Note: This is broken into three parts (kinda). The first part is from Steven's POV. The second is Jasper's then the pods. I'm trying to portray that this is all happening at the same time so it mite be a bit confusing and I'm sorry. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Hymning is the first thing Steven's mind registered. The second was the feeling of being moved. There was a soft purring sound in his ear and it took longer then he realized to register it as an engine. He groaned a bit and found a gentle hand on his head.
"Steven?" His aunt Bella's voice was gentle in his ringing ears "Steven can you hear me?"
"Is he still breathing?" Yevette sounded further away but still close.
"I can't believe you did that." Bella gently snapped.
"You were going to lose your grip on him."
"You could have killed him!"
"I had to do something!"
"There was an easier way Yevette."
"And what would of happened if that Guardian managed to get a hold of him? How bout that Siren?"
"If they were going to hurt him they would of done it." Bella snapped "There was more then enough water to kill him in that pool."
"Are you seriously defending them?"
"I know who that Siren is. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"She killed two of my men."
"It was self-defense."
"Bella."
Steven groaned as he raised his hands to his eyes for a moment. It was uncommon to hear his aunts fighting and he was more surprised about what they were fighting about then the actual fighting itself. They clearly knew what Pearl and Jasper were and it just raised so many more questions in his head.
"Steven!"
"See he is fine."
'I can't believe you sometimes' Bella clicked out harshly which made Steven twitch a bit as he sat up.
"Where am I?" Steven asked as he looked around. From here he could see he was sitting in a big SUV. There was a half wall separating the driver and passenger seats from the rest of the car. Yevette was siting in a seat in-front of him, Bella was sitting behind him and moved up as Steven righted himself. "Where's Connie?"
"Your friend is still asleep." Bella said glancing behind herself. The worried look on her nephews face had her speak quickly "She isn't dead Steven. Your aunt here just can't control her temper sometimes."
"I can control my temper perfectly fine." Yevette growled out. "It's when you don't listen is where I have the problem."
Steven looked over the seat at Connie. She still wasn't moving. She did look just asleep but a little rough for wear. She was also not in her cloths anymore. She was in one of her aunts big shirts. He looked confused and when he looked at Bella she gently touched his arm.
"We didn't want her to get sick form her wet cloths so I put one of my shirts on her." Bella said gently before looking up at Yevette. Steven followed her gaze as the SUV started to slow. "Turn around and sit proper Steven."
As he did what he was told he caught the look Bella was giving him. She had a surprised look followed by a slightly worried one. She glanced at her wife to see her talking to the driver. As the SUV came to a stop she leaned close to her nephew.
'Don't let your aunt Whinney see this' Bella clicked as quietly as she could in Steven's ear.
Steven got nervous as Bella touched his ear with the shell in it gently before dropping her hand and taking his. She didn't give him a second look as the doors were opened and she pulled him out. Steven asked about his friend and the mermaids but just got shushed by Bella.
Outside the SUV Steven could see they were at some type of high tech wear-house. It was right on a cliff side and Steven could hear the ocean far off in the distance. Yevette followed them out of the SUV and pulled Connie out as well. She held the sleeping girl in one arm and stood next to her wife while addressing her nephew.
"Now Steven, while your here you can't wonder around the building without Bella with you ok?"
"Wheres my friends?" Steven asked looking around his aunts "Are you going to hurt them?"
"There not your friends Steven." Yevette said turning as they all watched the big tanker truck rumble up to the building "And they won't be hurt if they don't fight."
Watching the truck back up sent an impending doom feeling into Steven's chest. Yevette backed him and her wife up as several dozen men came out of the building. They all got in a semi circle around the back of the truck as it backed right up in line with two big bay doors. There was alot of shouting and yelling as the truck came to a hard stop and the breaks hissed. The tanker itself was rocking ever so slightly back and forth as people went this way and that. Steven new all this noise and commotion was already too much for the aquatics inside the tanker. The rocking, from what he could guess, was happening because of it's cargo. Steven knew he needed to help, he just didn't know how.
"S-Stop!" Steven yelled "Your scarring them!"
"What?" Bella said.
"Steven don't be ridiculous." Yevette said rolling her eyes.
"No! Loud noises and lights bother them!" Steven yelled looking at the tanker "Tell them to stop!"
"What are you talking about?" Yevette said looking down at Steven.
