“Honestly, Oia, undo your hair!”

The selk boy flinched, his tidy red hair staying perfectly still as he came to a stop. He had hoped that his grandfather wouldn’t have noticed that he had been keeping his hair tidy.

The stern looks on his grandfather’s face gave away told him otherwise.

With a sigh and a pitiful utterance of “Yes, Grandpa Nuaka .” His hair began to undo itself. The waves of the sea reformed it back into the left heavy cow lick of blond hair and a layer of dark red top-fur on his right.

Nuaka smiled, “That’s better. Just because we’re meeting the Justice today doesn’t mean we have to put on airs.”

With that bit of advice, he turned around and swam ahead. Left to himself for a moment gave Oia the chance to mumble some misgivings to himself. As soon as he was sure his grandfather didn't hear his back talk, he swam up to him to catch up.

“So what’s going on anyway?” Oia asked.

Nuaka sighed. “Well, you remembered how ragged Kahopno looked when he gave us that summons this morning?" If I were a betting bull, I’d wager that the council was up all night talking about your hunt.”

Oia stopped in place. "Wait, why were they doing that? We got the hum'rl out of our lands. Isn't that enough?"

“When it comes to the hume, Oia, nothing is ever that simple.”

Nuaka  turned around and gave his grandson a reassuring smile.

Oia struggled to smile back.

 “If were you I would be ready to tell your side of the story again. If only to put everyone's minds at ease.”

“O-Oh…” Oia voice wavered as he realised he’d have to give his testimony again. “Yes-sure-OK.” each word coming out in a rapid yet orderly fashion.

“Oh, don’t be like that, my boy. It’s hardly the ocean boiling over…” Nuaka assured his grandson and pointed forward. “Now come on, the office shouldn’t be that much of a swim from here.”

True to his grandfather’s word, Oia saw the Embassy of The Justice looming over the horizon. It was a impressive building. Whilst it was made of the same hard clay used in all selk construction, it's white finish gave it its own unique character.

It was lit up by a string of light balls wrapped around it. Each one housed an ulkui, a thumb sized insect with an ever-glowing bottom. For a few scant scraps of algae each day, the insects within the ball lit the building up for all to see.

The sight of the majestic building made Oia’s top fur stand on end. He had been told about the Embassy before but seeing it with his own eyes made him realise just how grand it was.

“You can see why your uncle hates it, can’t you?” Nuaka cracked a joke at his brother’s expense. “He loves the job to bits but absolutely hates is the stuffiness of everything else around it.”

“Sell me to a Hume, if he still had his good eye he’d probably just skip the work and just go hunting himself!”.

The bout of laughter that ensued went on for a good while before he noticed that it wasn’t shared by his grandson.

“Oh, er, sorry. Kind of lost myself there, pup…” he said patting his grandson’s shoulder. “Look, it’s probably nothing. We’ll get this done in no time flat and then how about I help you fix your spear, ok?”

Oia looked at him, rolled his eyes, and sighed.

“Yes, Grandpa.”

A few moments of swimming lead the two to the Embassy's doors. After an exchange of words with the guards, the doors opened to reveal Kamwaimae. The obvious lack of sleep was given away by the bags imprinted in the face-fur under her eyes.

“I am so sorry for taking your time, Lord Nuaka.” She groggily apologised with a bow.

“It’s just Nuaka these days, Justice.” He said with a laugh and ruffled Oia’s hair. “That’s his title now.”

“I see.” Kamwaimae said and turned to bow in Oia’s direction. “I suppose that would make you Young Lord Oia then?”

The title of the West Coral Tribe’s chief was vacant until he came of age; but it wouldn’t do to get on a Council member’s bad side just to correct her.

He blushed, "Yes, Justice."

Nuaka noticed his grandson blush and laughed out loud. “Don’t be like that, Oia, the justice is already accounted for.”

“I’m afraid so, Young Lord Oia.” Kamwaimae smiled as she pulled out a blue pendant, the traditional attire of a selk wife, from under her dress and brushed it off. “Let’s go inside and talk about why I asked you two here.”

“By your leave, Justice.” Nuaka confirmed and with that the three swam in.

Kamwaimae and Nuaka started to exchange gossip and other such affairs as they swam though the embassy’s halls. Oia, left out of the conversation, started to look around.

