Chapter 34 - Lifeline

Chapter 34

Lifeline

As Keanu held Amelia in his arms, he felt her forehead and it was burning worse than last night. "Crap, she's gonna die. Ima iku! Ima iku!" He shouted to Tsubasa to go right away, and he sped off. Some time later while they were midway into the Mediterranean, Amelia opened her eyelids slowly. "K-Keanu?" "Hang on tight, kid, we're gonna get you home, okay? Just stay with me." "K-Keanu..." Amelia tried speaking. "Yeah keep calling my name. I don't care what you say, just as long as you're with me, just keep talking."

"You...said..." Amelia paused. "Yeah what did I say? Finish your sentence for me, kid." "I...shouldn't...talk...." "Yeah funny what adults say in the past, now I'm telling you to talk. Ignore what I said before and do as I say what I'm telling you now." "You're....funny..." Amelia said weakly. "Yeah, yeah, we've established I'm funny. I say funny things, I'm funny looking, I'm funny everything. What else you got for me, kid?" Keanu rushed as he was making sure she was still conscious. "The....Aula..." "The what?" Keanu asked as if he misheard her. "The Aula...the castle..." "Oh yeah, the Aula, you like it? Well what is left of it at least?" Keanu asked hastily. "It's...restored..." "What?! Since when?!" Keanu looked at her as if she was delusional. "Six months... I live there..." "Okay, Okay, yeah sure, you live in the restored Aula. We'll get to the Aula." Keanu said in disbelief.

"Keanu..." "Ah what the hell?! Now I'm going mad!" Keanu shouted as he looked around. "You're not mad, my name is Allura, I'm speaking to you telepathically." Before he could speak, Amelia reached to him and spoke, "Allura...she's speaking to you..." "You know this chick?!" Keanu looked at her disturbingly. "She does indeed, listen, what she is saying about the Aula is true. She needs to be brought here as soon as possible." "Okay, okay, let me get this straight, this girl lives at the Aula like she's saying?!" Keanu asked. "I haven't got much time to explain but just go to the Aula and I will warn the others that you are coming. Don't rush through the channel ahead." "Wait, how the...? Hello? Hello?!" As he was speaking out loud, he was coming to the channel as Allura predicted.

While they were crossing through carefully, Keanu opened up once more. "So tell me, this Allura girl you know, is she psychic?" Amelia nodded. "We're gonna have a talk about all your weird little friends and who you really are when you get better, okay?" Keanu spoke in concern. She nodded. Some time later, they reached into the Atlantic. "Okay, kid, next stop, the Aula. Kid? Kid?" Keanu tried talking to her but she became unconscious. "No, no, no, you can't go to sleep now. Come on, kid, we're almost at the Aula." Keanu said as he placed his fingers on her pulse area. "Her pulse is weak, kya!"

The fish swam faster than ever racing to the Aula. Once there, the fish slowed down at the gates. "Okay, kid and Allura wasn't bluffing..." Keanu thought to himself. "Halt, state you name and business!" "I got a kid who's dying what more do you want from me? A maiden named Allura told me to come here to drop the kid off! If you don't let me in, she'll die!" "Not our problem, sir, if you don't have business with the Coronum Reginae that we were made aware of, then you best leave." "I'm not leaving until I see this chick Allura and to see that this kid gets medical attention! And you can tell Her Royal Highness to shove it up her ass if you don't let us in!"

"That's a threat to the crown! Seize him!" The guards came swimming down the high posts. When they got closer, they saw their queen laying in peril. "Get the adviser, open the gates!" "But sir.." Another guard questioned. "Open the bloody gates! Fetch Rimulus!" Another guard beside him spoke to Keanu, "You sir, are coming with us for questioning on why you had Coronum Reginae Amelia in your custody seriously ill."

"Wait, that girl I'm holding is the Queen?!" Keanu shouted in shock. "Bring the lad along, we must get Coronum Reginae to a bed immediately!" Rimulus lead the way. "Looks like we'll finish this conversation later," The guard rushed escorting Keanu and Amelia inside the walls of the Aula.

