While her hand dipped towards Arthur's neck, she shifted her direction toward his shoulder, grabbing both. She looked at him and then at the general, who quickly brought his arm back and repositioned his posture. She shook her head, pointing to her father's murderer as she spoke into the microphone. "Atlanteans, my father has not died of natural causes. It's far worse. He was murdered."

Most of the eyes shifted to the general, who just lied about the king's death, to Elli — who spoke of a new truth. Various feelings of hostility grew in the crowd, and as a result, everyone became restless and conversed with one another — mumblings between one another.

Elli looked at her people and shook her head as she gripped her fist. "Did I say you all could talk?" Her lips lowered into a neutral expression, her eyes calm and focused. "Of course, I didn't. Yet, you all-"

A royal member stood up — Elli's uncle. "My dear, I understand you're hurting, but you are not the king. Please leave this to the adults before you cause more commotion and scare."

"You're right," she said, pressing her lips and shaking her head. "I didn't want to cause a commotion." She snapped her finger, and the guards began fighting among themselves. While this massacre and confusion occurred, forty guards entered the banquet, taking dead soldiers and filling up their positions. Elli placed her hand in the air, looking at the crowd. "No one moves or objects if you do..." She closed her eyes. "I dare you to."

Elli's uncle marched to the front. "Do you really think your father would approve of-"

A bullet shot her uncle in the head. His blue brains splattered across the floor and even on some people and their tables, and unfortunately for them, they couldn't move from their positions, or they'd die the same fate.

"Arthur Penfish murdered my father. So I'll repay the favor by slaughtering him for my inauguration to kingship, and if anyone has any complaints, please bring them up now."

The area was silent...

"General," Elli said. "Would you mind explaining this whole situation to my people? They deserve to know the truth, the reality of what occurred today and its sorrows. But most importantly, why you tried tricking them into believing my father wasn't murdered?"

"Yes, my Lord," he said as Elli handed him the microphone, but he wasn't ready, evident by the sweat forming on his hand, and it trembled. "Today..." He gulped and regained focus. "Four humans invaded Atlantis. How they did it is not entirely known, but that's not of significant concern. What matters is that they came with a heinous purpose. They came onto our land to kill our king."

"And?"

"And..." The general closed his eyes, pressing them together as he breathed from his nose. His mind rushed with thoughts. He tried thinking of what to say without more consequence. "We captured three of them and in the masses... you can actually see them. However, we failed to catch one-"

Elli twitched her lips, clenching her teeth, an audible crunch being heard. "The truth. Nothing but the truth."

"Yes, my king," the general said. "The truth is that I brought Arthur into the king's room."

"My people," Elli said. "We didn't have just three intruders." She shook her head. "No, no, no. We had five. Unfortunately, our esteemed general was one of them."

"My king," the general said, dropping the microphone as a very loud piercing noise emitted. He stepped back, looking at Elli and not the crowd. "Your father was the one that suggested alone time with Arthur. I swear it wasn't me."

"I'm sure... I'm sure it wasn't," she said. "But I cannot tolerate the powerless. Especially disabled soldiers such as yourself."

"You can't do this," he said, walking backward. "I'm the reason you're the king. I am!"

"Out with the old and in with the new, right?" She asked with a smile as she pointed to the general and signaled the guards to shoot.

The guards shot at the general. But he used his blue octopus skin and fish scales hybrid to protect himself as he flared his arms at his soldiers. "You can't do this to me. I made you all. I'm the one that taught you all!"

Everyone in the crowd put their heads against the table, some even hiding under them. Several maids tried crouching and placing their hands over their necks to protect themselves, but most ended up being shot in the crossfire. Arthur simply stood, watching everything unfold.

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Ten melee weapon guards ran towards the general.

The general felt lost at sea, on a single island, as he watched the boat he constructed leave him. The same place where he sacrificed his blood every day without a word was now abandoning him. All his efforts were for nothing. He bled for nothing. He shouted, his tentacle growing out of his right leg hole while slamming it against five of the melee guards, and he jumped towards the other five, letting the bullets crossfire and kill them. He huffed and puffed, pouncing on the shooting guards; his tentacle grew in girth, the hardest it's ever been. His blue scaley tentacle, the size of around two trees, lowered onto the shooting soldiers.

But he somehow fell to the floor. Rapidly, his body slammed onto the ground, side to side.

