Finding Them

Chapter 16: I'll Kill You

Lun

Elryria and I both stared at the small creature that had wrapped its body around Mera. A ferret? Of all things? A ferret? I sighed and shaked my head.

"So that's all the familiars?" I asked turning to Greta

"Yes that's all of us" she said landing on my shoulder.

"So you guys can find Captain now?" Mera asked as she stood

"With Noka freed, yes" Kou said "So Noka, do you know where Captain is?"

"I do" she said. Again she spoke without the movements of lips. Her voice was light and small with an accent of the Northern Islands. Which was strange to say the least.

"Then where is she?" Elryria asked "We don't have all day" The ferret nodded and her eyes glazed over and the black of her eyes swirled into light blue human eyes.

"She is deep underground, tied tightly with magic and chains" she whispered her voice echoing and mixing as though two people were talking "In pain. It's so cold, she doesn't know how long she's been down there."

"That's not important" I said "Where is she?"

"Underneath the city" Noka said "Beneath the sacred temples. No magic can be used there. That must be why she can't free herself"

"How do we get to her?" Mera asked

"There is an entrance" Noka said her eyes blossoming into green. "Near to here but there is something blocking the way. I can't see anything else. No one has been under there since Captain was taken."

"Then we better get going" I said looking around the temple for a last time. The statue stood tall and proud. "We should leave an offering. We'll be flying down and I doubt the boat will have any charms"

"What can we leave?" Elryria said "Do we even have anything he'd like?"

"He is known to be kind and have a love for anything that flies." I said "But I didn't bring any charms with me either"

"I might have something" Mera said putting her bag down

"Does your bag have everything in it?" Elryria asked

"No, I just come prepared." she said stiffly before adding "And General likes to make sure I'm ready for everything"

"Well, do you have anything?" I asked looking down at her

"Let me see" she said rummaging through it. She took out a small metal briefcase, clothes, and food before she came across something. It was a small bird charm. It was simple and made of wood. It was an ancient charm of Caelum

"Would this work?" she asked showing it to me

"Where did you get that?" I asked pulling it close. My mother had one, large than this at in her collection

"It was given to me as payment for a job I did" Mera said smiling "She told me it was a good luck charm of the gods."

"She was right there" I said staring at it "It's one of the ancient charms of Caelum, made for him by a great artist. They are priceless"

"Then it will be a good gift to him?" She said standing and smiling. I stared at her in shock.

"You don't want to keep it?" Elryria asked

"It's given me a lot of luck" Mera said "But it belongs to Caelum, right?"

"How are you a bounty hunter?" I asked "I just told you this was priceless and you don't want to keep it"