My Life as a Salamander 77 Problems of the Courts

He raised a claw and charged at me despite my size. "Perhaps I'm taking too long to explain..." I thought as he tried to stab my foot with his crusted claw only to have it bounce off. I scrunched up a toe and flicked him away. He hit the wall with a crunch before crumpling to the floor with a foaming mouth. The guards eyes grew wide from shock. Cradacus was known for his hard shell. Noone had been able to crack it. Even the queen with all her might. They stared at me as I once again began to shrink at their stunned expressions. Once I was their size I swam over and reached into a large bottle that was crusted into the crabs front. Inside was a leather note. Rolled into a nice tight scroll about the length of a fist.

I unrolled the letter and read it quickly before handing it to the queen. She quizzically raised an eyebrow before taking it. She read the contents and snapped her fingers. Cradacus was seized by the guards within a moment and dragged before the queen. It didn't take long for him to come around fortunately. " My lady... What happened." He groggily asked rubbing his head with a crusted yellow claw. She held the note before him.

" Cradacus! I demand an explanation!" He turned his black eyes to see the page and noticeably paled. " M-my L-lady. That-that was a mere payment for an escort for the city seeing as we will be getting close to some inhabited areas of the ocean. I-I thought you would be able to find comfort in this thought."

He knelt pleading before her. She looked at me as I smirked. "You have been under suspicion for months and you think you can talk your way out of this." I said loudly as I drifted to float beside her. The queens eyes had turned cold as she raised her hand. Her silver trident swam like an eel into her hand before solidifying once more. "Cradacus. You have been found guilty of high treason. Seeking the crown unlawfully. Seeking to destroy the rights of the people. And by this noted and signed letter which bears you seal. You have been found guilty. She handed the note to a fellow council member. The seahorse tailed one. His baritone voice filled the chamber as shock emanated off his face during the reading.

"Here lies instructions on the cities travel paths and possible assault points. They're even circled for where they should strike and how. Even the event from today is recorded here. Diagrams, possible weapons needed and weaknesses in our defenses. It took months for us to figure this out! And You give it away for a few trinkets of platinum and lure of the thrones power!" He threw the scroll to the side and dove at Cradacus intending to strangle him. The guards quickly surged forward to stand between the two. Cradacus hurriedly scurried to the side out of the way.

"Why should I fall behind while the rest of you rise!? Most of you were recently appointed to your positions while I have been in mine for decades! DECADES!! And have not seen a profit from it. It is about time I got to see the gold and silver that adorned these halls and felt its touch! Should I not after so many years of loyalty!" He shouted against the roaring of the councilman against the guards.

I puffed up my chest as my father's words echoed through my mind.

" Loyalties worth is not in the good years but when we are most tempted. Integrity is what happens when others arent around. As I have seen and heard of this people... you have neither. You have caused this people to fear you and your influence. Blackmailed some even. You have no chivalry or honor. Neither Integrity or Loyalty either. I have said my piece. With your leave your Majesty." I bowed to Marissa as she nodded her consent.

I flowed away from the castle and into the city streets. The vendors were shouting out about their wares. " 3 Water Selkie Silk Shirts for 4 silvers!" A merman shouted. I looked and saw blue spider limbed people spinning webs into strands of thread that were fed to another that was weaving the threads into shirts. The silk was a brilliant white but glowed with a ghostly blue light. " Here! Here! Buy the best iron armor in all the city and for half the price! A 70 copper a piece!" A giant red crab shouted with his hammer raised. I looked inside his shop and saw many types of metal armor. But the thing that caught my attention was a smaller crab beating iron with it's claw instead of a hammer. The claw was cracking but was leaving huge dents in the metal it was being beat against. "Smithing master! Why does the young one use the claw to beat the metal instead of a hammer?" The crab turned and one of his eyes wiggled a little. " My daughter is training her swing with her heavy claw. Once the old shell is gone it will finally be strong enough to hold a hammer." I nodded in understanding as ventured a little onward.

