Sea Foam

Lukas watched the sun glint far above him through the waves. His fin danced lazily in the current, his hair lifting and falling to his face. He was supposed to be babysitting, but he knew Peter wouldn't do anything stupid and Emil was too lazy.

He rolled to his stomach and looked over to his brother and nephew. Emil, his brother, was making a fish forget where he was going. The fish kept going in circles. Peter sat beside him laughing hysterically. Lukas rolled his eyes at the two. Instead of using his power to do some good, Emil wasted it on a fish and for Peter's amusement.

He was babysitting because Peter's parents were on a date. And that excluded children. Lukas and Emil's brother, Tino, was Peter's mother. Mermaids were able to change their gender depending on which mermaid was more dominant. As his husband, Berwald was Peter's father.

It was usually newly weds that started their own clan and gathered others to join and make their clan grow. However, unable to leave his parent-less brothers, Tino convinced Berwald to bring the other two into their clan. They were an odd bunch among merfolk, but they were content and happy.

Emil was able to make the fish go in circles with his power of memory. At the age of ten, mermaids would develop a power specific for them. Berwald, as a dominant, was strong. Tino with his oldest brother status was given the power to heal. Lukas and his usual bad temper and attitude was given the power to control other's minds. Emil, as he the youngest

wanted to be left alone was able to erase certain memories. Peter, only eight, had yet to show any signs of powers.

Peter's laughter stopped and Lukas glanced at the two to see what had caused the disturbance. "What is it?"

"Above." Emil said, his head tilted back.

"What about it?" Lukas asked. He looked toward the Surface above the two and saw something floating there.

"It's dark." Came Peter's reply.

Lukas furrowed his brow. "Stay here." He said. He pushed off his rock and swam toward the Surface.

Mermaids tended to avoid the Surface. That's where the humans live. The prey on the mermaids' food and on the mermaids themselves. A few have gone with the humans willingly, only to never be seen again. The most logical assumption is that they have been put on display or eaten. Though there is no law forbidding the mermaids to the Surface, it is highly discouraged.

Yet Lukas found himself swimming farther and farther away from his home to investigate so his brother and nephew would feel safe. He really felt like an idiot at times.

Lukas broke the water slowly, not wanting to stir any human's attention. He swam closer to the dark mass and realized it was a boat. He had heard tales of them. How large things called nets would pull through the water and lift anyone and anything near it to the boat. Anything taken by the net was gone forever.

Hearing splashes behind him, Lukas turned. Peter floated a few feet behind him. Emil was beside him, his eyes wide and mouth open.

"What is that?" Peter asked.

"What are you two doing up here?" Lukas snapped. "I told you to wait!"

"You were taking so long." Peter said, his lips forming a pout. "And we were curious."

"You let him come up here?" Lukas turned and glared at Emil.

"We were curious to see what the dark thing was." Emil replied, returning his brother's glare.

"I told you to wait down there!" Lukas said. He swam closer to Emil, his voice rising.

"Guys." Peter said behind them.

Emil rolled his eyes. "It's not like we're going to die because we left the sea floor, Lukas."

"Guys." Peter said again.

"You don't know that!" Lukas grabbed Emil's shoulders. He wanted to shake him. He wanted to push him down under the water and protect him.

"Lukas!" Peter shouted. He yanked on his uncle's arm.

"What is it Peter?" Lukas turned to glare at the boy, but found a large net surging toward them.

Lukas felt his heart stop. "Get down! Go!" He pushed Peter to Emil's chest then shoved at Emil.

"L-Lukas?" Emil said, swimming backwards.

"Go, Emil!" Lukas could feel the waves from the net getting closer. He swam closer to his family, shoving them down and away from the net.

"Peter!"

Lukas looked farther down into the ocean to find Tino and Berwald swimming frantically to them. Emil turned and pushed Peter to Tino's arms. A small sense of relief fell over Lukas. At least one of them was safe.

Emil took Tino's hand, he was pulled to his oldest brother's side. Emil turned to grab Lukas, but he was already being lifted.

"Brother!" Emil cried. He snatched Lukas's hand. His arm was dangling through the net, his body pressed against the rough lines of the human world.

"Let go!" The trapped merman snapped.

"I won't!" Emil wrapped his fingers around the net and yanked down. "I'll get you out! I'll save you!"

The net rose above the water, taking both mermen with it. Emil began to panic. He had never been out of the ocean before. It was terrifying. His tail flung around wildly as he yanked on Lukas.

The older brother winced and the weight of Emil. The net was rubbing large red marks on his exposed chest. "Emil. Let go before they get you too."

