An Imperceptible Ruse Indeed (The Gods' Executioner Series) Page 16

  “You have two visitors.” The guard replies.

  “I’m not expecting anyone! Send them away!” Ariel responds.

  “Ariel, this is your father. Stop being rude.” Triton says after pushing the guard aside.

  “*Gasp* Daddy!?” Ariel replies in surprise before the bars descend into the ground. A blonde mermaid comes swimming out and hugs Triton.

  “But how!? I thought grandpa was punishing you for the whole turtle thing!” Ariel exclaims.

  “I’ll explain everything over drinks. Let’s go to the bar.” Triton replies.

  We head further down the hallway as it arcs to the left before turning left through a door and into a lounge with a bar. I take a seat with Ariel while Triton grabs drinks.

  “So who are you?” Ariel asks.

  “I’m Cole; I helped your father get out of Leviathan.” I reply as Triton comes back and hands me an oddly blue-colored drink.

  “Yes, it’s quite the story! He killed your grandfather and took his powers so I had Leviathan swallow him once I sensed my father, only to find out that it was Cole!” Triton exclaims.

  “Sorry…” I say to Ariel.

  “Don’t be; he was constantly trying to molest me when I was younger anyway.” Ariel replies with a creepy amount of nonchalance while Triton chugs his drink.

  “What is this?” I ask as I sip my drink.

  “It’s a mermaid alcohol known as Aquablue.” Ariel informs me.

  “This is fantastic! It has been so long since I’ve had any that I forgot how good it—” Triton says before passing out midsentence; I guess his tolerance has dropped to zero in the past century.

  “So Cole, what do you do?” Ariel asks, ignoring her father.

  “I, uh, solve problems… Shouldn’t we do something about him?” I ask while pointing at Triton’s slumped over form.

  “He’ll be fine.” Ariel replies.

  “Okay… so, I have to ask, why are there so many similarities between this Atlantis and the Disney rendition of The Little Mermaid?” I ask.

  “The what?” Ariel asks so I decide to try another method.

  “Have any humans been brought down to Atlantis?” I inquire.

  “Occasionally… I brought one down about thirty years ago.” Ariel replies.

  “Why?” I ask.

  “Well, I saved him from drowning and then he told me I had the most beautiful scales he’d ever seen, that silver-tongued devil. Next thing I knew, I’d fallen in love with him and I brought him here. We talked all night; I told him about the mer-people, about our society, and even about Daddy. After a night of passion, I brought him back to the surface and never saw him again…” Ariel wistfully replies. Well, now I can see how the similarities came about.

  “Speaking of, how about you spend the night with me, Cole?” Ariel propositions.

  (Gotta love that fish half!)

  “I… how would that even work?” I ask, strictly for curiosity’s sake.

  “Mermaids have vaginas, they’re just covered by a layer of scales. Just move those scales to the side and have at it.” Ariel informs me with a sultry tone while leaning towards me.

  “Well, thank you for the offer Ariel, but I really must be going. Before I was swallowed by Leviathan, I was on my way to rescue my friend from being killed by the Dragon Kings, so I really must be going.” I quickly reply, slightly flustered.

  “Alright, I understand. Good luck, Cole!” Ariel exclaims and kisses me before I can react.

  “And come back soon.” Ariel adds with a sultry tone.

  “Uh, yeah… thanks.” I say while backing away slowly as I engage my helmet.

  “Goodbye.” I add and touch my triskele while thinking of the waters outside the Dragon King’s palace.

  Chapter 16: And I discover what everyone else already knows

  [December 27th]

  I arrive at the same location that I was in before Leviathan swallowed me, the bubble automatically encompassing my body instead of just my lower half, like it was in Atlantis… Maybe I’ll bring Cheza there one of these days. A certain amount of exhaustion sets in and I realize that the strain from constantly using Neptune’s power is starting to get to me; I’d better make this quick.

  I cross through the dome and switch gears to prevent myself from falling. I land in the blue crystal courtyard and start walking towards the pyramid-like palace, keeping an eye out for guards, traps, or other defenses. However, I don’t see anything of the sort. I follow the courtyard pathway straight up to the triangular door of the palace that is around thirty feet tall. I notice a button on the wall to the right of the door, so I press it and hear a chime.

