” How’s that Boshu doing? I wonder what is taking so long for his wounds to heal. Is it that serious? ”
Lin asked serving Xie his favorite drink as they sat in his room, discussing their next steps.
Xie spit the drink out.
” Careful. Careful! What happened? ”
” Don’t even talk about that sly bird in front of me. ”
Xie slammed the desk.
” What happened? What did he do? ”
Lin was clueless.
” I saw him all over my sister. With my own two eyes. ”
This time Lin spat his drink out.
” Boshu? With Roe? Seriously? That bird with a she wolf. ”
He was all over the floor, when Xie retorted, ” Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. ”
” That’s why she wasn’t tailing behind you this time. ”
Lin tried getting a grip on himself.
“Who? Roe? She went after some suspects. ”
” Suspects? What crime? When? ”
” It’s our state affair. She went right after that evil spirit arrived. ” Xie didn’t want to divulge much.
“Hhmm, there is something I had wanted to share with you. ” Lin took a sip or two.
” About what? ”
” The more witches and the human world. ”
” What about them? ”
” The messenger had fed me with a duplicate of the Water Breather, you know the plant that helps you retain your air under the ocean. ”
” Hhmm, really? ”
Xie looked intrigued.
” That’s not the fishy part. The fake was gifted by the mer-queen herself to the mortal king. Now the question arises, why would somebody gift someone a fake thing. On top of that, the messanger has gone missing. The day I had gone to take the breather before going to meet Mia, I has spied some suspicious activities at the human palace. All these things keeps pointing to a bigger thing. I think I am going to get it further investigated. ”
” Hhmm. Sure. You should. Let me know if you find something. ”
” I will. ”
” What about Mia? ”
” What about her? ”
” Do you really think the mer-witches can be trusted? ”
Lin shook his head, ” I don’t. But that’s the only safest place till we find an strong alternative. Like the pendant of something. ”
“We have to. ”
Xie patted back.
The next morning Lin decided to stroll around in the human world. Check the developments there.
He walked down the busy markets. He could sense there was too much anxiety and fear.
” Did you hear the foxes and the wolves are closing borders? ”
” Really? Why? ”
” Because of the curse idiot. Why else. I heard they have patched up and are now working together ”
” What does that mean for us? Are we going to be the innocent victims of those immortals outrage? ”
” Why would we? ”
” Where will the curse lash if their borders are closed? It would ruin us. Isn’t it obvious? ”
” Then what is our King doing? ”
” Who knows. He just keeps sending convoys to the mer-witches witches. I wonder what help will that have. ”
” Yeah. And there has been a lot of missing people from the capital recently. ”
” Really? Is the curse taking people one by one? ”
” Who knows. Looks like we are really doomed. ”
Lin passed by silently as the people kept spilling their woes.
” The king has been sending convoys? That’s strange. I think I might have to ask Mia to keep a look out. ”
Lin thought as he walked. ” Or may be not. She should not get into any more controversies. Not till our child is born. ”
A shadow caught Lin’s vision.
” Boshu! Boshu! ”
Lin yelled.
” Ssshhh! He flipped back and put a finger on Lin’s lip, ” Don’t alert her. ”
He had been following Roe. She was engrossed in a deep pursuit.
” Where is she going? ”
Lin asked, ” And why are you hiding? ”
” She has been following some fugitive wolves who eventually led us in the human world. ”
” So? Why are you hiding. It must be their state affair. ”
Boshu shook his head.
” The king seems unaware. It’s the work of the brother sister duo. ”
Lin looked at his face.
Then gauged him head till toe.
” I thought you two were dating. ”
” Umm,. Huh! No. I mean yes. Who told you? ”
” I have my sources. ” Lin smiled and smacked him on his head. ” You with a wolf. Who would have thought. The scaredy , coward Boshu. ”
Just then they heard a squabble break in front.
Then a few people were seen flying.
” There she is at it again. ”
Lin and Boshu went to the highest point to catch a bird’s eye view.
” Tell me the truth if you want to keep your dead life. ” She was threatening.
” Oohh! She’s scary. “Lin teased Boshu.
” Tell me what exactly did you do on my mother’s order? ” She demanded.
” Forgive us. Forgive us princess. We were just following orders. ”
” Come on. Damn it. Out with it already. What did you all do with Mia’s mother? ”
Lin and Boshu looked at each other.
The wolves looked puzzled as well
” I mean the mer-witch, Crystal, who used to be my father’s love interest. ”
” We will tell you everything. Everything. Please don’t kill us . Spare us princess. Please don’t take us to the king. ”
” Now! ” She roared.
” We were given charge to take care of her by your father when he felt. But we had been feeding your mother with all the news of our King’s affair. It served us good as we got rewarded from both ends.
When the king decided to take her in as his queen, nobody knew she was a mermaid. But we had a hunch that she might be with child from her symptoms. So when the King asked us to fetch her to the capital after he had to abruptly leave, we have sure that we fed her with enough doubt to make her hate the king. Yet she did not budge. She had strong faith in his promise . But we knew she didn’t know he was married. He used our trump card to dislodge her faith. We urged her on till what we thought was her jump to her demise. But fate had it otherwise. The king never recovered from her loss. He had turned the lands upside down. And we have ever since been hiding for our dear life. And now things have gone even far worse. ”
Roe breathed heavily with what seemed like frustration and anger.