Kazimir gripped Dalton's shoulder and pushed him back so he was between his brother and father, eyes sharper than cut steel, rage etched in his handsome features as, all around them, the cries of battle faded.

Men; pirate and Kingsman alike, lowered their weapons as they looked towards Kazimir and the king, watching; the sudden tension rippling through the air, just waiting to snap.

"You have to put the sea back together," was the first thing Kazimir said and everyone stared at him. "You must seek permission from the sea before you do such things."

Dago gaped at him, then started laughing. "Me? Ask permission of the sea? I command the sea!"

"You borrow its power that you stole from me!" Kazimir snarled, "You are not of the ocean and the ocean does not share with monsters like you! Put it right before you continue this war!"

"No," Dago said simply, "I shan't."

"Put it right!" Kazimir shouted, taking a step forwards.

"Stay back!" Dago snapped, raising his gun. But he wasn't aiming for Kazimir.

Kazimir's eyes widened and he threw his arm out, shoving Dalton out of the line of fire and the bullet echoed through the air, catching the top of his bicep, tearing through the skin and making him recoil in shock, grabbing his arm and staring as blood oozed from the wound.

He stared at the king and Dago smiled.

"Or you might get hurt," he finished, with a laugh.

Kazimir looked at him for a long moment, then his eyes flickered passed, towards the side of the ship.

Kazimir's ability to breath under water came from his merman form. Thinking about it, he had no idea if he could breathe underwater as a human but the fact was that it wasn't his power that let him live below the waves. Which meant, whatever command of the sea the king had, he couldn't breathe if he was submerged... right?

Perhaps he could manipulate the water to form an air bubble around himself but would he think to do that whilst metres below and in a panic?

To a certain extent, their power was built on imagination. The king did not know that, he didn't know what was at his disposal.

So if he could get him over the edge of the ship... but he needed a distraction to get that close.

Guns and swords were already a problem but he didn't want to tangle against his own power in the hands of Dago.

Damn! It only he could share his thoughts with Aeralie.

"What's wrong, Kazi," Dago said, smiling, "You look a little stumped. It's not fun being a normal human, is it?"

"No, it isn't. It's awful. There's nothing special about you," Kazimir shot back.

Dago laughed. "Yes, charming like your mother. So what now, kazi-boy? Are we at a stalemate? I think not as there is nothing you can do against me that I won't kill you for first. Killing Dalton is one thing, but I did not raise you and owe you no loyalty."

Kazimir grit his teeth then opened his mouth.

He didn't have time to say the insult he had yet to come up with however because Aeralie fell out of the sky.

Out of nowhere, she slammed down on the king, feet driving into his back and crushing him against the deck, hands shoot down to grab the necklace that contained Icadora's Heart, trying to tear it free as Dago, stunned and choking, clung to it like it was his last thread of life.

Everyone stared, then as one, looked up.

Perry floated above them, hands in his pockets.

"Perry!" Cole snarled, "You weren't supposed to interfere!"

"I didn't!" Perry said with an innocent shrug, "Aeralie just wanted to be dropped off somewhere. I was just the transport. It's not my fault she decided to fall out of my arms at the exact moment that would result in her landing on the king. I didn't interfere with you mortals."

Cole glowered at him then looked back at his ship to see three of his men fighting with the wheel to keep it steady in Aeralie's absence.

"I should have worn my high heels! They would have done more damage!" Aeralie snarled as she wrestled with the king to get the necklace.

"You little monster! Get off!" Dago roared, twisting his sword in his hand and driving it backwards.

Perry snatched Aeralie up just before the blade pierced her and shot back up into the air with a grace of an angel, their focus returning to The Santiago.

Kazimir would have laughed. How did she always know just what to do?

Aeralie hadn't managed to get the necklace from the king, but she had certainly distracted him.

Dago barely managed to stumble up to a crouch, groaning as he rubbed his back, before Kazimir ran at him.

Arms sliding around the king's waist, Kazimir kept running, dragging the king with him as he jumped high in the air, one foot hitting the side of the ship and using it as a spring board, launching away and into the rushing waters below.

He could sense the muffled screams of people looking over the edge after him but he didn't have time to think.

The current formed by the unnatural waterfall was unbearable strong. He had jumped from the far side of the ship but the second he hit the water, he felt the pull.

It would crush them against the ship before throwing them over the edge if he wasn't careful.

He felt Dago begin to slip from his grasp and his hands changed position.

They found his father's throat, latched on and began to squeeze, begging for the sea to help him.

He had to hold his breath but he kicked, shoving them further and further down, his other hand once again trying to pull the Heart free.

The shock echoed through him when he felt the pendant snap free.

In an instant, Dago didn't hold the Heart anymore. It floated between them, glittering with all the beauty of the ocean, still set in its silver clasps.

And then it was gone.

The current tore it away from them, sending it whirling away towards the waterfall.

Kazimir almost screamed, his hand flying out to try and save it and something sharp drove into his stomach.

He froze, looking down in shock to see a tiny dagger in the king's hand, the blade stuffed into Kazimir's abdomen.

It wasn't enough to kill him, the rational part of his brain told him as much... but the shock of the pain and the simple sight of it stunned him.

And that was all the distraction Dago needed.

In no time at all, he shoved Kazimir back, changed the flow of the water and a waterspout shot him straight up, knocking Kazimir back as Dago broke the surface and sat upon the water column, breathing hard and fast.

Everyone was at the ship's edge, staring and jumping back at the sight of Dago appearing.

"Kazimir!" Dalton cried, staring at the water below.

"There!" Cole shouted, pointing.

They could just see the flash of white as Kazimir swam towards the surface, a blur below the waves.

"That's enough!"

Dago's scream seemed to freeze the world for a moment... right before he froze the sea.

All of a sudden, the threat of the waterfall didn't matter anymore.

Ice formed at the top of the water column and spread at such a speed it was almost impossible to keep up as it tore across the surface, trapping The King's Command in place, freezing the first half of the waterfall before spreading across, freezing the other side and finally trapping The Santiago, skating on until it was ice as far as the eye could see.

Aeralie and Perry stared around them, their breath rising in a mist as they looked at the glistening ice.

"Is this Kazimir's power to?" Perry asked, wrapping his arms around himself.

"No... no, I've never seen Kazimir command ice," Aeralie said, looking across the canyon. "This... has to be Dalton's power."

Across on the king's ship, Dalton and Cole were still at the edge, staring down into the ice below, barely caring about the sudden appearance of ice.

Kazimir's image slammed into the ice from below, palms flat against the ocean ceiling, white hair flaring around him like a ghost as he slammed his fist into the ice that didn't even chip at the force.

They saw the panic in his eyes for a split second before the ice thickened; hardening, deepening, until it turned white and Kazimir was gone.

Dalton gripped Cole's shoulder, staring from where Kazimir had been to Dago and back again.

"Cole... He's trapped."

"Do you think he can breathe?" Cole muttered.

"What does it matter?" Dalton said, his gaze lifting to stare up at his father. "He's stuck down there and we're up here."

~~~~~

Next Up: Monday

Art By: Google Image

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