AN: Okay. According to me, it isn't Sunday yet til I go to bed. Hopefully, I make some of ya'll happy in the morning when you see that this was updated. There is section in this that I made up while writing this chapter and I am quite proud of it. Thanks to those that have favorited, followed, and reviewed. You guys give me pleasure smile. Anywhoozles, give me some feedback if ya'll got the time.
Warnings ~
Not beta'd. You have been warned. js.
Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Wolf mermaids would be a thing.
Chapter 7: The Threat of War
"The Merrow People are a type of shape shifter, much like a werewolf, out powers also increase during the full moon. Our ancestors were versed in magic and it has been a very big part of our lives. They used to live in giant underwater settlements."
(Fade to underwater city) ~omniscient narration begins~
Each settlement had very specific differences between them, but each kept to the same outline. The city was usually positioned in a spiral that centered on a circle where the upper class would live. The towers at the center and the spiral design were more than just aesthetically pleasing. The spiral shape allowed the currents to flow through the city and the gaps that separated each district made it so the current could escape back into the ocean and follow its previous path. Each tribe had a main capital, which could be discerned from the other villages by the tribal crest that hung from the tallest tower that was usually made from the Tribe's scale colors. The majority of the population lived outside these settlements in their houses nestled in the rocks. They took to hunting and cultivating underwater crops for clothing and food. People usually journeyed into the villages or cities to sell or buy goods at the Margadh, or market. One could be found in each small village that was in the territory but the main one was in the capital where the traders from other tribes would come in to trade. Since each tribe lived in different oceans thus different weather patterns and raw materials, it was beneficial to trade for goods that couldn't be made in their territory.
These tribes ruled over vast territories and could be similar to the governments of modern day. Even though a monarch ruled the tribes, the system by which the monarch was chosen was merit based and one could lose the rank if they were executing the will of the people. Another interesting fact about the royal ranking was that anyone could be born a royal and people born into a royal family doesn't necessarily have to be a royal. By looking at the shape of the metallic scales, one could figure out their rank. The straighter the line of metallic scales the higher one is in rank. The royalty of each tribe had another colored that set them apart from the general populace. These were called Riabh.
"What language is that?" Farren interrupted. Trevor shot Farren a 'really?' look from across the living room and Mike doubled back.
"It's Gaelic, also known as the language of the Scots and Irish. Both languages are Gaelic but are two different types of it. The Merrow Folk lived near both places and adapted both of the human speech mixing them together to form what we speak. Mostly we speak in English, but we are taught at a young age to recognize and speak our native language. Now where was I? Ah yes..."
"Wait does each of the seven tribes speak this form of Gaelic?" Farren looked confused. Trevor groaned and mumbled something along the lines of "we are never going to get through this". Mike laughed.
"Alright I'll start there."
~back to omniscient narration~
Originally, the seven tribes lived together in a massive city near the top of the Atlantic Ocean. The ranking system and tribe marking did not exist and power was hereditary. The corruption of the rulers became so apparent that it had split the Murúch population into two differing factions. One for the oldest daughter of the late king, Abaigeal, to become the Queen and the other side for his son, Laighean, who was in charge of the military. The dispute arose when the king died suddenly from a poison he had ingested thus having no time to elect who would rule over the kingdom. Abaigeal being the oldest consented that the throne was hers whereas Laighean discredited her saying that it was uncommon for females to inherit the throne when there was a male heir. The two began rallying forces to get the public's opinion. Amidst the chaos, the populace forgot about the youngest sibling. He was only twelve at the time the dispute began. Rian, the little boy, found this fight among family members for the throne disgusting and he prayed to the moon and sun to help him resolve this situation. He prayed for five years. The only thing keeping the two siblings from using their armies during this time was the Queen. The Queen, their mother was still alive and watching over the throne and getting ready to hand it over to the successor. The Queen couldn't elect the heir only the King, so she could only watch as her two children fought for the power that cost her husband his life.
