Steamed Beatles

Ealure's hands began to shake. "We're really doing this Infir, huh?"

"Well we have no other choice do we?" a melodic voice chimed back. Infir's face appeared to be filled with dread, and Ealure quickly figured this out.

"We don't have to do this, Infir. I know we both want to do this for the sake of the people of my hometown but..," Ealure paused for a second and sighed. "Infir I can't express the grip Louis has on Crystalline Bay. Death in that place is seen as something for the greater good. It's nearly impossible to find anyone from Crystalline Bay that would even care to hear about anything we have to say. I mean you've heard me talk about Louis. He's absolutely terrifying. Anyone who's anywhere near him is either struck with dread or admiration. I know you're scared Infir, I can tell. I'm scared as well, mortified as a matter of fact." 

Infir stepped away from the wheel of her ship and sat next to where Ealure was seated on the deck. She moved her hand across the dark wood flooring to reach for Ealure's claw. "I know. I'm trying to just think of how I could protect you if anything goes wrong. Are you sure you want to be the one who confronts Louis? I could always just bring out my sword and try to end things quickly."

Ealure leaned closer to Infir and looked out at the sea around them. She took notice to a section of rock that reached down from the seemingly endless top of The Caverns, forming a small cove. "Trust me Infir, you're safer if I went in myself. He'll pinpoint you as being from The Abyssal Depths almost instantly. And he's not shy about how much of a 'blockage in the kingdom's progress' The Abyssal Depths are," Ealure muttered. "We're never going to change his mind so I may need you as some backup. I'll go into the Town Hall with my magic and try my best to threaten something out of him. And I may also need to to fight off some of the guards. There won't be as many as some other times since some will still be on their way to the meeting. I know this is just me repeating myself but just be safe Infir. All of the guards are monumentally powerful. Some guards even know magic!" Ealure was now in a panicked state as she spoke. Ealure began to have tears forming as she spoke, "Infir I can't risk losing you. You're the best friend I've ever had. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt and it was my fault." Infir began to break into a full sob and Infir stood up and kneeled in front of Ealure on the steps. Infir grabs Ealure's claws once again and began to grip them tightly.

"Ealure, listen to me. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you and I will make it out of there safely. And no matter how crazy it gets I'll be there to do anything to protect you. If I lost you I don't know what I'd do with myself." Infir leaned in to Ealure to give her a hug, Ealure's tears dispersing now. "We're here. I'm leaving the boat here and I'll set the anchor before we go. The walk to Crystalline Bay from here should be around 30 minutes. Nobody comes in this area of The Caverns since its pretty secluded so we won't have to worry about The Glistening Pearl being stolen. You can grab your bag and I'll grab my sword and then we'll go. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be, captain," Ealure joked.

Infir gave a stifled laugh, "You really need to stop calling me that we both agreed that you're the captain!" 

"I know," Ealure said as she began to blush.

The two walked hand in hand as they got off the ship and headed towards Crystalline Bay. 

Rows of intricately planned structures and staggering high churches and buildings filled the horizon. It was cold in Crystalline Bay. It was exceptionally dark on foot, however above was a faux sky of stars, formed from when a powerful mage adjusting the water density around Crystalline Bay causing billions of small bioluminescent organisms to clutter along this border of differing density. All of the buildings in Crystalline Bay were ornate and prestigious looking. Many of the less beautifully constructed homes and structures were along the town's borders. Most of the structures were asymmetrical in a seemingly purposeful manner. Nearly all of the buildings had trims along the walls and were build of dark greys and black stones. Blue soul crystal and glowbeetle glass lanterns were adorned upon every doorway in sight other than the Town Hall building. Nearly everything in sight was staggering far above the height of many other towns' structures in The Caverns. "I can't believe I'm back here again," Ealure thought with a wave of dread washing over her.

"We're here. It looks like a ghost town here so I think we chose a good night to do this. You'll wait by the door beside where the overhang is. If any guards come out You could probably use the pillars to try your best to try to hide. If you do need to turn to attacking them you could use the pillars as a shield as well. Stay safe, Infir."

"I'll be out here if you need me and I'll keep a lookout if anything goes wrong. Good luck Ealure."

