The water began to ripple violently. The crackling sounds of ice filling the air like the crackling of thunder. Both Siren and Merfolk stopped their fighting to look toward the frozen land mass with utter horror. The Leviathan thrashed within the ice, roaring so loud that all the Sirens and Merfolk screamed and covered their ears. Even Mark winced, watching the Leviathan struggle to break from the ice. From deep within the ice, a human scream mixed with the snarling. Bursting up from the rippling water, Kai shouted toward the ice in an agonized voice that pitched with helplessness. "POSIEDON!" Kai's sudden whimpering screams pulled at the heartstrings of the Merfolk. Kai was twisting and thrashing in the air, clutching his scaly dragon ribs. Kai was in agony and barely able to breathe. Launching from the water, a larger mermaid that he recognized as a young-looking Granny, grabbed Kai's dragon tail and yanked him back into the water. The splash from their large bodies falling back into the water, sent a large wave out in all directions.

Sirens turned their focus to the Leviathan, trying to sing loudly to calm it. When it was clear that the loud snarling was blocking them out, they resorted to trying blood magic. However, that only seemed to make it worse! The tunnel below was starting to glow a bright red and bubbles were surging up to the surface. Turning to them, Mark bellowed out in a thundering voice. "GET OUT OF RANGE! IT'S GONNA BLOW!" The Sirens and Merfolk scattered out for the open ocean. Mark reached out for the Battle Ballad, manipulating the water to send the ship out into the open water after them. As the ship rushed through the water, Sean leaned over the rail and screamed out with both shock and fear. "MARK?!" Mark released the ship with a sharp inhale. Sean was ok? Wasn't he charmed by Nate? His brain didn't get much more than that out, before the water bubbled into a boil. Mark thrashed his tail, letting out a scream as the water burned his scales and skin. He tried to swim fast, but the pain was almost unbearable.

Desperately he tried to use his power to propel him faster. A scream broke from his throat as his muscles strained. That's when the unexpected happened. Mark's body pulsed rapidly like it was sputtering to get enough power. Then with a powerful pulse that caused a wave to ripple out, Mark launched from the water. Spiraling in the air, Mark reached up to clutch his aching head. For a brief second, he felt something hard growing out. Then he crashed back into the water. Beneath the water, he saw Kai and Granny locked in an aggressive battle. She was using a water trident to try impaling him, but Kai's scales were deflecting the magic of it. Mark shook off his groggy haze, reaching up to touch what felt like... Antlers? Rushing to the surface, he broke the surface mere seconds before the ice exploded into hot steam. Warm water sprayed out in every direction, a thick white fog rolling out over the water surface. Above them, the clear sky turned into thick grey storm clouds.

Thunder and lightening echoed in the background as the massive silhouette of a head rose from the water and was highlighted by the flash of lightning against the thick fog. Mark swallowed; the head silhouetted in the fog had antlers too. The long snout of the Leviathan rose toward the sky to let out a thunderous roar that was unlike anything he had ever heard in his life. The fog cleared enough to show that lightning was rippling along the Leviathan's beautiful soft glowing blue deer like antlers. The Leviathan's purple and blue scales glinted, its massive purple fins rising up as the wind billowed its sea green hair. Mark couldn't take his eyes off it. Why did the Leviathan look so similar to him? Was it changing him? The Leviathan shook the ice from its body, the rest of its body busting from the ice more easily now. The creature's long snake like body, rose and fell as it shifted all around them. Hector's voice yelled over the rushing water and thunder. "Anyone with power left form up a line! We have to keep it from retreating! Don't let it go into open water!"

