The evening feast was exactly as unpleasant as the group had expected. But at least they were lucky and were able to leave the large dining room relatively quickly. So they were soon in bed and early the next afternoon the Athamanas took to the streets of Floating Air Barracks to find everyone's favorite summoning teacher. And Tele Tete was found nowhere else than in the man's own room, where Kamu was explaining something to him. However the conversation immediately stopped when the Athamanas appeared at the teacher's door.
"Uncle Tete, will you sign for us that you will be the..." Teveli began the question, holding up the papers they had received yesterday from Director Weruh Sesanti. However, the elder Tele did not even let his nephew finish his sentence, he already took the paper from his hand and immediately signed it.
"You didn't even read it, Uncle Tete." Suk chuckled.
"Are you kidding? Anything to get rid of him for a while!" He nudged at the ghost-man standing behind him over his right shoulder. But contrary to what he expected, which was that his relative would be offended, Kamu just started giggling.
"You were reckless to think that I wouldn't go with them." Kamu stepped next to him.
"Yeah, you got that. The team is currently Kamu's private project. He'll probably stay close to them for a while now." Ajtony appeared next to Tele Tete's other shoulder.
"Hurray! I was hoping to get rid of you guys for a bit." He rolled his eyes.
"Don't dream, relative, you still have a lot to learn." Kamu put his hand on Tele Tete's shoulder.
"Kamu." A new voice interrupted the conversation.
"Yes, sir?" The Ishán of the Immortal Mist turned to Razvan with a grin.
"What do you know about the undersea-walkers?" The leader of the Athamanas asked.
"About the water addicts?" Ajtony asked for clarification, blinking widely, and all the Athamanas started nodding at his question.
"There's not much you need to know about them. They are a people of their own, they like to keep their affairs within their borders, which is an admirable quality. They have the largest trade network between the coasts of the seas. If you really want to know something more about them, I can ask Biaskoncy to look up the file on them. If I remember correctly, I have a contract with the king of the north, and the south lives further away, I don't usually go there." Kamu shrugged.
"They must have papers, the north visited us about ten years ago." Ajtony also thought about it.
"Wait! Why do you want to know about the undersea-walkers?" The leader of the Immortal Mist grimaced.
"Because the director sent us there for field work." Rahul folded his arms in front of him.
"Oh, this will be exciting!" Kamu grinned. "Listen, Ajtony, we have to prepare for this. Training is canceled today!" He announced, as he ran away without caring what anyone thought of his behavior.
"See you later!" Ajtony's figure faded when Kamu was already too far away from them.
"Was he always like this?" Tele Tete asked the question, but he didn't really expect an answer.
"Little brother has always been a strange phenomenon, that's undeniable." Kele appeared behind Teveli, staring in the direction Kamu had run away to.
"What?" Tele Tete was surprised, but when he saw that Razvan was about to start explaining, he raised his hand. "Spare me, this situation is too complicated for me anyway. There's no need to stir up anything else." He sighed. "So we're going north?" He looked at the team.
"We've been sent there." Benkó shrugged.
"You know, no matter how much I don't want to agree with that idiot, he's right. You have to prepare for a trip like this. When are we leaving?" He asked.
"The director gave two weeks." Achilleus gave him the answer.
"Oh, that the guta would take you." Tele Tete growled. "We'll have a lot of work to do. I have no idea how to lead a fieldwork, so I need find Mark." The man squeezed his neck. "Okay, kids. Scatter! You must have a lot of work too! Let me do mine!" Tele Tete announced. "Hey danovus! Find that man for me." The man turned towards the room.
"Do I look like a hunting dog to you, Teveli?" Came the sharp female voice.
"As long as you do what I ask, yes." The hegin muttered under his breath, when a white spot rushed out of the room. "See you later, rainbow." He waved and closed the door, then headed towards the school.
"Well, we've been left behind. What should we do now, boss?" Benkó turned curiously towards Razvan.
"We're going to the blacksmith." The leader of the Athamanas shrugged.
"We're going to visit Marianne." Rahul got excited. "What are we waiting for? Come on!" He turned his back on the team and headed towards the Floating Barracks.
Of course, the Athamanas were immediately on his heels, and so the team arrived at the house where Teacher Biaskoncy had taken them before the Barracks Cup. Now, as then, they descended the stairs to the forge resting at the bottom of the sea with calm steps. However, unlike the last time the most famous blacksmith in the city and the west, was not alone.
"I know it's last minute, but I hope it's no big deal. Just some minor changes and the lord will need it soon." This was the explanation the Athamanas heard when they got to the bottom of the sea. The blacksmith was still standing behind the small table, a snow-white robe resting on the table in front of him. The speaker was a bald man, standing with his back to the Athamanas and dressed in black from head to toe.
"I'll see what I can do. These are not easy changes, but there hasn't been a suit of armor I couldn't make." The blacksmith said seriously.
"Thank you. Then I'll leave, I don't want to keep you up." The stranger noted and glanced at the group with his unnaturally yellow eyes. "Goodbye." He bid farewell to the blakcmith, then nodded and hurried up the stairs towards the group.
"So, what are you doing here today?" Matthias the blacksmith asked the group.
"To be honest, we are looking for Marianne." Rahul stepped forward, but with his words he managed to make the blacksmith turn his back on them.
"Annie!" He shouted. "The Easterners are here!" As soon as this left the blacksmith's mouth, the carpet in the back of the forge moved from the door.
"Rahul and his friends! Come inside, let's let my husband work. He still has to finish the work before my guests arrive." The tailoress looked at her husband with grumpy eyes.
"Don't worry, dear, I will be ready, I won't miss dinner." The blacksmith sighed, from which the Athamanas knew exactly that the man really didn't want to participate in that particular dinner. However, since this was none of their business, they just followed Marianne into the closed part of the forge.
"Tell me, how can I help you?" She asked with a smile, when they all entered the woman's workshop. And since the team looked at Rahul as one person, he started to explain.
"The director sent us on a field trip, we'll leave in two weeks and he said he'll cover all our expenses. We need a new set, Marianne." Rahul smiled at the woman.
"Where are you going?" The woman's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she picked up her notebook.
"To the northern undersea-walkers." Rahul announced, which made Marianne's previously happy face start to shine.
"Oh, why do my guests have to come today!" The woman grumbled. "Whatever, I'll figure it out! One week and I'll be ready. But now, let me create! Maybe I'll manage to design a few before dinner!" The woman shouted, then almost literally chased the Athamanas straight to the steps of the forge, where she closed the door behind them.
"This woman is still strange, Rahul." Benkó blinked at the closed door.
"It's Marianne, don't be surprised." The chüvigh boy shrugged. "If no one minds, I'll go back to our room, I'm completely exhausted." He yawned a huge yawn, which made the group start giggling.