“It will take three days or more to resupply the Herald with how overloaded the port has been lately.” Sert informed us while Meli sat by the docks edge speaking Atlantian to someone we could not see. A simple tap to Redpath’s arm had him moving to Meli’s side while I remained with Sert. “It seems everyone is transporting supplies and goods to other port towns and cities along the coastline.” he explained with a hint of annoyance in his tones. “And none of the sailors have a clue why this is happening.” he concluded.
“Redpath has been hearing the same from the entry line.” I told him. “Multiple reasons alluded to but none repeated more than others.” I revealed in an Atlantian whisper. “It should not effect us directly, should it?” I added with a little smile.
“A minor delay but nothing truly problematic.” he agreed quickly nodding his head. “But still not easy to overlook.” he added softer and slowly. I shrugged and nodded to him. Meli and Redpath stood and moved to join us at the edge of the dock.
“Captain Destine’s sailors could add nothing from what they have overheard while visiting the town during the wait for our arrival.” she reported to us. “It’s an exodus of supplies and goods, but no one traveling to those other towns and cities by water.” she concluded with a shrug.
“Something about all this has my whiskers trembling.” Redpath announced with a whining growl. This gained a look from all of us and a warning shiver up our spines. I nodded slowly to him scratching at my chin thinking of a reason for such an action to take place. “Could it be a sort of magical enchantment?” the feline asked Meli. She pondered this questions as we waited silently.
“It could be possible but too powerful in lands lacking strong magical energies.” she answered slowly. “I know a magical ether exists in the area because of the harpies, Lacona, and what feels like a faery mound within an hour or two from this town.” she reasoned out loud. “But nothing strong enough to enchant this many people.” she concluded before turning to me. “Or am I missing something, Lord Kestrel?” she added to me.
“No magic on those in the entry line or upon anything or anyone within the town.” I informed them. “We are the only exceptions present and your assessment is correct Lady Mekiliean.” I assured her. “It is simply something we cannot perceive at work here.” I add for all of them.
“More importantly, should we get involved in this oddity?” Sert asked cutting directly to the crux of our discussion. “As foreigners, they might not wish this mystery solved or find a way to blame us to prevent us solving it. “he gently reminded us. A few moments passed before they each nodded to Sert before I nodded for him to continue. “And are we acting for Atlantis, Diadem’s Knight, or simple justice and honor?” he concluded with a smirk.
“We should not simply interfere in this because it seems not causing direct problems to others.” I reminded them softly. “Delays and extra work for the dock-hands is not a hardship which needs changing, correct?” I continued trying to logically pull them away from this minor mystery. “And my main goal now is returning to Atlantis to recover.” I added in a whisper. This had them stiffen and turn more directly to face me. The graciously asked for forgiveness for overlooking my present state which they assured me was more important than this small mystery. With this done, we headed to the closest inn to claim rooms for the next few days until the Herald was ready to sail.
Meli’s sudden disappearance was not a surprise to me considering the nearby faery mound but it was still a problem. This mound was known as a training ground for “blood Lust” faeries where part of their training was challenging each other’s strength. A mention of this had Sertian ready to rush there to find her immediately but I kept a clear mind on the matter. Between the vision from Lacona’s sacrifice and Meli’s first bout with blood lust, I was worried sending Redpath ahead while Sert and myself rode to the faery mound’s entrance.
Memories of our pacifist healer running up the front of a giant’s body to pummel his face with stone fists flashed in my mind. It was her first moment losing control of her blood lust because Sert’s life was in peril at the edge of the giant’s sharp axe. It was a merciless attack with granite coated fists crushing the Giant’s face to the back of it’s skull. When the giant finally fell, it was long dead and Meli finally snapped back to herself. She could not remember her actions while deeply under the blood lust rage and seemed shocked by the destruction. She now sat in a mound that views blood lust as a game to play and a way to prove their strength. If pushed, Meli could easily kill with her blood lust but it could easily include herself among the corpses.
A roaring growl signaled us to hurry. The scene before us was my worst fears made flesh. She was gambling for trinkets with her blood lust being higher in strength and control than a master blood lust faery. The feary barely clung to life in a bloody mess while Meli stood above him reveling in her victorious violence. Repath stood before her growling and ready to fight her to protect the fallen faery. I shot forward landing a clean hit to the side of her face. Her body spun as the feline moved to catch her unconscious body. With our healer on his back, Redpath moved towards the exit with Sert keeping the pathway clear for him.
“Treat your idiot while I deal with mine!” I screamed at the blank faced faeries that watched this butchery stunned. I followed in the wake of Sert and Redpath as Meli was carried away from this mound. The faeries seemed overly willing for us to depart from their mound. Annoyance at the delay and everything else that had now happened made me act rashly portaling us directly to the deck of the Herald. It would still be another couple days before it could leave harbour for Atlantis but me and my team were going home now. I informed captain Destine to reprovision and return to Atlantis at their own pace. With another portal, we were in our foyer shocking Cole.
“Sir Kestrel, we have a problem.” Cole announced while Redpath, with Sert escorting him, rushed the unconscious Meli to her own bed. “Seems you had an issue with Lady Mekiliean.” he stated slightly confused. “And when did we get a house cat?” he added with a hint of a smirk. A glare at him had him stepping back in silence. By the time Redpath returned to my side, I calmed enough to listen to our house snake.