  “Hello?” an Asian woman in servant’s clothing answers in accented English, opening a normal sized door that is to the left of the giant door.

  Judging by her white and bronze swirled inner aura, she’s a dragon. I walk over to the door so I’m not shouting from thirty feet away.

  “Umm, hello… is Ao Guang home?” I ask.

  “No, he is at the western palace. Ao Run is hosting the inauguration of the new Longwang in the West Sea.” The woman answers.

  “Oh… okay, thanks.” I reply and turn around.

  I hear the door shut behind me and then I touch my Haglaz rune, porting back to Jason’s house.

  “Cole! Where’s Ryuji…?” Naia asks with uncertainty.

  “He wasn’t in the eastern palace. I spoke with one of the servants and she said that Ao Guang had been called to the palace in the West Sea, but I don’t know where that is so I’m going to go talk with Li Zhang again.” I reply.

  “It took you ten hours to figure that out!?” Naia shouts at me; I’d be angry too.

  “No, there was this whole thing with getting swallowed by Leviathan and then there was Frogman Jones and The Little Mermaid and her turtle fucking father and Atlantis…” I try to explain.

  “What in the hell are you talking about!?” Naia screams.

  “Naia, calm down honey. Why don’t you try to go and get some sleep?” Cheza suggests. Naia huffs and heads upstairs.

  “So… explain to me why you have been gone for ten hours and have no results to show for it besides the glitter that is currently on your lips.” Cheza says while narrowing her eyes at me. I quickly recap things for her so I don’t get stabbed.

  “And then she kissed me before I could react and I ported away. I went to the Dragon King’s palace, only to find that he wasn’t home.” I finish recanting.

  “So now you have to go back to Ryuji’s master to find the location of the western palace… so what are you doing here?” Cheza asks.

  “I’m… just reporting in? I actually don’t know, now that I think about it.” I reply.

  “Well, get going! We have to save Ryuji!” Cheza orders.

  “Yes ma’am!” I reply and touch my Haglaz rune while thinking of Li Zhang’s room.

  “Li, Ryuji wasn’t in the eastern palace.” I announce when I port in. I look around and see that no one is here.

  “Hello?” I ask.

  Li walks through a curtained doorway on the left wall, wearing a red silk robe.

  “What do you need, Feros?” Li asks.

  “Ryuji wasn’t in the eastern palace; neither was Ao Guang. A servant at the palace said he was called to the western palace for something. Where is it?” I inquire.

  “It’s in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka, but I don’t know it’s exact location. It’s also where the Longwang military force is based. I heard something earlier today; something that pertains to Ryuji.” Li tells me.

  “What did you hear?” I ask.

  “The Longwang have been trying to gather support to retake some territory back from the tigers of the west. Lately, their biggest problem is that the Longwang are not complete since they are missing the black dragon of the north.” Li informs me. Didn’t the servant say something about an inauguration?

  “And since Ryuji is a black dragon, holding him captive and declaring him th
e new black dragon of the north would get the Longwang the support they need…” I conclude.

  “Precisely.” Li replies.

  “And the chances of the Longwang just letting Ryuji go when they’re done are slim to none…” I add.

  “Alright, thanks Li. I’ll just be going now. Goodbye.” I tell her and port back to Niflheim.

  “What did she say?” Cheza asks me.

  “Well, the good news is that Ryuji isn’t in any immediate danger… the bad news is that the dragon kings are naming Ryuji as the new black dragon king of the north to get support for a war with the tigers. Once the war starts, I doubt Ryuji will survive.” I inform her.

  “So the stakes are still the same?” Cheza inquires.

  “Yeah, we just have a bit more time now… I’m going to go talk with Nagi.” I tell her.

  “Why?” Cheza questions.

