So I'm gonna share a quick funny moment with you all. See, when I do my screenshotting, I typically have the show volume muted, and i either watch in silence or I have other audio in the background, this is because I watch at partial speed, it just makes it easier to get low frame shots without the UI in the way from pausing.
This means I don't know what's being said, and sometimes I can't or just don't infer from visual clues/previous watches.
Anyway. My brain has decided to ship some things while I was getting ready for Mermay.
Theirs is a forbidden love. Bound by duty and mutual respect, grown as they guarded the Earth's Ocean Gate. Alone but for each other. (and the fish.)
I have no idea, I had the sound off, I imagined an entire interaction.
The Selkies have been re-redesigned! They sorely needed the liftup, I drew them 3 years ago and I’ve tweaked them a bit so they don’t JUST look like seals with wigs - they’re a bit more anthropomorphic, Animal Crossing-esque style, so they don’t just look like potential seal-based Magic Animals. I also varied their fur patterns a bit so they don’t all look the same bar their wigs. lore below!
Selkies are a very sweet and tranquil species, who usually live alongside merfolk and are given the same rights as them. They look a lot like seals, but seem to be able to fully breathe underwater, as well as being sentient and sapient. Their fur colors are also more varied. They’re born from Crystal Coral, a special type of coral which seems to sparkle like an iridiscent pearl. They usually wear tiaras with a seaweed wig attached, to mimic the flow and look of merfolk hair (which is kept long most of the time), also encrusted with colored pearls. They also wear a small matching band on their tail, sometimes matching armbands as well. Those with a matching necklace and tiara combo, adorned with pearls, are Guardian Selkies - special selkies who maintain and protect the different Ocean Gates around the worlds. They’re usually assigned to different seas, but in some exceptions a single Selkie oversees an entire world’s waters. They all answer to their queen, Omnia, who resides in Infimare and acts as the guardian and giver of Sirenix. Unlike Pixies, they have different sexes and genders, but generally look the same aside from fur color. Also unlike Pixies, not all of them have magic. Magicless Guardian Selkies are granted a power from their pearls, which varies as it’s linked to the type of magic their Gates have.
Now for our Selkies, clockwise from the top!
Nissa (he/him) - the Guardian Selkie of the entirety of Magixian Central Ocean, surrounding the island of Magix, with the Gates under his watch residing in the Doloris Cape near Cloud Tower and in the Golden Cave in Lake Roccaluce. Levelheaded and confident, he got along well with Daphne during her Sirenix quest, and is overjoyed to see her after the whole Domino deal. He’s a selkie with magic, and seems to have powers over shadows.
Illiris (she/her) - the Guardian Selkie of the Resplendent Ocean on Solenei, covering Solaria, Callisto and Quarzis, with the Gate being near the Azure Valley. Outgoing and flashy, she’s very similar to Stella in personality and seems to be why they get along so well, even if it slightly creeps the Winx out. She has magic, especifically over pearls and their properties.
Serena (she/her) - the Guardian Selkie of the Prideful Ocean on Solenei, surrounding Domino and Eraklyon, with the Gate near the Yellow Reef. She’s very shy and reserved, and is unnerved to visit Domino’s seas even if they’re no longer subject to the same curse the land was. She likes Bloom’s confidence and sticks to her for protection. Has no magic powers of her own, but her pearls grant her control over ice.
Lithia (she/her) - the Guardian Selkie of the Tempest Ocean of Daumme, surrounding Zenith, Romulea and Hoggar, with the Gate near the sunken Databridge Castle. She’s a brave yet reckless Selkie who prides herself in her battle prowess and gladly shows off her scars. She seems curious about Tecna’s more analytical approach and wants to see if she can implement something like that. Has no magic of her own, but her pearls give her the power of wind.
Phylla (they/them) - the Guardian Selkie of the North Pacific Ocean, but they’re technically the only active Selkie on Earth so she oversees the entire planet. Their Gate is near Gardenia. They’re the oldest of the Guardian Selkies alongside Nissa, and is generally more grumpy yet caring. They have magic over heat.
Sonna (he/him) - the Guardian Selkie of the Harmonic Ocean, surrounding Melody, Nacre, Ohm and Oppositus, with the Gate residing near the Ruby Reef. He’s a quiet and patient person, and seems to enjoy the calmness of his seas a lot, even if he finds the name of his Ocean ironic given the history of the countries in it. He likes Musa’s singing and music, and is intrigued by her different styles. Has no magic of his own, with his pearls granting him powers over earth.
