The High Seas Queen

Chapter Eight: Land People

Cont.

The rest of the journey goes by uneventfully. I continued to wonder about the underwater ship that Orvo saw. What kind of contraption could the land people have made to explore our underwater world? I know it is an interesting and undiscovered realm because not even the Merfolk community has everything figured out and plenty of them go to Oki to study and become explorers. Day to day, I wandered around the ship and continued to help the crew while I pondered all this.

“Land Ho!” A yell came from the bow, and a thrill ran through me as I looked over the starboard side and took it all in. In the near distance was a small fishing town, boats going in and out of the surrounding docks. It looked like a busy little town and I wanted to see more. I rushed to the bow so that I could watch as we docked. Practically buzzing, I waited until the ship was settled and Jason said we could disembark.

Moving over to where the crew was walking off the ship, I stood next to Jason. “What now? I was very excited to get off and go explore, but now that we are here I have no idea what comes next or how to act. So what now?” I asked the captain how to proceed to blend in with my crewmates. I didn't want any unnecessary attention, but I wanted to run and learn as much as I could and soon.

“We have some time. For now, let's find some food and soft beds for the night.” His gruff voice sobered me. He was completely right about the crew needing something hearty to eat and more than a hammock to rest in. “You probably shouldn't run off on your own just yet, so stick around Orvo and the others for a couple of days to get comfortable with the land people first.” Again completely spot on, and I would do my best to shadow the crew, so I don't get in trouble. Nodding back, I took off after Orvo and stuck close.

We found a tavern where we could eat and sleep, paid for a couple of nights, and sat down for supper, a hearty stew full of warm spices, nothing like anything served underwater. Food in the underwater cities is fairly bland and cold compared to what I have in front of me. Raw fish, kelp salads, and the occasional fruit or vegetable from the land comprise a merfolk diet. The energy in the large room was so lively, that it filled my heart. I sat with my crewmates and enjoyed the space. Retiring to the rooms we paid for, I noticed that the Captain was not joining us. Orvo told me he sleeps on the ship to keep an eye on it.

As the sun rose, so did I. So excited to start my day to sleep any longer, the crew did not feel the same way. Waiting for Orvo to wake up, I sat at the window in our room looking down at the little town as it too woke with the sun. People were rushing and walking about as they opened shops and conversed with their neighbors. Other than the walking, it was a very similar morning to the many days I spent in my hometown. The feeling of nostalgia that was starting to fill my chest was quickly replaced the moment Orvo started to wake.

“Good morning Orvo, ready to start the day?” I could already tell the answer was no as the look he gave me was withering. I threw my hands up in defeat and backed up to give him space as he washed up a bit. Once I saw he was at the door of our room and ready to go, I clapped my hands together and bounced out of the room. “To adventure Orvo, the city awaits us!” The groan I heard from behind me was the only indication he gave me to let me know he was following along unhappily. The same stew as the night before was served for breakfast with some freshly baked bread, and it was still very good. I finished my food quickly, then fidgeted as I waited for the rest of the party to eat. I wanted so badly to start walking around town and see how life was here above the waves.

Taking a walk along the road after breakfast to visit some of the smaller shops that resided there, I noticed that most of the shopkeepers were very friendly and nice to talk to. They waited for our group and answered all the probing questions I had about them. The first day, walking around contained lots of experiences and I gained knowledge from my crew about the workings of everyday life for these people.

Ashers’s POV: The War Room

“It was a few days into our visit that I started to notice unnerving events. Nothing spelled it out to me directly but there were whispers everywhere the crew went. Especially when Jason was with us.” We had sat for hours listening to him tell us his memories from that time. Myself, with rapt attention, as he paused, took a deep shaky breath, and continued. “When the Captain and I finally felt that I was safe to venture on my own, I saw the truth behind the happy faces and whispering tones. The humans were not the cultured people I had been told about. I saw things that didn't surprise me all that much, like the way they butchered and ate the sea creatures or the way they fished, having no real insight into how the creatures might feel pain. One of the things that did take me by surprise was the circus that came through town. That's when the town started to get very strange. Some days the shops would close early and everyone would head down to watch the seals, dolphins, and even some small sharks they had in tanks. It made me feel sick when I saw them. I couldn't help myself and I think that the town caught on because that's when the whispering started. I decided to go for a walk after supper on the last night we were there. The circus was still in town, but I had stopped going a few days ago. The main road was completely quiet. I hadn't had a chance to walk around at this time since I usually went with the crew to the boat or back to our rooms to play cards. The crew, however, told me to have a walk around and to enjoy the last night there. I spent the time looking around, watching the sunset a bit, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. It was the silence that was so unnerving. There was no noise in this part of town, even the tavern was mostly empty during supper. I figured everyone was still enjoying the different things at the circus and decided to keep exploring. When I finally heard some noise, it was coming from a large warehouse and not the circus. There was a lot of shouting, and I could hear a faint melody that seemed familiar to me, but at the time I couldn't quite place it. I decided to look inside and what was there had me running back towards the ship." He paused once more as he took us all in and locked eyes with me. “They weren't using the underwater ship for tourism, and as I was rushing back to our ship to tell them what I saw, I came across the metal contraption and stole it.”

A moment of silence before I had to ask him, "What were they using the underwater ship for Wren?"

"They were using it to hunt. In that warehouse, there was another tank, but this one held a siren." Gasps filled the room.