[LovetheHoly]

aOH YES

name; S e p h o r a
gender; female
origin; the primitive planet of Pandora




Oh who is she with a core of iron churning shallow seas their people call the 'deep'. Mother Earth, what brought me to you, what drew me to your valor. Ah yes the tales and legends, a lonely gal like me needs a little attention and you were the perfect stage, nothing more nothing less, I came to see what you dare call your pitch oceans and found nothing more than a trench, let me tell you it was a disappointment you brag of this feature on your face so often yet it's a meer river to me. If that wasn't a problem alone I ran into your people, only men who dread drowning would wear a whole tele-tubby suit furthermore making themselves look like clowns and cowards abroad, I bounced off into the black.


nor could I greet them for they've fled with their pseudo-flippers to the surface as quickly as their little limbs could squirm them, silly natives, they can build towers larger than themselves but they can't face something different, especially if and when it's with a crowd, in the deep where it's normally alone, out of your comfort zon. Don't fear the deep nor me my darlings, fear the one who could put you in the pit.





If you asked me who I am, I'd say day dreaming aspiring make up artist, since I haven't touched make up in my life due to my inability to yet I make an alter reality in my mind of me doing so, but who am I? As a being really, well we'll have to start with who I was...
"It's not fair!" I
sobbed restlessly
panting, shifting,
even breaking a
tear. An untamed
child, her rage
gave her no rest,
I guess you could
see where the term
"No rest for the wicked"
had came from. Yeah
okay maybe I wasn't the
origin of that, but why
do you want to know
the reason for being
this way, so angry and
spoiled, maybe the
world I knew loved
me too much and I
began coming picky,
hardly remembering
how nice everyone was
to me and only focused
on the harsh things
therefore leaving me in
frustration

I was the princess of all of Pandora, I know what you're thinking but it's really not that, there is no real 'government' or 'monarchy', this planet is known to be by far the most primitive in all the galaxies, it's a dangerous yet peaceful place, no one is really sure how I've been given this title but I know, 'the voice' told me, the voice is the ruler of Pandora, and only those native here can hear it which is why other planet governments and such don't quite get involved with us, some outsiders think we all have the gene for schizophrenia but it's not that believe me. This explanation is vital for you to know before I continue, but forgive me for not mentioning earlier let me resume; I still jittered with bitterness and hurt overwhelming me per usual, I was in shock the voice had told these two large terragryph's to throw me down to the core of the planet, also known as 'the pit' there's nothing but water but there's also nothing but blackness as well, they looked down at me from the light above depressed, "No!" I shouted and stomped, "That's just not fair! What did they expect? They gave me a look as if I was going to steal something then snobbishly said nothing of course I'm gonna throw down the merchant's cart!", the terragryph sighed then spoke, "The voice condemns you to the pit until you dispose of your behavior", I paused for a moment surprised, us natives, especially the terragryph kind don't speak so formally, I only learned how to talk with a touch of fancy from a book a villager gave me as a present. I went on splashing about hollering 'no no!' as they closed the light. The hollering soon turned to screaming in a tantrum kicking my fins to where I last remembered seeing it disappear, the extreme stress and panic led me to pass out and I began to sink. Being merely a child at the time, now that I look back on it you know, I could've been reading that book instead.

[watts]

name: xilo
gender: male
mission 82: purple planet

[bite sized kuiper]

congrats !
id rather you not keep the art since it included my kals in there im sorry qww

[Guest]

.

[lemm]

Mark

[SilentMelody]

username: silentmelody

-- siren with a catch, doesn't just use voice but also uses guitar (made of large clams and tightly strung kelp).
-- lives an evil life of luring kalons living on land to their death so he can feed on their soul.
-- one day sings a song for someone, they're unaffected and find him in the ocean.
-- the siren realizes this kalon and falls in love with them, even though there'd be no use.
-- asks kalon to visit a cove each day, and they meet there to talk or swim together.

might grow one of my kits for this story just to make it accurate?

[lovestruck]

name undecided
-a gang leader in the underwater realm, Aquae
-his head is highly wanted, but he’s never been caught
-v sly
-has history with Nayda, the queen of Aquae
-misunderstood

[petrify]

─ 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 ─

[link to form will be placed here shortly]

[-galaxie]

mark!

