"Watch your tongue, you little brat! Let's not forget whom's at stake here." Morgana's already threatening gaze grew more venomous the further she went into saying this, pointing at the helpless Ariel all the while with her corpse-like finger and spiked, blood red fingernail. Melody, even though her instincts screamed for her not to do this, was ready to vent the rage she felt for that horrible, despicable sea witch looming before her right there on the spot. Unfortunately, before Melody—or anyone else in the room for that matter—had a chance to commit to such an action, the baby started to wail. Morgana, up until that point, had completely forgotten all about the infant in the midst of her gloating.
"Ah yes," she said slowly, “my real reason for being here." Like a hunter stalking its prey, Morgana transferred her attention solely to the babe and shifted her whole continence gradually towards her target.
Ariel in response clutched her son closer to her bosom. She did not care that the fear she felt just then was oozing out of her eyes and that Morgana would notice. At that moment, all she was concerned about was whether or not her body was strong enough to act as a shield against whatever was to become of them next.
"A noble and loving effort, Ariel, but do you honestly believe that's going to work?" Knowing full well that Ariel's attempts at protecting him were futile, Morgana's malice intensified to further create an even thicker atmosphere in the room than what was already set.
Her whole body facing the mother and child now, Morgana started to reach for the baby with one of her tentacles when Ariel aimed to kick it away. Finding this reaction amusing, Morgana continued to assault Ariel with the same tentacle just to watch her victim flail about and began to taunt her to increase her pleasure. This spectacle of vain heroism, unbeknownst to the antagonist, was turning the feelings of fear in her other two spectators into rage.
"Dad, I can't take much more of this!" Melody cried out. Eric, however, maintained his silence. "Dad?" Taking a glance at her father, she finally paid attention to the unthinkable degree of fury that he was revealing in front of her for the first time in her life. His chest was expanding and contracting violently. The muscles in his arms were tightening—fortunately with no harm done to her—as his hands clenched up into fists so hard that his knuckles were paler than the sailor's tunic he was wearing. Despite this frightening spectacle she was witnessing, Melody noted that the most intense feature that Eric displayed lay within his eyes. Fixed right into the direction of the sea witch, the source of his change in demeanor, Eric’s eyes blazed with an intensity of dragon’s fire, and were on the verge of exploding…
