by Maira Dawn
Mako of Cirrina Clan stood, her eel-thin body at attention. Though smaller than the rest of them, she commanded their respect. She raised her hands to quiet them, and when she bowed her head in thanks to their obedience, her dark, thick hair shimmered almost blue in the light as it fell straight to her waist.
"My medical team," she said, "has been working for many years on various means of dispersing the cure once it was obtained. We are ready. To debate this is unproductive. It was agreed centuries ago what we will do, and we are not a people to lose our integrity by not keeping our pledge. We merely need to find the cure, and this can be done."
She sat. The room was silent. No one could argue with her logic, what was vowed was vowed. There was nothing else to say.
"So," Mako said, spreading her hands wide. "Who will go?"
The council looked at each other as Jorah lowered his head to his hand and closed his eyes.
Ian felt like he did the first time he had stood before the council. Young and innocent, asked to be one of the Artifact's trackers with no clue where to begin.
His mind swirled. Go again? It was a miracle he had returned alive as it was. Each visit increased his chances of being caught. Still, his honor was at stake. His mission was still not complete, more than that his beloved's life was in danger. And perhaps this was the way he could smooth things for her among his people.
Ian stepped closer to the table.
Jorah held a hand to him and murmured, “No, Caspian. Not again.”
Ian whispered, “I’m sorry, Father. There is no choice.”
He squared his shoulders. “I will," he cleared his throat and straightened. "I will go and search for the cure."
Mako waved a hand at him. "Your bravery is impressive, but you have done your part. It is time for you to rest."
Jorah wiped at his eyes, his voice broke as he said, "I wholeheartedly agree with you, Mako, but Ian has contacts among the humans. If we send someone else up, it will take too long for them to develop new ones. Time is short."
The council members murmured, nodding their heads.
Tiburon put his hand to the table. "It seems, Caspian of Orca Clan," he said, using Ian's formal name. "You are the one to send. I am sorry that is the case both for you, and for the young men who wish to seek honor. But their time will come. I agree that now is the time for experience."
Ian nodded. "I willingly go and give my best effort, but with one request."
The council members quieted, a question in their eyes. It was not usual to set conditions.
Ian swallowed. "That my services be repaid, not with riches or honor, but with respect. I have a request, and I ask that it be granted at the proper time with willingness and consideration."
"And you will not tell us what it is?"
"No. I will only say there would be no harm to anyone if you grant it, but great harm to a few if you do not."
A few of the council members whispered among themselves. Ian heard Sunny's name and listened carefully. They remembered the small, pretty human girl, and his deep depression when he'd taken her back to land. Sure that this young woman had something to do with his request, they didn't feel anything he asked would be difficult for anyone. Though odd, if the boy felt he was paired with this little woman, it would be a small favor to support it if he returned with the cure.
The group nodded, and Tiburon said, "Looks like you have a deal, boy. Whatever you ask of us, we will give." He chuckled. "Keep it honorable."
Ian stammered, "Of course, I will."
"Then, you have our blessing, both for your new mission and that pretty little human you have your eye on."
Ian blushed but gathered himself enough to insist. "And I want her treated as a full Atlantian."
"We will treat her like a queen just for your effort in the saving of our honor in this matter of helping the humans." Tiburon smirked as he continued teasing Ian. "I am sure she will treat you like a king if you manage to succeed."
Ian turned a deeper shade of red as the table erupted into laughter. For ocean's sake, he was eighty-five years old, and he blushed like a mere child of twenty-eight! He stretched taller and said, "Thank you, Council of Atlantis, for your faith in me."
Mako removed the hand that hid her giggles and became earnest. "No. It is this council, and all Atlantian councils, that should thank you. It is your willingness to offer yourself for this mission that enables us to keep our oath. You must forgive us our teasing. We have all been young and in the early blushes of love. It is a pleasing time of life."
Her dark eyes reassured Ian. "We will take care of your little love, just as you take care of us. It is a small, though unusual, thing to ask of us compared to what we ask of you." Mako tipped her head. "It has piqued my interest as a scientist, and I will have many questions on your return."
Her voice sobered. "For now, do what you can to find the cure, but do not die for it. If the time comes when you have done all you can do, bring your woman here and enjoy the happy life you are meant to live."
Ian bowed in appreciation and looked at Jorah. His father nodded.
There was still more to discuss.
Seventeen
Justice
Chapter Seventeen
Jorah eyed his fellow council members. "There is more."
A few groans erupted, but all turned to him with attentive looks.
"Ian has found Argos."
Excited conversations broke out. "Finally, justice will be done," Mako said.
Jorah rapped his knuckles against the table. "My son has learned that it was not Argos who has committed murder against our people. It is a human scientist, a group of them who perform gruesome experiments on Atlantians. The group held Argos hostage, tortured him."
A shiver ran through Ian, and when the outraged cries started, he understood why. They were not only for Argos, but for all who had suffered.
