" Captain! "
The sound of his second in command calling him broke through the fog in his mind, and he turned his head before opening his eyes to see her and the rest of the Special Squad rushing towards him.
Groaning, he sat up slowly, taking note of the way that his joints ached, but not like before.
Upon reaching him, everyone surrounded him, and Ryuho Kamo helped him up, keeping his arm around Munakata's waist. The Blue King nodded his thanks to his clansman who supported him as he was still somewhat groggy and disoriented.
" Captain! " Awashima stepped up to him. " Are you alright? "
Munakata tried to smile, and ended up grimacing. " Somewhat, Awashima-kun. " Blinking, he straightened, and turned towards the ocean, his violet eyes scanning the dark surface, searching the shadows that danced with the waves, but she was gone…
The girl was gone.
She watched him from her place behind the rocks, keeping to the shadows as the waves rose and fell around her. When he turned to look out over the water, she ducked behind the rocks, her heart pounding as she imagined those violet eyes scanning the surface of the night darkened water, and she felt her face warm as she remembered how close he had been…
Amira saw the Blue King's Sword of Damocles form in the night sky, near the place where she was swimming, and once again, she found herself awed at the sight. Curiously, she swam closer, wondering what was going on to make it manifest so close…
The sounds of battle reached her ears, and she felt a chill run through her at the familiarity of it…
The Blue Clan was engaged in battle with a group of rogue Strains, and as she swam closer, she saw the various powers clash with the auras of the Blue Clansmen.
Her eyes were drawn to a tall figure that was engaged in an intense battle dangerously close to the water with the man who could only be the leader of the opposing group, and there was something… majestic, and enigmatic about him.
He was tall, well over six feet, and muscular with broad shoulders, with a military bearing making him seem even more so. He was dressed in a long sleeved, dark blue trench coat that reached almost down to his ankles, and was unzipped from the waist down, held together by a black belt with a gold buckle. On the left side of his waist, he wore a dark blue sheath had several gold straps over it. He had messy, blue black hair parted on the right side, his bangs falling over his handsome face, and intense violet eyes behind rectangular shaped, frameless glasses. In his hand, he wielded a gold handled sabre with a streak of blue near the tip that was adorned with a sphere, his movements so elegant and confident that she found herself smiling in awe.
So, she thought. You're the new Blue King.
Amira was convinced that he would win.
But it didn't happen.
Somewhere along the way, someone had obviously decided to play dirty, and Amira felt her heart stop just as the concrete pillar next to the Blue King exploded dangerously close to his head, causing him to fall.
She hurried in his direction, and saw him hit the water before sinking slowly, apparently unconscious. Amira wound her arms around his waist just as she reached him, and swam towards the surface, knowing that the one thing he needed was to breathe. She heard him gasp just as they broke the surface, before his breathing steadied, and he sank against her, the back of his head pillowed on her shoulder while she pulled him away from the dangerous area where he had almost died.
She brought him to a quiet, abandoned area that she had seen on many occasions whenever she swam, and lay him down on the shore.
His eyes flickered, but never opened.
Pillowing his head on her lap, Amira took advantage of the moonlight to assess the extent of his injuries, frowning when she saw the ugly wound on the right side of his forehead, and the somewhat deep scratches across his eyelids.
He will lose his sight.
Concentrating, Amira touched the wave that had just come in, and was gratified at the way the water responded to her. She watched the water spiral mid-air at her command before she used her hand to form a makeshift funnel that brought the precious substance to where she needed it to go. The water trickled down her palm towards the Blue King's eyes, and she focused so that it flowed over the scratches on his closed eyes, along with the red mass that was the wound on his forehead.
Heal his wounds, heal his injuries, she thought silently. Wash away his agony so that the only pain he feels will be from when he needs to wake up…
When the last of his visible wounds was healed, she formed a watery blanket that flowed over his body, and she sensed his unseen injuries also being healed little by little. He groaned slightly, turning his head towards her, and she gathered him to her as the treatment continued.