As they swam hastily through the Aula, Rimulus guided Keanu to place Amelia on her bed. "What does she have?" Rimulus asked. "Severe case of Lamellitis," Keanu responded. "Gods, it must have happened when she was swimming from Arktis going into Alearabia for some business with the princess." Rimulus thought out loud. "That'll definitely do it, then." "What do we do in this type of case? We can't just sit there waiting for a miracle to happen!" Rimulus cried out. "We need to open up her gills so water can flow through. She has this fever because she's dehydrated and so are her gills. I'm going to need a small, long tube as well," Keanu explained. Rimulus nodded to the guards, and they rushed to get the supplies that Keanu listed.

As the guards came back with the supplies, Allura makes her entrance known to everyone. "Are you going to place the tube down in her gill entrance?" Allura asked. "I'll have to, it's the only way to get the swelling down and water to gain entrance," Keanu said hastily.

"Will you need some Ether Kelp?" Rimulus asked. "She can't take it at this stage. I'll have to go in without any analgesics." "Allow me," Allura said as she placed her hand and started singing, "Somno somno, carissime, quia licet tibi habere iucundum somniabunt, et non senties dolorem," As the song ended, Amelia's breathing softened and her body was less stiffened from the pain. "You shouldn't have any problems of her interfering now."

"Thanks, okay, you, I need you to come here," Keanu pointed towards Rimulus. "What do you need me to do?" "I'm going to open up her gills, you are going to insert the tube down further enough to where you cannot feel the ridges." Keanu said giving orders. "Have you done this before? Is it safe?" Rimulus asked. "I have a long time ago, all you just need to do is slowly insert the tube and inch it slowly until you've reached a point where you feel the tip is on a smoother surface. Understand?" "I suppose, you'll help me through it right?" "I will, get the tube ready. I'm going to open up her gills," Keanu instructed. Keanu slowly parted Amelia's swollen gills, there was a jerk from her neck. "I thought you said she couldn't feel anything?" Keanu stared at Allura. "She's not feeling it, but that doesn't mean her nerves are stunned. This is just a reflex from her body, not from her." Allura explained.

He slowly opened her gills further showing red flesh from the inside of her gills. "Alright, follow the grooves that you see right now, and when you can no longer see, use the tip to feel, don't press the tip too hard or you'll scratch the infected tissue." "Way to encourage someone," Rimulus muttered. "Alright, I've got it opened enough for the tube to make entry, now it's your turn," Keanu nodded at Rimulus.

Rimulus hesitated looking at her infected gills. He gently places the tip inside her gills. He slowly did as Keanu had instructed previously. "That's good, keep going and use that tip," Keanu praised him then turned to the guards. "You two, hold her down, she'll be thrashing in a minute once he gets deep enough!" Keanu barked at them. The guards did as they were told and pinned her down.

When Rimulus got deeper with the tube, Amelia started thrashing struggling to breathe. "You got it, keep going, they're going to hold her down," Keanu said giving encouraging words. "Alright I feel a smooth surface," Rimulus turned to Keanu for further instructions. "Good, hold the tube just like that, I'm going to go on this end and push water through." Keanu said.

Keanu swam to the end of the tube. Using his left hand to prop the tube, he used his right hand to swerve the current slowly into the tube. He kept doing this repeatedly until water reached to her gills. Amelia's body jerked upward as the cool water hit her inflamed gills. Her breathing was course, but this was a sign that she was starting to get water through.

For about an hour or so, he kept pushing water through that tiny tube and then stopped. He sighed in exhaustion. "That should do it for now," Keanu said softly. "Should we take the tube out?" Rimulus asked. "Not yet, that tube is the reason she has an opening. Keep it in. If she wakes up, let me know, then I'll see if we will need to extract the tube and if she can breathe on her own."

"I'll call for her maiden to keep an eye out on her." Rimulus announced, "Take, Master..." "Keanu," he replied. "Master Keanu into one of our guest rooms, make sure he gets all that he is needed. He is our honorary guest, and treat him as such," Rimulus instructed the guards. "Will I be notified if anything changes in her condition?" Keanu asked. "I will personally come after you if anything should arise. Right now, you must get your rest. You've done so much to save our beloved Coronum Reginae. I cannot stress that enough how grateful we are for you to take such interest in the care of her wellbeing." Rimulus bowed graciously. "I didn't do much, she was an open target for sharks and at a good location to stay." Keanu averted his eyes. "But you still helped her regardless, and I'm sure Coronum Reginae Amelia would be most grateful for your aid," Rimulus said before the guards escorted him into a lavish guest room in the Aula.

