@Guardian Angel Haruki

Aquawlad frowned at the women. Perhaps she was more disconnected with how humans were but the women looked just fine, she'd even said she didn't need any help. The mermaid wondered for a moment if this was even the right women, though the human did look like she'd just gone for a dip in the ocean recently.

In response to the humans question she flicked her tail out of the water, it's gold scales glistening every moment it was above water,before spashing back underneath the choppy surface. Then in a concerned tone she spoke, "I'm a mermaid silly, i don't think i've ever really felt cold."
She gave a small smile before looking over her shoulder back the way she came. She felt she didn't belong out of the water, it was just unnatural. She brushed her dark hair back over her ear and bright eyes focused on the girl continued. "My sister said you needed help, and as much as i'd love to help. Well. If you don't need help, i should go. She's in danger and i only really left because she insisted checking on you. Anyway, if you're fine i really should go dear, and you can just... swim back to your home? You can swim right?"

@wolverbells

---

M..My name is Ariyah. When your men found me, I was in search for my friends. A dolphin was having trouble giving birth, and in weather like this I was scared that several things might’ve gone wrong.

The three mersoldiers were silent.

Will…Will I be able to return home? I did nothing wrong to you or your men.

The captain was silent for a few seconds further that his men started to side-glance him curiously from beneath their helms. Several streams of bubbles left the gills about his ribs in a sigh.

“Take them away,” he motioned with his hand in the direction of the sharks as one of his mersoldiers, though a little hesitantly, swam over to the guard sharks to grab them by their dorsal fins and swim with them out of the dungeon. “Release her.”

The mersoldier’s head nearly snapped off his neck when he glanced at his captain in shock. The only indication of the expression was the merman’s parted lips in disbelief. The question was right at his lips, but he didn’t dare ask it. To question the captain’s command would have made him insubordinate, but why was he releasing the prisoner? She was a mermaid!

The remaining mersoldier took the coral key from about his neck and used it to unlock the cell. The metal door squealed as it was slid back and it met the wall with a resonating thoom.

“You are released. We will safely escort you out of the city,” the captain told her. “Come.”

As the mermen departed, escorting the young mermaid over a city of gawking Shellborn men, they swam out to the city’s outskirts. The captain reached up to his neck where a necklace with a nautilus shell hung on a weed-like cord. He snapped it free from his neck and handed it to the mermaid.

“As long as you wear this, no merman should bother you lest they are the enemies of the Shellborn. You should be safe in these waters. But mermaid…once you’ve left this place, it is wise for you not return,” he warned. He didn’t think that the mermaid was foolish enough to retaliate with others from her pod.

Cecily widened her eyes, and her body fell out of the huddled position in shock and disbelief at the sight of the tail, and the woman's answer. She was now seriously reconsidering her answer to the question earlier. There's no way a mermaid could really be talking to her right now right? It was all in her mind, it had to be. She must've had accidentally taken in too much sea water. This particular thought process was clear in Cecily's expression and body language. She placed a hand on her temple as she continued thinking about this situation and her current condition.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the mermaid addressed her again. Her sister...she must've been the one who saved her earlier. She answered the mermaid's question, "I c-can, but there are ot-other fa-factors to consider besides my ability t-t-to swim..." She couldn't hide the stuttering that was caused by the chattering of her teeth as her body continued to fight the cold water that was robbing her of her body temperature. She shook her head and she said to the mermaid, "I-If th-the pe-person who saved me fr-from that riptide is i-i-in danger, then please go help her. I-I-I'll try and figure so-something o-out,"

@Classpet

It seemed as if luck was back on the mermaid's side as she heard Captain Aquarius's verdict. Her eyes lit up at the sound of him stating she would be released, and she quickly swam up from her sitting position. She dared not speak a word as the release process went on, afraid that she might say something that would anger the mermen and incarcerate her once again. She merely said a soft "thank you" when Captain Aquarius told her that they would safely escort her out.

