The Prince of Tides
Roaring in fury, recalling his shadows, Maleagant used them to fight his way through the ever-deepening water.
Lancelot countered him easily, scattering the shadows, tearing them to shreds, knocking Maleagant into the water and following him down.
It was up their mid-shins now, and climbing rapidly.
He was terrified for Galehaut, but trusted Kay.
Maleagant kicked him away and surged to his feet.
In Lancelot's ear, a soft chime. One down, fourteen to go.
He lifted his trident to block Maleagant's swing, then shoved forward to send him stumbling back. Maleagant snarled, regained his footing, and lunged again, even as the water rose to their knees.
With the trident, Maleagant would have a hard time getting close, and it was meant for the water that would rapidly fill the great hall. They both knew that the moment he could swim, this fight was over.
Screaming in fury, summoning his shadows once more, both to serve as additional armor and as adds to slow Lancelot down, Maleagant attacked again.
Another chime. Thirteen left.
He blocked Maleagant's swings and forced him back, over and over, as the water kept rising, up to mid-thigh now.
Maleagant's shadows were helping him move, but soon even they wouldn't be good enough, especially as he was looking increasingly haggard.
He'd given everything to get them all in this throne room, and hadn't planned for anything to go wrong.
Maleagant's craftiness and patience had nearly been their undoing, and might yet be, but arrogance would be his undoing.
Another chime, and it was followed almost immediately by another, so somebody else had gotten themselves free. Eleven left to go.
He wished he could look around, see who was gone, who was left, but fighting Maleagant, keeping him occupied, was taking all of his attention. Nor could he expect help from the others, because Maleagant had made damned certain they wouldn't be able to fight back.
His mistake had been underestimating Lancelot. He always had, though, every single time. He had such confidence in his own powers, in the shadows that heeded him, he'd always dismissed everything except Arthur's golden light as trivial.
He thrust the trident forward, slamming the points into Maleagant's chest, but they couldn't get past the shadows still protecting him.
Before he could withdraw, Maleagant grabbed the trident and swung, sending Lancelot flying and slamming into one of the pillars.
His trident hit the water a few feet away, but he was easily able to call it back to him as he hit the water.
Another chime. Ten left.
He got his feet under him and pushed up. The water reached his hips. Plenty deep enough to do some swimming. This fight was—
Someone grabbed him from behind and lobbed him across the room like he weighed no more than a baseball. Not that he'd ever played baseball, but he'd seen it enough.
He slammed into the wall behind the throne, then slid down it, eyes blurry with pain, head aching so much he was going to throw up soon.
He landed in the water, which immediately began to heal him, but it wasn't as deep here because the dais for the royal thrones was several steps higher than the rest of the room.
He waded through it, throwing out a hand to will the trident to him, eyes sweeping the hall—
Gale. Still in that fucking collar. Still under Maleagant's control. Holding his trident tightly in one enormous fist, dwarfing the weapon in a way that would have been amusing any other time.
The water was up to Maleagant's waist now, well away from being a danger to Gale, but still steadily climbing.
Two more chimes. Eight left.
Lancelot let his claws out. Old-fashioned way it was, then.
Ignoring the remnants of pain in his body, his still-throbbing head, he took a running start and dove into the deep waters of the rest of the great hall, swimming furiously, moving quickly, erratically, so he'd be harder to track and anticipate.
Making for Maleagant, he went around him, then turned and dove through his spread legs, claws out.
Another chime. Seven left.
Maleagant screamed in pain and outrage and crashed into the water as his wounded legs gave out.
Lancelot started to turn, but then his ankle was grabbed and he was lifted out of the water like a caught fish, dangling uselessly for a moment before he got his bearings.
He slammed water into Galehaut's face and chest, just barely managing to upset his balance and concentration enough that he let Lancelot go.
Not the trident, though, unfortunately. Fine. He'd manage.
Back in the water, he used it to get enough momentum to kick Galehaut's legs out from under him, sending him crashing flailing panicking into the water. His heart hurt, the guilt making him ache, but with Galehaut distracted he could turn his attention back to Maleagant.
