Scylla had no verbal language. Although the Nereids could make sounds underwater, they weren't exactly speaking English either, however, they could all understand one another.
Scylla could only roar again and gnash with her three rows of teeth. All the Nereids fled, most went down back into the depths of their gorge as they knew of no other place they could go. The thousands of sea creatures who followed Morrigan into the depths also quickly swam away and were forgotten.
Morrigan was amazed that the Queen could even float up and out of there, just by her sheer girth, but then again she never really studied buoyancy. "So, looks like you're the trophy catch huh?" She gulped once, only because she had never seen a real demon. She'd summoned plenty of temporal demons, but they always appeared in the shadows or as mist. This was a living, breathing, immortal water demon who spit a black liquid oil substance at her. "Ugh! Gross!" Morrigan squealed as the liquid settled over her and enshrouded her body. It stuck to her skin and her tail and immobilized her. "What the heck?! You're disgusting!" She started to sink. She squirmed but couldn't break free. She called to her power but she seemed blocked from it, like the ooze over her body was a shield, encapsulating her magic within. It shouldn't have surprised her that the Queen would have a magic of her own, but she wasn't expecting this. "Let me go!"
Why should I? You killed my King. I should swallow you whole. Scylla thrust her tentacles and drifted closer to Morrigan and let herself slowly sink with the witch as she waited for a response.
"What are you talking about, he's not dead. Not likely anyway. Just human."
You lie! Scylla snapped her jaws at her, her tentacles slowly wrapping themselves around Morrigan's body.
"Stop!" Yelled a voice from above them. It was Aoide. Morrigan wasn't sure she was glad to see the Wren or if this was going to go terribly wrong. "What's going on? Where is the King?"
"He's gone. Like I was just telling the giant squid here, I turned him human. A few of your friends left to help him back up to the surface."
"That's impossible; we should not be able to survive without him. He is our link to the Gods."
Scylla began to jiggle and Morrigan could only assume she was trying to laugh. She tried to squirm her way out of the Queen's hold but it only made the demon squeeze her tighter.
Fools. I am your link. Did you think he did this all for you? Everything you are is because of me. Even he. He did this all for me! Scylla opened her jaw wide, like the serpent she was and was about to eat Morrigan when the young witch got an idea.
"Wait!" she yelled. "I can help you and Glaucus get back together, you know, as humans."
Scylla closed her jaw and scoffed. Glaucus was only a means to an end. Do you think I would give up this power?
Power. Another thought occurred to Morrigan. Scylla had blocked her elemental magic but overlooked her newfound mermaid charm. "Yeah, I mean, having power over all these mermaids must be really awesome. But don't you get, oh I don't know, hmmmmm," she hummed softly and quickly, hoping the Queen did not notice her call out to the sea. "Don't you get lonely? I mean, when was the last time you even kissed a guy? Don't you want to walk on the land again, with any guy? It doesn't have to be that stiff old King. You could have anyone, be anyone. You could start a whole new life."
For a moment it seemed the demon Queen contemplated her offer. But over her shoulder, in the distance, Morrigan could see a large shadow approaching from behind.
"Yeah, I mean come on, I could totally make you into a babe, a real looker. You've got to be sick of all these extra parts." Scylla's head bobbed up and down as a dark shadow was upon them, wider than Scylla herself.
"No!" Aoide screamed when she turned and saw the beast approach. It was a humpback whale. It swam up to Scylla effortlessly, before she even had time to turn around and look it slammed its jaws closed around her body, slicing the tentacles that held Morrigan. She broke free from their grasp and felt her powers return. She cleaned the slimy goo off herself, still shuddering and grossed out by the feel of it. Then she noticed Aoide, it looked like she was sleeping. Huh?
She looked below into the gorge and saw that it had lost its glow. She swam over to Aoide and shook her, but got no response. Great. Then another thought occurred to her. She swam down deep into the gorge, passing many merfolk who floated lifeless, looking asleep, until she found what she sought.
The reef. It was dull and lifeless but she could still see the crystals protruding from it and felt the remainder of the magic that must have died with Scylla. Small crystals were embedded everywhere through the gorge, but this reef had been the hot spot. She put her hands up to the rocks and drew as much magic as she could from the sea around her. It took forever to fill the reef back with enough magic to ignite its power once again. But once she did, she made sure to link herself to its power, just like Scylla must have. And now the reef belonged to her.
The merfolk around her stirred, waking up from their temporary deaths. Morrigan laughed. She never felt so proud of herself and her abilities.
"That's right everyone, wake up. There's a new Queen in town." She swam around and made sure everyone knew what happened. She gave them as little info as possible but made it clear she was now in charge, but that they were free to stay or leave. She held true to her offer of freedom. She didn't want anyone to stay who didn't want to be there. That's when she remembered the mermaid from the surface. She swam quickly out of the gorge to search for her, but she was already gone. Most likely off to find her would-be King and the other Wrens who left with him. Good riddance. She didn't fear their return, she was more powerful than Glaucus had ever been. He had only ever been a human turned God. She was more than human and now more than a mermaid or Wren.
Morrigan felt amazing. She gained a newfound respect for the sea. The reef was beautiful but she still had both the amulets she took from the Wren and the King if she ever wanted to go back to the surface. But for now, she thought she'd check out all the sea had to offer. It was the biggest place on Earth, after all. And it was hers.