Far too much time had passed for Zion's taste since Alana had brought him the bad news from Atlantica and yet everything had started so well. The scholars had come to him quickly at his request and most of them were willing to follow his plan. They were to form a special search party with him, which would continue to search for clues to the whereabouts of the sea witch and also support the other units, which Triton had surely already sent out, in identifying the plants and rock types. So far so good, however, his parents had the last word. After all, they sat on the throne and wore the crown of Lione.
It had not taken many well-chosen words from Zion to convince his father, had it not been for his mother. She feared for the safety of her own people. Again and again she said that they were not warriors and that it would be fatal to lose even one of these learned sea people. It was inconceivable what knowledge would be lost forever if something should happen to several of them.
Zion could well understand his mother's concerns, but nevertheless he realised that they had to take this risk to ensure the safety and continuity of the sea kingdoms. So he had used a ruse and in the end convinced the queen to go ahead with his plan. He regretted pushing his own mother in such a way to something she basically did not want, but he had no choice. It had not been easy, however; after all, the prince had inherited his nimble mind from her. Arguments had flowed back and forth until Zion reminded her that her people would probably never have gained the knowledge they now possessed if their witty citizens had not dared to venture outside their safe walls and the boundaries of the city. Of course, even at one's own writing desk an experiment sometimes went thoroughly wrong, but at least there one was largely protected from outside influences. Field experiments had not been conducted for many years. As a result, major scientific breakthroughs had long been a thing of the past. After all, this was the hook and bait that the inquisitive queen could not resist.
Knowledge was power and this counted twice in a kingdom like Lione.
Like her son, she found it difficult to restrain her omnipresent curiosity. So she finally agreed to his plan and was already anticipating what far-reaching new findings the scientists might bring home from their journey. And so they finally set off. Later than planned, but still.
Alana did not miss the opportunity to accompany Zion and the scholars to their home. So now she and Nanami rode alongside her husband on their giant saddle-horse mare towards Atlantica again.
"It's strange," she heard Zion musing to himself as he reined in his stallion a little so as not to ride away from the others.
"What's strange, Papa?" it was her daughter who voiced Alana's thoughts.
Zion, who must have been completely lost in his thoughts jerked around startled before he became aware of the here and now again.
"Yuan, should have been back by now. I'm worried that something might have happened to him. That in turn would mean our message never arrived in Atlantica, which in turn would mean that...", Zion began to formulate his spun train of thought, but was then interrupted by Alana.
"Don't drive yourself crazy, dearest. I'm sure he took a different route back. I'm sure he knows several shortcuts. He's probably long since returned to Liones and you're worrying unnecessarily. Or he just liked it so much in Atlantica that he took a little rest after his long journey there before returning. He deserved a holiday a long time ago," Alana tried to reassure him and offer a logical explanation that didn't end in a horror scenario.
"Yes, Papa. Atlantica is so exciting, surely Yuan couldn't tear himself away from all the exciting things," Nanami also gave her explanation.
"That wouldn't be like him, but I hope one of you two is right," Zion sighed and tried a smile before turning to their companions with a scrutinising look.
Behind them drifted three large carriages, each of which had to be pulled by four seahorses at a time. In two of them were the scholars the prince had gathered.
Most of them had not swum so far beyond the borders of the kingdom their entire lives so far and for some of them this time bordered on a small eternity. After all, quite a few of them had already had grey hair for several years. Alongside these orphaned mermen and women, a handful of young, eager-to-learn assistants completed their group. They had preferred to spend the journey outside the carriages to absorb as much as possible. So they flanked the three carriages on long rides. But they all had one thing in common. Young and old alike, despite their curiosity, the uneasiness they felt about the unfamiliar and threatening surroundings was all too evident.
As he looked at their convoy, he realised once again how valuable a lion Yuan was. Not many of his compatriots took a path that took them out into the vastness of the sea. Someone who constantly travelled back and forth and was not afraid to stay away from the safety of home time and again was rarer to find in Lione than the purest of all pearls. But even those who preferred to stay at home had great value. But it was precisely these people that he led on a dangerous journey to a distant kingdom. He did not doubt that what he was doing was right, but he hoped that they would not regret it in the end, because he had not calculated the risk they were taking.
