The Unreached Duchy

Chapter 21

“Gratitude Hoplite,” Kahaku said with a slight bow of his head, “much gratitude.” Kahaku turned and walked back into the crowd towards where he left his tool chest.

Namtao didn’t say anything as he watched the Antero Vipunen walk away, he simply turned around and went back to the MerWay. Just as he was about to reenter the MerWay; the Yilbegan Trirmeme officers arrived looking for Namtao and the other Hoplites, who were easy to spot with their Tridents glistening as the sky was lit up with lightning strikes.

As the Century of Yilbegan landed on one of the rafts tied in the MerWay, Namtao was back in the water heading towards them with Titian following along on the land. The other Hoplites that had been scattered around the Brazen doing patrols were soon clustered together in a group around the Yilbegan Century that had just arrived with news of the other islands and new orders hopefully.

The Tagmatarkhis that was clearly in charge of the Yilbegan Century looked around at the group of Hoplites that had gathered before him with the Yilbegan gathering behind him.

“I bring news of Lemuria and Pyanepsion, I also bring orders. First I need to know who is in charge here. King Hun has requested a progress report on the Caserma and a detailed report of what happened along the way to the Brazen.”

Namtao swam forward, putting himself slightly in front of the Merfolk Hoplites in the MerWay before speaking. “I am in charge here. I’m Hoplite Namtao. Which report would you like for me to give you first Tagmatarkhis?”

“What happened before you evacuated the work site will suffice for both actually Hoplite. I’m sure leaving was not the first option you sought.” The Tagmatarkhis said with a slightly demeaning tone that Namtao did not care for but as a Tagmatarkhis; Namtao was outranked severely so he could not say anything without being demoted.

“Of course Tagmatarkhis.” Namtao replied as respectfully as he could muster. “The decision to evacuate was decided after ice balls started falling from the sky. The animals, both wild and domesticated, started to revolt and refuse to do any work. The animals that were not attached to a cart or connected to a person, all dispersed for the interior of the island at a very alarming rate. Animals that usually do not associate with each other were giving each other aide to get away from the Caserma and head for the interior of the island. It was at that point that I sent my Colo colo up into the air to see what the commotion was about, along with the Yilbegan Hoplites that were at the work site. It was then that the intensity of the storm was discovered and the decision to head for here was made.” Namtao recounted to his superior.

“Understandable.” The Yilbegan Tagmatarkhis stated, while stroking his blue beard, “I am curious about who gave the order to send the Yilbegan back to Mount Avesta?”

“The decision was made to send everyone where they would be safest. That meant sending the Yilbegan and anyone who can withstand the volcano heat to Mount Avesta once the safest places were decided upon. The rest of us have been waiting here for further instructions in the safety of the Brazen.” Namtao said in his most authoritative voice he could buster, he knew he sounded a bit subordinate and he was about to cross a very thin line with the dragon-born giant that stood before him.

“Indeed. Well,” the dragon-born giant stated, “The hurricane went back out to sea and disappeared almost as fast as it appeared. The citizens on all of the islands are safe. However, there was another shipwreck out at sea. All available Trirmeme are to assist with search and rescue at the shipwreck; while everyone else is to return to the Caserma and continue the work there.”

Namtao nodded with a slight bow to the Tagmatarkhis, “Of course Sir.” Turning to the Hoplites under his command, Namtao raised his Trident to garner their attention and bellowed, “All able citizens are to return to the Caserma, all able Trirmeme are to go to the shipwreck caused by the storm!”

All at once, the Trirmeme under Namtao’s command started to untie the rafts while everyone else started to get on the rafts and start down the pathways back to the work site at Caserma.

The Tagmatarkhis and his Yilbegan Century started to jump into the air and take off in the air towards the shipwreck site to give aide from the air.

“Gratitude for the orders and information Tagmatarkhis!” Namtao yelled up to his superior officer who was now airborne. The Yilbegan simply nodded and flew off in the same direction the others had gone. Just as he had, the Yilbegan Hoplites that Namtao had ordered back to Mount Avesta landed on The Brazen banks and started grabbing raft ropes to pull the rafts back down to the Caserma before also heading to the shipwreck site.

SENARA THE MERMAID

Senara could tell by Rusalka’s tone that she was hiding something but she wasn’t about to pry into her best friend’s thoughts, not just yet. Rusalka had just been through a terrifying ordeal a few days before when Senara had found her with their other best friend so it was possible that Namtao had just been whispering calming words to Rusalka after he investigated the chest. Senara wasn’t able to say if she would have been as calm as Rusalka was when she found them if Senara had been stuck on a wooden paddle on her birthday.

It was almost time for Alaiceaus and there was another shipwreck caused by another hurricane. Senara was supposed to escort two humans from Boedromion to Thargelion for the Transformation Ceremony, one had chosen to become a Fir Bolg and the other had chosen to become a Basajaun. Senara’s understanding was that the two humans were rescued from the same ship, that they were siblings, and that Namtao was the Hoplite who pulled one of them from the water.