Shadow trail of the beautiful world

Chapter 20 19. Finding

"Arthur is a good boy, but he can't control his longing for his mother. Maybe I shouldn't have told him so many stories about the sea. That way he wouldn't keep taking risks and wanting to go to the deep sea. "

Tom Curry, the lighthouse keeper of Grace Port, was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of hot tea.

He looked at his son, playing with the kitten at home on the carpet.

On either side of him, Merlin and Bruce sat as guests.

"But in fact, there is no Atlantis, and there are no people under the sea. It's just little Arthur's fantasy."

Mr. Tom smiled at Merlin. There was a trace of helplessness in that smile. He lowered his head and explained:

"A child of his age always likes to think wildly."

"Then his mother?"

Bruce asked in a low voice, Tom stopped drinking tea, the poet-like lighthouse keeper smiled, and said to Bruce gently:

"Arthur's mother died in childbirth. She left my life five years ago."

"You mean, what little Arthur said are all fairy tales he heard?"

Merlin asked, and Tom nodded, as if he didn't want to say too much on the matter.But Merlin, who saw hope again, didn't want to miss this hope. He stared into Tom's eyes, and said cautiously:

"This kid can call fish to help him. I've seen it with my own eyes, he can even control dangerous sharks and whales..."

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief, he reached out and took off his sunglasses, he said:

"It's a rare ability, and I don't think everyone in Maine has it. And Mr. Tom, I'm sorry to say that to your son, but I...you see, I need help."

"You, your eyes! Are they made by magic?"

Tom was indeed a well-informed person. After seeing the abnormality in Merlin's eyes, he was not too surprised, and there was no fear in his eyes.

He looked at Merlin, who nodded, which also let Tom understand Merlin's purpose.

After a few seconds Tom put down his teacup and shook his head:

"I understand that getting involved in these supernatural things in a mortal body will always lead to bad consequences. But unfortunately, I can't help you, Mr. Merlin, as you can see, I... just a little more experienced Ordinary people."

"But you at least have those experiences."

Merlin almost said in a pleading tone:

"Mr. Tom, what I have been through has made me mentally and mentally exhausted. I don't want to go back to the past. I just want to undo the bad luck that haunts me and find a place to start my life again. If you have experienced the same things, then please...please help me!"

"If you have any concerns or requests, please speak up!"

Bruce also said:

"I...I will do my best to meet your request."

Bruce and Merlin are friends who have experienced hardships together. He is about to leave North America. He hopes to see Merlin get rid of this bad fate before he leaves.

At least there is no need to use that painful self-harm method to suppress bad luck every day.

The request of the two young men made Tom hesitate.

After a while, Tom took the napping little Arthur back to the room, and when he came out, he turned his head to Merlin and Bruce:

"Let's go out and talk."

A few minutes later, under the lighthouse, by the reef near the sea, Tom in a windbreaker said to the two young men beside him:

"Here, five years ago, this is where I found Arthur's mother. She was badly injured and I rescued her and left her to live in the lighthouse, and then we became friends, at first just attracted to each other, then we fell in love.. .After the sweetest time, forced to part again."

The sea breeze was blowing on Tom's face and his windbreaker. There was an unbearable pain in Tom's eyes. He took a deep breath and said softly:

"Yes, I have seen Atlanna use magic. I know that the people at the bottom of Atlantis have ocean warlocks who specialize in fighting with magic. I have seen those people at the bottom of the sea manipulating the water flow, causing storms and tides. In their hands it becomes the most powerful weapon. Unfortunately, that's all I know."

"Then do you have a way to contact those sea people?"

Merlin looked at the rough sea in front of him, and asked:

"Or, can you tell me where I can find them?"

Tom shook his head, looking at the endless sea in front of him, he said:

"No. Five years ago, when the people from the bottom of the sea landed and took Atlanta away by force, I should have died. It was my lover who saved me and my son at the cost of his own freedom. She She didn't want us to be involved in the battle of the Seven Seas Kingdom, and she didn't leave any way to contact the sea people, but..."

Tom hesitated a bit. He looked back at Merlin, saw the dancing spark in Merlin's eyes, and said:

"I don't know if it's an illusion. In the past few years, I have always felt that there are other creatures in the surrounding sea area. After graduating from university, I lived here at the lighthouse. At first, I did research on sea creatures. Later, I met Atlanta and became the lighthouse keeper here, and I know the marine life around me very well.”

"Mr. Merlin, I can tell you that this sea area is not a habitat for sharks and whales, but they are here now. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Ah."

Merlin nodded:

"The food chain of all creatures in any environment should be stable. Such a large-scale ecological change must be driven by a force. You mean, there may be sea people in this sea area?"

"Yes."

Tom nodded, and he said with a little worry:

"There should be someone from the same place as Atlanta, but I don't know why he or she came. On the night Atlanta was taken away, my life was nothing, the only thing I couldn't let go , is the son of me and Atlanta, little Arthur. If the man from the bottom of the sea came with malicious intentions, I would not be able to protect my son..."

