Panic enveloped the coast as the crowd stampeded away from the boardwalk, seeking safety closer to Aegean City's glass towers. Small groups of cloaked creatures shambled out of the ocean, their rags dripping wet and covered in seagrass. Yet others lunged at the man in green and companions, and a larger horde grabbing and pushing each other onto the crystal stage. Suilah and her attendants retreated into the back of the stage, where the queen spread her arms in front of the terrified mermaids. Her eyes flashed a blood-red color, glaring at the clawed creatures in contempt.

Putting a finger up to her temple, she narrowed her eyes and commented, "Seems dear Khiboreas didn't exaggerate his account for the sake of his ego this time. To think such creatures would dare challenge the guardians..." After taking a deep breath, her face lost all trace of anger, seeming as serene as Lake Eriida's waters. Her voice ever soft, yet imposing, she murmured, "Well then, no better opportunity to cut loose and de-stress."

With a flick of her finger, water crept out of her sleeve and down her arm much like a translucent snake. Just as it touched her hand, it enveloped it as a glove would and acquired an icy blue glow. Before her attendants could blink, she skated to the front of the stage as if pushed by an invisible current. Her legs remained immobile as she hopped and swiped at the creatures. The water around her hand stretched and froze in the form of a scythe, clashing against their bony claws. The sea groaned and rumbled below, its waves spiking and thrashing with Suilah's silent fury. A riptide pulled less fortunate cloaked creatures down its throat, never to feel the sun's warmth again.

As if wishing to hide the sun from witnessing the ocean's rage, light grey clouds covered its shine. Down below, most of the creatures faced off against Suilah in a deadly dance. A few groups slowly encroached upon the Diderots and their companions, their claws and jaws stretching wide. Eila and Tomas felt paralyzed as one of them emitted a chilling, pained scream. The same agonized cries and disfigured, rage-filled eyes that haunted them in Mount Reilu were upon them again.

The twins were quickly covered by their parents, attempting to shield them with their backs. The man in green and Joanne formed a second shield around the family. The two joined Ari as she furiously roared and screeched, spewing forth her vengeful flames at the creatures. Nino hissed, balancing atop her back like a dark, fluffy knight upon his fire-breathing steed.

Amidst Ari's flames and their parents' arms struggling in front of them, the twins looked out at the boardwalk. The creatures recoiled at the sight of Ari hissing and placed their arms over their eyes when she breathed fire at them. Joanne blocked their view as she slid in front of them, sweat running down her forehead.

"All o' you, get inside the kiosk!" Joanne hollered, elbowing a cloaked creature behind her. "You got a good dragon keepin' watch, so you'll be safer in there while she does what she's gotta do. I'll stay with Mr. Green, a'ight?"

Mr. and Mrs. Diderot quickly nodded and urged the twins to go inside one of the wooden kiosks, still emanating a warm and pleasant scent from fresh berry crepes left in its tiny oven. Tomas took a quick glance at Ari behind them, still snapping and whipping her tail at the enemies. Her wild eyes and wicked snarl made his chest tighten and his teeth chatter for a moment. He felt his father's hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him past the kiosk's scrawny door. He looked up at Mr. Diderot's face with wide and scared eyes.

"She's still our Ari, boy," Mr. Diderot comforted him, "She's just looking out for her family."

Eila followed Tomas until she stopped and turned toward Joanne, asking, "B-but what about you, Jo? You're still hurt, remember?"

Joanne let out a snort and chuckled. "A little scratch ain't enough to stop me, hon. 'Sides, I gotta back him up while Ari's busy." She stuck out her thumb and pointed it behind her, where the man in green kicked and evaded more bony claws. Once the family was safely inside, she flashed and big grin and closed the door, leaving them in a dimly lit kiosk.

The twins anxiously observed the ensuing skirmish, poking their heads just above the kiosk's counter. Though their numbers grew scarcer as the horde concentrated on the sea guardian and the growing waves, Joanne and the man in green had plenty of cloaked ones swiping at them. The duo seemed to dive further ahead toward the stage, their red and green figures mixing in with the black and rust brown cloaks of the monsters. Looking toward the waters, the twins caught glimpses of Suilah's undulating hair and sky-blue dress as she sliced and kicked at the creatures with the grace of a calm river. The stage itself slowly became engulfed in the rising tides, yet Suilah continued to jump and dance up and down the waters.

Another flash of purple energy zoomed past the twins with a loud thunder following it. The booming sound nearly knocked Tomas to the ground, while Eila's body jumped as if shocked by it. Mr. Diderot held up his son, while Mrs. Diderot quickly leaned over the counter, slamming her palms on the wood with chattering teeth.

"I've had enough of you freaks," she yelled out in exasperation. "You're all getting the boot if you scare my babies again, magic or not!"

As if tempting fate, a dark figure ambled out of the horde, approaching their kiosk. It wielded a staff with a crystal embedded at its tip, which gathered flecks of dark energy as the silhouette got closer and thumped against the wooden floor with every step. Mrs. Diderot paled, instinctively reaching for her husband's arm. The warm, salty air in the kiosk got sucked out into the beach as a chill gust took over. The flimsy lightbulb overhead, dangling over them by a thin cable, fizzled out as the cloaked figure shambled ever slower to the kiosk. Tomas and Eila could not tear their gaze away, even as a cold dread sweeping into their faces and stung their eyes.

The creature tapped the counter with its staff as yellow crooked teeth materialized from within the void in their hood. "Hello there," the cloaked one casually greeted, "Lovely morning, isn't it? Mind if I order, say, some oven-grilled human children from your fine establishment?" He snickered at his own joke and put his claws over his face, his two red dots for eyes glowing behind them.