Through out the entire swim to the outskirts of the city, Ariyah had kept her head down and eyes to the ground. She feared of what the other Mermen might do, so she stuck near Aquarius in case anything happened. Only when they had reached their destination did she look up, feeling more relieved but still nervous. "Thank you," she said again, her voice a little louder than before, as she took the necklace and examined it closely.

"You've done me a great kindness by sparing me, and for that I will forever be in your debt." Ariyah, for the first time since her capture, grinned at the mermen. Perhaps her elders had been wrong about these creatures. They had caused her no harm, nor did they treat her with aggression once the situation was addressed and understood. All had happened due to miscommunication and a misunderstanding, it was something that she was willing to accept. With one last, curious look at the kingdom that had held her captive, the dark haired mermaid turned and swam away as quickly as she could from the mersoldiers and their captain.

'I should've offered them a token of friendship. Maybe a truce could've been made?

Thoughts consumed her mind as she swam back to where she had been first captured. "Oh!" She quickly stopped in her tracks, her momentum forcing the water to push past her which flung her hair in her dark hair in her face. Ariyah had remembered the woman she had tried so diligently to save and quickly changed her course. She knew that she wouldn't be able to make it in time, so the young mermaid called over to a pod of dolphins that waited for the rough surface waters to calm. They came over cheerfully, swimming around her in circles. She managed to get the attention of the biggest one and held it near as she caressed its head. "Come on buddy, I need your speed just for a minute." The bond that mermaids had with sea creatures had always been a mystery to Ariyah. It was something she still didn't comprehend. Nevertheless, she used it to her full advantage to try and help as many others as possible, and today it would be no different.

@Guardian Angel Haruki @Holy Soldier@Classpet

Arys followed the pack of monsters at a distance. She knew this was a highly stupid thing to do, but what if they came across one of her sisters? What if they damaged the reef or harmed an animal?
Her fears were confirmed when one of them jabbed his spear through the shell of a sea turtle and tossed it out of his way. Arys had to hold herself back until they were out of sight before rushing to the poor creature's aid. It was a female, on her way to the beach to lay her eggs.
Arys began to sing as she focused her energy into her hands, her eyes glowing. The turtle recognized her from when it had been born on the very beach it was returning to so it held still knowing she would help. She couldn't heal the hole in the shell, but she could heal the wound made by the spear in the turtle's flesh.

Kayn turned sharply. That sound. It was singing.
He smirked, his hands going to his blades. Got you," he murmured before heading straight for the voice.

Arys was unaware of the danger approaching, focusing all of her attention on the turtle. Once it was healed she kissed it's head. "Go to the beach with the others. I will be there shortly," she told the turtle and gently pushed it in the direction of the island. Her expression was troubled as she watched it. She had healed the wound but the shell was still damaged. Once the turtle was out in the open ocean again, she might not survive.
Curse the monsters and the damage they caused! They didn't even care!

A flash caught her eye and she screamed when she saw one of the monsters headed straight for her, his swords gleaming. He smiled evilly, her screams of terror and look of fear like an aphrodisiac to him. A mermaid never lived or traveled alone. That meant there were more around here, this territory was theirs. He would bring their fins and heads to his Lord Commander and claim this territory. He wondered what mermaid blood would look like on his swords, his hands and chest. He would bathe in it to sate the bloodlust that consumed him. He roared as he approached.

Arys darted away. The monsters were strong but she was fast. She could hear him swearing behind her as she put distance between them. She wished she had the skill of calling the dolphins like her sister did. Their added speed would help greatly.
He was soon out of sight behind her but her fear made her continue to swim as fast as she could. She passed another merman, this one smaller and not as savage looking but that didn't stop her from screaming in terror at the sight of him and darting away like lightning. They were everywhere! What were they going to do?!

