The Little Merman

by SuntoryAngel

"I have come here to request that my tail be split into legs so that I may not only free my family from this cloud of sorrow but also to attempt to establish a better relationship with those who dwell on land. As I write my name upon this contract, thus establishes a seal that binds us. By my name I validate this contract and seal my voice until the day it is fulfilled!"

4. Chapter 4

Their tails fell still as they exited the current they had been riding, their eyes wide with horror as they gazed out across the desolate seascape. They had been riding it for the last several days under Atem's directional skills, the hours he had spent studying the currents finally paying off as they traveled among various other sea creatures that were migrating or traveling for leisure, and unknowingly causing a rise within the aquatic gossip chain. All had heard of the kingdom that had practically disappeared overnight in the Mediterranean Sea. There had supposedly been no survivors but the sight of their metallic tails and purple hued eyes put those rumors to a screeching halt. Sea turtles, whales, swordfish, they had even caught the attention of a few sharks that had happened to be coasting along.

Atem was at a complete loss for words as his amethyst eyes gazed out across the ruins, the first to approach what would have been the entrance with a light flex of his tail. The environment here was much warmer than he remembered and read about yet he couldn't find anything that resembled any of the places or vegetation that were within his memory. Everything was gone. There was the occasional rock formation that looked as if it had once been a dwelling then there were the ghosts of voices that echoed hauntingly when the water's movement shifted.

Yugi's eyes, which had been scouring every inch of the sandy floor, rose to lock on his brother when they came to a stop before the deteriorated palace they had once called home. The once brightly colored stones and fish that had enchanted them when they were smaller were a pale gray that now nestled within craggy unpolished rock. His older brother by four minutes had slowly sank to the ocean floor when they entered what would have been the extravagant room where audiences were once held, the only thing in one piece was the throne made of gold that housed a stone carving of their father that looked as though it could crumble to dust any second. Several chunks were missing, including most of his face, but their combined memory filled in where areas were lacking. "What could cause all of this?"

"Something that we can't even imagine, I'm sure." Atem's voice was so soft that Yugi almost hadn't heard him. His features turned stoic as he turned to his younger brother. "There may be some clues that could give us a possible lead."