[lonk]

xxxxxxxxxxxx

i won't ever be repeated.

username: lonk
name: clarion xilo
gender: male
who are they as a person?:

well, where to start?

under the reign of queen dominia, cathoria was beginning to change.
clarion xilo could see this happening. something about the way that the went about things made the world seem different. she was gentle and demure, but her stern conviction for what she believed in- gods above, her passion was riveting. of course, he mourned for the dead king riverone, albeit halfheartedly, but dominia was all he could see. after all... he was her personal guard.
he wasn't sure why he was chosen to protect the queen. usually, the head of the royal guard would do so, but instead, they picked him. he was by no means scrawny, but he wasn't the strongest. maybe it was his mind? he liked to think that was the case. after all, the queen's choice had to be good. there must've been a reason.
the first major change dominia brought with her was to end most of the executions. it was well known that if you broke enough rules, or a specifically important law, your life would have a miserable, quick ending. (unless you'd offended the nobility themselves, like in the case of traitors. xilo once heard that torture was the answer to a wavering loyalty.) but dominia knew that was unjust. especially for cases with little to no evidence, or those who had committed petty thievery a few times, it was far too high a price to pay! so why not send these criminals to one of the uninhabited planetary colonies instead? it would still be punishment, but... they'd be alive.
the high court, anyone with political power... they were all mortified. no more being able to execute possibly innocent civilians? oh, the tyranny! her advisor wasn't particularly very happy. he insisted that he'd handle the details of it, making sure that they'd still suffer immensely, and all the queen could do was oblige. dominia knew there'd be outrage from those around her, and she wouldn't push her ideals that, 'hey, not all people are bad!' as far as she wanted to at the time. she couldn't.
but the exiles. that wasn't all that she did. and it wasn't the best of the lot, either. but everything starts somewhere, doesn't it?


---

"clarion xilo, you are being charged for the murder of queen dominia navah cathor."
he didn't look up from the spot on the floor that he decided to glare at. they didn't deserve the satisfaction of peeking into his soul. not after they'd done this.
xilo could hear merven slink towards him. that weasel-looking coward. he didn't even know the man's first name, but the last was enough to leave a slimy feeling in the mouth. he was always weary of the royal advisor- something about the way he treated the queen was wrong. he spoke down to her, yet... she was the one in charge. she always was in charge.
"merven. can i get some legal representation, please?" he glanced up, quickly, throwing out a grin.
the whole room was silent aside from the occasional murmurs of the royal court, all seated in rows in the throne room. he could feel merven's breath on his neck. "...do you think you deserve to be defended, you wretched scum?" xilo's heart raced as the advisor slammed his staff on the floor, only missing his foot by an inch. "you're lucky i didn't end your life earlier," he said, bringing his voice down to a whisper, "but it would've been a hassle to get away with."
xilo felt the urge to take that wooden stick and snap it over the man's head, but with his arms tied, and being surrounded by guards, all he could do was watch. they all looked at him with deep disappointment. but if only they'd known that he wasn't their enemy! he still had the same goal as them... he still wanted...
he didn't have enough time to formulate his thoughts. "as i was saying," merven continued, "the only defense you get- gods help you- is your word. which may be, erm, untrue. please keep this in mind," he said, gesturing to the court, "as we want this trial to be as fair as possible."
xilo let out a sigh. at this point, he'd just hoped it'd be over fast so he could get to the dying part sooner.


