# Aquata Cove - Chapter 60

Author: Mirron Tenshi
Tags: Mermaid, Narwhal, Otter, Story Progression, Turtle, fish, merman


Aquata Cove
Chapter 60: Scars of Rebuke
 
 
 
Arnaav peers over a reef as he signals ahead, hearing a
marlin several feet away. His survival-knife spear quivers slightly in his
little grip as he signals again. He meeped a little as signals again. And
again. Once more, he sent a signal to hear the marlin-
 
"Stop it..." Merrick muttered right next to him, "One signal
is enough, two is cautious, too many will alert them of your presence."
 
"O-Ok..." Arnaav squeaked lowly.
 
"You must keep your voice down." Merrick muttered a little
harshly, "Hunting is a composition of time, stealth, speed, and precision."
 
"Mmm..." Arnaav nodded.
 
"In a hunt, you must always know what, when, where, and how
your prey is going to go, going to move, and going to do at the moment of
strike."
 
"... B-But..." Arnaav's insides churn with anxiety, "H-How do I
know what they will do? I cannot see the future."
 
"You do not see the future," Merrick explained, "Your
instincts tell you exactly what will happen, and you must respond to it."
 
"But I have tried before, I always fail because-"
 
"Keep your voice down!" Merrick instructed.
 
"I-I have tried to hunt before..." Arnaav whispered, "I cannot
understand what you mean."
 
"At that very moment, when you are ready to strike, it is in
that frame of time where you capture your prey."
 
"Mnnhhh..." The otter groaned. Honestly, he has absolutely no
idea what Merrick is talking about.
 
"Alright. Now, are you ready to try again?"
 
"I think so..." Arnaav said. 
 
"Then as I have showed you. Swim the lunge, and thrust your
weapon on the prey..." Merrick said.
 
"Yes..." The otter merman primed his hind legs, and then
launched himself! His small, webbed paw pushed as best as he could in a sloppy
loop, not nearly as fast as he needs to be.
 
"Rgghh!" Merrick growled as Arnaav totally ruined the
technique. The marlin saw him, and whipped around to swim away. The Amnien
panicked, and threw his spear in a failed attempt to catch the marlin.
 
"NO!" Merrick suddenly jets from his spot. Arnaav gasped as
the Piscien looms like a blue and silver blur through the water. Merrick
snarled as he sent his harpoon flying threw the water, and pierced the marlin
through the middle. The fish flopped helplessly blood wafted from the entry and
exit wounds before Merrick took in a fell swoop. The merman angrily carried the
prey back to the quivering otter.
 
"What was that??" Merrick demanded.
 
"I-I am sorry, Merrick!" Arnaav stammered, "I-I tried! I
tried! I tried it like you have shown me!"
 
"That was not ANYTHING I have shown you!" Merrick scolded,
"You did not give yourself a proper leap, and you failed to surprise your prey!
This is the 19th time you have failed!"
 
"I am sorry, Merrick!" Arnaav started to sob, "C-Can we
not-"
 
"No! You are not to eat until you have caught your prey!"
Merrick instructed. The otter flinched as he sniffled, "You must learn
decisiveness! Both as a hunter, and as a Trit-" He stopped.
 
Merrick froze in his harsh ranting. The poor young male
sniffles and whimpered as he looks up at him, terrified. Merrick's hands shook
as they clenched on his weapon with the flailing marlin. He shook his head and
sighed as he pulled his harpoon back until the hook-end was in the fish, before
he did a quick stab inside, and the marlin stopped moving, dead.
 
"I am sorry, Arnaav..." Merrick as he lowered the fish to the
young one.
 
"W-What?" Arnaav hardly accepted the marlin, and saw the
Piscien start to circle him, "M-Merrick! I am sorry! Let us try agai-"
 
"No, Arnaav..." Merrick interrupted before pausing and
turning, "I am sorry. I cannot teach you..." 
 
The little otter gasped a little as he started to cry.
 
"But... You HAVE to!" Arnaav said, "You told me you would
teach me! I-I can be better! Please, you cannot-"
 
"Arnaav." Merrick turned around, and swam to the small
Amnien, "There are several reasons why I cannot teach you..."
 
"Please, Merrick!" Arnaav sniffled, "No one else will teach
me!" He paddles up to Merrick, "Please, let us-"
 
"I cannot, Arnaav..." Merrick turned aside, "I really am
incapable of teaching you... I'm sorry..." He looked back at him with saddened
eyes, "It is possible that you are not meant to be a hunter..."
 
Arnaav whimpered as Merrick gradually began to swim away
from him, bowing his head down from his shame.
 
