Breakfasts in the Atractas home were usually lively when all three children were present. Each would remind the other what they planned to do that day, what the family needed to have done, and what dinner should be that night. When they were traveling, their discussions were even more random.

It would've been safe to assume that a week out from the start of the Invitational, their voices would've been filled with the excitement around the tournaments and Exhibition.

Instead, the spacious dining room of the family apartment was quiet with only the sound of utensils against plates as Ash locked eyes with the family's ice wolf, Commodore.

Henry ignored his brother, having long been used to how Ash got when he became hyper-fixated on something and would drown himself in a question for knowledge. Although Ash's current starring match with the ice wolf didn't seem like it, that's exactly what Ash was doing.

Across from Ash, Hana slowly brought some baked fish to her lips as her eyes crinkled up. She'd just arrived the evening before with her brother and walked into the apartment to see her partner sitting on the floor across from Commodore with an intense look. It took Henry kicking his leg to bring him out of his zone and point out that Hana and her brother, Hide, had arrived.

"And...how long as he been like this?" Hana leaned to the side and whispered to Effie, who's cheeks were stuffed with fish and rice porridge.

The little girl swallowed her food and licked her lips. "Since he woke up."

The concern on Hana's face deepened when her question wasn't exactly answered.

"Did that coma make your brother crazy?" Hide lowered his spoon and frowned. "Is he going to be all right for the Exhibition?"

"He'll be fine for the Exhibition," Henry replied with a heavy sigh. "Ash is still adjusting to his...increased magic sensitivity and sight." That was what they called it in order to skip over the depressing details of Ash having encountered the soul pieces of generations of magi-demae victims, and having his magic altered because of the foreign magic surge when he released them.

The official answer they were telling everyone was that Ash's 'increased magic sensitivity and sight' occurred after a particularly grueling fight, where he hit his head and was feverish while in a coma, thus affecting his magic abilities. Considering the mysterious nature of magic, it was a very acceptable explanation.

"Second Brother, do you see it yet?" Effie asked with a spoonful of porridge.

Ash's jaw was clenched and his face fell when he heard Effie. He narrowed his eyes and frowned, his shoulder sinking. "No. Nothing."

Henry let out another tired sigh. "Ash, just accept that aura is only visible with people."

Ash raised his hands and grasped the sides of his head. "Why is it that Momma and Effie can see aura on animals, but I can't? How will this make me a better beast tamer?"

Hide looked at him with disgust, as if unable to believe that Ash was the object of his sister's interest. "Why are you still planning to run off to be a beast tamer? Half the people at the Invitational are here to see what you brought to the Exhibition!"

Ash shot Hide a glare. "Some of us are multi-talented, Hide. I would like all my skills to level up."

Hide rolled his eyes.

Effie slurped some food. "Second Brother, at least you can still see aura on people."

The corner of Ash's lip curled up with distaste. "Only if they're unguarded. Reading the aura of strangers is where it's needed the most. This is absolutely useless!"

After Ash understood what aura was, he tried to read the aura of every living thing, from them to the ravens to the snakes that hid in Nera's sleeves. Ash's initial excitement crashed when he couldn't pick up the aura of animals.

He fully expected to, considering that Master Chanda explained to him that reading aura was an important ability for beast masters, which made dealing with animals much, much easier. Ash refused to believe it and spent days trying to see aura from the animals around them, especially Commodore, as he was particularly smart.

When Ash wasn't trying to read animal aura, he tried to memorize what color aura meant when reading his family members and Elders, to random people he was people-watching at the teahouse. This led to the frustrating discovery that Ash could only read the aura of people who dropped their guard around him.

In a relaxing setting like the tea house, he could make out the various colors of aura amongst most of the customers.

But in an open-air marketplace, where people were haggling for goods, and everyone was on guard, there were far fewer.

Henry was Ash's test subject, asking him to try to restrain his body language and control his micro expressions to prevent Ash from knowing what he was feeling. Ash had groaned when Henry's somewhat annoyed brown aura faded into nothing.

To be able to read the aura, the feelings, and intentions, of a prospective customer or partner was a massive edge for any merchant, and Ash's abilities had failed him.

"Maybe you need to train more," Hana suggested. She motioned towards Effie. "Effie has been practicing for years."

"Hana." Effie reached out and patted Hana's forearm comfortingly. She gave her a pitiful look and shook her head. "You can't compare my aura-sight to Second Brother's. My sight is so strong, the colors are bold even if people are guarded."

