(Ariel's P.O.V.)
I glared at the shark who's shaking his head in stunned shock, saving the merman's life in time, glad that I remembered one of Sebastian's lessons. Hitting a shark in its side can stun him momentarily, but only so short to last, as I gasped when the shark growled at me as he regained focus.
"Oh, kelpcakes!". I yelled as I pushed Flounder away from me, darting off as I could, going fast as I heard the shark's angry roars, hearing Flounder's scream, "Ariel!". How did I ever come into this?! Oh, wait, it was my idea to get the best kelp for the club, and the ship graveyard was the best place for it. It was lucky that I heard the merman's screams, pleading for help.
For some reason, I wanted to help him as his voice is something I heard before, but where? I then hear the shark's angry roar as I twisted around a boulder, heaving for breath, barely hearing Flounder scream for me. "Ariel, do the torpedo!".
I blinked as I realized that I was nearing a hill, and smirked as I remembered something else. Sharks cannot live in such deep depths and swim at the same time. I took a deep breath and called out, "Come get me, shark!".
I swam over the hill in minutes, and then laid my arms flat as possible against my body, tucking my head down, and swam even faster than I've gone before, and then I saw the merman waving his arms in the distance, calling out, "Oi, shark! Are you not chicken enough to get me?!". To my bafflement and shock, the shark actually stopped, looking confused for a second, staring at the merman with a puzzled growl.
The merman paused for a moment, seeming to realize that he may have said something else, not the right words to infuriate the shark properly, and I was curious about that word he said, 'Chicken'. He called out again, "Are you a guppy or what?".
The shark now looked pissed off at that comment, and roared in anger, aiming for the merman who seemed to laugh, looking like he has a plan. He headed to an wrecked ship, to the double hooky circle-ly thing with the shark chasing him, and the merman went through the double hooky thing, and the shark followed him through, but to my amazement, the shark actually got stuck, too big to fit entirely.
The merman gave out a shout of triumph, "Stuck in the anchor, huh? Too bad, guppy!". I blinked at another new term, then realized that perhaps he must have actually came from somewhere else, where he was allowed to go to the surface, where he heard human words! I swam closer, taking in his features closely. His hair is inky black, his eyes are this shade of blue, light like the coral.
His skin is darker than any one I'd seen in Atlantica, like a tan color, and his tail/fins is similar to mine, being in shades of green. The tail is dark green almost like a turtle's shell, and the fins match exactly in shade to my tail. With his voice and this face, I have this feeling like I've met him somewhere before.
I called out, "Come on, let's get out of here. I don't want to be here any longer with that shark!". The merman heard me, and swam on to join me, with Flounder panting heavily as he joined us. "Ariel, are you okay?".
I smiled reassuringly, "I'm fine, Flounder, thanks to him. You saved my life.". The merman shyly smiled as he rubbed his neck in a kinda cute, nervous way. Wait, cute? I refocused to hear him reply, "That's more than fair as you saved me first.".
I giggled, "Well, I couldn't leave anyone, not even you to be in trouble. Why are you passing through the ship graveyard anyway?". The merman stopped at once, floating as he sweeped his tail back and forth, seeming to be more nervous, "Actually, I wanted to get to know someone I met earlier this week. I guess I was too scared to ask about how to get to Atlantica until I somehow earned some courage to ask someone about the city.",
"He told me of the ship graveyard, about how it'd be easier to reach the city instead of swimming along the surface, and so here I am.". He finished in embarrassment as he ducked his head slightly, and I chuckled slightly, "So you didn't expect that there'd be a shark then?".
The merman grimaced, "I should have known that sharks are prone to stalking around creepy, cool places, but I wanted to get to the city before night falls.". I grinned softly, "Well, you're in luck! I live in Atlantica myself, and I could help you get settled...or are you planning to pass through?".
The merman smiled, "That'd be a wonderful thing, um, Ariel, right? I heard your friend calling you that.". I nodded, "Yes, I am Ariel.". Flounder cut in, "And she's-". I stopped him, covering his mouth with a glance. I hated everyone suddenly becoming so polite and careful around me if they heard about me being a princess, and this merman is new. He's seeming like he can be a friend.
"May I ask what is that about?". The merman asked in curiosity, and I shook my head, "Forgive me. Flounder tends to blab very personal things about me, and it makes me wary of people as I hate to be judged once someone gets to know me.". The merman smiled softly, his eyes gleaming of understanding, a emotion I would almost never see in anyone.
"I won't judge you, Ariel, and that thing you wouldn't want to talk about, you can drop it as I won't intrude like that, after all, we saved each other, right? Strange start, but it can be, say, the start of a friendship?". The merman replied, and I smiled widely, "Thank you. Um, I didn't ask your name.", after Flounder grabbed my hand with a fin, and I let go of him.
The merman face-palmed himself, "Oh, silly me! You can call me Eric.". I tilted my head in surprise, "That's a name almost unheard around here.". Eric chuckled warmly, "I suppose it doesn't. I am from down south.". I widened my eyes, "You really traveled?".
Eric chuckled, "Why not? I recently turned 18, and you only live once. You got to live it, or you're gonna miss a lot of stuff.". I sighed heavily, "Wow, that must be amazing. Traveling, seeing the surface, going to places.".
Eric nodded, "Yeah, but right now, I just need to find a place to think, to live, to belong, somewhere you don't feel like...". I breathed, "Like a misfit.". Eric and I locked eyes at once, and I felt like something just clicked in me, like I finally found the thing I was looking for, yet I was afraid to admit it, and I blinked, clearing my throat.
"Anyway, my family's gotta be worried soon. I better head to dinner after I get you into the city, okay?". I asked softly, and Eric gave a warm smile which actually gave me a tingly feeling, and he replied, "That's about the greatest thing I heard so far today.".
I giggled, "Then let's go.", swimming off as I heard Eric's laugh, and I actually wanted to get to know him really badly. I wonder if he'd really tell me about the surface. The stories cannot be all true, can they?