"My lord."
King Iquila had not sat on the throne for more than a day before sometime terrible had already happened. His wife, the now crowned Queen of Atlantis, was inconsolable and refused to leave their quarters. So to say that his mind was elsewhere when General G'thar finally returned from the outlands to scout this great warrior that Nuidis Vulko had recommended was an understatement, as his tired eyes looked upon what had been his most loyal servant in these troubling hours. Bowing in allegiance to the King, G'thar's posture was confident, but Iquila could see it in his eyes. Every fiber of the General's being was afraid for what had happened, and the grave consequences that loomed over the kingdom should this mission be unsuccessful.
"I have done as you have instructed. And I am afraid to report that the Atlantean you seek was found in the city of Tritonis, among those less than favorable."
Iquila looked over to Vulko, who stood just right of the throne, but gave G'thar an acknowledging wave.
"Were this any other day, General, that may have factored into this decision. But as it stands, we are far too desperate. You may send him in."
Even though he questioned the wisdom of this, G'thar did not argue, and merely bowed once again before turning to leave the throne room. The palace was air-sealed, one of the few luxuries of those with wealth in Atlantis, so the walk was less than dynamic for him as he crossed into the halls. At the end stood two guards, both armed with tridents tempered with electric eels wrapped around their blades. At the sight of G'thar, they both parted to allow him room to walk.
"General. Do we allow the outsider passage?"
Hesitant, G'thar gave them a stern nod.
"Yes. It seems as though the King feels that this one has something to offer,"
Looking to the far end of the court, G'thar once again locked eyes with the palace's newest inhabitant. Orin the great, as Poseidonis called him. The Aquaman. Sharing his glare as the General approached, Orin stood from the edge of the stone fountain that was transferring water from the outside, having rinsed his hair in it to keep himself properly hydrated. After many months without much air, his body was unused to the lack of water, and having to wait even a mere few minutes in the foreign environment was as if asking a drunk not to indulge.
"There you are. I suppose your King has finally decided if I'm to be of some use?"
Doing his best to hide his contempt, G'thar indicated the hall ahead of them.
"He is our king, if you truly are a citizen of this city. But yes, he has granted you his permission."
Without so much as a glance, Orin stepped forward and prepared to enter the hall. But before he could proceed, G'thar's shoulder brushed hard against his chest, blocking his path. The General's glare became a sneer.
"Though I should warn you. If you are to act even a bit improper in his presence, I will have no problem personally tossing you back out to sea."
Orin stared back, unintimidated. It had been clear the entire swim back to Poseidonis that there was something G'thar didn't like about Orin. Perhaps it was a petty jealousy, or perhaps he was one of those superstitious ones that still believed in the curse of Kordax. Whatever the reason, it did not so much as phase him in the slightest. Much like the position of power that the man he was about to speak with currently held. He didn't trust the Gods themselves, so Orin felt no need to trust men who believed they were Gods.
"So you have told me many times today. Are you quite finished? I'd hate to keep your King waiting."
Embittered, G'thar nevertheless stepped aside and followed Orin to the throne room. The guards looked upon Orin's head of blonde hair with disgust, but also allowed him to proceed, muttering under their breaths about something that the Atlantean didn't care to listen to. If anything, this gave him less of a reason to show Iquila any of this so-called entitlement that he was told the King was owed.
"Orin of Atlantis. Step forward."
Standing alongside of Orin as they saw the King, G'thar bowed once again. Noticeably, Orin did not join him, choosing to instead cross his arms across his chest. The General looked over and considered forcing him to do so, but Iquila gave him a look that suggested he would do otherwise.
"Please, there is no need for that, General. You may carry on with your duties."
Placing his fist across his heart, in a standard Poseidonis salute, G'thar turned and left the room. Orin looked back at the King, then at Vulko, before finally returning to the man in royal robes. He had thought Iquila would be more imposing in person, but it seemed as though he was elected for other qualities.
"I was told that you sought my presence, Iquila."
The King nodded.
"Indeed I have. Without attempting to sound trite, I have been told you are the finest warrior in all of Atlantis. Both by present company and others. Even my advisers seem to know of your many exploits since returning to Poseidonis."
Orin looked off at that, unsure of it was an accurate statement.
"I have done whatever I can. That is all one could claim."
"Nevertheless, your particular expertise would be a great asset to this... disturbance."