Hide looked at the little girl with surprise. "You can see aura even if someone is trying to minimize it?"

Effie turned towards him and scoffed at his question. "People are animals, too, you know."

"Ash, you've stared at Commodore enough. Come and eat breakfast," Henry said. "Your materials for the Exhibition are going to be unloaded from the ship and transported to the Exhibition Hall for preparation later today. You'll hardly have time to eat."

Ash nodded and refocused his attention on food.

"Cio is supposed to arrive today, too," Hana said. "Are you going to the dock to meet him?" she asked the little girl.

Effie scrunched her nose and then shook her head. "I can't. I have training with Master Chanda while he's here."

"Where are you going to find enough animals to train with?" Hide asked.

Once more Effie gave him a look of disdain. "Animals are everywhere." She shoveled the rest of her breakfast into her mouth, then chewed, swallowed, and reached for her napkin to wipe her mouth. "Okay, I'm done." She placed her napkin on the table and slid off the chair. "I'm going to the roof. Master Chanda is waiting for me."

Her brothers told her to be a bit more restrained so as not to attract too much attention, and she nodded, and brought the massive ice wolf with her.

"What time did they say the goods are unloaded?" Ash looked towards Hana. The Invitational flooded Shae's ports. Every pier had a revolving series of ships coming and going with tourists, competitors, and equipment. This was in addition to normal trade cargo.

Carthage Harbor had a way of dealing with this with retracting piers that could be extended to increase space for cargo easily. It was an expensive project and needed to be carefully integrated with a city's existing infrastructure, so it was also slow to build.

Ash and Hana had spent more time than they wanted just doing tests on their designs, but upon completion of the test pier, every other Merchant City clamored to have them installed. It could be said it was Moonflower's unofficial project.

However, Shae didn't have those retracting piers yet, so everything was slower than normal.

Priority was given to those who had competitions early or had applied for more time for setting up, as Ash and Hana did.

"The ship is confirmed at noon and with a time extension since there are many large and heavy parts," Hana said. "I also confirmed with the Carthage Harbor team that they will meet us at pier eighteen to load the goods into carts and bring them to the Exhibition Hall."

All competing cities had a team of laborers, craftsmen, and medics on hand to assist their athletes and presenters. This was to decrease the chance of tampering. The Invitational was highly competitive, after all.

Ash and Hana carried a lot of weight, and Carthage Harbor paid them extra attention because of their past success. It was impressive enough having Ash in the city, but they also had Hana. There was so much pressure for them to succeed, but there were also many eyes waiting to see them fail.

"I want to do a three-stage check," Ash said. "Once in the ship, once in the carts, and then a final at the Exhibition Hall."

Hana nodded. "The city guards that escorted us will also stay with the Exhibition goods at all times, except when the hall closes for the night."

Ash frowned a bit and poked at his egg. "I know all the other presenters for the Exhibition are under the same constraints, and also can't leave anyone to guard their exhibitions at night, but I still don't want to leave them there unattended."

"Isn't the hall locked?" Hide asked.

Hana gave her brother a dull look. "Do you think a locked room will keep saboteurs out?"

Henry finished the last of his food. "Just have Ash put up a magic barrier that repels people until deactivated."

Ash let out a resigned sigh. "That's the plan."

The door to the apartment was heard unlocking and Henry looked at the clock on the wall. It was mid-morning and they were expecting no one.

Nera walked in; her face half covered as she arrived without making a sound. Her eyes were hidden, but her lips were pulled in a deep frown.

"Momma," Ash greeted her. "What's wrong?"

"The outriggers were revealed today for inspection," Nera said in a low voice. She stopped beside the table, behind a high-back dining chair. She grasped the back of the chair and curled her fingers into the fabric. "My mast had weak points and the fasteners to the boom were so loose, I couldn't help but touch them and they nearly fell apart with how frail they were."

Her voice was filled with irritation as she gritted her teeth.

Both Henry and Ash sat up straight with frowns mirror hers. "What?" the two brothers said at once.

The opening boat race of the Invitational was done on single sail outriggers with floats, which were based on some of the earliest merchant trading vessels that went surprisingly long distances on such a simple craft.

These outriggers were designed for one person to captain.

In order to make sure all competitors had a fair chance; the boats were provided by the Invitational. They were all identical right down to the type of wood and fabric of the sails. The only way to tell them apart were from the symbols on the sails which represented the city they were sailing for.