  “Because the dragon military is based in the western palace, so if I’m going to rescue Ryuji without getting myself killed or losing myself in the process, I’m going to need some help. Nagi knows the tigers, or at the very least knows Jeremy, who will know the tigers… or if that falls through, I’ll go talk to Saraswati to find the leader of the tigers.” I reply.

  “Alright, I’m coming with you. I’ll go get my suit on.” Cheza says and heads upstairs. I follow her upstairs and enter our room as she starts putting on her suit.

  “Hey, how has Sara been doing?” I inquire.

  “She seems to be doing better… she still didn’t leave her room today, though.” Cheza replies and finishes putting on her suit.

  “Well, at least she seems like she’s doing better… ready to go?” I ask.

  Cheza nods in response, I grab her hand, and port us to Mount Kailash.

  “So how do we find Nagi?” Cheza asks.

  “…I have no idea.” I reply after thinking for a moment.

  “Your mother will probably know.” Cheza suggests and I snap us to my parent’s lake-bottom property.

  “Cole and Chezarei! What can I do for— *Gasp*… Chezarei! You’re—” my mother, Parvati, says when we arrive in the kitchen. I notice Cheza’s eyes go wide when my mother gasps and covers her mouth, but my mother suddenly stops talking.

  “She’s what?” I inquire.

  “As beautiful as ever!” Parvati exclaims. I find this whole exchange to be rather suspicious…

  “Cole, I need to speak with you for a moment.” My father, Shiva, tells me.

  Shiva snaps his fingers and ports us to the black space where he told me the truth about my origins.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “Be careful with your use of the Void… Taking Loki out needs to be your priority. If the Void takes over before that happens, Loki will go unchecked.” Shiva says.

  “I know that… this has been one hell of a pep talk, dad, but I’m in the middle of something.” I reply.

  Shiva snaps his fingers and we reappear in the house.

  “I am just so happy for you two!” my mother exclaims while hugging Cheza in the kitchen.

  “What are you two talking about?” I ask, suspiciously eyeing the two of them.

  “Nothing. Oh, by the way, we need to talk to Nagi so can you summon her here?” Cheza answers and asks my mother.

  Shiva snaps his fingers and Nagi appears in the kitchen.

  “So then I said… oh, what do you need, Lord Shiva?” Nagi asks and my father points toward Cheza and I.

  “What’s up?” Nagi questions me.

  “Ryuji was kidnapped by the Longwang to be instated as a figurehead for the black dragon of the north so the Longwang can get support to wage a war against the tigers for territory or something. We need to rescue Ryuji and since he’s being held in the place with all of the dragon soldiers, I need the tigers’ help. I figured that you or Jeremy would know how I can contact the leader.” I explain.

  “Well, I suppose I can help you out. Let’s go to my and Kanta’s quarters so I can grab some things.” Nagi replies.

  “Alright, let’s go. Nagi’s quarters.” I say and snap my fingers.

  We appear in front of a waterfall that collects into a small pond that is only about twenty feet in diameter. Large stepping stones span the length of the pond and lead up to the waterfall. I look into the pond and see the sky through the water; this pond appears to go straight through the ground of this floating island, like the ones that make up the rest of Mount Kailash, but the water somehow remains in the bottomless hole. Nagi steps across two stones, holds her hands out at shoulder level, and claps once. Two slabs of rock emerge from the cliff side in a triangular shape behind the waterfall, parting it down the middle and revealing the opening to a cave.

  Cheza and I follow Nagi across the stones and into the cave’s opening. The tunnel of the cave continues on for about one hundred yards or so until it opens up into a bright chamber. I notice the tropical garden at the center of the chamber before I look up and see the red, orange, and pink sky. Nagi leads us around the garden to a canyon-like passageway on the far side of the chamber. The passageway ends in something of a cul-de-sac with a large house.

  The house bends around the interior of the cul-de-sac and has two doors, one for each wing. The wings of the house look like they were taken from two different houses and then pasted together here; the styles are completely different from each other, but they still somehow look like a reflection because of the overall shape. Nagi walks over to the left wing and opens the door, ushering us in. The foyer has hallways to the front and right, but a door that looks misplaced on the left wall of the foyer is what attracts my attention.

