The Athamanas left Floating Barracks on the northern sea route, clad in Mullen armor, which is justly famous throughout the world. Tele Tete and Physalis Alkekengi were also with them, although the danovus lady behaved more like a grown-up child than a thousands of years old danovus. For she often rushed ahead on the sea routes and the group only knew where she was when she accidentally stepped off the path and made a huge splash in the water.
Every more influential inhabitant of Floating Barracks knew well that the sea routes leading north were best avoided as far as possible. If one was not careful enough, one could run into the kind of undersea-walkers who did not value human life much. Then, if they went too far, they crossed the border, and once they crossed the border, no one knew if they would ever be seen alive again.
However, none of these rumors bothered the Athamanas or the human-danovus couple traveling with them. They were all used to the darker side of the world, danger was their constant companion, not something they needed to fear. Besides, they didn't find the open sea dangerous, since it could not do them any harm.
So it could be that, unlike most travelers who try to turn back from the northern roads as soon as possible, the group just kept going farther and farther. In fact, when the weather allowed, they even slept on the road. They must have been going for three or four days when they heard voices behind them.
However, no matter how many times they turned back to see if anyone was coming their way, they never saw anyone, not even Alkekengi and Wandi, although the group thought that if anyone, the two danovuses should have seen who or what was following them. However, it seemed like the wind was playing with their ears, as there was no one near or far.
"Hmm, I thought you were further along." A voice was heard, it seemed to come from nowhere, but before any member of the team had a chance to react to it and reach for their weapon, Kamu appeared at the head of the team, and Ajtony appeared next to him a few seconds later.
"Leave them alone, they are not our people, so they would hurry, because they are afraid that you will beat them to death." The poison-mixing sword ghost chuckled. The pair that appeared from nowhere moved forward with their hands clasped behind them, but after barely half a minute they stopped at once and looked back at the team.
"What's up, aren't you coming?" Kamu tilted his head to the side.
"What are you doing here?" Tele Tete gritted his teeth, which only made his ghost-human relative smile broadly.
"You didn't think we'd miss the party?" The Ishán of the Immortal Mist asked. "Of course we came after you. We just had to sort out a few things." He waved.
"You've been the most interesting thing that's happened to us for over a hundred years, there's no daimon for whom we'd miss this opportunity." Ajtony agreed with his friend.
"That means we'll definitely be on your heels for a while." Kamu chuckled too.
"That's all that was missing. No one asked you to come." Tele Tete grimaced.
"Should I exterminate them?" Physalis Alkekengi asked, picking at her nails.
"You don't stand a chance, danovus." The two Isháns spoke at the same time, and the woman snorted.
"By the time you realize you should attack, you'll be dead humans. Don't underestimate me." The danovus lady folded her arms in front of her.
"It's just that we're not humans." Ajtony grinned and before he could finish the last word, he was already standing in front of the woman's nose and looking at the danovus with a crazy sparkle in his eyes. "I wonder how much poison your body could take before it gave up and started to consume itself? Would the transparent ones still come for your soul, or would there be nothing left for them to take?" He tilted his head to the side.
"You little..." Physalis Alkekengi flashed her teeth and was about to attack, but the wrist of the hand used as a weapon was caught by a couple of blows.
"I'd be glad if you didn't hurt my sword. You hold back Ajtony, we don't want to get on their bad side. If you really want to experiment on a danovus, we'll get you one from the cháns." Kamu explained in a calm voice.
"I'll take you at your word, Mukei!" The poison mixer chuckled and stepped away from the danovus, before Kamu let go of the woman's hand.
"If you can make it so that they can't move, I'll renovate your poison kitchen." The leader of the Immortal Mist offered. "So shall we go? The gate under the sea isn't far away." He noted as he looked at the team.
"And who said we wanted you to come with us, Kamu?" Razvan asked in that serious voice that the team had heard more and more since their visit to Fene. It was Razvan, General Chito, or Athira's voice. He usually used it when it came to battle, or when he was talking to people he knew in his previous life.
"But, General Csito." Kamu played the little child. "It doesn't hurt anyone to have some more members in the team, who can be used as a surprise attack." The ghost-man grinned.
"You can only be used as an anoying agent!" Etele, who appeared at that moment, gave the leader of the Immortal Mist a slap.
"Dad!" Kamu squeezed his neck and pursed his lips.
"You're not twelve anymore, and I'm not your mother. This face of yours doesn't work on me." Etele folded his arms in front of him.
"Come on, all I needed was you, Grandpa, there aren't enough of us." Rahul rolled his eyes.
"Admit that you missed me." Etele grinned.
"Let me not answer that." Rahul grimaced.
"Oh, wow. This looks so good!" Suddenly Achilleus' voice was heard, and when the team turned towards him, the boy was crouching on the edge of the sea road and staring down into the depths.
"What do you see, stupid?" Benkó asked and crouched down next to his friend to see for himself, but he only saw his reflection on the water surface.
"There are ready-made city networks down there, main roads, paths, villages, cities." The Motumisz boy explained and his eyes wandered here and there on the surface of the sea.
"This guy has lost his mind." Benkó whispered, turning towards the team.
"How do you know this, Achilleus?" Citar asked, leaning over the boy's shoulder.
"It's on the map!" Achilleus announced as he reached into the water, as if he were actually going to pick up a piece of paper, and raised his hand, revealing the blank page that the Athamanas already knew was their friend's special moon map.
"I didn't know it could do that." Razvan blinked.
"Me neither, but it was worth a try!" Achilleus grinned. "Kamu is right, the gate is really near. I can't wait to see what's down there with my own eyes." The boy stood up and dusted himself off, although he wasn't dirty at all. "Shall we go?" He asked the question.
"I asked that too!" Kamu spread his arms, then with Ajtonny at his side, they continued north. The Athamanas and their companions looked at each other once more, then, after heavy sighs, followed the pair towards the gate.