Clearing his throat, Vulko stepped down from the level of the throne and approached his young friend, whose eyes never left Iquila sitting in the throne carved out of a reef reserved for worship to Poseidon. It's partition even still carried the design of the Sea-God's visage. It was enough to unnerve him, even as Vulko spoke.
"Orin, I've referred you to the King because you once fought against the ones that we believe responsible for this crime. I have looked over evidence to suggest that this threat, made against the royal family, was intentionally drawn up with a faint mystical property to ensure it be analyzed."
Taking the brittle note that Vulko produced, Orin looked at it and raised an eyebrow.
"And what crime is that? If this is all there is, I see no reason to be alarmed."
Vulko's expression became far more somber, looking to Iquila.
"I'm afraid that is not the extent of this. You see, the note was found after the royal banquet that was held here just last night. No one seemed to notice as they slipped in to leave it, but once they came, they also..."
"It's my daughter, Orin. The princess."
Orin turned back to Iquila, whose eyes conveyed both a fury and considerable defeat.
"She was kidnapped by dwellers of The Hidden Valley."
Narrowing his eyes, clearly aware of such beings, Orin looked to the note once again and nearly crumpled it into his hands.
"The Idylists."
Vulko took the note back.
"Yes. And they've made it clear that they seek a ransom."
"They ask for money?"
"No, though I would be willing to spare that. They seek something that I have never heard of, nor any of our curators seem to be familiar with. A mystical trident from the forgotten land of Xebel."
Even after having lived out in the open seas for most of his life, this was the first that Orin had ever heard of such a thing. From what he understood, Xebel was the ruins of a once great city that completed the major tribal empires of Atlantis. But it, and the majority of it's people, were destroyed when he was a mere boy and left to only rot and decay. It's people had never been spoken of since, apparently having completely abandoned their city after the tragedy and joined one of the other tribes. But to hear that they held a mystical artifact, one that The Idylists were willing to kidnap a member of the royal family for, was certainly surprising. Especially considering The Idylists shunned magic whenever possible.
Looking to Iquila, Orin seemed complacent, his suspicions of this bizarreness remaining unsaid.
"Why wasn't she watched?"
Nearly taking offense to the tone in his voice, Iquila nevertheless answered.
"There were many guests to greet, and Tula - my daughter - felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere. She departed from the party early, even though I commanded her to stay. She has always been one of those rebellious ones,"
With a small sigh, Iquila momentarily looked away before continuing.
"The point being, I admit that she could have been easily taken. They claim they will only release her when the trident is theirs."
Curiously, Orin did not seem surprised at the nature of the kidnapping itself.
"Then why not go to Xebel and get it? There are no forces there, no guards. You would be committing no treason to take the artifact."
His displeasure evident, Iquila shook his head.
"No. I will not dignify these animals with some trident if they are to behave this way. Tula's life hangs in the balance regardless of their possession of it, and I need you to accompany my guards into The Hidden Valley to retrieve her."
Briefly looking to Vulko again, Orin stepped forth onto the first step of the throne and gazed at Iquila's sincerity, deciding to lower his tone before he spoke with an intended warning.
"Your men would do well to stay out of that place. I've only been there once, and I wished to never return. No place in the sea has ever given me such pause,"
Before Iquila could speak, Orin stopped him.
"I'll bring your daughter back to you. But it must be on my terms, for the sake of..."
Grabbing Orin's arm, Vulko shook his head. Even though he knew Orin meant well, there was still a sense of loyalty that he felt tied him to the new king. Especially in Iquila's currently troubled state of mind.
"Please, Orin. The King only wishes to further assure the safety of Tula. I have done all that I can to convince him that you're worthy of this, so prove me right. Let him send his men with you, and let that be the end of it."
Silent as the grave, Orin looked back at the King and released his arm from Vulko's grip. He trusted the old man and saw no reason to doubt his logic, but it would be a suicide attempt for anyone who had not been to The Hidden Valley before. If not for it's inhabitants, than by the sorcery that surrounded it's very walls. Only a few were permitted to even enter it.
However, Vulko needed assurance, and so did the King. And were it not for his pledge to protect the seas from all that threaten it's inhabitants, he would have rejected the request. But he knew he couldn't. Not if he still saw the chance to help save the princess' life.
"Send only a few. An army would be unwise."
With a slight pause, The King granted his approval.
"Very well. I can accept this."
Turning to leave, Orin was halfway to the door before Iquila remembered to call back out to him.
"Wait! I should tell you that my forces depart at dawn. They will be waiting here for you when you arrive,"
Without word, or even acknowledgement, Orin only kept walking.