Ealure takes one final deep breath and shoots a smile at Infir before opening the towering wooden doors to the Town Hall. Ealure swiftly moves in and shuts the doors behind her, making sure to close the doors as quiet as possible to avoid being heard. "I love you, Ealure," Infir whispered to herself, knowing Ealure wouldn't be able to hear it.

Ealure clutches her handbag in her hands as she moves closer to the meeting room in the center of the Town Hall. The meeting room was behind a few rows of desks and chairs. The door inside to get into the meeting room was much more ornate looking. There were symbols engraved in it of four wisps symbolizing wealth. The entire interior of the Town Hall was unsettlingly sterile looking. The only color in sight was the light coming from glowing blue soul crystals. Ealure reached her claws out to the cold silver door handles to open them and swung the doors open. Ealure's stomach instantly dropped in terror.

A whole array of guards lined the interior walls of the round meeting room, wearing silver armor. The walls were ornately patterned and trimmed. Soul Crystal lamps rested along the sides of the wall, lighting the room. A small black desk adorned with Soul Crystals was in the center of the room, and unsurprisingly, an equally ornate seat behind the desk was being filled by Louis the Shrimpteenth. His hands were folded as his head tilted towards the side slightly. "I don't recall ordering for a pathetic townsfolk to enter my office." Louis's voice was sickeningly smooth and deliberate. "State your name. This better be important or my guards will deal with you."

Ealure's voice was shaky as her eyes darted around the room. "I'm here representing the Decapodal Decree. Your reign as a leader has caused nothing but suffering and we're here to put a stop to it. I've lost my own father because of your Soul Crystal monopoly and I know the truth about the Soul Crystals. They capture souls in them. That's how you're providing energy for Crystalline Bay. You have been the thing that has been causing the people you rule over so much pain. I will do everything in my power to spread the truth to everyone in Crystalline Bay and all of The Caverns."

Louis stares blankly at Ealure for a second before clearing his throat and speaking in a smooth and nonchalant fashion. "Now, confronting the very fact that you disobeyed direct laws enforcing for common folk to stay out of monarchal affairs, you have no precedence to be standing here within this room. You have done nothing but waste my time. Now let me be clear in what I say next, with your social position you have no right to ever come anywhere close to the vicinity of government ordeals. You are nothing but lower scum. Now, you are in fact quite lucky that I am being merciful. Any one of my guards could easily execute you simply for stepping foot in this building unsolicited. But I would like to say one thing. If you were to ever spread talk of anything involving the Soul Crystal industry, you will either be revered as an absolute lunatic spouting nonsense, or one of my guards will without fail hunt you down and kill you with absolutely no hesitation nor mercy. Guards, throw this pest out of my town hall immediately."

Ealure's heart sank. Guards began closing in on her, including ones that had just entered the room. Ealure tried to struggle against the guards that restrained her, but it was to no avail. Two guards without hesitation dragged Ealure out of the town hall and threw her out to the streets. Before returning to the conference room in the town hall, the shorter of the two guards utilized conjuring non-vessel magic to propel a force against Ealure slamming her into the dark stone side of the town hall.

Ealure clutches at the ground, gasping for air as she tries catching her breath, still reeling from what had just happened. Infir came out from behind the pillar she hid by as Ealure went into the Town Hall. Infir and Ealure's eyes lock and Infir swiftly darts towards the towering doors of the town hall to try to finish their plan, her golden sword at the ready. Ealure's heart races as she laid terrified and in pain on the stone road outside of the Town Hall. She began scraping her claws against the stone tiling to try to counteract the excruciating and stinging pain she was feeling.

Infir bolted towards the meeting room door preparing her sword. Guards spotted her and as some came down from the stairwell, she slammed open the meeting room door.  Louis looking just as unphased and unimpressed. Without a second thought Infir pointed her sword's tip at Louis' neck. Louis sat in his chair and did not react in the slightest.

Infir grumbled and shouted, "Okay Louis, let's put it this way. I have a sword to your throat and am not afraid to kill you myself. I will, without hesitation, puncture this sword directly through your skin. I can kill you in an instant. I'm sure countless other people have tried this but I vow that I will succeed. This damn town needs something to show them that you aren't the all powerful kind leader that cares about the greater good that they believe you are. What you've done could never even be solved with just undoing what you've done because there's simply no way to get back the lives that your rule has caused to be lost. Ealure's dad and so many others died at the hands of your carelessness. All of this is your fault and the only way that your kingdom could ever start to become better is if you were dead. You-" Infir was cut off.