"And these are the people we try to save?" a councilmember at the end of the table despaired. "How is it honorable to help them at all?"
Ian quietly asked Jorah's permission to speak. After Jorah nodded his approval, Ian stepped forward and said, "Most Atlantians have spent some time on land for short periods, usually for education or leisure. I have had the unusual opportunity to spend months, even years, among humans. I know them well."
He sighed. "Yes, there are those such as this evil group who, if they fell dying and weeping into the sea, I would watch from a distance with no pity. But there are others. They are good, and kind, and more like us than anyone here would like to admit."
Ian held up a hand to the scoffs and continued, "I am convinced that it is these who we were asked to save. The one who asked came from the land, from this time, and he was good. Without him, we would not have lived. He saved Atlantians, and he would know of other good people too."
Jorah agreed, "That is true. Many are the stories of the goodness of the Traveler, not the least are the ones, including our own people. He would not have sworn us to save a wicked people."
Ian put a hand on his father's shoulder and said, "The good ones are being swallowed up by the bad. We can show them what life can be like. Should be like."
Mako spoke up, "Of course. Of course. We have discussed this already. We save the humans, if at all possible. The real question is this; what will we do with Argos? He may not have murdered us, but he still stole from his people and murdered humans."
Tiburon smacked his hand to the table. "I refuse to punish him for human deaths. He killed the ones who tortured and murdered his Intended. Watching her die like that is more punishment than any man deserves. If the humans have a problem with him, they can take care of him themselves.”
Jorah watched most at the table verbally agree. When a show of hands was called for, all hands raised except for two of the council. They were undecided but willing to go the way of the other votes.
Ian breathed sigh of relief but tensed again as Jorah continued, "Argos is an old friend of my son. His Atlantian famil
y, who have already suffered overmuch branded relatives of a traitor, are friend to many who sit around this table. Argos is now old and gray, and perhaps that is punishment enough for what he has done."
Dissenting voices rose and fell away. Akami from Mysticeti Clan stood. "If this were any other theft, we could impose the usual punishment, take ten percent of his possessions, and mandate him ten extra hours a week of work for a year. But it is not. He is no longer in Atlantis, so the punishment cannot apply. In addition, this was not some shiny bauble he carelessly took from a neighbor. This is our treasure. He understood the value to us and to the fate of the world. Yet still, he took it, not as a careless act but a deliberate one. In my opinion, a recompense needs to be paid."
"He was young," Jorah argued. “Practically a child."
"He had taken on the role of husband and with it the responsibilities of a grown man,” said a concilmember at the end of the table. “Clearly, he was not ready. Let it be a lesson to all the youth. Wrong actions can follow a person through their entire life."
"If I may speak again," Ian said. "On Argos' behalf. He is expecting punishment and willing to come back to Atlantis to accept it. He was a broken man when he committed this crime, in a way, few of us will ever be. It is hard enough for our ancient ones to lose their loves. They have a long lifetime of remembrances to look back on, and they usually follow their Jata Ara’s within a short time."
Ian's face twisted as he remembered the insistent, raw pain when he lost Sunny. "When your mate is lost… it is… it is so horrible, I cannot put it into words."
Many in the council looked away, unable to look upon the pain still residing on Ian's face.
"He has accepted what he cannot change and is a different man now," Ian said. "He has learned to take comfort in other things. Please, I ask you, do not be so very hard on him."
Akami shook his head and sighed, but softly said, "That is two things you ask of this council today, Caspian. But given the circumstances, I, for one, will allow it." He pulled at his chin in thought. "There must be punishment. Perhaps we banish him for the rest of his life. It would not be so bad for a man who has already chosen land. If he is already old, life is almost over for him. He must have a well-established life on land by now, and little desire to come back here."
"But what if we cannot save the humans?" Mako said. "Would we expect him to live on the empty land, alone? That is too harsh."
"I will find the cure," Ian said.
Mako took in his certainty, clearly not so sure herself. "I hope that is true, but there is no guarantee."
"If the worst happens," Akami said, "we will offer him a home in Atlantis. I would offer the following restrictions for the council to consider. Argos will be stripped of his name and clan. His time will be spent for the betterment of this city. He will be given a comfortable home and his necessities, but he can never accumulate wealth. There is little chance to have gathered much anyway. These restrictions still grant him the ability to live out his life in peace."
Ian winced at the recommendations. Not the loss of the name Argos, that would bother no one as the label was tainted long ago. His work for the city was merely an extension of what each citizen already did.
But to have no clan was to have no protection in times of need. If Blake had none, neither would his family, even if the Atlantians accepted them in time. Sunny would be clanless until they married, a sorry state to be in.
Once married, she could call on Orca Clan, but that was far less than the protection of the four grandparent's clan an Atlantian woman customarily received. And the rest of Sunny's family would be like driftwood, untethered and wandering, among the people.
Of course, if he succeeded, her family would stay on land and never understand their situation. And if he didn't?
