I was in the inn for the days that followed the incident with my nieces and nephews. I ended up doing odd jobs here and there. The crab smith was actually very welcoming due to Aeds blessing. I was even able to make some improvements to his metallurgy knowledge. His name was Crull and his daughter was Crivy. Their family had been Smith's for generations. Not nearly as good as dwarves but all the same smithing ran in the blood.
I was helping temper a trident that was ordered when a messenger from the palace arrived. " You have been summoned Sire." He handed me a scroll while saluting with a fist over his heart and a deep bow. I nodded my appreciation and opened the scroll. It was a simple request for me to attend a gathering at the castle grounds with her highness the queen. It didn't say anything more than for me to attend at my earliest convenience.
I plunged the trident into the bubble of oil that sat on the ceiling. The color changing slightly as I did so. I handed the trident to Crivy who nodded to me as I gently patted her small shell. I swam out toward the castle with the scroll in hand. It only took 10 minutes to get to the front gates. The guards saw the scroll and immediately let me in. I swam through and found my way to the dining hall. There was a large table where chairs were arranged. The room was filled with people and every eye locked onto me when I entered. My wings looked awkward and in all reality I didn't have a single graceful water creature part to me besides my gills. It was obvious what they would be staring at. I finally had enough of the staring and activated my shapeshift. My arms remained but my wings shifted into tentacles that intertwined and braided themselves down my back like a strange cape. The attention that was on me suddenly dissipated as fast as anything. (Guess I made that awkward.) I hought with a slight chuckle. slowly moved around the crowd until I found a spot at the end of the table. The chair was oddly large and obviously stood out considerably. I stood by and admired the craftmanship of the piece. It was ornate and very well carved. Seemingly our of some kind of stone. "That was originally was my father's chair." A small voice came from beside me making me jump. I looked down to see Scylla floating beside me looking at the chair with a sad expression. "I wonder when father will return. He's been gone so long now..." I gently scooped her up in my arms and a smile suddenly came to her face. "He'll come home when it's time little one. Just like your Mother hopes." I said softly. I began to think of Sam back at the Dwarven Castle. ( Will she ever wake up from that state?) I wondered solemnly. I bell rang and people began to sit at the places that were indicated on the cards before their chairs. Mine just so happened to be next to the large chair. Metal plate were brought for the with food adorning them like an artist had spent forever piecing it together. We waited though. Marissa had yet to arrive. The doors at the end of the hall opened and Marissa flowed through. Every person stood and bowed in respect. I of course did a partial bow due to my size and awkward weight. She soon arrived at her spot at he large chair. I pulled it out for her so she could sit before gently pushing it in. " Thank you." She said quietly.
I eased myself into my own seat as we all began to dine. It was a mix of fruits, veggies, and meats that were on the plate. It was a strange yet relaxing meal that I found myself enjoying. After the meal was over the palace servants came through and gathered the plates and utensils. That is when the true reason for the meeting was brought up. "My loyal Lords and Ladies. We have dire news that has been brought by our informants and guards. We will be laid siege to by the Croanoa Nation. I understand the possible misgivings you all are having but it is true.
We were laid siege to 2 weeks ago by those same forces which were attempting to penetrate our cities walls. Thankfully... due to Sir Soulsmiths intervention we have been given a reprieve and have been able to shore up our defenses. " She raised a hand and gestured towards me with a graceful gesture.
" Though it is unfortunate that he cannot stay with us much longer. We give our thanks for aiding our navy and allowing for our citizens safety to be ensured." She laid her hands on the table once more and her eyes took on a much more of a powerful and commanding energy. " Though you all have questions I will ask for you to hold them till this meeting ends. We have a plan to destroy our enemies as they come to our door. But that also requires our citizens to remain within the cities walls." The lords and ladies shifted uneasily and I could tell that one sentence made them nervous. The people relied on the world outside the cities walls to make a living and actually live. I could see why it made them nervous.
The meeting was convened 2 hours later. The information I had recieved was mindblowing. Cradacus had been tortured for some of the information we now knew. I didn't feel bad for him though. He was a sleezeball who would sell his own people to make a copper coin. The lords and ladies ventured out into the city once more. I had learned during the meeting that there was 12 lords and ladies that ruled over respective areas of the city. Industrial, mining, power, etc. Each had a role and part they governed and at the top sat Marissa. I swam about the city and found many of the shops had started closing peculiarly early. ( Word gets around here fast.) I thought as I ventured closer to the inn. It was packed. My room thankfully was reserved for however long I needed at 2 silvers a night. But with the amount of work I did and my connections to the queen it was lowered to 25 copper coins a night. My adventuring and getting materials as well as helping the blacksmith had brought in a fair sum.