---

the queen sat on the balcony, a cup of cocoa in her dainty hands. xilo stood in the doorway to her room, the sheer curtains that hung blowing in front of him, dancing in the wind. he wished he'd just disappear. he was a terrible companion for her majesty, but she seemed to like to have him speak.
she smiled, although dressed unsuitably for the colder weather that was beginning to seep in. xilo worried she'd catch an illness. maybe it was time to urge her inside...?
but the queen seemed so, well, at peace. her mind was often troubled. the public loved her, and the other nobles disagreed with the young matriarch. she had a lot on her plate: he wished he could help her, and give advice, but it was out of his place to do so. xilo may have been her personal guard, but that did not make him any more worthy than what he was.
the queen let out a sigh, and he perked up. "clarion," she said softly, the words fluttering through the air, "is there something on your mind?"
the question caught the guard, well, off guard. he gulped. "uh, n-no, your grace. just... worried. it's a bit cold for you to still be out. b-but it's not my place to say anything, your highness, i-"
she began to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. it wasn't at him, but the situation. "it's okay," she said, beaming, "but you don't have to be so nervous. i'm not going to bite you." dominia closed her eyes. "i know that over the years, our nobility has been frightening, but i like to think i'm not quite at that standard."
he let out a sigh of relief. "my apologies."
"no, no, it's fine! everyone is so worried, all the time. sometimes it's good to just take a moment. come and sit with me."
she motioned for him to sit across from her, and he hurried over. xilo felt absolutely terrible, sitting at the same table as the kingdom's ruler, but hey- at least he could still face the door and make sure that he'd be able to protect the queen if an intruder was going to burst out.
"so," she began, still with a soft smile, "just breathe." and he did. it was fast, short, hurried breaths. "slowly," she said, exaggerating her pace of inhaling and exhaling. "it's good to just.... relax. we can't get much done when we're all tense and nervous, can we?" he shook his head.
"everyone goes far too fast with everything. including me." she sighed, and sat up straighter in her chair. "maybe i'm 'too much' for the rest of the court. too different from my father. so i felt the need to rush into a new age, and now look where we are- they all detest me! you'd know," she continued, "because you're always there."
he nodded, and they fell into silence. did she expect him to...? his heart began to race again, as she waited for his response. "i, yes, your majesty. what you've done is for the better, but not all of your court understands. it's... unfortunate."
"it is. but i guess i shouldn't dwell on it. all it'd do is make me sad. better to look at the future, i suppose!" and with that, she laughed at her own positivity, drawing their conversation to a close.

that was the moment he knew that he loved her.
no, it wasn't a romantic love. gods, no. it'd crossed his mind, but it just wasn't right. it wasn't even right to become so emotionally invested. she was so far above him, but it felt like she was closer than anyone else to him. at this point, he'd already been her guard for six months or so, but it now? he felt more... connected. she'd spoken to him like he was more than just a body who would die for her. it was a short conversation nonetheless, but it meant something. and they only grew closer from then on.
"mr. xilo?"
hearing his name snapped him back into reality. oh, right. he was currently being put on 'trial' for killing dominia.
he smiled. "yes?"
the members of her court acting as the jury all gasped. maybe it wasn't the right time to smile. merven was now across the room from him, pacing in the way that he did. "i'm going to ask you one more time. will you kindly tell the jury what your relations were with the queen?"
xilo shook his head. "i believe the judge is the one who asks the questions."
merven stopped in his tracks. "the judge," he said, motioning to his right, "doesn't wish to speak to you." so the judge must've arrived while he nodded off. the royal judge stared down at him, scrutinizing his every move. just great! another person who loved him was now in the room, and they were going to decide his verdict. merven had probably already told him everything from his point of view, so there was little to no hope for him left.
xilo wasn't expecting any hope, though. he knew that his case wouldn't be heard. and why would it? he was just a guard, after all, not a diplomat or anyone in the high court. he was nothing, and he had apparently murdered the face of the kingdom.
"right." xilo stared back at the floor. "i'm her personal guard. and nothing more." the second half was a lie, but what good would it be to start monologuing about their companionship? it wouldn't make a difference, so he kept his sentences short.
it seemed like the members of dominia's court didn't recognize him, for if they did, there certainly wouldn't be the commotion that came after he announced his position. women in overstuffed dresses and men of high esteem began to yell over one another, and xilo couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the relations between him and the queen. they'd been friends, after all, and it was a shame he couldn't admit that. it was unheard of, a royal being so close to a mere guard, and while it wasn't immediate, the two spent a lot of good time together.