" Easy, " she soothed. " It's alright; you're safe… "
She held him as the water did its work, enjoying the sight of his face so close to hers, along with his warmth and weight in her arms…
" Breathe, " she entreated. " Live… "
Please live…
When the water had done its work, she held him closer as she brushed the hair from his face with her free hand, wanting the moment to last a little longer…
The sound of screeching tires as several vehicles came to a stop nearby caught her attention, and she turned her head towards the source, peeking over the rocks that sheltered her and the man in her arms from view.
At least four trucks obviously belonging to Scepter 4 had stopped some distance away before several individuals dressed in blue uniforms – almost similar to the Blue King's, while at the same time, different – alighted and fanned out to search for him.
It's time to leave…
She felt him stir in her arms, and turned to look at him…
Amira almost forgot to breathe as she found herself caught in twin amethyst orbs that gazed up at her as he began to regain consciousness, and for a moment…
She knew that she couldn't stay…
Quickly, but gently, she lay him down before moving away, back towards the water. Just as she turned to dive back into the sea, she saw him gazing at her, the look in those beautiful eyes almost incomprehensible…
As the water closed over her, and she made her way towards the dark depths, the Blue King's majestically handsome face filled her thoughts, so Amira swam for a bit before emerging behind a rock at some distance from the place where she had left him.
He's alright.
The thought made Amira sigh in relief as she watched the Blue King being led away, flanked by his men, although she had to duck every now and then since he kept on glancing over his shoulder, as if he could sense her presence.
When he boarded one of the trucks, and the doors closed behind him, Amira tried not to think of the sudden sense of sorrow, and the pain in her chest that almost robbed her of her breath as she watched the trucks start one by one before turning, and driving away.
Her eyes moved to the Sword of Damocles that had disappeared with the Blue King's fall, and formed once again before he was found….
Had she been a dream?
Munakata brought his hand up, and he stared at his palm, clenching his fingers slowly.
Following Scepter 4's return to headquarters, Munakata had been examined by the doctor at the infirmary, and somehow, he wasn't surprised that the man couldn't find any injury on his person, despite Lieutenant Awashima's account of what had happened. The Blue King remained quiet as the doctor declared him safe and healthy, and hid his smile at the expression on Awashima's face. They'd left the infirmary together, before parting ways in front of the Information Department, and as Munakata strode away, he could feel her eyes on his back, the questions that she wanted to ask.
Now, as he gazed at his hand, he allowed his mind to go back to the events following his fall; the more he thought about them, the more he was convinced that the girl was real. His brow furrowed as he remembered the sight of her diving back into the water, only this time, instead of a human form, she'd had the form of a mermaid.
Her fins and tail, instead of being covered by scales, had been adorned with dark, turquoise crystals that had reached all the way to her upper body, covering her breasts from view; her shoulders and arms, however had been left untouched, and he remembered their milky white sheen in the moonlight.
If only he could remember her face…
When Awashima entered the Captain's office thirty minutes later, she found the man with his fingers steepled in front of him, his violet eyes staring inward, his expression thoughtful.
" Yes, Captain? "
" Awashima-kun, " The Blue King folded his hands on top of his desk. " Have the Information Department search through their lists of registered Strains for any individual with an affinity for water, aged between thirteen to eighteen years old, female with black hair. "
His second in command blinked, surprised at the abrupt request, and its unusual field. " Sir? "
" The Strains who were arrested were not the only ones present, " Munakata elaborated. " There was female Strain nearby, in the water. She saved me, and healed my injuries, although I am not quite sure how; that was why Dr. Mikasa could find no mark on me, despite the explosion that almost resulted in my loss of sight, or possible death. "
Understanding dawned on the woman's face, and she saluted before exiting his office to relay his order to the Information Department.
Eyes like the unexplored depths of the sea with crystal like clarity set in shadows appeared in his mind, and he picked up a jigsaw piece.
I will find you.
Amira stepped out of the shower, and reached for the towel on the rack next to the stall.
The Blue King was alright, and she was glad. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a frisson of apprehension run through her as the knowledge that he had seen her surfaced.
Will he try to find me? She wondered. Or will he dismiss seeing me as a mere dream?
No answer came to her, and it wasn't like she was expecting one.
Clad in a cream colored bathrobe, Amira emerged from the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. She tried not to think of the Blue King's handsome face, or those beautiful eyes that seemed to look into the depths of her soul…