The Lost Secret of the Silver Sea

Chapter 19: Restless Night

‘Dinner’ was a mostly quiet affair, save for the low muttering between Ford and his son and the sound of forks knocking on the ceramic plate. It’d taken a couple of tries for the young royal to get a hang on holding the item but eventually Hartley discretely tapped him on his side and exaggerated the grip and movements a couple times silently. Thankfully, Ford had been occupied but the little device, a phone, in his hand for a few seconds so their little operation went unnoticed.

            It was much different than the gathering Kaelonne would have with his family in the evenings. There would usually be more jokes and antics passing across the table from Falkon and himself, while his father and Idris attempted, and failed, to chat about the proceedings of the day. On the days Eirian, his mother and all the heads of the jobs attended, the noise and laughter would be contagious to all would were nearby.

            This, however, was quant and quiet. It would be absolutely enjoyable if it weren’t for the layer of tension that seemed to settle over the room like a blanket. Kaelonne felt uncomfortable as he believed he was in the right to say that he was the cause of this tension.

            The easy way that Ford and Hartley handled themselves made it even clearer that he was somewhat of an intruder in their home territory, but he found it difficult to excuse himself from the one place that had provided him with a sense of comfort for the first time in a month. So, he sat at the table awkwardly and allowed himself to be slightly selfish as he leaned ever so slightly closer to Hartley’s personal space.

            The night’s rest was even worst, if possible. Hartley had guided him after a soft permission of dismissal to an unoccupied room, a ‘guest’ room, he’d called. It was bare compared to Hartley’s room, the painting on the walls were lifeless and held no meaning, pictures of places Hartley himself didn’t know of. The dressing table didn’t hold any memorable ‘knick-knacks’ and the sheets carried no scent of ‘cologne’.

            After a stuttered goodnight and some awkward explanations from the young human, Kaelonne was left to his own ‘devices’, as the saying went. The darkness of the room felt overwhelming without the presence of another and after getting accustomed to sleeping under the stars for the last two weeks, the room felt too small.

            Despite the unfamiliar softness of the bed, it left him tossing and twisting for most of the night before he gave up and sat next to the open window. It overlooked the somewhat quiet street, where people walked the paved sides and cars flashed their lights. The window was cool as he placed his head on it, staring blankly at starless skies.

            Eventually, he grew tired of brightness, yearning for the nights back at home when the quiet was a comfort and the sea animals roamed with whispered movements. His minds was restless, almost buzzing in its attempt to ignore all the thoughts that rolled through it. Kaelonne rubbed at his newly healed injuries absentmindedly.

            He didn’t want to wake the young human who’d already been subjected to his presence for most of the evening and night and he most definitely didn’t want to wake the other occupant of the house, but he did not enjoy the idea of spending much more time in the dark room.

            With quiet steps and tense breaths, he made his way to the door, walking down the corridor with the least amount of noise as possible. Now that he didn’t have an immediate quest to accomplish, he took the time to watch the pictures on the wall. It displayed the general same people over and over, Ford was often seen beside a woman his age, her eyes crinkled from smiling.

            Hartley was a little harder to spot, but there were a few pictures where a person with similar looks, a girl, stood beside Ford and the other woman. Kaelonne replayed the conversation in his mind about the first proper conversation he had with the young human.

“I’m male, by the way, I mean, I wasn’t born male or anything, but I go my male pronouns… I’m probably confusing you a little aren’t I.”

            He refused to make any assumptions without Hartley’s confirmations but he can admit that the human looked quite beautiful in either form, his grace reminded him of Cassian in a way, the way he carried himself with firm shoulders and a sturdy back.

            The pictures left him with more questions than answers, so he eventually gave up on his endeavour and explored a little more of the house. He was careful to be quiet, unwilling to wake the owner of the house with no viable explanation as to why he was going through their stuff.

            Eventually, his musing lead him to the place they were eating just a few hours prior. With his heart hurting and his body tired, he sat on the stairs and leaned on the railings with a sigh. He was exhausted, that much was true, but he hadn’t been quite able to let himself rest as much as he should of.

            He’d probably sat there for about an hour, just listening to the sounds of cars driving down the road and the ticking of the clock in the room not far from him when footsteps startle him out of his daze. At first, he’d assumed that they were Hartley’s, but the heavier gait had him rushing to unsteady legs with an apology on his lips.

            “No need, sorry to startle you kid.’ Ford smiled kindly, raised his hands him in the universal sign to showed that he meant no harm. “It’s fine, you can remain seated.”

            Kaelonne moved himself closer to the railing with no words, watching as the older human quietly passed beside him and headed for the kitchen with little more words. He watched through the spaces in the railing at the human moving around the space with the familiarity of someone who had been accustomed to the space for quite some time.

            Eventually, the human looks over at him and nods his head in the direction of the table. Kaelonne looks at him wearily before he walks over slowly, taking the seat that Ford offers to him. A warm cup of liquid was placed in front of him as Ford took the other seat.

            He eyes it half-wearily before he mimics the other human and takes a sip out of it, eyes widening as the unfamiliar drink spread a warmth throughout him. It was slightly too sweet, a taste he was yet trying to get accustomed to, but it did not burn him despite the warning of steam raising from the rim of the cup. He almost asked what sort of sorcery it was but remembered Hartley’s short conversation in the lab about magic being something they didn’t quite use.

            Magic was not a common thing back at home, don’t get him wrong, he himself didn’t understand it as well as he should as a researcher, but he understood its beliefs among the Mermatians and respected it. Many a time, there were Mermatians said to be gifted with the ‘powers’ of foresight, being held in high regard as a sacordas, or in human’s term, priest or priestess.

It was a fascinating thing to allowed to witness as the young scientist believed in the idea that the life force, that is magic, could tested and researched. Kaelonne had learned the hard way not to upset the older folks about his thoughts on how magic and research wasn’t to dissimilar.

            Ford let his cup clink gently on the table, pulling Kaelonne out of his musing. “So, what seems to be troubling you at this late hour?”