The merfolk that came around the corner was 2.5 meters tall, built broad and dense like a battering ram and seemed to hold great respect from the other Orca Guards as all of them bowed or nodded when he passed them.
His skin was jet black with stark white markings across his jaw and chest; his tail was thick and powerful with a wide fluke and had scarring on it from repeated impacts. His eyes were a pale gray and Chronos could sense a cold calculating intellect behind them.
He was wearing a lighter segmented version of the Orca Guards armor, but his armor seemed to be more refined, which increased its durability despite being thinner. Eel-silk mesh covered all openings left from the segments and his armor looked like it mirrored the scarring on his body.
In his hand was a war trident that was slightly shorter than other Orca Guards, but the two outer barbs were sharpened like blades, he likely wielded it in the same way a spear was wielded. On his waist was one of those shark tooth curved swords but its edge had more serrated teeth than the regular swords.
At the back of his waist were multiple hooks instead of the anchor that the normal guards had. If Chronos had to describe the difference between an Orca Guard and Captain Varkesh it was that the captain felt more predatory and controlled compared to a regular guard.
"Now Warden-singer Lysira, I believe you owe me an explanation for bringing strangers into the camp." He said.
"Of course, Captain Varkesh. The camp is currently falling apart, and we don't have the time to slowly learn how to stabilize it. As such I deemed it necessary to bring in experts in swamp construction." She explained.
"That only explains the naga, not the other two. Why are they here?"
"They are here to represent the Leighla Kingdom and the Tri-Goddess church in other negotiations. They were with Matriarch Vaelith when I met with her."
He snorted in derision.
"Humph, what would those two forces want with the swamps? Or are you going to tell me that they are going to work with the swamp tribes?"
Chronos stepped forward to answer.
"We've been working with the tribes of Dracon Fen for centuries already. I'm just the first to arrive in the southern swamps."
Varkesh looks at him, judging his worth. Then he sees Naerith trying to hide on the male nagas back.
"You claim to be here for negotiations, yet you carry one of our own in an injured state."
He motions for one of the guards to take her from them.
As the guard roughly reached out Chronos caught his arm in a firm grip, "Careful, her tail fin was pretty torn up when we found her."
Nodding, the guard reached out more gently, lifting Naerith into everyone's view.
"Hello Captain, I'm Naerith Wavecaller, a messenger from the Wavesinger army and I have a message for the admiral regarding how to deal with the tears."
"Negotiations with the swamp tribes, representatives of surrounding forces and now a messenger from Wavesinger and you expect me to believe that you're only here to help."
He clearly wasn't happy about so much going on at once without him being aware of it but there wasn't much they could do as everything was just happening all at once.
Smiling wryly, Chronos tried to explain, "Everything is coming to a head all at once, but I can assure you that we are only here to help. There isn't a lot of time before the troll army attacks, and my instincts say that everything else will happen in coordination with their attack."
"An army doesn't operate on guesses and superstitions; it operates on control and knowledge, blind dog."
Chronos' ear twitched, but he did his best not to lose control of himself.
"You call them superstitions only because you don't understand them. Formations and control can't compare to knowing the land, something the local tribes understand far better than you ever will, fish."
That caused a ripple of annoyance through the surrounding guards, and it was only now that Chronos realized two of the Orca Guard had silently moved behind them to cut off their escape route.
Varkesh didn't show any reaction to being called a fish, but his tone was slightly harder when he spoke.
"Knowing terrain does not equal control. Instinct is not strategy. And weakness dressed as cooperation gets soldiers killed."
Chronos laughed out loud.
"Hahaha, terrain might not matter much below water where you can fight in three-dimensions but above water knowing your terrain is half the battle. If you think working with the tribes is a weakness then you are truly a fool."
Troops were gathering around now to watch the show and Chronos had seen a figure at the back of the Orca Guard that looked suspiciously like a commander.
"You speak like someone who has never seen a line break. A mere calf trying to show off."
Varkesh didn't like that such a young man was undermining him, but his honor and pride kept him from lashing out.
"I've seen a single warrior break entire armies." Chronos said in a slow and low voice, his eyes showing absolute certainty.
With neither of them willing to back down Chronos decided to use a traditional method of the Beklaedning clan to try and make his point. At the very least this method often resulted in understanding between warriors.
Slowly he drew his sword, causing all of the guards to point their tridents at him, then he stabbed the tip into the ground and drew a line.
"Amongst my clan we have a simple and perhaps a bit of a brutal method of proving one's worth. Remove your armor and weapons, stand on the line, and box each other. If you fall off of the line, you have ten seconds to get back on the line if you fail to do so you lose. No crippling blows, no killing blows, and no low blows. Do you accept?"
He stabbed his sword into the ground as he spoke and set his upper armor on it to avoid getting mud on it. Then he took his position on the line.
Varkesh stared at him for a few seconds before moving.
"I accept."
Taking off his armor and weapons, he took his position as well. Then a booming voice echoed around them.
"I will act as the judge for this challenge."
A 3-meter-tall merfolk that Chronos could only describe as an orca with legs and arms stepped out from the back of the crowd. Unlike Varkesh who clearly had orca markings but could still be recognized as a humanoid being.
In the back of his mind Chronos wondered if the more powerful an orca merfolk was the taller they became.
"Admiral, this is..."
Admiral Kaelvar held up his hand, cutting off anything else Varkesh might have said.
"This challenge came about due to a disagreement between you and him. I don't need to hear any excuses, prove your words now. That is all I ask."
"Yes, Admiral."
Taking his stance on the line both of them indicated that they were ready as the tension built. It wasn't every day that the orca guard got to see their captain in a fight.
"Begin." The Admirals voice cut through the tension as they both threw their first punch.
Boom.
Chronos had hit Varkesh in the face while he had aimed for his stomach and the shockwave from both of their fists forced the water at their feet back.
With just one blow everyone could tell that this would be a vicious fight.
At first Varkesh had opened with testing strikes. They were strong but measured, but Chronos countered with speed and mid-blow adjustments.
As the two of them exchanged blows a clear difference in their fighting styles began to emerge. Varkesh fought like a soldier with efficient, controlled blows, and no wasted movements while Chronos fought in a very different manner.
He was fluid, reactive and seemed to instinctively know where Varkesh was going to punch almost before he took a stance.
Then it happened, Varkesh was punched in the face so hard that he was knocked on his back. The Orca Guard went silent; the only voice was that of the Admirals as he began to count down.
"Ten, Nine..."
Varkesh jumped back up and stepped onto the line with a grunt.
Once again, they exchanged punches, each blow landing with a loud thump and the unsettling creak of bones as they fought to bring the other down.
Varkesh stepped in swiftly, channeling the momentum into his fist and sending Chronos flying backward.
Landing on his feet Chronos gasped before stepping back onto the line, ready to go again. Off to the side he could hear Lyla making a bet on him.
"I bet on the werewolf's victory. He loves to fight way too much not to win."
"You sure lady? He's a size smaller than the captain and I've never seen the captain lose before."
"Then today will be his first loss." Placing the bet she returned to the fight.