++Smooth Criminal++

[DemonicFox99]

Kette clamped his teeth together fighting with himself. "Alright." He said in soft defeat looking up at Casticus from his perifrials. "But you have to stay in your seal form." He stood up shakily trying to keep from falling over, "We have to leave now... they'll more than likely know what I've been doing..."

[Rikku_Feline]

She nodded, helping him stand before exiting the cave with him. "Thank you," she whispered, gently hugging him so as not to disturb his wounds. Casticus simply stood there looking stunned before crying out, "Wait! I'm coming with you!" He zoomed forward, quickly catching up with them and looking thouroughly annoyed the entire way there.

[DemonicFox99]

Kette grumbled to himself annoyed that Casticus was coming along as well. The demon had not spoken a word to the man and yet he infuriated Kette with his presence. The walk to there was silent and seemed to take a small eternity; finally the three arrived at the pure white beach that led to the city of Turitella. The fire demon gripped the letter in his hands staring out at the clear blue waters.

[Rikku_Feline]

Myfi practically skipped into the water, slipping off her clothing and into her seal skin. She dove into the water easily, as if she had been born in it, skimming easily with the currents. Casticus simply slipped into the waves, barely making a ripple in the water. He looked almost like some sort of predator despite having not changed forms, as if he could suddenly spring from the waters to grab unsuspecting prey.

[DemonicFox99]

Kette stayed behind to watch the tiny waves splash up on his boots. He gripped the letter tighter crumpling it into his fist. His wounds were still burning greatly from the lashing he had just recieved. A hidden fear froze his body making him unable to enter the water. The thought of seeing his home after 500 years of exile terrified him. What if the people had not changed? What if they shunned him like they had done so towards his mother? A thousand scenarios began to rush through his mind causing his imagination to run wild with every possible thing that could go horribly wrong. He did not notice that he was trembling.

[Rikku_Feline]

The selkie hung back, noticin that Kette still had not entered the water whilst Casticus kept going on his merry way. She turned back, sliding out of her skin on the shore and walking over to Kette. Placing a hand on his arm she could feel him shaking. "It will be alright," she said, rubbing his arm comfortingly before taking his hand and leading him to the water. "You are home now."

[DemonicFox99]

Suddenly every worry and fear faded away and a smile crept across his face. Slowly he entered the water up to his knees then looked at Myfi by his side. He touched her hand and his smile grew into a grin before he scooped a handful of water up and splashed hundreds of sea green droplets into her face. He laughed and dove into the water diving deeper then turning to wait for her, swimming like he had been doing it all his life, the streak in his hair turning a vivid blue along with his left eye.

[Rikku_Feline]

Myfi giggled, throwing her hands up to attempt to block it but failing misabley. She threw her skin on, diving after him. Casticus turned slightly, watching them and refusing to partake in the fun and instead ignoring them completely as a jealous child might. Myfi wove in and out of the undersea life, swimming swiftly behind him and nudging him gently with her nose.

[DemonicFox99]

The fire demon swam after her touching his palm to her smooth skin. He swam around playing with her until he noticed a shadow in the murky depths of a rock pile. Strangly his senses had become extremely more accute than they had been on land, he could tell that the presence was a water fae. After only a few seconds it emerged. A man dressed in silver body armor swam towards them. His hair was long and silvery almost like liquid silk, his skin was fair tinted blue from the oceans opaque light. His eyes were round and large and flaps of skin between his arms and side allowed him to skim through the water like a bird through air; a long feathery dorsal fin on his back extended up to act as a rudder. He extended his hand to Kette curling his pale fingers like he was expecting something. Kette placed the letter in his hand and waited until he gaurd read it. After a few moments he nodded and swam back to the rocks he had been stationed to gaurd and tapped on a certain rock five times. Shortly following the rock rolled back about a foot allowing acess to the tunnel behind it. The tunnel led to the glorious city of Turitella. It glimmered with beautiful black marble towers trimmed in gold and surrounded by a massive plasmic air bubble which kept the inside dry and the outside wet.

[Rikku_Feline]

Myfi shivered as his hand glided over her skin but froze as they spotted the guard. Once the tunnel had opened, she glanced at Kette before swimming inside with Casticus. Casticus held up his cloak to shield her as she changed from her skin to her regular clothing, looking at the ceiling as she stripped. Myfi turned, waiting for Kette while hooking the clasp around her throat. Myfi bounced excitedly on her feet, saying, "Kette, come see!" as she pointed to the beautiful city before them.