 
~~~
 
 
Syrinx frowned from seeing that aggressive display. She
pushes her arms to propel herself towards Merrick.
 
"What was that?" She asked when she moved herself close
enough to him, "He was trying his best, he has been trying his best!" Merrick
simply ignored her as they swam together, "I do not know what you are thinking,
but he is still just a meryin, and you made him a promise."
 
"Stay out of it." Merrick retorted. 
 
"Do you realize how difficult it is for Arnaav??" Syrinx
stated, "With no one to teach him, no one to see to a young merman's well
being, he is always isolated and alone in the pod! How can you rage at him as
you have?? You must go back, and help him!"
 
"I said stay out of it, Syrinx," Merrick rattled with
aggravation, "This does not concern-"
 
"No! Not after what I saw of you." She swooped around, and
came in front of Merrick, "You-"
 
"What do YOU know of me?!" Merrick snapped before Syrinx can
talk, "Why are you trying to talk to me now? You wanted nothing to do with me
on the human ship."
 
"You are part of the Kenovani now." Syrinx answered, "I
wondered why I have not seen you before, and now that you are here, there is no
reason for us to show hostility."
 
"Forget it." Merrick said as he undulated around the
mermaid, but Syrinx simply locked her weapon with his, and pulled herself back
up front.
 
"I ask that we do not fight, Merrick." She says, "I am
willing to speak with you now. Why do you insist on keeping your anger?"
 
"Why do YOU insist on forgetting that you judged me without
knowing my past?" 
 
"I have a past of my own, Merrick. What happened on the ship
brought upon old-"
 
"Oh, do not even." Merrick seethed as he pushed his tail
hard to leave the conversation.
 
"Stop!" Syrinx whipped around him once more, "We are of the
same pod now! We need to understand each other."
 
"Do you believe you are the only one with a troubling past,
Syrinx?" Merrick said, "We all have our pain, but it does not give us the
full-extent of our being." He leers at her with a slight disgust and cynicism,
"You say you will not back away from after what you saw of me to Arnaav, but truly,
what right do you have to presume who I am?!" He growls at her.
 
"I admit, you intimidated me," Syrinx says, "From the moment
I saw you before you hurt those human men, but we-"
 
"I LOOKED for you on that ship, Syrinx!" Merrick snapped,
his father's anger once again getting the better of him, "I NEEDED to find and
talk to you! I was dying after being stranded upon land and terrified of
entering the ocean! And you would not tolerate me when you saw me at my worst,
as if a moment of blind rage is all that I am!"
 
Syrinx sighed sadly as she shook her head, "I am truly
sorry, Merrick, I am. I should not have judged you before I met you." Merrick
breathes deeply as his blue eyes pierces her hazels. She widened her arms
outward in an opening shrug to gesture an offering attitude, "What can I say or
do to make it right between you and I?"
 
"There is none." Merrick dismissed stubbornly, "You already
labeled me as unstable, you made that perfectly clear. And in truth..." Merrick
pushed himself backward, "I still am. The best thing for both of us is to stay
away. You and I have noting more to say." 
 
With that, Merrick whipped his tail, and zoomed away,
kicking up some sand with the reckless tail-kick, a lot faster than before when
trying to elude Syrinx.
 
"Merrick!" Syrinx held her flipper-hand out, seeing just how
fast he really is, "... I am an idiot..." She groaned before she dropped her head
back, "Sea Mother, why did you give me my Mother's sense of mind?"
 
 
~~~
 
 
Deilan hovers around through the water, his senses on full
alert as he scouts the area. Even with a Capricorn nearby, dangers are still
fully capable of suddenly happening, and scouts are still needed to be on the
lookout for any sort of potential trouble.
 
"... Hm?" He looks, and spots half broken staff, one side
bare, and the other one with a survival knife tied to it. The squid merman
hovers down, and picks up the two halves, and signals around. His signal
detects the faint presence of the youngest member of the Kenovani, aside from
Adra Triton Hecalt.
 
Deilan quickly swims forth to the small signal, and quickly
catches up with the somber otter.
 
"Arnaav, wait!" He called. He caught up with him, and loomed
around, "What happened with your weapon?"
 
"I broke it..." Arnaav mumbled, "I do not need it... It is worthless
in my hands..."
 
"What???" Deilan queried, "What are you saying? It is a
tool, any tool has a use and a function. Why would you want to throw it away??"


"As I have said," He said, "It is worthless in my hands... I have tried to be a
hunter... But I always fail time and time again..."
 
"Arnaav," The squid merman pulls Arnaav in the water to face
him, "That is not true. Look." Deilan holds up the two halves of the spear,
first pointing up the bare half, "Here you have a prod," He held up the half
with the knife tied to it, "And here you have a carving blade. Both are
invaluable items that serve purposes." 
 
"..." The otter remained stubbornly quiet.
 
"Just... Keep them with you." Deilan said, "Just keep them and
I will stop bothering you." He smiled. Arnaav pouted as the squid merman
reached in, and secured the two halves of the weapon to Arnaav's straps,
"There. Now let us return to the pod." 
 
With that, the otter paddled and undulated with the squid.
 
