The Black Ship

A scout broke the perimeter of the lagoon, emerging from the fog the members of Fathom had come to call the mistways... He wore little but a loincloth and coral ornaments, carrying a sharp blade. Tribal Mer patterns adorned his scaled flesh and he glistened from fresh water clinging to his form. His stride spoke of alarm, and his Mer features were excited, his gills flared and his voice raised.

"The Black Ship! We have seen her... it was just sighted by our allies, the Haka, leaving Independance Port!" He shouted to the two Mer, near the Ruin steps.

Distromedes, looked to Takaroa, his eyes level with the kneeling Mer, just as the wisened savant turned to him. They said nothing, but both quickly stood. Distromedes, fetched his dropped blade, though his shield managed to stay fastened to his arm...

"Alert our Allies within his majesty's court at once!" Distromedes boomed to the scout.

The young Mer, vanished back into the mistways after a short tribal salute.

"For the children..." Distromedes said coldly, and with thick dedication.

"For us all..." replied Takaroa.

Takaroa looked at Distromedes, then the blade in his hands. He stabbed it

into the crashing surf, then kneeled, exhausted from the relentless attacks of Distromedes. He smiled then, looked up to see the Gladiator's hand extended. Gladly he accepted, and was almost lifted off his feet.

"The Black Hull...A return, then...I must commune with the Haka, they may be on the march as we speak..."

With this, Takaroa drew out a perfectly smooth sapphire blue stone, in laid with gold and silver filaments. He removed his jawpiece, then submerged into the waters.

Without the jawpiece, Takaroa's mouth looked very much like a squid's;, his outer jaws opened and swayed in the waters, the insides lined with rows upon rows of tiny daggers for teeth, surrounded by a beak. He closed his eyes, and the stone's gold and silver filaments unfolded, and seemed to grow roots into the waters, extending outward...

"Not yet, Ikitere...Yes...There is more to come...Stand your ground, and guard against the Golgolei!"

He finished, and the stone withdrew it's roots. He rose from the waters, and approached Distromedes...

"Now...To the King, young Warrior."

Below the waves, the young mer swam, just shallow enough to not break the surface yet deep enough to hide in the wakes currents. He had been following this course for 4 days now... Keeping an even pace with this behemoth of steel, he swam while waiting for the moment the others where in place. They could communicate though thought alone, speaking without sound, hearing without talk. It is an advantage over humans that has always served Kottus well.

"These foolish surfacers ambitions have gone unchecked for to long", this show of force is just what Kottus has been waiting for. He knew that the ones on this ship where merely workers, ship hands, and maybe one amongst them would be brave or stupid enough to resist. As he continued the pace, a school of harbor dolphins swam ahead, breaching the waves at the bow of the ship, Kottus could not help but crack a little smile...

TO BE CONTINUED!

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