Black Hearted

Part 47

Sean watched his Granny take in the crowd of merfolk, before telling him softly. "Let us talk in private. Follow me." Mark helped pull him up by his wrists, whispering to him softly. "They have Nate." Sean nodded, turning to the Merking to say seriously. "You have my Paramour. Release him." The Merking's eyes widened in horror as he started to stammer out angrily. "Your what?! Tell me you're joking?" Granny clapped her hands loudly to silence him, telling the Merking calmly. "I wanted to talk with him anyway. Bring him to the cabin." The Merking whirled around to snap out darkly. "Ma, did you not hear? He's paired himself with that... That traitor!" Granny's eyes narrowed on her son, growling out. "My hearing is just fine. I will handle this. Now bring him up." Sean watched the Merking storm down the steps, vanishing below deck in a huff. The memory of Nate's ring jumped to his mind as he rushed out. "Granny, one of the guards has Nate's-" Granny raised one of her hands to show him the ring casually.

With a small smile, she told him warmly. "Relax, dear boy. I know his type and as an Elder, all prisoner belongings go through me." Sean only relaxed a little. Granny slowly turned, heading toward the cabin and opening the door to gesture them inside. Mark walked in first to check out the repairs that had been done by his crew. Some of his stuff was missing, but his desk and some chairs had been put back. Granny closed the door as Sean entered, waving a hand at the chairs as she told them casually. "Have seat. I'm sure you both have lots of questions." Mark grumbled to himself, watching Granny take a seat in the comfortable Captain's chair. Sean smirked at Mark, while listening to Granny tell him. "I hope you don't mind, Captain Fischbach. I'm not as young as I used to be and unfortunately need more comfort for these old bones." Mark waved a dismissive hand, mumbling out reluctantly. "Ya... It's fine." Granny grinned at him, then rested her hands out on the table palms up.

Sensing that she was asking for his burned hands, he hesitantly rested his hands on hers. Granny closed her eyes a moment. Sean winced a bit as his burned skin flaked off and revealed healed skin beneath. When she released him, she leaned back in the chair just as the doors opened and the Merking shoved Nate inside. Nate stumbled to the floor, looking shaky. Granny's eyes glared at her son, telling him firmly. "Thank you. That will be all." Sean leapt from the chair to hug Nate, watching the Merking gently close the door. Nate hugged Sean, his body shaking with fear. Sean comforted him, while Mark sternly told her. "Ok. Look. I'm thankful you stepped in to save us and all... but about his ring." Granny effortlessly removed the ring and set it on the table in front of her. When Mark tried to grab it though, she covered it, saying softly. "Not yet. We all need to talk, and I need to know some things before I can just give this back." Sean helped Nate into a chair, then sat back down himself to ask nicely. "You held up your end. Let's talk."

Granny took a deep breath, then told him in a gentle tone. "You are familiar with the tale on how Atlantis sunk by now, I assume?" Her eyes darted to Nate with a warm expression. Sean nodded, answering promptly. "Yes. I know about the Blood War and the... The Leviathan." Granny's eyes moved back to him, her expression becoming more neutral as she told him openly. "I see. That will make this easier." Sean couldn't stop himself. The question was burning in his mind. Leaning on the desk, he asked her uneasily. "The Sirens aren't guarding Atlantis are they... They'd have no reason to... Unless... Is he there? My da?" Nate's head jerked up in shock, while Granny smirked only a little. Lifting her chin proudly, she told him tenderly. "Very few Merfolk remember... but yes. Manannan is there." Mark slumped in his chair uncomfortably, grumbling out. "You're not going to tell us that the Sea Crown is him, right? Or that this treasure vault isn't real?" Granny smiled wider, telling him honestly. "It's all real. But you don't know what you're walking into or why."

Nate scooted to the edge of his seat to listen closely. Granny sat up proudly, waving her hand over the bare desk to produce a misty image of Atlantis in its glory. Atlantis was beautiful. An island surrounded in lush green land and it looked so peaceful. The only building that stood out was a temple of white stone in the heart. Granny manipulated the image to show the inside, telling them in a beautiful storytelling voice. "When I was a young woman, Atlantis was a place of peace and beauty. It had a magic all its own. The temple was Poseidon's. Though he rarely went there. He lived in a small fishing cottage by the docks. He knew everyone by name. He cared for all of us. He wanted a simple life. He had many sons and daughters, like most of the gods... but he had never met a woman like your mother. I remember the day he saw her." The image changed to a young woman walking along the white sandy beach, her eyes cast out on the ocean. While a man in his early thirties watched her from beside a cottage home decorated with fish netting.