Desiryee (she/her) - the Guardian Selkie of the Emerald Ocean on Antochea, surrounding Lynphea, Dolona and Espero, with the Gate being near the Fiorella Sea. She’s kind of selfish and stuck-up despite her cutesy, kind demeanor, but cares a lot about the plants she lives alongside with and helps with their growth a lot. She likes Flora’s earnestness and her care for nature and likes hanging out with her for that reason. She has magic over plants, fitting her area.
Lemmy (he/him) - the Guardian Selkie of the Omega Ocean, named after the Omega Portal that’s surrounded Andros, Salett and Mareia, with his Gate being near the Highpeak Prison in the Deep Blue region. He’s charismatic and friendly, but very overconfident, and likes Aisha’s attitude and drive to help her family. He has magic over water, which, given he lives in it, is incredibly helpful during his watch.
Aedan stirred, woken by the sound of the door. He blinked, lost for a moment. Where was he? He started to uncurl himself out of the ball he’d slept in, wincing as his body remembered its various pains.
The door had swung open in the meantime, and Robb had entered. He was holding a tray in his hands. “It’s morning,” he said, seeing Aedan sitting up. “I’ve brought you some food.”
Aedan mumbled something incoherent and sat for a moment, blinking at his knees. The events of the previous day caught up with him, and his wing throbbed in reminder.
“Robb,” he said. “You’re – you’re here.” Aedan tried to sort through the complicated tangle of feelings that were filling up his chest. Robb considered Aedan an enemy now. Why would he be here, first thing in the morning?
Robb bent over to put the tray on the floor, not far from Aedan’s bare feet.
“What’s happening?” Aedan asked, curling his feet up underneath him.
Robb frowned down at Aedan. “With you? Nothing. Yet.” He hesitated for a moment, and then hunkered down to sit on the floor beside Aedan. He nudged the tray towards Aedan across the floor. “I just remembered that if I didn’t have something brought to you, it wouldn’t happen.”
The tray contained bread and fruit, and a pot of very cold tea. Aedan found, to his surprise, that he was hungry. He supposed he hadn’t eaten in a while.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, and reached out cautiously for a piece of fruit. His mouth was sore from where Lucas had hit him, yesterday. He tried to only chew on the other side.
Robb watched him, unsettlingly, as he ate. Robb was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and he had deep shadows under both his eyes. Hadn’t he slept?
Aedan picked up another piece, and glanced up at Robb. “Um. Have you…?” Tentatively, he pushed the plate a little towards Robb, offering it to him.
Robb’s brows pulled close together, and he stared at Aedan as if he’d done something crazy. Then he gave a short, humourless huff of laughter. “Not right now, Aedan. Thank you, though.”
Aedan nodded, uncertainly. He searched for something to say, something that wasn’t just repeating what he’d said yesterday. Please don’t hurt me. I promise I wouldn’t have done anything to hurt the king. I wasn’t spying on you, I wouldn’t even know how to spy.
He went to pour some of the tea. Hiding behind the pot was another tiny cup of viscous liquid. “Martin gave that to me for you,” Robb said, seeing Aedan looking at it. “He said it’s for pain. Your wing looks… better.”
It hurt, viciously, throbbing at his back. Aedan didn’t say that, though; he found there was only one thing he really wanted to ask Robb.
“Is Shae back?” he whispered.
“No,” Robb said.
Lucas’ voice hissed in Aedan’s memory. Trust me, Shae’s fine. She told me where to find him. She never liked that creature anyway.
Aedan’s chest hurt. He let the piece of bread he was holding fall back to the tray. “Is she – when she does come back – will she – ”
“I don’t know,” Robb said shortly. “I haven’t spoken to her in days.”
Aedan took a deep breath. “Robb… she didn’t tell Lucas where I was, did she?” He blinked, his eyes starting to sting with tears. He knew his voice was pleading. “She wouldn’t do that. You don’t think she would, do you?”
Robb looked uncomfortable. “I don’t… Did anyone else know you were on the roof? I wouldn’t have thought to look there.” He started to get to his feet. “But I really don’t know. Look, I’ll just leave the tray.”