Ian opened his mouth to speak in defense of Blake's family but clamped it shut. He needed the council's first promise to accept Sonora, or they would be in far worse trouble. Now was not the time to inform them that his love was Argos' granddaughter. That could wait until after his successful mission. He would argue for the family later. For now, this was a better outcome than Blake could have hoped for.
Eighteen
Trouble
Chapter Eighteen
After the council meeting, Ian's mother was in tears while his father unsuccessfully tried to hide his long face. Even his sisters cried at his side.
"You have barely arrived home," Aleena groaned as she hugged her son. "How can you be leaving already?"
Ian smiled at her. "I will complete this mission and be home so quickly you will not even notice my absence."
"I recall something similar said at the start of the hunt for Argos, and that took decades," Aleena sniffed and wiped her eyes.
Jorah patted his wife. "It will not be that long, my love. It can't be. Surely the time is soon coming when the cure will need to be used."
Aleena gave Ian one more hug, then stood straight. "Come along, my daughters," she said as she pulled them from Ian's side. "We cannot be so selfish as to wish our happiness over the lives of others. Ian will be back soon and bring his little bride with him."
"I hope so, Mother," Ian said. "There is still some discussion—"
Aleena stepped to Ian and fussed with his clothing. "She will come. How can she turn such a wonderful man down?" She gave Ian a watery smile. "Go on now before I fall apart again."
Later as Ian emerged from the water and walked through the shallows onto the beach, he couldn't say he was disappointed to be back. He was closer to Sonora, and that was always a good thing.
His physical pain eased the closer he got to her. He smiled as he caught the stare of an awestruck little boy who watched his arrival. He tousled the child's hair as he passed by him.
Ian swung his head from side to side to shake the excess water from his dark hair. He started through the parking lot on bare feet to his car, which he had hidden in the nearby park. Inside the vehicle, he had a set of clothes and shoes.
After picking up food, Ian pulled in the drive of his second house, purchased at the start of his mission. A typical seaside condo sitting among a group of vacation rentals, he enjoyed its colorful appearance. After parking his car in the garage, Ian hauled in his groceries while chewing on a piece of roast chicken. As he passed the mail slot on the front door, he kicked the bills and advertisements piled on the floor.
Ian sat the groceries on the countertop and went back to the pile. Picking it up off the tan colored tile, Ian leafed through it. He needed to pay his electric bill. It was past due. The rest was junk. Ian grunted his irritation. It never ceased to amaze him how much unnecessary paper he received when he didn't even really exist in this world.
A low, indistinct sound came from further inside the house. Ian stilled and listened. A car roared by, and the shrieks of children resonated around the neighborhood, but that wasn't what he'd heard. It was more like the light scuff of a shoe or the slight squeak of a door.
Like someone was in the house.
Ian rose and quietly laid the mail on the table as he passed it on his way to the knife drawer. He wrapped his hand around the largest one, tipping a bag of groceries on the counter to cover the noise as he pulled it from its place.
He eyed the front door, walking toward it as lightly as possible. He would leave, disappear in town, and find out who this was later.
Ian made it to the small entry and reached for the door. He eyed the open archways on either side of him, thankful a wall was at his back.
That feeling was short-lived when something brushed against the wall behind him. He swung around as a shiver ran down his spine, only to find it empty.
The other side of the wall then. Ian's heart pounded. A few steps were all that separated them and him. Ian whirled toward the front door and flipped the locks as fast as he could.
The snick of the locks echoed through the house. Footsteps pounded toward Ian as he yanked the door open. A hand shot out behind him, banging the door
shut. Another slammed against the side of his head. Two against one.
Ian swung around, eyeing the attackers. Though not as tall, they were every bit as massive as he was, as if handpicked for the job. His heart sank.
Maneuvering in the small entry, Ian pushed himself against the door, his grip tightened on the knife in his hand. Ian raised it, swinging at the men. They widened the gap between him and them. Ian launched himself off the door, pushing the men back with a swipe of his knife. Both jumped further back.
For a moment, there was a standstill, and Ian recognized these men as the ones who chased him at the wedding. He'd had no idea they were still on his trail.
He had to get out of here, or he'd end up like the others. Just pieces in the sea. As he held the men at bay, Ian looked for his opportunity to escape.
The door behind Ian swung open, knocking him forward toward the first two men. Two more men entered. Something pushed against Ian's arm.
Burning electricity shuddered through him. He groaned but managed to keep on his feet.
The knife clattered to the floor. One of the men kicked it toward the kitchen, where it skittered across the floor and bumped into a cabinet kickboard. And two more men appeared.
Four brawny men surrounded him. Ian's odds were diminishing by the second. Ian threw an elbow into the face of the man behind him and heard a crunch. The assailant yelled and grabbed his bloody nose.
Ian tightened his fist and punched the man in front of him. His head twisted sharply, and he went down with a sigh.
Ian grunted as one of the other two struck a massive blow to his kidney. He twisted and swung at the man, but he jumped away.