Toki's Tale

Toki came to slowly, the blackness turning to a glow of bright colours. Gradually they began to form a face, and Toki was sharply aware of a warm sensation on her mouth. She pushed away quickly and wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
The mernorn floated in front of her, looking rather embarrassed. He scuffed his tail fin on the sea floor, bringing up a cloud of sand.
"Sorry," he said. "But you were dead."
"That doesn't-" Toki began, but realised it was all coming out as bubbles. She choked, drawing in a lungful of water. The mernorn dashed forward and pushed his mouth to hers. Toki felt the warm air exchange between their lungs, but also the curious sensation of the kiss itself.
"You can't talk down here, I'm afraid. I'll do my best to get you back up to the surface where you belong, but we may need to seek His help."
Toki looked blankly at the mernorn, who sighed.
"I mean Imshi," he said, "now let's get going. Marianas is this way."
Toki opened her wings and gave an experimental push. She lifted slightly above the ocean floor and then drifted back down with a thump. The mernorn rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand and began to swim, dragging Toki behind him.

Toki's eyes widened at the sight of a thousand glittering spires reaching towards the ocean above. Scores of huge crystal archways and domes were larger than any building Toki had ever seen, even in Mimir. She almost let out a gasp, and had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop the air escaping. The mernorn turned around and kissed her again, and Toki silently admitted to herself that she was beginning to enjoy it. The mernorn was quite handsome, really.
"Here we are," he said. "Marianas. The city of the merfolk. Home of Imshi himself."
He pulled Toki onwards towards a large gate, made out of crystal. It raised, and the mernorn pulled Toki inside. The other merfolk turned to look, but it wasn't the usual mix of terror and loathing she had seen before, but more a curious wonderment. The mernorn quickly swam into a circular hole in the side of a building and out of another one almost as soon as he was in. In his hand he clutched a silver torc.
"Put this around your neck. You'll be able to breathe down here with it on."
Toki slipped the torc around here neck and took in an experimental breath. She grabbed at her throat as her lungs filled up with water again. The mernorn quickly grabbed her and locked lips again.
Afterwards he sheepishly pressed the sapphire embedded in the centre. It glowed bright blue very briefly, before dimming down again. Toki took another, smaller breath and was relieved to find it was air that filled her lungs. She pointed an inquisitive finger to her lips and the mernorn nodded happily.
"Yes, you can talk now."
Toki nodded happily and then swung her fist full force at the mernorn. He span head over tail and came up, looking very sorry, with a large red mark on his face.
"I deserved that," he said, and rubbed at the sore spot on his face.
"Yes, you did," replied Toki. "That was for the first kiss."
"The first? But-?"
"Let's go see Imshi, shall we?" Toki asked brightly, her voice saying unspoken words.
"Oh, yes," the mernorn said, blushing slightly. "My name's Hjrin, by the way. Sorry I couldn't introduce myself, uh, before."
"Fine. Now let's get going before I hit you harder," said Toki beginning to feel a bit impatient.
"H-harder?"
Toki reached down and took a rock from the ocean floor. Grasping it in one hand, she squeezed it hard. It shattered and fragmented. Hjrin watched the tiny, tiny pieces drift away and sighed shakily.
"Off we go, then," he mumbled.