They had had to take the third of the carriages just to transport the researchers' extensive paraphernalia. The draft horses had a hard time moving the heavy luggage forward, which made their troop a cumbersome structure. Zion would have preferred to put all of them on nimble seahorses, but he had not been able to expect the older ones to do so. After he had examined the things they wanted to carry, their necessity for their undertaking had also caught his eye and so his first conceived plan was quickly discarded.
However, the prince could not escape the fact that if they attracted the attention of highwaymen, they would be in serious trouble. Even without the magnificent carriages and their obvious extensive cargo, they would certainly be an attractive target. The shy sideways glances and the jumpy twitching of their group, would make them more than easy prey for such fiends to recognise at first glance.
But this was only one of many scenarios his ever-working mind imagined. He tried hard to come up with a solution for every eventuality. A time-consuming and nerve-wracking occupation, considering that there were several exits, each more fatal than the last. At the same time, Zion forced himself not to rack his brains over all too improbable problems.
He kept urging the others to hurry, not without casting an appraising glance now and then at his wife and, above all, his little daughter. Nanami had insisted with all the means at her disposal to ride along on her mother's giant saddle horse instead of sitting in a boring carriage or even staying at home altogether. Her mother's Atlantic temperament coupled with his own Lionish finesse was a combination that no one could counter so quickly and so he had finally let himself be softened by her. Her argument that they had promised her that she would get a mare for her next birthday had probably carried a lot of weight. After all, one could gain important experience on a longer trip to Seahorse. Secretly, Zion had hoped that Nanami would soon realise that it was much too strenuous for her to spend the entire distance in the saddle, but he was probably mistaken. Nanami was beaming from ear to ear and did not seem to be getting the least bit tired. The possibility of her joining the scholars in the carriage in the near future was probably a long way off. Since they were not too far from Atlantica, the father doubted that she would even join one.
"Nanami, don't you want to get some rest, sweetheart?" he asked the question anyway.
A vigorous shake of his head was his reply followed by his wife's amused chuckle.
"Give it up, Zion. We can't get around the promised seahorse now," Alana added.
"I was afraid of it," the father sighed, enjoying the peace that this triviality created in his mind. For that reason alone, it had probably been the right decision to allow his two sweethearts to accompany him on this journey.
"Look, Dad, there! There in front! I can already see the tops of the palace towers," she suddenly drew Nanami's attention to Atlantica, which was becoming visible in the distance. All eyes then turned to the front and followed Nanami's outstretched finger.
Sure enough, there on the horizon were the first foothills of the city and, of course, the imposing main towers of the Atlantican palace, recognisable from afar. Zion took a deep breath, they had made it without complications. None of his contingency plans had had to be put into action. One last time he urged his group to pick up the pace a little.
A little later, they were finally swimming through the outskirts of the capital. Curious glances roamed them and Zion recognised, as on his previous trips to Atlantica, the great difference between his own shy and reserved subjects and the open-hearted and welcoming Atlantians. Wherever they swam by, people shouted greetings and welcomes. Many a merchant even swam directly towards them and offered his wares. The news of their arrival spread rapidly throughout the city and would have reached Triton's ears even before they arrived at the palace, and Alana's status as princess was hardly important.
As expected, they were met at the palace gates. Stable boys hurriedly took care of the sea horses and a whole crowd of servants helped the assistants unload the luggage from the carriage, while Zion and the others were already being escorted inside by guardsmen.
"Welcome Alana, Zion and my adorable little Nanami. You're just in time," Triton welcomed them as he intercepted them, completely out of character, in one of the palace corridors. Triton's daughter raised an eyebrow critically before hugging her father in greeting. Zion, as expected, kept his distance and instead greeted the ruler of Atlantica with a formal bow.
"Your message was very timely, thank you Zion. But I must ask you to help us further in this regard," the king asked the Lione without further ado.
"So you have received the message, that is good news," Zion rejoiced.
"You see, Papa, Yuan has delivered the message, you were worrying too much again," Nanami laughed.
"Yes, I'm sure he is indeed back home by now," he agreed with his daughter and wife.
