"Alright, time to test my theory," Guido told himself as the doors opened, on his hands, he was carrying a portable music player.

Quickly and without making too much noise, he entered, the creatures didn't peak out to see him; the last time he saw them, they were playing with Giulia at her working hour, so he went earlier, before the cleaners schedule.

Noticing none of them came out made Guido think they did have a perception of time.

"Interesting."

He placed the player on the pool's edge and then ran to hide behind one of the columns, he selected a song on his cellphone and played it.

O mio babbino caro

Mi piace è bello, bello

The green one came out, eyes closed, he opened them smiling, but soon his smile disappeared when noticing he was alone, he rested both hands on the surface and looked around.

"He's looking for her," Guido thought.

The creature opened his mouth but quickly closed it and looked worriedly in all directions.

"He was gonna talk?!" Guido asked himself, but then he denied with the head, it was impossible; as incredible as they were, they were still animals, so he continued observing.

Vo'andare in porta rossa

A comperar l'anello!

The creature put his attention back on the player; he saw the device with his eyes wide open; he was gonna grab it but stopped, stuck his hands against the wall like he was drying them.

"Amazing! Could it be he saw Giulia, and now he's imitating her?!" the creature took the player and examined it, "he even knows the purpose of the action!"

Guido took out his notebook and began writing down his observations.

Sì, sì, ci voglio andare!

E se l'amassi indarno

The creature put down the player and shrugged; he lifted off the shore, laying on its back, floating as he listened to the melody.

"He seems to enjoy it."

Andrei sul ponte Vecchio

Ma per buttarmi in arno!

Mi struggo e mi tormento!

O, Dio, vorrei morir!

Babbo, pietà, pietà!

When the song finished, the creature returned to his initial posture and to study the device, that was his signal; Guido came out of his hiding spot and walked to the pond, the creature noticed him and sank quickly.

"He's not like an animal that thinks that, if a human feeds him, all humans are gonna do the same, he can differentiate."

He had to gain his trust, just as Giulia did; he sat down on the step closest to the water, turned his back on it, and bowed his head to place it between his hands.

Then he burst into tears.

Or he hoped to convey that; during his high school years, he took some acting classes, and he hoped they worked now.

It wasn't long before he heard the waters move, he turned his eye very slightly, and he could see that the creature was looking at him with - sympathy; that's what it seemed to be.

"Please excuse, things have been difficult at home," he sipped a mucus, "mom's been sick; the doctor doesn't think she'll make it through the week."

He hoped he wasn't so dramatic; after all, his mom was safe and healthy back in Genova.

But it appeared the creature understood his words because his eyes were half-closed in what looked like a grimace; he couldn't know for sure, half of the creature's face was still underwater.

Guido cried again and turned around; the amphibian didn't hide he just kept looking at him, then he slightly turned his head to his left side, Guido found that interesting.

Slowly the creature was taking his hand out of the water, then his entire arm, in the scientist's direction; Guido stiffened, the other subject may have ripped Ercole's fingers off, but this one also had claws and fangs; he could easily slice his throat.

However, something in his gaze gave Guido confidence; the amphibian looked sympathetic to his situation.

Going against all common sense, or survival for that matter; Guido found himself drawing his face closer to that being's arm.

"This is a really bad idea; the purple one can be waiting to attack me like a crocodile."

But there wasn't a surprise, just a cold, scaly touch; the creature had placed his hand on Guido's cheek and was looking at him with much sympathy as if he wanted to tell him with his eyes that things would be fine.

Guido couldn't believe what he saw; the creature was capable of understanding human emotions, without knowing it, a tear slipped down his cheeks, but this was a real one, one of joy; he was facing a new and beautiful lifeform.

However, the face of the amphibian changed to one of curiosity, he detached his hand, and with one of his fingers, he took the drop that was slipping, then he brought it up to his eyes without believing what he saw.

He looked at the drop then at Guido multiple times.

"That's right, we humans make water," he explained.

The creature's eyes were delighted, he dived without warning; Guido turned his head; had he done something wrong?

But at that moment, the creature came afloat again, this time accompanied by the purple one; Guido's first instinct was to retreat, but he decided that it was better to wait, this was a perfect chance to see if the other creature was as intelligent as his friend, or if the green one was some kind of gifted.

The green one pointed to the human's face, and the purple one opened his eyes when he saw the tears, they both got closer; Guido didn't move and leaned back so that they could see them better.

Immediately the purple one repeated his friend's actions, he took one of the tears and observed it closely, then he licked it.

Guido laughed and settled down.

"You'd be surprised to know that we humans are eighty percent water."

That seemed to impress them as they placed their hands on the shore and looked at him shaking their heads, almost begging him to continue; Guido smiled and began to explain.

...

That night Guido sat at his desk, lit only by a lamp, and accompanied by a cup of coffee, he put his notebook on the table and took a sip of his drink before writing:

"After today's experiment, I was able to verify that these creatures are intelligent, to the degree that I think they are capable of communicating with us, they respond to music, language ... and emotions."

Guido finished and revisited the rest of his notes, anatomical information of the creatures, and some illustrations of their faces, fins, and tails.

Up to that point, he had only been analyzing them as animals, but after the encounter of the day.

He realized that they were so much more, the two were - incredible.

Too precious for what Ercole wanted to do with them, he had to protect them at all costs.