Jace ran from the table and flattened his back against the wall, keeping the action in front of him.  To his right, Wallace and Esther needed no direction and moved to stand before Tami, guarding the mermaid from her vengeful kin.  The paladin raised a tower shield as several projectiles reigned upon them.  Esther used her quick-change ability to don her armor and weapons and became a wall of whirling blades, keeping any would-be attackers at bay.  Interestingly, Jace saw Dalmar move beside the woman, his longer scimitars out and ready.  He glanced beside him at the striking rogue, and Jace wondered if he recognized her.

Jace’s illusion was no longer in place either, as magic users from both sides cast Dispel effects every other round, limiting the number of boons anyone could get.  Jace stood as his usual orc self and saw no reason to keep Diamond Etcher hidden in his inventory.  The dwarven bard that had been sitting next to him had cast Sanctuary, preventing anyone from targeting her with an attack or spell.  She couldn’t go on the offensive either, but she was interested in singing to give the pirates an increased attack advantage.  This boon couldn’t be easily dispelled unless someone shut her up.

“What are we supposed to do?” Thursa asked as he escaped the melee and moved alongside Jace.  “Which side are we on?  I think the pirates are evil, but the merfolk want to kill Tami.  Who am I supposed to fight?”

Jace didn’t have a clear answer as he surveyed the crowd and tried to find a strategy.  In front of them, the elven archer tried to pick targets in the throng, but aiming into a scrum added too many penalties to effectively kill anyone.  Instead, he settled on a Pinning shot and secured Neptudah’s female priest to a wooden pillar on the far side of the room.  While she struggled against the arrow, her Grappled state finally allowed the archer to perform a Death shot.  Jace wasn’t so sure he wanted that.

As the archer pulled back his weapon, Jace attacked from behind, easily knocking the elf to the ground, where he entered a Death spiral.  Jace didn’t want that either and knelt to heal the ranger, stabilizing him.  When he stood, a crash stole his attention to the right, and he saw Wallace’s shield explode into kindling and the knight stumble to one knee.  Across the room, standing in front of the priestess Jace had just saved, was the other merman who had sat at the table with Neptudah.  He looked like a champion and held a massive crossbow that he reloaded with what appeared to be a whale harpoon.  He began to level it back toward Wallace and Tami.

“Stop him!” Jace shouted, pointing at the merman.  “But don’t kill him.”

Thursa nodded, transformed into a grizzly, leaped high over the dwarf before them, and landed on the table, scattering dishes in every direction.  The marksman hesitated with the massive bear blocking his view and was tackled to the ground a moment later as Thursa completed the trek to his target.

“I need Psycho!” Jace cried as he batted away attacks from a merman and pirate fighter.  One attacked him because he wasn’t one of them, and the other because he had just dropped the pirate archer to the floor.  “And Draya and Gromphy,” he continued, parry bashing his opponents backward.

{They are coming,} Gracie informed him.  {They’ve just made it to this module and are running through the streets.}

“No issue with the gatekeeper?” Jace asked.

{Since they are members of your party, and Esther has the Eye, they get free access too.  However, I do need to tell you one thing.}

Even with the digital filter applied to her voice, Jace could tell he didn’t like her tone.  “What is it?” he asked as he sent the pirate flying back to the table where he shattered wine glasses.  The merman had given up on trying to hit the orc and turned on the prone fighter Jace had just defeated.

{Draya isn’t with them.  Gromphy won’t tell me why, which means it isn’t good, but I don’t sense that she has died.}

Jace growled in frustration, knowing he would have to wait for Psycho to arrive and give an explanation.  Another mermaid cut across his vision, her image blurred with a spell as she tried to get around Wallace’s defense of Tami.  Jace had to intervene and leaped after her, slicing down on her shrouded form right before she reached the princess.  The attack dropped her to the ground, and when Jace tried to heal her, she must have had a Chaotic alignment because his healing ring didn’t work.  She would die.

Jace couldn’t dwell on it too long as he heard Thursa cry out in pain and turned back in the other direction.  The druid always got hurt in battle, but he rarely cried out.  The bear had knocked the ballistae bolt firing crossbow from the champion’s hand and was now retreated before a massive halberd.  The two prominent fighters cleared a path toward the back of the room, with other characters flying to the side.  Jace met them at the foot of the table, his sword diving between the combatants to save Thursa from further punishment.  The druid fell behind Jace to heal his wounds while the shaman took on the challenging opponent.

