The Midnight: Dark Horizon

Chapter 12: Breaking Point

  At around late afternoon, after a few hours of riding with the Hippocampi, the walls of Northwich appeared in the distance. Aiden brought their guides to a halt just far enough away from town so nobody could see them. The Hippocampi dove to the water after a quick farewell to their new friends. Harnessing the power of Flow, Shani pushed their wreck in the harbor's direction with a swell to guide them along. The cool wind caressed her face, giving Shani a moment of peace. Raising her head, the fishy air flooded her lungs, recalling her of how Kei used to bring her fish every day to eat when she was younger so she wouldn't go hungry. Shani opened her eyes to find Kei soaring above them, her feathers rustling in the breeze and her wings extended wide open. Watching Kei made Shani smile, but with town approaching closer, she had to let go of her for now. Shani staccato whistled five times, directing her to fly across town and wait for them there to ensure her safety.

  A low muffled voice sprung up from Nia's bag, which hung around her shoulder, causing her to reach in. She dug out her transmitter, curious about who was attempting to contact her. Nia answered with a short 'hello' and turned up the volume to hear the person better on the other end. The group grew quiet and leaned in to inspect the transmitter in Nia's hand, intrigued by who it was.

  "Hello, can you hear me?" Cecilia's hushed, rapid voice emanated from Nia's device accompanied by the ruffling of clothes being crammed together.

  "Ah, miss Cecilia, how are-"

  "I'm sorry, but there is no time for pleasantries. There are a few shady individuals lurking around, and currently, the guards are investigating townsfolk. Two of them questioned me this morning about the Tsunami Swords and if I knew anything about the plant you asked me. To avoid suspicion, I shooed them away with the excuse of being busy." There was a brief halt on her end.
  Nia grew worried from the unusual pause, "Cecilia, are you okay?"

  "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, there was a nosy man peering through my window. Anyway, I'm afraid they might be on the lookout for you and your friends. Everyone in Northwich heard the deafening roars and watched the out-of-control weather from afar last night, so the scene here is tense. Please be careful wherever you are."

  "We will," Shani replied before Nia responded. Feeling terrible for putting Cecilia in this situation, she continued with a question, "W-What are your plans, ma'am?"

  "Don't fret about me, I've been packing all day with the help of a friend and we will leave town by nightfall, though it is a shame I must give up my beautiful plants. I managed to get my son to take over the greenhouse, but I'm getting off-topic here." A loud slamming of a luggage bag interrupted her, "I suggest you also leave as quickly as possible. Who knows what might happen if they find out it was you who was looking into this plant. For now, I must go now, take care." With that, the transmission cut on Cecelia's end.

  "Damn it, it must be Sephtis 'n' his group -" Aiden banged the plank below him with his fist, "- how're we gonna git our stuff or even git oot o' town?"
  Sebastian cupped his fingers under his chin, brainstorming a way to reach the remains of their belongings in their rooms and get their mounts. With a shake of his head, he blinked and let his chin go, "The only option to get out of this is to sneak in and out and hope no one will recognize or stop us."
  "Yeah but, how will we even land, let alone get close to Northwich? They'll be on us the moment they spot us!" Camila dramatically pointed towards town, looming ever closer.

  Nia scrunched up her eyebrows until an idea popped into her mind. Incapable to hold in her excitement, she turned to Shani, "Shani, can you somehow create a thick fog around us? Large enough to not arouse suspicion, but not too big that'll cost you all your beads on your bracelet?"