34A/N: Sorry for the slow update. I had to finish my other story first.
I'm hoping that future chapters of this story would be longer than this. Thank you everyone for your comments! They made my day.
Chapter 2: The Mission
We hurried through the cobbled streets, through the dark alleyways. Puddles splashed under our feet as we ran. Approaching the main street, our shadows fell behind us, being chased by the glow of the gas lamps. Horses and carriages passed by as we turned from the alley to the main street.
The moon was high, round and luminous. I could smell tea cakes and tobacco in the air as we passed by a busy cafe with a fenced outdoor sitting area. The moon watchers crowded the cafe in their best dresses and suits - for in Port Ashton, moon-watching was a popular social event - undoubtly discussing the superiority or inferiority of this full moon compared to the last full moon over steaming cups of tea. Everyone was a moon connoiseour in those days. Past the cafe, a dark tailor shop and green grocer stood silent. The tobacco shop was still open, I caught glimpses of neat rows of pipes and cigars and a few customers browsing inside.
The hospital rose from a thin, silvered mist at the end of the main street, a dark outline against the moon. Its multiple towers reached out to the nocturnal sky. At this time of the night, most of the hospital's many windows were dark. The Goddess looked down from the arched window above the double door entrance, a mosaic of stained glass, brightly lit from the inside. She wore her tall helmet and a long gown cinched under the breast. She held a spear while her other hand stretched out to us with an open palm.
Ralph led us through the hospital main entrance and through the long arched corridor supported by marble pillars that ended in crisscrossed fans across the ceiling. We passed by a couple of startled night nurses in white gown. Their hair was concealed under a veil.
"Where are we going?" I asked Ralph. "The patient's wing is back there."
"We're not going there. This way," he said.
Bishop and I exchanged glances. We followed Ralph racing down what seemed like never-ending stairs into the basement with a lone door on the other end. "They put him in the basement?" I asked indignantly. Bishop looked around with confusion in his eyes.
"It's not just a basement," Ralph said. "You'll see." He rapped at the door with the brass knocker.
"Aye?" A slot opened on the door and a pair of bleary eyes stared at us. Ralph showed them his badge. I heard the lock being unlatched.
On the other side of the door, there were about a half dozen men in the navy blue uniform of the City Guard sitting around, playing cards.
"This way." Ralph disappeared quickly into another door. "This is the new research lab of The Agency. The Chief had given me permission to take you two here."
"I heard about it," Bishop said. "I didn't think it actually exists."
"It's new," Ralph responded. "It has only been a few months since we set this up."
The room on the other side of the door was cavernous, about twenty feet high, with white-washed walls and grey stone floors. There were centaurs painted on the ceiling in golden paint and bright colours, depicting what I assumed centaurs liked to do, which according to the paintings, were shooting arrows, reading, writing, watching the stars and performing all kinds of alchemy experiments. Funny, but there wasn't any picture of them grazing. Unlike horses, centaurs apparently didn't graze.
Long wooden tables were scattered haphazardly around the room. Some of them were dotted with cauldrons and candles, while the rest had microscopes and assorted glass beakers. Along the walls, there were shelves brimming with thick volumes, dried plants and jars with yellowing liquid in them. I caught glimpses of eyeballs, organs, a fetus or some sort with coiled-up tail and six limbs, suspended in those glass jars.
Then I spotted the water tank in the farthest corner, surrounded by men and women in black robes. They were watching the creature inside the tank and jotting down notes. My heart skipped. "Is that Ben?" I asked as I stepped closer.
The were-crocodile seemed to be sleeping. His bulging eyes were closed, his chest cavity swelled and shrunk. His limbs looked more like human arms and legs covered in tough scales, bent at the elbows and knees. Long, sharp claws curled at the end of the fingers and toes.
"Ben?" I said. "Can you hear me?"
"He has been sedated," Ralph replied. "He can't hear you."
I asked, "Can we turn him back?" Ben had been bitten by a were-croc while he and Ralph followed me in my search for the Tide Jewel.
Ralph's fingertips touched the glass. "We think he should be this way only during full moon." He checked his pocket watch. "He should turn back in six hours."