Finally she nearly cried in relief as she spotted one of her sisters on the back of a dolphin. "Ariyah!" Arys screamed in both fear and relief at finally seeing a friendly face. She darted right up and hugged her sister tightly, breathless and sobbing. "Monsters!" she gasped. "Monsters!"

@wolverbells @BlackPanther

@wolverbells@Belle
Link watches as a turtle is wounded. He was tempted to try to do something, but without any magic abilities what could he do.he stays where he is as the mermaid heals the turtle. Link feels enchanted by that voice, it was beautiful.

Then, he heard the new man. His head snaps up as he opens his mouth to shout out warning, but it was too late. The mermaid saw them in time to swim off faster then any other being he has witnessed. He tries to conceal himself more as she heads his way, but fails as is evident by the scream of terror and the swimming.

For some reason his first instinct had him following her. He wasn't nearly as fast, but he is faster then his kin. His long tail going left to right instead of front to back allowing for a more fish like motion and giving him that slight increase in speed.

He doesn't see her, but he hears her calling to someone. He pushes himself a bit to get into aight range of not one but two mermaids...and a dolphin. He stops and puts his hands up, showing he isn't harmed nor does he intend to harm. He really hopes they don't scream...that sound was loud and rather painful.

Feeling the speed of the water rushing through her dark hair felt amazing. Although Ariyah had always second guessed the Mermaids who turned her and silently cursed the life sometimes, she had to admit that being a mermaid had its perks. Her grin practically stretched from ear to ear as she looked on with delight, hoping to reach her destination soon. That was until she heard the piercing screams of someone she knew too well.

The dolphin, out of fear, suddenly stopped in its tracks which caused the mermaid to fly off of its back and flip over in the water.

"Arys?"

Ariyah swam to have herself be upright but was once taken by surprise when the other mermaid tackled her in a hug. She quickly lifted her arms to hug Arys back and comfort her.

"Monsters," Ariyah knew more than well what this meant.

Releasing Arys from the hug and moving to a more protective stance in front of her, Ariyah scanned the area around them. Nothing. "They can't get us. I have this," the young mermaid took showed Arys the necklace that Aquarius had given her for protection. "Well, if they belong to the Shellborn kingdom, they can not hurt us. Their captain promised. I'll, uh, explain alter." Ariyah attempted to reassure Arys with her words, but it only lasted so long until the presence of another was felt. Ariyah turned quickly to face a merman with a black tail.

Having her confrontation with the mersoldiers had taught her enough to defend herself, using her tail as her main weapon. "Who are you?! Arys is this the 'monster'?" Her voice held no fear, but deep down she knew that if push came to shove, the mermaids would be screwed. In a way to show the merman that she couldn't be harmed, Ariyah lifted the necklace and put it around her neck.

At least she hoped that the new threats knew what the necklace meant.

@BlackPanther@Belle

@wolverbells

---

The captain had watched the young mermaid offer her kind words before she went scurrying off into the blue. Sergeant Flotsam stared at his commander questionably before curiosity soon filled him to bursting.

“Sir, forgive me for I do not mean any disrespect, but I must know why you released the mermaid,” he asked.

“We are guardians of our kingdom. What do we have to fear from a mere mermaid?”

“But she was a sea witch!”

“She meant us no harm, and it was I who asked for her capture. It’s only right that I be the one to let her go. I gave her my necklace and if she finds our enemies, then we will know.”

The sergeant was impressed. “You’re using her as a decoy and she doesn’t even know it.”

“Precisely.”

“Ingenious.”

“Come; we return.”

The two mermen started swimming back to the city while Aquarius reflected on his encounter. That had been the first time Aquarius had actually spoken to a mermaid, and he had had her captured so that he could meet one instead of the creature running away in fear as they had done in his past. Ariyah had been beautiful to him, and it frightened him a little for she was nearly human. The Shellborn had been purging the sea of human men, but rarely did they have encounters with women for women rarely frequented the sea. Most human women had already been converted to mermaids and the mermaids tended to stick to their own rather than wage wars with the mermen. Aquarius had given her his necklace as a memento for he wasn’t sure if he would ever see her again, but when he did, he hoped to be able to recognize her by his necklace if she chose to wear it.

