Aquata Cove Chapter 10: At First Sight
"Ah... It shall soon be upon us..." Triton Kaiken said softly as he looked onto the mass of merfolk.
Several pods of different Piscien merfolk conversed amongst each other, their own respective species gathered together, excitedly chatting with one another in anticipation of this mystical night.
"Father," Adra Savarna asked as she beamed around the new and unusual merfolk, "Who ARE these merpeople? Why are they here?" Triton smiled as he stroked his daughter.
"Tonight is a rare and special moon; when the shining Sea Mother Atargatis, illuminates the moon itself with her heart."
"What does that mean, Father?" She asked. Noita Umiato smiled as she loomed in front of the small mermaid.
"Once every few years, the Sea Mother Atargatis shines touches the moon with her emotions, and so the moon turns red to symbolize her love for all merfolk. And it is then, and now, that eligible merfolk gather together, and find the love within each other."
"Does this mean I will find my true love???" Savarna asked, beaming even more at this new prospect.
"Hahaha," Kaiken laughed softly, "Not yet, my Daughter. You are yet a young meryin. When you grow up, however, you shall find love, no doubt." Savarna smiled happily, and then looked around, turning her head over to her own pod.
"... Where is Brother? I do not see him." Kaiken's smiled faded, if only a little.
"He is... On the surface..."
"Why is he there, Father?"
"He is... A little fearful tonight..."
"Why not? He is going to find his love tonight!" Savarna stated with excitement.
"If the Undines favor him, my Daughter..." He replied, rather hesitantly.
"Huh? I do not understand..." Savarna pondered. Umiato rubber the mermaid's arm, and nudged her. "Look there, Daughter..." She said, "There are other meryin," Umiato then directed her to the other small, young children of the Piscien merfolk; they have no part to play in this, "Why not go and play with them?"
"Yes, Mother!" Savarna said as she hugged her mother, and swam swiftly to the other young ones. Umiato giggled as she drifted over to Kaiken, holding onto his thick, strong arm. She looked up at him, seeing a look of concern on his face.
"You seem troubled, my love..." Umiato said, knowing the reason before it has been said.
"It is my Son who is troubled..." Kaiken said as he gazed onto the swimming mass of fish-like merfolk. "For a few years now, our Son has been... Anxious... Do not deny that you sense this too..."
"He IS our Son, love," Umiato said as she brought her hand to his cheek, and turned his head to look her, "Our Son is the Adra Triton of our pod. He has a lot of responsibilities to uphold and live up to for the sake of our pod."
"It is more than that though..." He turned his back towards the many merfolk, "This night marks the 7th red moon of his life, and he is yet to find his love. With each unsuccessful moon, I can surmise that his sense of self-worth washes away..." He said with a sad sigh, "I am beginning to think the Undines play him of trickery."
"Kaiken," Umiato said, "Speak no ill of the Undines, for they know no mischief."
"Do they not?" Kaiken replied, "My Son is what every Adra Triton should aspire to be; he is swift, skillful, intuitive," He looked to his mate, and stroked her pearly cheek, "Kind and compassionate," Umiato smiled at him, "And as far as appearances go, he is of fine make," Umiato giggled as she held to her Triton, "I do not understand how he has not found his love yet. After all," He then turned to her again, and delivered a soft kiss to Umiato's mouth, "I found you on my first red moon." Umiato smiled and as she kissed back.
"Yes you have... Love knows not time or convenience, my love," She said. Kaiken sighed again, looking up to where his son may supposedly be.
"The Undines are what deliver the wonder of Mother Atargatis's love. So why do they toy with my Son?"
"They toy with no one, love," Umiato said as she swam in front of Kaiken, "He will find his love eventually." Kaiken then looked back onto the mass of merfolk.
"... Do you think tonight will be the night?" Umiato smiled softly as she kissed him again.
"If the Undines favor him, my love..."
"MOTHER! FATHER!" Exclaimed their young daughter. The young mermaid swam up to them, looking upset.
"What ails you, Daughter?"
"Wh-What if Brother finds his love tonight? If he finds love, does that mean he will leave us? Will he be start with his own Pod?!" She said, looking like she is about to weep. The Triton and Noita smiled softly at her.
"Hahaha, no, Daughter," Umiato said to the meryin, "He is far to young to have a pod of his own. When he does find love, he and the mermaid forms the bond to each other, and reunite when they come of age to either succeed our pod, or start his own."
"Alright..." Savarna said, "... I hope he NEVER leaves..." Kaiken smiled as he turned her around for her to play with the other meryin again.