"If only I wasn't so determined to find that damn Tide Jewel, this wouldn't happen," I said.
"You did what you had to do," Ralph returned. "Ben got bitten because he was trying to protect me remember?"
It didn't sit well with me. "Is there anything I can do?"
Ralph shook his head. "We are doing all we can to find the cure." He gestured his hand at the robed men and women. "I...I just want to show you. Before you go..."
"Is he in pain?" I asked, dreading the answer.
Ralph hesitated for a second or two before he finally said, "Not anymore."
"There must be something I can do," I muttered.
A hand on my shoulder. "What we should do now is to see the Chief," Bishop said. He sounded awfully calm. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out just fine, Mark."
#
I had secretly called the Chief's office, "The Room of Thousands Flowers Torture".
Because everything in that room, from the chairs, the draperies, the wallpaper, down to the carpet, were covered in floral patterns, in orchestrated chaos of bright pink, pale yellow and bottle green. There were lamps everywhere in that room, so that every chintzy pattern was lit gloriously for us to see. My eyes felt like they were bleeding. Never underestimate the feminine touch.
Chief McCormick reigned behind her gigantic desk. She looked like someone's grandmother with her silver hair pulled into a simple bun and a pair of reading glasses rested on her nose. Her skin was like the pages of an antique book – almost translucent, fragile, cracked in places. There were fine, spidery lines around her eyes and mouth. Her green eyes were alert. As soon as Bishop and I sat down, she said, "I assume you have visited Novitius Cross?"
Bishop started, "We're sorry, Chief. I know you said that-"
"Yes," I said.
A soft, rhythmical hiss came from a corner, from the auto-scriptor, a personal telegram machine. It looked like a bust of a woman on a pedestal. She was all brass, with swept-back, wing-like hair. Her chin tilted up, imploring with pupil-less eyes, while her arms were outstretched, offering a typewriter. Several pipes, also made of brass, came out of the pedestal and disappeared into the wall behind it. There was a slot, underneath the arms, out of which, a sheet of paper was slowly spilling out.
The Chief smiled at me. "I thought that you would like to see him before you leave on your next assignment."
The auto-scriptor dinged, as it spat out a paper with a message on it. As soon as the note fell into a tray placed in front of the machine, it started to chug away another one. The Chief rose slowly from her chair and went to fetch her messages. She walked with a little limp, aided by a cane - a plain, dark wood walking stick.
I heard Bishop asked, "What's the emergency?"
"You are to leave tonight to Architeunia. A ship is waiting for you at the dock," she said as she returned to her place behind the desk. "The Architeunians have asked for our assistance in finding the missing Ink of Kraken. Your other, more important, task is to find Her Royal Highness Princess Geneva."
Bishop asked, "Our crown princess?"
"Yes, Her Royal Highness had travelled to that kingdom for a diplomatic visit and disappeared along with the Ink."
"Chief," I said. "I think Bishop and I should stay and work on a cure for Ben."
"No," she replied as she read her message. "You are to leave as soon as possible-"
"Why not?" I tried to reason. "There are other hunters in The Agency. Send them. I want to stay."
"Because Architeunian Royal Advisor, Lord Freyr, has specifically requested Magister Knight." She peered at me above her reading glasses. "Tell me, are you a physician, Novitius Seamus?"
"No."
She turned aside so her profile faced us and started to drum her fingers on the table. "Are you a scholar of human body and mind perhaps?"
"No, but-"
The drumming got louder. "An old magic scholar? Or the new magic scientist?"
"No." I slumped into my chair.
The drumming stopped. Her fingers hovered before quietly landed on the desk. "So what exactly do you think you can do for Novitius Cross?"
"I-I don't know. Yet. But I'll think of something." I stared at my hands on my lap. There must be something I could do.
"We'll pack and leave as soon as possible, Chief," Bishop said, rising from his chair.
"Wait. Wait a minute." I looked at Bishop in disbelief. "Don't tell me that you think the Agency's mission is more important than our friend?"
"There is nothing we can do here, Seamus." He sighed and sat back down. "There is work to be done and-"
The Chief cut Bishop off, "You shall go at once or I'll assign another partner for Magister Knight. It's your choice."
