A bit of that soulmate singing will come into play here.

…xXx…

Vash made sure the worn cotton was lassoed tight around him and his sister, tying thick knots off to the side. Her sleeping form was still clinging to him, arms tucked between them as her tiny webbed hands grasped at his pelvic fins. Sunlight was just peeking in through the entrance to their den, illuminating the mossy bed and sandy walls.

He'd been disturbed late last night by the neighboring pod's patriarch, Diedrich. The hulking male told him that all the nearby pods were being summoned to the Great Alcazar—a sunken fortress ran by one of the largest families. Usually he stayed out of the way of the others, doing his best to just defend his own peaceful area and ignore everyone else; but the way the merman had spoke left little room for argument. Vash was in charge of his own pod—even if it was just him and his sister—and had lived peacefully beside the Sapphire Cavern's territory for many seasons now with no problems. He respected the older male and knew he wouldn't seek him out unless it was something important.

So he prepared for them to leave, carefully attaching a large pouch of spare food to his side. It was just some clumps of sweet sea moss, grass, and some oysters, but it would have to do. The green spotted merman had no idea what sort of food would be available along the way to the alcazar, or if he would even have time to hunt. He'd been there a few times in his youth and only remembered the long distance and rough waters.

His sister burbled in her sleep and nuzzled her face into the warmth of his belly. Vash refused to wake her, wanting the small mermaid to get as much sleep as possible. It was bound to be a taxing day for the both of them, especially her since she had never left their territory before.

Petting her soft hair, he allowed himself a minute smile.

Yes. He would work hard today to keep them safe and to reach their destination in a timely manner! Grabbing his spear and slipping it through one of the cloth ties on his back, he left with the hope of arriving before nightfall.

Poking his head out of the den entrance, he cautiously parted the wall of kelp and peered around. A curious crab scurried by his nose and a lone cuttlefish drifted by to his right. The coast was clear.

Vash gently nudged the kelp out of his way as he headed south. He stayed low to the ground, keeping him and his sister mostly obscured in the thick grass that made up his home.

The water glowed soft orange around them from the morning sun, streams of bright yellow light just beginning to filter through. The emerald merman kept his eyes peeled for danger, scavenging any extra oysters and shrimp he found along his way. He snacked on a few and added the rest to his pouch.

He froze a moment when he heard soft clicks and yawps coming from in front of him, and he ducked into a thick clump of kelp quickly. Vash held onto his snoozing sister with one arm and reached for his spear with the other. Perhaps it was the cavern pod crossing through his territory. While that thought ticked him off just a bit, it made sense. He doubted the other pod would want to go all the way around the shallows just to get to the alcazar.

Still, he'd prefer not to run into them. While he knew Diedrich, vaguely, the others were still complete strangers to him. Not to mention the Sapphire Cavern pod outnumbered him greatly, eleven to two—tied in numbers only with those from the Great Alcazar and the Bottomless Valley. If they tried anything it would surely spell the death for him and his precious sister, regardless of how hard he fought.

That thought kept him hidden until the clicking pod passed him by.

Vash relaxed after several moments of quiet and began to swim again. He knew they were all heading the same way, and while safety in numbers was tempting the merman would continue to just follow at a distance.

It wasn't long before he hid into another kelp cluster again, this time upon hearing a cry of distress from further ahead. A strong scent of blood hit is nostrils and he prickled, not hesitating to grab his spear this time.

Did one of the others get attacked?

Surely there were some sharks in the area, but they usually weren't so eager to attack large groups of his kind. Most of them were peaceful scavengers and even avoided him the majority of the time.

A sense of duty filled him and he swiftly dashed out into the open, spear at the ready. If he could help then he would, it was his territory after all. He wasn't about to allow anyone to be harmed without his say so.

His sister grunted in her sleep, her fingers curling around his pelvic fins a bit tighter unconsciously. The merman slowed his speed a small bit so as not to jostle her so much. As he followed the scent of blood and cries of help he began to look around for a nest of moss and grass to hide her in. If he was to be fighting he wanted her to be safely out of the way.

Just as he found a particularly dense bush to stash her in, he heard a soft singing float through the water towards him.

Gentle somber, melodic tones echoed all around him and froze him to the spot. There was such pain, such anguish, such splendor in the simple notes; and he'd never heard anything so beautiful in his entire life. The voice sounded so . . . so ethereal as it flowed through the waves, and he could have sworn he felt it flow through him, too.

