Poseidon?

"Is it Lailah?"

Ja called at Loe who was quite faster than the three of them. Loe had caught up with the warriors as soon as they all alighted from the chariot.

There were few other warriors already circling the lady who was threatening to hurl the Helmet of Jin inside the water. She was quite close to the lapping waves.

Majority of the warriors had their legs dipped into the waves without looking behind.

Even if the crazy lady hurl the helmet, some of them would make sure to catch.

Ja and his siblings, alongside the other fellows got to Loe who was staring blankly at the lady.

Ja looked at Loe's face before looking away to the lady. Twas the look of surprise on his face.

He looked towards the lady, twasnt Lailah. That was a relief, but twas that lady Loe had been betrothed to in Ikpala. Twas the daughter of the King of Ikpala.

The question was definite. What was she doing in Havila. How did she get to know about the helmet of Jin. It didn't make any sense to Ja.

"Stay back everyone. The emperor had saddled us with this responsibility. And we got this."

Jim started. Ja looked at Jim who didn't care. Wasn't it enough that he had burdened them with that task? Wouldn't he at least let the warriors help them out.

"We were with them in the palace. That's the Emperor's word."

The leader of the warriors who had led Ja and co to the shore said to the men encircling the lady.

Ja walked to the leader of the warriors and did kinda whispering into his left ear,

"Please hold him back."

Ja said, tossing his head at Loe. The warrior looked confused. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Trust me on this."

Ja assured. The warrior shrugged but went to Loe and touched him by the shoulders. He pulled him to the chariot.

Wonder, Loe followed without complications.

Ja walked to stand between Jim and Tzu. The other set of warrior were standing behind them. Few steps away.

Ja muttered to Jim,

"A moment."

Jim turned to him. He seemed to had misconceived what Ja meant.

Ja began to walk towards the lady as the lady walked backwardly. He stopped.

He began walking backwardly as the lady started walking towards him.

She seemed to be mimicking him, but in reverse order.

Ja had an odd thought that that wasn't the lady. That that wasn't the daughter of the King of Ikpala. Like someone was impersonating.

Could it Lailah? Definitely not! They all watched her die.

"What are you doing here?"

Ja asked her as soon as he stopped walking. The lady was cladded in a rare gown made from fur.

She looked rather wierd, but her beauty retained its rage.

She smiled at him. Such smile only Lailah could wield.

"This belongs to my ancestors."

She said, shaking the huge helmet in her hands. You probably would want to wonder how possible she could lift the helmet.

"You have few minutes more and we take over."

Ja heard the leader of the warriors call. He didn't mind. Only Jim and Tzu could hear the conversation going between the two of them clearly.

"Obviously it does, but your ancestors want it in the usual spot it had been since decades."

Ja was trying to be responsible but he feared that the lady would not bite from his chop.

"You can't be sure, Ja. You who do not know about your origin."

The lady said amidst chuckle. That was rather insulting to Ja. He looked at Jim who was beginning to flare up. He nodded his head to pacify him.

Jim looked away. He was biding his time.

"That's unfair, but how did you even get the helmet. I left it in the house given to me by the Duke. How did it get to you, what brought you to Havila?"

He was doing all he could to get all the answers.

On their way to the shore, he had stopped at that house given to him to confirm if the helmet really was gone. It sure was.

"This is all I'll tell you. A raven brought a letter to me at Ikpala which directed me to a secluded place I refuse to make known. Well, it happens that the place is in Havila. I got under the tree and waited for a while. Then the same raven returned bearing this Helmet."

"A raven bore this huge helmet? Why don't you quit listening to this psychotic bitch."

Jim was already closely behind Ja.

"Haven't you wondered how I could dangle this huge helmet with no difficulty?"

She shot an evil smile at Jim and turned to Ja.

"The remaining details doesn't matter to you. This belong to me, twas handed to me. And no one can take it."

She sounded assertive, like her voice echoed and was doubled by some hidden force.

"That's enough."

The voice of the leader came again. He was walking towards them.

His look waa determined, his face flushing under the waves of rage.

He got to them and called,

"Combat."

The warriors encircled the lady again. Many of them were already in the way of the waves. The lapping waves tend to pull some whose feet were weak.

"You have a choice to make. Give the helmet by choice or by force."

The lady chuckled. Twas obvious that that pissed the hell outta the leader.

"Takes two sides to bargain."

She said and immediately hurled the helmet into the air.

Few of the warriors ran towards her and knocked her down. Pinned her and bound her.

The helmet dropped on one of the warriors. His head was crushed into pulp.

The three other warriors by the dead warrior quickly fought their ways with the wave.

They were lucky enough to hold the helmet and drag it out.

The leader hurried to them with two others and pulled the helmet out.

Those three in the water tried to help the corpse out. At least make a report to the king.

They did and were walking out, they had their backs to the waves.

Then suddenly they heard Jim call at them, pointing past them,

"Your back!!!"

But they looked back too late.

Some body of waves woven into a huge hollow rose behind them and crashed behind them.

The force pushed them forward, but the lapping waves hurried and swept them woven hollow.

Then there was peace. As though nothing happened.

None of those who saw what just happened could make meaning of it. None of them had seen such thing as that.