“Why doesn’t Tami sing?” Jace asked, struggling to keep up with the hasted fighter and not used to parrying such a large weapon.  He didn’t get many high parries; without them, he couldn’t hit the heavily armored merman.

{I don’t know,} Gracie said.  {With as volatile as she is, maybe the pirates have a way to restrain her, or she is weak.  Gromphy will be able to figure it out.  He is almost . . .}

She was cut off as the door to Jace’s left exploded inward, and Snowy streaked into the room.  Gromphy was on her back and tumbled off before the wolf launched herself at Jace’s opponent, tackling the merman to the table.  “Don’t kill him,” Jace said.  “Not yet.  Just keep him there.”

He turned to Gromphy as the goblin picked himself up and dusted his clothes.  “Where is Psycho?” Jace asked and then saw the tall elf enter a few seconds behind the wolf.  He addressed his next question to the ranger.  “Where is Draya?”

Psycho grew somber.  “She fell.  She’s alive, but . . . she couldn’t come.”

Jace wondered if there was a quick way to tell him why, but the elf didn’t offer more.  Instead, he surveyed the chaos around them.  “What do you need me to do?  Who are we fighting?”

Jace ignored him and turned back to Gromphy, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in this room with dozens of other characters fighting.  “What is wrong with Tami?  From what I understand, she should be able to end all this with a few notes.”

The goblin put aside his fear momentarily and looked where Jace pointed.  Tami cowered against the base of the stairs as Wallace, Esther, and Dalmar were pressed by a host of merfolk.  Gromphy had never met the mermaid princess before, and shock covered his face as he discerned her character sheet.  “Aye, another of thy broken creations,” he said.  “Thou dost take extreme liberties with the laws of our realms.”

“Watch your tone,” Jace replied.  “You are another of my broken creations.”  Gromphy swallowed and nodded.  “What is wrong with her?”

“She hath no mana,” the crafter replied simply.

“Fix it,” Jace ordered and turned to Psycho, confident the goblin would go about the task immediately.  The archer had his bow out, surveying the crowd, trying to find something to do.  “Just start nailing people to the wall,” Jace said.  “Shelah and Onan need to get here, and then we must get everyone’s attention somehow.”

Psycho nodded and started securing both merfolk and pirates alike.  Jace looked back to the open door and saw two men walking through, the first one shackled and the second pushing him forward.  This must be Onan and Shelah.  Now he just needed to . . .

Jace froze as the room came alive with music.  What had been frenzied combat suddenly stopped, and everyone held their position as the beautiful notes moved through the room like sunlight at dawn, striking a sleeping horde full in the face.  Whatever thoughts and feelings that had inspired such deadly conflict no longer mattered.  All that existed was the song.

Jace had never heard anything like it.  It was peaceful, beautiful, fulfilling, and many other things he couldn’t describe.  This must have been what the shepherds heard on that first Christmas morning when the angels sang to them.  This must be what Beethoven heard in his head as he composed his ninth symphony.  Yet, simultaneously, it was the soft lullaby a mother sang to the child within her womb, smooth and comforting.

Time no longer had meaning, yet Jace felt the notes had stopped at some point.  It didn’t matter.  They reverberated through his soul and would continue to hold him entranced until . . .

A tug on his arm brought him out of his reverie, and he looked down to see Tami smiling up at him.  “Thank you,” she said.

Behind her stood Esther and Wallace, already woken from their dream state.  Ironically, Tami had not freed Gromphy from her spell as the Goblin still stood transfixed where he had likely handed the mermaid a potion.

“What do we do now?” Tami asked.  “Esther said you would have a plan.”

“I’m working on it,” Jace replied.  “I need more information.”  He turned to Psycho and saw an elven statue with an arrow pulled taut.  He gently pressed the archer’s arm to lower his weapon, but he was as stiff as stone.  “Psycho, wake up,” Jace said, shaking the ranger.  Nothing happened.

“I need to do it,” Tami said.  She moved around the orc, touched Psycho’s arm, and gently applied mana to free him.

The elf shook his head and blinked his eyes.  He had enough composure not to release the shot and lowered his bow.  “Was that your voice I heard?” he asked, looking down at the shorter mermaid.  Tami nodded.  “It was majestic.”  His voice cracked with emotion.  “I’ve never heard anything like that before in my . . .” his voice trailed off as he caught Esther staring at him during this vulnerable moment.  Psycho cleared his throat and turned to Jace.  “What next?”