---

it was the early morning, before cathoria was awake. the streets were nearly empty, only the sound of the duo's footsteps against the main road to be heard. it was spring. xilo had always liked the spring, as it was a quiet time of the year. students weren't yet restless for the summer, and while the shops were beginning to get ready for the usual booms of business that the warm weather brought with it, nothing was too crazy. yet.
dominia decided she wanted to get out and stretch her legs. "there's a place very dear to me," she'd said, giving him a grin, "and i think you'd like a lot, clarion. we'll go at dawn, so there's a lower risk of being noticed."
and with that, their plans were made. xilo could never say no (although she did usually stop whatever she was doing or going to do if he looked freaked out), so they went off as soon as light appeared in the sky. he wasn't sure where they were going, as dominia pulled him along, but his main priority would be keeping her safe, as per usual.
"it's gorgeous out, your grace. you picked a nice day to come out."
she beamed at the compliment. "you flatter me. but it's purely luck, so don't give me that much credit. besides... if my guard was intent on keeping me inside, we wouldn't even be able to enjoy the weather, now would we?"
dominia laughed, and xilo was glad that she couldn't see his face, his cheeks turning slightly red. she was always quick to turn his compliments back around to him, and it was a lot to handle for him. while he was used to it, dominia's laid-back demeanor with him was always something to keep him on his toes.
their destination was even lovelier than xilo had expected. he knew that they were headed towards the coast, and while he figured they'd be going to the beach of some sort, the small, secluded cove that they arrived at was stunning. it was off the beaten path a bit, a good distance from the small, seaside cathorian village, but it wasn't too hard to get to.
despite the fact that they stood at the edge of the ocean, the strip of sand before them was small. what was more prominent was the wildflowers that were growing there, the grass beneath their feet nearly getting kissed by the ocean. xilo had never seen a beach that had flowers blooming so close to it- it seemed almost out of place, the land coming so close to the sea.
dominia laid out the cloak that she wore to hide herself from the few townspeople up and about before sitting down on it, and patting the spot next to her. "this is it. isn't it beautiful?"
xilo nodded. "it is, your majesty."
she snorted. "you know i'm going to ask you to just call me dominia."
"i know..." he looked away, casting his eyes to the small, white and yellow flowers growing next to him. "it's hard, your highness. it isn't my place to say so, but you musn't forget that i'm merely a guard."
"my personal guard," she said, winking, "who also happens to be my closest friend."
"f-friend?" he was caught off guard by the word. gods above, when was he not caught off guard by the things dominia said? she nodded at his shock, a look of confusion on her face. "i-i don't really-"
"oh, hush, clarion! you're a friend of mine, at this point. friends talk smack together, and we've talked a lot about people we don't like. like merven," she said, grinning, "who is a total dink."
the guard finally smiled. "i wish you could get rid of him. but i understand the former king's wishes."
dominia's expression turned sour, and she stood up, heading towards the water. "i just don't get it. i'm restricted by everything- my father's word before he died, the expectations of the court... i just want to be able to breathe."
xilo jumped up as soon as she did, but stayed back, picking up her cape as she went to dip her hands in the ocean water. "and i know i shouldn't feel like this, clarion. my life is practically perfect- i have a gorgeous daughter, and the kingdom is having some of its most peaceful days since the golden harvest! maybe merven's right. i complain solely to complain."
"no, your ma- uh- dominia." she turned around to face him, the misery in her eyes now apparent. "it's understandable. we all feel trapped in our own ways." she thought about his words for a moment, and then turned back to the lapping waves.
"of course you do. you spend all your time being ordered around by me."
"n-no, not like that! i have days to myself, and i'm not always limited. not that i mind serving you, o-of course! it's all a pleasure of mine to be able to better cathoria. and as you said... we are friends, right?" after taking a second to think, dominia faced him again, and smiled. he continued.
"you don't have to feel alone, your grace. i'm... i'm here for you."





..."and i rest my case. he should be executed as soon as possible- he deserves to suffer."
as the jury began to murmur among themselves, xilo sighed. merven was finally done telling his side of the story. the jury had asked questions and interrupted him multiple times (definitely illegal in dominia's terms), and they all seemed convinced.
xilo cleared his throat. "...will i be presenting my defense?"
the whole room fell quiet at once. merven scoffed as the judge's eyes widened. "i suppose you may," the older man said before the room erupted into noise once again. merven looked as if he were going to explode, his whole face turning red. his eyes pierced into xilo's skin, burning into his very being.
the judge banged his gavel, much to xilo's surprise. he could already tell he was going to lose- the ancient looking kalon held a reserved hatred in his eyes- but giving him a chance was going to be interesting.
"alright," he began, raising his head. "dominia navah cathor. the only person who's ever, to be quite frank, given a damn about me. but none of you gave a damn about her aside from her status, so why would that matter to you?"
merven was appalled. "cut out the bull," he spat, "and get on with it."
this time, as the man glared into his eyes, xilo shook the hair out of his face to return the notion. "dominia was one of my dearest friends," he started again, "and as was i to her. so why would i kill her? what would i gain? i'd get nothing from it, aside from losing someone i care about. it's not like i wouldn't still be a guard."
"but as you wish: here's how the event happened, in my words."

