"Erwin! Slow down!"
The older teen called out to the youth swimming ahead of him. His tail blending in with the ocean he swam in.
"OH come on Mike! It's my sixteenth year already! I want to see the above world already!"
Mike grabbed the exited youth's hand, before pulling him to his eye level and resting both hands on the younger teen's shoulders.
"Look Erwin, the above world is great and all, but it also brings about new dangers. Sharks are more tame and predicable then the land walkers."
Erwin sighed heavily, his gills fluttered in the process around his neck. The youth calmed his beating heart and closed his eyes.
"Alright, I promise I'll be careful….and also, STOP DOING THAT!"
Mike gave the youth a hearty laugh, knowing full to well what he was going on about, but played dumb anyways.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Acting like Zoe! That woman scares and fascinates me with all that knowledge up her in head…"
The two teen's kicked their tails, gaining their approach to the surface above. Mike took his big hand and pushed on Erwin's head, knocking the youth back a bit, before Mike propelled forward with a flashing speed. Erwin watched as Mike broke the surface, leaving his sight for a moment, before splashing back down into the waters.
The younger teen looked up at the moving waves, seeing what the land walkers called "the sun" shine down above him. It was almost magical to see something so strange to him. He sucked in a deep breath, before making his own rush up to the surface.
His tail moved hard and fast, pushing him beyond the surface were he seemed to fly out of the water. The strange warmth from the sun, seemed to set his skin on fire, but at the same time felt like the hot air bubbled up from the ground below them. His blue clear eyes, danced over acrossed the endless blue that surrounded him. It all seemed to so much for him to take, before he came crashing back down to the waters below.
Mike was at a fit of laughter, watching as Erwin tried to regain his composer over the image overload he was having at the moment. The younger teen frowned, not to sure what was so funny.
"What?"
Mike had to wipe away his fresh water tears, but his smile remained strong.
"It's nothing really! I'm just glad I was able to see you break the surface like that. Most merfolk take it slow…"
Erwin bellowed out, embarrassed.
"Well I learned it from you! I didn't know I was supposed to take it slow."
Two strong arms wrapped around the younger teen, he turned to glance behind him, but his captor rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Wah! Is Mike picking on poor Erwin again? What's this about not being slow? Mike teaching you how to pick up women early huh?"
"Zoe!"
The teen swam out of her grasp, blushing like mad as the girl crackled away. Mike crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the girl.
"What are you doing here? I thought you had a job to do?"
Zoe rolled her eyes, flicking her fiery tail in the process.
"I finished it three days ago! There was no way in Neptune I was going to miss this! Besides, I have a cool surprise for Erwin!"
She giggled, watching both boys spark interest with her "surprise".
But Zoe raised her finger at Erwin, her smile fell into a deep frown.
"But before we go and see this surprise, you need to look around on the surface world some more."
Erwin nodded, before swimming away from the two, making his way back to the surface. He glanced up at the movement before him, seeing the clear blue sky making his way back to his vision. Mike and Zoe stayed behind, mainly to talk about the "surprise" she had in store for the boy. Mike couldn't help but look sad at, even at the joyous occasion.
The sixteen year old broke the surface again. Taking in the area around him once more, but this time in a slower pace. The blue did go on forever. There was something pulling at his skin, almost like a soft current, but warm and calming. He took a deep breath, taking in the salty smell. Above him, among the sun, were white jelly fish, moving slow within the sky. He let his ears wander, as he heard a strange call. Strange, loud black and white fish flew in the sky, landing softly in the water.
Zoe and Mike popped up, also taking in the air around them. Mike took a deep breath, before relaxing.
"It smells safe."
"You and your smelling!"
Erwin covered his ears, blinking at the two before him.
"You two sound weird….I sound weird!"
Zoe and Mike laughed, causing the youth to lower his hands. He had to get used to that, sound traveled differently underwater then above. Zoe noticed the animal floating near them, she pointed at it, ready to give Erwin the 101 on things above the surface.
"Well look what we have here, a seagull."
"It's a bird. Like a fish, but one that flies."
Mike added. He relaxed, laying on his back in the water, looking up at the blue sky.
"Fly?"
Zoe coaxed the bird to her, the seagull let her grab it, where she made her way over to Erwin.
"They fly in the sky and dance among the clouds."
"Clouds?"
Mike smiled, still glancing up, away from the two. The seagull escaped from Zoe's hands, flying away and vanishing in the distance. Mike's eyes followed the bird, even long after it was gone.
"How lucky that bird is to fly like that."
Zoe glanced away, in a different direction. Her eyes held out to a black spot on the surface of the sea. Her smile grew as she spun around to grab Erwin.
"Come, the surprise is just yonder!"
Mike got off his back and looked in Zoe's direction, before scoffing.
"Yonder my fin! There is no way we'd make it before sunset!"
"Sunset? What are we looking at again?"
Erwin glanced out on the horizon, seeing a black dot bob up and down. He wasn't sure what it was, but he could tell it was big.
Zoe swam around in a circle, letting her excitement take the best of her.
"It's a fishing ship! So that means there will be human's on this ship!"
Erwin smiled, before looking over at a grim Mike. He let his own face fall in the process.
"Zoe, do you think it is best for him to see humans at this moment in time? Why not a Queen's ship? They are less likely to see us…if you know what I mean?"
