" Nana. How was your day? "
Lin jumped beside Nanako, kissing her on the forehead before laying down on her lap. She his forehead with a smile.
" The work on consolidating the barrier is almost done. Have you been able to implement it? "
Lin nodded.
" Yes. We were able to cover most of the places that we mapped under this project. "
Lin sighed, " I just hope we are able to save as many lives as possible. "
Nana nodded.
" I am still working on the riddle. I think I found something one moment, the next moment it to seem absurd.
Isn't it funny my dear boy. I myself don't understand what I had said. "
It made Lin chuckle, " It wasn't technically you. It was the Oracle. "
" Hmmm. A part of the curse that fell on my share. "
" It was also a gift. Wasn't it? "
Lin tried to make her see the positive.
" Nana, " Lin suddenly turned to face his Nanako, lying on his chest, " Have you ever wondered your life must have turned out if there was not this misunderstanding. If you had the chance living a life of peace with Mia's uncle. "
Nana pressed her lower lips with her upper lips as she sighed.
"You know Nana, I have been doing that a lot lately. I can't stop thinking how it might have been I could have kept my Mia beside me. Watch over her. Take care of our baby.
Nana, do you think a father feels the child the same way a mother does? "
Nana sighed heavily again.
" I will not be able to tell much about Lin but I remember the time when my baby was due.
Every cell in my body was craving to be with Jin. I had bared it, thinking that he might have been for our wedding and dowry. But who knew that he was facing living hell.
Ahhhh. And my child. My poor child. He was snatched from my arms, the moment he was born.
I couldn't even feed him once. "
Lin sat up and wiped the pouring tears with his hands.
" Do you think Mia might be missing me as well? "
" Of course she is Lin. We must work day in and out. Without break. It's very important to bring back. "
" Nana, I really hope we find a way to save Mia's uncle from the entanglements of the curse. I we find a way to bring him out. If any of it is left at all inside that mesh of a devil."
Nana hit him on his head.
" You don't need to console me silly boy. My Jin died with my child. I would not hesitate to kill beast even for a moment if I had the means.
Now run along and let me work in peace.
Go get changed before you sleep. You are smelling of sweat and dirt. "
Nana made a face. Lin hugged her tighter in an attempt to annoy her further.
He stood up to take his leave when suddenly somebody from the outside yelled.
" Permission to come in, my Lord. "
" Come in. Permission granted. "
A soldier came huffing and puffing inside
" What happened? " Nana also stood up.
"My Lord, Lady Roe calls you immediately to her tent. "
" Roe? Right now?
I hope everything is alright. Nana, I will take my leave. "
Lin disappeared without another word. He appeared right in front of Roe, who was bent over . Using her spirit energy.
" What happened? "
Lin asked.
" The Water Breather. The fake one that you have me to keep from the human King's palace. "
She pointed towards a huge planted pot. " It's leaves have started withering. It was fine in the , but suddenly I found the change occurring. Watch carefully. I can't even control it my Spirit Energy. "
" Should I call Xie. Maybe he could help. "
Lin watched helplessly.
" Go ahead. His energy is stronger than mine. We could as well try him. "
Lin went straight to meet Xie. He was sitting with his father, discussing something.
" Lin? What's the matter? Why do you look so pale? "
They immediately noticed his presence. Even before he could utter a word.
" Xie the Water Breather started to wither. Roe can't stop it even with her Spirit Energy. "
The Wolf king paid them his attention.
" What? Roe's Spirit Energy can't fix the withering of that plant? That is indeed very strange. "
" Father. If it does, our chances to go to the Mer-World dwindles several steps. "
Xie let him know its importance.
" Take me there at once."
The King came along with Lina and Xie. He personally wanted to examine the root cause of the and how possibly it could be reversed.
Roe took a step back as the King twisted and turned it. He did it for a few times, before finally it down in its place.
He shook his head.
" What is it father? "
Xie asked, unable to stay still without any further action.
" This plant is not withering. It is being killed by the very person who made it? "
The three of them looked at him in surprise.
" Do something father. Summon the Spirit Beasts. Stop it from withering. How will we be able to to sister if this dies. "
Roe too was getting paranoid.
The King turned towards her. " We will have to find another way Roe. This one is as good as and gone. It has been inflicted with the darkest form of sorcery.
The kind only the mer-witches are capable of doing.
However, the plant is not our concern at the moment. "
He turned his attention towards Lin.