it was now the end of the summer. heat still clung to the earth like a blanket, but the dog days were finally over. dominia was starting to get excited for the autumn- her favorite season. the annual fall festival was always a highlight of the year, and while she wasn't directly in charge of it, she always tried to help as much as she could.
some days were busy, but this was one of those lazy, end-of-the-summer throwaway days where nothing important happened, and no prominent memories were to be made. or so one would think.
the duo was standing in the back courtyard, out by the gardens. as there weren't any visitors that day, it was all too quiet. aside from the birds' song and the splashing of the fountain in the center, all xilo could hear was dominia gently flipping the pages of the newest book she was devouring.
he knew that she knew that he loved coming out here. although most of the plants weren't in full bloom anymore, the calm and serenity of the back gardens always brought a smile to her guard's face. they'd never speak much out there other than the usual quiet chattering, but it was like his sanctuary.
but xilo stood on his guard when merven made his way down the courtyard's path, accompanied by two other guards. he always insisted on having protection with him. despite his petite frame, merven made sure he had a large presence, even larger than the queen's! it was pathetic, in truth, but xilo could never say so.
"your majesty," the advisor said with a bow, "how grateful i am to find you out here. i was wishing to speak to you alone." with a flourish of his hand, he dismissed his entourage. "and that goes for you as well."
xilo could only stare at merven as he smiled up at him. dominia, sensing the tension, interjected. "no, merven. he'll be staying with me. thank you for the thought, however."
the royal advisor looked devastated for a moment, the color rushing out from his face. but then he regained his composure, and put on another one of his crooked smiles. "well," he nearly hissed out, "all the better." merven struck the ground with his staff, as if to put on a display for the queen. dominia was unimpressed.
he began to rant and rave about one of her policies. xilo tuned it out, only focusing on his actions- if he were to make a move towards her grace, he would end him. "...and as your advisor, your majesty, i recommend that you bring back what we once had! there was no questions of authority. people are starting to wonder-"
"by people, you mean you, merven." he turned red. "our kingdom is thriving and you wish to return to ways of cruelty to relieve your fear of losing power. i, however, am your queen, and my word is final. and you'd better believe that when i say that i'm going to keep running down the path we're on, i mean it."
xilo was so entranced by dominia that he didn't notice the pointed top of merven's staff pointed at his throat. he nearly laughed as dominia clamped her hands over her mouth. merven felt powerful, and it was easy to see, but this was short lived as xilo was able to draw his sword and aim it at the same place the other man held him at.
the advisor took a step backwards, letting the shriveling coward he was show. "shall i finish him off, your highness?"
"no, no, clarion. this is ridiculous. merven. you do realize you're going to be exiled for this, right? or... we can speak more about it. i value your opinion, dear, but you can't threaten my guards when you don't get your way. just drop your weapon."
his staff clattered to the ground. "clarion, you can drop yours as well. to show that we're all going to play nice," she said with a smile. a pit dropped in his stomach, but dominia's orders were orders. reluctantly, he dropped his sword in front of him, placing it on the ground before moving in from of the queen.
she put her hand on his shoulder. "please." and with that, he stood aside, letting her walk towards merven. the little rat. he opened his mouth to speak, but dominia silenced him. "i want to trust you. my father did, so i should be able to as well. and while our views are different, we should be able to get along."
he nodded, his snakelike gaze now directed at the ground. merven was too weak to look the queen in the eyes. "y-yes, your majesty." xilo was on his toes. the man's mind was in a different place- dominia's words seemed to barely register with him.
"i think i understand w-what you mean," merven said, now looking up, with a smile. "we don't have to see eye to eye. but i should be able to be civil." dominia was now beaming. she turned around to face xilo.
down to her core, she was truly happy that merven was beginning to seem more like an ally. "see, clarion? i knew he'd-"

and time seemed to stop.





