Where another move is planned alongside the already existing ones to stop the attack Lord Raymond was revealed to do to most of the unsuspecting monsters of Lisbon.

No one's POV:
-

He couldn't sleep anymore.

He couldn't just stay behind like this.

He slowly woke up and got off his bed.

The worry and the relentless thoughts were doing this. His bare feet felt the soft and warm carpet underneath. But despite that, a chill wave from the barely open window then, made him shiver. He wrapped his arms around himself and walked towards the window to close it. Then, he started walking around the room fast, thinking.

???'s POV:
-

"I have to go there too. I must help Sir Vincent. What if he doesn't arrive on time in Lisbon? What if Raymond prevents to execute the monsters? So little time until the sun appears again-! what's the time?" I look at the clock on the wall. "FOUR IN THE MORNING?! Stars, so little time indeed-!" I stop and inhale. "Panic never truly helped anyone. Relax." I exhale. "Yeah, much better. What should I do? How do I go there fast? Could I even use some help? But what animal is awake at that time? The owls aren't fast enough-."

"If only you could be more confident, you wouldn't get confused in your own thoughts."

Confident. *sigh* These second thoughts… by that they mean for me to stop being my cowardly self and listen to the part I don't want to let it appear. First from my great grandfather. Then my grandfather. Last but not least… my dad. And now… me.

How and why did I manage to inherit… these genes from so long ago?

"Do you prefer to stay in one place trying to still decide what to do? You do know, but you're just a coward at the moment. What if the boat isn't fast enough to take your Master in Lisbon on time? Will you let the monsters of Lisbon perhaps die by the very human who killed your dad amongst so many others? H e k i l l e d Vibe. H e k i l l e d Crane. If not for Vincent you would end up in the monster afterlife to join them. Will you stay here like a sitting duck, or, will you show some audacity, go there, delay Raymond and rub to his face the monster laws? Master has authority over him but with the laws you can get him in really big trouble."

For once, I listen to the little other part of me willingly. That's right! The laws. Raymond will interfere immediately on the first day of a 3 day break after a monster marriage! That is violation of monster laws. And when our laws break, then, we can react as the king of the humans of Lisbon allowed us!

He might not pay much attention or want to interfere with us after the 3 Aces fell, but at least he still gives punishments to whoever is caught for messing with the monsters. After all, we're still useful for him, whether he really likes us or not. Tch. I clench my fists and determined walk for my closet.

I open it and kneel. I hold my special bag out and leave it on the bed. Then I unhang some of my best clothes, start folding them neatly and put them in the bag too. An idea pops in my head. For a moment hesitation keeps me frozen as I stare at the door of my room. But I shake it off.

No hesitations this time! After all it will be needed. It will be useful! I exit and walk down the corridor with steps as quiet as possible. I better not teleport. It's not like I don't know where my destination is. But it's just my inability to focus on where I want to be exactly, everytime. And I would only end up making a lot of noise accidentally.

As if walking wasn't difficult enough by itself. Being sickly definitely does a lot to me. I arrive in front of Master's office and enter. After all, the door is burned down. Half of the office is. I pinch the base of my nose. Troublesome guy. And he had the guts to not try explain himself what happened to Master's office.

The poor excuse of simply playing with a candle and just "Fire happened then.", Is not convincing. Whatever. Forget it. I enter the office and walk straight for the still intact little library Master has. Luckily what I'm looking for is on a low shelf, because I'm tiny. Hiding amongst many other books is the one I want.

I pull it out and put it in my bag. It might seem small, but it holds a power so big, Raymond will pull out his hair out of frustration and anger once I read it to him. Because he thought he burned all of its kind. But Master knows better, that one is never enough. I'm talking about the monster laws and traditions.

And they're all in this little book. Each and every single one of them. The book has the stamp of the King of Lisbon himself after Master asked him privately to do so, that's why Raymond will have to stop and will be screwed beyond belief if he proceeds with his sadistic plans. I wonder why Master didn't take it as an extra help. Anyways. Hee hee~.

I can't wait to see his face turning yellow from anger when I rub this book on his face😈. All pleasure from this will be mine. But for me to do that, I must be there… I'm really sorry little ones… Master's children I mean and the other one we have as guest as his parents, Pyros Infernal and Miss Atalanta are on Lisbon doing their duty as guards.