"You know there mermaids." Steven said getting a surprised look from Yevette but not Bella "There going to fight if you keep scarring them."
"They wouldn't do something so dumb." Yevette snapped.
"There cornered away from the sea around enemy's." Bella said softly to her wife "The Guardian will fight until either we lose or she does."
"Let me talk to them!" Steven slipped past Yevette and ran at the side of the truck "They'll listen to me!"
Both of his aunts yelled after him as he ran at the truck. Steven zig-zaged through the men causing a few to pause and stumble as to not fall over him. As Steven got close to the tanker he could hear his aunt coming up behind him quickly. He could also hear muffled growling from inside the tanker.
"Guys!" Steven said placing his hands on the side of the tanker hard, trying to make noise to get there attention from out here. "Can you hear me?!" He herd a muffled voice say his name and the feeling of tapping over his hands from the inside of the tanker. "Guys, don't fight! They won't hurt you if you don't fight!" Steven could feel his aunts presence appear behind his back and he started tapping on the tanker, talking quickly "I'll find you! I promise!"
"That's enough!" Yevette snapped grabbing Steven by the arm and yanking him away from the tanker.
All Steven could do was yell at them to not fight. As Yevette pulled him away he could hear his name being yelled from inside the tanker and more tapping. He didn't fight his aunt as she yanked him back over to Bella, who was holding Connie in her arms.
"Follow her inside and so help me if you don't listen Steven." Yevette couldn't even finish her threat as she roughly half shoved half through her nephew towards her wife. Steven just stood quiet as she turned back to the tank "Let the water out!"
Steven stood right next to Bella's leg as he watched. The men surrounded the tanker and three came forward and got onto there knees. Steven couldn't see fully what they were doing but the tanker soon shuttered for a moment before water started poring out of the bottom of it. The more water pored out the more clicking and growling could be heard in the air. As the water started to trickle back down the road the truck came in on, from where Steven was standing, the back of the tanker came away from the rest of the truck. It hit the ground with a thud and Yevette took a few steps up, fully blocking Steven's view. As she started to speak Bella got Steven's attention.
"Let's get your friend inside and looked at." Bella said gently taking Steven's hand. She could see the worry on his face as he looked at his friend but also the worry when looking back towards the tanker. "They won't fight Steven."
"How do you know?" He asked.
"Trust me." Bell said with a smile.
Steven took a breath as he squeezed his aunts hand. He didn't fight her as she started to guild him towards the double doors that were wide open. There was a slight clicking sound and a fierce growling one going on behind him and the only thing he could see was Jasper looking right at him then wildly around at everyone after he was shuffled past a few people. The only thing he could do for them now was give her a pleading look, begging her not to fight.
Bella took him and Connie into the building and only a few steps past the doors they came through before stopping. Looking up Steven could see the conflict in his aunts eyes. She kept looking at the open doors and shuffling from foot to foot slightly.
"They won't fight." Steven said gently tugging on her hand "But can we wait for them?" She looked down at her nephew "They won't fight if they see me and Connie are ok."
"Are you sure?" Steven nodded "How do you know?"
He smiled up at her with such confidence in his eyes "They promised."
Jasper was pissed. She wasn't able to move but was fully conscious as multiple men grabbed her off the car-wash floor. They half carried, half dragged her to the tanker out front. It took all the remaining men to pick her smoking form up and toss her into the tanker. It wasn't that they were weak in any sense of the word, she was just so big. Moving a being of almost pure muscle was no easy feat for any person.
Once she hit the water she took a deep breath. Her fin came and her body started to rapid heal itself. As a Guardian, when in full combat or threatened and in defense, Jasper had the unique ability to rapidly heal herself of any physically damage. After the battle Guardians would be out of fighting commission for a few hours but it usually gave them the boost they needed to win or defend. Right now it was purely for self preservation. She didn't like it but the amount of electricity that hit her was near fatal.
She groaned as a flash of blue covered her vision. The sound of a latch hitting and locking shut vibrated the tank and made her head swim for a few moments as her muscles tensed on reflex.
"Jasper?"
"Sapphire?" The Guardian focused to see the small aquatic hovering over her, her hands holding her face. She was trying to move but the smaller shushed her and told her to stay still. "Why are you here?"
"We were coming to find you and Pearl." Sapphire said "Bismuth let us out and-"
"She did't hurt any of you?" Sapphire had to smile at the Guardians words. Even fried like a jellyfishes next meal she was still ready to defend and protect. So one track minded that it was touching in this moment.