Aedan sniffled, and gave up on holding back the tears. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Robb had as good as said that, yes, he thought Shae would have told Lucas where to find him. They couldn’t both of them be wrong about her, could they?
Maybe Shae really would be glad to be rid of Aedan, he thought, listening to the sound of Robb closing and locking the door behind him. Was Aedan just really, really dense? Had he missed it? He remembered Tamsin telling him once that humans thought wingfolk were storybook monsters. So Shae probably hadn’t wanted to marry Aedan, maybe she had thought of him as a monster at first, but she’d changed her mind, hadn’t she?
Hadn’t she?
Well, maybe that changed when people like you took her father, he thought. Maybe that made her realise she doesn’t trust you at all.
He wondered what had happened. Uncle Aelric had wanted the treaty, he hadn’t wanted to keep fighting with the humans. He’d told Aedan that enough people had lost their lives – and Aedan had nodded, a little awed at having his powerful uncle speak to him so seriously. What had changed?
In the end, Aedan drank the little cup of pain medication. As he’d suspected, within fifteen minutes he found his eyelids drooping and his train of thought slowing.
Well, this is useless, he thought, lying listlessly on his front, propping his chin on his folded arms. I mean, it doesn’t hurt as much, but I’m not going to be able to do anything.
Like what? What are you going to do that the drugs are stopping you from doing?
He turned his face to the side, feeling hopeless. Nothing. He could do nothing. He hadn’t even tried to talk to Robb while he was here, because he was an idiot! If he was going to be locked up in a room and only be able to speak to Robb once a day, he should have found some way to work with that. He should have tried harder to get people to listen to him. Some token of peace you are.
If he had magic, like Tamsin, he would be able to get out of here. But you don’t, do you? Because you didn’t try hard enough.
One year earlier
Aedan leaned forward over his cupped hands, lip caught between his teeth, concentrating fiercely.
Nothing happened. He sighed and let his hands drop. “It isn’t working,” he said sadly.
Aedan and Tamsin sat under a tree, the breeze stirring their hair and Aedan’s feathers. Tamsin had her skirts tucked up around her crossed legs, revealing sturdy leather boots.
Tamsin caught his hands in hers and brought them together again. “Aedan,” she chided. “Heavens, we’ve been at this barely half an hour and you’re ready to give up?”
Aedan ducked his head, abashed. “Well, yeah, half an hour and nothing’s happened,” he said. “I thought you said it came easily to us?”
“Easily compared to humans,” Tamsin corrected. She flashed a smile that put dimples in her cheeks. “Did you think it would happen instantaneously, Aedan? It doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work – up until it does! Keep trying.”
Aedan grinned sheepishly. “Okay,” he said, leaning forward again. He focused on the air in between his cupped palms, and willed a flame to appear.
Nothing.
“I just wish I knew what I was supposed to be doing,” he said, after another minute of fruitless concentration. “You said to concentrate, but concentrate on what? What does magic feel like?”
Tamsin leaned back, supporting herself with her hands in the grass. “It’s… hard to explain,” she said. “What does it feel like to use magic when you fly?”
Aedan cocked his head, frowning.
Aedan knew that his wingspan stretched a little over five feet from tip to tip. But, when he was flying, he also knew that they were ten feet across, or twelve. That they could grow and shrink with as much thought as he gave folding or spreading them.
“It doesn’t really feel like anything special,” he said, puzzled. “It’s just like… I don’t know, I decide that it’s going to happen, and then it does. It’s kind of like using a muscle?”
She snapped her fingers. “There you go!” she said, beaming. “That’s a good description! It’ll probably feel similar to that! Like using a muscle you didn’t realise you had.”
“Well, that doesn’t help at all!” Aedan protested, laughing. “Will you show me again?”
Tamsin held her hand out in between them, palm up. After a moment, a pale green flame appeared, flickering and dancing about an inch above her skin.
Aedan bent his neck around to examine it from different angles, and frowned. “I mustn’t be doing it right.”
“We’ll try again next time I visit,” Tamsin promised. She uncrossed her legs, hopped back up onto her feet and dusted her hands off. “You’ll get it eventually. You aren’t going to give up on me, are you, Aedan?” Her raised eyebrow was a challenge.