 
~~~
 
 
"It is because I cannot teach him," Merrick answered Deilan,
as they went scouting together, "I am not eligible to be his instructor."
 
"I do not understand," Deilan said, "You are a Triton -
Tritons are the best hunters of any pod. I would think you of everyone here
would be more than qualified to teach hunting."
 
"That is just it," Merrick continued, "I... Nnhh..." Merrick
faltered as he planted his harpoon into the sand for a moment. Deilan stopped,
and hovered as he turned to see Merrick panting with one hand on the shaft, and
the other on the sand.
 
"Merrick? Are you alright?"
 
"Yes, I..." Merrick grunts as he pushes himself up, "I am just
quick to tire, that is all..." With a deep breath, the Piscien collected himself,
and swam with the squid.
 
"As I was saying," Merrick continued, "I am a Triton. The
methods and training regiment of which my Father taught me differ on a very
high standard..." He looked sadly along the sand, "It is saddening... After losing
my Sister, I feel of Arnaav as just as close to him as I was with her, and then
I turn into my Father when I try to help him grow..."
 
"What do you mean? How did you turn into your Father?"
Deilan asked with genuinely curious look, "Do you mean an actual
transformation, or is that a human expression? I still cannot tell."
 
"Human expression," Merrick said, "My Father... Had very high
expectations of me about growing up to becoming the Triton of our pod. He was
extremely strict with me..." Merrick took a moment to signal the areas further
ahead, before both mermen turning to a different direction, and continued,
"When I accomplished my lessons, he acknowledged me with adult-like respect.
But when I failed... The way he bellowed at me..." Merrick frowned, "He scolded me
as if I let the Sea Mother Herself down with my short comings - not that he
ever used Her in the yelling."
 
"So you lost your temper on Arnaav just like your Father did
with you?"
 
"No, it wasn't losing a temper. It was more like showing a
brutal front to motivate me to try harder. But Arnaav..." Merrick growled at
himself, "Arnaav is not an Adra, and he is still very young, and yet I berated
him like the ruthless parent I once had."
 
"You may not be able to teach him anyhow, Merrick." Deilan
pointed out, "Now that I think about it, you are a Piscien with a powerful
tail. Arnaav is an Amnien with swift paws. The techniques do not quite match in
comparison. And it does not help that he is the only otter merfolk in the
Kenovani."
 
"I figured that. However, the humans have a child's story,"
Merrick said, "It is about a bat who was an orphan and was adopted by a mother
bird. The bat was scolded and then taught how to live like a bird. The bat was
able to cope eventually. The story ends with the bat finding her family and
becoming well again, so it doesn't quite match up to Arnaav's situation."
 
 
The two mermen checked out the section further, before
turning and headed for a different direction.
 
"I have another question, more personal I add." Deilan said,
"Please do not feel obligated to answer."

"Is this about my being a 'homosexual' merman?" Merrick asked.
 
"Not quite," Deilan continued, "You were able to secretly
meet with your human mate for 5 years before you were banished. May I ask what
happened?"
 
"Once again... It was my Father..." Merrick answered, "I had
attempted to break up with my mate - long story, I was stupid - and my Father
had interrogated me. Every time we go to the waters of the land of Hawaii, I
would leave for the most part of the stay. I would claim that I was undergoing
my own personal training as a Triton."
 
"Ha! I should have thought of that before I was exiled."
Deilan smirked.
 
"He cornered me, and probed me. He said a few invoking
things as a psychological method to get my emotions elevated so I would confess
the truth. Unfortunately, it worked. Not only did I reveal that I had contacted
a human, but also mated with him, and a male as well...

"After a while, some things happened with an oil spill, and I had to stay with
my human for a while. When it was time for us to leave, my Father, my Mother,
and the Razirah ordered me to appear before the pod to trial me of my crime."
 
"I hated that." Deilan growled, "It was not enough I was
being banished, but they had to make a spectacle out of me - no, out of all of
us." He blinked, and then looked directly at Merrick, "Wait. Your own Father
exposed you of your crime??"
 
"Yes..." Merrick said, "As I said, he was very strict with
teaching me, and he employed daring gambits when it came to my training. He
brought me trial to the pod in hopes in reminding me as an Adra, I have a
chance to reform my ways, as a sort of attempt to let me know that breaking the
Sacred Laws would not be tolerated..."
 
"... Instead though, you refused, didn't you?" Deilan asked.
 
"Yes" He nodded, "I relinquished my second chance, and chose
to leave my pod to be with my mate..." His eyes look at the dancing light on the
sand reflected from the surface.
 
"That could not have been easy..." Deilan said, "I was
banished when I was seen by a fellow member of my pod making out with my mate,
and I was banished on the very next sun. I am not sure how I would handle the
choice you were forced to make."
 
"The choice was obvious..." Merrick said, "Even if I chose to
stay with my pod, it was only a matter of years before I would be forced to
leave. And I would have made myself and my Adam suffer a lot more than needed..."
 
"I see..." Deilan said, "... I have one more question, if you
will indulge me."
 
"Alright."
 
"So how do you physically mate with a human male?"
 
"AH! Ahhh..." Merrick blushes harshly.
 
"I have heard once or twice of men having sex together, and
yet I have no idea of how they do it."
 
"Look it up on the webs of the inside when you return."
Merfolk don't have a word for 'internet'.
 
"But it should be so much easier to ask someone of
experience!" 
 

Though Deilan insisted and nagged Merrick continuously, he only denied him the
sexually detailed explanation as they eventually return to the pod. Deilan
wavers his tentacles up while Merrick merged into the middle of the crowd. His
eyes looked, and his hands clenched a little as he sees Arnaav. 
 
"Awwllll..." Merrick moaned in remorse as he sees two halves
of Arnaav's spear tied to his sides. The little merman looked to the said, and
quickly turned his head back forward at the sight of Merrick. He sighed sadly.
He's the one who failed Arnaav...
 
 
The pod swims in the open ocean, with each different merfolk
with their own item or enchantment from the Noita to keep up or biologically
survive in the pod. Being consisted of different species of Coshitons, some of
the members need a mystical veil of icy energy to keep their sense of cold, or
a couple of them need a coat of heated light around their bodies so their
temperature is not interfered with the ocean. 
 
"Are you sure about this, Vanora?" Samudra said, "A Black
Sun is coming so soon?"
 
"I am afraid so," She said, "Deilan will be disappointed,