"No, no she helped us get all the way here, just off the coast in that sunken ship we passed by when we were called." The Reader said helping Jasper float up to a more orientated position. As she did however the tanker shuttered and the water moved as the feeling of vibration moved through the tank. The bigger aquatic flailed for a moment with Sapphire waving her hand "Take a breath. This thing were in is moving."
"Moving?" Jasper asked confused. "Moving where?"
"I'm not sure." Sapphire said "I can't put any runes on the walls of this structure for orientation but I can feel the others pulling for me. There looking for me and I'm trying to pull back but I have no central point to anchor too."
Jasper huffed but before she could ask anything else she felt herself shatter a bit inside. Pushing past Sapphire, as gently as she could, she reached out and grabbed Pearl. She was limp as Jasper pulled her companion to her. Sapphire was trying to talk to her but Jasper wasn't listening. She was running her hands over different spots on Pearl's form. Listening to her heart, pulling on there connection, feeling her being her energy. Panic was creeping up into her chest.
"Jasper. Jasper listening to me." Sapphire forced the Guardian to look her in the eye. "Calm down, she isn't dead." Jasper looked a bit broken as she looked back down at the smaller's sleeping face "Your still talking right? She formed her tail hasn't she? You can feel her connection stronger then I can so you know she is still alive."
"She isn't moving."
"I know."
"She isn't-"
"Jasper. We need to focus on our current situation. What happened to you two?" Sapphire cut off the Guardian's spiraling thoughts and tried to get her to focus. It was difficult. When a mermaids companion was hurt, they would spiral down a dark thought process. Worried if they were going to live or not, if they were going to come back, ect. Losing there companion to death would be a following sentence to the other. They would just give up on everything and fade away to nothing or swim off to never be seen again. It was not only devastating to the one who lost there other half but the pod who lost two in turn. This was one of the main driving forces to keep there companions safe. Sapphire had seen one two many pairs end up like this, one losing the other. Breaking these thoughts were hard but not impossible. "She is still alive and breathing. She is going to be ok but only if you focus for me. We don't figure out this situation none of us will make it out alive."
"Focus." Jasper nodded pulling Pearl close to her chest and holding her tight "Right. Focus."
"How did you guys get caught?" Sapphire said.
"After you sent me out of the cave I ended up at the lagoon. Found her very quickly along with Steven and Greg and a small shifter child thing."
"A shifter?"
"A descendant of Pepper."
"She's alive?"
"Not the point."
"Right."
"They took us back to there safe place, which lacked water and was terrible by the way, then we were found by the ones who started that damn war and now were here."
"What did they do to you both?" Sapphire asked reaching out and brushing some of Pearl's hair from her face. It was straight self restraint that she didn't lash out and break the smaller's hand clean off. She was in almost full protection mode in her head and it was just pure power of will she wasn't fully breaking the hell out of the tanker and everything around her. Right now, everything and anything was a threat to her and her companion and she was ready to defend her at any cost. "You both look terrible."
"They were waiting for us." Jasper growled. Her eyes were glowing slightly but she was too focused on not hurting Pearl in her arms to fully get angry "They let her go on purpose and then found us."
"This kind of attack seemed a bit excessive." Sapphire said, leaning away from Pearl after catching the suddle twitches in Jasper's form to her touching her companion, and moving to look over the burnt skin on the Guardian's arms. She didn't pay mind to her (now healed) burnt skin. Sapphire had seen it right away after both of them had been thrown into the tanker with her. Jasper had tough skin to begin with and probably didn't even notice her new strips."Was this all for you?"
"Both of us." Jasper answered moving her arm for Sapphire to see and unconsciously keeping Pearl blocked from her touch. It wasn't a rude gesture and Sapphire didn't mind. She would be the same way if Ruby were to be hurt. "They pinned me to the back wall with pressurized water and manhandled her." Jasper growled at the last part, her words mixing with clicks in her anger "We killed quite a few but then they electrocuted us, just like they used to in the war. We didn't stand a chance... Not after the second shock."
"They don't want us dead." Sapphire said softly as the tanker turned and threw them off balance slightly as they moved in a new direction. "They need us alive."
"She was with her..." Jasper said softly looking at the Reader then her companion "Bella is still alive and she was standing with that monster."