The Queen died before the sibling rivalry resulted in any deaths. The two siblings met on the battlefield the day after their mother's funeral. These two siblings, once the best of friends, Laighean and Abaigeal found themselves staring at the other's end of a weapon. The battle came to a standstill, both armies unsure what to do with both of their leaders in a deadlock. But poor Rian knew, just days before – the day his mother died – his prayers were answered and he was given the gift of foresight and he knew the only possible way to settle this fight. He had been preparing for this spell since his mother's death and prior to the battle. He first cast the spell to freeze time so the two armies couldn't fight nor his siblings as he finished the final spell. Rian swam to the battlefield to see blades at each other's throats. Neither moving due to his spell. He flicked his tail and reached out for his siblings. The same siblings that had taken care of him while his parents were busy with royal duties. He gave each of them a heartfelt look before he whispered, 'I'm sorry'. He took the dagger, stolen from the crypt that had magical properties from its sheath on his belt. He lifted it, chanting to the deities for the power and strength for what he was about to do.
He swung down piercing his own heart; with his last breath, he said the final line - the line that would change the system forever. The spell propelled his blood to disperse throughout the ocean never changing in thickness. It spread all over to each Murúch. When his body hit the ocean floor a shock wave went through the sea and the real spell kicked in. The freezing spell had worn off but each Murúch was frozen for another reason. Magic was coursing through their bodies. The two siblings had immediately dropped their weapons - Laighean his spear and Abaigeal her sword. They rushed to their fallen brother's side too late. When the magic hit they knew not the spell their brother had woven but it was unbreakable fortified by both the magic of the sun and moon and it had cost Rian his life.
After Rian's blood receded from the sea, the two leaders took into account the amount that died. The number was astonishing. No one had died and those that had any injuries were healed when the spell washed over them. Rian had sacrificed himself to save the Merrow Folk. Both siblings realized that neither was right for the throne and the one who was worthy was now living amongst the currents. They realized later what the spell was that Rian had cast. It had changed the rules of to whom the rank of royalty went. How did they figure this out you ask? Both siblings were visited by the deities and were informed of the spell and its intricacies. It had created seven different scale colors and seven other colors to determine the royalty. The only two that didn't have their scales changed were Laighean and Abaigeal. After the Merrow Folk rounded together in bands with matching scale color, the two siblings left to give their brother a proper funeral and created a memorial site for him that would forever be preserved. The two just disappeared and there are no records of them being seen after the creation of the memorial.
When the next generation of rulers was born, they made their title in honor of the selfless Murúch that prevented catastrophic war. The leaders are now called Riagáin. The seven tribes are scattered all around the world.
The first tribe is the Murchadha, who lived in the North by the Arctic Circle. They are distinguishable by their silver scales. The Murchadha's royals color is azure. They specialize in making of cold current clothing from the hides of sea life they hunted. The Murchadha were also a big provider for blubber and any purpose for it. Many Merrow believe that after living in the Artic for almost four millennia their personalities resemble their environment: cold, and jagged.
The Dubhghaill reigned over the Indian Sea. Their scales were black in color, almost a shade of black nickel. Ruby was their royal color. The Dubhghaill specialized in food, especially spiced foods. They were a rhythmic and carefree people, but you did not want to get on their bad side.
The Caomhánach were the most peaceful of the seven. They didn't believe in rulers so they were governed by something similar to a republic. The Caomhánach Villages was where you could find almost every single race of Murúch. (Well all except one, but we'll come back to that.) Their scales were chrome and they did have royal blood but paid it no mind. Amber was their color, adopted it as their flag color, and created many differing types of jewelry from amber in respect. The Caomhánach were located in the South Pacific Ocean and aside from jewelry, they helped write the laws that governed all of Merrow kind. The Caomhánach Villages were used for meeting places for the Riagáins of the sister tribes.
The Fearghail lived near the Bering Sea and widely recognized for its warriors. They had the best defense system in all the oceans. Their cities were fortresses and the citizens always seemed on edge. One could spot a Fearghail from its bronze scales. They had emerald scales for their royalty. The Fearghail didn't have a monarch but a Military Commander. Each Fearghail was trained from birth to be a warrior.
The Brádaigh lived in the South Atlantic. They were lively folk and their royals had ebony scales. The common folk had brass. Because of their location, trade was a big part of their culture. The biggest market in the Murúch community was in their capital, Lycanse.