The cadence completely resonated in his bones and seized his lungs. His vision went white, blood racing, and he could have sworn his scales pulsed with heat.

Oh, what was that singing?

His body was not his own as he slowly began to paddle again.

Despite the voice in the back of his mind warning him, Vash couldn't help but glide forward the last few meters before emerging into a small clearing.

A fascinating sight greeted him.

A fellow merman sat on top of a large granite rock in the center of the clearing, his tail curled under him and around the glittering stone. His tail was very long and slender, easily longer than Vash's own, and shaped something akin to an eels; with a dorsal fin all down his spine connecting with his tailfin and wrapped around to his underbelly. The appendage was a deep amethyst in color with a silver underbelly, and a slight iridescent sheen over the scales that also shimmered across the pale skin of his torso. His two pelvic fins and tailfin were elongated and faintly wavy, curling through the water delicately. The tips and the gills along his ribs looked dipped in silver.

Certainly, the male was attractive, but that didn't explain the inexplicable pull he felt towards him. Or why it felt like every nerve in his body was buzzing like a school of herring beneath his skin just by looking at him.

Short, dark brown hair waved atop the other male's head and over his ears. Eyes matching the color of his scales gazed out across the placid grassland. The merman's face was smooth with a sharp nose and jaw, a small blemish beneath his thin lips. A darker mauve cloth was tied around his waist, several pouches attached to it. He also spied a carved bone dagger resting behind one of his pelvic fins.

Vash's senses came crashing back to him once the violet male ceased his singing.

His body sagged a bit with relief as he was released from the mysterious hold that song had on him, but for just an instant—a microscopic second he almost refused to acknowledge—his insides felt hollow. Empty. A feeling of needing to hear that voice again flashed through him, and he fought to suppress it.

Blinking the white out of the corners of his vision, it took Vash a long moment to realize why the singing had stopped.

He'd been spotted. Of course he had.

Vash was close enough to the rock to touch its rough surface—close enough to touch him—blatantly staring up at the other merman. It was a surprise the male only just noticed him, and indeed the other looked quite surprised.

His sister nestling into his belly some more and babbling something in her sleep seemed to draw both males' attentions.

Vash immediately spun around, darting to the edge of the clearing and into the grass. What was he doing?! How could he bring his sister that close to possible danger? He held her small form firmly against him and only poked his head back through the grass, effectively keeping the rest of him and the youngling concealed.

He raised his spear up almost as an afterthought. Strange males tended not to be too kind to young pups, especially ones from rival pods—and this merman was definitely not a part of his pod, if he had one at all. Lone bachelors were even more dangerous. The indigo male had his gaze fixed intently upon the two siblings, but made no move for his dagger.

The two just stared at each other for several long minutes, unsure who should move or speak first.

Eventually Vash picked up the scent of blood again, a bit stronger than before. He glanced around, pinpointing the smell on the other merman, but was unable to see any blood around him. He looked to his arms, which looked hastily bandaged, and made the connection. What was the other still doing in the same place when he'd been injured? They should leave the area immediately before the wounds drew any attention.

Hmm. They?

His mind seemed to be made up before he even had a chance to debate over it. Gesturing with his spear, Vash dared to drift back into the clearing and finally spoke up. "Are you injured?" He knew he was, but he asked nonetheless.

The other almost seemed shocked that he'd spoken. He held up his arms slowly, gingerly rubbing one of the bandaged areas. "It seems that I am."

Oh. No. There was no reason for his voice to be just as serene and charming as his singing. He fought back the flutter in his throat.

Vash clucked his tongue and lowered his spear, noticing the other relax when he did so. He swam closer.

"Shark?"

"Rock."

His answer, added to the way the violet male pointed down at the boulder he was resting upon, managed to make the green merman snort in amusement. How intimidating.

Relieved that the merman still didn't reach for his dagger, Vash dared to float up to eye level. He turned his body to the side, keeping his sister away as much as possible. With just a few feet between them now, he held his spear in front of the young mermaid as a guard. Just in case.

Vash glanced around once more, trying to see any signs of a pod hiding in the grass around them—ready to ambush.

"Where is your pod?" he asked, eying the other suspiciously.

The purple male stiffened, several low growls and snaps erupting from his throat.

The noises ceased almost immediately as Vash bared his teeth in warning, raising his weapon up again. At first the green merman back away, thinking he'd somehow provoked the rogue male. He wouldn't tolerate any sudden violence from this injured stranger—not in his territory and not this close to his sister. But he was quick to notice that the merman's anger was not directed at him.