Mark was going to join them but found himself hesitating. This thing was so big and powerful. They'd burn through their power and without the moon they wouldn't regain it for some time. They'd only end up pissing it off. They needed a... a god. Mark bolted forward to block Hector, screaming out to the gathering Merfolk. "NO! DON'T! It's pinned by Poseidon! We have to free HIM!" Hector lounged forward, grabbing Mark by the throat, hissing out through his teeth. "What the fuck?! Are you related to that thing! YOU TRAITOR!" Mark grabbed Hector's arm, turning to the side and bashing his elbow back into Hector's face to get him to release him. Hector released him, but before he could retaliate, Devon sprang up between them to keep them apart. Devon looked him over uneasily, as did all the merfolk, but he told Hector seriously. "I hate to say this... but he's right! That thing is a Titan! Even at our best, that thing is barely going to feel it!" Devon shot a glare at Mark, snapping out. "Alright, Oceanid. What's your plan?"

Mark gestured where he had come out from, unable to say anything as the Leviathan yanked a five toed foot from the ice with another roar. Lightning sprang off the creature's antlers to spider out over the water. The Merfolk screamed, raising their hands to defend themselves from the lightning that rained down over them. A few managed to protect themselves, while others that were drained of power fired to death in the water. Kai burst from the water with Granny in his clutches, tearing at the flesh of her shoulder. The Merfolk turned their attention to her, shooting ice and lightning out to try and hit Kai. The magic simply bounced off his scales. Granny grabbed Kai's neck fin, tearing it off. A scream broke from Kai, followed by a loud human scream of pain that was muffled by the water. On the ship, Sean spun a trident and used a strong gust of fog to knock Kai from the air. Splashing back into the water, the merfolk bolted after Kai! Mark yelled for them to stop, but they weren't listening to him.

The Sirens let out hisses as the Merfolk descended on Kai, causing them to rush to his aid. Within seconds the battle between them was back on. The water churning with power and blood. Frustrated, Mark turned his attention to Sean who was screaming Nate's name. Swimming over to the ship, he asked him over the loud 'BANG' of thunder. "WHERE'S NATE?!" Sean pointed toward the mass of fighting, screaming back over the rain that was beginning to fall in heavy curtains. "MARK! HE WENT AFTER KAI! I tried to stop him... but... Mark, he's hurt!" Mark reached up to take Sean's hand, pulling him close to tell him. "I know. Kai's hurting too. Come on! We need to release Poseidon!" Sean fell into the water with him, shouting out. "But he's a Siren and you're..." Sean faded off as he took in Mark's appetence for the first time. Mark waved a dismissive hand, yelling to him seriously. "I'll explain later!" Sean nodded reluctantly, hefting his trident. Mark tried to lead him toward the tunnel, when Sean hesitated.

Sean was looking back at the mass of fighting with a torn expression. Mark cupped his shoulders, telling him comfortingly. "We'll come back for him. Right now, the Leviathan is hurting them both through its grip on Poseidon." Sean took Mark's hand firmly, ordering him bluntly. "Let's do this!" They both dived below the surface, dodging the coiling body of the Leviathan. The tunnel had been collapsed, revealing a massive foot that was twisting in a large block of ice. Around the foot was a larger opening to what was left of Atlantis. Mark quickly swam through the water, pulling Sean along beside him. Sean was now marveling at the city, when he pulled Mark to a stop. The ground had broken up more to show that around Poseidon's waist were deep punctures from a bite. Mark could even see a foot gripping both of Poseidon's thighs. The claws flexing every time the Leviathan tried to get leverage to remove a foot. Mark nudged Sean, pointing to the ground encasing Poseidon and then at his trident.

Sean nodded, then gestured to him with a curious look. The water was vibrating too much to really be heard in this dome of breaking ice. Mark pointed to himself, then the grip the Leviathan had on Poseidon, and then the massive trident impaled in the Leviathan's body. He had to break them loose from each other. It was the only way to get them free. Mark started to move, only to feel Sean tug on his tail to keep him close. Twisting to look at him, Sean pointed to the trident and made a gesture that looked to be about pulling something? Mark watched Sean signal more and nodded in understanding. Sean wanted to make the Leviathan move to help pull Poseidon out. Mark turned to leave again, when Sean tugged on his tail again. Whirling around with slight frustration, his anger melted away as Sean pressed his lips to his in a loving kiss. The kiss was brief, but Mark could feel how much Sean was happy to see him. Mark touched his cheek, then waited for Sean to swim away before leaving toward the end of the trident.