Armed merfolk, dressed in sea-green armour, guarded the huge portcullis with long, barbed tridents. Their expressions didn't change, and they didn't even move an inch in any way, hanging motionless like statues.
"We need to see Imshi," said Hjrin. The guards eyes slowly moved to focus levelly on Hjrin.
"What for?" The guard asked, without his lips moving. The words just seemed to materialise around him.
"This drylander needs to get back to the surface world."
The guard's eyes travelled slowly back to gaze into space in front of him.
"Pass," he said, and the portcullis raised. Hjrin swan nimbly underneath, pulling Toki behind him. The portcullis dropped quickly as soon as they were inside.
The Palace of Imshi was amazing, thought Toki, as ten thousand crystal facets reflected multicoloured light across the huge hall. The water was filled with whalesong, and the light flickered as shoals of fish darted about overhead. Huge double doors that shone like pearl swung open with ease, and Toki was pulled inside by Hjrin. There, sitting on a massive throne crafted of gold and silver, was Imshi himself, larger than Toki remembered him.
"Aah..." Imshi mused, rubbing his chin with a hand. "You're Rel's young apprentice, correct?"
"Not any more," Toki mumbled, looking down at her feet. To her surprise, Imshi nodded assuredly.
"No matter. I have never know someone who could stick with Rel for more than two months," chuckled Imshi. "How is his alcoholism?"
"Still raging, I'm afraid," admitted Toki. She smiled slightly and Imshi smiled back.
"Tara'an did well, bringing you to us, although he could have done a little more to keep you safe," said Imshi, gazing upwards. Toki followed his gaze to see a great shark circling over the dome of Imshi's throne room.
"You wanted me here? You sent that thing for me?"
"Oh, no, perish the thought!" Imshi exclaimed. "No, Tara'an was acting of his own accord. Have you seen the scar on his side?" Toki gazed up again and saw the huge gash running down the left side of the shark.
"Tara'an there is over two hundred years old. He has known many, many great warriors who have crossed the ocean. Your mother was one of them. She gave him that scar."
Toki's heart skipped a beat. Her... mother?
"Now Tara'an is indebted to her, and her children," continued Imshi, "and he brought you here to learn."
"Learn what? Is it about my mother?"
"It is about your entire family, child," spoke Imshi, and waved a hand at the centre of the room. The water seemed to ripple and warp, and it condensed into the form of a Gargoyle. He was far larger and broader than Toki, with a small pair of curved horns on the top of his head. Strangely, all over its body were strange, thin red stripes.
"This, Toki, is your legacy. A gargoyle, though a male of the species. The wings are much larger, though mostly for show."
Toki nodded and looked again at the magical image. The entire body of the Gargoyle seemed to bulge with strange, almost angular muscles. Maybe this was were the legend of Gargoyles being stone came from.
"Gargoyles were once renowned all over Midgard for being the strongest fighters. Even ancient Grendel legends speak of the Kzarkl, a deadly warrior that was treated with the upmost reverence," said Imshi, his voice somewhat different now. There was a trace of sadness in there, but for what Toki could not tell.
The magical image flickered and changed into another Gargoyle, more like Toki, but also with horns and short, spiky black hair. He seemed to be breathing, and Toki had to remind herself this was magic, not one of her kind.
"This is the first stage of the Gargoyle," said Imshi. "The stage you are at. They are stronger and faster than the average Norn, but have their limitations."
He waved a hand and the image changed again. This time the gargoyle was slightly taller, and had the same red stripes as before. The hair and face were still the same, though.
"The main strength of the Gargoyles was their ability to change form when angered or in trouble. In times of desperation they gained
this form."
"What do you mean, was?" Toki asked indignantly. "I'm still here, and last time I checked I was a Gargoyle."
"I see no stripes, child. The art has been lost, for all time," Imshi said, his voice heavy. "You race is dying, very slowly." With another flick of his hand, the image changed. Toki stared on in wonderment. The entire image had changed, into a much larger Gargoyle, at least twice Toki's size, with bright red hair and claws twice as long as her fingers. He was in the middle of leaping at some unseen enemy above him. Unlike the previous images, this one was frozen, completely still, his face in mid-roar.
"Behold, the greatest Gargoyle who ever lived," said Imshi, his voice hushed with awe and memory. "He was the last to turn into the second stage. He is Khar, your father."
Toki stepped closer to the image, and held out a hand close to her father's face. She brushed it with her fingertips, and felt nothing.
"What... happened to him?"
"Killed by Darain, the Chaos Lord. Maki's first corrupted soul. They fought a titanic battle that lasted for hours, and tore up all of Gorth in the process. He was a brave soul, but the Chaos magicks Darain wields were too much for him."
A lumped-up feeling of loss welled up in Toki's throat, and she was shocked to see Imshi was close to tears as well.
"He..." Toki started, but trailed off. Imshi sighed a deep, heavy sigh that spoke of the millennia he had lived.
"I am sorry, child. Truly sorry. I wished not to cause you this pain," he said, waving a hand. The vision of Khar, Toki's father, faded to nothingness.
Toki swallowed down the feeling and clenched her fists. Her father... her mother... both killed by Chaos. She would have revenge for them both.
"I will take you back to the surface world now. Oh, and take him along with you," said Imshi, holding out a hand. In it floated a large glowing bubble, and curled up in the centre was the sleeping form of Laen.
"He's alive?" Toki asked.
"No," said Imshi, and settled the bubble down a few inches above the floor. "No, he is quite dead. Moving, talking, thinking... but dead. Held together by strong magicks. Only half his soul exists in his body. He is in limbo."
"But..."
"I think you should best leave now, child. The ocean is not a place for a creature of flight like yourself. I know you seek answers,
though do you think you can find them with the Assassins?"
"How did you know about them?"
"You think I know not of the vessels which travel above? I know the movement of every shoal of fish and lonesome shark. The creaking bows of even an Assassin ship reach my ears. The Assassins are wise, but in ways of death and vengeance. Is this the path you wish to take for yourself?"
"Yes!" Toki shouted, the memories of Orae welling up inside her. Imshi settled back in his throne, his palms pressed together, and
sighed. "Is it? I think you must have time to contemplate this."
Toki opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly her vision was awash with blinding colour. She felt dizzy, and collapsed backwards, sinking into darkness.

Chapter 8

Chapter 10