Days passed, and every time Anemone had a free moment after work, she went back to the cave where that splendid mermaid had taken her, after she saved her. So far no traces of her yet though.

She didn't quite know what she would do or say should she see the mermaid again, she did desire to see her again.

She sat for a few hours, till sundown like every other time, this seemed like all those days.

When suddenly, she saw movement in the water.

Those long red quills rose from it first, before she came face to face with those same blue eyes she saw that time.

Her red scales shone even more brightly in the light of the setting sun.

She was back.

And she appeared more curious this time around, less cautious, as she immediately approached Anemone, propping herself with her arms on the rock right in front of her.

Anemone didn't expect such a bold move, but she couldn't help but smile.

"I hoped to see you again." and from the look of it, so did she.

Or so Anemone assumed.

"Look." she reached under her shirt, drawing out something under it.

She had taken a string and the scale the mermaid left her, and made a necklace out of it.

"It's my lucky charm now." and a personal treasure.

The reminder of when she had saved her too, that was why Anemone defined it lucky, because it protected her like she did that night.

"I never managed to thank you properly for saving me." keeping the scale had been her way to do that, not that she would have ever gotten rid of it.

Why would she?

The mermaid reached for the scale, laying her hand on Anemone's chest, she wondered if she could feel how hard her heart was beating under it. She could feel her claws tickling her, but she was gentle in her touch.

No matter how she thought about it, this mermaid meant no harm.

As it was the opposite way around.

Still, Anemone refrained from moving or trying to reach for her, no matter how much she wanted to, or for how curious she was.

"You know… not all my friends believe I met you." perhaps she shouldn't have said that, as the mermaid looked around, those quills on her head raised high in alert, again.

"No, please don't be alarmed, they're not here." she quickly added. "They won't be hurting you I promise.

It took a bit, but finally the red mermaid relaxed once again, even though she still had those quills on her head raised. She didn't trust her all that much.

Anemone sighed.

"Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told them about you, I didn't think it through." and that was true, perhaps she would have wanted to keep this a secret.

She'd been inconsiderate.

"You see, the people that love here speak often about the possibility of your kind living here, they found some people similar to you on the shore, years ago. But I assume you may know this better than me."

As she spoke, she watched the mermaid's eyes darken, yes, she definitely knew what had happened that time.

Which reinforced the idea that she may just be the last of her kind like Rose assumed.

"A friend of mine has been rather obsessed with these voices, I never believed them but well… here we are, and you saved my love and here you are in front of me."

Cattleya took courage, as she hoisted herself up, to sit next to the human, again, she didn't hear any hostility in her voice. She thanked her, again, and apologized for telling her friends about her existence.

Even though she didn't expect a different result.

And they knew people talked about the massacre, when her similars were found dead on the sand.

Should she tell?

"Humans are dangerous." but right now this particular human was more shocked.

She hadn't said a word until now.

"You can speak our language?" well it made sense, weren't they like half humans anyways?

Or something similar at the very least.

Cattleya just nodded.

"Humans attacked our tribe years ago, that's the reason why you found so many of us deceased…" Anemone was glad she could hear her speak, but not if this saddened her.

"You don't have to tell me." it was clear this was painful for her.

"Things have always been peaceful until that day, we used to show ourselves to humans in need from time to time before, but since then we've been hiding in fear."

It made perfect sense, perhaps someone betrayed their trust.

Also, maybe Anemone wasn't the only person a mermaid had saved, but that mattered little compared to the rest.

Suddenly Rose's words had even more of a weight.

"I am part of a group made to protect our tribe, skilled warriors guided from the best Scanners, we use the quills on our head to sense danger better and before the rest, we warn and guide our comrades on what's around us, and also we are experts in mending injuries too."

In other words like navigators and medics at once, to put them in soldier terms.

"The ones of my type are naturally drawn to help people, merfolks and not, even our warriors share the same feelings though not as strong as we do." so that was why she saved her then.

"That day we met some humans, we thought they needed aid, before we knew it they baited us…"

Oh no…

"They wore masks of steel and they attacked us with no mercy… my group of defenders… we were 16…" Cattleya's hands clutched at her tail, her claws scratching the scales. "Only 4 of us remained… and so many others were killed… elders and children too…"

So did it mean there were only four mermaids left?

Also, did she mention masks of steel?

She knew these people.

"They were predators." Anemone stated. "Those people are wanted by law for stealing, trafficking, and slaying protected species."