it was over in an instant.
she didn't scream as xilo's sword entered her body, skewering a hole through her stomach. her heart had just been missed. dominia looked into xilo's eyes, tears welling in the corners of them. "i... clarion."
xilo caught her as she fell to her knees. merven had let go of the sword. there was no blood on his hands, but he looked at them like they were dripping in red, and laughed. "i should've been able to get along with you... but i never said i would." he shook his head, his eyes full of disdain. "you're the biggest disgrace to ever walk cathoria."
he turned on his heels, and walked away.
she was losing blood. the queen smiled faintly, closing her eyes. "clarion..." she reached out for his hand, and he didn't hesitate to squeeze hers. "i'm dying... aren't i?"
dominia let out one of those faint bits of laughter she'd have. "y-your majesty- dominia- we need to get help. i," he started, panic in his voice, "i-i can't let you-"
"shh." they sat in silence for a moment as he waited for her to speak. "clarion," she began, the brightness in her voice fading, "i'm going to ask you for a favor."
"y-yes?"
"...take care of my daughter, alright?" he nodded vigorously. "she's too young to be... she needs someone to look out for her."
"of course."
"...and clarion?"
"yes?"
she tried to sit up higher, but let out a groan as she nearly fell over again. her face was pale, and her breathing grew harsher and harsher as she continued to hang on to the threads of life. "you know how much i care for you..." she trailed off, trying to finish her thought. "so.... take care of yourself. promise me."
"i promise."
she grinned. "good."
and with that, she sunk down further into his arms, letting her last breath leave her weak body. merven entered the courtyard with a full entourage of high-ranked guards, including the head guard, xilo's superior. "here she is," merven said, pity in his voice, "with the guard who killed her. i couldn't stop him."
xilo couldn't say anything as he was swarmed, and he let his vision turn black.

"...and now we're here," he said, his voice shaking. "he murdered the one person that i cared about."
the whole courtroom was silent. there wasn't much to be said in response to the guard's story. merven looked as if he were about to burst, as all of the eyes in the room flickered from him to xilo and back to him. some opinions were beginning to change, and it was clear that merven no longer held the upper hand.
"w-well. the guard with too much free time is telling stories, now is he?" xilo shook his head as merven stood up and made his way over to him. "none of you believe him, do you? he's lying to us all. it's so easy to paint an advisor as a bad guy," he said, his voice growing sad, "so he chose the easy way out. i watched him do it. and besides, if i did it, wouldn't i just use my staff?"
xilo snorted as the room broke back into noise. it was too convenient of an excuse, and but he knew that the judge was buying it. he was over.
the judge silenced the room, making his hideous noise. "has the jury reached their verdict?"
a woman in the back row raised her hand, standing up as she did so. "we find him guilty."
this wasn't how a court was supposed to work.
merven was nearly glowing. "and so do i," the judge said, leaning back in his chair, "so now, we hand him off to the executioner." the executioner? xilo was confused- there wasn't a set executioner since riverone passed. merven saw his look of confusion, and put his hand on his shoulder.
"well," he said, lowering his voice, "as dominia is dead... i'm currently acting as king until her daughter is old enough to take the throne." he winked, and xilo began fuming. "don't open your mouth, boy, or i'll make things worse than they have to be. after all, i'm not planning on doing anything crazy. i have to thank you, you know, for being the perfect pawn."
"i was never your pawn. by gods, you're not going to get away with this, you rat."
merven turned away. "guards," he called out, flicking his arm upwards, "escort mr. xilo to the oceanside. i have plans."
and with that, xilo was led away.





he stood on the edge of the cliffs, his arms still tied behind his back. a good assortment of guards stood behind him, in the same uniform that he wore almost every day. they'd put him in a plain white shirt for the time being. perhaps they'd reuse his uniform? maybe it would be all that was left of him, aside from the title of 'the guard who killed queen dominia' in the history textbooks.
merven was behind him. he could feel him, scheming to himself, but he still jumped when he started to address him. "clarion xilo. are you ready to die?"
xilo thought for a moment. "is that really all, merven? you're going to ask me if i'm ready to die? no monologues, no taunts... just the simple question. how pitiful."
merven struck his back with his staff, sending xilo off balance, stopping dangerously close to the edge of the cliff above the jagged rocks jutting out of the ocean. "i didn't ask for any lip, boy. don't get smart with me or i'll change my mind and let binghurst experiment on you. she was hoping i'd let her get her first live subject."
thinking about the royal inventor, xilo decided to keep his mouth shut. he glared at the new king, waiting for his next move. "i'm glad you can see eye to eye with me," merven said with a smile. no response. "well," he said, placing his hands on xilo's shoulders and moving him forwards, "this is it."
"goodbye!"

