Aquata Cove Chapter 61: Pending Precipice
"If we go through the Tower Trenches quick enough," Samudra said as he, Vanora, Ebba, and the Adras plot their next route, "We could make it to the Caspian Seas in time for the dancing jellies..."
"No, we cannot go to the Towers." Vanora said.
"Why not?"
"We tried that once, remember?" Vanora said, "When we reached the end of the Towers, we came to a Sazae Graveyard."
"Ah yes. Confound it..." Samudra growled, "That storm on the last moon has really interfered with our path..."
"Wait, what is wrong with the Sazae Graveyard?" Nerissa asked, "It is just a large basin full of giant conches, are they not?"
"Sazaes in particular are very slow, yet still very poisonous." Vanora explained.
"Yes, I know, but why can we not simply pass by their remnants? Are they not dead and harmless?"
"Less so, but they still pose a threat to us." Ebba said, "When a Sazae dies, their corpse fades fairly quickly, but the area of which they decay becomes stained with a miasma that induces sleep and fatigue to those unlucky enough to come near."
"And the Sazae Graveyard is entirely full of empty conch shells, brimming with eternal slumber..."
"By the depths!" Nerissa grits her teeth, "Does this mean we will not make it to the twirling jellies??"
"We could try to swim quickly, but it is likely that we will miss them, if not just barely catch the last moment of their light."
"Rrggghh..."
~~~
"Before we leave, I want to give you something." Merrick said as he and Arnaav loomed through the water. The Kenovani is getting ready to depart for the morning.
"For what?" Arnaav asked.
"Just for..." Merrick smiled a little, and shrugged, "I do not know. For no reason." The Piscien and Amnien made their way into an algae-incrusted office, and down to a very old treasure chest.
"WAIT!" Arnaav pulled Merrick's arm backward, "I have already touched that box! It made my paws hurt really weird!"
"Haha, I can imagine." Merrick said with a smile. As he moved closer to the chest, it became encased in a transparent sphere of energy. The closer he swam, the brighter it illuminated.
"MERRICK, NO-" Arnaav panicked. Merrick's hands entered the field of energy, with no sort of reaction whatsoever. Arnaav quirked a brow as his head tilted, "Whaaa?"
"This chest has been safeguarded by my Sister." Merrick said as he looks to the side at the otter merman, "This is indeed her work. This is a kind of repellant magic. A barrier of this size is a safe guess of an Adra, but a Noita could have placed a ward on the entire ship."
"So why is it not hurting you like it has done to me?"
"I told you, this spell was placed by my Sister. I am her Brother, and so it will not effect me."
Arnaav paddled over to him, crouching onto the hold, slimy desk as he watched with fascination as Merrick's arms worked and unlocked the chest, as if the ball of fierce light was only a harmless bubble, "If it belongs to her, why are you taking it?"
"I am not taking it, only a little of what is inside." He said as he started to open it, "Besides, I am sure she would not notice if I only take one item out." He opened the box, and Arnaav's eyes beamed down as the barrier became large to further shield the contents.
"Woooooooow!" Arnaav cooed at the glittering contents of small, rusty old disks and shimmering gemstones. He swam forward a little, before suddenly spazzing out when the energy zapped his paw, "OW!!"
Merrick chuckled as he took Arnaav's little arm, and pressed it against the underside of his own arm. The little otter whimpered as his webbed paw neared the furious ball of light, before his brown knuckles entered along with Merrick's flesh, their arms pressing together as they both reached in. Arnaav smiles with glee as Merrick pressed his free hand onto Arnaav's bicep to safely secure their limbs.
"Go ahead and choose whichever one you want." Merrick said.
"Are you sure?" The young one asked.
"I know my Sister. What is she going to do with all of these pieces anyhow? She only placed such a ward on this box for the sake of territory."
"Ok..." Arnaav reached in a little further, eagerly sifting through the metals and jewels until his little paw grabbed onto an ornate silver dagger, smaller than the survival knife on the top half of his weapon, but his fingers tightened around the handle, "This one!"
"That one?" Merrick smiled.
"Errrmmm... Yyyes!" Arnaav nods quickly.
"Granted." Merrick carefully loomed backward, holding the child in his arms as they move back, Arnaav giggling as he clutched his new knife to his furry chest.
"Merrick?" Came a third voice. They turned their heads to see Syrinx looking at the pair of them. Merrick let him go, and turned his body to face the mermaid.
"What do you want?"
"Merrick I..." Syrinx sighed as she shook her head, "I cannot begin to think how I can make things up to you..."
"You followed me... Did you not?" Merrick asked.
"H-How did you know?"
"I did not." He answered. "I sensed a merfolk nearby while I spoke to Arnaav. I only just guessed that it was you."
