The King vs The Eel

The King's eyes widened, and the water rippled violently as his three-pronged weapon hovered over the slick eel.

"You gave away something so sacred... to this?"

The words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud, and for a split second, he was speechless. His breath came in ragged bursts, his fists trembling at his sides. Then, with a force that shook the chamber, he finally spoke again, his voice thunderous with disbelief. His regal form towered over the critter, his power churning like a cyclone rising, creating waves that splashed against the corals. His gaze locked onto it, burning with scorn.

"What is wrong with you, Shui Yi? Why would you give anything to a mere eel, a creature of the shallows!" His voice cut through the chamber like a vortex.

"Father, it wasn't like that... I didn't know who he was..."

The King noticed her voice falter, and the tremble in her hands only deepened his disbelief. Her feeble attempt to explain only enraged him further.

"You didn't know?" His roar surged the whirlpool around him.

"He wasn't breathing... I just wanted to help..."

"Help?!" The torrents began to churn around him, turning into turbulent waves. "You gave your life force to an eel?! I don't care if it wasn't breathing. You're worth so much more than this critter—your sacred pearl, your essence—everything you are, tied to this disgusting beast."

"I swear, Father. It was an accident. I didn't know how it happened."

"Enough!"

His jaw clenched, his teeth ground against one another. A pulse of frustration echoed in his chest, but he was determined to hold onto control. Yet the sight of the unassuming critter mocked his temper. The sand beneath them quaked with the force of his agitation, sending ripples through the sand.

He watched her desperately try to calm him, her pleas only making his blood boil. He palmed his face as his body shook, trying to reign in his emotions.

"How could you be so foolish?"

"Father, please," she whispered. "I swear by the sea, it wasn't intentional..."

His turmoil reached its breaking point. With an explosive snap, he raised his hand, unleashing a shockwave that spiraled into a raging maelstrom. Long Fei, caught in the overwhelming force, was sent skidding across the floor, sliding helplessly.

As the critter writhed, his daughter reached for him in an attempt to stop his wrath. This only baffled him further, he could not comprehend why she was adamant about protecting this critter.

"Father, please... I didn't mean to... Please, listen to me. I didn't—"

His eyes, once filled with gentle wisdom, were now consumed by a tempestuous storm. The sea surged around him, reflecting his temper. The walls ripple with his anger, the sand beneath them shifting from his ire.

"An eel!" He boomed, rattling the corals of the chamber. "For Ocean's sake! This creature stole from you."

His hand tightened around his trident, and the waters hissed in warning. His tail whipped through the chamber, sending out ripples with a mighty outcry. He darted toward the puny beast, his trident cutting through the bubbles. The gushes around his spear began to crackle with dark energy, swirling forcefully, discoloring the surroundings.

"Father, no!" Shui Yi cried, her voice desperate, as she reached out to him. "Please, stop! He's not what you think..."

But her words were lost in the roar of the storm he had become. The waves churned beneath them rose to a violent crescendo, matching the tumult within him.

"Begone!" He bellowed as he thrust his bladed fork forward.

Before he could strike, he saw his daughter fling herself between him and the creature. She had put herself in harm's way for this creature. Her arms spread wide, desperate to shield it from his outrage.

To avoid hitting her, he immediately pivoted his trident with such force that its sharp edge sliced through the stone ceiling above them, causing a cascade of debris to tumble down.

His towering form immediately moved to shield his daughter, raising his lethal heirloom to clear the falling debris.

One jagged shard struck his head, and blood trickled down his brow. But without hesitation, he used his sacred staff to push the debris aside, clearing the path. The sand beneath them continued to quake. He swept her in his arms, and another piece of rubble scratched his back. As he gently lowered his daughter against the coral, his hands still trembling with frustration, the anger that had surged within him now simmered; though it was far from quelled.

Shui Yi's tear-filled eyes met his, and the sight of her distress gnawed at him, even as it fueled his agitation.

"Stay still," he commanded, his voice low and strained.

Confident that his daughter would not intervene, the King glared at the eel. Her reckless interference had already sent tides of frustration crashing through him, the sight of the creature before him—supernaturally tethered to his daughter had stripped away all his patience.

With a sharp exhale, he clenched his fists, his grip tightening around the handle of his trident. His fury manifested a storm, swirling and churning violently around him. His blood boiled with the intensity of his anger, and the tide recoiled at his ire.

His muscles tightened as he drew back his royal staff, every fiber of his coiled like a weapon. Then, with a roar that echoed through the depths, the trident shot forward, a strike of fury.

***

Long Fei watched the trident hurtle toward him, its deadly edge cutting through the water with lightning speed. But did not flinch. His gaze was steady, the weapon was little more than a passing shadow. He had weathered through many cyclones before: turbulent whirlwinds of nature, fierce and unrelenting. He had also faced immortals with powers that could tear the heavens asunder, their wrath capable of shattering mountains and rending oceans. It doesn't hold a candle against the Phoenix Empress' berserk nature.

The three-pronged ancient weapon wrapped by a hurricane, closed in on him. His humble form was a quiet fortress, unmoved by the crashing tempest. He breathed steadily, resting on the sand, even as the water around him roiled and churned.

Yet, as the weapon drew closer, something shifted within him. A strange, subtle stir. His golden eyes flicked to the princess; her desperate act to shield him, so futile and filled with innocence. The sheer selflessness of it caught him off guard, like a whisper against the roar of a thousand winds. It made his chest tighten, and for a fleeting moment, his pulse quickened, unsure what to think of it. He was still recovering and may not have his full power yet, but the Sacred Pearl allowed him to, briefly, tap into some reserve. There was no need for the princess to protect him.

The trident cut through the water with a streak of lethal outrage. Its sharp, gleaming tip was rapidly aimed at his chest, the ocean around them shuddering. It was a single grain of sand from his heart. The force of the King's fury vibrated through the currents, yet the immortal remained unshaken. The power within him thrummed to life, stirred by the pearl's energy. The ocean around them held its breath, anticipating his next move.

Then—silence.

The trident froze in midair, suspended in a motionless void. Long Fei's eyes narrowed, and his attention focused. His mind hummed with an ancient power, an unseen force that pulsed throughout the chamber. A force that answered to him only.