xilo felt pain when he hit the rocks, but once he was in the water, everything went numb. he was in a state of panic- he couldn't breathe, he could barely see, he... he was dying. he'd failed to live up to what dominia had hoped for him, and now, he was drowning in the ocean. the ocean she loved.
there was something relaxing about hitting the bottom. xilo couldn't move himself, but instead was rocked back and forth by tuf of the waves above him. he floated in the nothingness around him, an expanse of deep blues and greens enveloping his being. he was the sea, and the sea was him.
he was alone, yet he enjoyed company. every hint of life that passed him filled him with a sort of calm. he watched fish pass him by, and other critters crawl along the floor next to him. it was seldom that he saw much action, but the action that he saw made him feel less empty.
the expanse of the ocean was limited but limitless, and he went on endlessly through the water that had claimed his life. but he didn't think about that. he didn't think of much at all. he just was, drifting back and forth and back and forth.
but after the nothing, there was something.


---

"poor, poor, child."
the voice was soft, and flowed like the ocean he was a part of. he looked around, but couldn't see anyone there with him. "you won't find me, love," they continued, "because i'm all around you."
he spoke. "are you the ocean?"
they let out a chuckle. "yes, i suppose i may be. i am reida. the goddess of your ocean, and your truth."
"how long have you been here with me?"
"not long. but i have seen the injustice plaguing you. i am here to give you a second chance."
he strained to think. "i don't want it."
"yes you do, child. you must have forgotten; you have been here too long."
"i want to stay here."
the goddess sighed. "it is your time to emerge to the surface, xilo."
his name brought back a surge of energy with him. "that's me."
"yes, it is you. and you have someone who you must avenge."
dominia. her name rushed back into his mind. the water felt like it was dragging him down, pushing him deeper and deeper into its floor. he was drowning all over again.
"please, make it stop."
"i will. you will live once again, child. but you will bear my mark. it is my blessing, and my curse. to show you belong to me."
"thank you, goddess."
white light enveloped his being, shaping him back into the person he was. his thoughts and his memories and his mind clustered around him, swimming back to their rightful master. he was almost whole again, released from his paradise, and back out of the water.
he didn't want to leave his days of peace, but xilo had to do it. for her.





beatrice poe, the resident toymaker/inventor of the small town of rosemary, was out on one of her usual morning walks on the beach. there was something so lovely and quaint that she enjoyed about the town. there were many beachside strips, as it was right on the ocean, but it was never noisy, never crowded. it was always a quiet setting compared to many of the larger beaches nearby, and she was drawn to the beauty of a softer atmosphere.
it was one of those days where she was dragging her rusty red wagon in tow. she'd often try and pick up any scrap metal or driftwood that washed up, as they were of use to her, for some of her casual projects. plus, being out by the ocean made her feel calm. she had a lot on her plate, and relieving her stress was important.
a usual day was what it was cracking out to be. that was, at least, before bea saw the man laying in the water. he was washed up on the shore, the waves gently rising and falling above his head. bea ran over in a panic- god, what if he was dying?- and with the little strength she had, she yanked him up and out of the ocean, onto the dry land.
to call him a fish out of water would be, well, correct. she gasped, taking a few steps backwards and bringing her hands over her mouth as she stared at the scaly tail where his legs should have been. a mermaid. or merman. she didn't care enough for the difference.
bea had seen a lot in her time. but nothing like this! here she was, standing on the beach with a straight-up cryptid laying in front of her. the man seemed to be breathing, as his tail twitched and his chest fell and rose, but he definitely wasn't conscious. and she couldn't just leave him there, so...
heaving him up onto her wagon, bea nearly ran all the way back to her house.


