The Call Of Thalassa

“There are no goodbyes for us.

Wherever you are,

you will always be in my heart.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

The guards had begun gathering in the front of the Caves. They had already worn their armors, mirroring the unearthly light of the caves on the silver material. Their tridents were held tightly in their arms, longing to be used and avenge the lives of those who were murdered so brutally. Their faces were stoic and determent –they were ready for war.

They have had enough –enough of sorrow and grief. They were uprooted from their homeland, forced to see their home invaded by barbarians. Their glorious city was destroyed by an army of Tenebris, who didn’t stop until they painted the walls with the blood of their loved ones. They should have known better; the Atlanteans were proud people. They would not accept to live like beggars, seeking help and asylum from others. They would not accept to see their city in the hands of another.

With the power of their fins and the sharpness of their tridents, they would take back everything that belonged to them. They would return back home, no matter the cost of their arrival. Atlantis was the city they were born -they had lived there their entire lives. It was the place they had found their soulmates and had fallen in love. The kingdom they had started their own family with their loved ones –the keeper of their dreams and memories. If their fate was to die for this city, they would gladly do so. But they would do it with a trident in their hand, protecting anything that was left of it.

“Do you believe we’re ready?”

Havelock looked away from the army in front of him, turning his attention to his general. Osmond looked so different in an armor –he had almost forgotten that his friend was not just an uplifting companion and a loving father but also a lethal warrior. He had trained hard to be his general and he deserved his title more than anyone else.

“You heard the Nymphs”, the King said, “They have a traitor among them.”

“We should have thought about it earlier”, the general shook his head, “How else would Sethelious break out of that prison? He was trapped there by the Nymphs and only the Nymphs could get him out.”

Havelock didn’t speak for a while. He couldn’t understand why someone would want to help his uncle –especially, a creature as powerful as a Nymph. He didn’t ponder on it too much –he had to protect his people rather than torture his mind with unanswered questions. Besides, Sethelious had persuaded many people to follow him during his first rebellion. It shouldn’t be such a surprise that he managed to manipulate someone yet again.

“I’m not keeping my people here more than necessary”, Havelock sighed deeply, “If there is a traitor, then Sethelious already knows where we are. It is better to leave now than risk the lives of everyone.”

“What about the Nymphs?”, Osmond asked.

“I told them we’ll use the old passages to enter the city –the ones my uncle used”, Havelock answered, “We can’t trust them right now. We can’t tell them the truth. We don’t know who the traitor is.”

“Ah, wonderful!”, the general laughed, “I bet that traitor will be quick to inform her master of our arrival. He’ll be quite ecstatic to trap us in those narrow passages rather than face us in an open field.”

“We both know that the Tenebris are not a valid army –they are not trained and have zero discipline. They don’t like to have a leader or to listen to orders”, Havelock chuckled darkly, “The only reason Sethelious managed to conquer Atlantis was that he had the element of surprise. These bloodthirsty rogues cannot fight against a solid army.”

Osmond placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him an encouraging squeeze.

“We got this, meus Frater”, he smiled at his King, “We’ll take back our home and then,…”, he sighed in delight, “…then, we can live the rest of our lives with our mates by our side and a bunch of kids swimming around.”

Havelock couldn’t help but smile at the thought. His life had been filled with tragedies –his mother’s murder, his mate’s long absence, his father’s death, his city’s fall. He wanted to be able to live, without a constant threat looming over his loved ones. For once, he wanted to enjoy the simplicity of life –to admire the small daily things. Such as the warmth of his mate’s body as she slept beside him.

He closed his eyes as last night’s events flashed in his mind. His lips were still tingling from Aileen’s kisses. He could still feel how soft her hair was as he combed through them with his fingers. Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed. Her tail was tangled with his as they lay in the darkness of their chambers. She fell asleep against his chest –his heart beating in the rhythm of hers. Her soft breaths caressing his skin, making him shiver in delight. She was finally where she belonged to –in his arms. And he would be damned if he let anything take her away from his embrace.

