"Why don't we just run away?" Bastian echoed her words as though he were incapable of processing them. 

"Are you an idiot?" Zareb's voice was just one uncivilized thought from a growl. "We can't just run away. He's the Triton and he's been challenged."

Ambrosia lifted a hand into her pearl pink hair, twirling a lock around her finger. "Exactly. Look, I know you're probably new to this whole critical thinking thing, seeing as you're a warrior and all, so I'll break it down for you." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"The Triton seems to think he has little to no chance of defeating his challenger. Keeping that in mind, let's look at the stakes here. If the Triton loses, Varya here is dead, and so is any chance of peace with the Selachs." 

Varya flinched and looked down, her hands tightening over the chains that bound her. Ambrosia continued, either ignorant of the effect her words had on Varya, or unrepentant.

"If, somehow, the Triton wins, he will be at least physically exhausted and quite probably severely injured. His healing will delay the trip out to the Selachs and we may very well miss our window of opportunity. Either way, we are risking losing out on a very beneficial agreement for all of our clans."

Zareb snorted and Ambrosia glared at him. "Yes. I said all our clans. Believe it or not, the warring between the Naiads and the Selachs has caused casualties outside of just your clan. Even my people are not completely safe from it."

Bastian's eyes widened with surprise. He hadn't given much thought to the war efforts that Arsenius had been managing all these years. It was always such a distant thing. Hearing that other clans had become inadvertent victims of the fighting was like being slapped in the face with reality.

Ambrosia crossed her arms over her chest and looked up towards the ceiling of the throne room. "What it all comes down to is how much peace means to you." Her voice was soft and hesitant now, lacking all the brute force of conviction from before. "If your pride is worth more to you than the chance for reconciliation, then maybe you don't deserve to be Triton anyways."

Zareb flushed with anger. "How dare you! You have no right to say that to Bastian!" His red tail twitched crazily with agitation. Varya backed away from him a little, wary of his movements. 

Bastian held out a hand to block his friend from moving forward. "No, Zareb. Ambrosia is entitled to her own opinion." He looked down at his golden tail, glittering softly in the light of the day cycle, and thought about what it meant to be a son of Triton. By now, he'd heard the myth so many times that it was burned into his memory. 

Triton had been an ordinary merman when the goddess Selene had approached him and asked for help. He'd given up his own voice, that most important thing to a merperson, so that she might have just a chance at love. A chance was all Triton had needed in order to hope.

Hope.

Bastian squared his shoulders and looked to Zareb. "Zareb, warrior of the Naiad clan," he lowered his arm, "brother to my heart. Will you stand beside me for all time, shoulder to shoulder, and protect me from darkness?"

Zareb gasped as he heard the ritualistic words of the oath. Bastian hadn't been Triton long enough to select his own personal guard yet, but if Zareb consented by answering with the other half of the oath, then he would be the first of Bastian's guards. The Trident, the right hand merman to the ruler of the Naiads.

It would mean Zareb would cast aside all other allegiances he may have. He would have to give up his family, his friends, and his work as a warrior of the Naiads, and live solely for Bastian. Zareb's eyes flickered with emotion. He knew Bastian too well. 

He knew what Bastian was going to ask him to do and Zareb didn't know if he had the strength to do it.

But he absolutely knew that he didn't have the strength to abandon his friend.

Zareb bowed, placing his right hand in a fist against his left shoulder. "I hear your call, Triton Bastian, and I give myself to you. May my body serve as your shield and my magic as an extension of your will. My heart sheds the chains of obligation and enters into your service, loyal and unfettered." 

Bastian smiled so widely it almost hurt. "Then I take you as my Trident, Zareb of the Naiads." He reached out and pulled the dark merman into a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

"What's this?" The new voice echoed off the walls of the throne room and startled everyone.

Varya's chains snapped as she pulled them apart and lifted her claws in preparation to strike. Ambrosia glowed with a soft pearly light. Zareb pushed Bastian away and turned towards the Southern doorway.

"I leave for a few minutes and you lot are having a party without me?" A shadowy figure moved forward, his tail shimmering green as he swam into the light. On his face was a pout that would impress any merchild. 

Zareb sighed and relaxed. "Lachlan, are you trying to give us all heart attacks?"

Varya and Ambrosia didn't relax with Zareb, but they did look a little hesitant to attack.

Bastian laughed. "Lachlan, just the merman I wanted to see! I've got a proposition for you."

Lachlan swam closer as he continued to pout. "Well, then I think I deserve to know what's going on." He paused above the still glowing Ambrosia. One chestnut eyebrow rose up and he frowned at her.

"And who in Hades are you?"

Bastian hissed at his friend. "Manners." 

Lachlan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Who in Hades might you be?" 

Zareb barely managed to hide his smile. Bastian shook his head, wondering if his friend would ever manage to grow up. Ambrosia frowned at Lachlan.

"I am Ambrosia, the Atlantean ambassador to Nereus. Who are you to barge into a meeting after you have been explicitly escorted out of the room?"

Lachlan's tail twitched and he replied by simply sticking his tongue out at her. 

"Enough, brother." Bastian sighed. "I assume you've been eavesdropping on enough of the conversation to understand the meat of it?"

"Duh. I sneaked back in almost before I'd left the room." Lachlan swooped down and settled beside Bastian. "And I'm ready to take my oath whenever you're ready to promote me."

Now it was Zareb's turn to shake his head. "You're not a warrior, Lachlan. Why on ocean would Bastian ask you to be one of his personal guards?"

"Um, because I'm the best singer he knows, aside from himself? I may not be all brawny like you, you big mussel-head, but I am very witty. And hilarious." Lachlan grinned. "Plus, I have the added advantage of leverage. I know my way around the ocean, unlike you lot."

Ambrosia narrowed her almond-shaped eyes at him. 

Bastian considered it. "But Lachlan, I thought you wanted to take after your father's business?"

The green-tailed merman shrugged. "I thought I did too, for the longest time. Honestly, Bast, I think I'll be happier looking after your frightfully targeted tail. You can't say that I would be useless." He puffed out his chest, daring his friend to contradict him. 

Triton Bastian could only laugh. Was he blessed to have such true friends? Or cursed to have such nosy ones? "Very well then" He turned to face his friend and tried to look serious. "Lachlan, brother of my heart, singer of magnificent Song. Will you stand beside me for all time, shoulder to shoulder, and protect me from darkness?

Lachlan grinned and lifted his right fist to his left shoulder. "I hear your call, Triton Bastian, and I give myself to you. May my song bring you light, and my body shield you from all that would threaten you. I release my heart of obligation and pledge my undying loyalty to you, and only you, until I join the Goddess among the stars."

"Then I take you as my radiant Jewel, Lachlan of the Naiads." As he spoke the words that would bind his second brother to his side for the rest of their lives, a sense of peace overcame Bastian. 

It felt like Selene was smiling down upon him.

"Now that we've settled that whole whatever-it-is," Ambrosia interrupted, "let's talk about how we're going to escape Nereus without anyone finding out."

~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Hello again lovelies! Here is yet another chapter of Bastian's Song for you to feast on! Lachlan really surprised me here, since I was so sure he wanted to be a merchant, but hey, what can I do? 

Are you guys enjoying the characters? I want to know who your favorite is so far! Feel free to drop me a comment. <3