Page 11 of Unseen Lord

No one bothers to even glance my way, let alone respond, and I'm really beginning to feel the sharp sting of disappointment that none of my legends have lived up to their promise. First Thalius, then Queen Arianna, now them. How disappointing all my hopes and dreams have been.

But before I can attempt another interruption, the door bursts open and a man in armor holding a bloody sword stands before us, eyes wild. "The island is under attack!"

Chapter 4

Iris

That got everyone moving.Tavian and Kayla follow the Rider and the soldier out the door, leaving me to fend for myself. Still handcuffed, of course.

I pull myself to a standing position. I'm a little wobbly, but nothing I can't handle.

I don't know what I'm expecting exactly, when I walk out the door, but it's not the tropical paradise I step into. Brightly colored birds dot the deep blue sky that's quickly fading into darkness as the sun sets, large palms sway in a wind that's scented with the smells of ocean, tropical fruit hang heavy in trees spread throughout lush grasslands that lead to a sandy beach in the distance. I can practically smell fruity cocktails and coconut oil in this place, and I kind of fall in love.

Then my own rank appearance pushes into my consciousness and I realize how out of place I look. I'm a mess, my dark hair in tangles around my dirt-smudged face. I'm dressed in literal rags, since I was naked when I was kidnapped. It basically looks as if the Rider cut a few holes in a potato sack and threw it over my head. I don't even have underclothes, which is super refreshing… not. And I'm not even sure all the 'dirt' on me is actually dirt. Some of it smells… suspicious.

Oh, and I'm barefoot.

So yeah, I'm totally ready to take on the world.

Nevertheless, my Watcher instincts kick in.

Pushing past everyone, I make my way to the Rider.

"Where are we?" I ask, wondering if there's a way I can communicate my whereabouts to Elias. If he heard me speak his name, maybe he could hear other things.

"A secret island in Avakiri," he says without further explanation.

I'm cut off from asking more questions by the sound of battle in the distance. Near the shore, guards from the island place themselves between the village and whoever belongs to the massive black ship hovering in a supernatural mist on the water. All of the invaders that I can see are dressed in black, with black masks to obscure their features.

The village is up the slope to the west of us, and I can see Fae running around frantically, grabbing their children, closing shops, locking their doors. The Fae here are caramel-complected with primarily blue and green hair. They dress in light clothing to fit the warm climate. Flowing fabric in bright colors. They are clearly not warriors. Most of them look like they would be slaughtered if it came to it.

Tavian and Kayla exchange a look and she runs towards the village, presumably to help the people evacuate to safety. That's what I would do at least.

And the Rider and Tavian head to the shore, both pulling out swords, ready to fight.

I clearly have no place in either direction, being chained up and unarmed as I am, so naturally I go where the fighting is, because why not, eh?

At the very least, I need to figure out what's going on and how I can help. Regardless of how I feel about the Rider and his family, I do believe the people of this island are innocent and deserve my protection.

When we reach the shore, I expect the men to dive into battle. There are a handful of invaders already breaking through the island's feeble defense, and more coming on small boats, riding silently through the mist like ghosts.

My feet sink into sand so white it's nearly blinding under the sun, and the water is crystal blue, pristine, and so clear I can see the bottom of the ocean, at least until the mist obstructs my view.

In the distance, at the edge of the breaking waves, to the east of the ship, a woman leans against the jagged rocks, basking in the warm rays of the sun. No. Not a woman. Her legs aren't legs, but rather fins, which I realize when she startles at the boats approaching land and dives gracefully into the water, disappearing in the mist.

"You have mermaids here?" I ask as I approach the Rider. To be honest, the only mermaid I've ever seen is Marashpyr, who stays at the Black Lotus frequently.

Arias nods. "They have their own kingdom within the ocean near here and often come to our lands to trade. They're a private people, but so are we, so it works out."

I have a lot of questions, and I wish I was here for other reasons. Reasons that would allow me to explore this hidden culture I'm becoming fascinated by.

The Rider is standing behind his small span of guards, assessing the situation. One jogs over, blood splattered over his breastplate. "Sir, we're losing men and they have reinforcements. We need help!"

The Rider nods as Tavian shifts into white tiger mode and roars into battle, tearing legs and arms from anyone dressed in the tell-tale all black. But Arias scans the horizon, looking for something else.

"What am I missing here?" I say.

"This is the first time any ship has discovered this island. It's not a coincidence. Something bigger is at play," he says, frowning.

---