"I don't like this." Said Zafrina, as they passed over the border. Melody followed her, heart beating rapidly. Behind was the glowing sands and corals of Atlantica, and now, a dismal unclaimed land lay between them and Neptune's Scar. A long, flat and uninteresting stretch of sand lay spread out for a few metres, marking the edge of the kingdom. Between them and the open water was a vast field of seaweed - like a forest, the seaweed grew a few feet taller than Finn. A rough path had been picked through it between the waving arms of green weed, and several silver fish weaved throughout the leaves.
"As much as I hate to say it, I think we should go through the seaweed." Bay said, from behind. Melody glanced over her shoulder, where the blonde merman floated beside Finn. Finn was gazing into the distance, with an worried expression, and Melody couldn't blame him - she was asking so much of him. "We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves, and the seaweed will provide cover."
"But look at it!" Zafrina protested, looking into the green plants with fear. "Anything could be lurking in there..." After a brief argument, the four merpeople reluctantly entered the seaweed field. Finn was wary, as he followed the others. Up ahead, Bay swam behind Zafrina, who kept her distance. Despite Zafrina's strong objections, the seaweed field was the best way to the border, because ever since their escape from Atlantica, merpeople had been everywhere, out searching. Occasionally, Melody and Zafrina's names were shouted in the distance.
Finn looked over his shoulder, to see Melody at the back, eyes resting on the sea floor. Ever since their escape, she had barely uttered a word. He slowed, until he was closer to her than he was to Zafrina and Bay. "Are you alright? You seem..."
"I'm okay." Melody shrugged off his concerns. "Thinking about home." Where is home? She wondered, briefly, to herself. That reminded her. Melody glanced sideways at Finn. "So... after this is over, what happens to you? Will your kingdom take you back?"
"Oh, I don't know. If we were to get a new ruler, maybe I'd be allowed back in, depending on who it is... but if Nia stays in power, no chance. She's not a very forgiving mermaid." Finn was thinking deeply, sea-green eyes narrowed as he frowned. "I don't belong there. No family... it's not a very cheerful place. I've never really belonged anywhere. I'm not sure where I belong."
"I know how you feel." Melody murmured, eyes downcast.
"Really?" Finn looked and sounded surprised. "A princess doesn't know where she belongs?" Melody nodded in reply. "Where do you actually come from, Melody? I'm not too sure." Her eyes flashed, and she suddenly swam faster.
"How much further until we're in open water, Z?" She asked, casually, trying not to notice Finn's look of puzzlement.
Meanwhile, Bay swam a few feet behind the leading Zafrina. Luckily for him, Finn had had one of Bay's simple black hair ties, so his blonde hair wasn't constantly getting into his face. Bay didn't mind having his hair down, but loosely tying it back was practical for constant swimming. His parents had never been too fussy about cutting their son's hair.
Yasmina and Aramis had been great parents to him. Both renowned and respected warriors, they had been highly prized by Nia. Yasmina was lithe and skilled with all manner of weapons, while Aramis's natural muscular physique had granted him incredible strength. They had been good friends with Finn's mother, so when she had died when they were six, Yasmina and Aramis had raised Finn along with Bay for ten years. What had happened at the end of those ten years? That would haunt Bay forever.
Three or four years ago, both Bay and Finn had been sixteen. A few months before, Yasmina and Aramis had been called away to war in another kingdom, and on this day, the triumphant army had returned. Bay and Finn had waited, watching tired parents returning to their children. They had waited... and waited. So when the final warriors had passed, Bay had begun to follow, sure he had missed them. But then a merman had approached, looking grave.
They had died a warriors' death, apparently. 'Fighting the enemy', 'for their brothers and sisters'. Bay hadn't been able to say goodbye, because the bodies hadn't been retrieved for him. They had been placed into a nearby crevice not unlike Neptune's Scar. He had almost torn his book up in his grief, but Finn had stopped him.
Bay missed Yasmina and Aramis terribly - it was like swimming with half a tail, even three years after their deaths. But then, he had managed to subdue his grief, knowing they wouldn't want him to mourn for too long. He suppressed a sigh, and shook his head, swimming faster for he had fallen behind.
Bay wasn't sure about the journey. Now that they were on their way, he was terrified. Since they had volunteered to go on the post, Bay had been planning to persuade Finn to flee the kingdom with him, because it was such a grim place. Maybe they could head south, to a tropical kingdom, where nobody would judge them for being Nia's former people. Maybe he could find a mermaid, have a real life - no fighting, no training, just living and not having to worry about being attacked by enemies or bullied by Otan. Bay dreaded to think of what would happen, should they be confronted by the merman with the off-center nose. Bay wished he had gone to the underwater club - not to go, but to see Finn punching Otan.
"Here we are - it's thinning out." Zafrina's voice stirred him from his thoughts. He glanced ahead, seeing the graceful flick of her mint-green tail, before it smacked him lightly on the face. He heard her utter an apology, but he wasn't sure as to whether it was intentional or not. What was wrong with her? She had broken him out of the cell, but what was with this treatment?
"Sorry about her." Murmured Melody, swimming past him. "Zafrina just doesn't like strangers." That was an understatement. Zafrina hated their male companions with a burning passion. As the two mermaids went ahead, Bay slowed, to swim alongside Finn.
"Look, I don't know if I like this anymore." He whispered, in worry, about to voice his concern. But then he spotted something on the seaweed roots, glistening gold. He recalled seeing it on Melody's wrist - the braided metal, with the red jewel. "Melody! Did you drop something?" Bay swam down, and picked it up, admiring the detail in the braids. He blinked, thinking for a moment he saw writing in the surface of the gemstone. Melody looked over her shoulder in confusion; but then, as she spotted the bracelet, her light blue eyes suddenly flooded with horror. Bay was distracted from reading the message, for Melody came whizzing toward him, a red and black blur.
"Give me that!" She barged through the seaweed to get to Bay, before she snatched it from his palm, grazing him with her nails as she did. Bay retreated in surprise, shocked at the frantic move; he crashed into Finn, who went flying into the seaweed with a gasp. Bay would have gone to help him, but instead, he was prevented from doing so by the expression on the red-tailed mermaid's face. Her face was almost white.
"Whoa, what's wrong with you?" He asked, staring at her in bewilderment. Her eyes were frantic, darting mostly towards the surface far above, and toward her tail fins. Her fingers trembled as she rushed to put the bracelet back on her wrist.
"Nothing!" Melody insisted, in a high-pitched voice. Ahead, Zafrina appeared from the seaweed.
"What's going on back here?" She demanded, glancing from Melody to Bay with suspicion, while Finn emerged from the side, his hands studded with grit and sand. He flinched, trying to extract the seabed matter from his skin. Melody stared at him, with obvious guilt.
"Nothing, Zafrina. Just... just an accident." Melody then whipped round, and tore ahead. Zafrina abandoned Bay and Finn, chasing after her, for she had swum the wrong way. Bay looked at Finn, who stared back with utter shock.
"What just happened?" Bay asked, in bewilderment. Finn blinked, pausing from extracting the grit from his hand, trying to figure out why Melody had reacted so much over a piece of jewellery.