The Unreached Duchy

Chapter31

“It was?” Serdar Neruda’s eyes light and actually looked at Namtao full in his face “Are you sure?”

“Yes Serdar, I’ve heard the drum beating like that before. I’m not sure the ship is docked, the main reason for our haste home is the water surface Serdar.” Namtao replied honestly.

“What about the water surface Hoplite Namtao?”

“The tide is moving away from the shore. Tomorrow is the 20th, and the new moon; that is, if I’m not mistaken.” Namtao replied, slightly afraid of having misspoken to his Commanding Officer “Is it possible that the ship is just stranded?”

“It is a possibility but not likely. You are correct about the date, I had forgotten tomorrow is the new moon. We will remain vigilant until the ship is out of Makara’s waters. That is all Hoplite Namtao.” Serdar Neruda said as he turned and headed towards the coral lines.

When he was out of ear shot of the group, the girls swam up to join Namtao; Senara on his left and Rusalka on his right. Namtao spoke first, in a low tone so only the girls could hear him. “I told you that would happen. At least he didn’t say anything about my promotion.” Namtao chuckled and started to lead the way “Let’s go home.”

“Is anyone up for a possible game tomorrow? We’re all off for a little bit and it might help us all to relax after today.” Senara said hoping to take her two companions minds off of what the Serdar had just said; but she noticed that Rusalka had turned her face surface ward and didn’t seem to be hearing her at all, which made Senara frown.

“I wish I could, but I’m officially on duty starting sunrise tomorrow because we’re less than two weeks from the next Transform Ceremony. I’m not sure how many humans have decided to become transform this time, but I’ve heard there’s at least 1.” Namtao said solemnly “But you girls could play? I just got a new set that I haven’t even opened yet.”

“I’ll have to see how I feel at sunrise. The ache in my lungs has left and I hope the impending storm doesn’t make it return.” Rusalka said, as she continued looking up. Namtao and Senara joined her at this point.

“It’s a good thing, we’re home already.” Senara said with a frown on her face “I hope you’re right about the ache not coming back. The storm on the other hand is starting now though.” Just then, the rain could be heard hitting the surface of the water and the wind could be heard howling from above the surface. “It sounds like it’s going to be a hurricane.”

A terrible sound could be heard through the town. A terrible, crashing sound followed by people screams and the Mimas screeching.

“I’ve escorted you both home, as promised. Now I have to go to work. That’s the horrible sound of a shipwreck. Stay here that way I know you’re both safe.” Namtao said as he turned, and took off at scale peeling speed to join the other Hoplites getting orders from Serdar Neruda in the town square.

Every available Hoplite was sent to the shipwreck, which was right outside the town, with the orders that every human was to be brought back at all costs. Namtao joined the other Hoplites heading to the shipwreck; there were only twenty-four Hoplites in the entire town available to go so the Serdar had no choice but to let Namtao go to the site.

Over the next two days, Namtao tried to not think about the humans that were involved in the shipwreck. Senara and Rusalka became very concerned because normally when Namtao is focused on work, he is still very sociable with them. This time it was different, this shipwreck had changed him and the girls didn’t know why. But that didn’t stop them from trying to understand their male counterpart’s ways of thinking while they played a couple rounds of Senet.

“I wonder what happened on the rescue that has caused Nam to be so distant from us” Rusalka said as she sorted some of Namtao’s newest Senet tiles on the lava table in her kitchen.

“I’m not sure.” Senara replied, “I wonder if it has anything to with the chest that fell near you both. What were you two whispering about when I found you?” she inquired.

“Honestly, we weren’t whispering about anything. I was simply scared. I had been stuck on that wooden paddle with a feeling in my lungs that I have never felt before and then that chest fell from the water’s surface. I didn’t know what to think or to do. He was simply acting like a Hoplite and a brother.” Rusalka replied, while she pretended to study 1 of the new tiles; she knew that if she looked Senara in the eyes that Senara would be able to tell she has lying.

The whole truth is that they had been whispering and Rusalka had a suspicion that Namtao might have wanted to do more than just hold her tight while they swam home before Senara got there. Then again, that might have just been Rusalka’s wishful thinking because she had been thinking more about Namtao and she had been simply been shrugging her thoughts off.

Either way, Rusalka had decided to not mention it to Namtao around Senara because it was just much to weird of a conversation for all three of them to be having.

“You should really be checked out at the Infirmary Rus.” Senara was saying snapping Rusalka out of her daydream. “You could be seriously injured and we’re sitting here playing Senet.”

“Yes I should be looked over at the Infirmary, but I have no idea if the Infirmary is even usable at the moment from the Mount Avesta’s eruption. I know that Namtao said that it was a pretty bad hurricane that struck Caserma too.” Rusalka said as she gingerly rubbed her rib cage before taking her turn.