Tom paused. He pointed back to the cliff bay on the other side of the lighthouse. He said to Merlin:

"I don't want to hide it from you, Mr. Merlin. I have seen a figure jump off that cliff into the sea at midnight, and more than once, so if you want to find anything related to the people of the sea in this place , should start from there. But it's dangerous, not only because the cliff is 200 feet above the sea, but most importantly, I've seen those heavily armed underwater people..."

"Their attitude towards us land people is really not friendly."

"200 feet?"

Bruce shook his head momentarily, and he said to Merlin:

"Jumping into the sea from 200 feet without any protection, even if you are lucky enough not to hit the reef, you will drown due to the force of the impact and the undercurrent of the sea water. This is no longer an adventure, this is courting death, Merlin ! Don't try!"

"I know."

Merlin looked at the cliff bay behind the lighthouse, which seemed to be cut off by an invisible sharp knife, the light in his eyes danced, and he said:

"But I gotta try... I've been away from home for almost a year, Bruce, and this is the first time I've gotten this close to real magic. I gotta try, I gotta try!"

"Then take this."

Tom took out a silver pendant from his windbreaker pocket, and at the end of the pendant was a delicate trident emblem.

He looked at the pendant, his eyes full of nostalgia for the past, and he said to Merlin:

"This is one of the few things that Atlanna left Arthur. It is a creation from Atlantis. If there are really sea people there, then this thing may save you from his hostility." escape."

Tom held Merlin's hand. Like Merlin before him, he said to Merlin in a begging voice:

"I beg you as a father, Mr. Merlin. If you see the seaman, if he has good intentions, please ask for me... Atlanna, Arthur's mother, whether, whether Alive...and, should I let Arthur continue to touch the sea...I don't know, Arthur is talented, he is different from me, but I don't know, is this a good thing for him .”

"I'll ask."

Merlin took the pendant, and he nodded to Tom:

"If I survived, I would definitely ask."

After speaking, Merlin turned his head to look at Bruce again, and he said to the worried Bruce:

"But before that, there is one more thing. I must see you off, my friend."

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"I don't understand. You should let me accompany you, at least let me prepare on the cliff. Two people are better than one. At least we can take care of each other."

Bruce was carrying a backpack and a baseball cap. Behind him was a freighter about to set sail for Europe.

Tom Curry grew up in Port of Mercy. He knew everyone on the pier very well. It took him only 20 minutes to help Bruce find a boat.He also agreed with the familiar captain to let Bruce do odd jobs on the ship to pay for the ticket to Europe.

Merlin put little Arthur on his neck, and while teasing little Arthur, he said to Bruce:

"I'm just afraid that you have this idea, so I have to send you away."

"I know you see me as a friend, Bruce, and I see you as a friend, so I don't want to see you in danger because of me. This is my business, my adventure, and you heard Tom say Now, the sea people are like real supermen compared to us, and they are not friendly to land people."

"Besides, if I'm really in danger, at least I can escape. If you are added, our hope of escape will be too slim."

"You treat me like a burden! It's really hateful."

Bruce gritted his teeth and punched Merlin's chest, causing little Arthur on Merlin's shoulder to giggle non-stop.Bruce took out a piece of candy from his pocket, stuffed it into little Arthur's hand, then stretched out his hand to pull on his baseball cap, and said to Merlin seriously:

"Whether this can be done or not, stick to it, okay? I will also help you find information about magic in Europe. The history there is older. I believe I will find it."

"Come on, Bruce, are you afraid I'll kill myself in despair?"

Merlin took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and said to Bruce:

"I've had such horrible nightmares, you think, what else in this world can break me? Keep in touch, Bruce, when you get back to North America, if I'm still alive... then let's have a drink together! "

"What are you talking about! A person like you won't die so easily."

Bruce reached out and patted Merlin on the shoulder. He stuffed something into Merlin's hand, and he said:

"Live well! Wait for me to come back. If you really encounter troubles that cannot be solved, use this to find Ah Fu, and he will definitely help you. But... don't reveal my whereabouts casually, understand?"

Merlin looked down, and in his hand was a note with a phone number written on it.

He put the note away, looked at Bruce in front of him with clear eyes, stretched out his hand towards Bruce, and said:

"You too. No matter where you are, no matter what you encounter, don't forget why Bruce Wayne set foot on this road."

"When the darkness tempts you, never forget who you are. I know you can do it, Bruce. You are born to do great things. I can feel it."

Bruce held Merlin's hand without hesitation. He looked at Merlin, his blue eyes were beating with emotion, and he asked with a smile:

"Do I have such a high opinion in your heart? Then let me ask you, what should I do if the darkness whispers to me?"

Merlin shrugged and said:

"Then give it a hard slap!"

"Hahaha"

The two young men laughed heartily. A few minutes later, Merlin helped Bruce carry his luggage and sent him to the boat.

On the pier, Merlin took little Arthur's hand, Tom stood beside him, they waved goodbye to Bruce, and watched the ship leave the coast with the first real friend in his life.

The ship slowly faded away from Merlin's sight, he looked away, and Merlin's last worry disappeared.

He took a deep breath, looked back at Tom beside him, and said:

"I don't want to wait any longer, just tonight."

"But before that...can you teach me how to dive?"

(End of this chapter)