The Lost Secret of the Silver Sea

Chapter 30: Considerations and a Beach Party

            “Creature of the land, I assume that’s human?” Nora confirms as they all nod their heads. Kaelonne didn’t believe much of the story to be fairly honest, but his father seemed to hold it close to his heart. It must bring him close to his late wife, and if it were truly so, Kaelonne would do nothing to sully the tale.

            “So it’s been broken down to. I’m not sure of how true it is though, they’re quite a bit of variation to the same tale, it really depends on who tells it. The older Mermatian’s would say they were fellow soldiers, fighting together against the humans. Those of the guard would claim they were the closest of friends, a profound bond that transcended species. People like my father would tell the tale of lovers.” Kaelonne shrugged, he knew the schematics of their relationship weren’t necessary, but he knew of his friends need as researchers to know every part of a tale. He leans the palms of his hands on Alister’s desk as he takes in everyone’s thoughtful expression.”

            “But why become the very thing that has cause harm to them. Is it for some sort of poetic meaning? Is it because he was captured by the humans?” Hartley stops his pacing and sits heavily on the rolling chair near the desk, moving to the corner just enough to keep all of them in sight.

            “I guess it could be considered poetic. Some believed that it might be because of how close the form of a Sirinian is to the makeup of a human. It makes sense since most of your folklore of mermaids came from them.” The young royal shrugs, frowning as he tries to remember any sort of useful information. He’d heard the story a million times, and after a while, one simply stops asking questions.

            “It sort of makes sense in a sort of sad way.” Alister speaks up with a sullen voice, gaining the attention of the entire room. “Think about it. These people had just gone to war, the Queen lost someone she was terribly close to and now she learns that the only way to meet him again is in the face of the very people that took him from her.”

            “It would be a bond that shows love can transcend war and suffering, possibly even be the very thing that could unite them. Not only would it be almost impossible for them to meet since one of them would be from the sea, but if they do, it could mean that they were truly meant for each other and break down the stigma build around their love.” Axel fiddles with a small device in his hands, grease and oil staining his hands as usually. He looks up and freezes as he realises that everyone is staring him in dead silence, expect for Kaelonne who was nodding along, “What?”

            “Nothing, I just didn’t expect that.” Madeline pats him on the shoulder with a smile, “But Ax’s right, that make sense. The only thing now, is to figure out how this tie in with anything that’s going on now.”

            “It might not at all, it mainly just to explain how the two of us ended up working together.” Kaelonne shakes his head, “These are just stories I heard, told to Mitians at late nights and on sick days. I do believe that there is some merit to give to them, but I would not put my faith in it.”

            “Wait…” Hartley raises his hand with a frown, “What happened to the spear?”

            “King Helacean’s spear?” Kaelonne confirms before explaining, “From what I understand, in order to build another alliance with some semblance of both sides being able to work with each other, the leader of that time gave it to the Queen of the Sirinians. At least as some sort of keepsake, to remember their lost King.”

            “Have you ever seen it?” Nora leans forward, interested to hear more on something considered to be laced with magic. Kaelonne was sorry to disappoint her.

            “No, unfortunately not. The Sirinians held it sacred to them, a piece of what they lost. Helacean was a great king, he took care of his people and fought for them. He was willing to make the hard decisions to ensure their survival, but at the same time, he was kind and easy to work alongside.”

            “They held the spear sacred to them… you said that the Queen of present had claimed that your people had supposedly stolen something important from them…” Alister takes to his feet suddenly, pacing the same route Hartley had abandoned minutes ago.

            “Yes, I considered it to, but it just doesn’t add up.” Kaelonne sighs frustratedly, it was not easy as he’d like to talk about his home when he’d unwillingly been kept from it for the last two or three months now. “To wage war over something like that. To break an age-old alliance for a piece of carved metal?”

            “It meant a lot to them.”

            “The Queen is good- great at what she does, she does not come to blows to easily. She especially wouldn’t over something like this.” Kaelonne shook his head firmly, biting his bottom lip harshly, “Besides, even if we did, what reason would we have to?”

            “If it wasn’t the Mermatians… is it possible it were something else?” The office goes uncomfortably silent at that, Kaelonne’s lips pursed as  he thought about any other possibility, any other explanation that made some sort of sense.

            “Are there a*********s of Mermatians and humans meeting along the years?” Madeline breaks the tense silence that had settled over the room, startling them unintentionally.

            “N-not really, not that I know of.” The young royal folds his arms and lead back against the wall, “My family aren’t really storytellers unfortunately.”

