteps running towards me and Daz scooped me up in his arms.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we're not fighting, it's okay." He soothed rubbing my back.
"It's okay," Diego said softly.
"What happened?" Daz probed obviously wanting to know why Diego had to save me from being raped.
"Diego tell him." I cried not wanting to explain it to him.
"Um, I was looking for Atlas as Caspian, Atlas' father, wanted me to find him to bring him to his safety as he was taking Atlas' mother, brother and a chef from the kitchen back to the Kingdom-"
"Just get to it," Daz growled impatiently, interrupting Diego.
"I was scanning the forest edge and I heard a scream so I ran here and saw Atlas' mate. Umm he was on top of Atlas and Atlas was struggling to get away and that's when I attacked."
Daz was silent for a while and hugged me a bit tighter. "Did he hurt you?"
I nodded.
"Where?"
"He slapped me once and then punched me, o-on my back." I sniffed putting my hand over the bruise from Damari's fist. Daz pulled up my shirt slowly and moved so he could see the bruise.
"Aw baby," He kissed my forehead. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault," I whispered wiping away my tears and taking some deep breaths. "His names Damari."
"It is my fault, I wasn't there for you. I stopped to fight him but after a while, I was attacked by two others from his tribe which gave him a chance to slip away and come for you. I was too busy trying to block attacks from all sides to notice and when I did it was too late." Daz told me rubbing my back. He stood up with me in his arms and lowered me to my feet and I stayed glued to his side, absolutely exhausted.
"You need to come with me now, Atlas. Your father wants to take you home." Diego said looking behind him. "He said to be quick as well."
"I'm afraid I can't, Diego. I have to leave for a while."
"What?" Both boys said looking at me confused.
"Daz," I addressed to him looking up into his gorgeous, kind brown eyes. "The Black Pearl tribe won't stop until they have me until Damari has killed everyone to take me. If I go home that means I'm letting that happen. It means I'm sitting back and saying okay to attacks on my Kingdom where innocent mermen and mermaids will die and that will be on my shoulders. But, if I leave for a while that won't happen. Damari is after me and he will go wherever I go and I can't be around my family and my Kingdom as whoever I'm with has a chance of being killed. At least if I leave, my family is safe."
"You're not going on your own." Daz shook his head.
"Will you come with me?"
Daz closed his eyes and tipped his head up to the stars. He looked back down at me and smiled reaching his hand up to cup my cheek. "I'm with you whatever you choose in your life and if you want me there to support you then, of course, I will. I'll journey to the depths of the ocean if you want to, whatever you do I will be there for you." Daz smiled down at me.
"I love you!" I grinned jumping up as he caught me.
"I love you too, baby." He laughed.
"You're not going home?" Diego asked looking at me with wide, worried eyes. "Atlas...what about your family?"
"I'm not putting them in danger. I'm not leaving forever just for a while – I don't know how long." I wouldn't leave my Kingdom forever, definitely not. Just until I find a way to solve this mate problem and when it's safe for me to return without putting everyone's lives a risk, I will.
"Your father will be very angry." I knew Diego didn't want me to leave and was trying to put me off doing it but I had made up my mind and I knew this is what I had to do. Genowefa told me to listen with my heart and I would know what to do. I am listening with my heart and I feel a very strong pull to leave, this is something I need to do.
"I need you to deliver a message for me." I began.
"Atlas, please don't do this." Diego interrupted pleading with me with his eyes.
"Diego just listen to me, please. I need you to tell my family this...I love them so much and because I love them I'm leaving. Tell them I'm not having them in danger because of me and that's why I'm going. It won't be forever but it will be for however long I need to, to find a way to stop Damari. Let them know I've met him and tell them what he did to me. Say I'm leaving with Daz and we will be fine together."
"Fuck," Diego breathed, rubbing his rough and calloused hands over his face. "I have to tell them that?"
"Please, Diego. I know it's a big thing to ask of you but we're leaving now and I want to get a message to my family so they know I'm okay." I begged, watching as Diego looked from me to Daz and then behind him.
"Okay," he sighed. "I will as long as you promise to come home soon. Don't leave for good it would destroy your family they would be heartbroken."
"Yes! I promise! Thank you, Diego." I smiled feeling sad at the sight of my friend looking so distressed.
"Know that you'll always be welcome in my Ocean so if you ever need a place to stay just come to my palace." Diego offered.
"That's very kind of you, thank you." Maybe we would need it, maybe we wouldn't. I just wanted to keep as many people out of this as possible.
"So...this is goodbye?" He swallowed hard, looking at the cool sand where he shuffled his feet.
I stepped away from Daz and hugged Diego tightly. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back and we stayed like that for a minute. It wasn't a romantic embrace, it was an 'I'll miss you hug'. There was never any romance between us, just a strong friendship where we both really cared about each other and our wellbeing's.
"Goodbye, Diego. It won't be for long I promise you. Just until things get sorted."
"You better come back or I'll search the whole ocean for you." Diego chuckled softly.
"I will," I confirmed and stepped back and joined Daz at his side.
"Bye Atlas, you be safe. Look after him, Daz."
"You can be sure I will. Tell the King he has my word that I won't hurt his son." Daz told Diego with a nod of his head.
"I will tell him that." Diego offered his hand and Daz shook it.
"Bye Diego, I'll miss you," I called to him as we made our way to the ocean.
"I'll miss you too!" He called back and waved.
I took one last long look at the blazing forest and took a deep breath. The cold ocean that lapped at my ankles made me long for a good swim. I dug my toes into the wet sand as another wave broke at my feet. Daz's fingers were entwined with mine and he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze which made me look up at him.
"You ready to go?"
"I'm ready, I'm so ready."