While Torlan was tending to Amelia, Lynae and Haruto returned from an errand looking for Rimulus. "Rim? Hey, Rim, we're back!" Lynae shouted. Rimulus rushed down the hall meeting them. "My apologies, I was not expecting to see you returning just yet – especially with everything that has been going on."

"What do you mean? Has anyone found Amelia yet?" Haruto asked. "That's the problem, Amelia contracted Lamellitis whilst she was traveling with Meredith to go to Alearabia. She was found unconscious whilst returning home to Atlantica."

"Lamellitis?" Lynae asked. "But Lamellitis is harmless, why was it a big concern?" Haruto commented. "Because she didn't take prior care, and was on death's door with it," Rimulus explained. "What? Is she okay? Where is she?" Lynae cried out of concern. "She's fine now, a gentleman brought her back and performed a painful operation on her in which I had to partake in as well. Right now, she's resting, Torlan is tending to her now, and our hero is resting in one of the guest rooms." Rimulus elaborated further.

"Did he know she was the Queen?" Haruto asked with prejudice. "No, he was telling the truth. He thought she was just some kid swimming around the seven seas," Rimulus responded recalling his behavior.

"You sure there wasn't any intention on saving her like for personal or profitable gain?" Lynae asked. "I'm sure of it, my lady did not give me this just for show. It's a piece in which I can sense what she senses and what she cannot sense if, well, you know what I mean..." Rimulus said trailing off after showing the enchanted amulet Amelia gave him.

"I must go fetch the priest now, but worry not, we are taking extra measures to make sure Amelia makes a speedy recovery," Rimulus said snapping out of his dazing before he swam off into the next hall.

Lynae sat herself down in one of the chairs in the main hall. She held her face with one open hand while using her other arm to support her leaning head. She softly cried while Haruto sat next to her.

"Rimulus said that Keanu fellow has her in a stable condition. She'll be alright," Haruto said in a comforting tone. "You don't understand, my cousin almost died out there. I don't know what Meredith was thinking making her do the trip on her own and in that condition!"

"Lynae, you can't blame Meredith and you know that. She didn't know she was sick until it was too late." "I know, we just can't afford to lose her right now. And I'm not saying because I care about her, but we need her. The people of Atlantica needs her, just you're needed in Oceanus, I'm needed in Arktis, and Meredith is needed in Samudra."

"Take a deep breath, come on, let's go out for a swim, I usually do that when my mind is racing faster than I want it to." Haruto suggested. "Okay," Lynae sighed dismissively knowing she's overthinking everything that's been going on lately.

While they were out swimming leisurely, they both enjoyed the calm, complacent sound of submerged water beating against their ears slowing their heart rates to match the beats of the water. "I forgot how much I missed the better side of being mer. No powers, no titles, no worries..." Lynae said as she drifted away from her impending thoughts. "That's the power from the call of the sea. In a perfect tide, this can seduce you into a sense of bliss – a bliss which is made out of nothingness. It calls you to cast your worries aside to wrap yourself into that blissful phase. I've been to both worlds – land and sea. I understand where you are coming from, Lynae." Haruto said as he laid his hand on her shoulder while in her trans.

As he turned around, his eyes locked on a horrendous sight. A dead merman on his back floating on the shallow rocks. His eyes were glassy looking sideways. "Oh, dear God!" Haruto shouted as he placed his hand over his mouth. "What? What's the matter?" Lynae snapped out of it and looked over where Haruto was staring at the mer's body. Her eyes widen in horror looking at the lacerations around his neck and torso. She turned over to vomit from the sight.

Haruto looked down on the body and scrutinized it further. "That's odd, he hasn't been dead long." Haruto said out loud. "How do you know?" Lynae said after she finished vomiting. "The plankton would have been feeding off of him hours after he passed. Here's the thing, there's no blood from his wounds. He's been cleaned out."

"What are you talking about?" Lynae questioned. "He has these wounds but no blood is pouring out. "Maybe he bled to death and lost more blood in the process?" Lynae suggested. "No, sharks would have been having a feast on him already. There's only one answer to this. This is a work of a blood mage."

"A blood mage? What is that?" Lynae asked apprehensively. "I'll explain later, right now, we need to get out of here right now." Haruto said guiding Lynae in the direction he was swimming off to.