Sapphire looked like she had seen a ghost. Known to only those who had been around for the war, Sapphire used to be in Bella's seas. In her personal pod. When Bella was taken onto land and thought to be either lost or held captive her pods fell into chaos. Most were lost without direction or a leader and were heavy picked off by there enemy's. Sapphire, along with Blue and a few others, managed to get there minds in order and were able to slip back into the deep tunnels of there pods homes to hid. It saved there lives and made them some of the very few who survived all of Bella's pods slaughter. Knowing Bella was still alive filled her with excitement and fear. Her first reaction was to be happy to know of a (living) prominent leader again. The second was fear in knowing she had attacked them and tried to take the heart.
Conflict was evident in the smaller's eyes and the Guardian leaned over and nudged into her. Gentle nudges weren't as intimate as pressing there for-heads together but it was a comforting gesture none the less. It was a way in telling another that they could use them for support in anyway they need. Be it protection, healing, or comfort, the Guardian was reminding the smaller that she was there rock right now and that she wasn't going anywhere. Sapphire wasted no time in wrapping her small arms around the taller's shoulders from behind, getting almost fully covered under her long hair, and nuzzling her way into the bigger aquatics neck. She gently clicked to herself calming words as she closed her eyes.
They were quiet as they felt the tanker turn this way and that. As Sapphire was trying to calm her mind Jasper could feel the others pull on her. Being so close to the smaller the larger could sense the others looking for her. Jasper imitated a deep rumble from her chest in a comforting way. Sapphire let out a small rumble of her own as she calmed herself. Keeping close to the Guardian, the bigger could feel her start to pull back. She could feel her and Ruby tugging at each other hard while a secondary pull was also coming for the Reader.
"She really is helping us." Jasper said making the connection it was Bismuth pulling for Sapphire. She looked at the smaller to see her pearing up at the top of the tanker.
"She is very worried bout Pearl, not so much you though, sorry."
"I wouldn't be thrilled with me either." jasper said with a shrug "We didn't end on good terms and I had to be the bad guy."
"Did you really thought-"
"It was her or us." Jasper cut off Sapphires words gently but firmly "She caused enough damage. I couldn't let her continue to do what she wanted. Not around all of you." She huffed as the tanker made a sharp turn and through them off a bit "The pods safety comes before anything else."
"She still wanted to find you both, everything aside." Sapphire said nuzzling her face back into the Guardian's neck.
All Jasper could do was grunt in turn. She tuned into the pods tug of war with Sapphire as she looked down at Pearl. She started pulling on her own connection to one of the pod as she adjusted Pearl a bit in her arms. She reached up and brushed some of her hair from her face as she felt a slight tug back. Her body was racked with worry for her companion. She knew she was alive but until she opened her eyes she couldn't relax. Mentally she believed Sapphire with every word that she was going to be ok but it was hard to fight instinct. They all had seen so many bad things during the war. So many lost and broken. So many letting go and giving up. Despite everything, she found that out of all the battles and the loss they suffered, this was the hardest moment for her. The hardest thing she had to face.
The sudden shuttering of the truck to a stop had her focus again on her surroundings. The truck started beeping and moving again but at a much slower pace. Jasper tugged the shirt she had on over her head and pushed it into the smaller's surprised arms. "Put this on, quickly and stay behind me."
Shouting and hustling could be heard just outside of there watery prison. There was muffled words being shouted and thunderous footsteps all around them. Jasper's growls echoed through the water as Sapphire's own warning clicks and grunts accompanied her sounds. There was a thunderous booming voice calling out over the others and Jasper tightened her grip on her companion. Suddenly a thump of something tiny hit the side of the tank and startled them. There was a muffled voice and Sapphire quickly swam over to it. She listened for a few seconds before calling out. "Steven?!"
She listened a bit more to the small boy on the outside as she started tapping the side of the tank where he was. Sapphire was calling his name as his voice faded away. She clicked in annoyance and Jasper spoke up "What did he say?"
"He said not to fight. They won't hurt us if we don't fight." The Reader said.
Jasper didn't have a rhetorical remark as three big clunks echoed through the tank and the water started to quickly drain, causing the smaller to quickly swim back behind the Guardian to hide.
The aquatics sounds only grew louder the more water drained out of the tank. When the water was low enough there legs formed and Jasper quickly got to her feet. Sapphire pressed herself up against the Guardian's leg while brushing her now sticky wet hair from her face. Jasper looked down at Pearl as it took a few beats longer then she would of liked for her to glow and two legs to appear. It racked her with so much more worry but was hopeful all the same. If she truly was going to die she wouldn't of had the power to do reform like that. Nothing would of happened.