Nera had left before dawn to join her fellow competitors and city officials at the east harbor to release the new outriggers into the water, as well as get her assigned boat and sails. It was the competitor's responsibility to do the final inspection and affix the sail.

Then, they could take them around a large cove to one side of the harbor to test and familiarize themselves. That was where Nera was supposed to be.

"All the boats are new," Hana said, her utensils down. "How can some of the fasteners fall apart?"

"The better question is where there any other boats that had the same problem?" Henry asked.

"Three more," Nera replied. "So, it doesn't seem as if Carthage Harbor's boat is being targeted." The corner of her lip raised with distaste, and Henry could tell she meant just the opposite.

"Are they going to be able to fix it in time?" Hana asked.

"They're working on replacing the weakened parts," Nera told her before rubbing her forehead. "But it will take at least another day or two, so that's two days I lose for practice."

"Even if they didn't damage the boat before it went out to sea, you still lost practice days." Henry took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "No matter what outcome, Auntie is negatively affected."

Nera tapped her fingers on the top of the dining chair in front of her. "I'm more concerned that someone will try to damage the boat just before the competition, when it's too late for repairs."

Several of them let out a low hiss. Ash reached into his tunic's inner pocket. "What if I cast magic on the boat to have it reject others?"

Nera shook her head. "The boats need to be put in the water and then brought to the starting line by others, so it can't reject everyone," she told him. "In addition, the boats are checked for magic every morning and night until the event starts. This is to prevent magic-created advantages. Even if your magic is used to protect the boat and nothing else, it's still magic and will be counted as performance enhancing."

"Auntie could get fined with time or be disqualified from the events completely," Henry said.

"Then, I won't use any magic on the actual boat," Ash told his mother. "I can do a barrier to alert us if it has been crossed. After all, aside from you and Carthage Harbor's labor team, no one else has any reason to get close."

"But even if the magic alerts us, won't it be too late?" Hana asked. "We'd still need to rush there to catch a vandal in the act, and by then, damage had already been done."

"What if it's a sound triggered by breaking the barrier?" Hide suggested. "There are guards outside, aren't there?"

"That's a good idea, but that doesn't help if the guards are lured away or worse," Henry told him. "Paid off."

Ash let out a little click of his tongue and shook his head. "The character of competitors are getting worse by the year."

Nera looked at her son and chuckled. She reached down and ruffled Ash's silver-white hair. "It may not be the competitors. It may not even be the cities. A lot of money is gambled on the Invitational." She paused and shook her head. "I've also heard of cases where it's not money that is gambled, but goods, fees, or contracts. It gets messy."

Ash lowered his head and frowned. "Then, what can we do?"

"Put up the barrier," Nera said. "And I'll arrange for some guards."

"I thought people weren't allowed inside the storage dry dock once it's locked up for the night?" Hide asked.

Nera chuckled and turned around, stretching her arms up. "My guards aren't human, Hide."

Henry, Ash, and Hana all perked up. Hana pushed herself up. "Auntie, can you loan us some guards for our exhibition?"

Nera paused and looked over her shoulder with a raised brow. "Oh?" She frowned a bit. "Has there been threats of sabotage?"

"No, but we're still worried about our stuff," Ash told her. He rubbed his arms and knitted his brows. "It's a feeling we can't shake off." Hana nodded in agreement.

"Ash and Hana are probably the most sought-after team for the Exhibition," Henry said. "I'm sure there are people who don't want them to win and may be desperate enough to tamper with their exhibition."

Hearing this, Nera's lips tightened into a line. "I'll arrange it with Effie. Once the Invitational begins, I'll be assigned to the competitor's dormitories, so I won't be able to act as quickly as I'd like. Effie and Master Chanda are here and will be able to organize the animals." She paused. "Remind Effie not to be too aggressive. She's very willing to retaliate with a swarm of animals if she deems it deserved."

Henry drew his lips inward and bit them. Effie was a very loving girl, but because she cared so much, she also carried deep grudges when wronged. His eyes moved to Ash. Definitely siblings....

"When are you going to the dormitories, Auntie?" Hana asked.

"Middle of the week," Nera replied. "I'm going to go do checks on the outrigger daily, and tonight, some fellow competitors invited me to dinner."

Nera was legendary in the all-around tournament having won several Invitationals in a row. She had many rivals, and possibly even enemies, but most of the competitors of the all-round were friends.

Henry and the others weren't strangers to them, as a few had even come to Carthage Harbor in the past to train with Nera, or at the very least, receive some guidance. Several of the younger competitors looked up to her as a mentor.

