CHAPTER 152: COMING FOR YOU

[ Towards the Old world...]

The waves had barely settled when Kieran dragged himself out of the sea, boots sloshing with brine, clothes hanging heavy and foul with fish oil and seaweed.

He spat out saltwater, scowled at the horizon, then turned to the figure climbing up behind him from the rocks.

"Velor," Kieran growled, " your brilliant idea already started to stink...we smell literally like fish and rotting corpses."

Velor, water dripping from his lashes, looked far too pleased with himself for someone who had also just swum halfway across the ocean. His grin only widened when he took in Kieran’s appearance.

"Oh no, my dear friend. You smell like a well prepared bloated corpse," he smirked. "A necessary evil, if you want to waltz into the Old world without triggering every ward and alarm system in place...or raise suspicion in the least...we don’t want to repeat the same show you gave them last time. Do we now? "

Kieran looked down at his reflection in the puddle near the rocks. His hair was now streaked blonde, bleached with a potion Velor insisted was ’essential for anonymity.’ His sharp jaw was covered in patchy stubble that looked fake enough to insult his entire lineage.Velor even tried to add a moustache but Kieran threw it straight into the ocean!

"Tell me again," Kieran said slowly, more to the ocean, voice like distant thunder, "why I couldn’t just burn my way through the gates of the Old world and take Autumn myself."

Velor made a face like he had just stepped on a sea urchin.

"Because you would die before you could reach her."

"I have faced worse."

Velor rolled his eyes. "No. You have caused worse. There’s a difference."

Kieran stood up without sparing Velor another glance. " Now what? "

The dock to the forgotten shores was still not visible to naked eyes. " We swim again? "

" Of course not! They would shoot us on sight! Are you crazy? We are going to hitch a ride pretending to be slaves who escaped other boats! "

" What!! "

"Exactly! " Velor rolled his eyes. " Your body size and brain seem to be inversely proportionate... no wonder you got caught last time." He hit Kieran on the shoulder. Then adjusted his posture. " There, bend a little. Don’t walk with your chest forward. Look at the ground more often. That’s how slaves walk, Kieran! "

He knew Kieran wanted to shred him into pieces but he could not, so he simply clenched his fist and walked forward.

They hitched a ride and the rest of it went smoothly , according to plan and finally they set foot on the forgotten dock of the forgotten Old world.

Kieran heaved a deep sigh , breathing in the air as if feeling her...he stretched and looked around. " Autumn, I am here! I am not leaving without you this time. I am coming, my love...Aah!Aoo...What the..."

Something sharp poked him from behind!!

" You, slave... keep walking, you big fool! You think you are in some garden, stretching in the early morning,blocking the way, you idiot... " Another sharp jab came from the back, shoving Kieran forward.

Velor smirked, trying to contain his laughter as Kieran spared him a death stare.

They walked up the stony path towards the looming marketplace... their new masters, the fishermen, right behind them... hoping to sell them for a good price!

Poor things had no idea that our boys definitely had other plans.

The marketplace was as insane as ever... a lot of buying and selling, a lot of weird creatures and smoke... too much hustle and bustle... business was rolling... full on...

And through all of that insanity... two soggy but handsome ’slaves’ trudged along in silence. Sort of.

Kieran’s lips were drawn into a tight line. Both had shackles on their wrists...fake ones, enchanted by Velor to look real...and every time one of the fishermen prodded Kieran forward with the blunt end of a fishing spear, he mentally counted to five.

For mercy.

For self control.

And then for how hard he would eventually slam that spear up their... Poke.

"Walk straight, you lummox!" one of the fishermen barked behind him. "You smell bad enough without stumbling around like a drunk cow!"

Kieran growled under his breath. "Velor. I am going to snap his spine in three places and then beat him with it."

Velor, walking right beside him with that same annoyingly calm expression and smirk, whispered, "Now, now. Patience. We are almost there. You do this too early, we blow our cover."

"Why the hell did I let your wife talk me into this?"

"Because you love her."

Kieran stopped walking.

Velor bumped into him. "Keep moving, idiot!"

Kieran snapped back, "Say that again and I will love you right into the next fucking..."

" Sssshh!! I didn’t know you were bi... "

" VELOR! "

" Will you fools walk or talk?!Damn , I can’t wait to sell them and go home... What a waste of my day!!! "

Both Velor and Kieran gritted through their teeth.

They passed a stall where two goblin children were betting on how long a severed hand would keep twitching. One of them waved at Velor. He waved back with his middle finger.

They smirked back at him, thoroughly amused.

Finally, they reached the quieter edge of the market. A side alley, almost forgotten...stone walls mossed over, a broken lantern hanging sideways, and not a soul in sight.

Velor leaned sideways, nudging Kieran.

"This is it."

Kieran didn’t need more than that.

The moment they turned the corner, Velor casually coughed.

One of the fishermen frowned. "Oi! What are you two..."

CRACK!

Kieran turned mid step and drove his fist straight into the man’s throat. The sound was like a tree snapping.

The fisherman staggered, eyes bulging, before collapsing like a gutted fish.

The second fisherman raised his spear.

Velor sighed. "Really?"

He flicked two fingers and the man’s boots suddenly fused to the cobblestone with a sticky black goo.

"What the...?!"

"Ever tried to swim through tar?" Velor asked conversationally.

The man screamed and lunged.

Kieran took two steps, caught the spear in one hand, yanked it from the fisherman’s grasp with insulting ease, and then swung the butt end straight into the man’s gut.

THWUMP.

The man folded like laundry.

Velor clapped. "Brilliant. Very subtle."

Kieran turned to him. "You made me pretend to be a slave, Velor."

"Yes. And you played the part beautifully," he said, plucking a fish scale from Kieran’s cloak. "You were grumpy, smelly, and full of poorly restrained rage. Very convincing."

Kieran stepped forward slowly, eyes narrowing. "I am this close to hurling you into that sewer."

"Relax." Velor winked. "We needed to sell it, and we did. Nobody saw us.No one followed us. And the fishermen? Well... let’s just say they voluntarily retired."

As if right on cue, the two men groaned from the ground.

Kieran looked down. "They are still breathing."

Velor waved it off. "They won’t be for long. That alley connects to the meat gutters. Something will chew them up by midnight."

Kieran raised an eyebrow. "You are disgusting."

Velor smiled. "Why, thank you."

They started stripping off the outer slave clothes. Underneath, Velor had fitted them with plain travelers’ gear...dull brown leathers, faded cloaks, and small concealed weapons.

"Now we blend," Velor said, tugging his hood up.

Kieran adjusted the cloak, tying it tightly. "I still look like a donkey’s ass."

"Not true," Velor said helpfully. "More like a donkey’s mysterious twin. "

Kieran was about to retort... when something caught their attention and they turned towards it... together, at once!