INSTINCTS 3.6

He was not used to vegetation blocking his view. Plants were scarce in the savannah, but the closer they got to the coast, the more trees they could see. In any case, his sense of smell picked up a strange humidity that had permeated the atmosphere since noon.

Suddenly, and without realizing it, the dense vegetation disappeared, giving way to a smooth slope that culminated in a city. They were like the stone buildings he'd seen before, but more colorful, with red roofs and large structures rising majestically. Beyond the city was a huge blue mass that seemed to move to the sound of the wind. Was this the so-called sea? He was very excited. He began to run on all fours, as he usually did, closely followed by knight Dannke and Surly.

At the gates of the outer wall, the guards stopped and drew their swords. The knight dismounted and hurried in their direction.

"I am an emissary of the empress. I demand that you clear the way."

"The passage is open to any man and any mount that will carry him," he scowled at Fleas. "Not so for wild beasts that are neither one nor the other."

"This beast is my slave, it is small and unarmed. It could not even harm a chicken."

"It could damage our reputation, sir. That's reason enough to keep him here, out in the open, where he belongs."

"Wait, you fool, don't you recognize him?" A guard of advancing years stepped forward as he sheathed his sword. "Dannke, I am glad to see you alive."

The knight smiled and shook his hand.

"Millen. They sent you to guard the entrance? I thought you'd be a captain by now."

"Guarding the entrance has its advantages. You can confiscate the odd item, sleep most of the day and drink as much as you want," he winked.

Behind him, a coachman began to curse. Dannke and company moved aside while the rest of the guards continued their work.

"It's been a long time since I visited this land. Fill me in."

The man named Millen stroked his moustache and thought for a moment.

"Well, everything is peaceful here. Too peaceful, I'd say. Everything except... There are strange rumors. Many of the ships that leave the docks never return or reach their destination. Not an alarming number to suspect piracy in the area, but not insignificant either. Five in the last two weeks."

"Galgad didn't do anything?"

"Galgad died several seasons ago. His son Filgad rules in his place."

"Filgad? I don't remember him."

"That's because you don't know him. He's barely twelve winters old. Don't think he's an ordinary child, he's very mature for his age and has good advisors," he pointed out to the knight's doubtful look. "If you want to convince him of something, it won't be easy. You said the Empress sent you, is this about the succession?"

The knight nodded.

"Good luck then. You'll need it."

The knight mounted and led the way. As they rode away, Millen shouted:

"If you need lodging, go to the Mulatto Cat's Drop, near the south wharf; say you go for me!"

The streets were made of stone, and all seemed to go in one direction, as if the latticework invited one to sink into the sea. From the entrance you could see all of Turquena. And beyond, the waters Kkelea had mentioned. Theold knight understood the hyaenid's curiosity and accompanied him, almost at a trot, to the dock. On the way, the little one dodged and shoved anyone who crossed his path. Since his species was not native to this area, people were afraid to see him or thought he was a stray dog and tried to chase him away with sticks. The earth under his paws felt soft, he picked it up and noticed that they were very, very small pebbles. It was almost like golden dust. It was hard to walk because it was hot and his paws sank. He stopped when he felt the moisture on his pads. There was a thunderous sound, Wooosh, splash! The water receded, raised and pounded the sand as if it hated it. He had seen it all. Ponds of still water in the savannah, reflecting like a mirror and waving at the slightest touch. Then rivers where the water ran as if it had to go somewhere. And now the sea, where the water seemed to be angry with the land and kept hitting it. The smell was also very strong. Strange, as if the water was impregnated with something he could not describe. Beyond the fury of the sea were the wooden beasts. They were floating calmly, without a care in the world. And there were two suns, one above and one below. In the distance, the sea became one with the sky.

The knight dismounted Arisco and stood beside him.

"Taste it."

"You can not drink it, I was told."

Dannke took off his gloves, let the water hit his feet, bent down and took some of the forbidden substance. He drank it, looked at him and smirked. Trustfull, Fleas stood beside him. The water was cold. He put his hands down and lowered his head. When he wanted to taste it, the water ran away from him. He had to wait for it to rise and take a sip with his tongue, as all hyaenids did. The taste was terrible, he stuck out his tongue and began to move his head from side to side, but the strange water would not go away. The old knight began to laugh.

"That is called salt. We use it to preserve food. Remember beef jerky? Seawater has a lot of salt in it, so drinking it when you're thirsty is a bad idea. But one sip won't hurt."

He looked around. Children dipped in and out, scurried here and there. Other men stared with thin sticks in their hands. One threw a net into the water and pulled it out full of fish.

"Why don't you go in? They say salt water is good for fleas. Just don't go in any deeper than where your feet touch the sand, or you might drown."

He did it without a second thought. His sore, mangy skin stung like a thousand devils, and so did his eyes. But it was fun to feel the waves hitting him hard. After a while he came out, exhausted, thirsty, happy and with a fish in his mouth. He shook himself off and ran to his master. He left the fish at his feet. He noticed that Dannke was looking at the sea, absorbed, as if something was calling him.

"I brought this," Fleas said, and the knight came out of his trance.

"Well done, little one."

"Kkelea would never believe how beautiful it is."

Dannke narrowed his eyes.

"The sea is beautiful, yes, but also very dangerous. Many men have died in it because they underestimated it. And it is also very deep. We cannot know what lies beneath. Mermaids, leviathans, dragons? Just because something is beautiful doesn't mean it can't kill you. Remember that."

Fleas looked at the waves again. Suddenly he felt the darkness lurking beneath.