Jasper's growls grew even more as there was several loud grinding sounds. The aquatics flinched back harshly from the noise, Sapphire whining out in pain and Pearl stirring ever so slightly, as the back of the tanker fell away. The Elemental that shocked them stepped forward as the Guardian took a step back, forcing Sapphire to move with her.
"I'll make this simple." She said as her voice echoed into the tank "You do as your told and you'll live. You don't and I have no issue killing both of you off. We only really need the white one."
As she spoke Jasper was looking around wildly for a way out, a solution. All the water she could of used was now gone, she was severely out numbered, and now she had not only her companion to defend she now had one of there Reader's too as well. Sapphire could hold her own in a fight in there watery element but she was no match on land. She wasn't much taller then Steven and she wasn't built for fighting.
Steven.
The thought of the boy and his friend (and there promise) popped into her mind. Her eyes made another sweep over the crowd in-front of her. Past a few shuffling people she spotted the small boy way in the back of the crowd. He was with the older mermaid and the shifter, who was in her arms. Her body twitched in place very visibly and the Elemental in-front of her only turned slightly to see what caught the mermaids eye.
"Do as your told and he won't be hurt either." She said "Are you going to be good minnows and listen?"
Jasper couldn't stop her growling. She didn't want to move a step towards anyone past this tanker. She didn't want to do anything this monster in-front of her suggested but they were in no position to get the upper hand and Sapphire made this clear.
'Were no match up here' She clicked softly ' We need to do what they say' She just growled more 'She won't survive a fight up here'
This made Jasper's eyes shoot down to her Companion's face. She didn't have to think for long before taking a hesitant step forward. It was one careful step after another. Soon the Guardian was just a few steps away from behind face to face with the Elemental. Both of them were just huge and Jasper was eye level with Yevette. This seemed to make the other slightly uncomfortable for a moment before she turned away. "Follow me and remember, your in our territory. We won't hesitate to take action if we need."
Jasper could only click her tongue. As Yevette started to walk away she told the aquatics to follow. They were hesitant but Jasper squared her shoulders and held her head higher then the bravery in her being right now. Leaning into Sapphire she adjusted Pearl's head to tuck it into her neck protectively before starting forward. The small Reader's hand never left her form as she followed close behind.
Hidden Lagoon, Right outside the top entrance.
Greg was un-happy. He was wet, he was standing waist deep in the cold water's of the sea, and was surrounded by creatures that could kill him just as easily help him to find his son and his friends. Now he was waiting for them to find a boat that could get him to there destination without him drowning.
"You look cold." Blue said softly looking at Greg. He was shivering as he was looking up at the night sky "Are you ok?"
"Y-Yea." Greg said through chattering teeth "I would like to be warmer though."
Ruby said nothing as she came closer to Greg and channeled her anger in not being able to get to her companion now into warming the water around her. It only took a few moments for Greg to sigh in comfort with a small thanks.
"What are you looking at?" Blue asked looking up at the sky "Is there some human thing up there?"
"Nothing but the stars." Greg said drawing Ruby's gaze up.
"What's o important about them?" Ruby asked.
"I don't get to see them like this too often." He said "The lights from town block out there light most nights."
"That sounds horrible." Blue said "Not being able to see the sky like this."
"It is a treat." Greg said.
It was a few minutes more before Peridot spoke up from the side "Do you miss her?" She looked over at Greg who gave her a questioning look "Rose."
"Every day."
"What was it like?" Peridot asked "What was she like? We never fraught along side her in the war, or at all."
"I was kept on the back with Sapphire." Blue said softly "We herd the tails and stories from the others but never more then what they wanted to tell us."
"She was... wonderful." Greg said looking back up at the stars. "She spoke a lot about you all and how much she cared about you the more the fought along side of you. She would get excited and tell me about your encounters when she would come back but... I didn't really listen." He shrugged "I felt like I wasn't really, well I guess , really worthy of knowing these things."
"Why?" Ruby asked.
"I felt that in time I would meet you and you would tell me theses things when you felt I was ready to know."
"Thats respectful of you." Peridot said.
"I have a lot of respect for you all." Greg said "And my son adores you."