The iridescent male rolled his shoulders and looked down at the space between them, pouting much like a young pup would.

"They left me here."

Oh.

Vash carefully sheathed his spear, finally deciding that the other male meant him no harm. If anything, the violet merman looked more upset with himself and his pod—with good reason. A close family pod rarely ever broke up unless there was some sort of power struggle. Maybe something like that had happened.

Glittering webbed hands petted down mauve and silver flowing fins, giving away just how agitated the other male really was.

Green eyes glanced to the bandaged arms again. Could he really have hurt himself on a rock, or had he been injured by infighting?

The other seemed to sense his distrust, speaking up once more with quick and concise chirps. "Don't worry; I'm not going to attack you. I'm not interested and I don't have the energy to, anyway." Vash didn't miss how the merman's gaze was trained intently on him now, trying to slyly get a peek at the youngling strapped to his belly.

"Why would your family leave you behind?" The green merman tried to distract him with the question, hoping he wouldn't notice him turning his body ever so slightly away to keep his sister hidden.

Sharp eyes became even sharper, mouth grimacing. "They wouldn't wait for me. I fell behind, and no matter how much I called out none of those brutes slowed down. It's cruel, if you ask me." Vash could have sworn the grown male was whining. Bloody whining. He snorted again, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes At least his explanation cleared up all of those cries of distress he'd heard earlier. The violet merman huffed as he continued in a saddened tone. "I was singing with the hopes that someone would hear me and return, but I suppose not."

Vash couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine at the mention of the other's singing. Seriously, what was up with that? "Are you from the caverns, then?" He adjusted his arms to wrap around his sister's shoulders, changing the subject.

The violet male nodded. He stopped craning his neck once he picked up on how the emerald merman's body language was practically screaming, There's nothing to see here! Definitely not a young pup hidden behind my belly, no, no, no—so please look anywhere else! He relaxed back into a reclining position, lying across the top of the rock on his side to try and appear nonthreatening. Perching his head in his hand, amethyst eyes met his curiously.

"Do you know how to reach the shipping graveyard?"

Vash blinked at him, confused by the sudden question. "Which one?"

"The southern one. It's where my pod said they were headed."

So they were on their way to the alcazar.

"Just keep heading that way until you reach the drop off." The emerald merman tilted his head and waved his hand to the side. "You should see the first few ships a little ways past that."

The other followed his gaze, face scrunching in concentration. He seemed to be debating something.

Vash himself was toying with an idea of his own. He was already headed in that direction, so . . . what would it hurt for the other to tag along with him?

That thought was a dangerous one. He didn't know this male, and couldn't tell if he was lying to him or not. Not to mention he was bleeding and Vash was getting more and more anxious to get his sister as far away from the scent of blood as possible.

On the other hand . . . the purple merman was injured. Left behind by his pod in a strange territory, and he didn't seem to have a sense of direction at all. Why else would he not think just to head south to get to the southern shipping graveyard?

So how could he just leave him?

Vash was just about to voice his decision when small hands rubbed against him. He looked down to see his little sister yawn and blink against the bright sunlight filtering through the water around them. Sparing a quick glance to his fellow male, the merman turned his back on him and swam towards the edge of the clearing. He untied the knots on the cotton cloth to allow the young mermaid to wiggle out of them. She gave a cooed good morning and nuzzled up under his chin, still sleepy. He brushed her soft yellow hair out of her face and reached for the bag of food on his hip.

"Hungry?"

"Hmm . . ." Her little body went stiff as she spotted the other male over his shoulder. She swiftly ducked down to hide behind his chest, staring up at him in panic. "Brother!"

"I know." He sighed, glancing over his shoulder back at the violet merman—who was fully laying on his stomach atop the rock now, head in his hands, tail curling through the water around him gracefully. Amethyst eyes were intent on catching a glimpse of the youngling.

Vash turned his attention back to soothing his sister. He patted her cheek and placed an oyster in one of her hands. Placing the bag of food on the sand between them, he pushed her back ever so slightly to float in the safety of the seagrass. He gave her a stern look that said, Stay here, and made his way back over towards the other male.

The indigo merman rose up on his elbows in interest, quirking an eyebrow.

Vash reached out for one of the bandaged arms, noting that the male let him without any hesitation. Easily unwrapping the dark material, he hissed at the deep scratches underneath that blood continued to seep from. Why hadn't the male treated these yet? Perhaps he was hoping his pod would have returned for him by then and helped him.

