Chapter 8

For the past ten days, King Aurelius and his warriors fought two sea monsters on their way to the Southern Sea. Even though those sea monsters are big and strong, the warriors from the Northern Sea, defeated them easily.

Before they arrived at the Castle of the Southern Sea, he notices that the merfolks are acting strange, like they are afraid of something. Some of them didn't even greet King Aurelius, the others may greet him but not the same as in the past when they greeted him full of joy. Right now the other merfolks that saw King Aurelius either quickly get inside of their homes or just bow their heads nervously.

The merfolk realm has its city with its design. There are dormitory-style-building made from coral reefs, crystals, pears galore, materials from sunken ships, and many more. They also use lightweight stones such as limestones, sandstones, and mudstones, forming communal buildings, especially for the craft shop, and luminous stones for lights as well. Some merfolks live on cliffs that were honeycombed with numerous passages and rooms. But right now, some of the glamorous buildings are destroyed due to the sea monsters attacked.

"I didn't see any sea monsters wandering around this area. Why are they acting so strange?" King Aurelius asked suspiciously.

"I'm afraid, they are traumatized about the sea monsters' sudden attack, your majesty."

"Is that so..." King Aurelius is still suspicious about something. Their behavior is just too strange.

At the castle of the Northern Sea, while King Tyrant is sitting comfortably on the throne, a merman warrior report to him that King Aurelius has arrived.

"He's fast. Escort him to get here," said Tyrant and grinned.

"Yes." the merman warrior bow his head and left the castle. While he's swimming to get King Aurelius, he recalls what's Tyrant planning on and how he will not get exposed to King Aurelius.

*FLASHBACK*

"Now then, follow me and we will have some things to discuss," the merman warriors don't have any other choice but to follow Tyrant.

The merman warriors follow Tyrant while the two sea monsters are following them at their backs. As they reach the meeting hall, Tyrant speaks.

"It will not be long enough for King Aurelius to know what happened here. Do not ever spout anything to him, tell that to all the merfolks."

The merman warriors feel the urge to kill Tyrant, but as much as they want they can't fight him. In their minds, they thought about the Princes, or Dreyfus the commander of the merman warriors, if they are here they probably win against the Tyrant.

"Oho. Stop glaring at me like that or I will gauge your eyes, you will never see your loved ones ever again when it happened. Do not worry, my noxious sea monsters are all over the place, if you won't follow my orders then you will know what will gonna happen to the merfolks." said Tyrant with an evil grin.

The merman warriors got even more angry at Tyrant he use the innocent merfolks to threaten them. They should be more careful with their every move because big sea monsters are all over their homes, hiding their presence, and with one snap of his finger, the sea monsters will attack the merfolks. They don't have any other choice but to follow his orders.

"Oh, hold on, I think you don't have to do it..." Tyrant suddenly said. The warriors feel relieving thought that they can tell King Aurelius what exactly happened but realize that Tyrant isn't that kind of merman, he will not let them do what they want.

"I will tell them myself and if they don't listen to me well, I'll cut their tongues so that they can not speak again." he laugh evilly and left the castle while the two sea monsters are still following him. Tyrant swim at the center of the Kingdom a place where the merfolks would see him from all of their homes.

"Listen, you should know that from now on, I am your new King! Any one of you who opposes my orders will end up like him!" Tyrant declared and suddenly, he pointed the trident at the merman who is near him and he strikes him with the lightning coming from his trident. All the merfolks gasp upon seeing what he has just done. He killed the merman without hesitation.

"Do you understand now? If any one of you tried to spout anything to Aurelius, you know what you will end up with!"

The red eyes of the monsters are staring at the merfolks while drooling, they can't wait to eat them. The merfolks got scared of the monsters and Tyrant's threat, they are afraid he might kill them so they just keep their mouth shut.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

The merfolks just keep their mouth shut, their lives are all in danger, They all just hope that King Aurelius will notice that there are sea monsters around the areas just hiding in the long thick grasses, some are in the destroyed buildings, some small sea monsters are hiding in shallow places. But the most dangerous, big, and strong sea monsters are back at the dark ocean of their own will because those kinds of monsters are not easy to control and even Tyrant can't control them freely.

"I...I am here to...escort you, King Aurelius." said the merman warrior nervously as he bowed his head to King Aurelius.

"Oh, where is he?" asked King Aurelius.

"...he's at the throne hall, your majesty."

They swim to the throne room, but before they get there, King Aurelius notices the strange behavior of the merman who is escorting them.

"Is something the matter?"

The merman flinches as he looks at King Aurelius, but he suddenly avoids the gaze of the King. The merman was planning to tell King Aurelius the truth but he is still hesitating.

"If there is something you want to tell me, I can listen to you."

The merman stops and looks at King Aurelius. The merman warrior decided that he should tell King Aurelius what exactly happened to the Southern Sea Kingdom.

"...Your Majesty--" he stops, as he got startled to see Tyrant glaring at him like he's already planning to kill him. He didn't notice that they stops at the entrance of the throne room and didn't even notice that Tyrant is looking at them. He panics and abruptly told King Aurelius that it was nothing, he apologizes and told him that he was not feeling well all of a sudden.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes! I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

King Aurelius, just frowns at the merman warrior's strange behavior.

"Welcome, King of the Northern Sea, King Aurelius." Tyrant greeted, as he swims to get closer to King Aurelius. King Aurelius just nods at him in response.

"You might notice the strange behaviors of the people and for the places that haven't been cleaned and repaired yet, I apologize. The people haven't been in good shape lately because of what happened," said Tyrant, acting like he's really worried about the merfolks in the Kingdom.

"It is alright. I can understand."

"Your journey must have been long, and you must be very tired. I can send you to the room I prepared for you to rest."

"Thank you, but I want to discuss first what exactly happened here and where is King Aquarius and the Princes."

"Ah, of course. Then please sit down." Tyrant offers him a chair.

"As you can see, King Aurelius, sea monsters suddenly attack the Kingdom..." said Tyrant as he sits down in the chair in front of King Aurelius.

"Why? As far as I can remember those dangerous creatures are been sealed by King Aquarius. How did they escape?"

King Aurelius, didn't know that Tyrant has been the leader of the Dark Ocean a place where the sea monsters have been sealed. The day that Tyrant lives in that place, he keeps trying to break the seal that was made by his brother King Aquarius. Days, months, and year past he successfully broke it.

"I do not know how exactly they escape but I assume that they got escaped maybe because the seal of Aquarius is getting weak. We tried our best to defend the Kingdom but those creatures are too strong and we barely manage to kill some of them. After those creatures kill some of our warriors they suddenly left." Tyrant said acting like he's really sad about what happened.

The Southern merman warriors gritted their teeth out of anger, they all think how horrible he was, and he even made up a story. They all just hope that King Aurelius will not believe him.

"How about Aquarius and the Princes? Where are they?!"

Tyrant sighed, and even made a worried face before answering.

"I don't know where they are right now. The sea monsters probably targeted them from the very beginning, because after those monsters leave the Kingdom, the King and his sons are also missing. I send my warriors to find them but they didn't find the four of them. I'm afraid..."

"What are you thinking?! I'll send some of my warriors to help you find them."

"I appreciate your concern, King Aurelius, but my warriors can do it, I still have enough warriors to do the job."

King Aurelius frowned after hearing him. He's thinking why would he not accept his help? But even though Tyrant refuses his help, King Aurelius is still planning to send his warriors to find King Aquarius and the three Princes.

........