There was a whisper of words on the wind. A whisper of a haunting melody that could only be heard by a few. Kailani carefully moved away from Zathrian, not wanting to bother him. She slid on her clothes as quietly as she could, throwing on a jacket and grabbing her boots she made her way out of the barracks and slid into her boots as she reached the steps. She climbed them, knowing as she did that the ship would be encased in a mist that could not be seen through. She glanced to where one of the other Pirates stood warily steering the ship. She nodded at him once and walked towards the bow of the ship there was churning in the water and she watched as a figure lithe and too beautiful to be real.
"Milady Calypso," Kailani said bowing down low. "Have you come to wreak vengeance on my soul," she asked, her jaw tense.
"You are the one that invoked my name," Calypso said, her eyes burning in righteous fury. "You know well the cost." She reminded her.
Kailani looked away from Calypso, her throat working. "I did it to save these Pirates. They were under my protection. I know well the price of invoking your name, but I would do it again if it meant saving them."
Calypso stared at her for a moment before she smiled. Kailani suddenly wished that she had never taken this mission on, no matter how much she had grown to care for Zathrian. "There is a war on the horizon. For your people. I have seen it." Calypso said.
Kailani narrowed her eyes. "I don't understand."
"The Mages. All of them. There is a war coming, and you are all going to choose a side. I still remember the days you were on the sea sailing with Pirates, but also protecting my people." Calypso said.
"Wouldn't sirens technically be your people as well?" Kailani wondered.
"Technically, they stopped being mine when they started working with Discord." Calypso snarled.
"What do you want? If you haven't come, dole out your specific brand of punishment?" Kailani asked.
"The treasure your pirate is looking for only leads to one path. Death. No one who has gone after this treasure has survived." Calypso said with a smile. "And yet you survived the Siren's cove. It makes me wonder what else these pirates may survive with you on their side."
"Do you have a point?" Kailani asked, tired of this back and forth with the feistiest Sea Queen that has ever lived.
"If you make it as far as the island, you will have earned my assistance," Calypso said smoothly. "I foresee a day when you will be on my seas once more and if you are, I would prefer you be on my side than in a pointless war. The last time mages fought my people paid the price. I would save them for that if I could."
"So you would help me?" Kailani asked.
"As I said, you would have earned my assistance if you make it as far as the island. Trust me, you will understand what I mean when the time comes." Calypso said dryly.
"I knew you wouldn't have minded if I had invoked your name in dealing with Sirens. Because of Amphitrite." Kailani said.
"You remember her?" Calypso said softly.
"I have never forgotten her, and I never will. She sacrificed herself to keep Lorcan alive. I knew that he would never stop pirating. So I did." Kailani said.
"You entered the war," Calypso said. "I know that you saved more of my people than maybe they deserved."
"No one deserves to die for someone else's cause. Amphitrite thought me that." Kailani said.
"Like I said. The Island. You will call me when you see what truly awaits you there." Calypso nodded, before she sunk back down into the water.
Kailani watched her go, watching as her face changed under the water, and kept watching until the shadow of her pearls disappeared into sea foam.
"I wasn't aware that you had such illustrious friends," Lorcan said.
"Yes, you did," Kailani said softly.
"Should I be worried that she is going to get in our way?" Lorcan asked.
"I think she's planning the opposite," Kailani said. Lorcan cast a curious gaze toward her. "There's something on that Island," she muttered.
"So it's real," Lorcan said, his eyes widening with relief.
"It's real, as is the very real threat that it is currently hiding," Kailani said turning to look up at him. "Don't make me regret helping you, Lorcan. Because I will destroy you if that's what it takes to keep Zathrian safe. He is my only concern."
"Yes. Your mission. Be careful." Lorcan said his eyes glittering. "We know all too well what happens when you care too much."
XXX
"Did you tell her? What awaits them on the Island?" Calypso turned to the voice, a sneer on her face. She despised the nixies, but they were useful when it came to information gathering. Especially against her enemies.
"Before she gets to the Island there is the matter of the creature that they will have to survive first. Not many gets past that creature. And I made it clear to her that she has to actually get to the island in order to get assistance from me." Calypso said.
"But there are others she can turn to..." The Nixies whispered exchanging glances.
"That's if she chooses to," Calypso murmured. "There are many reasons why she will not go to them for help."
"She is stubborn."
"And Prideful."
"But she has the purest heart we have witnessed. It will be interesting what will win out in the end."