The competitors were also all from merchant families, so Snake, Scarab, and Sons had benefited.

"You enjoy yourself, Momma. We'll arrange for dinner for the Elders," Ash said.

Nera waved her hand. "You only have to arrange for Master Chanda while he's training Effie. Elder Kosal has returned to the Lunapsar House. There is a small delegation representing the Celestial Kingdom this year."

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Henry's brows rose. Ash looked surprised. "They were invited?" Certain requirements had to be met for the Federation to invite a foreign delegation to compete.

Nera shrugged. "I made a suggestion, as we need to start gaining legitimacy on the international stage despite the situation of our people," she said. "Previous to the Fall, the Celestial Kingdom was given a single invitation."

"What events did they participate in?" Hana asked with curiosity.

"Sailing events," Nera replied. "Due to the nature of our bodies on the mainland, we had an unfair disadvantage over other humans. It was only recently that they started allowing Lunapsar, as there is a large diaspora, and demis of mixed-blood to join. We have to wear limitation bracelets to remain on even ground."

This was in reference to the slight speed and strength advantage Lunapsar had against humans. It was fine until they were twenty-five years old, but at twenty-five, a Lunapsar reached maturity, and with maturity came enhanced speed and strength, which heavily affected battle-readiness.

Nera once told them she believed this was why she had been targeted when she was still a teenager. At the time, she was a good fighter courtesy of her parents training, but she had the average strength and speed of any other teenage girl. This translated into an average teenager that could be strong armed.

However, the closer Nera got to twenty-five, the stronger and faster she got.

Just shy of twenty-five, and Nera had killed the attendant that set up Arunsha's horse riding accident with such cruel ease, that no one on that field had tried to stop her. Not even the soldiers. And when the Old Bastard summoned her, she'd returned to the Court of Imperial Wives unscathed.

Henry's eyes lingered on his brother. Ash was still a teenager and, physically, he was a bit better than normal because of their training. However, when Ash hit twenty, he'd start to notice the increase.

Henry's brows furrowed. Thinking about this, he was reminded of Ashtar's Crown Prince. He and the Crown Prince were the same age. There was some contestation on who was born first: Henry or Crown Prince Eskander, but it was widely believed Henry was born first.

He was almost twenty-five, meaning Crown Prince Eskander was also almost twenty-five. Except, Crown Prince Eskander was part Lunapsar. That couldn't be hidden; he had the features.

But that night when they were in the castle in Zimora, and the lights went out, Eskander was helpless against Ash's attack. Why didn't he sense it and move in time? Could it be that he just wasn't training well enough?

Or could it be that he didn't inherit the strength and speed?

The thought of this situation pleased Henry, and he looked at Ash with a gentler expression. Somehow, he knew that even if the Crown Prince didn't get superior strength and speed, Ash, his little magic-demon brother, would.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Ash crinkled his eyes and looked at Henry full of suspicion. "I didn't do anything. Yet."

"Nothing." Henry shrugged and looked away. "I just felt that you were suddenly more pleasing to the eye." He pretended he didn't see Ash shudder. He reached for his plate to bring it to the kitchen. "You can't loiter here forever. You three should go to the dock and wait for the Exhibition goods to be unloaded. Also, if you see Cio and Madam Stavos, invite them for dinner sometime this week so we can plan out the events we're going to watch."

Ash nodded. "Effie's schedule is also busy. Her little friends are coming and they've made plans."

Hana chuckled and Hide let out a snort. "How busy can an eight-year-old be?"

"Quite busy," Henry replied smoothly as he passed. "Her circle of friends is more impressive than yours."

Hide choked and sent Henry a glare. "What friends does she have?"

Hana sighed and patted her brother's shoulder. "Brother, you don't know Effie."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"This is ridiculous!" Prince Max slapped the wooden table and ignored the look his mother shot him from one of the tables where the adults were sitting. "They dare tamper with Auntie's boat?"

"It wasn't just her boat," Cio replied. "There were two others, but it's possible that more than one was tampered with in order to deflect from the suspicion that Auntie was targeted. It'll appear more as general negligence."

"What about Second Brother and Hana's project?" Terry had come along to play at Effie's invitation. Cio had begrudgingly taken on the task of bringing Terry to the other side of the continent. "Is that in any danger?"

"Momma and I have taken precautions, but Second Brother and Hana said that as of when they did their final checks when the goods were delivered to the hall, everything is fine," Effie told them. "They started putting everything together behind a privacy screen."