Mrs. Diderot growled, her hand gurling into a fist so tight that her knuckles took on a bony hue. Mr. Diderot drew the twins closer to his body and glared at the familiar and highly despised figure. Eila rubbed her arms as the warmth was drained from the kiosk. She recalled Mr. Green and Joanne's description of the Nether Oracle; her gaze was fixed on the dark scepter. She lifted her head to witness her mother pick up a nearby spatula, brandishing it against the Oracle.

Pointing his staff at her, the Nether Oracle teased, "Oh dear, is this how you greet your old friend?" he tapped his chin with one claw, musing, "Granted, we've only known each other for a few days, so my sense of humor might be a little jarring to you. My apologies." He straightened his posture and tapped the floor once. "Ahem. You see, I wanted to inform you two of a little change in plans. You still must get the shard for us, as we agreed, but, ah, after observing the situation I decided to lend a hand." He made a half-turn and tilted his staff toward the battle on the coast. "Suilah is a most formidable guardian, isn't she? Two unremarkable humans would have trouble approaching her, so I figured weakening her would benefit us."

A loud bang on the door made the kiosk quiver, eliciting terrified gasps from the family. Tomas called out to Ari as loud as he could, though his voice was but a tiny krill in a sea of cacophony. Another force knocked on the door, and a metallic ting followed.

The Nether Oracle leaned over the counter again and commented, "Ah, no need to worry about that. One of my followers simply wishes to pave the way to the guardian for you. No need to worry about your children, they can stay with us after we're done." As the door weakened from the hits, the Nether Oracle chewed on the tip of his claw. Observing the coat, he murmured, "That blue lizard and the green one scurrying around will have to be taken care of with haste... too much of a liability to keep alive, not even for my own amusement. It's a wonder that hotheaded mortal is running about with that wound. Such persistent pests."

Tomas's eyes widened as the door split open, screaming for Ari till his throat began to hurt. Eila joined in, her voiced stronger than his. Mrs. Diderot swooped in front of her family, gripping the spatula with shaking, sweaty hands. The dark silhouette of the cloaked one shambled toward them, its arm stretched out and hanging loosely.

Eila hid her face on her father's shirt and squeezed her eyes shut. All noise seemed to vanish outside save for the creature's ragged breathing. A low hum persisted, and the kiosk grew colder. So cold that Tomas's frantic breaths created puffs of white mist from his mouth.

Eila jerked her head toward the creature as she heard a furious screech just beyond the door. Tomas grinned and let go of his father's sleeve, suddenly overcome with a fire burning in his chest. His throat felt sore from the yelling and salty air.

"Get 'em!" he yelled, rushing forward to where his mother stood with a defiant gaze.

A pair of jaws manifested behind the cloaked creature, sinking its fangs into the creature's leather skin with a powerful and quick snap. Its sound resembled a beartrap snapping shut, refusing to let go even as its victim struggled. A rusty red fluid leaked down the creature's shoulder where the teeth sank. Tomas felt his stomach twist at the sight.

"Don't you let go, you hear me Ari?" Mr. Diderot commanded, still stuck to the back wall of the kiosk.

Ari's dilated pupils remained fixed on the creature, who wildly writhed and pulled its body away from her unrelenting bite. The creature's jerking movements further secured her grasp on it, which let her slowly retreat out into the open and allow her family to recover from the scare. Eila folded her arms, hiding her shaking hands, and walked up to her brother, mustering the will to blow a raspberry at the creature.

"Can't believe that thing scared me again, I was so ready to punch 'em and—" Eila blabbed with a frustrated and ashamed whine. "Ugh! Why couldn't I move?"

Tomas stared at Ari as she dragged her victim out of their sight. "I thought I could be brave like Ari and help her out," he muttered.

Mr. Diderot slowly stepped away from the wall, his expression and movements looking like a zombie from a cheap horror movie. "If we're being frank, I don't think any of us would be much help, not against them claws. She's got scales for armor; all we have are dirty and flimsy clothes." He shuddered. "Also, where's the Oracle? It's gotten way too quiet in here, and it's giving me the heebie-jeebies."

Aside from the ocean wind whooshing by and the sound of wild waves in the distance, there was an eerie silence. Mrs. Diderot leaned out of the counter and the twins copied her. The boardwalk and the coast ahead looked like a tidal wave licked them clean and devoured whatever life there was. The wooden planks glistened with little puddles reflecting the cloudy skies above. Up on the stage, they could distinguish a few figures; one wore bright red, another dark green, and a third with clashing blue and purple.

Mrs. Diderot rubbed her arms and suggested, "Let's get up there while we can, there's no telling if the cloaked ones are hiding or not, but we should be safer with them than hiding in this..." She gently pushed on the wooden walls, which creaked. "Shack."

The family swiftly made their way toward the beach, always scanning the area with watchful eyes. Ari soon caught up to them, holding a thin arm in her mouth with a content grin. As their feet touched the sand, Eila felt her purse tingling, and a hear a muffled jingle inside. She gasped and pulled out Narciso's flower, which glowed and shed its silver pollen.

"What's that you got there, dear?" Mrs. Diderot asked, leaning closer to Eila, attempting to lighten up the tense air about them. Her eyes widened as she made a short gasp. "Wherever did you find that flower? It's so pretty!"

Eila chuckled awkwardly. "It's a long story, mommy."

"Good morning, my little lilies! I hope I'm not too late to hear Suilah's glorious voice," said Narciso with a melodic trill. "Ah, but first, is our grumpy green goblin near you? There are some urgent news I must relay."

Eila and Mrs. Diderot stood in stunned silence for several seconds. "What— who the heck is that?" Mrs. Diderot burst out with a raised eyebrow.

Eila looked back and forth between her mother and the flower, feeling as though she shrunk to the size of a crab.

"It's a very long story."