"I'm sure he will not, Daughter," Savarna smiled happily before she swam back to the other young ones.
The fifth white moon is almost past. Merrick sighed as he held onto the rock, one hand on his arm, and the other holding his trident, looking at the white orb radiating in the sky. Having been up on the surface for about an hour or so, his upper body is completely dry, while his frilly blue tail swerved and waved slowly in the water, stirring along the sleepy current of the ocean. The red moon is tonight. The night when mermen and mermaids all over the world, gather, and find love. He sighed as he rested his chin down on his arms as the wind played across his flawless complexion, ruffling his blonde hair a bit. Tonight is supposed to be an exciting and magical night, yet he's distressed. He used to get this deep, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach every time the red moon appears, but being older, he's gotten over it. He already knows what the outcome of the night is going to be- "Oh?" He felt a vibration on his chest. He looked to see the shell slice glow and blur beneath him. Denizyr is calling the pod together. He looked back up to the moon, and saw a sliver of glowing crimson peering on the side of the bright whiteness. "Right... Lets get this over with..." He muttered as he slipped himself from the rock, and into the water, where his skin riddled with translucent scales, his fingers connected in webs, his hair stiffened into sharp fins, and his ears flatten into gills. He swam down into the water, following the many voices resonating in through the sea; it's not just the Piscien merpeople who have gathered tonight; somewhere else, any where else, out there in the entire ocean, Piscien, Amnien, and Holsien merfolk are taking part in this sacred, ancient ritual. Looking to the side, he can see his mother hugging another mermaid, one with more veil fins around her body than herself, along with a pod full of pearly white merfolk with long, flowing fins. Merrick had a harder time distinguishing his own pod among the field of other signals and speeches, so had to find his pod by sight. Off the corner of his eye, he spotted a purple flicker. A small smile found itself on his face as swam to his pod. He undulated his tail up and down until he arrived to the sand, about 20ft below the rest of the merfolk. He then took his trident, and planted it right next to the mighty trident of his father, along with a whole slew of spears and bows planted into the sand; weapons are not needed during the red moon. He then swam up and swirled his fishy tail to catch up to his pod. The Adra Triton moved to align to his usual spot at the front of his pod, next to his father, overlooking the mermaids and mermen of his own school. Kaiken looked down onto his son, taking a deep breath, hoping that this 7th red moon of Merrick's will be the last that fails the young Triton. Umiato then loomed up next to her mate, with Savarna missing, but is excused from her spot, as she is playing with other meryin. Kaiken raised his arms up, and sang out to his pod in a long, deep call. A large, manta ray Triton called out to his pod, in a long, echoic exclamation. As did a Triton of a pod of seahorse merfolk. Along with a Triton of a school of great white shark merfolk. Each and every Triton in every Piscien pod that has arrived on this spot, all manner of weapon planted down below then in peace, call out to their own kin. "Tonight, my pod," Kaiken began. The meryin nearby stopped playing, and looked in curiosity as their leaders spoke up at their respective pods, with their own speeches prepared, "Is the night, where the Shining Sea Mother, Atargatis, illuminates the night sky, and thus the ocean itself, with her very heart! "We, but a small gathering of the Piscien merfolk, are the remnants, the very essence of memories of the great kingdom of Atlantis! In Her benevolence, Sea Mother Atargatis gives us the very honor, the very chance, to find our true, and only love!" As the Tritons spoke, there rang a few traces of eerie, yet playful sounds that came from a glimpse of shimmering violet here and there. "Tonight, all eligible, young merfolk who hath no mate shall loom and dance under the shine of the red moon, fly with the Undines, and find the one, the only half that shall make up your own union!" As he spoke, the white moon light filtering through surface began to gain a pink tint, "The waves of fate decides whom you fall in love with! The Undines -- small, yet joyful -- are the gleeful spawn of magic from the red moon, a gift! From the Sea Mother Herself, to allow us to find our mate! "Though you, or those who fall in love with you, may be too young to leave your pod, know that the bond will never break, through time nor distance, your love for one another shall NEVER die! That is the light of the Undines! That is the gift of the heart of the Sea Mother. In time, when either of you come of age, one or the other can leave their pod to join the other for the rest of time!" The fluttering pink light soon possessed a red hue. As the light danced through the seawater, glimmers of purple swam about, mewing strange