Turbulent Seas

Our Kind (2)

Freud's sharp eyes narrowed a fraction the moment he set eyes on the red-tailed mermaid.

"Rena, long time no see." He spoke up. The mermaid c****d her head to the side as she tried to understand how and where he knew her for. She remained this as until the memory of her time serving the royal family popped into her mind.

"Freud?! Oh my blasted fins! You're alive!" She shot up from her perch on the coral-like seat she as sitting on. She swam forward, stopping a few feet before Freud. She slowly swam around the merman who kept a stoic face, his facial features never slipping even once.

"Of course I'm alive. You were the one who taught me never to die unless my duties were discharged." He spoke and finally let some emotion show on his stern face. He folded his arms and glared at Rena as she stopped swimming around him.

"Yes, yes I did." She frowned. Her attention had already shifted from Freud to the smaller, fragile looking mermen behind him. She shook her head as she turned to Freud. As a comrade, and someone who had fought side by side during the great war between humans and merfolk, Freud was not someone who she could afford look down upon.

The two of them maintained eye contact for a couple of minutes before Rena turned her face away. Instead, her gaze went back down to settle on the timid boy behind Freud.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" She stretched up to her full height of 2.2 meters, towering over everyone but Freud, as she seemingly looked into Naian's soul.

"Stop that. He wasn't built as a warrior." Freud blocked Rena's view of Naian. She only snorted before turning to examine the rest of the boy. Her eyes widened when she laid them on Naian's tail.

"Freud...?" Their gazes connected once more. "Don't tell me..." She trailed off.

"Yes. Your guess is correct." Freud nodded, the look on his face becoming even grimmer. Quickly, Rena reacted in a way she hadn't done for any reason in the past nineteen years. She bowed. Her tail folded beneath her as she planted her forehead as low as it could go. Naian and the lone guard who had accompanied them in here reacted in surprise. Was she bowing to Freud? No, it didn't seem plausible, as she had just been speaking to him casually a moment ago. Then, if it wasn't him, could it be the guard? No, that was even more absurd!

That only left one option - Naian. He was the only person who she might have been bowing to, but until no one knew why.

"Uncle..." Naian tugged on Freud's arm.

"It's okay." He smiled reassuringly at Naian, calming the boy. Naian hesitantly watched Rena until she straightened out.

"Please, forgive me for my rudeness." She spoke in a more dignified manner than before, her eyes never lifting above Naian's waist to look him in the eyes.

"Rena... It's okay." Freud swam over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Naian doesn't know." He sighed.

Hesitantly, she raised her head to look a Freud. "What do you mean, 'he doesn't know'?" She had a look that spelt confusion on her face.

Freud shook his head and turned to look at the guard that was in the room. With a frown, Rena turned to him and dismissed him. The poor merman basically fled from the room the moment he was allowed to.

"Please, sit." She gestured to the coral-like seats. Freud called over Naian, who sat by his right, while Rena sat by his left.

"Now, tell me what you mean by 'he doesn't know'." She hissed the words from between her teeth that it almost seemed as though the words wouldn't come out.

"As I said, Rena, calm down."  Freud spoke firmly, showing that he wouldn't be intimidated just because she was once his superior. He took a few moments of silence to glance over to the young silver haired boy beside him. "It's a long story... Naian. I believe it is time for me to tell you about your parents." Freud turned to Naian.

"My parents?" Naian perked up. He had always asked Freud to tell him, but the man had never budged, sticking to his words of secrecy like the underworld had glued them to his heart.

"Yes, and it is a rather long, and complicated story."

"I still want to hear it." Naian sat up, folding his tail beneath him.

"Very well then... Nineteen years ago, I was a palace guard. I used to be stationed in the royal castle of the royal family, in the city of Atlantis, home of all merfolk. At least, that was until the humans struck." He turned his head down and shook it. "It was... bloody, to say the least. The tension between humans and merfolk had been rising, but we never knew they would take it that far, or else, we could have been better prepared. It was a one sided m******e, where our people were nearly driven to extinction. We barely managed to survive, and those who escape went off to occupy or more distant, obscure territories, much like this place." He waved his arm around as he took in the décor of the room. It was truly exquisite.

"Before the main palace fell to ruins, your parents entrusted me, a mere guard to keep you safe. In fact, I initially thought it was a joke, but look at us now." He grinned. "We are happy, and now, it is time for you to take on your greater responsibilities."

"Responsibilities?" Naian asked, confused at why Freud would suddenly be mentioning responsibilities.

"Yes, Responsibilities. The ones that come with the position of the bearer of the Heart of the Sea. Naian, you are the only child of the royal family, and the inheritor of the great merfolk heritage. With your acceptance of this title, our people can once again rise up through the oceans!"