Syrinx sighs as she bowed her head, "Merrick, about the cruise. I am sorry." She holds her arms up a little, "I know I should have not judged you, but... When I was a meryin," She explained, "A mermaid from my pod lost everything."
"What are you talking about?" Merrick asked, "What does this have anything to do with you and I?"
"This mermaid, her name was Gelentea. Even how young I was, I was close to her, as if I was her second daughter, even though she had a child of her own." She looks up with sad eyes, "I remember... You look so much like her..."
"Wait, what?" Merrick tilted his head curiously, "How is that possible, I am a Pisci-"
"I know, but even as an Amnien," She rose her hands up to gesture to him, "You both possess the same body shape, your heads, arms, as well as the tail is very similar to her..." Arnaav looks to Merrick, and then to Syrinx, and then back again, "Even the way the colors of blue and silver on your body is almost alike in the tones of brown on her fur... You even act the same as her, I can almost guess that you have her personality too."
"And your point is?"
"... One night, the Ghost Whale appeared..." Syrinx continued, "And it had swallowed her mate and her new born child..." She sighs as she brings back old memories, "Gelentea was never the same after that. She was hostile, and distant after such. It did not take a Noita to see she had become distorted and broken in her eyes. And after a few suns, she lost her sanity."
"What happened?"
"She killed 3 members of our pod... Including the Adra Noita..." Syrinx answered, "She raved and rampaged about how we do not deserve life, how we did nothing as her reason of existence was stolen from her, and accused the Noita of intentionally refusing to help bring back her loved ones."
Merrick feels a cold front on his face.
"She was not even able to become a Coshiton – the Triton of my pod had to put her down, especially after ending his daughter."
"And you thought I was, or am, of the same mental fragility as this Gelentea." Merrick said. Syrinx sighed as she felt one of her arms. "... I... Understand..."
Syrinx looked back up with surprise, "You do??"
"Yes..." Merrick sighed as he swallowed his personal feelings, "If we are going to be in the same pod, I may as well learn to let go of grudges. To be honest, I still feel spite towards you, but my problems now are too small to bear substance."
"Thank you." Syrinx nods.
"..." Merrick hesitated, and then he swam back to the open treasure box, "Just for the sake of an idea..."
"Wait!" Syrinx holds out her hand as a ball of light started to cloak the large box again, "It has a ward on it!"
"It is ok!" Arnaav quipped, "It is his Sister's magic!"
"Oh?" She turned back to the Piscien, and saw him half submerged into the barrier with not even a burn on his flesh.
Merrick rummaged through the treasure box, and then came back up with two items. One, a very old gold chain with a blood ruby encrusted in an ornate pendant, along with a rusty silver medallion with a few emeralds attached to it.
"The humans often practice a sort of alliance, everywhere, of any age." Merrick says. Syrinx chuckled.
"Like when human children form 'clubs' and the like."
"Yes," Merrick brought the items over to the mermaid, and handed over the necklace to Syrinx, "I think I would like to start one between me, you, and Deilan. The three of us being exiled for Forbidden Love. And we each have an item of a gem." Syrinx smiled as she took the jewelry, and wore the ruby one over her head, dodging her horn carefully, "This one is for Deilan." Merrick held up the medallion.
"What about you?" Syrinx asked.
"I already have mind," Merrick plucked up the platinum key necklace with the cyan jewel on it, "My Adam gave this to me on the Cruise."
"But you are still taking these from your Sister!" Arnaav swam up, "Is that not wrong?"
"Hmm..." Merrick pondered for a moment, "I suppose you have a point... I think I will leave something behind." He loomed his tail around, and gracefully moved back the chest, just as it started to glow again. He then pulled off the shark-tooth headband from his head, and removed the scallop shell from it, the one that is written with the kanji for 'Moon' on it. He placed the one shell onto the pile of gold, and closed the box.
"Are you sure that is enough?" He asked, "That is one item to four."
"I know... I hope she forgives me..." He backed away from the treasure box, "It is all I have to give, and I think it will suffice." He turned to him, "My Sister loved me dearly. She was heartbroken when I left. And only I am able to touch the box since we are related. Leaving this here will tell her that I am alive and well. She was so terrified of me dying when I was banished... Heh, I know I must sound egotistical right now, but in the end, these things are only objects."
"Alright..." Arnaav nods.
"Come," Merrick gestured, "I want to see if we have time for a hunting lesson before the pod leaves."
Arnaav gasped as he looked up, "B-But, Merrick! I cannot! You know-"
"We need to work around your own style," Merrick said, "We are two different merfolk, but I think we can figure out a movement for you to hunt with."