But for the time being, he had to focus on the task at hand. As Amias approached them, he already knew what he’d say. The merman seemed determined -his expression was unflinching. His hands were steady as he held his trident in an admirable certainty. He was ready to head back home –he was ready to fight. He bowed respectfully before announcing what they had been waiting for.

“My King”, he said, “We’re ready for battle.”

Havelock took a deep breath, watching as the guard disappeared in the crowd in front of them. Turning around, he didn’t expect a certain red-haired waiting for him. Her emerald eyes were pinned on his form as she admired him in his armor. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as her gaze caressed him with lust and appreciation. A small smirk appeared on his face when he realized she was holding his trident. He swam towards her slowly, standing right in front of her and taking in her features.

“Isn’t that a bit too heavy for you?”, he chuckled as he noticed her arms trembling under his weapon’s weight.

“No”, she said stubbornly, keeping her head held high.

He raised a dark eyebrow, folding his arms in front of his chest as he watched her for a few silent moments. Her muscles were strained and her cheeks started to turn scarlet as she tried to keep a tight hold of the trident. As her breathing started to become labor and her hands were shaking badly, she realized she couldn’t hide nor deny the truth.

“Yes”, she finally admitted, looking at him with a mixture of embarrassment and desperation.

He took hold of the trident, watching in amusement as she let a sigh of relief. She shook around her stiff hands, not believing how heavy that thing was. He seemed to have no problem holding it though –he acted as if it weighed nothing. She couldn’t help but squint her eyes at the action –how was this possible? On the other hand, her mate was trained in the art of war and had used his trident to defend his city more times than she could ever imagine. It had basically become a part of him –an extension of his hand. She had barely even touched the weapon for a few minutes.

She gazed at him, taking in his new appearance. He looked like a fierce warrior in his silver armor, which covered his arms and part of his back and front. His long locks were pulled in a tight bun so that they wouldn’t fall in his eyes during the battle. His hand was holding his trident with ease, knowing how to use it expertly and defeat his enemies.

The sight was making her feel both proud and worried. She couldn’t help but admire the man in front of her –the mighty King that was ready to protect his people and fight for his homeland. However, she was well aware that a battle was always a massacre –both sides had losses. No matter, how much of an excellent warrior her Have was –a single mistake was enough to turn their happiness into dust. She didn’t want to think about it, but she didn’t have control over her feelings.

“Meum Arcanum?”, he asked her when tears gathered in her eyes.

She approached his still form, caressing his cheek gently.

“Promise me”, she whispered against his lips.

“What do you want me to promise, my love?”

She gazed deep into the ocean of his eyes, before taking a few calming breaths.

“That you’ll return to me.”

His eyes softened at her words –his heart skipping a beat. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. His lips placed a small kiss on her forehead before she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“I promise you, meum Arcanum”, he whispered only for her ears, “I’ll return back to you.”

She sniffled slightly before pulling away. She nodded to herself in assurance, wanting to take control of her fears. He didn’t want to leave her like this –his heart tightened at the thought of her distress. Before she could disappear from sight, he took hold of her hand bringing her back to his chest. His lips smashed against her own in a fiery way, pouring all his love and the desperation he felt in one kiss. When they pulled away, their lips were swollen, and their breathing labor.

“Goodbye, meum Arcanum.”

She remained to gaze at his retreating form, her words stuck in her throat. She felt a hand on her shoulder as Thekla gave her a supportive squeeze. The young mother had also arrived to say a few words with her own mate. The two women had grown closer these past days –they understood each other’s worries and pain. They watched as the soldiers raised their tridents in triumph, knowing well that those sharp arrows will be dripping with blood by the end of today.

“Today, we return to Atlantis!”

Loud cheers could be heard all over the caves as they started their way back home. Aileen found his blue eyes one last time –they gazed upon each other silently for a few moments. Then, Havelock encouraged his men, finding his rightful place on the head of his army. Osmond, Amias, and Evander surrounding their King as they swam towards their city.

Her hands turned into tight fists.

A tear fell from her emerald eyes.

“Goodbye, my merman”, was all she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 47!!

Latin Translations:

1) Meus Frater: My Brother

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Until next time!!