Page 25 of From the Myths of Kings

“Delphine?” Aurelia asked, kneeling beside the couple. “You must’ve swum for days.”

Delphine was a small city to the east of Kellam Keep if Rook’s memory served him correctly. It was the nearest maritime trade city skirting Aurandel, and it marked the beginning of a vast network of connected roads that splintered out to other Mer cities. An assault on the trading city would be devastating to not only the rest of Elorshin but to Tellusun ports as well.

“Yes,” came the Mer woman’s voice once her wounds had been healed. “It was a miracle we made it to shore.”

“What made you flee?”

“You wouldn’t believe us,” the woman countered, exchanging a wary glance with the male Mer. “The things of myth, they were.”

“Tell us,” Aurelia said gently. “We’ve seen a host of myths ourselves.”

With newfound alertness, the Mer woman sat up on her elbows and stared at the group of rebels surrounding her, her eyes guarded as she took in the ragtag band of foreigners. Her face darkened when she noticed Rook’s wings. “First, tell us who you are.”

“We’ve joined Princess Hasana of Tellusun’s rebellion,” Sune answered. “We may hail from different kingdoms, but we’re all here for the same purpose.”

“And what purpose is that?” came the Mer male’s voice, edged with hostility. “To plant the Tellusun princess on the throne and usurp Aurandel’s rule? If anyone should possess the Crown of Revelore, it should be King Angwin. Elorshin has long deserved to rule Revelore.”

“King Angwin is missing,” Aurelia cut in. “Kellam Keep has been destroyed just like your city.” This elicited gasps from the pair of Mer. “We do not seek to put another ruler on the throne. In fact, no one shall ever possess the Crown again. It will be destroyed.”

Her words hung heavy in the humid air. Horror streaked across the couples’ faces as they processed the news.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” Aurelia said, softening her tone. “All you need to focus on right now is surviving one day at a time. You’ve been through a lot, but you are all safe now. You can trust us.”

The two Mer still looked skeptical, but they seemed to accept Aurelia’s promise with quiet resignation. After all, only the most desperate of circumstances would lead people from four rival nations to ally together. The fact that their two most devoted Mer captains worked willingly with rebels from Terradrin and Tellusun was proof of the unraveling fabric of their world.

With a deep breath, the male Mer closed his eyes and began recounting the assault on Delphine: “We heard whispers of strange beasts in the Maeral Sea. But we’d heard many rumors lately about the ships that had gone missing. Naturally, we didn’t believe the reports at first.”

Rook stiffened, remembering how Auran merchant ships had been vanishing mysteriously at sea in the months leading up to the Tournament. It had caused great strife between Elorshin and Aurandel, each kingdom believing the other plotted against them. It had been a point of contention between him and Raven when it became clear that Saoirse and her kingdom had nothing to do with the missing ships. When he had confronted her about it, Raven informed him the Mer were to blame. I have it on the Order of Elders’ good authority that the Mer are scheming to overthrow us, she’d said. That had been a blatant lie on her part. In truth, Raven had sabotaged the merchant ships to frame Elorshin and thereby quell the growing political unease in Tellusun. It had been a costly decision made under the Elders’ guidance and one that shattered Rook’s trust in his sister.

The Mer woman dragged a hand through her wet hair, working pieces apart that were snarled with bits of moss and rust-colored blood. She was silent for a long time, as though the words were tangled on her tongue. With a shuddering inhale, she continued, “After hearing rumors of what lurked in the deep sea for so long, we didn’t believe the whispers that spoke of beastly creatures prowling our waters.” She cast a sad look at her children, who were still being distracted by Joya. “They came to our city gates hungry for blood. Beasts of enormous size, possessing otherworldly strength. Monsters from myth and legend.”

“They tore through Delphine like a maelstrom,” the male Mer added. “Destroying and devouring anything in their path. Our Torqen guards managed to put up a good fight, but in the end, the beasts prevailed. We managed to sneak away, but not without a struggle. Countless others were not so lucky. All we knew was that we needed to get to land.”

“Was there a woman with these beasts? A soulless creature with midnight black hair and eyes like ink? She would’ve been controlling the monsters.”

The male shook his head, pale eyebrows knitted together in thought. “No, I did not see anyone by that description.”

So Selussa was either still in Kellam Keep or heading to Terradrin, Rook supposed. He hoped their diversion was working.

“I know it is hard to believe, but the monsters that besieged Delphine were once imprisoned in the Fretum,” Sune explained. If the two Merfolk had appeared pale before, they grew positively ghostly with his words. “They’ve overrun the Maeral Sea at the behest of their dark mistress. We’re here to offer you aid and refuge. There is a great evil rising, one that will cover all of Revelore. This is only a mere taste of what is coming for us all. This is what we are fighting against.”

“And where are our leaders?” The Mer woman interjected. “They’ve abandoned us! Princess Saoirse was supposed to win the Tournament. Where is she now? She must be in hiding. She knows this is a storm we cannot weather!”

“No,” came Aurelia’s sharp reply. Her turquoise eyes grew a stormy gray as she rallied to defend her friend. “Princess Saoirse has not abandoned Elorshin. She has lost just as much as you have. Even now, she is on a voyage that will save us all.”

The woman charged ahead, “But why is she not here with you? Why is she not with her people? This voyage sounds like a coward’s excuse.”

Rook found himself biting back a retort. He didn’t have any right to defend Saoirse, but he suddenly felt a surge of protectiveness over her. This woman knew nothing of what Saoirse was sacrificing for Elorshin, knew nothing of the lengths she would go to save Revelore.

“Princess Saoirse is doing what needs to be done,” Sune snapped. His hands curled into fists, the only sign of his anger. “As are we all. We all have a part to play in the coming storm. We will offer you safe passage to Tellusun if you so choose. We will move to the other islands in the coming days, so make your decision quickly. There are many souls that need rescuing. For the sake of your children, I hope you choose to come with us.”

Sune’s words seemed to strike a nerve. The couple looked at their children, still giggling with Joya, completely unbothered by the fact that she was not Mer. As offended as Rook felt on Saoirse’s behalf, he couldn’t blame them. They’d been taught to distrust every other kingdom outside of their own, just as he had been. Titans-knew that choosing to put aside a legacy of bloodshed and senseless violence was no easy task.

“All right,” the Mer woman relented, her eyes softening as she watched her children. She turned back tod Sune and Aurelia. Her eyes caught on the crest of Elorshin engraved on their silver shoulder plates. The familiar symbol seemed to ease her fears. “Thank you for coming to our aid.”

“Very good,” Sune said with a curt nod. “We’ll escort you to the beach. A carriage will bear you back to Tellusun. You’ll be given shelter and supplies in the city of Bezhad for as long as you need.”

Once the Healers deemed them well enough to travel, they left the marshy glade and ventured back into the high swamp waters. Flanked by rebel guards, the Mer family was taken to the beach. The remaining members of their rescue party fanned out across the jungles of Kronis to search for any more Mer refugees.

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