The Loinsigh tribe is where Trevor and Mike hail from hence the copper scales. The royal color is violet and the tribe was located in the North Atlantic near Ireland. This tribe is most notable for their hunting skills.
The last tribe is the Stiobhard. Even though they were the smallest tribe, they were by no means weak. They were masters of magic and the most powerful of the seven tribes. They lived in the Baltic Sea and had gold scales-
Farren shifted in his seat.
-Their color for royalty was white. Due to their power, they kept the peace between the tribes. They mostly kept to themselves only leaving their cities for political reasons. Thei-
"Uh…I do have a question." Farren interjected.
"Okay. Ask away." Mike reclined back on to the couch.
"I overheard Trevor and someone yesterday-", Farren gave Trevor an apologetic look, "-he said something along the lines 'we don't have enough people'. What does that mean? You just said that there are seven tribes."
Mike's face became sullen. "I said there were seven tribes, but then something terrible happened: War."
Trevor shifted on the stool before getting up and going to the kitchen.
~Back to the story~
The Stiobhard were the peacekeepers between the others and a necessity at the leaders meeting to settle and diffuse any disputes. However, one year there was no word from their rulers and they did not show to the annual meeting. Each tribe sent men to the Stiobhard capital, Aurum. What they found was devastating. The once golden city was in ruin. The gold that lined the watchtowers and royal house had begun to flake off and the many rubble piles were probably once beautiful buildings. They combed the city expecting to find bodies, but they didn't even find any scales hidden in the sand. That wasn't the only disturbing part of the investigation. When they reached the castle, they found the vault pried open. The vault could only be opened by the Stiobhard royal bloodline. This showed that they had been attacked and most likely killed because the buildings and vault were reinforced with magic. Meaning that the death of the castor and maintainer of the magic spells that protected the city had caused their disarray. Seeing the city that was once the stronghold of the most powerful tribe in shambles, it had the other tribes up in arms.
Each tribe began building up their defense systems against the unknown threat. It wasn't long before rumors started going through the kingdoms that the Fearghail had attacked the Stiobhard to be the most powerful tribe. The Murchadha fell victim to the rumors and believed that the Fearghail would target them next. The Murchadha formed an alliance with Loinsigh to have each other's backs if the Fearghail decided to make a move. Brádaigh learned of this alliance between the Murchadha and Loinsigh and feared for its safety because the Murchadha blamed the Brádaigh for almost starting a war 600 years prior. (But that dear reader is another story.)
~end narration~
Trevor walked back into the living room with three glasses.
"Here ya go." He said handing one to both Farren and his father.
"I think that almost war was stupid." Trevor blurted out as he laid out on the floor. His dad shot him a glare before taking a large swig of the liquid. Farren took a sip to taste it because it looked like water but it smelled like fruit. It had hints of orange and lemon flavor. Mike set the drink down and began the story once more.
~Narration start~
The Brádaigh asked to become allies with the Fearghail. Because of its wealth, it wasn't hard for Brádaigh to help support and finance Fearghail's military. The Dubhghaill had wanted to remain neutral but these hopes were soon dashed when their Riagáin was killed near the Brádaigh's territory. The crown prince swore to avenge his father and declared war promising that the Brádaigh royal family will pay. The Fearghail soon sent its warriors to Dubhghaill. The Loinsighs felt pity for the Dubhghaill royals and the Murchadha knew the feeling all too well. The Murchadha sent its warriors to reinforce Dubhghaill. Loinsigh backed them up. The war was fought on two fronts. One in the Atlantic, the other in the Pacific. The Atlantic Front consisted of Brádaigh versus Loinsigh and Murchadha. While the Pacific Front had Dubhghaill against the Fearghails. Even though Caomhánach remained neutral and didn't support either side, they sustained casualties as well.
The fighting killed travelers. The war was called Cogadh na Marbh, or War of the Dead. The started because of a death and did not end until over 1 million Murúch had died."
~end narration~
Farren choked on his lemon water.
"One million?" he coughed out.
