Bastian swam restlessly around the office that had belonged to his father. The shelves were full of scrolls that had been left alone so long they were beginning to grow algae. Hanging above the shelves on the northern wall of the room was an ornate portrait of Triton Augustus.

The previous Tritons warm golden eyes nearly glowed in the dim light and they appeared to follow Bastian as he paced. Ambrosia was beside the painting, looking up at it with intense concentration. Though they had arrived only ten minutes ago, time seemed to stretch on and on. Bastian felt like he'd been waiting for hours. 

The armband he wore glowed green once more, and Lachlan's quiet song floated up to Bastian's anxious ears. 

"Swim to the Dome, Bastian. Make sure you are well hidden."

Carefully, Bastian adjusted the flowing black garment he'd been given to wear. The shroud had been Ambrosia's idea. If he looked like an Atlantean, then no one would question his swimming around, or so the idea went. 

"Ambrosia." She turned her face from the painting, seeming reluctant to do so. "It's time. Let's go." Bastian swam to one of the many windows in the office and opened it just enough for them to squeeze through.

The office was near the middle of the palace so it was one of the shorter buildings. Because the palace had been crafted in the shape of an almost blooming flower, the buildings and hallways near the edge were significantly taller than the ones in the middle. 

This unique design served many purposes, including easy defense of inner buildings and quick navigation for visitors. If someone was unfamiliar with which paths connected different buildings, they could easily end up lost inside the palace. All they had to do in order to find their bearing was swim up and out - a little inelegant, but very effective.

Unfortunately, Bastian and Ambrosia couldn't afford to be seen swimming that high. If they did, the palace guards would question them and they might get caught. So Bastian led the way through the maze of hallways and buildings, taking the paths he thought would be less traveled.

His swimming was slowed because the black hood made seeing very difficult for Bastian. He wasn't used to wearing so much clothing, and it was almost suffocating to move in. Or maybe just sneaking around was what made breathing so difficult. Bastian had never been the sneaky kind. 

After a minute, Ambrosia took his gloved hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. Bastian's heart fluttered.

For all the trouble it gave him, Ambrosia moved easily in her own black shroud. He murmured directions to her and she led the way out of the compound, tugging him along so they could move quicker.

Each time they drew near anyone, Bastian held his breath, but the shrouds proved to be better than a song of invisibility. No one looked at them for more than a second. For a moment, Bastian felt free.

He could swim anywhere he wanted and no one would recognize him. No one would ask him for anything. 

Ambrosia stopped. Bastian swam into her.

"Oof. Sorry!"

"Shhh!" Ambrosia hissed back at him. "Prince Arsenius is near."

Bastian's tail went rigid and he looked around until a flash of gold caught his attention. Ambrosia gently shoved him to the side of the hallway and bowed to Arsenius.

The prince didn't acknowledge her as he passed, keeping his attention instead on his guard. "I don't care what you have to do, Atreus. I want Zareb at my side before dawn. He's a good warrior. We could use him."

"My Prince, I beg your pardon, but I don't think that's a good idea." Atreus spoke softly, but firmly. "He's polluted. His Atlantean lineage has corrupted his song. He can't even summon..." his voice faded as they disappeared down the hallway.

Bastian didn't realize he was snarling until Ambrosia laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Come." 

Even though he could only see her mouth through the shroud, he noticed her lips trembled just a little. It looked like she might be trying not to cry. It was then that he realized the shroud wasn't just freedom; the shroud was a symbol of loneliness too.

No one cared where you were going when you wore it because no one cared about you.

Bastian followed her, his heart heavy with a foreign emotion that made him want to fight someone. The Dome came into view, its roof gleaming in the last of the day cycle light. Quietly, they opened the door and slipped inside. Together, they blended into the shadows inside the Dome.

Zareb was near the doorway, his hands clenched and his spine too straight for comfort. His eyes narrowed as he tried to identify the new people. "Ambrosia?"

"And me." Bastian lifted his hood back far enough that he could see. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Triton. Varya is safe too. For now."

Ambrosia moved past Zareb and settled beside Varya, offering her a shroud to dress in as well. Bastian noted with approval that Zareb had removed the chain from Varya's wrists. "Any news on where Lachlan is?" 

Zareb shook his head. 

Bastian frowned. "I had hoped we wouldn't be here more than a minute. It feels like we're too vulnerable." 

His armband glowed green once more. "I'm here." Bastian glanced at the mermaids and saw that Varya was only wearing the shroud loosely, not connected to her wrists and tail in the same fashion that he and Ambrosia wore theirs.

"Are you ready?" He called out in a hushed voice. 

"Coming." Ambrosia tugged the hood down far over Varya's face, concealing as much of her grey skin as she could. 

Zareb peeked out of the doors and snorted. "Some plan. When we get caught, I refuse to share a cell with that idiot."

Intrigued, Bastian peeked out of the crack in the doorway and then laughed. He covered his mouth with his hand to stop the noise from carrying. Lachlan stood only a few hands from the door, his tail wrapped securely around a wooden barrel. 

They were often used for transporting goods that would float away if not contained. Naiad merchants usually kept the barrels in a cart that was tugged along by various sea creatures, mostly dolphins near the surface and whales for very long treks.

Lachlan had brought one singular barrel, strapped to his back with ropes of algae. Zareb pushed the door open wide enough for him to slip into the Dome as well.  Lachlan grinned and opened the top of his barrel. "There's only room for one person in here, so I vote the fugitive gets in."  

Bastian looked to Varya, and Varya looked to him in return. 

"Well?" They both said at the same time.

"What?" Bastian backed away from her. "I'm not a fugitive!"

Varya lifted an eyebrow. "Aren't you the one swimming away from home?"

Ambrosia sighed. "Bastian, get in the barrel. If we're caught with Varya, no one will question us too badly so long as we have Zareb. If we're caught with you, people will have questions. Lots of them. We don't have time for that." 

A thin knife of betrayal struck at Bastian's heart. "Really?" He couldn't help that his voice cracked a bit. 

"Really." Ambrosia's voice was firm. In that moment, she reminded him of his mother.

Zareb cleared his throat. "Bast, we're running out of time. Go on."

Blood rushed to Bastian's cheeks in embarrassment and he was glad for the cover of the darkness. Reluctantly, he moved to the barrel and slid his tail into it first. No way he was going head first. He gave his friends one last forlorn look before he curled into the barrel and they placed the lid over him, casting him into deeper darkness.

Lachlan heaved the barrel higher onto his back. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Zareb and Varya swam at Lachlan's sides while Ambrosia swam behind him, keeping Bastian in the middle. Nereus slowly faded behind them as the night cycle began. 

Melodia found Bastian's room empty when she brought him dinner, and her instincts screamed at her. She swam out of the room, calling desperately for Militum. 

The platter of fish meant for Bastian's dinner floated to the ground untouched.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Eh? Ehhh? Was it fun? Not dramatic enough? What do you think of Lachlan's clever escape plan? As always, I love to hear from you lovelies about anything and everything. 

This chapter is dedicated to achudasama1 for her encouragement to write and her selfless shoutouts to contest winners. <3

And if you enjoyed the chapter, please feel free to vote and/or leave me a comment!