Blue saw the drop in Greg's face and she placed a hand on his leg "Will get him back."
"I hope so."
"Your water transport has arrived!" Amethyst's voice rang out from the darkness of the water after a bit more of waiting. The shadow of a big boat loomed into view from the sea as Amethyst appeared in-front of them "You won't believe how hard it was to get one of these."
"You tried to pick the biggest boat there." Lapis said coming from around the back of the boat as Bismuth and Garnet popped up in-front of the boat and stopped it floating into the rock.
"Bigger is better."
"Not when we want to get there quickly."
"Where did you guys get this?" Greg asked cutting off the small banter back and forth between the mermaids.
"From the docks." Amethyst said.
"Did you just take this?"
"Yup." Bismuth said "And Lapis picked a beauty."
"Wait. You stole a boat?!"
"Whats stealing?" Peridot asked.
Greg ran his hands up into his hair as the others ducked back into the water. The aquatics started talking about what to do next as Lapis came up to Greg.
"No-one was at the docks when we look it." She said flicking her wrist "It was also the only boat that didn't look prepped for the next day to be out on sea."
"That's good I guess." Greg said "Still feel bad about taking it-wait how do you know it wasn't prepped."
Lapis shrugged as Garnet started over to them "Because I died on a boat I worked on."
Before Greg could ask Garnet came right up to him. "Were ready."
Greg nodded and Bismuth pushed the boat to turn so he could get on it. As he climbed over the railing he was surprised to see Lapis joining him. He gave her a look and she just shrugged in turn. Both of them walked to the front of this boat, which wasn't very big to begin with. It was about the size of a sail boat if were being fair.
"Ok, we need to start heading that way." Greg said pointing away from the coast and down the shore line. "Its going to be a long journey since I don't have a way to make this boat move."
There was a small snicker among the group as the younger disappeared below the surface. Greg got instantly nervous when Bismuth smiled up at him.
"Oh, don't worry land lover." She said swimming backwards and sinking below the waves "Speed isn't a problem for us."
Before Greg could ask the boat rocked forward. Lapis knew this was coming and braced herself on her seat as Greg fell off his. In mere moment the boat was moving quickly across the seas surface. As Greg got back into his seat he could see the younger of the pod swimming next to the boat under the surface. They would disappear from view under the boat but someone else would trade places with them. It took a bit to get comfortable but when he did he looked to the aquatic sitting with him.
Lapis looked a thousand miles away as she perched herself right on the point of the boat. Her legs were curled up under her as her face was turned into the breeze. It was almost entrancing to look at but Greg cleared his throat and got her attention. Only when Lapis slightly turned her head in his direction did he speak.
"So... You died on a boat?"
"Yup."
"But I thought mermaids were born in the sea."
"We are."
"I don't understand." Greg said turning to look a Lapis better.
Her eye cracked open as her gaze seemed to pierced Greg's form for a few moments. She turned to face him as she grabbed the bar under her, holding herself in place as a few rough waves hit the front of the boat.
"I was on an arctic expedition team to study penguins. Though in all honesty, I was in it for a sea life below the surface more."
"How did you die? I-If you don't mind me asking?" Greg stuttered out. He knew Lapis had a short temper like a Guardian and had no dout in his mind that she would of been classed as one in the war. To his internal pleasure she seemed to take a breath and look away from his gaze. It was un-like her to break eye contact like this but it was a touchy subject it seemed.
"Frost bite. We were packing up to go back to the boat one day but I trailed behind and got caught in a storm. I managed to get back to the boat but died." She shrugged "They wrapped me in my blanket and through my body over board."
"Why didn't they bring you back?" Greg asked bewildered.
Lapis simply shrugged and looked back out to sea. After a few moments Greg spoke again "How did you get turned into a mermaid then?"
"Bella found me. It was a day or two before the war started. I wasn't dead for more then a few hours before her pod found my body. I'm not sure what happened between my death and becoming this (she gestured down at herself) but I know I woke up alone. They said I took longer to turn because of how frozen I was." She glanced back at Greg "I woke up right after the final fight of the war."
Greg wanted to ask more but the mermaid seemed to not want to talk about it any more. The circumstances of her death didn't sit right with Greg. It striked him as weird. It all seemed rather fishy to him but Lapis seemed to not want to dwell on it.
It was a topic for another time. From here they fell into silence as the boat moved down the shore. The stars shinning brightly over there heads.