Vincent putted me in charge, but I just can't stay here. I must help my way. Hopefully the other… that 'firestarter' handles the situation and all things as I tried to plan won't backfire. Maybe I should write him a note. Yes. No turning back now.

Feeling much more confident and ready, I wear my bag and exit Master's office. Let's be honest. It is angry and personal that I want to go to Lisbon too. Raymond has done a lot of unforgivable stuff and is about to cross the line once again.

No one's POV:
-

The mansion's door opened quietly as the figure of a small skeleton exited and closed it behind him quietly. He took a deep breath and his bare feet drowned in the soft sand, as mentioned, the mansion was build near the sea. He walked towards the water and small particles of it hitted him on his face.

He looked at his hands, membranes between his fingers had formed. The wave that striked down and approached him almost touched his feet and he stopped exactly at the right time before that could happen. He sat down and took off his bag.

Then, slowly he undressed, staying completely bare with the only witnesses being the stars and the still dark sky. His scarred, marked and cracked body was exposed in the night, but he didn't bother to think of this now. He packed the clothes with the ones he had put in a while ago and took out something small.

Then he wore again his bag, closed it and after he made sure it was well secured he crawled towards the water. The new wave attacked him gently and soon the skeleton's legs changed color, length, form. A dark yellow tail of a fish's with a cyan line spiralling around it appeared.

The bag despite splashed by the water, didn't seem to get affected. Waterproof. But the little monster didn't emerge in the sea further. He putted the little object he had taken out of his back in his mouth and took a deep breath ready to blow. It looked like a pipe.

"I don't have the 'luxury' call a dolphin, one really fast animal…" He thought as he closed his eyesockets and blew air in that little pipe. He opened again his eyesocket. "But at least I have the help of another kind of dolphin, bigger and a little slower but loyal to me." He opened his eyesockets. "Salpico!" He called.

A long black flap emerged from the water a few seconds after the skeleton spoke out loud but quietly as it approached near the land on a stable medium pace. Soon except from a flap, a big black and white body rose up a little. Water flew out of somewhere near the flap like a jet.

A black pointy muzzle turned towards the skeleton. And then, a huge mouth full of pointy teeth opened, revealing in the dark of the night, also a light yellow tongue. The creature let out a squeaking sound, almost a whistle, which would mean nothing for the most. But for the skeleton it was words with meaning.

"You called me young Noko?"

As the skeleton called him, that was Salpico. An orca whale.

~

After all 3 wars between sirens and mermaids, most animals had taken the sirens' side. But if you remember, not all of them. A few animals took the mermaids' side and supported them no matter what. In the era the main adventure takes place, the relationships between the animals with the sirens or mermaids were not just alliances.

After all no big war had broke out in the ocean ever since the mermaids conquered the siren kingdom. The relationships are something between the animals being servants of the sirens or mermaids and between having true friendship. Whatever animal is loyal to the sirens, when they're called, they will help.

These relationships between them however are considered more neutral and not really mutual. But between mermaids and animals loyal to them, even the sirens or deniers that say mermaids know no empathy can't ignore the fact that there is a much bigger and stronger friendship bond here.

The mermaids have a deeper respect and understanding of the animals and the other way around. Many mermaids have 1 or 2 or even sometimes more than 3 animals not just as their servants to help in every need but as close friends.

The animals loyal to the mermaids are treated with more and obvious love than the ones loyal to the sirens. Not like the latter are in an abusive bond, anything but that. It's just they do not bond as close with them as the mermaids do.

In exchange, the animals loyal to the mermaids even if they look so creepy, dangerous and threatening (go back to the "An old story narrated in dreams, the fall of the depths" chapter to see again which animals stayed loyal to the mermaids), they love and respect deeply their masters.

Interestingly enough, even the corrupted mermaids of the siren kingdom, not the ones that avoided the curse by growing up on land, even these creatures that seem to have lost all good from their souls are still in very good terms with their animals.

Maybe after all, they are their only exception to allow affection and care, only for them. They never forgot that even when they lost all 3 wars, their animals sticked with them and kept serving them even with their curse. Now the animals hadn't gotten infected by the curse.

But the ones loyal to the mermaids never stopped serving them, who were still, if not as affectionate as before, busy dealing with their plans to rule the whole world, at least generous and considerate of their animals. Now the mermaids that grew on land, all sea animals were avoiding even them.