“What is the problem?” I stated with a hint of bluntness.
“The Royal Advisor Coltæn is possibly involved in something nefarious but we lack proof.” Cole admitted hesitantly.
“Redpath! To work.” I told him before the feline disappeared from the foyer. Cole raised an eyebrow but did not comment. “He will find proof of either guilt or innocence while you play the idiot in front of the Council.” I told him directly. “Tell our friends that I will deal with this directly.” I added before turning away to head for our private training area.
I finally released my anger in vicious physical attacks upon a training dummy. Fists, elbows, knees, and claws lashed out bleeding my anger about Meli’s idiotic naivety out of my body. Hours passed before I finally stopped ripping apart the training dummy. It was now snapped in half from the palm hit against it’s cracked and gouged torso. I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand will looking at the ruined mess of the training dummy. Soft padded footfalls warned me that my name sake had already returned to me. He handed me a towel and waited patiently to make his report.
“What do you have to report?” I whispered to him. I hung the towel over my head hiding my face from other’s view. A series of purrs, meows, and yowls hide his words spoken to me perfectly. I held back a chuckle realizing how quickly our cat had learn to report secrets secretly to avoid being overheard. “Well done.” I interjected. “This will help me protect Atlantis.”
“Will Coltæn receive his due justice?” he asked in a soft purr.
"Yes, but I believe the dolphins will want words with him about this.” I answered calmly. The power of Atlantis trickled into me keeping me focused and strong enough. “But his boat of cohorts will know of a chef’s vengeance before dawn.” I continued giving him an order without saying it outright. A grim toothy smirk and nod showed he understood my unspoken order.
“You will have a new practice dummy before next nightfall.” he stated softly. “I will inform the armory right away, sir.” he added before slipping into the shadows. I listen to him scurrying off before exiting the training grounds to catch a quick snack before my next action for tonight.
I stood in the shadows of the dolphin pool along the pathway to the harbor well past midnight. I waited for the Royal Advisor Coltæn while slowly but thoroughly riffling through his mind noting all the treacherous thoughts he hide behind his stoic face. He would be going to meet his co-conspirators but that would never happen in this world. He would face me while never knowing that escape would have him walking upon a blood bath on board the ship he moved towards. A pod of a dozen dolphin had gather in the nearby pool who’s chirping calls warned me of the traitors approach. I stepped from the shadows to block his path as he used the stone pathway by the pool to reach his meeting.
“Coltæn!” I interjected. “Odd seeing you out this late.” I commented with a hint of casual teasing in my voice. He had paused and looked nervously at me and at the space around us as he spoke.
“Lord Kestrel!” he gasped stunned faced. “I could say the same but you are reputed as rarely sleeping.” he continued nervously. A touch on his mind was filled with the fear of getting caught but he refused to run away.
“Especially when dire deeds need to be preformed.” I relied with a cold smile. The defensive of his mind dropped all at once opening his thoughts to the dolphins present. Their soft chirping become shrill as they saw what lay in this man’s mind. My smile became feral like a hound having cornered it’s prey. “You know that the dolphins of Atlantis will protect their lands and people any way they see fit?” I asked tilting my head. He took a half step back placing him closer to the dolphin pools.
“What are you saying?” Coltæn sputtered insulted. Another half step back had him on the edge of the pool which would be his death scene. As the dolphin trashed in the water enraged, I darted forward to shave this failure of an Atlantian into the churning pool. His struggles were in vain as the dolphin butted him mercilessly. They bite into the flesh and clothing shredding him in their fury at his thoughts and beliefs. The water turned black from the spilled blood and midnight hour.
“Farewell traitor.” I whispered under my breath. I watched and listen for a few more minute as the black water stilled and the chirp of dolphins retreating to other pools, shunning this place, could be heard. I mentally sent a thanks to the dolphins as I slowly turned to leave. The reply was swift and direct: “We also protect Atlantis.”. A flash from Chichi showed images of the slaughter upon the evil foreigners’ ship Brother Famine doled out. I will admit being tempted to join him and revel in the deserved execution, but I held back by taking the first step homeward bound. As I came out of the pathway that lead to the dolphin pool, I meet Sertian which, with a simple nod, fell in step beside me. No questions was asked by my Honour Guard as he simply walk back to our home at my side in silence.
“What have you two been up to without me?” Meli grumbled at us. She was waiting for us at the foyer with half her face still showing the effect of my single incapacitating punch. She glared at us tapping her foot menacingly waiting for our excuses.
“Nothing more than a relaxing nightly walk.” I replied casually. I shrugged before looking towards Sert still at my side. “Right Sert?” I added calmly.
“I saw nothing more than you requiring a walk to help you sleep, sir.” he returned more formally. After a cursory inspection by Meli, she turned to walk back to her bedroom. Sert and I looked at each other for a moment, nodded, and headed towards our respective bedrooms.
“Best we get a good night’s sleep, since a see a very early morning summon.” I called to them before they could enter their rooms.
“His gift at work?” Meli asked Sert softly. The warrior nodded back silently. As forewarned, a contingency of Royal Guards hammered on the door of our residence with the dawn.
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