but it appears it would not be safe for him to return to the land just yet."
 
"Father?" Adra Hecalt piped up as he paddled quickly along.
As the son of Samudra, he has the majority of bodily appearance of his father,
while the heavy armor plating on his back has a similar design as his mother's
fins, "What is a Black Sun?"
 
"You know of the Land Father Mithras, correct Son?" The
Triton asked as he turned his head to his offspring, "The God of the humans,
who dwells within the sun itself."
 
"I think so..." Hecalt nodded. He's so very young, younger
than Arnaav, even.
 
"The Land Father stays awake for most of the years, yet
every so often, He grows very weary, and so He must sleep, as does the Sea
Mother, but He is much more active than the Sea Mother, and so He slumbers a
lot less often."
 
"And that has serious influences upon us merfolk." Vanora
added.
 
"What kind of influences?" Hecalt asked, "And why?"
 
"We do not know," Samudra answered, "But when the Land
Father sleeps, and thus the sun turn black, the shadow of the human god
threatens are very essence - forever changing us in body and soul in ways no
one is able to imagine." Hecalt gulped, "Though it is very conditional." He
said with a smile, "You need not worry, Son."
 
"W-Why is that?"

"The shadow of the Black Sun can only mutate us when we are above the surface."
Vanora served this one, "As long as we stay beneath the surface, we are
protected from the abstract dreams of Land Father Mithras."
 
"It has only been 4 moons since the previous slumber of the
Land Father, however." Samudra said with a slight frown, "It seems rather odd
that another one consecutively happens like this."
 
"It is simply a lapse of chance, Samudra." Vanora said,
"When I was a meryin, I recall the Red Moon appearing three times within only 2
moons."
 
"THREE Red Moons in 2 moons??" Samudra asked with his eyes
widened, "I do not remember this!"
 
"That is because you are 5 years younger than I, my love."
Vanora said with a smirk, "There is a reason why our Daughter is much advanced
in age in comparison to our Son - the Waves of Fate are witty that way."
 
Samudra grumbles as the two Adras giggle.
 
"When IS the Black Sun happening, Mother?" Adra Nerissa
asked.
 
"Soon, but I am uncertain; no one is able to fathom the exact
sun of when the Land Father will sleep. All I can know is that it is happening
within this moon."
 
"This means the pod's Walking Lessons will be canceled for
the entire moon, or at least when the Black Sun has passed..."
 
 
Unlike most pods, that typically have a usual, predestined
cycle/route of where they go in a consistent routine with occasional detours,
the Kenovani pod travels everywhere. They select where the majority of the pod
wants to go, and Triton Samudra and Noita Vanora lead the pod thusly, with a
Capricorn present at all times.
 
Merrick feels... Slightly uneasy about being amidst the pod,
as in either somewhere in the middle or at the edge of the pod. He is used to
being in the front, by his father as the Adra Triton. Not having that responsibility
anymore will need some getting used to.
 
Syrinx swims as she glances at the blue merman. She feels a
sense of guilt for him; it doesn't feel fair that he holds a grudge against
her, and yet at the same time, she can't discredit him for it. 

Now that she thinks about it, all merfolk think that the Capricorn hunts
Coshitons in a way to bring their end. And Merrick claims that he forced
himself to live on the land for 3 years - even two whole years isn't possible
for her yet.
 
Was that what he wanted to talk to her? Was that why he
pursued her here and there on the cruise? She feels bad that she didn't give
him a chance to hear him out, but in her defense, he had this psychological
string in his eyes that looked ready to snap at any moment - he still does, she
can see it. And yet the Noita and Adra Noita in this pod don't seem to be
bothered.
And now that she actually WANTS to be a friend, now he's the
one shutting her out. 
 
 
As Merrick swims, he notices he is beating his tail harder
than he needs. He pants as his long tail is beginning to feel sore, his fingers
loosening and tightening on his weapon. He grunts as he paddles his left hand
beside him as his heart pounds harder in his chest. 
 
Should he alert the others? No, he's fine, he can do this.
He groans as he dips his body up and down, trying to pull himself through the
water. His vision is beginning to blur, his tail is burning from the inside,
his teeth clenches as he huffs with harsh strain.
 
 
Arnaav paddles along with everyone else. The way Merrick
yelled at him... He didn't do anything right, even after all of the times Merrick
was kind enough to show him all he knows. He's the worst hunter ever, when he
can't even match with Merrick's training. After all, he's the only one who
actually tried to teach him for as long as he did. He's not meant to be a
hunter... He can't even shoot a single strike on a prey.
 
The otter turned back to look at Merrick, only to see
someone else where the Piscien was before. He slowed down as he turned himself
around, allowing the others to pass him while he looks for him. Those deep,
orb-like eyes widened as they see the blue and silver fish struggling behind.
 
"Merrick!" Arnaav raced forth over to him, breaking from the
pod and darting to Merrick. The Piscien groans as he pants harshly as he tries
to swim, before he feels a pair of paws pull up on his sides, "Merrick! Wake
up!"
 
"Hnnhh... Hghh... I am fine... I am awake, I... Hghhh..." Merrick
mumbled.
 
"Rrrfff! Come on!" Arnaav's legs kicks the water as he tries
to pull Merrick forward, "HELP! Someone! WAIT! Noita Vanora! NOITA!" He yelps.
 
Samudra and Vanora halts the pod, and both of them swim
around the pod in opposite directions. Both of them gasp as the small Amnien
endeavors to pull up the wilting Piscien up and forward. The lionfish mermaid
sped up to Merrick, while the young Adra Triton darts forth, and grabs the
harpoon drifting down from the Piscien's hand.
 
"He's talking, b-but he can't move!" Arnaav said as he began
to panic.
 
"I said he was not well!" Vanora said as Samudra replaced
the otter paws with his own heavy hands, holding Merrick up.
 
"I am fine..." Merrick groaned as he can feel Vanora's energy
enter his chest and head.
 
"You are not." Vanora corrected, "Your dehydration is more
severe than you had led on. You will not be able to swim anymore for now."
 
"No..." Merrick's fist clenches tightly. How can he still be
so weak???
 
"It is almost time for us to rest for the sun anyway,"
Triton Samudra said. He blinked as he can clearly see the anger inside
Merrick's cast-down eyes. Anger at himself, maybe? Unless Arnaav's failure is
still hanging inside of his mind. 
 
Samudra looked about, and spotted a sunken ship a short
distance away, "There." He announced to the Kenovani, "The fallen ship. We
shall rest there. Vanora, Nerissa, go forth and feel the ship, and see if it is
safe for us."
 
"Yes." Vanora said, before she and her daughter, Adra
Nerissa, dove down to see to the ship. 
 
 
~~~
 
