***
Xanthus and Danielle were blown back hard against the stone wall as Triton erupted in a roar. Xanthus landed on the floor. He pushed himself up to confront Triton. The sea god had transformed, exploding into a twenty-foot tall figure with gaping jaws of sharp, serrated teeth and burning red eyes. He looked like a demon. His deafening roar filled the dungeon with retching torment.
“I have a daughter? How could I not know?” He screamed in anguish. His head whipped around as accusing eyes pierced Xanthus. “Now your Dagonian’s have her in prison. How dare they put a daughter of Triton in Panthon Prison! I will kill them all. They will writhe in pain and agony while their flesh is slowly eaten away. So help me, if they harm one hair on her head, they will all die this day.” He moved in close, his towering figure bent over Xanthus as his voice roared like a beast.
Xanthus was struck with fear at the awesome power and fury of an angry god. Still, he was somehow able to find his voice. He hoped Triton would hear him out before striking him down.
“They don’t know she’s your daughter.”
Triton moved closer, and snarled. “But you knew, didn’t you? Why would you not tell them?”
“Sara and I were the only ones who knew the truth. You don’t know the hatred my father and the counsel had for your merchildren. She does not as yet bear your mark of protection. If they had known the truth, they would have had both of us killed and our bodies destroyed before you could learn of her existence. I knew it was safer for them to think she was half-human, half-Dagonian. At least until we could come to you.”
Triton narrowed his eyes, perhaps deciding whether or not to blow Xanthus into oblivion. Danielle stirred and began to whimper. Triton turned his trident on her and in a flash of light, she was gone.
Xanthus had to ask. “Is she...?”
“…back with the humans.” Triton’s answer was dismissive. He paused, deep in thought. “I’ll need you to come with me to the prison. Maybe you can keep me from killing every Dagonian I lay eyes on.”
Triton sighed. “Somehow I don’t think that would endear my daughter to me, at our first meeting, to see her father kill everyone in sight.”
“Yes sir. I must go regardless. It is killing me not knowing whether she is being mistreated. If that is the case, I may join you in your killing spree.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Xanthus had no warning when a flash of light blinded his vision. When he could see again, he found himself at the doors of Panthon Prison. Triton was back to his normal form. Xanthus hoped he wouldn’t ever have to see him in his angry god form again.
There were two large guards stationed on each side of the door. The larger and meaner looking of the two swam forward. “Xanthus Dimitriou, I don’t know how you escaped from your cell, but it’s good of you to turn yourself in.”
“Let us pass,” Triton said.
The guard turned to him in disgust. “I don’t know who you are, but no one…”
Triton raised his trident and the guard began to shake. He thrashed around, wailing as his body shriveled up around his bones and, a moment later, his skeletal form floated away lifeless, carried by the gentle current.
Xanthus turned to the other guard, whose eyes were wide in horror, his face white as sea foam. “You might want to let King Triton pass.”
“Yes, of course, Majesty.” The guard shook himself out of his stupor, yanked open the door, and let them in.
As soon as they passed through the doors, guards rushed in and surrounded them. Before there were more misunderstandings, Xanthus shouted. “King Triton is here for his daughter.”
The group erupted in a confusion of voices and questions. “There is no mermaid being held here.”
“A daughter of Triton, here?”
“I thought they were all dead.” The questions came at them from all sides at once.
“Enough,” Triton shouted. The building rumbled at his voice and cracks branched out from the foundation and up the stone walls. “Where is the half-human prisoner, called Sara?”
A small guard inched forward. “She was put into the human cell.”
This was not where Xanthus expected her to be. He’d expected her to be put into a cell by herself. When he thought of those who would be with her, he exploded in anger. “Take us there now!”
The guard flinched back. “Yes, of course.” As they rushed away, Xanthus heard the other guards flee the building.
Triton and Xanthus raced through the maze of hallways into the more rough tunnels of a crumbling part of the prison.
They approached an old, beat-up door. Xanthus was surprised to find no guard there.
“Where did the guard go?” The small guard asked, echoing Xanthus’s concern.
“Let me pass,” Triton demanded. The guard moved aside. Triton grabbed the door and ripped it off its hinges. As he passed through to the air pocket, his transformation from merman to human was smooth and flawless. Xanthus immediately followed along with his not-so-smooth conversion as he turned human.
“Well, hello there,” a deep, cheerful voice greeted them.
Xanthus looked around, afraid of what he might find. He had sent Slink and his pathetic sidekicks to this cell himself. He’d had no idea that Sara would have ever been put in here with them. He was sick with worry about what they might have done to her. But what he found was a cheerful human sitting amongst the three unconscious, bleeding forms of Sara’s old neighbors. Sara was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s Sara?” Xanthus asked.
“The little Dagonian? Oh, she sang her way out of here.”
“She what?” Xanthus was confused at the answer.
“Do you know where she was headed?” Triton asked the human.
“She was going to save her husband.”
Triton turned to Xanthus. “Where were you being held?”
“In the belly of the beast.”
“You Dagonians are so dramatic.” Triton shook his head. “Why is she calling you her husband?”
“I tried to marry her. She thinks we are married, but I found out the priest was not a true priest. I decided it was best for her not to know we aren’t actually married. She was ready to turn herself in to save me.”
“Your Dagonian laws are ridiculous. Why a man should have to pay for his wife’s crime is beyond me. Still, a daughter of mine was willing to make that kind of sacrifice? That is surprising.”
“Your daughter is an amazing woman.”
“So, if you aren’t married, why were you imprisoned also?”
“I killed about three dozen soldiers when they came to take her,” Xanthus said, unregretful.
“I would expect no less of any husband of my daughter.”
Xanthus and Triton moved quickly through the tunnels. As they moved further in, darkness enveloped them. The stifling gloom and stench of rot increased as they neared the dungeon area that held the most heinous criminals.
“They really must not have liked what you did to put you down here,” Triton remarked.
“You could say…” Xanthus heard a faint singing voice that brought him to a stop. It was beyond beautiful. It was the most amazing…
Triton lifted his trident; a beam of light shot out and struck Xanthus like a slap in the face. “What did you do that for?” Xanthus asked.
“I think it’s best, if you’re to be my daughter’s husband, that she not have that kind of power over you.”
Triton and Xanthus once again rushed forward. As they neared, the sound of Sara’s voice became clearer. She really did have a lovely voice, but her lyrics and cadence left a lot to be desired. Xanthus gave that a fleeting thought as he hurried toward her. From what he heard, she seemed to be instructing a guard in song to keep looking for him.
They came around a corner and her tiny, frantic figure came into view.
Triton gasped. “She looks just like her mother.”