“I’m tempted to take Tami and the rest of our crew and just leave everyone else like they are,” Jace said.  He and Psycho looked around.  Everyone was frozen in place as if caught in an ice storm.  However, instead of expressions of rage or pain, everyone had a serene, contended look.  Who knew if they would even feel like fighting again once the spell wore off?

“But,” Jace continued, “I’m guessing there is plenty I don’t know.  The plan wasn’t to bring Onan.  Is there something else I need to know?”

Psycho told him.  Jace nodded.

“Okay, so we need to solve his dilemma, and then he and Tami can swim off into the sunset.”  Jace looked down at his side to see the mermaid, but she was gone.  A few seconds of searching revealed her to his left by the two mermen who had just entered.  She scowled at Onan and looked lovingly at Shelah.  She hadn’t woken either yet.

“How long will your spell last?” Jace asked.  His vision no longer flashed red, meaning they weren’t in combat mode anymore.  The room could remain like this for a long time.

“Another hour if need be,” she replied.  “Right now, everyone is Paralyzed.  I can reduce it to Stun so they can hear you and still won’t return to fighting.”

Jace nodded.  “Let’s do that, but first free Shelah, Onan, Thursa, Gromphy, and Snowy.”  Jace pointed to his team members so she would know who they were.

A minute later, their small group assembled at the foot of the table, with Onan constantly tugging at his bonds.  He cast a look at Tami.  “It isn’t too late, princess,” he said.  “You can still join with me.  I won’t make this offer again, even if you beg.”

Tami didn’t respond other than to laugh, and Shelah secured the hold on his brother to render him Helpless and silent.  “You think she chose the wrong side in this fight?” he whispered into Onan’s ear.  “You clearly don’t see what I do.”  Onan obviously couldn’t answer.

Jace turned to Tami.  “Okay, ease everyone else into a Stunned condition,” Jace said.  Tami did as requested, and the shaman watched the other characters in the room slowly lower their weapons and rock gently on their feet as if a boxing referee were administering a standing ten count.  Their eyes were glazed over, yet they maintained peaceful faces as Tami’s song still played in their minds.

“King Neptudah!” Jace called.  He didn’t wait for a response.  “I have both your sons with me.  Onan was indeed sailing with Captain Cloudspark, a ruthless pirate my people have defeated.  Your youngest son, Shelah, was held captive by his older brother so that he could not fulfill the promise you made to King Melchi and secure Tami’s kingdom.  She is not guilty of the things you previously spoke about but has a true love for Shelah.  And if you don’t know which of your sons to trust, as they will likely contradict each other, you are free to question my ranger, Nal Saikol Gladekin.  He is Honest and above reproach, which your priest can verify.  He personally witnessed everything I just said.”

Jace paused for effect, knowing there wouldn’t be a response.  “Unlike our duplicitous hosts, I would not ask you to kill a pirate for me.  I have taken care of that.  I instead give you your wayward son back to do with as you like and would only ask you to bless the union between Shelah and Tami.”  He looked down at the mermaid who clung to her love’s arm as Shelah continued to hold Onan still.

“As for the pirates who brought us together, they are of no consequence to me.  If you wish to have them pay for their atrocities against your trading partners, I will not stand in your way and will help if you ask.”  Jace looked toward Dalmar, whose face showed no expression.  He looked for the others and only saw the mage and barbarian.  The dwarf might have already been killed.  A few bodies lay scattered about the floor.

“You may release the king and his people,” Jace said quietly to Tami.  “But keep them Dazed.”  She nodded and flexed her powerful magic.  Suddenly, the merfolk around the room regained their composure and began to raise their weapons against their motionless adversaries.

“Hold!” Neptudah cried, and all the merfolk relaxed, stepping away and assembling on the left side of the room.  Once the crowd thinned by half, Jace could better see the outcome of the first scrum.  He saw the dwarven player and two other NPC pirates motionless on the floor.  Four merfolk also lay dead.

“Is what he says true, Onan?” the king asked his son.  Shelah had to release him for the older brother to answer.

“Take me into your custody,” Onan said.  “I shouldn’t have to answer questions in front of these surface dwellers.  That is not our way.  I have always done what is best for our kingdom.  I will not be accused by an orc, a whore, and a child of any wrongdoing.”