  “Nagi, where did you go?” Kanta, Nagi’s twin sister, asks as she walks into the foyer from the right, ripping my attention away from the door.

  “Oh! My apologies, Lord Cole; I didn’t realize you were here.” Kanta says and bows stiffly when she sees me.

  “Relax, Kanta; I’m not big into formalities.” I tell her and Kanta relaxes a bit.

  “Kanta, do you know where our old photo album is?” Nagi asks.

  “I don’t know; where did you leave it?” Kanta questions.

  “I wasn’t looking at it last, you were.” Nagi replies.

  “No, I distinctly remember you having it last.” Kanta replies.

  “No, you took it into your room a few weeks ago!” Nagi expounds.

  “Yeah, and you took it when you got all drunk and sappy last week!” Kanta exclaims.

  “Girls! Nagi, how about you look for the album, and Kanta can show us around?” I intervene.

  “Yes, Lord Cole.” They both reply, almost simultaneously.

  Nagi exits the foyer by going down the front hallway while Cheza and I follow Kanta down the right.

  “This hallway leads to my half of the house. Lord Murugan and Lord Ganesha did this with the hopes that my sister and I would get along better, but we mostly just annoy each other. I still love her though… please don’t tell her I said that.” Kanta begs.

  “Uh, sure.” I reply.

  “Thank you, Lord Cole. That hallway leads to the kitchen area, which I’ll show you in a moment.” Kanta says while pointing at a hallway in the middle that has a different style for each half; I assume this means that it’s the exact center of the house. Kanta continues down the current hallway until we reach the right wing’s foyer.

  “I’ll show you my area now and then we’ll loop back around.” Kanta says and turns down the front hallway of the right foyer, but my eyes are fixed on the misplaced door on the right wall, similar to the one that caught my attention in the left wing’s foyer.

  “Where does this lead?” I ask as I absentmindedly open the door.

  The ground shifts beneath my feet and I land facing a different door. I turn around and see that I’m in a familiar room with gold and glass décor.

  “Hey little bro; long time no see.” Murugan greets as he walks over to me.

  “Yeah, it has been a while.” I reply.

  “By the way, congratu
lations on getting married.” Murugan says.

  “That was four years ago.” I respond.

  “Shit, really? I didn’t realize that it’s already been that long.” Murugan replies.

  “Don’t worry about it; you already sent a card anyway.” I say.

  “I did?” Murugan asks.

  “Yeah, Nagi delivered a card from you and Ganesha about a month after the wedding.” I answer.

  “Heh… we have a great brother… that card was only from him. He signed it as being from me as well because he knew I’d forget. As such, I apologize for being so late with my congratulations.” Murugan admits.

  “No problem.” I tell him.

  “Say, I know that this is a bad time to ask, but I could use some help.” Murugan says.

  “With what?” I inquire.

  “It seems that some dragons are plotting to use my people again to try and take over Lanka, modern day Sri Lanka. It hasn’t even been a decade since the end of their last attempt, which lasted thirty years. The tigers currently control Lanka after I gave them my backing and got the Sri Lankan government behind them to defeat the dragons nearly a decade ago. It took me quite some time to trust the tigers because the faction that the dragons started had ‘tiger’ in the name, so I naturally thought that they were the ones deceiving my people. I’d like your help in stopping them to ensure that the tigers stay in power in Lanka. While Lanka should technically belong to the Naga, there simply aren’t enough of them to hold power and they play nice together with the tigers so it works out.” Murugan explains.

  “What a coincidence, I’m actually on my way to speak with the tigers to get backing to help me rescue my friend. He was kidnapped by the Dragon Kings to be put in place as a figurehead so that they can get the support they need for the war to take over, presumably, Sri Lanka.” I reply.

  “Great! Looks like we can solve both our problems with a single blow! The Dragon Kings won’t let you just walk out with the key component of their plan, so you kill them to rescue your friend and the plot to manipulate my followers falls through! Everybody wins except the Dragon Kings!” Murugan chuckles and then snaps his fingers. A letter appears in his hand, which he then holds out to me.