As I ventured through the crowd I noticed a few people who just felt shady. I quickly nodded to the inn keeper who was a squid woman and up the tube I went to my room. I forgot to mention how the inn is laid out here. Since everyone swims here there is no need for stairs. So instead they use tubes. Large 6 feet in diameter tubes that go between all the floors. Currents help finless people get around but otherwise it's easy enough. I got to the room and found a package on my bed. It was a box made of a type of coral. It looked harmless but my instincts screamed something was wrong. A note was sitting on top. I opened it to find slightly blotched but otherwise legible writing. " The show in he palace was spectacular. Unfortunately I am not amused. Come out the city on the north tonight or a precious someone you know dies. P.S. Tell noone or she dies anyway." My eyes widened as I slowly opened the box and saw something laying inside on a satin cloth. A small tentacle made of black and blue material. I would know it anywhere. Scylla's. My mind went blank for only a moment before my rage took hold. I roared in anger and the building vibrated. My Calamity Class Aura shot through the roof and in every direction. I shot out of the inns window and saw the shady people from the inn hurriedly swimming away in terror.
I shot toward them and grabbed the first one. I ripped his head off and swallowed him whole. The second and third tried to flee in different directions but to no avail. The one on my left left out a scream of pain as he got a spike of ice in the back. The one on my right had the fortune of only being contained in a coffin shaped earth lump. His head was sticking out and he was struggling in terror to get away. He had a head like a seahorse and bloodshot eyes. I reached up and grabbed his face, moving it so he could see his buddy behind me. " If you don't want to die like him. You will tell me who sent you and where they are." I growled. The water was heating up in steaming bubbles around me. Anger didn't even suit the brutality I had just shown. This was rage. Pure, Brutal, Relentless, and out for blood.
" We got paid 10 silver to drop off the box. We didn't know what was in it. I swear! The guy said to come back when it was recieved. Go to the bar off of the main street on black shell road! We were supposed to ask for Marcell! I swear! I swear!" The horseman cried out in a squeaky voice. I let go of his face and thought about what to do for a couple seconds. I opened my mouth wide and placed it over his head. " Nononononono!" He cried out. I didn't bite off his head. I decided to do something much worse. I breathed out the illusion gas I had gotten a while a go. Since it takes alot of gas to work underwater I had to get close. He began to scream bloody murder as he began to see his worst nightmares. Bloody nightmares and horrible things he'd done. The very worst nightmares that any being would pee themselves thinking about.
After that I ate his friend in a back alley. I got the spearmanship skill (novice) and enhanced water vision. Other than that it was materials. "I have to move." I muttered. I turned and shot toward the black shell road. It was a noted street in the city for it's back market and other more promiscuous business dealings. When I got there I quickly asked around for bar. Having to turn down a few vendors and women on the way. When I got there I booted in the door with enough force for there to be an explosion of dust and the door slammed the opposing wall. Every head turned as the dust cleared and I walked through. I hadn't tuned down my aura and in this room I couldn't feel a single presence capable of threatening me. A bouncer shot at me and all it too was a flick of my wrist to send him flying. In my previous life I had been a peaceful being. Take the beating over fighting it. You'd be able to live better. Since I had been born in this world I had long since learned that that philosophy was a lie.
After the guard was sent flying I roared into the group. " Where is Marcell!?" Everybody cleared to reveal a man sitting in the back with 2 women on him. He had a sharks teeth but a humanistic head. A fin went down his head and he was a pale bluish white. He didn't even flinch when I entered or as I walked through the crowd to stand before him. "So... turns out 10 Silvers is all it takes to anger someone the queen values." He said. His voice was a smooth baritone and cold as ice. My tail lashed out and shot him into the wall. He then crumpled like a paper bag to the floor.
" Where. Is. She?" I growled as I hauled him off the ground. " Hahahaha. Who said I had her little lizard. Maybe you should check outside the walls." He retorted with a slightly bloody grin as he waved his hands around nonchalantly. I slammed him into the floor so hard his face would be engraved there for generations. But he was such a scumbag that that was all it took to kill him. I swam towards the city gates as fast as I could manage. The city guards attempted to stop me. Unfortunately my hid is tough and they were to weak to stop a runaway train let alone me. I rammed the doors and opened them. Afterwards I quickly closed them knowing the enemy would try to enter the city while I was gone. I shot upwards to get a better view of the sea floor. The north of the city was lit up like a Christmas tree. Yet somehow noone could see it from the city. I rocketed toward it only to bounce off what seemed to be a barrier. I turned to see Marrissa holding a coral box in her hands. One identical to the one left in my room. I raised my eyes to her and she nodded. I was released and she swam beside me. " What's the plan?" She said as we approached the lights. " You find Scylla. I annihilate them all." I growled as we grew closer. "I thought I was blood thirsty. Why are you going so far for my daughter? Even though I told you to leave them all alone." Marissa asked quietly.
"Anyone who harms a child. Especially my niece is going to die. There are no exceptions." I said. I'm not noble. I'm not cool.I just knew it was wrong. And something that wrong needed to be extinguished. I noticed a small glitter off to the right. I swivelled around Marissa and caught a harpoon aimed at her. It was tipped with silver and gold. I inspected it before showing it to her. She paled slightly.
" Silver hurts you?" I said in slight shock. She nodded. "I got bit by a werewolf at one point in my travels. I didn't transform thankfully. But I now have a Vulnerability to silver. " She said glaring at the harpoon. "Well... This just got interesting." I said as I looked at the harpoon.