"All the other Exhibition presenters have privacy screens to keep the presentations secret until the Exhibition starts," a boy with green skin and protruding teeth looked thoughtful. "But no one is guarding them. I'm kind of worried."

"Did your brother put up a barrier?" A little girl sitting in a large, but narrow barrel of water looked at Effie with big dark eyes.

"He did," Effie replied to the little mermaid. "But in case the barrier wasn't enough, I have some friends there."

Friends being animals. Her large table of humanoid friends all nodded, approving her decision.

From the adult table, Hana's brother couldn't help but look at the children.

Ash leaned forward and smirked. "Impressed at her wide circle?"

Hide let out a snort and shook his head. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. Who hasn't seen royals and demi-humans before?"

It was just surprising to see mermaids, orcs, elves, and anthropomorphic demi-humans at a table with nobles from Dareisol, merchant heirs from the Federation, and several young royals from other countries together at once.

Granted, they were all children, but their presence attracted a lot of attention when they arrived.

"They're all very cute," Hana said. Ash had seen her physically restrain herself from reaching for someone's furry ears.

"Don't let their cuteness fool you," Madam Stavos told her. "They are all clever children. Mariana just secured a trade deal from the deep depths of the trenches around the Dragon Continent. She's completely disrupted the trade for deep sea minerals."

Mariana was the ten-year-old mermaid who was animatedly discussing some concert of a group of seven singing young men with a little girl with rounded, furry snow leopard ears.

"Effie, are you still going to go to the West Wind Girls Academy?" a little girl in a beautiful silk dress asked.

"Next year, I think," Effie replied. "That's why I'm trying to get as much training done with my master as possible."

"Terry, I think you should test in," another little girl said. "You're smart, and if you want to be Effie's assistant, then you'll need the training."

"I've considered it," Terry replied affirmatively.

Across from them, Cio took in a sharp breath. "You're going to go with Effie to the West Wind Girls Academy?"

Terry's usually gentle eyes hardened with some smugness. "If I'm going to assist Effie in the future, I need to be with her at all times."

Completely unaware of her friends' rivalry for her attention, Effie nodded. "If Terry passes, she can enter at the same time."

"We can be roommates," Terry said, her eyes smiling. Cio looked horrified.

"Yes! We can be roommates!" Effie clapped her hands together.

Ash couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for Cio. Cio clung to his sister in Carthage Harbor, but he couldn't follow her to an all-girls school. He was undoubtedly at a disadvantage when it came to time with Effie.

"Just because you're going to be her roommate, doesn't mean you'll stay with her forever!" Cio said. He was the youngest of the group, though he easily caught up with them in his speech, making the others forget he was so young.

"If I become her assistant, I can," Terry replied with a hint of haughtiness she normally didn't have. "I will be with Effie forever."

Cio choked, and beside him, Prince Max patted his back sympathetically.

Ash shook his head, unwilling to get involved in the matters of children. He'd deal with Cio if Cio had any thoughts on his sister when they were older.

Some food was placed on his plate and he noticed it was from Hana. "Crab cakes," she said. "You can have mine since you like them so much."

Ash beamed and lifted his fork. On Hana's other side, Hide's burning glare bore into him. "Hana, I like crab cakes, too-"

"You already had one. What if you have a gout flare up?" Hana snapped. Hide shut his mouth at once.

Ash snickered and happily ate his crab cake.

The restaurant's upper floor, which had been booked for dinner and surrounded by various guards and soldiers escorting them, was loud with chatter. The only person missing was Nera, who was testing her repaired outrigger.

The next day, she would check into the competitor's dormitories to prepare for the first of the all-round events. The opening ceremonies would kick off the outrigger race, which took a full day and night, and competitors needed to know the course before they set off.

Effie, who was chatting with her friends happily, suddenly froze. She sat up straight and whipped her head towards the nearest window. Without a word, she pushed her seat back and sat up, weaving around the tables to make a beeline to the window despite her friends calling out to her.

Ash and Henry both noticed her at once. Effie was such a playful child, but she wouldn't ignore her friends without warning.

Effie reached the window and pushed it open. A raven hopped on the sill and began cawing.

Ash felt a heavy knot in his stomach as he rose from his seat at the same time as Henry. The tables had gone silent when the three siblings began to move.

Effie's face seemed to go paler as she listened to the raven. Her small, chubby hands clawed into the window sill before she turned around. "Brothers!"