echoes as they loomed and looped about. Small, violet-colored fish, their way illuminated with glowing little lights at the top of their heads, glowing with magenta lines along their pigmy bodies, flashing and glowing as they zoomed around, with translucent blue fins on their backs. These creatures are in the image of tiny mermaids. They swim through the water with their wing-like fins. "My pod... Go forth..." Kaiken announced, "And find your love!" The merfolk then rose up, and swam into the open area. Each Piscien mermaid and merman swam in random directions. "Merrick," Came a familiar voice. The Adra turned to see his friend, Brishen putting a hand onto his shoulder, "... Good luck, this time." Brishen said. Merrick smiled and nodded. This would be Brishen's 5th red moon, and like Merrick, has not found a mermaid to be his mate. They both swam into the swirling mass of Piscien merfolk. Kaiken looked to his mermaid, Umiato. She smiled as her dainty hand held onto his thick hand. Together, they loomed and joined into the massive storm of rejoicing merfolk. Flashes of violet and red Undines skim playfully about. They fly around in the dizzying fray of love-seeking merpeople -- that is only for the merfolk who are single and eligible. Merfolk who already have found their mate happily dance to the song of excitement, the cries of joy that emanate from the tiny sea nymphs, the rapid stirring of the water. A stout, lobster-like mermaid scuttled her way through the wild fray of merfolk. Looking this way and left searching for someone. She swears, she's already found him last time, he should be here- Then the lobster mermaid felt herself get coiled around by a long, smooth tail, with a long-reaching tailfin on the top and bottom of his elongated tail, ending at the tip of his tail. The mermaid smiled happily as her eel-like merman wrapped himself around her, embracing her lovingly. Reunited, the lobster and eel danced, hand in claw, in the moment of love. Merrick twirled himself as he swam through the mermaids around him, turning his head, and looking in every direction as he spiraled. His vivid blue tail with the white frilly membranes catches the eyes of a few mermaids as they swim about, examining him for no more than seven seconds before diverting their attention to other merman about. Once again, he dances and flurries in the mass of eager, single merfolk. An emerald green leafy sea dragon mermaid withered her way around, slithering through the water. She looked with awe at the cyclone of Piscien mermen and merfolk. She held still in one place, a little intimidated to move too much. A stingray merman floated up above, inspecting the swirling sea life, before he glides down, and dove down. As he moved, he saw a sailfish mermaid, with a very sharp nose, and swam in to get in a closer look. A purple fish mermaid, one from Merrick's pod, swam, looking this way and that for whatever merman will have her. She dove in a loop, when an Undine appeared swimming right beside her. It looked at her with its bright, yellow eyes, and giggled before is swerved away, disappearing in the water. She huffed in a desperate look as she followed the direction of which the Undine disappeared, but it has vanished. The mermaid turned around, and looked, just as a golden sea horse merman moved up. His dark blue, orb-like eyes looked into hers. The mermaid felt a twinge play across her face. The scales on the mermaid's lavender scales shimmered in a magenta glow that flashed along her tail, the scales along her chest and face, and the fins on her arms as well as her finger-webs. A magenta light refracted along the merman's skin pattern along his back, arms, and spirally tail. Their hands touched together as a smile was shared between them as they interlaced their fingers and began to swim, hand in hand. And just like that, it's that simple. Kaiken and Umiato held each other's hands, swimming in a graceful dance. Umiato let go, and spiraled around the large merman, his thick, muscular tail waving back and forth as Umiato's long, veil-like cloakings draped around him in a beautiful, gleaming spiral around his firm form. Her hands moved and rubbed daintily long his scaled torso, which does sport a few old scars from times gone by. The swarm of pseudo fish creatures stormed and jumbled about. Within an hour, a lot of the merpeople are holding hands, a mermaid and a merman, coiled together, having found each other. Merrick looped, and swam, sensing the red moon dance is coming to an end. He sailed and loomed, turning around to see the new and current couples. However, he's not alone in being alone. There are almost just as many merpeople floating in mid-water, not having found their mate this night. He looked to the side, and smirked in content as he saw Brishen, holding an aqua-transparent mermaid, her lower half veil-like, with a few long, stringy tentacles and three long, lavender, leaf-like stingers -- her and Brishen's scales/skin glimmered with a magenta light. Well, at least his best friend has found his love. The Undines appeared less and less frequently, disappearing and blinking out slowly, one by one. The filtered