I wavered. On one hand I wanted to be here for Ben. But on the other hand, I couldn't possibly let Bishop go on his own. I glanced at Bishop. He wasn't looking at me. He kept his face straight and his eyes down to his hands folded on his lap.
Sorry Ben. "I'll go," I said. "You don't need to assign another partner for Bishop, Chief."
She nodded. "Good. Now, the Architeunians may tell you that Her Highness had something to do with the missing Ink. Whatever you found, Her Highness' disappearance is not related to the missing artifact, do you understand?"
I said, "What will happen if we find a connection between the princess and the Ink?"
She reached for her quill pen, dipped it in ink and started to scratch some notes. "We stand behind Her Highness. She had no use for any Architeunian artifact. Her disappearance is distressing to all of us and completely unrelated to the missing Ink."
I pressed on, "But what if we find out otherwise? The Architeunians deserve to know the truth, don't they?"
She frowned at me. "I haven't reprimanded you for going off to find the Tide Jewel without the Agency's permission, have I? Do I have to do that Novitius Seamus?"
That didn't make sense whatsoever. "What does that have anything to do with this assignment?"
"I'm asking if you can play by the rules." She held my eyes calmly.
My stomach heated up. This was the ugly face of The Agency. They would do anything to maintain the facade of the Royal Family. But when a hunter couldn't or was unwilling to toe the official line, he would be tossed to the side without second thought, thrown under a carriage so to speak. It didn't matter that he had put his life on the line to do his job. The Agency viewed hunters like Ben, my grandpa or I as expendable. "But-"
"He can, Chief. He will," Bishop interjected. "I'll make sure of it."
"Very well. He is your responsibility," she responded. To me she said, "Your senior partner has put his unblemished record on the line for you, do you understand Novitius Seamus?"
"Yes," I gritted my teeth, trying hard to keep my rage inside.
"Good. You are dismissed. Happy voyage."
I stood up quickly and stormed out of the Chief's office, blood drumming in my ears. I heard Bishop calling my name. I stopped and turned. I needed to take my anger on someone and Bishop was a convenient target. "I can't believe you! How could you say such things? Isn't Ben your friend?"
Those cool eyes. They seemed so unaffected. "You heard Ralph," Bishop said. "They have people working on the cure. We are going to be in their way if we stay."
"I can't believe you can be so calm," I railed as I paced in the corridor. The office was deserted at this time of the night. "He is our friend and...and..." Oh crap. I leaned against the wall. "And it's my fault."
"No, it's not," Bishop argued. "It's not your fault."
"Yes, it is," I argued back. "You are just saying that to make me feel better."
"No, I am not." He reached into his jacket and withdrew his gold pocket watch. He flicked the lid of the watch open and checked for time. "We should hurry. We still have to pack. And we have to check on the twins. They said they weren't feeling well."
I couldn't get over his crisp, precise tone. Does he not feel anything?
"Come now." He captured my elbow and guided me away. "We must not waste anymore time."
It took us around twenty minutes on foot to reach our dorm. We headed straight to the stable. The first thing I noticed was that the twins didn't seem as lively. Instead of their usual prancing and mane tossing, they were just standing in their pen with their heads down. And for once, Demetrius actually sat down.
Bishop asked, "How are you two feeling?"
Terrible, Demetria replied. Our stomachs ache. Badly. She scraped at the ground.
Demetrius rose. I feel like I'm dying, he groaned. He turn his head aside, looking at his own stomach. I feel as if there are little dragons fighting in my belly. Am I dying? There were thick strands of foamy drool dripping from his mouth.
Demetrius, stop drooling so much!
Sorry sis. But I can't help it. Mouth is dry.
"Alright," Bishop said. "You two will stay home this time. I will ask the vet to look at you."
But-but, Master, Demetria neighed. You have never left on a field assignment without us! You can't just leave us here.
"I just want to say," I stared at the stable floor, "That it doesn't feel right to leave Ben like this."
I want to come with you! I promised I won't drool too much, Demetrius spat at us. I brushed the horse drool off my eyes. Oh, sorry, the stallion said. But from his evil eyes I could tell that he wasn't that sorry. I glared at him which he ignored.