"That's where I have to chime in. Your messenger is still here in Atlantica," Triton clarified and promptly three pairs of surprised eyes were on him, "I would like to discuss this and something else with you in private, Zion."
Zion's concerns instantly pushed themselves back to the forefront of his thoughts.
"Come, Nanami, let's go check on your cousin and talk your grandfather and Papa in private," Alana suggested, understanding that what followed was probably not meant for her daughter's ears. Nanami quickly got enthusiastic about it and followed her mother. So nothing stood in the way of an undisturbed conversation between the two men.
When mother and daughter were out of earshot, Triton sighed heavily before he forced himself to clarify the situation.
"Please, Zion, this way," Triton asked his son-in-law, swimming forward, "there was an incident with your message. In this your messenger has come to harm. As far as we know he has met with Morgana."
"Morgana? I suspected something was wrong, but that it was actually one of my worst fears... How is he?", Zion talked more to himself than directly addressing Triton to grasp the situation.
"We don't know for sure. Something is wrong, but the doctor can't find anything wrong and yet he hasn't been responsive for weeks. The last time we spoke to him was the day he gave me your message," Triton explained and then came to a stop.
The king knocked gently on the shell door to the guest room before pushing it open and asking Zion to swim in.
"Yuan," was all the prince could bring himself to say at the sight of his faithful messenger. Shock was written all over his face.
"How can it be that the doctor doesn't realise what's wrong with him? Is he blind!", Zion attacked Triton with an unusual emotionality.
Triton could not understand where the other's sudden aggressiveness came from and tried to calm him down for the time being.
"The doctor examined him carefully, Zion," he described.
"I would dismiss that doctor as soon as possible if he doesn't even begin to attend to these obviously serious injuries," Zion fired back, pointing accusingly at his messenger.
"I don't understand, Zion. What are you talking about? What great care do you think the doctor should have provided?" the ruler asked incomprehensibly.
The Lionish prince seemed to fall away from his not-so-steady faith at this answer. How could Triton not take his messenger's obvious injuries seriously? Anger boiled up in him again.
"You ask for help and when it is granted you treat someone equally in need of help like this? I should never have formulated this letter if this is the thanks I get! Atlantica and you disappoint me deeply," Zion vented his anger.
But Triton didn't seem to realise where he was wrong, when it was so obvious. It was a miracle that Yuan was still among the living. His injuries had to be treated immediately and even then the prince was not sure if his faithful messenger would make it. If only he had never sent him on this journey.
"Zion, please, I assure you it was not our intention not to care for him. He seemed to need nothing more than a little sleep. When he did not regain consciousness after that, I immediately sent for the doctor. I assure you, the doctor is a very good one. With Ares, too, he knew exactly what to do. He is also the one to whom I passed on your message to prepare the remedy. I don't understand why you think we didn't give your messenger enough medical care," Triton tried to mediate.
He feared he would have to endure the next tirade, but Zion's brow furrowed.
"What exactly do you see when you look at him?" the Lione suddenly wanted him to describe.
Astonished, Triton looked back and forth between the two Lione.
"He is unconscious and has some minor bruises. Small scratches and some bruises, but otherwise he seems all right," Triton described what he saw through his eyes.
"You do see that, don't you?", Zion understood and then explained, "I, however, see a badly injured merman there who could succumb to his wounds at any time. The Sea Witch seems to have put you or him under a spell that will not let you see his true condition."
He paused for a moment and then spoke again thoughtfully to himself.
"But why do I see what is actually there and not also the mirage which by all appearances is presented to you and the others?", Zion discussed, putting his thoughts in order. He was itching to solve this mystery, but for now he had to make sure Yuan survived this.
"That's an amazing insight, what makes you think so, Zion?", Triton admired the other's quick thinking, but the prince simply passed over it, not losing sight of the essential.
"I will have one of our doctors attend to him. I have a hunch that this difference in perceptions has something to do with the presence at the time of his arrival here in Atlantica. If I am correct, those who arrived here with me will be able to see this the same way I did," Zion continued to ponder, not even letting Triton get a word in edgewise as he was already swimming to one of his fellow travellers.
Triton stayed behind and looked after him speechlessly.