How to Catch a Fish (ManxMan)

Chapter Twenty-six: Intruder Alert

~Chapter Twenty-six: Intruder Alert~

The hallways are practically empty by late afternoon. The servants who have not gone home for the evening have mostly resorted to using the servant corridors to make it easier on the decreased number of guards to keep an eye out for unfamiliar faces. Not that there should be any unfamiliar faces, as the odds of anyone attacking the palace without first alerting what is basically an army of Mer patrolling the underwater city is slim to none.

Still, a majority of the remaining guards have been stationed around the Royal Wing, as that is where the twins, Cyra - who seems to have contracted some illness from this realm while we were at the amusement park called influenza - and the king are. The only person who is not on a mission but still missing is Laelia, but that is because she is coordinating the patrols and handling other matters related to the protection of the city. And it is because there is basically no one but myself moving freely around the castle that I encounter only stationed guards while walking around.

In all honesty, I probably could still be in bed or on the couch, watching television, as someone would come to get me the moment something happens - and maybe I even should stay in my chambers to make it easier to locate me in the event of something happening - but it became boring very fast. Besides, sitting around with thoughts of what could be happening to Nero is definitely not fun, so I decided on patrolling instead. It is a waste of time, but it is a distracting waste of time, which means it is better than a lot of other things I could be doing. My thoughts still wander, but not nearly as much as they would if I had nothing to do.

And, pleasantly enough, the longer I walk, the more my head clears. In fact, it is almost like I...like I have something else on my mind. Something...

Frowning in bemusement, I stop walking. I would not go so far as to say that something feels wrong, but I definitely have the feeling that my senses have picked up something unusual that I did not consciously notice, and Sidr has always told me to listen to that feeling. Now, if only I knew what it was about.

Figuring that it must have been something behind me, I turn around and backtrack the route I took to get here, this time remaining more alert. However, wary as I am, I still almost miss it, as I was expecting something more obvious than an unguarded entrance room. After all, shift changes happen, and it is even possible that this entrance was overlooked or dismissed as needing protection, as the castle is understaffed.

Yet, even thinking that, something about seeing the room unprotected makes the hairs on the back of my neck go up. Attention sharpening on the empty doorway, I cautiously approach it, silently wishing I had my sword. Or any sword in general. If I had been smart, I would have asked Nero to give me one before he left after lunch, but I foolishly did not prepare for this.

Even if this turns out to be nothing, if Sidr finds out, I'll never heard the end of it.

Though it is not immediately apparent, the closer I get, the tenser I feel, even though I do not know exactly why. I just know that there is something wrong with the room. I only see why, though, when I catch sight of something that makes my blood run icy hot that is only visible because of the angle that I am approaching from. My hands start to heat up in preparation for a fight, but when I warily peek around the corner into the room, it is empty except for the two bodies of the Mer guards.

From the way the two guards are position, slumped up against each other, they look peacefully asleep. However, it is not hard to notice, even with their armor, that neither of them are breathing. They are unnaturally still and very, very dead. Even though I can say that with almost complete certainty, I approach warily to check them both for a pulse, only to come up short when I find none.