"Lukas! Lukas, I'm sorry!" Emil sobbed.

The older mermaid felt a sharp pain in his heart. His little brother had never had that scared look on his face. Not even when Tino was marrying Berwald. Lukas pulled at Emil's fingers. "Y-you have to let go." He said, voice shaking.

"No! Please Lukas, I can't let them take you!" Emil's fingers fell slowly from the net. They rose higher and higher, the fish above Lukas pushing him against the net painfully.

"Berwald! Grab him!" Lukas shouted.

"No! Lukas!" Emil pressed closer to the net. His face against Lukas's chest. "I can't let you die because of me."

Lukas wrapped an arm around Emil's back, hugging him for the last time. "It's okay."

Emil looked up at his big brother. Tears in his eyes and pain etched into his face. Berwald jumped from the water and took hold of the younger's waist.

"Brother!" Emil shouted as he disappeared back into the ocean.

Lukas let out a shuddering breath. His body as burning from the net. His back being crushed by the pounds of fish above him. His arm was numbing from hanging so long. He turned and wriggled his arm back into the net. He pushed the fish below him, trying to get to the top. He knew the net had to drop sometime and he did not want to be on the bottom of this pile of fish when it did.

"Let 'er go!" A shout sounded.

Panicking, Lukas shoved fish out of his way. He usually felt sorry for the poor creatures, but right now, he was one of them. And it was survival of the fittest.

The net jolted and Lukas bit back a frightened cry. His hair stuck to his cheeks and forehead. He brushed his hair back and kept climbing and pushing. Then the net dropped.

Lukas held back his scream as he fell. His arms flailed around as if to grab something to hold on to. His hands collided with fish. Then his back hit the rough boat. He covered his head as fish slapped against his skin.

He remained curled in on himself until the last fish smacked to the pile. He moved his arms and looked around him. He couldn't see the ocean. His heart pounded in his ears and his chest was beginning to burn.

"Hey! What's that?" Someone shouted.

Lukas flinched and covered his eyes again. He knew he was trembling. He knew he probably looked so pathetic, anyone would take pity on him. But he didn't care. He was so scared. Never before had he felt this way in his life.

He felt a nudge on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to jump away and instead held still. Maybe they would think he was dead and toss him back into the water.

"What is that?" A second voice came.

"I dunno. Looks like a person. But what is he doin' in the middle of the ocean?" The first voice said.

"Is he dead?" Another voice came. "Should we call the captain?"

"Nah. I don't want that moron to get all of the credit if it happens to be a missin' person. We could get some cash." The first voice again.

Lukas was confused. What were they talking about? Cash? What was that? What were they going to do with him?

"Should we see if he is alive first?" The second voice said.

Silence settled around them. "Maybe." First voice said.

Lukas heard scuffling and he felt a thud near his head. He squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to sob, to scream, the throw an arm out and hit the nearest person. Instead, he kept still and fought the trembling of his body.

"What are you three doing?" A new voice came.

"Er. We found this man. We were just seeing if he was okay." Said second voice.

Lukas furrowed his brow. Man? Could they not see his tail? He tried to move his fin and found a heavy weight resting on it. He was hidden by the fish.

"And you didn't call your captain?" More thuds landed near Lukas's head.

"We didn't want to bother ya with something so trifle." Third voice said.

"If there is someone looking for this person, who do you think they'll want to give the award to? Your captain, the prince, or you three idiots? Step away from the body." The last voice said.

Lukas was jolted with more footsteps. He felt someone beside him. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest. Should he lash out? Try to escape? Or would that end with him getting killed?

"Hey, are you alive?" The fourth voice was right beside Lukas's ear.

He tried not to flinch, but his body betrayed him. He shrank away from the man, his eyes squeezing shut.

"So you are alive. Are you hurt? Can you understand me?"

A warm hand was placed on Lukas's shoulder. He tried to still his fearful trembling to no avail.

"If you know what I'm saying, open your eyes." The voice was gentle, though stern. Lukas wanted to resist those orders desperately, but following them could save his life.

Lukas cracked open one eye. The sun blinding him for a moment, then a shadow was in front of him. A man older than Lukas, he guessed, was leaning over him. Messy blond hair, gentle blue eyes and handsome yet sweet features.

"Are you hurt?" The man asked.

Lukas did a quick run through of this body. He still felt the sting from when the fish slapped him, his tail was numb from the mass of fish covering him and his cheek against the rough human boat. He nodded his answer.