The king nodded and motioned two guards to take ownership of the captive.  Shelah stepped away and let the larger mermen take Onan to the side of the room.  “Get these shackles off me before I say anything.  Iron should never be used to detain our people.”

Again, the king nodded, and the two guards fiddled with the restraints until they fell to the floor.  Onan rubbed feeling back into his forearms, and he moved to stand before his father.

“Now, I will have the truth,” Neptudah said, scowling at his son.

“The truth, Father, is dangerous,” Onan started, a broad smile on his lips.  “You have not had the best interests of our kingdom in mind these past few years.  You have cared more about your friends on the surface and alliances with other kingdoms to see that your own people dwindle and suffer.  By these failings, you have lost your claim to the throne, and you have no right to bring anything against me.”

“So it is true that you are now a pirate,” Neptudah said, already summoning his champion to his side.  The mighty merman brandished his halberd, and it suddenly looked like an executioner’s axe.

“I have sailed the surface as you have, Father, seeking gold to support our kingdom.  I have been more successful than you.  The kingdom has chosen me.”

Psycho leaned into Jace and whispered.  “They’re fighting over an iceberg at the bottom of the ocean.”  Jace looked stunned and turned to the elf.  The ranger only smiled.  “I’ll tell you about it later,” he added, ending the conversation as things were about to explode again.

“Is that so,” the king replied.  “We shall see who the kingdom prefers.” He turned to his champion.  “Silas, kill him.”  The giant merman didn’t move.  “I said . . .” he repeated, but his voice cracked as he watched the mage and priestess who had sat with him at the table move to stand next to Onan.  “Cecilia . . . Estancia . . . what are you doing?”

“He has provided more wealth for our kingdom in the past few months than you have in the past few years,” the priestess said.

Beside her, Cecilia nodded.  “Piracy is a relative term and only applicable under the laws of the surface people.  They do not apply to us.  Instead, we extract a tax on them for using our water.”

“We must do what is right for our people,” Silas added, having moved behind his former king.

“But . . . but this is madness,” Neptudah cried.  He looked at his guards standing along the wall, none returning his desperate gaze.

“This is how it must be,” Cecilia said, nodding to the champion.  Silas shoved the point of his polearm into the king’s back.  Neptudah gargled for a moment and fell to the floor.

“No!” Shelah cried.  The priest had no weapon and started to cast a spell.  Estancia was more powerful and beat him to the punch, casting Hold on him.  Tami was ready, too, and drew in a deep breath to let out another song, but an arrow took her off her feet, carried her a few paces back, and Pinned her dress to the wall.

Working at the Gilded Swan had given the mermaid several of the same skills as Esther, and she enacted her Quick-Change ability to leave the dress stuck to the wall, walking forward in a one-piece swimsuit she always kept ready.  The next attack was from Cecilia, the mage, and when Tami tried to sing, her voice was muted, and her hands gripped her throat in frustration as she dropped to her knees.

Onan laughed at his kinfolk’s ineffectiveness.  He turned to the pirates.  “I have no grudge with you.  You want Cloudspark dead?  It is already done.  You want to keep Tamar after this is done?  Fine.  I will sleep with the princess, produce a kingdom for myself, and then you can do what you want with her.”  He looked down at his dying father.  “Now that I am a king, her offspring will be mine.  What say you?”

Dalmar was still stunned, and Estancia cast dispel on him to free the swashbuckler from Tami’s influence.  She needed a different spell to free the others, and the priestess entered her inventory to design it.

“What of the Eye of the Storm?” Dalmar asked, stretching his limbs as he recovered from the prolonged spell.

Onan had served under Cloudspark for the past month and knew exactly what the gem was.  “What of it?”

“These players have taken it from Cloudspark’s stronghold.  Do you have any desire for the item that gave your former captain so much power?”

The merman laughed.  “A merman does not care about the wind blowing above the ways, only the power beneath them.  If you want it, you can take it off their corpses when we have finished.”

Dalmar smiled.  “Then we have an agreement.”

“Good,” Onana said.  As Estancia cast the spell to free the rest of the pirates, Onan lifted a sword and pointed it at Jace’s crew.  “Kill them all,” he commanded. “Except for the princess.  Leave her for me.”

“Here we go again,” Jace said, pulling Diamond Etcher from its sheath.