“No!” Aedan said indignantly. He scrambled up too. “Of course not!”
A few months earlier
“Aedan,” Phylla said.
“Yes?” Aedan said, his fingers gently smoothing the secondary feathers on her left wing where it was spread out enough to lie in his lap.
“If you do agree to this plan of Tamsin’s,” Phylla said slowly. “You know that you –”
He sighed. “Mama,” he said, a little shortly. “I said I’d think about it. I’m not going to jump into this without thinking of everything. Okay?”
Her wing moved under his hands, as she shifted position. “I know. I know you’re taking it seriously. That’s not what I was going to say.”
He moved to the next feather. “Well, what were you going to say?”
She held still. “You need to know that you can always come home,” she said quietly. “Always, no matter what, you can come back here to me. They’ll tell you that you can’t – they’ll say it’s a contract, they’ll say you made a commitment – but you can. It’s what I did. If you’ve done your best and it didn’t work out, if you aren’t happy, you can always come home.”
Aedan stared down at his mother’s wing. Her feathers were the same colour as his, deep brown. Big enough and strong enough to block out anything the world might throw at him. He used to wonder whether his wings would ever be that big.
“Sure, Mama,” he said softly. “I know.”
Aedan turned his head to watch the door, feeling sick with shame and misery, and the stupid pain drug. Part of him wished he had listened to his mother; she had thought this was a bad idea from the start and it looked like she had been right.
But Aedan had thought he was helping. He hadn’t wanted to give up. And look where it had got him.
I do want to come home, Mama, but I don’t think I can anymore.
Ran into a girl selling pies as I was heading out. Hadn't seen her around before, but always interested in the newcomers around here-- especially when they're cute. Chatted her up, she said she just arrived a few days ago and that he name was Phylla. (Hah, kinda funny, she reminded a little of Fia and their names are even similar. New Fia?) She had some pretty nice stuff, like this fancy knife with a jewel in the handle she was cutting her pies with. Not the best plan to be flashing something like that around here unless you're trying to get mugged. She looks like a soft target.
I told her about Val's place. It's one of the few places here I'd consider safe... safe-ish? She doesn't put up with a lot of shit and seems to make a habit of sheltering deserving people from the worst of the Umber. We don't really get along, but I hope she appreciates someday that I send potential customers her way.
She said she'd consider it, but also didn't seem that worried. I don't think she understands where she's wound up. This place devours people. It's all predators here.
“If you think I’m gonna give you the power to access the Gate, you’re dumber than you look, Prince.” Lemmy, before getting attacked by Tritannus
Next redesigns are the Selkies! THEY FINALLY LOOK LIKE SEALS. WHY DID YOU CALL THEM SELKIES AND NOT MAKE THEM SEAL-LIKE. Anyways, lore below
Selkies are a very sweet and tranquil species, who usually live alongside merfolk and are given the same rights as them. They look a lot like seals, but seem to be able to fully breathe underwater, as well as being sentient and sapient. Their fur colors are also more varied. They’re born from Crystal Coral, a special type of coral, which seems to sparkle like an iridiscent pearl. They usually wear tiaras with a seaweed wig attached, to mimic the flow and look of merfolk hair (which is kept long most of the time), also encrusted with colored pearls. They also wear a small matching band on their tail. Those with a matching necklace as well as colored spots on their fur are Guardian Selkies, special selkies who maintain and protect the different Ocean Gates around the worlds. They’re usually assigned to different seas, but in some exceptions a single Selkie oversees an entire world’s waters. They all answer to their queen, Omnia, who resides in Infimare and acts as the guardian and giver of Sirenix. Unlike Pixies, they have different sexes and genders, but generally look the same aside from fur color. Also unlike Pixies, not all of them have magic. Magicless Guardian Selkies are granted a power from their pearls, which varies as it’s linked to the type of magic their Gates have.
Now for our Selkies, clockwise from the top!
Nissa - the Guardian Selkie of the entirety of Magix, with the Gates under his watch residing in the Doloris Cape near Cloud Tower and in the Golden Cave in Lake Roccaluce. Levelheaded and confident, he got along well with Daphne during her Sirenix quest, and is overjoyed to see her after the whole Domino deal. He’s a selkie with magic, and seems to have powers over shadows.