 
The whole pod is gathered within the dead ship, as small a
school as they are. As with any other pod, they are gathered around a glowing
aura of light, usually for the Razirah, Noita, or Triton to tell stories or
discuss any pressing issues, or just regular conversation.
 
Merrick takes deep, steady breaths as they relax around the
light. He feels a little better now, but he still feels shaky, and very angry
with himself. Samudra said that if he joins the Kenovani, his dehydration will
be cured - he is INSIDE the ocean, for Atargatis's sake, surrounded by water!
Noita Vanora says it doesn't happen as fast as Samudra may have led on,
especially in Merrick's case, whose Land Sickness - as they call it when a
merfolk has been on the land for too long - is the most severe case they've
ever seen. 
 
 
"Triton Samudra." Merrick said.
 
"Are you feeling alright, Merrick?" The thick and heavy
Holsien asked.
 
"Yes. I was wondering something."
 
"We will answer any thing you wish to know." Samudra said
with a nod.
 
"If the Kenovani Pod is made up of Coshitons, how do you go
about of Red Moons?" The question seems to make Samudra uneasy.

"As you can see, the Kenovani is much smaller than any healthy pod in the ocean
- at the very most, our capacity measures to an approximate half of a regular
pod. Red Moons is a... An emotionally strenuous time for us..."
 
"For most of the time," Vanora said, "We hope that we are
fortunate enough for members of the Kenovani to fall in love with another
fellow member. As of now, there have been 5 Red Moons since the Kenovani was
formed."
 
"I can understand the reluctance to find mates for the
Kenovani." Merrick said.
 
"Indeed," Razirah Ebba nodded, "It would be tactless and
cruel for us to actively seek out pod frenzies on a Red Moon - what merfolk
would ever want to fall in love, only to be cast away from their own lives,
their family, torn between their two loves. Forever cut off from their true
home."
 
"Yet at the same time," Samudra said, "It is not fair that
we must choose to remain alone and mateless forever..." He said, "As selfish as
it is, we chose to seek out other pods to find mates on one Red Moon, and then
naught on the next Red Moon, and so on in that pattern."
 
"That sounds so hard..." Merrick said as he bowed his head,
"It... It really is not fair..."
 
"Exactly." Samudra nods. "It is not right that we must
suffer for a few poorly-planned rules..." A fire of determination burns deeply in
Samudra's eyes, "That is why I am going to change the Sacred Laws."

Merrick blinked and looked at the Holsien with estranged eyes. A subtle glance
shows no surprise, but a unanimous sense of admiration from the faces of the
pod.
 
"Wait... Change the Sacred Laws??" Merrick said, "What are you
saying?? How can that be possible?? If the Sacred Laws could be changed,
wouldn't they already have been changed long ago?"

"It is unlikely." Samudra replied, "We merfolk have always existed with an
overwhelming sense of tradition, so much so that rarely we stop for one moment
to question the reasoning of such laws, and why they are so strict as to
immediately banish anyone who defiles a law, no matter the age or intention."
Samudra frowns, "Circumstance means nothing in the eyes of the conservative
natured merfolk, once you violate a law, you considered worse than dead."
 
Merrick immediately is reminded of his own father. He doubts
if Kaiken really cares if it wasn't Merrick's fault the Red Moon chose a human
man to be his one true love. He sure didn't care about the fact that Arnaav was
still practically a baby when he bellowed at him.
 
"So how will you change the Sacred Laws?" Merrick asked,
"And if so, does that mean Coshitons can return to our own pods?"
 
"No." Samudra shook his head, "As with human markings upon
their flesh, our marks will always remain upon us as well. We are not ever
welcome back into our pods. However, we do have the opportunity to change the
laws for future generations of merfolk."
 
"How?"
 
"As you know, every single merfolk in the entire ocean
gather to the three Lost Kingdoms for one year every century to remember and to
know who we were and what we are." Samudra explained, "And on that momentous
year, can we merfolk truly change and effect the Waves of Fate. As Syrinx, the
only mermaid in our pod who has spent the most time on dry land out of all of
us has explained," He gestured to her with his hand, "Humans change, create,
and abolish their own laws all of the time."
 
"The human elections." Syrinx spoke up, "Courts, this force
called the Government and Congress. You know of these?" Merrick begrudgingly
nodded.
 
"Though it is much more solemn and so far," Samudra
continued, "We merfolk are capable of the same actions and the same process. A
Sacred Law can only be altered or destroyed by a majority favor of the merfolk
gathered to the Lost Kingdoms." 
 
"Is it still possible for us though??" Merrick asked
hastily, "We are rogues of merfolk. Would our word even be heard?"
 
"Yes. Of that, I have no doubt." Samudra holds up his hand
to show his own black symbol on his palm, "Though we are cast out and denied
existence in the eyes of fellow merfolk, we are all the children of the Sea
Mother Atargatis, Coshiton or Merfolk alike."
 
"We can really go to the Lost Kingdoms? And we can really
bring down some of the Sacred Laws??"
 
"In the Lost Kingdoms, it is the one and only time other
Merfolk are obligated to see us. They cannot turn their backs to us. And they
WILL hear our plight, they will know our hinderence."
 
"When exactly do we go to the Lost Kingdoms??"
 
"For a long time yet..." Samudra sighed, "Almost 30 years is
left before we can make our mark on Laws." An instance of sadness glimmered in
Samudra's eyes, "It is possible that I may not be able to make it..."
 
"Why not?" Merrick asked.
 
"My life is half spent. Simple as that." Samudra answered,
"I will be an old relic of a merman if I live to that day, and anything could
happen."
 