His swimming slowed down as he passed the portraits of all the previous rulers. When he reached the end, he stopped to take a good look at the imposing figure of King Kamepaikin the 3rd. The queen's father, the selk responsible for the Great Hunt, stared back at him.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

His Grandfather had told him that Hume were creatures of habbit and hunt had turned them violent. He agreed with that statement to a certain degree. Hume, to Oia, were another beast to deal with. A pest you dealt with just enough to make them go away.

They were a nuisance, he thought, and that was that.

Kamwaimae called him over with a song, dragging him out of his thoughts. As soon as he caught up with the two adults Kamwaimae opened the doors to her office and invited them in.

Oia gasped at the sight of the well-formed clay chair that sat behind an ornate marble desk. Behind it was shell lined displays filled with scrolls bound in various colours of wax end caps. With a little bit of difficulty he could make out the labels. Each label made mention of a legal case and was marked with the same name mark, an idol surrounded by water.

Kamwaimae motioned for her retainer who swam up to her and handed over another scroll.

“You might be wondering what brings you to my offices today, Young Lord, sir.”

Kamwaime’s question broke Oia’s line of thought and brought him to attention.

“Well, yes, Justice.” Nuaka said calmly as he sat down on one of the chairs and offered the other to Oia to take.

He motioned with his hands, “After all, I’ve retired from the hunts and my grandson’s only just getting started.”

Oia did his best to keep his snort of annoyance to himself.

With a nod, Kamwaimae handed the scroll over to Nuaka who carefully pulled the wax cap off to roll it open. As he read the contents of the scroll the concern on his face became more and more evident.

When he finished the scroll, he placed it on the table and looked at Kamwaimae as if she swore at him.

“Kamwaimae… This is madness…”

She nodded. “I can understand your objections to this. We both know how much you suffered for being a vocal opponent of the hoʻoku but…”

With a sigh she swam over to the window to look out onto the capital that lie on the horizon. “… the queen came up with this plan though consultation with the royal idol.”

Oia perked up, “That’s right, Uncle did say something about the idols acting strangely, didn’t he, Grandad?”

“If I didn’t know any better, Kamwaimae, this is starting to sound like…”

“Yes.” Kamwaimae nodded. “The idols are starting to act like they did during the great hunt.”

That statement gave Nuaka pause. He then realised that Oia was snorting to himself in aggravation due to being ignored.

He shot a look to quietly tell his grandson to behave.

Oia noticed his grandfather’s wordless command and sat upright.

“The Orthodoxy made her feelings about the matter quite clear. When the council out voted her seven to two on implementing this plan she left the meeting. She said on non uncertain terms that she wanted no part of it.”

Nuaka hummed in thought and closed his eyes.

“No part of what?” Oia asked with bemusement as he pulled himself forward, picked up the scroll from off the table and read it.

He squinted as he tried to make sense of the complicated text within. After a moment of reading the scroll Oia squinted at a certain word and then looked at the Justice.

“This plan involves use of the hoʻoku ritual.”

Kamwaimae closed her eyes and nodded.

Oia shot out of his chair, “Why are you asking us to break the law?!”

Nuaka shot the look again, “Oia, calm down…”

Ignoring his grandfather, Oia let his hair shift to the neat, bright red straight cut. He slammed his hands on the marble table.

“You're the Justice, aren't you? So why are you asking us to ignore-”

“I said that is enough, Boy!” Nuaka shouted, bringing Oia’s rant to a halt by the piecing stare his grandfather had trained firmly on him.

“Calm. Down.”

Oia sunk back into his seat with an utterance of “Yes, sir” and in turn his hair turned back to its normal cut.

Kamwaimae opened her eyes. “I understand that this is a heavy burden that I am asking you and the young master to undertake.” She sat back down on her chair. “While you have every right to refuse the queen recommended you for this task. She said that you are in the pest position to help this plan to full  based on your efforts during the great hunt.”

Oia opened his mouth to ask what she meant by that. The thought of crossing his grandfather again made him quickly close it again.

“Ah, so that’s why…” Nuaka said with a sigh, his expression softened but the concern was still obvious.

“Alright then. It’s a yes.”

“Grandad?”

The look on Kamwaimae’s face as she whispered her graces to the great Id gave away just how relieved she was to have his support.

She smiled, "Right, let's get to work then.".