Erwin took charge, not wanting to lose this chance.
"I want to see the human's Mike! Zoe here is willing to show me! I told you I promised to be careful!"
Zoe latched onto Erwin.
"Look, how can you say no to a face like this?"
Mike sighed, giving in to the two idiots before him.
"Fine, but we lay low and if we get seen, swim deep and away."
The two jumped on Mike, pushing him down under the surface. Mike couldn't help but break into a laughter. After all, it's not everyday someone he knows turns 16.
888888
The three merteens hid beneath the surface of the water. The sky had changed color, making Erwin wanting to look at humans another day and explore the changing world before him. But he was here and the time was now to see the humans. If he didn't, he wouldn't hear the end of it from either Mike or Zoe.
"Now, don't make any noise. If you do, you will grab their attention, we do not want that."
Mike glanced over at both Zoe and Erwin. Zoe's cheerful smile wasn't plastered on her face, she just nodded before answering back.
"Same goes for you, buzz kill."
Erwin snickered, having his heart pumping so hard, he was afraid it was going to give away their location to the human's whom worked above. Mike pushed Erwin under the hull of the ship, pointing over to draped fishnets that danced in the water.
"Stay away from those. You can easily get caught and the rope is hard to cut."
"OK…"
Mike and Zoe were not lying when it came to humans. It seemed like everything they did was out to hurt someone or something, intentional or not. He was now not wanting to even glance at the land walkers anymore.
Zoe swam down to them, pulling the youth towards the tip of the ship. The three broke the surface, being silent like the sharks that shared the ocean with them. Their eyes glanced up at the strange vessel.
Erwin had seen a few before, but they had long been sunk by sea storms or merfolk whom deemed the ship deadly. It was almost hard for him to believe something so big and heavy looking, could float on the water's surface without sinking to the dark deep.
The three made their way over, grabbing the ropes that lay over the edge of the railing and murged with the water. The youth pulled himself up, feeling the power build in his arms as he made his way up the rope. He became self-aware, the out of the water, he was just as heavy as a rock.
Mike was able to make it to the deck hole, where he latched his arms around the railing. Zoe was close behind him, with Erwin making the tail end of the group. Mike reached down and pulled Erwin up, bringing the youth to a railing he could hold onto.
The three looked around the fishing ship, watching as a few land walkers worked about on the ship. Erwin didn't see much to it. The humans almost looked like them, but instead of a fin, had two strange sticks to walk on. He didn't see them as scary at all.
The shadows danced alone the ship, given life by the torches one of the sailors lit. The flickering made the whole experience much more magical. To the left of the group, a whistle escaped from the lips of one of the men. He was strongly built, his face scared from the exposure to the sun. It almost made him terrifying and it would have been too, if he wasn't whistling such a soft song.
The lone whistle among the soft clashing waves was a lullaby to both the crew and the hidden merfolk that listened among them.
Erwin closed his eyes to listen to it, taking in the feel of the warm air changing over to cool on his flesh. It felt like something he could get used to.
How quickly something can change in an instant when a nasty growl was heard. Erwin opened his eyes in shock and looked out at the offending noise. The whistling stopped and the men started to clamor at their dogs warning. The beast before the trio lowered its head and stared down at them, charging forward with a mighty roar. Mike yanked both Zoe and Erwin with him, back to the waters below. The beast came with them.
The trio was scattered when the dark monster dove in. It wasn't long before Erwin got tangled up in the fishing net he was to avoid. His inexperience in the situation was hindering his escape, only to cause him to panic more and hold him in place.
The beast swam away from him, not being able to hold its breath to case him any longer. One problem solved, but now he had to escape the ropes that held him. His mind started to panic when the net that held him, was being pulled to the surface. In an instant, Mike and Zoe were by his side.
"Don't let them take me!"
Zoe pulled Erwin towards her, while Mike started to cut away at the net. It seemed like with every cut, the faster the tugging of the net became. Mike smiled, cutting the last strand, before pushing Erwin out of the nets reach.
The trio set off to escape deeper into the dark waters, but something silver came shooting at them at a speed Erwin didn't know was possible. Mike took most of his speed and pushed the boy away, taking the hit that would have ended the merboys life.
Red filled the water. Zoe yelled at the sight, while Erwin rushed forward for his impaled friend. Mike held onto the cold harpoon, trying to fight away the shock of being ran through from his back to his stomach.
"Mike!"
Erwin looked at the metal object, trying to figure out how to get him out of it. Mike knew better, there was no escape. Zoe swam forward pulling Erwin away. The line that held the harpoon started to drag the older teen away, causing more blood to pool in the water.
"Zoe, get out of here now. Both of you. The sharks will come."
She looked at Mike, with tears running down her face, knowing there was no help for him. Erwin yelled.
"There's no way we are leaving you here!"
Zoe pushed Erwin deeper into the water, as Mike got yanked up to the surface. Erwin reached out, horrified by what he was witnessing.
"MIKE!"
Erwin didn't fight back against Zoe's mad thrust into the deep. He was too shocked to do anything but look up at the fading blood. The looming ship vanished from his sight. All that was left in the darkness that he could see, was his tears floating up towards the surface of an endless blue.
tbc