Jericho whistled and watered his fruits. The afternoon sun was starting to set as he heard Diana walk into his greenhouse. He recognized her walk over the short time he knew her. Steady and confident.

“Hey D, whatcha wanna talk aboouu- what happened.” Looking up he saw her drenched, head to toe, seaweed entangled in his hair. “God you smell like a three week old body that someone plucked out of the Sacramento River.”

“Thanks Jericho. You sure know how to make a girl feel special after a long day. Do you do this to everyone or just me?” She plucked the soaking kelp from her hair and sat beside Jericho. Plucking a grape from a vine, and tossing it in her mouth.

“This is how I am to everyone D. I’m a sucker for equal rights.” Setting the spray bottle of water he followed Diana’s suit and stuffed a handful of grapes in his mouth. “So, what’s up? Nymphs pranking citizens? Mermaids forming a union?”

“Kappas acting up.” She announced. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

“Kappas? Aren’t they harmless? Pranks, trickery and all that.”

Diana groaned and tossed another grape in her, “Tell that to the three bodies in the bottom of the river.”

The grapes felt sour in his mouth, “Oh. I see that my joke was in poor taste. I’m sorry.”

“Mm. Apology accepted. But, let me continue. First windegos in the city, now kappas attacking fishermen. Something bad is happening behind the scenes. Now with Marcus’s new information I’m starting to think we have a rebellion on our hands.”

“By an underground vesseling syndicate? Caspian told me about it. Though under ground vesseling syndicate wasn’t the words he used.”

Diana grumbled and nodded, “They call themselves the Cult.”

There was a long pause before Jericho spoke up again, “The Cult of…”

“Just the Cult. Nothing else.” She finished as rinsed the water from her hair.

“That’s so…. dull…” Jericho whined. “I mean they could have put some more thought into it. I was hoping for something more badass.”

“They kidnap people and shove parasites into them so they can worship them. They earn their reputation.”

~~~~

Jericho and Diana moved the conversation to Marcus’ unoccupied apartment. Cleo and Yoshi were nowhere to be found. He began to rue the day where Marcus came back and found them missing. He had a terrified feeling that conversation would be there first and last argument they have. “When do you think Marcus will be coming back anyway?”

Diana had changed from her soaking uniform to her Greece poodle punk mix. She seemed to have taken a liking to the outfit as it was always cleaned and ironed when she was out and about. “Soon, but we need to take care of something first… It’s Anansi….”

Jericho leaned forward, his interest peaked. “African trickster god? The spider right.”

She nodded solemnly, “He had a vessel before the war and, thankfully, didn’t take part of it. In return the Keepers gave him and his vessel leeway but he had to report in every month.”

“But he didn’t…” Jericho guesses.

“His body was one of the ones I found in the river.”

“Oh.”

We thought it was the kappas but it doesn’t add up. They’re strong in numbers, but it’s still not enough to take out a vessel and a god.” She finished.

“So, where do I come in.”

“We need you to… now here me out… We need you to help us convince Marcus and Trishula to help out in this case.”

“No.”

“Look, here me ou-“

“No! I have no idea what he’s been through with Trishula. How can I convince him to do something that I know nothing about.” Jericho walked passed Diana to the kitchen, “I mean, what do you expect him to do?”

Diana walked to the counter and sat across from him, “Protection. If something other than the kappas killed off Anansi then we have another vessel on our hands. Trishula is our best bet.”

“His name is Marcus.”

Diana paused and winced, “Right. Sorry. We need Marcus and Trishula’s help. I don’t want to lose any Keepers on this Jericho, please.”

Jericho looked down, “Let me… Let me see Marcus. I want to hear from him what happened. What it’s like.”

Diana opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, or to argue, but instead, she closed it and nodded, “I’ll bring him here tonight.”

“No! I mean, Nightshade will be fine. Somewhere he can’t prove his pets are missing.”

“Still can’t find Yoshi or Cleo?” She chuckled.

“No.. They are.. vacationing. Somewhere that’s not here.”

She laughed and patted Jericho’s shoulder, “Alright. I’ll see you at Nightshade.”