"Oh, have more faith, Samudra." Vanora nudged him with her
hand, "You will be there, and you will make life better for countless merfolk."
 
"Hah hah hah..." He chuckled, "Perhaps you are right..."
 
 
~Several Hours Later~
 
 
"..." Nerissa stirs in her sleep. It currently has been almost
half of the night since they observed the ship for rest. Vanora pointed out
that some residual energy in the ship somehow... Feels like Merrick...
 
Right now, however, she slowly blinks awake as she can feel
turbulence in the auras among the pod. She pushes her hands onto the old
saturated wood of the ship, and raised her head. Her eyes looked onto the
colorful mists of the members' auras, all of them surrounding themselves in
their own respective pattern. One of them, however, is feeling excruciatingly chaotic.
Nerissa floated up, before she felt a hand push gently down upon her shoulder.
 
"Stay put, Daughter..." Vanora said, her own more experienced
eyes pinpointing the exact trace of the unstable aura.
 
"I can do this, Mother..." Nerissa is much older than her
brother, she is quite adept in her duties as a Noita in training.
 
"You know I would let you handle this... But Syrinx's warnings
has me concerned... Please remain..." The lionfish mermaid swam up, and carefully
loomed through the water, above the sleeping merfolk. The aura is getting more
and more like a violent hurricane the more she followed the trace. 
 
Vanora pulled herself onto the frame of the door, and looked
down upon the source of the troublesome aura.
 
"Nnnh... Ghhh, khh..." Merrick twitches and tenses harshly in
his sleep. His eyes clench as his arms tightened as his tail coiled crookedly. 

"A vicious nightmare..." Vanora muttered, "I have never felt such darkness and
spite..." The Noita looks to a far corner, and sees Arnaav huddled up in a
corner. The poor boy always isolates himself from the pod in times of rest, but
as those young eyes look up at her, the otter shakes in fear with a pleading
look so desperate, as if he's afraid to move, and disturb a mindless beast that
would pounce upon him like injured prey.
 
 
()()()
 
 
"You're never getting out of here until you tell me
everything." Said glowing glass eyes and a devilish grin.
 
"He's fryin' up cause of you, fagfish." Snickered a country
accent as he punched a gun all over Merrick's neck.
 
"This will only hurt a lot..." Came a blood-covered doctor,
holding five scalpels rotating around his hand, "And it will hurt,
foreveerrrrrr... Hmhmhmhmhmh"
 
"Heheheheheheheh"
 
"Gahahahahahahahahahaha"
 
"Stop... Just kill me..." Merrick is unable to swim as his tail
is strapped down, while his arms are tied to either side of him. "JUST KILL ME!
Leave me alone! LET me GO! JUST LEAVE ME BE!!!"
 
The three evils simply laughed at him as they grew larger
and larger around Merrick, mocking and mangling him as he struggles in his restricted
predicament. The looked down on him in a sea of red and black. 
 
In their shadows, saw the love of his live, a pink heart
beating and hovering above his body, "No! Not him! ANYONE but him! STOP! LET
HIM GOOO!!!" The heart turned yellow as it spazzed about in a sudden rush of
lightning, making the dark silhouette thrash and flop on the spot.
 
 
()()()
 
 
"RRRRRGGGGHHH!" Merrick whirled about in a moment of anger
and terror. He gasped as he sees darkness, a familiar face, and a glint of
silver before he halted himself.
 
His widened eyes stares at the startled gaze of Noita
Vanora. Merrick pants as his harpoon shook in his hand, the hook-shaped point
just a hair away from touching Vanora's neck. 
 
After a pause, his webbed hand released the harpoon, and let
it drift down to the floor. Other members of the pod awoke nearby, turning and
peering around at the source of the scream. Arnaav curls tighter in his corner
as he vibrated with fear from the spectacle.
 
"I am sorry..." Merrick whimpered, "I am sorry-"
 
"It is alright." Vanora said, "I understand, it is alright."
She took a few deep breaths, her heart still pounding from the near-death
experience; if Merrick didn't have the reflexes of a Triton, she'd probably by
dead right now.
 
Embarrassed, Merrick quickly unfurled, and loomed out of a
whole of the ship. He swims quickly away, trying to pretend that none of the
members of the pod are staring at him as he left. 
 
Arnaav, still shaking with fear, gulped as he drifted up to peer out of the
ship, looking at the flapping tailfin of the blue and silver fish. He whimpers
as he climbed through the water to paddle after him.
 
Syrinx stared with her jaw open. Merrick almost killed Noita
Vanora. He could've really ended her life... 
 
She can't stand it anymore. She grabs her weapon, and
follows suit, before a heavy hand clamped on her tail-flippers. She turned to
see Samudra holding her back.
 
"Let them go. You two are not the best of compatibility as
of yet." He said deeply.
 
"Why do you think I am going after him?" Syrinx asked.
 
"Scolding him for something beyond his control will not help
him right now. He needs to heal." 
 
"I need to understand him. If not to open with me, I will
find out what is his curse. Please, Triton Samudra." She said, "This happened
before in my pod... I need to know his pain so I can help to prevent what
happened before." 
 
There was a pause between the two, before Samudra's heavily
plated hand released her flipper. "If you find out," He continued, "Relay it to
me as well, when you can. This concerns me deeply as well." Syrinx nodded,
before turning swimming forth. Vanora came up next to him, and he turned to
hold her.
 
"I am alright..." She muttered, her fins still twitching,
"Please do not-"
 
"I feel strongly about this... But I cannot fault him for
almost ending you..." Samudra said as he fist clenched, "Even if I want-"
 
"No..." Vanora shook her, "I should have been more cautious..." 
 