light from the surface, gone from white, to blue, to pink, magenta, to red, and reverted back to white. It's passed. The red moon has left. It's over for another few or so years. As Merrick floated, he would feel a strong hand, place onto his back, as a large figure swam next to him. He doesn't feel saddened, but he did look disappointed, after yet the 7th red moon of his life failed to grant him a mermaid. "I am sorry, my Son..." Kaiken said, "Perhaps the next one..." "I..." Merrick said, "I... I need a moment..." Without waiting for an answer, Merrick drifted away, looking gloomy about the outcome as always. ---5 Years Ago--- "I am sorry, my Son," Triton Kaiken said, placing his large hand onto the back of his young offspring. Adra Merrick looked on, whimpering, near tears. Tonight is his 3rd red moon. The dance is ending, and he still hasn't found his mermaid! He feels so rejected and unwanted. Merrick swore he saw a few mermaids take a glance at him, so why didn't they go to him? He tried! He really tried! For the third time, no one was interested in him. The young merman held his mouth with both hands as he tried to stifle his weeping. Kaiken sighed as his son's emotions ran so close to the surface. "I-I, I need to be alone... !" Merrick said as he then swam away, pushing his tail forcefully so he would speed off, feeling humiliated by the very idea of him, the Adra Triton of his own pod not finding a mermaid on the 3rd red moon of his life. "Of course-" Kaiken said, looking sadly at his poor son. Kaiken felt those pearly white arms drape around his chest. He looked down as he felt his mate hold onto him, "I hope the next red moon..." "Yes..." Noita Umiato said, "I too hope for our Son, my love..." It is very hard for a merman that young to not meet a mate during a red moon, especially for an Adra. Having swam far away from the pods, Merrick curled up, weeping on a nearby reef. He doesn't understand... He swam with the mermaids, flashing his tail and swimming style, just like he was told to, but still, no one took an interest. To be honest, he felt like he didn't belong swimming around, trying to attract the mermaids. Strangely enough, more often than not, he found himself glancing at the mermen more than the females. Come to think of it, that's what he's mostly been doing on the other two times during a red monn... Was that it? Is THAT the problem??? Was he swimming for the mermen this time without knowing it? Oh no, if THAT'S true, he must've looked so foolish! "I'm... Argghh, I'm... I failed... I failed myself..." Merrick cringed and whimpered as his swirl of thoughts made him more and more upset, "... What AM I?? What is wrong with me???" He HAS to be attracted to mermaids! He HAS to! A merman mating with another merman?! That's utter nonsense! But at the same time, Merrick can't see himself with a mermaid. For a moment, he pictured himself, twirling and swimming with a merman. The very idea of it... It's strangely appealing but... It's not supposed to happen! Merrick gasped as he felt a sudden presence right next to him. He looked, and saw one of those small fairies during the dance... An Undine. But... It's over, isn't it? The ritual is over, these nymphs, these Undines, shouldn't they be gone? Merrick looked up to the surface. The light filtering from above still retains a red-pink tint. He looked back at the little fairy. It stared at him through its bright, golden eyes. On top of it's head fin, and its two, black antennae, there are three, tiny specs of light, glowing above itself. On either side of its head, there are small, spiky fins, similar to gills. Its body is small, smooth with a three-pronged tail fin at the end, and two long pectoral fins. On its back, there are thin, blue, fin-like wings that flapped slowly, keeping it afloat in front of Merrick. All along its body, there are elaborate, almost tribal markings glowing in a magenta luminescence. At the middle of its chest, there is a heart shape, around a heart-shaped design. Among the red symbols on its body, the heart-shape is glowing brightest, and in a rhythm that resonated with the glowing current of its body. It really does look like a tiny mermaid. A small, strange entity that looks upon this young merman with utmost curiosity, and the merman looking right back. He... He wants to... Reason with it... If Undines are the love messengers of the Sea Mother Atargatis, then maybe this nymph would be willing to help. Merrick held his hand out, reaching it slowly to the mystical being. The Undine tilted its head as Merrick reached for it. The water fairy floated closer to him, very curious of this sad merman. It's seen many merfolk at this time in few years, and they usually look content if not brimming with joy, but this one looks... Saddened. The Undine skimmered to him, right before Merrick's middle finger touched the heart-shape of the Undine. The fairy flashed itself and cringed, its pectoral fins wrapping around itself. Merrick gasped and flinched, looking he caused the Undine pain. But as he looked, the writhing water nymph seemed to be... Giggling... It shook as it held itself, the three lights on its head flittering, its