Illiris - the Guardian Selkie of the seas of Solaria, Callisto and Quarzis, with the Gate being near the Azure Valley. Outgoing and flashy, she’s very similar to Stella in personality and seems to be why they get along so well. She has magic, especifically over pearls and their properties.
Serena - the Guardian Selkie of the seas of Domino and Eraklyon, with the Gate near the Yellow Reef. She’s very shy and reserved, and is unnerved to visit Domino’s seas even if they’re no longer subject to the same curse the land was. She likes Bloom’s confidence and sticks to her for protection. Has no magic powers of her own, but her pearls grant her control over ice.
Lithia - the Guardian Selkie of Zenith and Romulea, with the Gate near the sunken Databridge Castle. She’s a brave yet reckless Selkie who prides herself in her battle prowess. She seems curious about Tecna’s more analytical approach and wants to see if she can implement something like that. Has no magic of her own, but her pearls give her the power of wind.
Phylla - the Guardian Selkie of the Pacific Ocean, but she’s technically the only active Selkie on Earth so she oversees the entire planet. Her Gate is near Gardenia. She’s the oldest of the Guardian Selkies alongside Nissa, and is generally more grumpy yet caring. She has magic over heat.
Sonna - the Guardian Selkie of Melody, Ohm and Graynor, with the Gate residing near the Ruby Reef. He’s a quiet and patient person, and seems to enjoy the calmness of his seas a lot. He likes Musa’s singing and music, and is intrigued by her different styles. Has no magic of his own, with his pearls granting him powers over earth.
Desiryee - the Guardian Selkie of Lynphea, Dolona and Espero, with the Gate being near the Fiorella Sea. She’s kind of selfish and stuck-up, but cares a lot about the plants she lives alongside with and helps with their growth a lot. She likes Flora’s earnestness and her care for nature and likes hanging out with her for that reason. She has magic over plants, fitting her area.
Lemmy - the Guardian Selkie of Andros, Salett and Mareia, with his Gate being near the Highpeak Prison in the Deep Blue region. He’s charismatic and friendly, but very overconfident, and likes Aisha’s attitude and drive to help her family. He has magic over water, which, given he lives in it, is incredibly helpful during his watch.
Junkheap Dojo is quiet this morning. Mantis sits with her head buried into her hands, palms pressed to her dark, burning eyes. Two men stand before her, hands clasped at their backs in respectful silence. The sound of cheerful birds only deepens her melancholy.
The days following Caracal’s apparent murder at the hands of the Privateers had not gone as Mercury had said they would. What was meant to spark enmity between Eleanor and the other factions had certainly succeeded, but they had all overlooked a crucial detail: the long-held distrust Phylla held for her children. Mantis had known this all along, but had trusted Mercury and the Watchman to look out for her in the aftermath. In that respect, they had failed her. Mantis had marched back to Junkheap Dojo believing that she would be leading a rebellion against her tyrant mother, only to be met with resentment and murder in the eyes of her new constituents.
“Our Alpha has been murdered at Eleanor’s hands!” she’d cried to the silent mob. “Phylla will not let this crime against us stand.” She’d raised her fist in the air, a signal of unity and defiance. It was in that moment that she realized who was being defied.
It was then that Kestrel and Mako had moved in like the predatory totems they emulated. Pulling on the accusatory glares of the crowd they had walked to the front of the Dojo where Mantis stood. “The day Mamba let you and your brother take our names was the day Phylla began to die,” Mako had said, jabbing a finger at Mantis. “We’ve been watching you slip away in the night. Where have you been going?”
Kestrel had spread his hands wide, then, and turned to the crowd. “Reporting to her mother! Reporting to Eleanor like the spy she is!” The fighters had roared in anger and confusion. Mako had shouted as if on signal, “We have no Alpha! We have no Alpha! Down with Eleanor! Down with her spies!”
Mantis met the men where they stood shouting, hands raised. The mob quieted but stood as if about to charge. Mako and Kestrel stood with crossed arms before her. “Everything I have done, I have done within the law.” Her voice was confident, even. “But I understand your fear.“ She paused, allowing the crowd to grow quiet. "I understand you fear! That very fear- the fear of being deceived. The fear of being unfairly ruled. The fear of becoming something you don’t want to become. That’s a fear every Privateer understands. That’s why my brother and I left, why we came to Phylla. That’s why we slipped out in the middle of the night and ran from Eleanor, not knowing whether you would even take us. It’s why we risked everything to throw ourselves at your leader’s feet. Some of you were kind to us and obeyed your Alpha’s wishes when she accepted us. Most of you were not. And now I stand before you- rightful leader by your own laws- pleading to your sense of reason. Where I go at night is my business, as is where you go yours, but I assure you I have not spoken with Eleanor since I fled from her.”