"Is she your pup?"

Vash glided over to the grass line again, definitely not running away from that smooth voice and face. He just needed to pick some strands to use, searching for the thickest ones. "She's my sister. But yes, she's mine to care for."

"You look just like her."

Huh. How observant. Vash really fought to suppress his chuckle.

He and his sister's tails were nearly identical, resembling that of the calm leopard sharks in the area in shape. Their pale skin and golden hair matched, as well; also with their eyes, though his sister's were a tad lighter in color. Along with her tail which was a pretty seafoam green with white spots and the occasional jade ring. His, on the other hand, was much darker. His scales matched his eyes in the intensity of the emerald shades and much deeper seaweed colored rings dotted down his fin. He still had a few white speckles as well, a dappling which hid them both perfectly among the meadow surface. And while the violet merman's tail was at least half a length longer than his own, he was built for power and endurance.

The biggest difference for him, however, was that his skin and scales were marred by multiple scars and his sister wasn't. Thankfully.

"That makes sense, though, doesn't it?" He tsked his tongue, piping up once more. "Of course she looks like me."

"Indeed. A lot like you."

"Your point?"

"She's cute."

Wait. What. Vash snapped his head back to stare at the male, the question clear in his emerald eyes, but the other was currently paying him no mind. He was cleaning out the wounds on his arms, removing small pebbles and sand from the cuts by sucking and picking them out with the occasional wince.

Vash couldn't help his nervous grunt, getting a strange vibe from the other. He busied himself with plucking a few more pieces of grass and waded his way back over to the rock. A quick look assured him that his sister was still hidden at the edge of the clearing, face peering out and hands darting into the bag of food as she ate her fill for the morning. As he broke up the strands of grass to make them softer he kept a wary eye out over the grasslands around them. Nothing more than a small bale of sea turtles and the masses of several colorful schools of fish swam around them. Good.

Once the grass was soft enough, Vash leaned down to wrap the strands firmly over the wounds. They had finally started to stop bleeding and he kept pressure on them until there was no more red clouding the water. He tied the wine color strips of cloth back over them to keep the grass in place and moved to do the same on the other arm.

"Thank you." The purple merman gave a blithe hum of relief, eyes fixed upon him yet again.

The green merman ducked his head in an attempt to avoid that deep gaze, hoping his cheeks weren't red. Gratitude was unnecessary. This was about survival, after all.

Peeking up, he saw that those stony eyes were now looking past him, crinkling in amusement. He felt the water displace beside him and he looked over his shoulder to see his sister floating beside him, her tiny hands gripping the bag of food tightly. He bristled; slightly miffed that she didn't stay put like he told her to. But the way she huddled close to him and grabbed one of his pelvic fins made him soften almost immediately.

And he supposed that she'd have to come out of hiding eventually if they were to be swimming with the other male. Even though that bizarre creeping feeling was crawling around the back of his head, Vash went ahead and made his offer. "Would you like to travel with us?"

The other looked confused, and rightfully so. Vash hurried on to explain, "We're headed in the same direction, towards the Grand Alcazar. Diedrich informed me last night that he was also having his pod travel there." Amethyst eyes lit up at the mention of the large male. "So, since we're going there anyway, you're welcome to tag along."

The mauve male was silent for a moment, wide eyed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Vash began nervously toying with his hair and smoothing down his stomach.

He jumped in surprise when the other merman suddenly trilled in delight, pushing off of the rock. The long violet tail completely encircled them as the male swam around the siblings in eager loops. Even his sister seemed caught up in the excitement, cheeping and tail waving with the merman's infectious enthusiasm.

"Oh my!" He slowed and faced the green spotted merman again, warbling his thanks. "How very kind of you. I must admit, I was dreadfully afraid of being stuck here on this rock all day until my family returned, but it seems that fate is with me."

Vash did roll his eyes then, unable to stop his amused chirp. Fate. How silly could this stranger be? But he couldn't bring himself to feel any regret as the other's face lit up with a genuine smile.

…xXx…

Vash - Switzerland
Lilli - Liechtenstein
Diedrich - Germania

Ohhh snap the two boys meet ohoho~

Diedrich is Germania. He doesn't have an official name yet so I picked this one, as it means "ruler of the people" and I thought it was fitting. He's not in too many stories with all his children and I wanted to show him being a doting strong daddy merman!