            “What of the halfling from the story… she sounds just like the one you met.” Kaelonne could only shrug his shoulder again, to many unanswered questions, no way of finding out the truth. Never has the young royal ever felt so useless in a meeting of words.

            “It could be, it’s hard to guess age, but she did have this old, strong presence to her.”

            “And the royal line, the halfling royal that would’ve succeeded the throne?”

            “It would’ve been convoluted over time. It is possible that I have Sirinian in me, but it might not be much.” Kaelonne waves his hand, his scales were a little duller than his siblings, it was a visible thing, but it could also just be a gene he’d happen to inherit from so long ago.

            “I never knew that this was a part of history, there are no records of something like a war with underwater creatures anywhere.” Madeline pursed her lips and frowned, visibly looking as though she were searching her memory for something she’d missed.

“My kind do not survive well without water, after death, our scales usually lose colour and easily breakdown with the water, our bones and skin are built for the extreme pressure and cold of the depths of the sea, as such they are flexible and easy to breakdown.” Kaelonne tries to explain as best as he could from the many lectures the head of the research held with every new individual to join their ranks, “From what research I’ve done, humans do have an idea of us, as mermaids and sirens, I guess without evidence, there is nothing much that they can prove.”

“That makes a lot of sense.”

            A ‘get-together’ on the beach. What they had to ‘get-together’ on the beach for, Kaelonne didn’t quite understand, but he had to admit it was interesting. Food, snacks, chairs, and umbrellas, basically anything and everything Nora explained that they would need for the best late evening party on the beach. Alister, the usually stoic, responsible adult on their team, seemed to like the idea.

            Kaelonne tugged his borrowed pants warily, frowning as they only reached his knees, it wasn’t uncomfortable, but weeks of wearing long pants and shoes left him feeling odd. Axel and Alister were already setting up drinks and food by a table they’d dragged out earlier. Madeline and Nora were gleefully setting up explosions, sorry, starlights? -honestly, if Kaelonne understood properly, fire on a stick that gave off sparks- on the other side of their little encampment for the twilight.

            Hartley shook his head with laughter and dragged the young royal out to walk on the edge of the water while they talked about the things they got to do in the past week. It was so mundane, and simply and Kaelonne loved it. Nothing was demanded of him, he didn’t need to act like the regal prince, he didn’t need to seem as though he knew everything.

            “Come on, let’s get back for one of them finally manages to blow something up…again.” Hartley chuckles at they near the rest of their ragged little team. The noise grows louder, playful bickering about Nora falling into the dolphin encloser after losing a battle of tug-of-war with Smarty, she defended herself bravely, but there was no winning against the dolphin when he was feeling brave.

            “I’m telling you, I tripped.” Nora stuck her tongue out, moving her hand in a gesture Kaelonne learned was not quite acceptable anywhere.

            “And I believe you, I’m just saying that he’s definitely not going to let that go the next time you play with him.” Axel cackled, having the honour of being there that day to see the entire event. Nora was a strong swimmer, aside of her ease around animals and naturally kind nature, it’s what made her such a great pick when she was hired. She wasn’t harmed in anyway, despite being considered wild, Smarty and Betty were pretty easy to work with, but they could really hold a victory over their heads like a neon sign.

              “They are very smart creatures, they would’ve never hurt her intentionally unless she’d threatened them.” Alister nods absentmindedly, clearly not paying attention to the conversation around him as he reads a small paper with squinted eyes. Axel rolls his eyes and pries the paper out of his hands before wadding it up and tossing it over to where Madeline was getting to her feet. Alister sends a glare at the engineer, who returns it but sticking out his tongue with a snarky grin.

            "Oh, you guys are back!” Madeline grins and dusts the sand off her pants as she stands. “We’re almost done here.”

            “Speaking of which, there was something we wanted to ask.” Axel raises his hand with a strained grin, it’s enough to get their attention. “So, you know how I said that most of the frequencies that I’m using are still to low?”

            “Yea, is everything okay?” Kaelonne tilts his head worriedly at them, he still felt like he was asking so much of them even after the countless times that they’ve assured him not.

            “Yes but, Madeline and I were talking it over and…”

            “We were considering if we could add one more person in on this.” Madeline rubs her fingers as though she’s not quite sure where to put her hands, “He’s pretty good with tech like this, at least, with working on the finer part of machinery.”

            “Who exactly are we talking about?” Hartley looks between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.

            “Our boss, Conan.”