Page 58 of Cage Me

On to business. “Do you all understand what is going to happen and what you need to do?”

The green tailed mermaid picked up a rock from the ocean floor and smacked it into her hand. “We’re going to kill demon dragons, like you.”

Okay then. She hadn’t actually killed anything besides fish in her life, but if some of the Mami Wata had a blood lust going on, she was going to harness that.

“Good. Be careful. A great many of them will die in the flooding of hell, but those that escape will be dangerous.”

“Don’t you worry about them, we’ll take care of the killing.”

A group of particularly brawny mermen with wicked looking spears swam up to their group. Three of them nodded and gave her a little salute. But the one who’d had his hate on for her at the oasis was practicing his glare again.

This should be fun.

The two water dragons circled their group and one approached Azy. “Ky is on his way down. He says they’re ready at the surface, little general.”

Little general. Cute. Better than little mermaid.

“Let’s do this.”

As soon as Ky joined her, they swam into the caves, asking the sea to swell and join them. Phase one of operation Hell Freezes Over had begun.

She and Ky flooded the underwater caves and made their way into the caverns and tunnels at the base of the caldera. They pushed the water across the hellfires and Ky and his blue dragons froze it all making the heat benign.

“You’re one smart cookie, Azza. Cage is lucky to have you by his side.”

“Thanks, Ky Puru.”

“I think you can just call me Ky now.”

“No. I don’t think so. Sounds too weird.”

Ky laughed in her head. Then he swooped forward and speared the first group of demon dragons they encountered with his ice shards.

A group of mermen behind her sounded a war cry and swam past. The douchie one bumping her along the way.

Whatever dude.

The dragons and mers divided and conquered the hordes they came across, but so far, they weren’t all that many. They weren’t to the main caverns and tunnels yet though.

When they did, Azy had a little mission of her own.

“Jakob and his greens are ready for phase two, gang. Hold on to your butts.” Ky’s warning rang out through everyone’s heads. The walls around them rumbled and rocks and debris began to fall in great chunks.

Azy took a deep breath, closed her eyes and concentrated on the spirit of the water element. She felt it’s power swish and sparkle around her. “There you are old friend. Help me keep our justice fighters safe from the chaos around us.”

As if it was replying, a bubble of lava jumped up under Azy and the water pushed the danger away, creating a sculpture of newly formed volcanic rock underneath her.

“Thank you.”

The ceiling above her opened up and she filled the newly created cavern with more water. Just ahead she recognized the dark room where Kur-Jara had whipped Fallyn and Ky. They were deep underground now, but the earth above them cracked open and rays of intense sunshine lit up the darkness.

“Hello, love. Having fun yet?”Cage swooped down into the crack in the earth and ran his wingtips along the surface of the water.

Azy poked her head up above the surface of the churning water.

“Not yet. But, I have plans to have a lot of fun with you later.”

“Promise?”

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