 
~~~
 
 
Arnaav swims forward, sending signal after signal in several
directions, turning his head left, turning his gaze right, before he spotted
the Piscien, lying upon a large rock, almost like he's holding it as if he's
afraid he will slip off. The young merman glides forward to Merrick, happy that
nothing else has gotten to him. He's not sure what he can say to make things
better; heck, they haven't spoken since he failed the last hunting lesson.
 
Arnaav opened his mouth to speak.
 
"You are still sending far too many signals." Merrick
commented without even turning to look who it is behind him. Arnaav pouted as
he slumped a little.
 
"I was looking for you. I-I had to send a lot of signals."
 
 
Syrinx quietly snuck behind, looming behind another large
sand-covered rock. She can't come too close, or else Merrick might hear her, or
if not heard, his instincts would inform him of her presence. 
 
Back when she was a mischievous little meryin, she had a
habit of sneaking up to members of her pod, but she could never startle the
Noita, thanks to her aura-sense, nor was she ever able to spook the Triton
because of his enhanced intuition, or either of the Adras for that matter. 

This should be a good spot. It's not likely, but Merrick just may confide in
the small otter, seeing as how they have history as acquaintances.
 
 
"A-Are you sad, Merrick?" Arnaav pawed up to Merrick, "Is
your stomach hurting? Sometimes I get upset when my stomach hurts."
 
"No..." Merrick smiles at the sheer innocence, "It is not my
stomach." 
 
"... Er... W-Why did you almost hurt the Noita?" Arnaav timidly
asked, "You were struggling while sleeping for a long time since we started
slumber. A-Are you... Possessed?"
 
"Hmph..." Merrick shrugged slightly, "In a way, I suppose I
am."
 
"HHH!" Arnaav gasped deeply as his paws shot straight to his
mouth, "N-No! W-We have to take you back to the pod immediately! T-The Noita
can make you better again!" He said as he tugged on Merrick's arm. He merely
chuckled and pulled his arm back.
 
"Relax, Arnaav. I am not possessed by a spirit." Arnaav gave
a confused look after that, "Rather, I should have said that I am still
haunted..."
 
"Haunted? Is that not the same as being taken by a spirit?"
 
"Not quite..." Merrick shuffled a little on the stone, "I need
to be alone right now..."
 
"But I don't want to leave you." Arnaav said as he paddles
around, "I want to help you."
 
"You cannot. This is a personal matter..." Merrick dismissed.
That otter boy simply gave him a begging look with those large, child eyes.
Merrick sighed as he adjusted to sit up.
 
"About 8-10 moons ago, I was captured by a human... His name
was Nigel. He was a cruel, falsifying man. I doubt that he even had a soul..."
 
"What do you mean? What did he do?"
 
Merrick took a deep breath, while Syrinx listened very
carefully.
 
"He tortured me." He said, plain and simple. "He had me
abducted from my mate's home, and... He interrogated me about us merfolk..."
 
"Us merfolk?"
 
"He once met a mermaid when he was only a child. And ever
since then, he made it his life mission to prove our existence."
 
"What do you mean?" Arnaav asked, confused, "We already do
exist."
 
"Yes we do," Merrick continued, "But apparently, mermaids
and mermen are considered as mythical creatures to humans."
 
"That sounds ridiculous." Arnaav said.
 
"Yes," He chuckled, "Anyway, to prove the existence of
merfolk, this man asked me constantly about different things about merfolk. And
I refused. I could see just what kind of man he was, and what would happen if a
man like him were to come to us, and I would not give him a single answer... And
so he punished me."
 
"How did he punish you?"
 
"He... He tore me apart... Both in body and soul..." Merrick
trembled. Syrinx gasped very silently as Arnaav did, "He stole my blood. He cut
off the webbing of my fingers, he butchered my fins off of my head, he turned
my tail into a barren shadow of what I am by yanking off my own scales one by
one, he ripped my tailfin into ribbons until there was nothing left..."
 
"Why would he do that?" Arnaav said as he sobbed.
 
"As I said... I refused to tell him about merfolk, and he
retaliated by taking me apart - as well, humans are able to learn more about
creatures by taking samples of flesh. He removed almost all that I had to give,
while throwing me in a room full of constant sunlight with little to no water
at all..."
 
"Y-You were dehydrated??"
 
"Dehydrated, and burned... And as if torturing was not enough,
they also kidnapped my mate... My love..."
 
"W-Why?? He is not even a merman!" Arnaav asked.
 
"Yes. But he is a human who is mated and deeply affiliated
with a merman. They presumed he knew everything there is to know about
merfolk..."
 
"D-Did they rip him apart as well?"
 
"No... They kept him in a cage for as long as they also kept
me. He had no clue about what they wanted him for until near the end... They
studied him, asked him about merfolk, and..." Merrick held back his sobs rather
poorly, "And they put lightning inside of his body... They injected lightning
into his body, and they forced me to watch..."
 
Syrinx grips the sand very hard as she listened. She has no
idea just how she could deal with this if she had been captured like Merrick...
 
"T-They put lightning inside him?!" Arnaav asked, horrified,
"They can do that?!" 
 
"Humans can do a LOT of things... But that is not the worst
part..."
 
"The worst part?" Arnaav trembled.
 
"What that man did to me... What many humans that obeyed him
did... All of it turned my mind into the darkness... I lost myself several times in
that prison... Any human that I knew - kind humans who have always helped and
loved me, sympathized with me - they all turned into monsters before my eyes..."
 
"D-Does that mean..."
 
"Yes..." Merrick nodded, "You are right... When they forced my
mate to confront me... I almost killed him... I almost put an end to the love of my
life..."
 
Syrinx's blood turned cold as she heard these words.
 
"Those evil humans who mocked me, tormented me, mutilated
me, they turned me into blind monster, and my incinerated sanity commanded me
to destroy any human who dared to touch me, and I was going to do it..."
Merrick's hand clutched onto the rock as white, pearly wisps misted around his
eyes, "I do not know what brought me back to my senses when I was forcing the
life out of him... I just saw him as I held him up by his neck... If I had held him
for any longer, he would have died at my hand...
 
"H-How did you escape??" Arnaav asked.
 
"The kind humans I mentioned..." Merrick said, "Two of them
who live with me and my mate, and a relative of my mate, along with a reformed
Latolcus. And a few other humans who took part in my torture who sympathized
with me assisted in helping me leave..."
 
"W-What if that evil human comes back for you??" Arnaav
asked, "What if he finds you again??"
 
"He will not." Merrick answered, "When me and my mate
escaped, that man chased us with human-made ships, like a small army. I led
them all into the sea, and I summoned the Guardian Leviathan to destroy them
all..."
 
"Guardian Leviathan??"
 
"To protect merfolk from him and his men, I had to make sure
they would never come back. It was a fitting end, I think - this man named
Nigel wanted to go deeper into the ocean than any human has gone before, and
now he has."
 
"So it's over now though... Right?" The boy asked him.
 
"No..." Merrick looked as his own palms, "I am dangerous,
Arnaav... I almost killed my love, I almost killed two humans who helped me to
live, and I almost killed Noita Vanora... If I have another nightmare like that,
I do not know who I might hurt, or worse."
 
"W-What stops these bad dreams?" Arnaav asked, desperate to
help, "What prevents you from remembering them??"
 
"Nothing..." Merrick says with a weak smile as he gently
stroked the boy's back, "They still come in my sleep, not as often as they used
to... At times like these, my mate is always there to hold me. It is the same
with him. That is why I need to come back home as soon as I can... I know I am
not safe to be around, Syrinx knows this as well. That is why she kept warning
the Noita and Triton about me on the first moon I came to the Kenovani."
 
Syrinx cringed at that. It seems her discrete tips about him
weren't so discrete after all.
 
"I-I do not think you are not safe." Arnaav says, "I thin
you are fine how you are. If you were not, Noita Vanora would be gone... Right?"
 
"I believe you are thinking too highly of me..." Merrick
dismissed, "This wil not be the first time I will need to deal with my internal
turmoil."
 
"Mmmrr..." Arnaav groans a little, before he looks down at his
shard shell necklace. It's vibrating and glowing, as with the shard on
Merrick's wrist, and the one around the base of Syrinx's tail.
 
"Razirah Ebba is calling us. They must be getting worried."
Merrick said. 
 
With that, he flourished his tail up, and elevated up as the
otter merman paddled after him.
 
 
Moments later, Merrick returns to his original spot. He can
sense the everyone else has gone back to sleep, and its time to tuck back into
sleep himself. He locates his harpoon, and drifts his body down to the
algae-covered spot.
 
 
~~~
 