[DemonicFox99]

Kette stepped inside the city's limits dripping wet but otherwise stunned by how glorious the city actually was. He had only heard second hand fairytales about the magnificent city and not a one had ever done it justice. Crystal shaped towers of every size jutted from the sea floor, most of which was covered in smooth round pebbles that where bound together to act as cobblestone streets. Lamp posts with large shell shaped cages held enchanted candles that burned brightly dispite the humidity. Upon looking up at the last sliver of sun, Kette noticed hundreds of manta rays, both large as dinning tables and as small as a hand, skimming through the waters like flocks of marine birds trapped in slow motion flapping their graceful wings to propel them through the water. He touched Myfi's arm to get her attention. "Look." He pointed up at the specticle.

"The rays are migrating early this year..." A rather prim voice startled Kette out of his facination. "You must be Kette the fire demon I've heard so much about." It was a younger nymphian woman, dressed in a flowing white dress trimmed in coral pinks and oranges with long peach colored hair adored with a pink scallop shell and strings of pearls. She narrowed her peircing preditor like eyes studying him feircely. She walked around him in several slow circles until she finally seemed to remember her mission. "I've been sent to escourt you and your..." She cocked her head looking at Myfi and Casticus, "friends?"

[Rikku_Feline]

"Yes," said Myfi, smiling sweetly at the woman. "We are friends." Casticus snorted at the word and Myfi shot him a glare which instantly silenced him. She looked up at the rays, muttering a small "Ooooh..." as they passed overhead. She turned, looking at a large group of jellyfish just outside the city's border, their gelatinous forms flinting with the run's rays casting multible colors on the streets. She stayed closed to her two friends, making sure not to get lost in such a large city. At the same time, however, she found herself greatly distracted by the wonders of the city.

[DemonicFox99]

The woman bowed low and gracefully becoming inches away from Kette. With a very silvery voice she smiled, "Follow me." She led the three to a rather squat tower, shorter than the rest but very wide, columns of black alabastor trimmed in solid gold held up an huge elaborate awning with marble steps leading up to it. It reminded Kette of the roman temples he had seen many years ago. The woman then turned and ran her hand up the demon's bare chest. "You're friends must stay behind. Only autherized personel are allowed into the court room." She was making Kette slightly uncomfortable but he shrugged it off turning to Myfi.

"You gonna be ok with him?" He looked over at the sulking Casticus.

[Rikku_Feline]

"I will be fine," she said, nodding. Myfi looked at the woman oddly, wrinkling her nose before turning back to the demon. "I wish you good luck, Kette." She squeezed his hand comfortingly before turning and walking over to Casticus, who quickly placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her over to an area where they could wait. Casticus glanced back at the demon, grey blue eyes piercing into him as almost a warning before turning back to the selkie.

[DemonicFox99]

Kette watched the selkie leave with her male friend then turned to the female and followed her inside the building. Finely crafted wall reliefs adorened the walls on each side of a long hallway. The carvings told stories of wars and vicious battles fought with the land dwelling people. At the end of the hall a massive wooden dual door made of heavy oak and decorated with two golden medalions which split into four quadrants each containing inside them a symbol: a sea star, a crab, a dolphin, a clam, a shark, a whale, a squid, and a shrimp each with different symbols surrounding their animal. The woman stopped and bowed to him, "Good luck." She smiled and walked through a smaller less elaborate door hidden on the side of the hallway.

Kette took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Enter." A voice commanded him from the other side. Slowly he pushed the door open and walked inside. A large table in the shape of a C made completely of marble and decorated with hundreds of sea shells, stood in the middle of the circular room. Columns acted as the ribs of the building fused with the walls to give it even more strength. A huge dome shaped ceiling with more ribbed columns hung over head with a large rose window in the very top that let in sunlight and scattered it across the room in soft blues and greens. Kette found his confidence and walked to the edge of the inside of the table to glance at all nine members of the council sitting like statues in their assigned red cushioned chairs watching every move he made. In the very middle of the table was an middle aged man with dark grey hair and eyes that looked full of wisdome and experience. He then noticed the woman from before sitting in a chair next to the man in the middle, she was resting her chin on her palm watching him with a particularly vicious stare. The man in the middle then spoke, "Kette, son of Makara?" The demon nodded unable to shake the feeling that he was about to be torn appart.