Before he could finish speaking, another Water Dragon surged up from the sea. Faster and fiercer than the one that had just knocked him away, it wrapped around his waist, lifted him into the air, and shoved him face-first into the sand.
Sand packed his mouth, leaving him able to make only muffled "mmph" sounds.
He kicked his legs twice before the Water Dragon caught his ankles and pinned him completely.
Yongye did not even look back. He kept his gaze on Mera's face, slightly twisted by fear and resentment, and spoke lightly:
"She tried to kill me. So it's only fair that I kill her!"
Arthur could neither see nor speak, but he could hear everything around him.
In his head, he cursed up a storm!
Yongye's hand stopped at the tactical strap on Mera's waist. His fingertips gave it a light tug through the seawater-soaked fabric, and the clasp came undone.
Mera's body went rigid. Fear and Rage churned in her pale blue eyes, along with a helplessness she refused to admit even to herself.
She wanted to curse him, to say, "You can't do this," but the Water Dragon gripped her throat. All she could produce was a muffled breath.
Yongye glanced at Arthur, then turned back to her, his smile widening.
Mera's face flushed crimson. Rage, shock, and the shame of having her dignity torn apart in public surged through her deep blue eyes. Beneath it all was a trace of panic she had not even recognized until the Water Dragon tightened and it showed in her pupils.
She desperately tried to gather her Water Magic, but the Water Dragon seemed alive. It locked down every joint and Meridian Nodes in her body. Each time she tried to draw on her power, its supple, flowing grip