The cathedral was radiant with stained glass windows depicting the Saints of Old — all glowing with divine colors as dusk spilled in. Yet the beauty of the place was betrayed by the chill that ran through its marbled veins. In the silence, a shadow stepped forward, kneeling on the crimson rug.
"My lord," the voice rasped, barely above a whisper, "they've made it to the Tangent Estate. Lancelot Du Lac among them. He may be closer to the truth than we anticipated."
A wine glass shattered. Ruby droplets spattered the floor like blood from a fresh wound. Julius stood, his jaw clenched and his golden eyes narrowing like a lion disturbed mid-feast.
"That insufferable bastard," he growled. "Who does he think he is to meddle in my business…"
The shadow dared not respond.
Julius paced for a moment, his expression shifting from fury to calculation. Then, with a devilish smirk curling his lips, he muttered:
"Well, no matter. Let the Tangents handle them. We have other priorities."
---
Aboard the Silverwing
The Silverwing glided through the clouds like a bird blessed by the wind itself. Its crystal-etched sails shimmered against the sun's light. Inside the deck lounge, peace reigned—until it didn't.
Thunk. Thunk. CRASH.
A loud clatter echoed through the chamber as Lancelot Du Lac attempted—yet again—to juggle apples while balancing on one foot atop a dining chair.
"Watch this, Silver!" he called out, grinning, before slipping and sending one apple flying straight into Garrick's mug.
"My drink!" Garrick cried, holding up the now juice-filled tankard.
Rayne growled, her brows twitching with unspoken murder. "You are this close to becoming ballast, Lancelot."
"Relax, Vice Captain. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Silver, leaning against a support pillar with arms crossed, sighed deeply. He'd stopped trying to understand Lancelot three months ago. Now, he simply watched like a man experiencing a slow existential breakdown.
'This is the man I was told to be wary of...I need to change jobs.'
"Do all knightly orders encourage clownery these days?" Silver muttered.
Meanwhile, Iris sat at the table, calmly scribbling in her leather-bound journal.
"Captain Lancelot's behavior remains... perplexing. Current theory: He's either a genius in disguise or a lunatic unchained. Possibly both. Further data required."
Lancelot leaned over her shoulder.
"Hey, make sure you spell 'genius' in capital letters. For emphasis."
"But genius doesn't require capitalization unless at the start of a sentence."
"See, that's the kind of cold logic that kills romance."
The airship suddenly dipped.
Rayne shot to the helm. "Brace yourselves!"
A violent shockwave exploded across the sky as they descended toward the Tangent Estate. The sky itself seemed to recoil. Silverwing tilted sharply, its hull groaning under the pressure.
"What in the nine winds was that?!" Garrick shouted, grasping the nearest support beam.
Below, the coastal Tangent Estate spread out like a golden crown above sapphire waves. But now, smoke rose. Knights scattered. And something massive was churning the coastline.
With no time for elegance, the Silverwing crash-landed near the eastern gardens. Dust flew. Statues fell. A flower bed was tragically destroyed.
---
Tangent Estate, Main Courtyard
Chaos.
Knights in ornate silver-and-cobalt armor scrambled in every direction. Servants carried scrolls, water, weapons, and panicked excuses. A bell tolled somewhere—unironically.
As the investigators disembarked, they were quickly ushered through the great hall, past a mural of the Tangent lineage, and into the inner sanctum. There stood Ivankov Tangent.
He was the very image of noble grace. Golden hair that sparkled unnaturally, robes that screamed both wealth and vanity, and a smile that could sweet-talk a banshee.
"Ah, welcome, esteemed knights. I offer my humblest apologies. As you can see, the estate is—ah—somewhat unstable at the moment."
His voice dripped with charm like syrup over poisoned fruit.
"I'm afraid I must decline involvement in your investigation for now. Surely you understand."
Lancelot raised a brow. `He's either hiding something or auditioning for Most Suspicious Man of the Year.`
"And what, may I ask, is causing this chaos?" Rayne asked bluntly.
Ivankov gestured toward the vast windows behind him, revealing the coast.
Waves were crashing unnaturally, higher than ships. A towering figure moved beneath the surface like a dark god.
"That, my dear guests, is the cause of our dilemma. An ancient beast known as the Sea Quake. It has awakened."
Silence fell like a blade.
"It was sealed generations ago, beneath the Tideheart Trench. We believe a recent undersea quake shattered the old wards. And now... it ravages our shores."
"Fantastic," Garrick said, rubbing his temples. "First a secret attack. Now a sea kaiju."
"Until the matter is resolved," Ivankov continued, placing a hand on his chest, "I cannot, in good conscience, allow your investigation to proceed. The safety of my people must come first."
Lancelot's mind was a whirlwind.
`First the shockwave… then a conveniently timed monster appearance… and this dandy nobleman tells us to sit tight?`
He glanced at the others. Garrick was stroking his beard, deep in thought. Rayne looked like she was about to punch a wall. Iris was already drawing diagrams of the Sea Quake's movements.
The group reconvened in one of the estate's grand strategy rooms, a round table surrounded by maps, wine decanters, and unnecessarily fluffy chairs.
Silver spoke first. "We need to make a decision. If the Sea Quake continues unchecked, this entire coastline could fall."
Rayne clenched a fist. "And we can't even begin our investigation until that oversized fish is dealt with."
Everyone turned toward Lancelot, who'd been unusually quiet. He stood by the window, looking at the horizon where the sea frothed like boiling soup.
`Ivankov wants us distracted. Julius is clearly stalling. But if this Sea Quake is real... then maybe, just maybe...`
Lancelot's eyes lit with that particular brand of insanity only he could summon.
He turned slowly, a crooked grin blooming on his face.
"We kill the Sea Quake."
The room went silent.
Rayne blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I said," Lancelot leaned over the table, his finger tapping the map of the coast, "we kill. The. Sea. Quake."
---
To be continued.