Chapter 9: Poison

Alurel sped down the depths. She was excited to finally have the keys to her plan, safe and sound within her storage-stomach. She tolerated no obstructions on her way back to the sea-witches’ grotto. A small group of normal merfolk moved by her once, and Alurel sped right into them, open maw. She gulped them all down without so much as a word.

Once she returned to that large grove in the seafloor, she was pleased to see the sea-witches had been at work. A great iron dagger was laid out on the largest, elevated circular stone platform that they were on just yesterday. It was that plate-sized area to Alurel where the sea-witches were easiest to talk to.

Also, to her pleasure, they had set out a pack of eels for her. The sea-witches tied them with seaweed, which they then magically affixed to the ground so the fish wouldn’t run away at the sight of Alurel’s open mouth. She quickly and greedily devoured the whole lot of them, swallowing them seaweed and all. The magic which tethered the cut seaweed to the ground couldn’t withstand the tug of Alurel’s physical strength, after all.

She turned to the sea-witches, who slightly bowed their heads to her while clustered together near the giant dagger.

Alurel swam forward, leaning in some to study them and the dagger.

“Mmm, good. It’s a bit crude, but it’s good enough for stabbing.”

“Forgive us.”, said Maris. “We had to used our magic to smelt some iron together. It is not elegant, but it is functional. It took us all night to make.”

Indeed, the blade of the giant dagger had visible marks where different chunks of iron were melded together. The handle was simple wood, made from ship flotsam by the look of it.

“You’re right, it’s not at all elegant.”, said Alurel. “But it is a temporary weapon, and will suffice.”

“So...”, said Maris solemnly. Her tentacles curled with nerves.

“You have the dayshade?”, she asked.

Alurel smiled.

“I do, and the time has come to finally make the weapon to kill Poseidon. The Trident will soon be mine.”

The great mermaid focused, her throat began to lurch as she brought up the dayshade. However, something else came out with the flowers.

It was Ugsila, the sea-witch matron had grabbed onto the flowers so as to get a look at the safety of her coven.

Alurel opened her mouth and pinched out Ugsila. She squeezed the seaperson between her fingers, causing visible pain which distressed the observing sea-witches below. Eventually, Ugsila released the spit-soaked dayshade, which was now, of course, also soaked by the ocean waters.

The great mermaid waved her hand in the direction of the dayshade bunches, and the ensuing force through the water had the flowers drift down towards Maris, who caught them in her hands. She moved Ugsila back to her face.

“You sneaky little hag, hitching a ride with the dayshade to get another look at your friends.”

“F-forgive me!”, said Ugsila. “I just wanted to see them again, safe and sound. There is not much to do inside you.”

“You’d dare defy me, you’re lucky your kind are so useful for me. Still, you must be punished.”

She moved Ugsila into her mouth and once more chomped the matron’s tentacles with her teeth. They had since regrown from yesterday.

That done, she swallow the sea-witch matron back down into her storage-stomach.

Alurel spoke, looking towards Maris and the others.

“You know, I always thought it unfair how your kind are innately skilled at magic. It doesn't make sense. We great mermaids are adept singers, athletes; we’re huge, with speed, strength, and keenness of senses unrivaled. Our beauty and lives are eternal, while you have only the latter unaided. We should be the ones good at magic, then we’d be true mistresses and masters of the sea.”

Maris thought it’d be unwise to point out the boons of the great mermaids which Alurel had herself already mentioned. Instead, she asked a question.

“We will work to refine the dayshade into a poisonous coating for the blade, but, if I may ask, when may we see Ugsila freed?”

Alurel sneered at her.

“You selfish hag: soon. Don’t worry, I’ll let her out once you help me with the Trident later. You did refresh yourselves on all your knowledge of the artifact, right?”

“Y-yes.”, said Maris.

Alurel smiled.

“Good. Now, how long will the flower ritual take.”

“Not long at all.”

“Then I shall observe.”

“As you wish, Alurel.”

The sea-witches followed Maris as she took the flowers towards a small stone bowl. There, she crushed them up to a powder. They brought the bowl to a much larger sea-stone cauldron. There, Maris stirred while the other witches used their tentacles to fetch and throw in a variety of other ingredients.

The stirring rod was pulled out by Maris, and it was sticky with a viscous green coating.

Her and the other witches heaved the cauldron over toward the giant dagger. Alurel watched them carefully as they chanted and moved their arms. The sea responded to their calls and wills, and a current reached into the cauldron to remove all the poisons green substance from that container.

With more chants and careful, dance-like movements, they worked the waters to carefully spread the green and sticky fluid over the surface of the iron dagger. Its once gray metal was now much greener, with the poisonous dayshade coating thoroughly applied and stuck to the surface. That wasn’t all or enough, though, but with one more powerful chant and clap of their hands the poisonous substance infused into the metal itself. It gave the metal a sickly green color.

“Is it done?”, asked Alurel.

“It is,” said the witches.

She reached down and took up the dagger. Smiling, she rotated it and studied its new green sheen.

“How long will the poison last?”

“A very long time without using it.”, said Maris.

“How long?”, Alurel asked again, sterner.

“In truth we do not know, likely over a hundred years. However, the poison depletes when used.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there is enough to kill several great mermaid before the weapon's potency is depleted. Of that I am sure.”

“And you are sure it’ll work?” asked Alurel.

“Yes, we labored hard on this.”

Alurel flashed them all with a predatory grin.

“Well, then you won’t mind if I test it first, do you?”

Maris’s felt a lump in her throat. Her tentacles curled hard from nerves.

“W-w-what do you mean?”

“Well.”, said Alurel, brandishing the dagger. “It is said any sea-witch would gladly give her life for their matron. You *do* care for Ugsila, do you not?”

“P-please Alurel.”, said Maris. “It will work to kill Poseidon, I give you my word. I swear on the matron’s life.”

“This is a very important day for me.”, said Alurel. “I need to be sure. I can’t have this go wrong. I get only one stab at it.”

She giggled.

“So, hags, any volunteers?”

The sea-witches all huddled together, muttering sorrowful sentiments and noises.

Alurel rolled her eyes.

“Fine.”, she said. “I suppose I’ll just choose one”

She pointed the great dagger their way. All of them recoiled.

“How about... you! You seem to be the ugliest, I bet without your magic, you look the oldest too, sans that hag of a matron I bet.”

“No please!”, cried the chosen sea-witch.

“Guinemere!”, cried out Maris and some of the other sea-witches.

Alurel poked Guinemere with the tip of the dagger. At once, the sea-witch cried out in agony. Her skin began to dry, even deep under the sea. It changed color too, from its pale-ish hue to a dried and cracked, stony brown like a wilted flower. The flesh of her octopus-half fared similarly bad.

The sea-witches dry body chipped and broke away. The ocean carted the pieces away as they dissolved. She was not merely dead, but her entire body had withered and was gone.

The sea-witches quietly whimpered to themselves, heads hung low. Alurel laughed wildly.

“Yes!”, she said. “It works!”

She eyed the blade, and it wasn’t the least bit less-green. Its potency was hardly diminished from such a measly target.

The sea-witches didn’t look at Alurel, and she noticed.

“Raise your heads, hags. You should be happy. Once I have the Trident, you need only help me with one more thing before I let your matron out.”

Maris spoke, her throat a tad sore from sorrow.

“And what thing is that?”

“Oh, you will see. It’ll be a fun surprise for you. But, don’t worry, once it is done, I will let your matron out. You will all have the reunion you desire.”

With a bat of her tail, Alurel started to float upwards and away. Her smile was wide.

“That, I promise you.”

She swam off.