Louis has ordered a guard behind Infir to stab her when she wasn't paying attention. Infir's body went limp almost instantly from shock and agony. Infir could feel herself in so much pain she didn't know to react. In that moment it was so quiet that she could practically hear the blood that was dripping to the floor. The sharp silver sword was pulled out of Infir's chest swiftly. She tried grasping at her chest to try to conceal the wound but it didn't matter. She didn't have the strength to do it. "Take her away. She was hardly a threat but I couldn't have anyone from the Abyssal Depths getting in the way of my plans. Guards, throw her out on the streets and leave her corpse out to rot. Let this be a show of anyone who steps out of line in Crystalline Bay. I can't have anyone interfering with this year's plans for the Masquerade Ball."

Ealure stared in horror as she saw Infir's body thrown out from the Town Hall. Ealure ran over to Infir and in almost an instant and saw her clutching her chest trying to conceal how much pain she was in.

"INFIR?!?" Ealure shrieked, mortified at what she saw. "Infir, please speak to me I- I can't lose you. I can fix this. I promise. Please just..." Ealure was rummaging through her bag. She was desperate for anything that could help her. It felt as if the very world around Ealure was closing in. Rain began to pour down from the dense waters above Crystalline Bay. Ealure's mind was racing but even amongst this panic, she managed to have her thoughts lock onto one thing. A revival spell. They were practically impossible. Only one other revival spell had been recorded as being successfully performed in the entire history of The Caverns. Ealure ultimately gave up searching in her bag as she found and was now holding a carnelian gemstone with golden veins. She threw her bag to the side of her onto the stone road in a sheer frenzy and state of panic. Ealure began focusing all of her energy towards trying to perform a revival spell. She continued to sob over Infir's lifeless body. Her heartbeat became deafening as it continued to race and pound as if it was going to burst out of her chest. Ealure became even more panicked as she noticed that Infir no longer had a pulse. Ealure had to perform this spell or Infir would be dead forever.

"Please. I need this to work. I would do anything to have this to work. I wish I had told you how much I loved you," Ealure cried. Her breath was shaky and she had to pause nearly every word to talk amongst her hyperventilating.

Infir's soul by this point had began to fade into obscurity. The world around her began to become a misty and hazy illusion between a Higher Plane and the place that she had died. It felt nearly out of body. Everything around her was blurry but she could still make out the soft and faint cries of Ealure as she began to feel like she was floating. This strange state felt as if time was slower. Infir didn't know exactly what was happening. She felt almost like she was dreaming. All she knew was she was dead and she missed Ealure. Even in this strange in between of planes, she could still make out the faint figure of Ealure mourning over her body. Infir began to feel a wave of coldness rush over her. It was beginning to be to late to do anything. Just as she had nearly given up hope, the hazy surroudings became more and more clear. A wave of warmth seemed to rise over her in an instant. And just like that, she was revived.

Ealure continued to cry over Infir's body. It had nearly been 7 minutes by this point. She pressed her head closer to Infir and begged and pleaded, wanting more than anything to be able to see Infir again. Ealure's heart nearly stopped. She felt a pulse. Ealure was in absolute shock. Had she done it? Despite her never even considering herself to ever being able to, she managed to revive Infir.

"Ealure?" Infir grunted, her eyes slowly opening. Infir's pupils dilated at the sight of the lobster leaning over her. Ealure's face shifted from tears to intense relief. Ealure embraced Infir in a hug, continuing to cry from the sheer overwhelming emotions she was having. Infir once again was able to feel the gentle raindrops drizzling onto her, the cold stone she was sat on, and the warmth of the girl that she loved more than anything else.

"Infir I can't believe it. How did I do that? I don't even know. I mean my books said that revival spells require a monumental amount of energy to perform but... was that even enough? I am a crystal mage so maybe I stored energy for the spell in this gem. I- I don't even know what to say I can believe you're still here."

Infir gave a weak laugh. "I can't believe I'm here either Ealure. I'm just so glad I didn't lose you." Infir began to cry as well, hugging Ealure and never wanting to let her go. "You did the impossible, captain."