---

when xilo came to, he was inside. it wasn't expected, but it didn't seem to necessarily be a bad thing. everything looked foreign, however. the technology was different from cathoria's: everything from the lights to the screen on the wall in front of him didn't ring a bell in his mind. he was on some sort of sofa. it felt used, like it'd been loved for many years. he decided he'd get up and explore the house.
except for the fact that he couldn't get up. his legs were gone, replaced by a fish-like tail. dear lord, maybe the dream with the goddess was real! he began to remember his predicament. xilo was dead- he was supposed to be dead, because dominia... dominia was dead.
since he couldn't get up, he'd have to find another way out. "h-hello?" he called out, sitting up straight. "is the master of the house present?"
xilo heard someone walking down stairs above him. turning the corner of what seemed to be the hallway was a young woman. her pink hairr was put partially up into a ridiculous style, reminding him of some of the high court ladies. she gave him a tired smile, and leaned up against the wall.
"so..." she said, flipping her over her shoulder, "my name is bea poe. welcome to my home. i saw you on the beach and figured i'd take you home as to not cause public outcry. nobody around here's even seen, well, uh, a mermaid."
he looked back down at his tail, and sighed. "...i haven't ever seen one before either, madam. my name is xilo, and i'm the queen's personal... ah, excuse me. i was queen dominia's personal guard, but i suppose that would just make me a regular member of the cathorian guard, now."
bea closed her eyes. "oh," she started, "my god. cathoria? you said you're from cathoria?" xilo nodded, looking at the woman in confusion. "honey, we're not in cathoria. cathoria is unknown to the general public of this planet. cathoria is light years away."
xilo merely blinked. she continued. "i- well, i don't like speaking much about it- grew up in cathoria. however, i, and a handful of friends, were able to escape. not many civilians are as lucky as i am, though, and suffer immensely."
"you seem like you've been here for a while, ms. poe. why would you have left during dominia's reign? unless merven is already up to terrorizing our people, which i don't believe it's been long enough for, i can't understand why one would leave."
"oh, honey," bea said, walking over to a chair on the other side of the room, "king merven died almost 500 years ago."







...that surely can't be the end to it all, can it?
well, it can. there's not much more to xilo's story. or at least his history. now, he's in the present day- resurrected to somehow take revenge on the cathorian regime. but thankfully, he has somewhere to start.
the initial shock of missing half a thousand years took a while to get over. he'd drifted, somehow, to an entirely different planet, to an entirely different ocean, and onto the beach where an a cathorian refugee was strolling. it couldn't just be coincidence. xilo was sure it was fate. the goddess had planted him in bea's hands so he could get somewhere.
bea had problems of her own, which were too muddled for xilo to understand. someone had been exiled, and she and another friend of hers had apparently been holding the current royal inventor hostage. or something like that. it was confusing, and it didn't pertain much to him, but bea had made it clear that she needed to sort her situation out before they could overthrow the current king of cathoria.
overthrowing the king. taking over the monarchy wasn't something xilo had ever imagined, but now it was becoming a reality. or at least it was something to plan for. he knew that in his new state, he was weaker than before, with his lack of mobility on land, but he and his new companion had at least found some solution for that.
xilo has never seen a wheelchair before, but it sure was a helpful thing for a man without legs. he didn't resent using it on land, no, as he was grateful that such a thing existed. he wasn't sure how he'd be able to fight in it, but bea had ideas to give him mechanical legs somehow.
for once, xilo's life felt like a work in progress. he couldn't see exactly what was coming in the near future- life on earth was so different from anything he'd ever experienced before! things were constantly changing and evolving to suit growing needs. it was beautiful, in a way.
dominia would've loved it here. no, she would love it here, future-tense. xilo knew that she was gone, but... something tore at the corners of his mind. he couldn't register the queen as dead, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself. maybe it was his extreme devotion to her, or maybe it was a sign that she was still out there. the latter was impossible, sure, but he shouldn't have been alive, so why couldn't she be?
he spent most of his days either working (at the front counter of a small pizza joint, taking orders. bea had gotten him the job, and it was a hard transition, but xilo made it work.) or spending his free time out by the ocean. what else would a man with a mermaid tail do? he was never really a swimmer during his time in cathoria, but he now felt at home in the water. xilo would spend hours under the water, able to breathe it in, and let himself get lost in the waves.
many times, he'd be tempted to stop caring about the world, and actually let the ocean sweep him away forever. but that nagging voice in the back of his mind never ceased to call him back to the surface. he had promises to keep, and a wrongful death to avenge. he had vengeance in his blood, and xilo knew he couldn't give up until justice had been served.


---

so who is clarion xilo, as a person?
there are many ways to answer this question. queen dominia's 'murderer'. a merman. dominia's lover. it also could be said that he's a shell of who he once was- an empty husk who sways in and out of being present, as smooth as the waves. someone with a lack of much personality. a man who should be dead.
but above all, xilo is a man who waits. he waits for the time to strike on the new royal bloodline that stole his life- and hers. he waits for a new pair of legs, allowing him the joy of protecting those he cares about once more. and he waits for the land, the beautiful land, in all her glory, to rise up from the dead and kiss the sea.

[6868 words
all art by me]