heart blinking under its fins, its wings fluttering as it `laughed', its yellow yes clenching as it tried to contain itself. Merrick then traced a finger along its tail, making the Undine giggle more at him. Merrick felt himself smile a little as he tickled the Undine, next petting its head with the tip of his finger. The fairy laughed, and swam in loop-dee-loop with joy. The little nymph then darted to Merrick's face, and skimmed at his cheek before swimming off, its giggling becoming mystical echoes before it dissolved in the water, vanishing like any other Undine would. "W-Wait..." Merrick said, reaching out. Surely, an encounter with an Undine like that has given him the opportunity for love, but... It's not really clear. It seemed happy, it didn't feel like he did anything wrong. Are merpeople even allowed to touch an Undine? Merrick swam up from his spot, looking around, trying to spot the Undine. Alas, it seems to have disappeared. He looked around, spun on the spot, but he can't sense it. It just disappeared... Then, the merman felt a weird sensation in his mind. Something's nearby. "...... Callllliiiiinnnngg......" Merrick looked around, hearing an unfamiliar voice. Listening carefully, he began to trace the voice... Above him, "...... You heeaar the caaaaalliiiiinnnng......" The Adra ascended up, listening for the new voice, swimming closer and closer to the surface. "Calliiiiinnnnnngg...... You hear the caaalllliiiinnnngg......" The voice spoke again, dragging on as Merrick swam. The merman rose his head out of the water, closing his gills to allow him to breathe the air. "~~Let me go, gravity, what's on my shoouulllder~~" Came the voice. Merrick whirled around, and swam to the rocks, holding onto them. He looked, and spotted a human, "~~Little by little, I feel a bit bet-ter~~" A human. A man? He seems to be chanting words. What sort of things is he speaking of? He can't be singing, no male can sing. Only females can sign, so it's got to be chanting, but what for? Is he praying to the human god or something? "~~Let me know, Set me free, Feel a bit ol-der~~" This man... This human... His chanting... It fascinates Merrick... The human seems to be wrapped in some sails as cloth is hanging from his upper and lower body. "~~Just once more to the breach, Dear friend, Once more~~" On his head, there is a short patch of blackness, similar to that of a whale's baleen. His skin is tan-ish color. Where his gills ought to be, there are strange, round appendages on either side of his head which held strange objects attached to these thin, strong-like lines that lead to a fold in the cloth, "~~Wake up! Leave your hesita-tion! Wake up! Time of US to realize! Wake up! Show apprecia-tion!~~" Merrick carefully moved sideways, following the chanting human. He can't feel the sadness that purged his insides a few moments ago, but now filled with a very strange fascination. He can't take his eyes away from him. "~~Wake up, Time for us to reeeeaaalliiiiiiizzze~~" The human is moving in a strange way as he moved. Upon observation, Merrick also sees the two long, think appendages under the human. Those are called legs, he believes. According to Denizyr, that's how humans move about, instead of having tails, like merfolk. Merrick crept along, keeping himself hidden from the line of sight from the human, while still looking at him with estrange wonder. Protocol says that when a merperson sees any human they are move away immediately, but that thought is nowhere near his mind right now. This human... This man... How can something so alien and dangerous be so... Enticing??Adam sang along with the music in his ears, enjoying the pop-music rhythm in his head as he strolled along the sandy turf. He keeps looking at the moon, taking a moment to admire the last of the red highlight on the side "It's always weird how creepy and cool a Lunar Eclipse is..." The teenager said with a smile.
He took a few steps forward, before he blinked. "Umm... Wha??" Suddenly, a feeling came over him. He can feel himself... Blushing... His face feels light and hot, like he just kissed a really hot guy for the first time, as well as getting seduced. His chest starts pounding, and this feeling of apprehension and good humor washes over him.
"What the... What's going on with me..." Then, Adam felt himself giggle, out of... Nothing... Why does he feel so happy and so anxious at the same time? "... Ahhh." He put a hand to his head, feeling a minor headache come on. Unbeknownst to him, his brown eyes gleamed with a faint, magenta shimmer, as well as a few ripples of magenta refractions along his black hair, and the hairs around his body, along with a subtle, dull sheen off his finger and toenails.
"This is so... Weird..." He mumbled, "Why am I feeling like... I can't even..." Adam plucked the headphones out of his ears, needing a moment of silence from this sudden rush of sensation. He took a few deep breaths, before he saw something. In front of him is the sea. He looked around, just realizing how far away he walked from his grandparent's beach house. Adam looked back onto the water, and spotted half a face, hiding behind the rock.