Mermaids weren't protected species though.

Not yet.

"My squadron's objective in this part of the ocean consists in the safeguard of the people that live here, and of the animals." she stated. "We were unaware of the voices about your kind when we arrived."

However.

"When we discovered them, our Captain made a statement, that if they proved to be true, she wanted to make you a protected species too, so no harm could come to you again."

Cattleya frowned.

"You would… protect us? Why?"

She did say they didn't trust humans didn't she?

Yet she was still here with the woman she had saved, what a countersense she made.

"First and foremost, it's our duty, second, those people are criminals, third, because you saved me, and fourth, because such beauty must be preserved." Anemone didn't even feel embarrassed in saying that.

This mermaid was truly a beauty.

"I am happy that you told me this story too, so we have even more of a reason to protect your kind." less happy about what happened to them.

Poor thing must still be so traumatized still.

And yet she trusted her.

"I must speak to our Leader about this."

"Please do." Anemone didn't know what came over her when she took the mermaid's clawed hand, but she didn't pull away. "We really mean this, I promise."

Perhaps she shouldn't have touched her though…

Anemone hadn't been aware of others lurking nearby, still believing this red mermaid was alone, until another one appeared from nowhere in front of her pinning her down and hissing at her.

This one's scales were as dark as the night, longer quills on her shoulders and back and they promised nothing good.

With the corner of her eye she spotted two more mermaids, a silvery white one, that took the hand of the red mermaid and dragged her away despite her protests, and another with really long white hair and black and white scales.

When this last one gave the order, the black one turned tail back in the water and they all left.

Four things Anemone could think of right now.

One, she was still alive despite the assault.

Two, there were more mermaids alive than just the red one.

Three, these other ones were extremely protective towards her.

And the fourth, and most important, was that she managed to actually speak with said mermaid and she told her story.

She had to tell Rose about this.

"Let go of me, Amaryllis, she wasn't hurting me." but even despite her best efforts, Cattleya couldn't break free of the silver mermaid's strong hold. Freesia and Lycoris trailed behind them, even if she did they would have caught her anyway.

There was no possibility for her to go back to that human.

For now.

The trio insisted on taking her back to their nest for safety, before she could explain herself.

"I keep telling you, she's not an evil person." but again they didn't believe her.

She knew they were just scared but…

Why did no one believe her?

"She's still a human, and she laid her hands on you."

"She only took my hand, Lycoris." even if she tried to be calm about it, she was lowkey offended that her companions didn't trust her judgment.

"Now, what's the matter?" White swam over to them, having heard the conversation.

"Cattleya met the human again." Freesia simply stated.

"So then, what's the verdict, is this person trustworthy?" White just asked, she wasn't interested in hearing squabbles between the girls.

"I haven't sensed evil in her, I promise." the way she made it sound almost seemed like she was pleading for them to believe her. "She said her and her friends are soldiers, and they're here to safeguard the people and the environment, she says they want to protect us."

"And you believed her!?" Cattleya wished Lycoris would stop yelling at her.

It was making her head hurt.

"Quiet." White barked, the raven just growled but didn't say anything. "But the question was correct, do you believe her?"

Cattleya took a moment to answer, knowing if she said the truth the others would be angry, but this might as well be the occasion to learn to trust humans like they used to, she knew Anemone didn't lie to her.

She felt it in her heart.

"Yes, I do."

The redhead covered her ears and quills the best she could when the others yelled her name in protest, but a glare from White made them shut up again.

"All right then, I trust you."

"But Leader White…" the blonde looked at Freesia in the eyes, not leaving room to argue. "Trusting our Scanners is a must for you warriors, or have you forgotten when the others of your group decided to take matters in their hands and not listen to her warnings last time?"

They were massacred with no pity…

Even though Cattleya had tried her best to tell them those humans had no good intentions, the others didn't listen to her.

"Her and Nines are our pride, so are the younglings in training, but if we don't trust them then we might as well trust no one at all, because no one better than them can read the people and the environment around us."

White was correct, so many of them had died that day for the mistakes of their group, even though Cattleya knew, and she'd been ignored.

And not being trusted was something she despised with all her might since that day.

Freesia and the others knew that, but she couldn't blame them for letting the fear of losing her take over them either.

She probably would have done the same thing had it been one of them that saved the human.

"If there's a slim chance that humans do want to aid our species, then we should take the risk. We used to live in peace once, some of us even bonded with them too."