"Alright." The man looked up, putting the sun back in Lukas's face. "Get these fish off him! You there," he turned and pointed to a few onlookers behind him. "Gather a blanket, and some bandages."

The orders were carried out swiftly. Though, Lukas felt a sense of fear wash over him again as they began to dig up his tail. He thought about flailing and trying to knock at least one of them down, but there were too many for one mermaid out of water.

"Don't worry. We'll take good care of you. Are you lost or something?" The blond man asked.

Lukas stared at the man above him, unsure if he should answer. He opened his mouth to speak when he heard gasps from near his tail.

"He's a mermaid!"

"A real one?"

"The gods have sent us a sign!"

Lukas flinched and curled his lower body to his chest. He could feel the men closing in on him, sense the hands outstretched to touch him and the smooth scales that lined his body. He began to chant inside his head, willing his magic to make the men go away. However, he didn't feel the usual zap of energy that told him his power was working. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried harder. Nothing. With a horrible pang in his heart, Lukas realized he couldn't do magic outside of the water.

"Don't touch him!" The captain shouted. "He is mine!"

"We found him!" Came first voice's yell.

"Whose boat is this?" The captain said, his voice now dangerous.

Lukas covered his head and just waited for the yelling to stop. He was drying and it made him feel sick.

"It's yours, sir." First voice again

"Exactly. Now back away from the merman." The captain said. He took a step over Lukas.

The blond then found human legs on either side of his body. He felt his breathing increase. He felt closed-in. Cut off from the rest of the world.

After a moment, he was picked up under his arms. He thrashed rapidly, his hands curving into claws, his tail twisting and trying to escape.

"Hey, hey!" the man snapped as he wrestled with Lukas. "Stop or I'll have to tie you up!"

That would probably make it harder to escape. Lukas ceased his thrashing. He, unwillingly, settled against the man's chest. The stuff covering the other man was rough and Lukas felt his skin crawl at the feeling.

"There, now isn't that better?" the man readjusted and brought Lukas's tail from the ground to his elbow. Lukas came face to face with the man and glared. If only his magic still worked.

"Carry on, men!" the blond shouted to the humans.

Lukas resisted the urge to flinch at the harsh noise beside his ear. The water seemed to muffle everything. Where the humans lived everything was twice as loud without water filling one's ears.

The blond man turned and carried Lukas further inside the boat. The merman twisted in the man's arms. The hold on his body became tighter, but Lukas didn't care. He wanted one last look at the ocean before he was killed. Or worse.

The man turned the corner and Lukas lost sight of his home. He felt a lump in his throat and tried to ignore the growing pain in his tail as he man carried him into the bowels of the human vessel.

At last the man stopped. He opened a door and entered what Lukas guessed were his chambers. The man sat Lukas on a strange looking bed. His smile was reassuring, though Lukas felt none of it.

"So can you talk? Can you tell me your name?" the man asked.

Lukas narrowed his eyes into a glare. Did this guy really think they were going to be friends?

"I'm gonna take that as a no." the man eyed Lukas with interest. "Well, I'm Matthias."

The merman continued to stare at the human. Knowing his name didn't change the fact that he was out of the water. No one knew what happened to mermaids out of water, but Lukas could guess that it was bad.

The man continued to talk as Lukas stared blankly, not really listening. Then, as his hair dried and became curly and messy, Lukas became extremely uncomfortable. He shifted on the bed and coughed softly.

Matthias stopped his words. "Is something wrong?"

Lukas shook his head and held up his hand, indicating he was fine. Though he felt the opposite. His tail felt like time he accidentally swam through an underwater geyser. Hot and itchy. He coughed again.

"Hey, something's not right. Just talk to me and I can help." the man placed a hand on Lukas's.

The merman jumped back. It felt like a thousand stings from a jellyfish on his skin. "Don't!"

Matthias stepped back, his hands in the air. Lukas threw him a glare until he was attacked with another wave of pain. He grabbed his fin and let out a cry.

"Let me help you." Matthias tried again. His fingers were light across Lukas's back.

Lukas wanted to slap the human but the pain had become overwhelming. He curled over his fin and clenched his teeth. Then, he felt the scaly texture beneath his fingers change and ripple to smooth. All of a sudden, the pain stopped.

The merman laid on his back and breathed heavily through his mouth. He had no idea what just happened, but he was glad it was over.

"Whoa." Matthias breathed.

Lukas felt a furrow form on his brow. "What?"

"You uh, you have legs." Matthias said.

Lukas sat bolt right. What was the man talking about? He looked down at his fin...which were indeed legs. He felt a pain in his chest as he stared at the pale appendages.

