The Crown of Spheres

߷ C H A P T E R - E I G H T ߷

☁︎︎ C H A P T E R E I G H T ☁︎︎

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Calder stared between Nahm and I, his jaw set. "What?" He asked with no genuine curiosity in his tone.

"He wants to come with us to see-"

"I'm not letting that savage on my ship." Calder interrupted Nahm sharply. "Did you have something to do with this?" He asked, turning his attention to me, his lighting white hair messy. We were stood in the doorway to the summer manor, just preparing to head down to the docks now that the ship was ready. We'd only just returned in time, seemingly minutes before Calder set out to come and get me.

"Nynia didn't-" Nahm began before he sighed loudly. Exasperated with the accusation just as much as I was stunned by it. "Calder, he just wants passage across the waters. It's not a grand occasion."

"Of course, of course," Calder rushed, irritation lacing his tone. "Say I let this Solarian on board, and he slaughters us in the middle of the ocean for his own amusement. What then?" He asked as the servants moved around us in the foyer, carrying our things onto the carriage to transport them down to the docks.

"Then we'd be dead," Nahm replied in a careful tone as he furrowed his brow. "And that is an old stereotype forged by frightened elders during the wars. He is not like that,"

"Oh, you know that, do you?" Calder shot back as I stood there in silence, watching the exchange. Nahm was quiet for a few moments, and as I watched him I could see his mind ticking away. He was pushing for Atlas to join us, and I wondered if it was because he didn't want to let his new friend down or for some other reason.

"Are you scared of him, Calder? He's truly as harmless as a kitten." Nahm then chuckled, and I almost smiled but I kept my face neutral. I didn't believe that. A kitten? Seriously? Even Nahm was more vicious.

"Don't be stupid," Calder spat, side glancing the other Oceana, Pol, as he carried his own trunk out to the carriage. One of the flushed female servants hurried after him, expressing their thanks at his help. "I come from a strong and very long line of warriors, why would I be scared of one Solarian?"

"So you'll be fine then," Nahm smiled, patting his shoulder patronisingly. "They're going to be meeting us at the docks," He continued, turning away and motioning for me to follow.

"They're?" Calder asked, as Nahm stepped further out into the dawn's watery sunlight and crisp breeze.

"There's three," He smiled, looking back at Calder over his shoulder before he extended an arm for me to take. I kept my smile to myself, and didn't look at Calder as I stepped out into the pale, cool sunlight too. His silence telling me all I needed to know.

The town was just settling in for the day, blinds creeping down and doors locking. Although the sunlight lingered here longer than in the North, the Arunian's that resided here still followed the same customs we did. Sleep during the day, awaken at night.

It became very quiet as we walked down to the docks arm in arm, deciding not to bring up the conversation we'd just had with Calder. I knew better than to ask questions about things I would not receive an answer to, and I had a feeling this topic was one.

The cobbled road sloped downwards towards the ocean so that the it almost looked like a giant wave racing towards us until the rest of the port town below came into view. We meandered through the residential streets, making our way down to the docks as birds began to call to each other in the pine trees around us, rising with the sun unlike the residents of Mizun who went to sleep with it.