From behind, Elli sneakily grabbed his tentacle by his pant's hole, where it was the smallest in size, and she squished it, swaying him right and left, his body colliding into the floor. She continued and continued. Not stopping for a minute. Then, almost like she was bored, her eyes cast onto Arthur instead, she yawned and squeezed the tentacle, causing it to explode and blue blood to squirt.

The general squirmed on the floor, dragging himself with his hands as he tried to escape. His detached tentacle grew softer, turning into small dehydrated skin.

The general's scaled armor deteriorated, so when the guards shot at his head, his suffering ended in a mere second.

Elli started clapping, and the guards soon followed. All the guests either popped their heads out of the table or sat and clapped as well.

"Only the true king of Atlantis could obliterate unwanted trash from our beautiful country," Elli said without the microphone, but she spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. Loudly enough to hear herself almost screaming. "As lovely as those fireworks were. Shall we tone it down and eat? Yeah, we'll eat."

The unharmed maids bolted out of the room. They readied the food, and as they did this, all the guests and royalty sat back in their seats, trying to act normal. Though, who could, after what happened...

Zoork and Vanilla were fine and weren't really shocked. Void's death made them numb. But a slight lingering worry reverberated in Vanilla as she looked at a worry-free Arthur, yet he was next to the new king and was a sacrifice. Her eyes kept wandering toward him.

Arthur was staring at the floor, not saying a word, and he wasn't even worried or shocked. Perhaps he really was worry-free.

"Come sit," Elli said. "I won't bite."

Arthur followed Elli onto the main table. He sat down next to her as they faced the crowd of fish people. He finally noticed Vanilla and Zoork. His eyes met Vanilla's, but they quickly looked away from each other.

"What do you like eating?"

Arthur turned his head, looking at Elli. "I'm not sure. I've only eaten twice as a human."

"What?" she said, laughing and patting his back. "You sure are a funny person."

She mistook Arthur's sincerity for a joke.

"Tell me. Those orange scales of yours, could you show them to me while we wait for food? I can't help but believe a human has scales like us Atlanteans. I don't know if I should be offended or amazed. So what do you say, show me?"

Arthur still wore his glove in his right hand because no matter what, the fish maids couldn't get it off. So he opted to hold his left hand up, and as he did, he clenched his butt cheeks, forming orange scales around his left hand. "Is that enough?"

She sarcastically chuckled. "Perhaps I shouldn't kill you. You might be related to me."

Arthur looked at Elli's face as he discharged his scales. He didn't say a word.

"After the dinner, I want you to give a speech about why you senselessly murdered my beloved father. If you don't do that, then those two other humans will be..." She paused and dragged her index finger against her throat. "And heck, if you comply with me. I'll send your friends to their rightful country. Of course, after negotiations. What do you say? It's not a tough choice, I'll tell you that."

Arthur nodded. "I'll accept."

"Wonderful! I'm glad you're clever because if you don't argue or lie to me... Well, you'll get my promise. I'm a person of dignity. I never lie. And I know you can... see that."

The banquet doors opened as maids held platters of food and various drinks, running to the tables and serving. However, the area was surrounded by dead bodies and blood. Luckily, the fatty smell of hot steak and various slices of meat — no seafood — shrouded everyone's nostrils. It was savory enough to make everyone somewhat forget about the murders, and coupled with the alcohol, everyone was in joyous moods again.

This was the way of the rich. Live life. Waste other lives. Forget. Live life... A repeated cycle of lavishness.

Vanilla watched the fish-people viciously bite their meals, almost like they were wild animals. She lost her appetite and opted not to eat. Zoork simply drank an entire bottle of rum, ignoring everything.

While everyone feasted, the maids cleaned up the area by disposing of the dead and scrubbing down their blood. They furthermore retrieved all the dirty silverware. The place didn't look like it had been a bloodbath. Quick drying paint or carpets covered all the blemishes that once riddled the room.

The banquet hall didn't look a day old.

"As delicious as that dinner was," Elli said, looking around at everyone and nodding as she stood up with Arthur. "It's time for the last meal."

The maids carrying the trident neared the new king and kneeled on the floor as they continued holding it, facing their heads down to the floor.

"After I slaughter this alien, I am the rightful king." Elli grabbed the trident with one hand.

Arthur kneeled on the floor. His head was pointing down as he stared at the ground.

"I am the king," she said, swooping the trident into Arthur's neck, specifically his collar bone. Red hot fluid perfused out of him as she pulled the trident, blood dripping from it onto the floor. It wasn't enough to kill, but she intended on that; she wanted to play with her toy. She held her hands up and glanced down at the helpless man. "I AM!"