Arys' hands gripped Ariyah's shoulders tightly as they faced the newcomer. "H-he doesn't look like... the other was larger and his eyes... oh gods Ariyah his eyes! They were red and savage!" she cried, shaking uncontrollably. "They harmed a young female dolphin and one of the pregnant turtles that was on her way to lay her eggs. They hurt them and didn't care. All mermen are monsters, just as Mailyn said!" Arys claimed. "If they discover the beach where the other turtles are laying their eggs none of them will survive."

She stared at the necklace around her sister's neck. "Where did you get that?" she asked fearfully as she knew the answer already. "You can't trust any of them Ariyah! They are all ruthless monsters! They will use you to get to the rest of us! They will torture and kill us all!"

She turned on the male before them. "Go away! Go away before you lead the rest of your blood thirsty band to us! Is the whole ocean not enough for you?! Your kind have hunted us to near extincetion! We have never done anything to you! Leave us be!"

@Belle@wolverbells
Link blinks at the necklace, for he knew exactly which clan that came from. shellborn....how did she he locks eyes with them. "I am link." his voice does not sound savage or brutish, but something about it almost warns to be careful. That this one has kind tendencies yes, but is also capable of ripping things to shreds if upset.

His eyes go to Arys. "I am not with that band...in fact if I was caught they would kill me for being a loner" he sounds calm, his hands staying where they are. "I am not my kin." true statements of both, being a loner is generally frowned upon by mermen and he is different. He had no idea why either. He found himself curious about these mermaids. Wondering what they were like, if some of the stories were really true or just embellishments by his kin to spawn hatred.

@Guardian Angel Haruki

Aquawlad looked at her curiously, wondering what could possibly stop anyone from simply swimming where ever they pleased if they could swim. She knew humans weren't the strongest of swimmers but none the less it was difficult for her to quite grasp the issue.

A small wave crashed down just behind her, pushing her forward half a foot, before dragging her back out another two. She could've easily stayed were she was, it on her terms that she let the ocean pull her back.

"If you want," she said, "you could come help her yourself."

The mermaid gave a small smile before ducking under the water. She peered around under the surface, she could here the click of a dolphin in the distance, though it didn't sound in danger. She surfaced once again, pushing her dark hair back behind her ear.

"I mean, i could turn you into a mermaid. If you want." A loving smile played across her face as she spoke.

Cecily blinked in confusion at the mermaid's cryptic response and she couldn't help but ask "Huh?" She stood up and walked over to the water, well, she hurried over when the mermaid submerged beneath the waves. She called as she hurried into the water, stopping at ankle length, "W-Wait! What do you mean by that?!" Whether it was by coincidence or if the mermaid heard her, she rose up and answered. Cecily was surprised at the answer, and she couldn't help but think, leaving Cecily somewhat oblivious to the loving smile that crept onto the mermaid's face.

Become a mermaid...? She could do that? Cecily was curious about what life underwater was like, but...would this change be temporary or permanent? If it was permanent, could she really leave her family behind (even if they never really needed her when they had her perfect sister)?
She asked the mermaid, making complete eye contact with her, curiosity and some wariness apparent in her voice, "Really...? Wh-What would be the catch?"

@Classpet

Ariyah couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her usual dull eyes now stared at Arys, wide with fear, as she heard the atrocities that the said mermen committed.

Although the young mermaid did feel fear towards what Arys had just told her, the claims that followed made Ariyah feel something else. A bit of protectiveness, maybe? She was oddly defensive about the necklace that she wore, quickly reaching up and covering it with her hand as she saw Arys' fearful look. "I... I don't believe they are all as horrible as they have been made out to be." Her voice was quiet as she looked down to look at the necklace. She'd have to explain what had happened to her fellow sister later on. She wouldn't understand right now due to the fact that she had just been startled by a group of real monsters.