"Oh hey!" He said, stepping his sandaled-foot into the icy-cold shore as it drove up the sand and over his feet, "Nice night, huh?" With the subtle magenta sheen playing across his form, completely unnoticed, he approached the rock, "It's a little late for swimming though, isn't it? Then again, I'm not from around here. I'm from Washington state; are you a local or something?" He said to the person. There came no response. "Oook?" He took another step into the water, "My name's Adam, and you- AHH!" There came a large splash from the sea. He jumbled and backed away, one barefoot pressing into the sand, and realized that his right sandal has left his foot. "Hey! Dang it!" He said, one sandal now lost, he just kicks off one, and leaves it to the side.
Adam peered over, and he saw the tail of a rather large fish, followed by a big, white fin flopping, and slipping into the water. "W-Whoa!" He said, looking in awe of the large fish, its blue and white form darkening into the sea, "That was HUGE!" He said, "Damn, I wish had my fishing rod-"
"ADAAAAAM!!!" Came an old female call, "Where ARE YOOUU??" The teenager then turned around, and trotted up.
"I-I'M OVER AT THE BEACH, GRAMMA!!" He called back.
"WELL, COME BACK OVER! WE NEED TO DISCUSS SOMETHING WITH YOU!!"
"OK! I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!!" He yelled back. Adam looked over his shoulder. He REALLY wants to check out the area for that fish, but he needs to get back to his grandparents. "I wonder what they need to talk about? I hope they'll let me stay with them until I can find a place live..." With that, he turned around, and jogged away.
He SAW him! That human saw him! He found him, but he didn't try to kill him! He looked right into his eyes! It's ok though, as long as he didn't associate with the human, he should be fine! Merrick clung to the reef as he kept under the water, his mind racing as he thought about this very close encounter with the human. He SPOKE to him! The human spoke to him! He wasn't carrying any weapons at all, is that normal for a human??? After a few moments, Merrick started to notice something... That human... The baleen on his head, and his eyes... They were shimmering with the magenta tint... Merrick looked down at his tail, and gasped as he saw a magenta sheen dance along the scales and the frills of his tail and fin. He looked at his arms, and saw the same run of magenta glow play along his scaled apparatus. This glow... This magenta sheen... This is the light that appears when a merperson has found their love. It's the blessed aura of Atargatis's heart. The divine shine of the Sea Mother and the red moon. It's gleaming on his body, and it was radiating from that human male as well... Merrick's insides purged with terror, wonder, bewilderment, joy, confusion, and yearning. He's... He's in love... It's his 3rd red moon, and he's fallen in love! ... With... He's fallen in love with a human... "But..." The magenta aura slowly faded away, with the intense emotions still whirling inside of him. The merman looked up at the wavering image of a large, white light in the sky with a sliver of red on it, before it dissipated, reverting to its original silver light. "But... No... I CANNOT fall for a human..." Merrick said, feeling both terrified and rejoice at the same time, "Not just a human... That was male human- A-A man!" He hushed himself, grabbing his mouth. This isn't supposed to be right! This is wrong, this is all wrong! Preferring mermen to mermaids is bad enough, but not a HUMAN! But... Merrick turned around, looking back up at the washing shore, up at the reef. He feels so anxious... He wants to see that human again. Oh, his heart is pulling in his chest, commanding him to seek this human out. To meet him, talk to him, touch him... He... He needs to go back... The red moon is gone, and he needs his trident back. Merrick then turned around, and swam off, back towards the pods of Piscien merfolk.Adam then came up to his grandparents' house, "There you are Adam," The old woman said. She looked him up and down, "What were you doing, boy? You're soaking wet! And where are your thongs, boy?" She queried, noticing Adam's bare, sand-covered feet.
"I was walking by the beach, and a wave got me. It must've pulled my sandals right off." Adam replied.
"Well, go on, wash your feet off with the hose."
"Yes, gramma." He replied as his grandma went back into the house. He went around, and rinsed off his legs with the cold water of the hose. He recently made the decision of moving from Washington to Hawaii; he just arrived on the plane a couple of hours ago, in fact.
When he was finished, Adam came around, where his grandmother was waiting for a towel. He dried his chilled legs off, and stepped into the house.
"So Adam," The elderly woman said, "I understand you need a place to stay, now that you've moved here?"
"Yeah. Is it ok if I stay here for a while until I can find an apartment? Mom and Dad gave me some money to pay for rent until I get a job."
"Yes yes, of course you can stay, but we need to talk. You, me, and your crusty urchin of a granddad-"
"I HEARD THAT!" Came an elderly man's voice. Adam laughed as he walked in with his grandmother.
"So, what's this about?" He asked.
"Well, you know how granddad and I keep talking about retiring in Germany... ?"