Mako scoffed. “Not a spy, then, but a coward? We will follow neither.”
Mantis stood directly in front of the man, meeting his gaze with a challenge. “Then don’t.” She spat the words, wheeling on the rest of the crowd. “I will force no one to remain, but Phylla is mine to rule by right. Whoever respects the law is welcome to stay. Investigate me if you must, but you will not find what you hope to. Whoever does not respect the law may leave in peace today, but you will not return here. Make your choice, warriors! Whoever remains at sunrise will be my people. Whoever leaves us will be their own.”
Kestrel sneered, shifting on his feet. “We do not obey orders from traitors.”
Mantis curled her hands into fists. “Speak to your Alpha like that again and I will make an example of you.”
The people began to whisper amongst themselves. Mako grinned. “It seems the people are not in favor of your proposal. What’s to stop us from throwing you from your little throne?”
“I will,” a voice called from the crowd. A grizzled man dressed head-to-toe in a dark scaled body-suit stepped forward.
Mako turned to the voice, all hints of his smile fading as he stared down at the speaker. “Gharial,” he wrinkled his brows. “Old master, I did not expect you to challenge our ways.”
Gharial’s eyes narrowed as he walked forward to stand beside the fuming Mantis. “It is you who ignore Phylla’s ways! The two of you. The lot of you! You act on suspicion and ignorance. You bring us no proof of your accusations and worst of all- you disrespect your Alpha. She should tear you both apart for this.”
“I, too, stand with the Alpha!” cried a woman from the back of the dojo. Others picked up the cry. Mamba led her sons to stand beside Mantis. Proteus appeared, a band pulled tightly over his eyes. To everyone’s surprise he, too, took a place among them.
Mako’s face grew a deep red as he shouted, “We’ve had enough of this. Traitors, all of you! All who will not allow this to stand, to us. We will leave, yes. But we will hunt Eleanor’s colors wherever they’re flown. You will no longer sleep without hearing one of us outside your window.”
And they had left. Without a single blow, without a showdown, Phylla was rent in two. The majority of the Fish and Bird Houses had followed their shoguns from their homes that night under the wary eyes of those who stayed. Mamba, Proteus, Waterdog, and Gharial volunteered to oversee the exodus while Mantis retired to a hidden room at the back of Junkheap Dojo. The Mammal and Creeping Things Houses had remained surprisingly loyal, honor-bound more by their lawfulness than by a love for their new Alpha. Mantis wondered what was happening with Caracal that night. Was she afraid? Had she understood the part she was to play in all of this? Beneath the concern for Caracal’s well-being lurked the fear that she would escape and return to wreak vengeance on the apparent traitors of Phylla.
Owl had surprised Mantis that night, slipping quietly into the room, unflinching at the startled Mantis. Whispers of her hair floated at the sides Owl’s head as she blinked. “I have completed a registry of those who remain,” she said.
“And you brought it to me now? Tonight?”
“Yes.”
Mantis sighed and took the list over to a desk where an oil lamp burned low. Many of the names were familiar to her- the kind people who had accepted and trained her when she and Roland had arrived. Others were more surprising- miscreants and long-time friends of Caracal's that Mantis had assumed would jump at the chance to oppose her. At the bottom of a page a name was written in capital letters with a heavy question mark, circles several times. “Rhino?” she read the word aloud.
Owl dipped her head. “Er, yes. He was technically banished from Phylla several years ago, but he still has a few friends should we want to reach out to him.”
“Who is he?” Mantis wondered. “I think we have enough troublemakers here already. Is there something I need to know about him?”
“Too much, I fear,” Owl harrumphed. “But I feel he would be a valuable asset to us should we get on his good side. As a fighter he was unmatched, but he could not keep his battles on the battlefield.”
“I see,” she answered. In the very corner of the page Owl had drawn a tiny insect with a long snout. “And what of this? Doodling?”