Ariyah then turned her attention to the merman at hand. He had just spoken his name, Link, and also explained that he was not of the Shellborn kingdom. "You'd be killed?" She now spoke up, curiosity in every word that she spoke. The girls head tilted slightly as she looked at the merman. It was true that he did not look like the other Mermen that she had came in contact with. "I should want you then. I've been promised protection by them." Although this wasn't a lie, it wasn't entirely the truth. Ariyah knew how to talk her way in to things and out of things. "What are you doing on your own?" Ariyah knew she was probably getting in even more trouble by continuing her questioning. In all honesty, Ariyah had now been intrigued into finding out more about the mermen life. She had always been curious about the humans and her past life, but this was different. She felt a need to find out why these mermen were such a taboo to the mermaid life.

@Guardian Angel Haruki

"well..." she started, "you'd have to live in the ocean with my sister's and I. But I promise we're all quite nice. "

The meremaid paused, thinking about what other things might be included as a 'catch'. " You'd live for more than a thousand years, I don't know how long humans usually last, but surely that's longer. Hmmm, we have magic as well. That's how I found you!"

Aquawlad allowed her mind to wonder for a moment, trying to bring up the feelings shed had as a new mermaid. Everything was so strange and distant in her memories, years melted together until only the most unique experiences remained whole. Unfortunately her first decade as a mermaid was wholly unexceptional.

She looked back at the human, her golden eyes meeting an intense stare. "oh, I'm so sorry. I just got lost in thought. Don't feel like you have to change, it's not exactly a thing you can change your mind about later. "

"I know what Mailyn taught all of us," Arys told Ariyah sternly. "That all mermen are savage brutes. They are to be feared," she said her eyes darting back to the one who called himself 'Link'. They had names?

Arys looked at her sister, bewildered. "Promised protection? At what cost? They only know how to do things for their own gain," she insisted. "Whatever they told you, it was a lie. Look at me sister, blood of my blood. You trust a monster over me?" she asked pleadingly, dreading the response.

If these 'shellborn' mermen knew they were there then there was more to fear. They would have to leave, forced from their home by opposing sides that wanted to destroy each other.
But they couldn't leave... the turtles... the reef... it needed them. Everything in the surrounding waters needed the mermaids help to nurture and care for them.

"They can't force us from our home. Not again," she said, determined that the past would not repeat itself. Ariyah had not been reborn as a mermaid when the last conflict had occurred. When Arys had made her terrible mistake...

The sun was beginning to set on the world. Arys stared at the light as it began to fade into oranges and reds above them. "The turtles... Ariyah they will be laying their eggs any moment. We have to be there to tend them. Predators wait for them," she reminded her sister, tugging on her arm.

Cecily listened carefully to what the mermaid had to say about the catch. She couldn't help but get the feeling that there were some other things that the mermaid was forgetting, but she pushed the thought aside. She noticed that the mermaid seemed to be in thought, and waited for her patiently. When she apologized, Cecily waved it off, and said "It's fine," She ignored the fact that the sun was setting now. After the mermaid told her that she didn't have to, Cecily sighed slightly and she answered, "No...I'll change. If it wasn't for your sister, I'd probably would have drowned by now..."

@Classpet

@wolverbells@Belle
Link noded at the question of him being killed. "I believe you, but since I will not harm you....I am more afraid of what my kin will do if I were to be found" He proceeded to slowly lower his hands, having felt that he showed that he was not armed for long enough. "As for what I am doing on my own....I didn't fit in...to put it lightly my kin established that I was no longer welcome amongst them and that I was no longer allowed there...I have been living amongst a pod of orcas or wandering alone for quite some time"

As the other mermaid spilled out information link winced. Each sentence felt like a punch in the gut, yet he knew the tendencies of his brethren. even though he knew the tendencies he still couldn't help but feel slightly offended at the constant use of monster and how she seemed to be pretending he wasn't there. So, he decided to focus on the one with the shell.