" It seems like somebody does not want anybody to use this to get to the Mer-World. Does the -witches know who the present owner of this plant is? "
*********
Brave Ruby and Jade
" What? Mia can traverse the under current? "
The queen sat back on her throne fixing her nails as she received the news.
" That's big news. " She said to herself.
" I dare to disagree with Your Majesty. The big news is not that Mia can traverse the . The big news is that we picked up the presence of not one but two males of our from the direction in which Mia traversed. "
The entire courtroom went up on their tails.
An instant murmur erupted.
The queen however seemed very calm and poised about the matter.
Just then Jade and Ruby arrived at the place.
" Really? Has Mia been conspiring this whole time against our entire race? She went in the of the undercurrents when our males were hiding.
Do you understand what it means when we say males? "
There was no answer. Only murmured that grew louder.
" Makes" implies my mate and the mate of our beloved Crystal whom we had been searching ages.
Apparently Mia knew his location. His mother's mate. How touching must have been the . He is almost a father figure to Mia it seems. "
Jade and Ruby fell on their knees.
" Your Majesty, this is not the case. "
This must be a mistake. "
" Please be your majesty. Mia was no conspirator. She is just a kid. "
" She would not have left her child behind if she was planning to do anything malicious. "
" This must have been a coincidence. "
The aunts tried desperately to coax the entire presence in the courtroom.
It didn't seem it was having much effect.
" Is it? Then we better make sure that it is true.
Laeba, Tara, heads straight behind her trail in the undercurrents. Bring me back actual news of happened and where she went. "
The queen pointed towards two very young looking girls on her left.
" Yes your Majesty! "
They cried in unison and left.
Jade and Ruby still sat coaching on the ground, not daring to get up.
" You know, what I find most disturbing about all this? "
The queen pretended to heave a sigh.
" It eerily reminds me of Crystal and her disappearance. She too had vanished without trace on wedding night. What was worse was that she hid her mate as well. We all can not forget the that we had to go through after that phase. I just fear we don't have to face such a again.
We all still remember what sacrifices we had to offer, in order to bring in my mate. "
The queen pretended to heave a sigh again.
" Even though it seems like history is repeating itself, I will not play tit for tat. I will shelter Mia's myself. Even if she wants our extinction, I will make sure we emerge out of all this . "
Her words were met with a lot of appreciation.
Jade opened her mouth to protest once again but Ruby pressed her hand.
They exchanged some meaning full thoughts, then said,
" Hail to our Majesty. Long live the queen! "
Both of them bowed in submission.
" Your Majesty, since you have decided to look after Mia's child for the time being, please let us be a part. We are willing to stay in the Queen's castle as servants and do our part! "
The Queen smiled and arched her brow.
It wouldn't hurt to have a few more helping hands around. Would it? Both of you can come!
The court was dismissed today! "
She stood up and went straight inside her inner palace.
Everyone seemed to have different opinions of their own as they left the courtroom, one by one.
" Are you sure we are doing the right thing? "
Jade asked Ruby.
" This is the only way we can keep the boy safe. We don't know why Mia needed to leave. But I sure she will get back or send reinforcements to get her baby back! All we can do till then is sure he is safe. "
" Wait! "
Jades stopped Ruby.
" We need to take the Mind Blocking beads along before entering the castle. "
" But I thought those were extinct by now! "
" Yes they are
But there is one still in the more kingdom"
" Where? "
Ruby giggled. Jade understood.
" But how will one be useful when there are two of us? "
" It's better to have one than none at all! We can swipe it between the two of us according to the ! "
Ruby nodded and so did Jade.
" Now let's go to my mother's grave. It's been quite a long since we last paid her a visit! "
" Yeah! What ungrateful daughters are we? Now that we are going to visit her, we are going to something from her head. No wonder Crystal was always her favorite.
We harrowed and worried her too much! "
Ruby was lamenting.
" It's fine. It's fine. It's all in the past. I am sure she did forgive us. "
" Hhhmm!
Let go and ask her for blessing for the task in hand. "
" And borrow the thing in her hand for the task! "
Ruby giggled as she hit Jade on the back and swam ahead towards the edge of the ocean.
The ancient graves of the mermaids. The resting place of their dead s.
The water around the place was thicker than the rest of the kingdom. It helped keep the bodies under the sands and sparkling silvers.
Yes, silvers.
That was the metal mixed with the sand that acted as the burial ground for the dead mermaids once mermen.
Their headstones were silver lights that shone from their dead scales.
Each one has a unique color. Each one had a different tale to tell.