Except from the ones loyal to them but also the animals on land and the ones that could fly. Despite raised by the landlubbers and learning their ways of life, the land mermaids never forget their aquatic nature and still can grow friendship bonds with the sea animals that doesn't avoid them.

~

The skeleton crawled deeper in the sea and the orca whale fearlessly. Until he was in a good depth, he moved his tail and swam towards the animal. He placed his hands on the creature's muzzle and pressed his forehead against the other's.

"Salpico, I want you to take me somewhere far. I ask for too much, but even though as a mermaid I can swim faster, not even a mile distance I will collapse. My condition won't allow me. You know I'm sickly."

"Nothing is a big distance when I have to do something for you." Salpico whistled rubbing gently his muzzle against the skeleton's forehead. "Tell me where I need to take you and I'll do it!" Sometimes the loyalty of the orca towards the young skeleton was close to bring him to tears. But he held them back.

"Thank you." The skeleton smiled lightly. "Do you think you can take and leave me outside Lisbon's port before the sun rises?"

"I can and I will! I'll call a few from the pack for escort. Sea travelling at night is not safe when you are alone or with very little company. How many should I call? You know everyone from my pack would even die for you to help!"

"Thank you amigo." The skeleton nodded. "Let's do this."

Soon in the dark of the night a parade of 8 orca whales were swimming fast ahead whistling and squeaking all together. The skeleton, tied on Salpico's flap and arms wrapped around it to not get thrown and drifted away from the full 55km per hour speed the animals were all swimming with, had his eyesockets closed, not to sleep, but simply think.

After all there was nothing interesting to see when he and the orcas were a few meters beneath the water's surface. He let slowly the last worries for leaving the duty Bernard had assigned him with, drift away with the water that was stirred by the tails of his escort.

He gave his faith that the other would take care of everything for a while after reading the letter, despite his mermaid side opposed and told him that he was worth keep under his watch 4 children for a day, as much as he was worth to keep an office unburnt. He shook head left and right. But it wasn't easy not to worry.

"I'm not worried for Cobalt and Monsoon. They're responsible and can take care of themselves. I'm a little worried for the other, that little half-mermaid menace with the temper of his mom." His expression suddenly darkened and he sighed, bubbles being made. "But the little one… oh, poor boy. He's the youngest and something troubles him, unable to sleep. He often asks for his mother and I can't blame him. But the Lady has to do her work. She has to be away because she has no other choice. Ah- cruel, just cruel. They separate a child from his mom, ending up spending so little time together. And no one can replace that bond. Sir… he is more attentive to him. But the boy doesn't seem to appreciate that as much as being with his mom. Oh stars… even more cruel is the act we all play at his expense. How long will this go on? How long until he finds out or rather until he starts listening to what his soul really says-?"

"Decans." Salpico's voice brought the skeleton back to his senses. He opened his eyesockets and realised that the orcas had slowed down. "You're clenching my flap way too tight. Are you feeling dizzy? Do you want me to stop?"

"Speed up!" He suddenly said sharply and strictly, a quiet inner hiss escaping also. But he shook head left and right. His mermaid genes had found the chance to act up.

"Ah… I'm sorry…" Salpico said slowly. He sounded surprised and even though he was trying to hide it, he was also a little sad. Decans, because it was him all this time in case you hadn't realise by now or don't remember, ran his hand on the animal's forehead.

"You did nothing wrong. I'm not dizzy Sal. I'm sorry. I was thinking intensively and didn't realise I was clenching your flap. Keep going. There is not much time and we must hurry." He said a lot calmer and looked around at his escort. Soon him and the 8 orcas were again swimming at high speed in the dark waters of the night.

2950 words.

:0

the miracle has happened!

a chapter less than 3000 words! :D

2950 words! :D :D :D

on monday, university starts for me once again. so far as the results of my winter exams tell me, i have failed on one course. haha, weee :'D. not something i was not expecting though. welp, i can write that exam on september again.

and the next monday after that first week of university, a certain february girl has her birthday like dust boy has his today (if it's 11 of february for ya, you just live on very different timezones) and baby goth had his on 2 of february 😄. i become 20 on 20 of february! weee!

one of the best presents has been collected throughout the year: except from the cute adorable baby readers who encourage with their presence, comments and votes this fanfiction to keep going, more are coming to stick around this account of mine. thank you guys.

and goodbye. see ya on the next chapter