"What's wrong?" Henry almost shoved an empty seat to the side as he rushed to her.

Effie's eyes reddened. "Momma's outrigger fell apart!"

"What do you mean fell apart?" Crown Princess Johanna rose from her seat with a dark look on her face.

"She was testing it outside of the harbor and then part of the boom dislodged," Effie replied. "The mast is still loose and the sails don't work right. Void says Momma's boat isn't moving."

"Doesn't she have a paddle?" A tall woman with furry ears stood up with a frown.

Another man at their table shook his head. "No, outriggers aren't allowed to have paddles on board for the competition."

"But wasn't her boat just repaired? What is with this shoddy quality?" Crown Princess Johanna seethed.

"Not only that, but the sun has set," her husband said. The air around the table became strained. "Madam Atractas is out on the water in the dark."

The man who was in a large barrel frowned. He raised his arms and called out to his escorts. "Take me to the shore. I'll assemble our men to search for her," he said. "Mermaid eyes adjust well to the darkness. We'll find her."

"Daddy, I'll come, too!" Mariana said.

"Effie, calm down," Henry picked up his sister and wiped her tears. "Auntie will be fine. If anything, I'm sure she's just waiting to get back to shore to find out who did this."

"Effie, send Void to lead Lord Gall and his people out," Ash said as he tied something on Void's leg. "I've put a light beacon on his foot to light the way."

"Call Donut," Henry told them as he put Effie back down. "Can you attach a stronger light to him?"

"Not a problem."

"Shall we send out some of our naval escorts?" the Crown Princess asked.

"No, Your Highness. Too many boats on the water can cause an accident. Lord Gall and his mermen are ideal," Henry told them. He looked at the tables with their guests. "This is an urgent family matter and I deeply apologize, but my brother and sister and I should go."

"Ash, you and Brother and Effie go," Hana said. "I'll arrange for the rest of the guests."

"We'll pay ahead," Ash told her, giving her a thankful look.

The siblings rushed out along with the two mermaids who were carried down the stairs and onto an awaiting wagon suitable for their needs. Donut arrived and Ash prepared a light crystal on his legs to be used.

"Donut, follow Void!" Effie ordered, raising her arm into the air. The hawk let out a screech before flapping his wings and flying up towards the dot of light in the sky.

Rather than a carriage, Effie was hoisted on the front of Henry's saddle and followed after Ash.

"If Momma's outrigger is this damaged, how is she going to compete in a few days?" Ash asked with a scowl.

"They have spares, but they'll need to be re-checked for competition," Henry replied. "This is ridiculous."

"Effie, was Momma's outrigger the only one damaged?"

"I think so," Effie replied. "Void said that Momma was doing a practice lap further out of the bay."

"Alone?" Henry asked with a frown.

"Void said there wasn't anyone nearby."

"If Momma was going out alone to practice, she would've taken some precautions," Ash said. "There should've been another there, even if it wasn't another person."

Despite telling himself this, and wholeheartedly believing in his mother's abilities, Ash still couldn't quell his worry.

The mermaids were released as soon as they reached the edge of the water, but the siblings had raced to the east harbor, where equipment for the water race events were kept. Even now, there were many light crystals shining down on the docks as competitors and their teams checked their things and made plans, as well as practiced drills.

"Sir, it is competitors and their teams only beyond this point." Several city guards kept the area zoned off and stood at temporary guard posts erected on either side of the main road.

"We're part of the team for Carthage Harbor," Henry replied without any shame. "We've been told that our all-round champion, Nera Atractas, has not returned from her practice sail and may still be out on the water."

The soldiers looked uncertain. Finally, one volunteered to go and check to see if there had been any word from Nera Atractas.

He had just left when a large man with a bald head began jogging towards them. "Young Masters! Young Miss!"

Ash narrowed his eyes, recognizing the man, but not remembering his name. Luckily, Henry was with him.

"Mr. Bi!" Henry's eyes widened.

Ash knew the name. He came at least once a year to train with his mother, as Mr. Bi was a representative of Cirota Merchant City. In particular, he studied Nera's combat style.

The bald man looked frantic. "Master Nera's flare wasn't seen from the checkpoint ship. She should've reached it at least an hour ago, but we haven't seen the flare."

"That's why we've come," Henry said. "The raven with her returned to report that her outrigger was having problems. We're worried she's dead in the water."