Sean used his trident to cut down the ground around Poseidon with continuous bolts of lightning. Poseidon's grip on the handle of the golden trident tightened, his massive knuckles cracking loud enough to be mistaken for crackling ice. Mark waited patiently; he didn't want to surge power through the trident until Sean was ready. Sean moved back, sending a bright flash for him to clearly see as his signal. Mark placed his hands on the trident, unable to help feeling... tiny. Concentrating, he sent a current through the trident, but it wasn't powerful enough. Clenching his jaw, he tried again. This time Poseidon's runes glowed as bright as dawn, sending a much stronger surge through the trident. The Leviathan let out a terrible roar, its body trying to twist away from the trident impaled in its side. As the Leviathan twisted, Poseidon's own body shifted slightly. It appeared to be working, until the Leviathan's foot burst up from the ground to adjust and slam down on Poseidon's chest. Sean clutched his chest with a soft distorted wail. Mark banged a hand on the trident in frustration.

He was just thinking that he'd have to do this the hard way, when a deep voice rippled through the water, calling his name eerily. At first, he thought it was Poseidon... until he turned to see the glowing illusion of Sean again. Mark stiffened, glaring at it. What was this thing? The illusion moved closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mark flinched away, watching it point to a set of weird horns that were growing along the sides of Sean's glowing head. They were like a mix between crab claws and bull horns, only they were taking the shape of a... crown! Mark turned away to look at the ruined castle, mumbling out to himself. "The Sea Crown!" Mark looked back to see the ghostly illusion of Sean was gone. Mark shook the weirdness off. He'd worry about that shit later. Swimming toward the castle, he noticed Sean chasing after him and slowed down. At the broken doors of the castle, Sean pulled him inside where the vibrations weren't as powerful and asked him curiously. "What are you doing?!"

Mark didn't want to tell him how he was seeing things. So, instead he told him in a rush. "I've got to get the Sea Crown." Sean flashed him a dark look, snapping back. "NOW?! Mark-!" Mark covered his mouth, stating out louder. "Granny told me it was designed to control the Leviathan. And it's the only way to get it off Poseidon without killing him!" Sean slapped Mark's hand away, shouting back with disappointment. "Mark, you can't! Kai said that only a Titan can wield the Sea Crown!" Mark huffed sarcastically, chuckling out. "Well, let's hope I've got enough Titan blood to pull it off!" Mark swam off through the castle, while behind him, Sean squeaked out in complete shock. "WHAT?!" Mark stopped farther inside, trying to get a layout of the place. Granny had told him that Kai had chased her down into the forge after trying to get the crown. That meant there had to be a lower level. He just had to find it. Sean grabbed his arm, trying to get him to explain himself. Until all of Atlantis seemed to shift around them.

They both looked back out toward the broken open door as a massive scaly snout crashed in from the icy ceiling with its sharp teeth bared. Bits of the castle broke and shattered across the floor. The entire place was vibrating itself apart. The mouth jammed into the ground around Poseidon's stomach, clamping down onto him once again. Poseidon let out a heartbreaking scream, before being pulled up from the ground by sheer force! Mark grabbed Sean to keep him close as the ground outside fell in from the loss of Poseidon's body that had held everything securely in place. Forcing the broken ground now to slid and crash into each other for needed support. Mark briefly saw Poseidon weakly try to grab an antler of the Leviathan. However, once Poseidon was free from the ground, the Leviathan jerked its head to both headbutt the ice and slam Poseidon into it. All around them ice blocks fell in heaps, destroying homes and more ground around the castle. Sean tried to pull Mark back toward the exit, but Mark yanked him back just before an ice block crushed the entranceway.

The shockwave knocked them both through the water, causing them to hit the cold hard floor and tumble toward the upper floor stairs. Mark protectively held Sean against him, curling his tail around him as more of the castle fell menacingly around them. To Be Continued...