 
Syrinx swims back to the ship by herself. To say that she is
shocked and guilty is almost an understatement. Merrick's right, she did judge
him before she gave him a chance. 
 
Merfolk in general believe that Capricorns hunt Coshitons to
kill them; was that what Merrick wanted to ask her on the cruise? But then he
knocked out those two guys just out of nowhere. She knows for sure that he was
going crazy, but she didn't figure just how and why. Up until now, it didn't
occur to her that the fear of the Capricorn may have contributed to his deep
hurt, as well as severely damaging his health. 
 
After what happened to her pod, to Gelentea, looking at
Merrick's eyes and his unstable mind only brings up the rampage of when Syrinx
was a young mermaid.
 
She could've eased his hurt. He wouldn't have punched out
those two men if she had just talked to him. If she had just-
 
"You have returned..." Came a very low voice. Syrinx jumped,
and saw Samudra sitting in on a spot on the sand, outside of the ship's haul, his
trident in his grip as always. He looks at her with calm eyes, "I do not
usually abide spying... But once..."
 
"It is fine, Triton Samudra." Syrinx descended, "I know his
type. Merrick is not the kind of merman who is open with just anyone."
 
"Of your Gelentea? The one who killed several of your pod?"
He asked. Syrinx nodded.
 
"He is almost just like her... I feel Arnaav would have been
the only one he would open up himself of dark scars. "
 
"And?"
 
"... I have a much better understanding of him now."
 
"Very well..." Samudra softly said. Syrinx situated herself in
front of the Coshiton Triton, "Then help me understand the injured heart of our
newest brother."
 
 
~~~
 
 
Arnaav wriggled in to his usual lonely position. He groans
as he curls tighter, purring sadly as he tries to make himself comfortable.
Always so cold and alone, no one really knows how to welcome him here.
 
He lifts up his head, and looks at Merrick. The Piscien's
back is facing him, coiled in his own solitary spot. 
 
Arnaav slowly pushes himself up in the water, and carefully
pulls his little body forward, waving his stout tail up and down as he looms
gradually through. He sniffles quietly as he creeps around Merrick, and dips
slowly down beside the merman's arms. The little meryin crouches down as he tries
to settle down.
 
Before he could make any more moves, Merrick's arms move. He
whimpers as he froze, just as Merrick's arm hovered over him, and press around
his furry back, while his other arm tucks under the otter. Arnaav purrs
silently as he is pulled in, and his brown coat meets with silver scales before
his foot-paws brush against the strong fish tail.
 
The otter boy nuzzles inward close against Merrick, just as
fish's hand presses against his own wrist to safely secure him.
 
"You are safe..." Arnaav mutters.

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/937776

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