I ventured here and there. The food in the stalls was good. Meat sticks and jelly fish buns that tasted like electrified jams of different kinds. Some stalls were swarming with people while others were like ghosts. But it was obvious why. Brothels. Noone goes to them in the day. Sets a bad image of anyone if they are noticed or seen at one. I sighed and continued swimming. " I'm telling you that he's here. Who else could bear Aed's mark and walk the earth?" I heard a woman whisper as I passed. Quiet began to descend on the streets as I swam through. Previously I had worn cloaks and hidden Aeds mark. Unfortunately I hadn't thought much before hand today. I was without cover and exposed. It didn't take long till I recieved what I thought might come. A rock was thrown the the back of my head and it bounced off one of my horns without getting a reaction at all. Fire doesn't care for earth or provocation.

Soon another followed. Then more till I had a swarm of them bouncing harmlessly off my skin. It wasn't till one hit my eye that I turned around to see who was throwing the rocks. It was all the children that had previously been in the queens chambers. As soon as I turned around they all tried to run. I raised a hand and twisted my wrist. The mana flowed through the water and halted the children where they were as four walls suddenly surrounded them. There were at least 40 of them there. Kids with rocks still in hand. I twisted my hand and the walls changed into a sphere around the children.

It began to spin slowly. The water in the sphere began to spin along with it. Soon the kids were being dragged around inside the sphere till they were literally spinning in the center. Many began to turn green but it really wasn't long till I stopped making the water spin. I began to swim toward the castle with the kids in tow. I arrived in time to see the Cradacus being hauled away in chains screaming something about coming back and we'd see him soon. I went through the doors and Marissa turned and smiled at me till she saw the children in the ball behind me. " Unhand them right now!" She bellowed as she raised her trident at me. I calmly raised my hands and let a few out of the sphere to cry to their mother. Only a few did I keep behind.

" Will you let me explain?" I said before she could get any more words out. She was still mad as a hatter at me but held her head considering I still had a couple of her kids. I explained quickly what happened and released her other kids when I was done. Her composure remained angry but coldly collected. I floated there and waited to be scolded. "Children... As I've said many times in the past. Do not lie when I ask something. Did you throw stones at Ignis due to rumors?" Her voice was level and cold. A couple merely hung their heads while others slowly nodded. The rocks in their hands were already screaming that they were guilty. As bad as I had been to them I had treated them lighter than if someone else had been in my shoes.

I leaned against a pillar as she began to scold them all. Some tried to sneak away but had their back fins frozen so they sunk to the ocean floor from the weight and couldn't leave. I sighed a little as I reached over and melted the ice as they began to sob a little in frustration. Marissa spent 30 minutes chastising her children till she turned to me. She pointed her finger at me. " I hope you listen. Because I will say this once. My children are mine to punish. Not yours. So. Keep your paws off." She hissed. I raised my eyebrows. " Very well. But I want you to know Sis . I treated them kinder than anyone else would have. They weren't wounded. Just a little motion sick." I said as I turned to leave. I suddenly felt a weight on one of my legs.

I looked down to see scylla with her tentacles wrapped around my left leg. I reached down and patted her head. "Is uncle Ignis leaving?" she asked quietly. I smiled as my heart warmed a little. " Not yet little one. Your mother and I are just having a little talk." I said as I reached into one of my bags and handed her a sea salt candy I had bought recently. She slowly took it, unwrapped it, and began to suck on it happily. Marissa looked on with her shoulders relaxing bit by bit as her heart warmed at the scene before her. 4 candies later Scylla finally let go of my leg and I was able to make my way to an inn in the city. I had decided that staying in the castle took far too much out of me. Politics is what the castle was made of and I wanted to keep my nose out of it. The inn was called the Coral Homestead. Homey in nature and had great food. Nothing I ate gave me any boosts or new abilities weirdly enough. I ended up asking Gluttony why. His response was rather simple.

/ I got tired of keeping track of levels and and simply put will be telling you when things get better. They will be classified by the following. Apprentice, Master, Emperor, and God Classes.

Current Abilities and blessings are as follows.

Job: Aed's champion, Necromancer (Emperor and is bound to bloodline.)

Emperor Class:

Flame Monarch (Currently Gaining Power)

Calamity Battle Set (Includes all elements in combination)

(Breath, Claw, Tongue, and Tail)

Molten Titan Body (Has now combined with M.E.R.)

Shadow Strike

Shadow Meld

Shapeshift

Master Class Abilities:

Lulling Voice ( Needs to be practiced)/

I was stunned at the overhaul. "Wow." I said in amazement. / Stop it. Your embarrassing me./

Chapter end