While in Amelia's chambers, Keanu was sitting getting out his pipe to smoke once more. "You know, smoking is really bad for you," Amelia said weakly smiling at him. "Neither is swimming halfway across the world with Lamellitis," Keanu responded snarky. "I didn't know I was sick." Amelia said defending herself. "I can see that. When were you going to tell me, you were the Queen of Atlantica?"

"Didn't you want me to be quiet and not talk?" Amelia asked half-heartedly. "Don't be a smartass, did you really not want me to know your background?" Keanu asked. "I didn't think you would even care or even believe I was of status."

"You're right I wouldn't, and I still don't." Keanu said as he was blowing bubbles from his pipe. "You can act all tough all you want, but I know it's all for show. And besides, what good would it have been for me to tell you? It wouldn't have helped my ailment any more had it been someone else suffering a case severe as mine,"

"You don't know a damn thing about me, kid." "And you don't know a thing about me," Amelia said raising her tone. "I don't care to," "That makes two of us!" Amelia shouted back. "Good," Keanu snapped back. "If you don't care much about me, then why are you here?" Amelia said in a smart tone. "To see if you're not dead, and to me, you seem to be much alive than before. Now, if you excuse me, Your Highness, I have some urgent matters to attend to." Keanu said mockingly bowing to her and left her room without a moment to spare.

As he left, Amelia thrashed her tail out of frustration on her bed, but her whole body jerked making the tube inside of her tug hard in discomfort. As Rimulus swam in casually, he stopped as he saw Amelia sitting up on her bed. "Your Highness, you're awake! Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?" Rimulus asked consistently. "I'm fine for the most part. How long am I suppose to have this in me?" Amelia asked pointing the tube inside her gills. "Until Keanu says it is alright to take it out, my lady. I should probably let him know you're awake..."

"Don't bother, he was in here earlier with me." Amelia snarled.

"What's wrong? Did he do or say something?" Rimulus asked.

"He's just so intolerable, and the fact that he saved me doesn't help make it any better." Amelia said huffing.

"I understand your frustration. I'm sure he'll be out of your hair from the tone and body language he has shown over the course of his stay. Seems to me he doesn't intend to stay here much longer." Rimulus pointed out.

"I hope that is the case." Amelia said pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll find Keanu asking on what he wants to do now that you are alert now. I don't want to take any chances of hindering your recovery."

"Okay, Rimulus," Amelia sighed as he left her room. "Oh, Eddie, how I miss you so. You have no idea what I got myself into this time."

At the dining hall, Haruto and Lynae sat down discussing over what they saw earlier on their swim. "Alright, what is this blood mage you keep babbling on about?" Lynae asked bluntly.

"I knew this was going to be something you would ask when we got back," Haruto muttered. "Spill!" Lynae shouted as she pounded her fist on the table. "Alright, a blood mage is a mer who has studied the darker side of what mer can also do. However, this is a forbidden art decreed by the King himself over a thousand years ago. The penalty for catching one of these mages was sentencing them to death." Haruto explained.

"So wait, how does blood have anything to do with water bending?" Lynae asked. "It's hard to explain." Keanu said intervening. "You know a thing about blood magic?" Haruto asked him suspiciously. "I've seen it first-hand. Blood magic is using blood as a source of power to trade in for something that a person could ever want." "I don't understand." Lynae said.

"Hey, I didn't say it was clear as water, now shut up and let me finish. The mer have used blood magic to gain a longer life, power, the ability to resurrect a loved one, and other things." "But at a price," Lynae interjected. "Exactly. If you have blood to give or a sacrifice, then it will give you something in return. However, something requiring more power like resurrection comes at a price of someone else's life."

"You explained it better than I would have." Haruto stated. "I hope you two aren't getting involved with this subject. I don't care if you do, but I will warn you, it's best if you don't get involved. I'm saying this from personal experience."

"No, we actually ran into something, and Haruto mentioned that it could be tied to blood magic." Lynae pointed out. As Lynae was explaining, Allura came out of nowhere starting up a conversation. "Keanu, Rimulus is looking for you, Her Highness is awake and alert." "I'm coming, I'm coming," Keanu said grumbling while Allura escorted him to Amelia's chambers.

"What did he mean by he knows from personal experience?" Lynae asked Haruto in a hushed tone. "I don't know, and I have a feeling we don't want to find out." Haruto said scrutinizing Keanu as he was led away.