Demetrius can stay but take me with you, the mare added. I don't feel sick anymore.
"There must be something we can do," I said. More to myself than to anyone. I raked my brain. There must be something I could do. "Why can't we stay? We have to help Ben."
"Good Goddess!" Bishop shook his head. "I'm surrounded by children." He rubbed his temples, looking as if he was in pain.
"I'm not a child!" I spat.
"Then do your job for Goddess' sake! You said that you would come with me remember?"
My mouth fell open. I couldn't believe he yelled at me!
Looking at the twins, Bishop continued, "You two stay."
You are going to take Two-Legs but you are going to leave me here? Demetria sounded hurt.
"Stay!" Bishop said, his index finger shot up. "And I don't want you to bite the vet, do you hear me?" He softened his voice a little and patted Demetria's neck, "I'll ask the stable boy to feed you cabbages once in a while. And I'll ask the vet to put you on the next ship to Architeunia when you feel better, alright? Be good." Then he grabbed my wrist. "And you! Don't try anything funny. You're coming with me. That's final."
What, in the name of the Goddess, gave him the idea that I would try something funny?
#
It was around midnight when we finally arrived at the dock. The ship which was waiting for us turned out to be an Architeunian war ship. Not the massive, heavily-armed machine like our man-of-war, but a smaller, narrower ship with – I counted – fewer number of gunports. The ship figurehead was a scary-looking, grimacing woman with long fangs. Tentacles sprouted from her waist and arm sockets, twisting like ringlets around the bow. Bride of Kraken, was scripted in gold lettering on the belly of the ship.
"Magister Knight. Welcome to my ship, the Bride," a tall, massive man in his forties, greeted us as we climbed aboard. He had a shaved head and an erect, military-like bearing. The lower part of his face was hidden under neatly trimmed dark moustache and beard.
"Always a pleasure, Lord Erik Freyr." Bishop bowed his head. "This is my junior partner Novitius Marcus Seamus."
"Mr. Seamus..." Lord Freyr started, his head moved slightly up and down.
He was not like any nobleman I had met. He was more like a warrior with his bulbous nose that looked like it had been broken a couple times and didn't get set correctly. His prominent forehead and his bushy eyebrows shadowed his eyes. He wore a stiff grey suit with high collar and double rows of polished brash buttons across his solid chest.
"Just Marcus or Mark please, Your Lordship," I said.
"You are not English," Lord Freyr said. "No. Let me think. Ah yes. Irish?"
"Yes, I am."
"I thought so. Marcus it is then," he said as he stroke his beard slowly. "It sounds better than Mark. Mark is so...common."
Royalties. I struggled not to roll my eyes. Being common was the one thing they were afraid more than anything else it seemed. Following Bishop's example, I lowered my head, "But it would be easier to remember, wouldn't it, my Lord? Since Mark is only one syllable, instead of two?"
As soon as I said that, I wanted to kick myself. I didn't mean to sound insulting. I looked at anything and everything else except at Bishop, knowing full well that he was probably frowning at me.
He probably would lecture me when we were alone on the importance of tact. As if I didn't know that already. It was just that sometimes...my mouth was much faster than my head. My mouth was a man on a horse, while my head was another man riding a bicycle forever trying to catch up with the horse.
Lord Freyr took a couple of steps forward, coming into the lantern light. I looked up to see that he had dark eyes, like bottomless pools of ink. He said, "Do you think I'm a fool, boy?"
"No, my Lord." My face warmed. "I'm sorry."
"Youth," he shook his head at Bishop. "They probably think everyone over forty as foolish."
I protested, "No, that's not what I-"
Lord Freyr raised his hand to stop me. "Well, you must be tired. My ship master will take you to your quarter," he said. "We'll set sail as soon as possible. Perhaps you would join me for breakfast tomorrow?" He turned without waiting for our answer. He didn't have to. His tone suggested that it wasn't a request. With his hands clasped behind his back, Lord Freyr kept his chin up as he climbed the stairs towards the helm.
A/N 2: If you are wondering where the name of Architeunia came from, it's from Architeuthis (Giant squid).