Suddenly Cattleya was reminded that the human had her scale, she hadn't been thinking about it and what it meant for her tribe…

But was it so bad in the end?

White motioned for her and the others to follow, the rest of the tribe rounding up around them to hear the latest news, urging for Cattleya to tell the recent findings.

"Now, do tell me more, I have the intention to meet these people and see if they truly mean their word."

"Cattleya said about a white ship, and a woman with a green cape, Anemone, right?" Nines asked his companion, as he swam in search of said ship.

"You're the Scanner, but I seem to recall they're correct." Luna swam further ahead of him being the faster kind. "We've got to find them soon."

A few days had passed since their fellow mermaid with red scales met the human again, then they passed time pondering on their words and what to do, if truly these people could be trustworthy.

As they did, they spent too long wondering until they were left with no other choice but to look for the group of soldiers.

If they truly were good people like the human Cattleya met then they had to ask them for aid like they said they would do. If they didn't want to lose more of them…

He and Luna had been younglings when that happened, thanks to Freesia coming in aid of her sister they had managed to get away, but she had to stay behind with her group and had watched them die with her own eyes.

And now the nightmare could repeat again…

"I think I hear something." Nines had his own quills on his head raised high all along in alert for anything. "Voices of women."

"Cattleya said she heard only female voices call the human the first time, didn't she?" he nodded at Luna's words. "Then let's hurry, it might be them."

Hopefully it was them…

"I have an idea, I'll swim close and try calling the human's name." he already was on it before Luna could warn him about being careful, but they had little time to lose.

In the meantime on the ship, Anemone was on the lookout, and she saw something she didn't really like, it was one of those damn ships. But before she could say anything about it, she heard her name being called from… underwater?

It didn't sound like the voice of the red mermaid though.

Actually, not at all.

She had told her companions of the story she told her, discovering the truth about the voices they heard, and like she thought, Rose had wanted even more to find this mermaid tribe and declare them a protected species, so no one could hurt them again, and if they did they would pay for it.

But first they should find proof of it.

They didn't expect them to actively come looking for their ship though.

And it wasn't the usual mermaid, but maybe it was a messenger?

The urgency of the tone this boy was calling her with gave her a bad feeling though.

Instinctively she clutched the red scale on her chest.

Before answering the boy.

As she did, a pair od black and silver quills just like the ones on the head of the red one appeared, and behind him there was a female mermaid, and somehow she looked vaguely familiar.

"I expected to see a different mermaid." she admitted looking at the two. "Are you Anemone?" the girl asked, that without much warning at all, she jumped and hoisted herself on the railing of the ship.

"Yes, that would be me." she answered, somehow managing to remain calm, before the boy too joined her, his face came close to her chest.

"It's definitely her, that's Cattleya's scale for sure, even though she hadn't told us she left one to her." so they didn't know she lost a scale and left it to her instead of taking it back.

"Nines… we're in a hurry." the way the female spoke made Anemone think she may have been correct in her assumption.

But she really hoped that she wasn't.

Thankfully Rose approached before the others could, because she knew their excitement would have gotten the best of them, and Anemone assumed this was not the time for those things.

The tone seemed too serious.

"My name is Rose, I'm the Captain of this ship and this squad, we heard much about you from Anemone, I assume you must be from the same tribe as the mermaid with the red scales that saved her." she introduced herself holding a hand to her chest. "Thank you for that."

Nines nodded. "We hoped to find you, our friend claims you're willing to aid us, if that's true, we may have to ask for your help immediately."

"Did something happen?" again, Anemone clutched the scale of the mermaid she now knew her name being Cattleya.

What a beautiful name.

Just like her…

But now it wasn't the time for that.

They watched as the female mermaid's quills lowered and her hands clutched the railing.

"Please save my sister!"

Sister? Anemone thought for a bit, but she was sure one of those mermaids that came to take Cattleya away did look similar to this one, the black and white quills were the same. If she recalled correctly, she had white hair too.

"Allow me to explain, while they were out hunting Freesia and her companions were attacked by those masked humans, the ones that killed so many of us, Cattleya was able to warn our messengers before she was taken too." he lowered his head, as if begging. "She said it's your duty to deal with those criminals, and that you wanted to help us, and…"

"Please calm down." Rose's voice stopped him from talking. "We did say we wanted to aid you and we will, it is our duty but also we owe your friend for saving Anemone."

She looked over at the others and they too had the same adamant look.

"Where to?"