Owl actually smiled. “That’s our ticket to Rhino.”
The walnut in Merrick’s hand was crushed to dust before he realized what he’d done. He lifted the shattered pieces before his visor for a closer inspection before throwing them angrily to the ground, crunching the remains beneath a heavy boot. He stopped at the edge of a small clearing, squinting at the bright beam of direct sunlight boring down like some enormous laser pointer. His skin boiled beneath his heavy armor. Had it been a cooler day, however, Merrick would be boiling nevertheless.
The man approaching beneath the dazzling light set off alarms in Merrick’s head, moving his arm automatically to a heavy blunt object at his back. “The Weevil’s Head,” he’d named it. Mostly because it was, literally, the head of an enormous weevil. He didn’t wonder much about the science of that. He knew he wanted to hit things, and had been given just the weapon to do that with. Merrick’s fist curled instinctively, the other gripping hard at his weapon’s handle.
“I don’t want to fight you, son,” said the man as he passed from the light back into the forest shade. Cicadas cried out angrily from the trees. “I believe I know why you’re here, and I may be able to help you. But if you swing at me I promise it will not end well for you.”
Merrick did not move. “Berwald.“ He spat the name from his mouth. “Where is my father?”
Berwald eyed him coolly, hands clasped behind his back. “He is alive. Let’s talk somewhere more comfortable.”
“No. We’ll talk here,” Merrick snarled. Movement in the trees behind the defector Captain did little to ease the young man’s nerves. Rope ladders descended from high branches as men and women still wearing their uniforms climbed down to stand at attention behind their leader.
“We may no longer be Eleanor’s soldiers, boy, but that doesn’t make us your friends. You come here alone dressed for a fight and expect to leave with something? You’re at our mercy, not the other way around. You have no faction, you have no power. Come in. Sit down. Let’s talk.” Berwald stood relaxed and unarmed, eyes never leaving the dark space hiding Merrick’s eyes.
The armored boy’s face burned behind his helm. “Fine.”
Berwald motioned him forward, not bothering to step out of the way as Merrick approached and passed him. The defected Privateers parted as the pair passed through them toward a makeshift cabin beneath a towering tree trunk. A squat table had been arranged inside, two plates set with meat, garlic potatoes, and pints of water.
“I had a feeling you’d stop by,” said Berwald as he closed the door behind them. The two sat before the steaming plates. Merrick eyed his food suspiciously. He was starving and his skin crawled beneath pouring sweat. “I’m not going to poison you, son. And for God’s sake at least take your helmet off before you have a heat stroke.” The thought of hot food at this moment nearly made Merrick gag, but he was certainly hungry. He gave in and removed his helm, his hair now a soaking mess.
Berwald seated himself and took a long drink from his water. He considered Merrick for a long while before he spoke again. “Your father is alive,” he repeated. “Several of my people were escorting him to the Dungeon while your friend had me tied to a tree.”
“I don’t want to hear your story. I want to know how to get him back,” Merrick grunted. He shoveled a heap of potatoes into his mouth, holding them there for a moment as if checking for an unfamiliar flavor before swallowing them in a single gulp. “Where, exactly, is he and how, exactly, do I bring him out?”
The Captain clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He pointed a slow finger at the armored boy. “You don’t get to make demands.”
The cabin door burst open and a middle-aged woman in a crisp grey uniform careened through it. “S-sir there’s trouble!”
Berwald was already on his feet, “Eleanor? The fanatics? Report, private!”
“N-neither, sir!” she stammered. “A mob is approaching through the trees to the East! Scouts said they saw Kestrel and Mako leading them.”
“Phylla?” Berwald puzzled. “I thought Mantis had them under control.”
“It seems you were wrong, sir.”
Berwald’s gaze bored into Merrick’s. “I’m going to trust you not to surprise me out there, son. Truthfully I don’t know what’s going on, but I would assume the boiling pot has finally tipped for Phylla. They never liked Mantis or any of Eleanor’s screwed-up family. I’ll give you a pass until you swing at me. You do that and you’ve made your choice. A stupid choice, but it’s yours to make.”
“Shut up, old man,” Merrick scoffed. “Let’s go hit some people.”