However, at the mention of turtles he seemed to light up. "may I help? I can keep predators away." this would give him a chance to learn more about these mermaids. Along with giving him information that would keep him alive, this may also help him gain their trust. Both equally rewarding results of helping.

The water around the mermaids and merman began to darken as the sun began to set above them. The storm had come to somewhat pass, leaving only harsh winds that caused the waves to rise and crash above them.

Ariyah crossed her arms over her chest as she listened to Arys tell her the words that she had been hearing for a while. The young mermaid chose not to respond to her elder's question, sighing as she turned over to look at Link and looking at him up and down. He seemed fairly harmless, but who knew what he had up his sleeve. If he wore sleeves.

"The turtles..", Ariyah repeated softly as she looked up and into the distance where the islands were. "They're in our islands right? Aquawlad should be there." She suddenly remembered about the human she had saved and a small gasp escaped her lips. "Oh! We've got to go! Now!" Without warning, Ariyah turned swiftly and grabbed Arys's wrist, pulling her towards where Arys had just tried to pull her.

"Hurry!" Ariyah didn't mind if Link followed. He had already shown that he meant no harm, and to have someone to watch over them while they were busy helping the wildlife.

----

It didn't take the mermaids long to get to where the islands were. They were mostly hidden in a cove, near their kingdom and where they hid when there were attacks. Ariyah could see Aquawlad's tail flicking around in the water, her torso above the surface as she was probably speaking to the human. The dark haired mermaid turned to face Arys, her own violet eyes looking straight into the others gold eyes. "Go help the turtles. Aquawlad will help you." With that said, Ariyah swam up to meet Aquawlad, her head breaking through the surface and stopping to where the water covered her from the shoulders down. "Is she okay?!" Ariyah turned and searched frantically, her eyes stopping when she saw the human still at the island beach. "She's freezing to death slowly. She'll die of hypothermia!" Ariyah didn't exactly know where that word came from. She had never spoken of it before and neither had her sisters. It must have been something that the humans said, and her ever fading memories must have been revived for a brief second.

"Will she be turned?"

@Belle@BlackPanther@Guardian Angel Haruki@Classpet

@Guardian Angel Haruki@wolverbells

Aquawlad gave a plesant smile and extended her arm to the human as though to invite her into the water. Something, however, caught her eye. She snatched back her arm, turning to the sea just as Ariyah broke the surface. At first she was confused, but she was so overwhelmed with joy it must not have shown "Ariyah! You're okay!" she squeaked, plunging toward her sister. Aquwlad wrapped her arms around Ariyah, giving her a quick hug back allowing the girl her personal space. "Oh, I'm so glad your safe, The human's fine but how did you get away?" She said bewildered. When she'd last Seen Ariyah things certainly weren't looking good for her future. Aquawlad figured the mermen had probably done something horrible to Ariyah before she managed to free her self.

As Airyah mentioned turning the human Aquawlad's face changed from concern to curiosity. She turned back to the human, who she'd nearly forgotten about."oh... um. Airyah's fine so we don't really need to go save her. I can still turn you into a mermaid though. If you still wanted to."

Cecily's body was now completely wracked with shudders, and her lips had turned blue when the mermaid had stretched her arm out to her. She looked to the new presence when she arrived, but she could barely recognize the other person's voice. The voices from the two had completely blurred together as the water in her clothes and hair, and the bitter winds, froze her (and standing in the water didn't exactly help either). She couldn't stop herself from shaking, and at this point, she couldn't stay standing any longer.

She didn't even realize that she had fallen down in the shallow water. Her vision darkened and she once again felt herself fade into unconsciousness.

@Classpet@wolverbells