Once Galehaut stood up again, he'd be fine. It would be all right. He'd stop this before Galehaut was in real danger.
Another chime. Six left.
His heart raced faster than ever as he swam through the water seeking Maleagant. Who was nowhere to be seen. He must have found—
Lancelot reared back just in time to avoid being smashed by the column that came crashing down into the water.
He stood up, the water halfway up his chest now, slowing slightly as the water rose high enough to deal with leaks in the wall and other obstacles.
Eventually, detritus would plug those holes or slow them enough they wouldn't matter, and the water would rise quickly again, until it reached the broken windows and could go no higher.
By that point, it would be high enough that Galehaut… .
One problem at a time.
Galehaut drove his fists into the base of another column, over and over, until it cracked enough that he was able to knock it over as well. He then climbed on top it, which was a relief but also a problem.
The knocked over columns divided the hall into the thirds, negating his ability to swim around the whole place and get them from below until the water climbed higher. Damn it.
Maleagant climbed onto one of the pillars, looking smug and pleased with himself, as though he'd somehow regained the upper hand. Which he had, but only slightly.
Another chime. Five left.
He saw Kay climb over the pillar right behind Galehaut at the same time Maleagant did and bellowed for Galehaut to stop him.
Lancelot sent water slamming into both of them, concentrating on Galehaut, who didn't budge but was overwhelmed by the torrent slamming into him from all sides. That gave Kay a chance to get away, move to the next person, which was all that mattered.
Especially since with every second they risked drowning, now the water was nearly up to his shoulders.
He dipped beneath the water, closed his eyes briefly, sent out his wishes across the water.
It answered immediately, assuring him that bubbles of air would be secured around the heads of his remaining friends.
Not much of a solution, as bubbles were easily popped, especially in turbulent waters, but it would hopefully buy Kay enough time to get to them all.
Another chime. Four left.
He used the movement of the water to throw him up and out, landing on the felled column where Maleagant stood at the far end.
Not slowing one bit, keeping his momentum, he ran the length of the column with water keeping pace and slammed into Maleagant with all his might, sending them both back into the water.
He raked and clawed and hit with all his might, blood filling the water, making it murkier than ever, impossible for anyone to see, enjoying the sounds of the stupid fucking bastard choking on blood and water. Lifting one clawed hand—
Lancelot screamed in agony as fire-hot pain pierced his back, taking his breath and rendering him unable to move, sending him toppling back and off to the side, sinking into the water.
His trident. Galehaut had thrown his own fucking trident into him. He could just see the prongs…
He cough up blood, choking, struggling, unable to see, everything…
Something yanked the trident out, and he coughed up more blood even as he sank to the bottom, got his feet under him.
A trio of enormous, ponderous eels were swimming off.
A last one still clung to his trident. "Thank you," Lancelot said, taking it back as the water healed his body.
Barely. He was taking so much damage that even the water wouldn't be able to keep him alive much longer.
He'd probably feel the ache of a wound that should have been fatal for the rest of his life.
He rose out of the water as shadows came out, but a swing of the trident and the arching water that followed reduced them to useless shreds.
With a scream he ran across the water between the downed columns and straight for Maleagant again, trident clashing against sword in a flurry of sparks and water.
Another chime. Three left.
He managed to rake the points of the trident across Maleagant's chest, tearing his battered armor away once and for all. He slammed the end of the trident into Maleagant's face, which sent him crashing back into the water once more.
Lancelot followed him down, back into the welcoming water. He thrust the trident forward, but it was knocked away by shadows, more of them coming out of dark corners and crevices to wrap around him, drag up, out, away, tearing the trident from his hands once more and tossing it toward Maleagant—
He broke the surface even as he called up more water, tearing the shadows to shreds. Dodged just in time as his own trident nearly stabbed him again. Dove back down beneath the water, grabbed it and swung to slam his feet into Maleagant's face.
Why was the bastard still going. How was he still going. The venom should have slowed him down.
Then again, this was Maleagant. He'd probably thought of that. Damn it.
At least he had his trident back.