As they emerged from the makeshift cabin, Merrick surveyed the area closely for the first time. Above him, so high into the canopy he had to crane his neck, a network of rope bridges connected dozens of circular tree huts. Long rope ladders were being dropped from them left and right, making way for people in Privateer uniform to join them on the forest floor. Their feet hit the ground in a steady rhythm as the fell into formation behind their Captain. Berwald’s hands were clasped once again behind his back as he pulled his troops to him like a magnet to metal shavings.
In contrast to the synchronized bootfalls of the ex-Privateers came the soft, uneven pounding of running feet. Flashes of light tunics slid between the distant trees. The mob moved like a flood- some charging directly forward while others crept along at the fringes of Merrick’s vision. Two men easily outdistanced the rest of the fighters, one shooting forward so fast and light it seemed his legs weren’t even hitting the ground, the other shoving powerfully toward them in a loose, curving line.
"Darts at the ready!” called Berwald. “Only release on my word!” The two men leading the charge- Merrick assumed they were Mako and Kestrel- stopped abruptly at the edge of the clearing in the same space Merrick had been standing less than an hour before. Berwald’s hands remained firmly at his back as he took three steps toward them.
“I am not thrilled with a mob rushing our base without warning. Speak your business if you want to settle this civilly.” The Phylla fighters began filling the edges of the clearing like oil on water. Berwald’s squad stood in smart formation behind him, arms confidently at their tranquilizers.
One of the men lowered his head and flashed a deep grin, revealing narrow gaps between each tooth. Merrick knew it was Mako before he spoke. “Who wants to be civil?” asked Mako. Beside him his companion sifted through the soldiers, meeting each gaze in turn as if evaluating them for weakness. “You’ll remember it was your people who stabbed Caracal and whisked her body mysteriously away before anyone could actually see it. But please,” he stretched the word out along his tongue, “tell me more about Privateer civility.”
“We are no longer under Eleanor. We defected soon after the events at the King’s Council.” Berwald’s face grew uncharacteristically red.
“I see. So it wasn’t YOU and your people that shot all the Council members during the confusion? And it certainly couldn’t have been you at the front of a Privateer squad shouting 'for the Warden!' that day, could it?"
"Mako," Berwald cut in, "you have to listen to me now. The people you see are not your enemies until you make them so. We have decided to resist the Warden, and that makes us allies."
"You should have thought of that before declaring war on a hornet's nest like Phylla." smiled Mako.
Kestrel spoke for the first time. "And what, exactly, are you, little knight?" he called to Merrick, who had been standing at the head of the defector army just behind the Captain.
Merrick pulled Weevil's Head from its strap and bounced it in a hand. "I'm the man who's going to give you a real headache if you don't let me get back to what I was doing."
Kestrel took a long look at Merrick's weapon and began to laugh. "Is that- are you carrying one of HIS weapons? That disgraceful dropout couldn't do something right if he knew how!"
Merrick raised his eyebrows, remembering all of the items he had broken with Weevil's Head as he trekked through Kingdom. He had to disagree with the mocking Kestrel. It would do the job just fine. He glanced at Berwald and gave him a nod. The man returned a slight, sad smile.
"Captain Berwald," boomed Mako loud enough for both of the gathered crowds to hear, "seeing as there is no acting Council, Phylla stands accusing you of crimes against our leader and our people. We have determined you and all who wear the Privateer colors to be guilty and our enemies. Drop your weapons and come peacefully, or we will use be forced to resort to unpleasant means."
Berwald raised a fist in the air. Tranquilizers raised in unison. "You have no power to judge me and no right to attack my soldiers. Where is your acting Alpha? Where is Mantis?"
Mako and Kestrel exchanged a sly glance. Kestrel spoke. "As of this morning the Six Houses no longer recognize Mantis, defected Privateers, or any of Eleanor's compatriots as our own. They have been found guilty of conspiring against our Alpha and have made themselves our enemies."
"And such is the way of every war," sighed Berwald, "the commoner dies at the whim of the ignorant bastard."
"Lay down your weapons and come peacefully," demanded Kestrel, hands cupped over his mouth like a megaphone. Berwald rolled his eyes, drew his tranquilizer from his back and fired two shots directly into Mako and Kestrel in a single practiced motion.
In the seconds of confusion before the forest exploded Berwald turned to Merrick. "Son?" he called as the men's faces roiled in shock and outrage. "Hit anything without a uniform."