Mr. Bi clenched his fist and swore. "Then, we'll set out immediately-"

"We've got it covered. Don't go out. Check your equipment, especially the mast and fastener points," Ash told him. He lowered his voice. "Momma's outrigger should've just been repaired. It shouldn't be a problem so soon, especially for a vessel that's supposed to be new for the competition."

Hearing this, Mr. Bi's face darkened. His eyes narrowed as he frowned. "She told us not to worry ourselves, but we suspected something was strange."

"Mr. Bi, can you get them to let us in?" Effie asked, fidgeting in her seat.

The man smacked his head and gave her an apologetic look. "Of course, Young Miss. I'm sorry." He looked at the guards and walked towards them. "They're part of the Carthage Harbor team." The guards hesitated and Mr. Bi learned forward. "Surely, you've heard of the Atractas Brothers? One is a master swordsman and the other a genius mage?" He stressed their accomplishments and a glint of recognition swept through the eyes of the guards.

Though there was some hesitation in their movement, the guards still let the siblings through. "You must dismount first. Horses can't be ridden in this area."

The trio nodded and Ash and Henry both dismounted. Henry handed his reins to Ash before carrying Effie off. The three followed Mr. Bi to where several competitors were standing by the sandy shore, looking out towards the harbor.

Normally, at night, there would be nothing but darkness, but due to the amount of people who'd come to Shae, there were hundreds of small lights flickering in the distance. Despite all those lights, there was a clear, empty path of darkness that was reserved for any boating competitions.

The first event of the all-round was the outrigger sailing competition. Competitors set out midafternoon and would sail out of the harbor and into the open ocean. There were ships that were anchored along the route acting as path markers and checkpoints. Each time the first and last of the competitors passed a checkpoint ship, a flare would be shot.

Red for the first ship and blue for the last ship.

If something happened to a competitor in between checkpoints, smaller vessels towed by the checkpoint ships would be released as a safety measure.

The furthest of the ships that anchored was the midway point and the checkpoint where the competitors circled to make their return. The midway point was always reached at night and it shot out two white flares for the first and last vessels.

Competitors were scheduled to reach the finish line by morning.

Very few reached it before dawn, and in the last Invitationals, Nera had been one of them.

"How far did she say she was going?" Henry asked.

"Out into the open ocean and back; perhaps three or four checkpoints out, at most," one of the competitors replied with a worried expression.

"Have any emergency signals been sent out?" Ash asked. Every vessel involved in an Invitational race had several emergency signal beacons on board. Ash knew this because he had been the one to update them and the emergency flotation devices.

"No, Young Master."

"Could she have gone off course?" another person asked out loud.

"That doesn't sound like Master Nera. As long as there are stars, she can find her way back."

"There was a problem with her ship," Henry said. There was no use in hiding it.

"The boom might have dislodged and her mast wasn't staying in place, making it difficult to use the sail," Ash said with a frown. "One of our family's birds came to report to us."

Several voices argued to go out and looking for her, but considering the situation, Ash told them not to and instead check their boats again. He assured them that there were others searching for his mother already, they just had to wait.

"You're telling them to be patient, but you're pacing," Henry said as Ash crossed in front of him for the third time.

"Shae's water is cooler than Carthage Harbor. Even if the current doesn't harm her, the cold water can," Ash said. He continued to pace, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

Behind him, Henry tried to calm the competitors who were worried about Nera, including telling them not to make hasty judgments on possible sabotage. However, considering that Nera's outrigger had arrived with faulty parts, and even after repair, essentially broke despite purportedly being new, they couldn't help but wonder if she was being targeted.

"This is just the first of the events in the competition," Henry's low voice said beside Ash. "Auntie is going to have to be cautious."

Ash took a deep breath and slowly released it. He'd almost forgotten about that. The winners were decided by the amount of points accumulated by rank in each event. Even if Nera came last, if she could sweep the remaining events, there was a possibility of placing. This was because participants usually had three, perhaps four if they were lucky, strong events.

The rest would often end with low to mid scores at best.

In order to participate in the other events as a Lunapsar, Nera wore limiting bracelets that were checked before each round. The last Invitational, people accused her bracelets of being too weak because she was still dominating the events. The last events she took part in limited her even more.

Other competitors and officials tested out the bracelets and were satisfied.

But the bracelets only limited strength and speed, not ability.

Ash didn't know how long they'd been waiting, but several competitors had left for the night. If it weren't for the fact that Nera was still unaccounted for, the officials and guards would've ushered them out, as well.

Then, there was a flash of light that shot out of the darkness. It was bright and white; a flare that Ash recognized.