"Yes, one million. The war lasted for 20 years. My ancestors fled to the mainland, not wanting to lose any more family to the dispute. The war ended when the Caomhánach ruler cast a spell he had learned from the moon. It stopped the fighting and erased any ill-feelings."
"Just like Rian." Mike nodded at Farren's comparison.
"Why didn't he do it before?" Farren asked leaning forward. Trevor had propped himself up on his elbows to listen.
"Because the spell took an immense amount of magic power. It took the ruler eight years to store the necessary power. The spell also stripped the current royal families of their ranks in Dubhghaill, Brádaigh, Loinsigh, and Murchadha. The Caomhánach Riagáin, who was elected by the people, paid with his life to stop the war. The survivors of the six kingdoms all journeyed to the city of Raidorn, Caomhánach's capital. Less than 100,000 Murúch survived. Many, like my family, went to the surface to hopefully start anew. The rest stayed in the sea. My family went to the shore of Ireland and intermarried with the humans. The secret of being a Murúch is passed down generation to generation and there is a ceremony at 15 one must to do become an adult in the Murúch community. Only a few are able to participate because the human blood dilutes the Murúch blood."
Mike paused to take a long drink from his flavored water. Farren glanced down and saw that Trevor staring intently at his father.
"A main characteristic is ADHD from the buildup of magical energy throughout one's childhood. Another is this unreal pull to the sea. Some of my family didn't become a Murúch because the magic was too weak but in some cases, it did appear as a spark, granting them access to magic. Hopefully when you regain your memory your heritage will be known and we can identify your tribe."
"I think I already know." Farren mumbled.
"Yeah! I saw his tail colors!" Trevor jumped up form off the floor.
"Wait. Tail? That's impossible." Mike's eyebrows furrowed and mouth became a straight line.
"Well it's not! I saw it dad, it was brown with, get this, gold stripes of scales down the side with white lines of scales running along the gold. Even his normal scales had a gold tint to them!" Trevor spoke with enthusiasm. Mike looked at Farren with awe. Confusion set in before it finally clicked.
'Gold scales means I'm a Stiobhard. What was their colors again? Oh yeah white. Wait white.' Farren thoughts raced.
"Holy shit! I'm a royal!" Farren voiced as he jolted upright.
"Now I'm even more interested in to know who you are. Your family history can solve the age-old question: 'What happened to the Stiobhards?' You know what, Trevor call your uncle. Tell him to look for a spell to regain one's memories after they have been taken by an Alpha." Mike demanded.
Trevor bolted out of the living room and to the phone that was hooked to the wall. He punched in the number and practically yelled at his uncle in excitement. Trevor hung up shortly thereafter. Trevor's dad then asked Farren if he had any more questions.
"Yeah. One. When we, Trevor and I, were underwater, he spoke to me without using his voice or mouth. How?" Mike hummed.
"He used thought projection. It's a simple spell to learn. It takes your thoughts and inputs them into the receiver's mind."
"Oh. Okay." Farren took a long drink from the glass.
"Trevor, why don't you and Farren chill out at the beach while your uncle and I prepare to make the spell?"
"Sure. I mean if you're up for it Farren." Trevor looked at him hopefully.
"Yeah. That's fine." Standing up he realized that he was still in the towel. He had forgotten as he listened to the story. He ears began to feel warm. "Let me just get some new trunks on."
Trevor suppressed a laugh. He was breathing heavily and his face had turned red. Farren stalked the short distance to the guest room and closed the door. He heard a loud laugh followed by a string of chuckles. Grumbling to himself, Farren ripped off the towel and pulled on black trunks from the drawer. He opened the door quickly. Throwing the towel at Trevor's head and missing, he ground out, "Let's go to the beach."
The two boys left the house with a wave and headed towards the public beach. Trevor's dad smiled as he watched the two teens walk away. Farren was walking quickly, while his son, Trevor, walked languidly still laughing at the boy in front of him. Farren was thinking about his past since he had a crash course on the history of the Murúchs and if he knew anyone here. Little did the two know that a blast from the past was waiting for them at the beach.
AN: This has been my favorite chapter to write thus far. Idk why maybe because I had the chance to make up history and it be okay. Anyways, have a great day/night! Until next week
Bluetears out~