What. The. Hell.

"I didn't know mermaids could do that." Matthias said. He knelt down and touched Lukas's leg.

The merman flinched at the touch, the skin sensitive. "Don't touch me."

"Sorry." Matthias backed off.

Lukas kept staring at his legs. He didn't say anything. Then he felt a tingle from between his legs. His eyes traveled up from where his legs bent to a weird thing thing laying against a meaty part of his leg. "What's that?

"What?" Mathias brought his eyes to where Lukas was looking and a blush erupted on his face.

"Why are you making such a face?" Lukas snapped.

"That's you're, uh. Penis." Mathias said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What is that?" Lukas asked. He was confused as why Mathias was acting the way he was.

"Because you use it for… things." Mathias said.

Lukas rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

"Well I'm glad you can talk. Is there anything else you would like to say?" Mathias asked, his smile said he was excited, but in his eyes, Lukas could see a deeper meaning stir.

"I want to go home." Lukas said.

"That I cannot do." Mathias said, a smirk sneaking its way to his face.

"And why not? What value do I hold to you?" Lukas glared.

"Mermaids are sacred from where I live. We worship them. They bring good luck to our sailors and our fishing. Your beauty is considered unimaginable. Now I believe it. But you see, think of all the admiration I will get upon bringing home a real life mermaid." as Mathias talked, he paced around the small room, his hands moving in strange formations.

"You'll be praised for bringing your people me." Lukas said flatly.

"Exactly!" Mathias said, pointing at Lukas. "They'll love me!"

"Are you not already loved by your people?" Lukas asked. "If I understood your men correctly, you are their leader."

"Yes, I am their prince. Though many don't like me because I was born out of wedlock, that will all change when I become king upon marriage." Mathias stated at Lukas in wonder as he trailed off.

It took Lukas a few seconds, but his glare said it all. "No."

"It's for the good of the people-"

"Your people!" Lukas snapped. "My brothers are below me right now probably carving my name into a rock since they can't give me a proper funeral! Peter must be crying his eyes out, Emil most likely went to hide in a cave and won't ever speak again, Tino is going to blame himself and Berwald will be the only one able to care for any of them, but I'm sure the guilt is eating him alive! But I should marry you so you can be a king!"

Without realizing, Lukas's voice had gotten louder and more frenzied with every word. Tears had pooled in his eyes and began spilling out as he finished his rant. He slumped in on himself and pressed his hands to his face.

"You have a family?" Mathias said after a pregnant pause.

"Of course I do, idiot." Lukas said.

"We were told that mermaids wander on their own. They look for sailors to drown and don't care for anyone."

"You were told wrong." Lukas rubbed his eyes. They were burning. "We travel in clans. Parents and children, sometimes aunts and uncles. When the children marry, they make their own clan."

"Who is in your clan?" Mathias's voice was soft and timid.

Lukas glanced at the human. Was he serious? How face looked solemn. Maybe he did care. "Tino is our oldest brother. He married Berwald, now our leader, and had Peter. He's eight. Then me, and Emil is our youngest brother. He's moody and pouts a lot, but he's my baby." Lukas blushed at the last part and ducked his head.

Mathias rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't realize."

"None of you humans do." Lukas raised a glare to Mathias.

"Were not all the same."

"What have you done different than the rest of them?"

Mathias was silent.

"Exactly." Lukas snapped.

"It's the way my people have been raised for years." Mathias said meekly, "hunting and worshiping mermaids is all we know."

"Maybe it's time for a change. " Lukas replied softly.

"And you are the perfect way to do that!" Mathias suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"We can become friends and show everyone, including your people, that we can live in harmony!" Mathias said excitedly.

"Why do mermaids have to redeem themselves?" Lukas asked, not meeting any of Mathias's enthusiasm.

"For drowning sailors." the human stated matter of factly.

"We only drown because we are hunted!" Lukas said crossly.

The two stared at each other, at a lost of what to do it say. After a few moments of silence, Mathias sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"We can make a peace treaty."

"What's that?" Lukas asked.

"It's a form saying humans will leave mermaids alone if mermaids leave humans alone." Mathias said.

"Like anyone will believe that."

"That's when we come in. We flaunt around being friends and convince everyone that we can coexist together." Mathias explained, his grin returning.

"Do you really think that is going to work?" Lukas sneered.

"It has too!" Mathias said with never-ending enthusiasm.

Lukas sighed. "Fine. But if no one believes us within a full moon rotation, I go home, no exceptions."

"Deal." Mathias gripped their hands together and shook them firmly.