"That's a flare! They've spotted her!" One of the officials cried out and the heaviest breath of relief rushed out of Ash.

He shut his eyes and felt his brother put his arm around him and give him a squeeze. "Auntie always makes it back."

Ash nodded.

A screech was heard and Effie looked up. A spot light was shining down on the dark water from above. "It's Donut!"

"If Donut's here, then Auntie isn't far behind," Henry said.

"Donut, why didn't you stay with Momma?" Effie couldn't contain her annoyance once the hawk had reached them. Donut began making little chirps and Effie's shoulders relaxed. "Oh...okay, that's fine then."

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"There were clouds where Momma was, so it was difficult to see the stars and navigate back. Also, her boat was slowly sinking," Effie said. "So, she got some help to stay afloat. Mariana's dad's people found her and are leading her back."

"Who helped her stay afloat?" Henry asked. "The checkpoint ships?"

"Dolphins."

"Dolphins?" The two brothers asked at once. Effie nodded.

"Dolphins are very smart." It was a surprising turn of events, but at least knowing that Nera had utilized her beast mastery, it was clear she had things under control. She had likely been delayed due to her uncertainty over which direction she was to go.

In the distance, they saw an approaching light floating towards them in the darkness. It was the light tied to Void's claw.

However, Void wasn't flying.

"Momma!" Ash waved his arm as Donut hovered overhead, shining his spotlight on a woman who seemed to be standing on water. Ash squinted and slowly lowered his hand. "Is she floating?"

There was only darkness beneath Nera's feet. Void was perched on the stern of the outrigger that wasn't floating on the water. Rather, its broken boom that was only connected to one of the two locations was held afloat on top of a black mass cutting through the water, while the canoe portion was being pushed forward by another black mass.

Henry squinted. "Effie...." he said. "Are you sure those are dolphins?"

Effie nodded. Water was sprayed into the air from the blowhole of one of the creatures. Nera stood just beside the elongated black dorsal fin that never went below the water. She held on almost casually, as if she were on just another boat, enjoying the ride.

"Are those...dolphins?" one of the official said with some confusion and awe.

"They're orcas," Effie told them. She jumped in the air and waved her arms. "Momma! Momma, are you okay?"

Nera raised a hand to wave at her. The massive creatures with the white underbellies almost beached themselves to let her off.

Nera immediately rushed to get the outrigger, which prompted some officials and a few lingering, worried competitors to rush into the water to help despite the orcas that were so close to shore.

"Captain Hebrides, Lord Gall," Nera waved and called to a man who was floating from the chest up in the water. "Thank you for your trouble! You, too, Mariana!" Nera waded deeper into the water until Mariana could come to hug her.

"I'll make sure the orcas get lots to eat, Auntie!" Mariana beamed as she looked up at Nera. She released her and then waved to the shore. "Bye, Effie! I'll see you tomorrow! Bye, Brothers!"

"Thanks for your help!" Effie yelled back with an earnest wave.

After seeing off the mermaids, Nera waded back to shore. Her practice clothes were similar to her official racing uniform; a two piece with loose pants and a long, but thin shirt. Her feet were bare, and her hair braided and then tied into buns to stay out of her way. Her veil was thinner than normal, as well.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Nera said as she gave the three a warm smile. She held out her arms as they rushed towards her. As she embraced her children, she explained what happened and that the orcas had escorted her once she reached the open ocean as a precaution.

"Why didn't you send out an emergency flare?" Ash asked, frowning with disapproval.

Nera let out a low breath, her expression becoming serious. "I did," she said, her voice dropping. "I was well past the third checkpoint ship and should've been close to the fourth, but there were no lights that marked the fourth checkpoint ship. I thought I had lost my way while dealing with the outrigger's problems, so I sent out a flare."

"Perhaps the other checkpoint ships weren't stationed yet," Henry suggested.

Nera glanced around, eyeing her broken outrigger as officials swarmed to check it and curse the repairs that seemed to have made the vessel worse.

"It was there," Nera said. "The orca and the mermen confirmed that there was, indeed, a vessel not too far away, and with a crew on board, which should've seen my emergency flare." She clenched her jaw. "The checkpoint ships know that we're doing practice heats, and it's mandatory up to the fifth checkpoint that they are active and have their beacons on starting from earlier this week."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that the ship went dark on purpose?"

Nera took another slow, deep breath. "I'm saying someone doesn't want Carthage Harbor to win the all-round."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.