In Tenebris (ENG)

Chapter 5: Welcome

It was almost ten o'clock at night, they had been sitting at the kitchen table all afternoon listening very intently as Erunestian patiently told the story of his life. (In fact, Erunestian's Spanish was so bad that it took him twice as long as normal to tell it, and on top of that, Helena and Mateo kept interrupting him all the time.)

"Then I woke him up!" Helena exclaimed excitedly, ending Erunestian's narration. "This very morning I found you sleeping on the rocks! Today is your fourth day here," she said clapping, "Welcome!"

"Yes! I'm glad! Thanks" Erunestian agreed with a huge smile.

Mateo was stunned while Helena was overflowing with excitement.

"This is incredible!" she exclaimed, "I thought that mermaids were just stories. But I've been deceived all my life! Plus you learned to talk and walk in three days! You are insane! You are a genious!"

"What?" said Mateo coming to his senses, "But do you realize what this means Helena? If what you have just told us is true, well ... Well ... It would change everything!" he exclaimed. "We are not alone in this world. There is another intelligent species on our own planet! And us... looking for intelligent life in space ..." he laughed ecstatically. "Now it turns out that fantastical creatures are also real, that is, mermaids are not just legends ... Oh man! I think I'm going crazy."

"Can you imagine what would happen if other humans found out?" Helena added.

"Well I imagine some chaos." He answered. "It is a revelation of astronomical proportions! It is sure to cause a stir and controversy. But then what will they do? Will the sea be divided? Will they fight over it?"

"Actually, I would also like to have an opinion," Erunestian stood up. Helena and Mateo looked at him in surprise. "The people of the sea are not going to want to appear before humans, but if they did... I don't think they would not mind making war to not share the sea."

"Why would they do something like that?" Helena asked somewhat scared.

"That makes a lot of sense." Mateo's face turned sad. "If they resemble us humans at all, they will proceed with violence to secure their territories and subsistence." He paused "Wow! Erunestian, you have come to destabilize your own government! You are now an enemy of the state, and enemies must be captured!" He joked.

"Ah! Capture me if you can government!" Erunestian said with a huge smile on his face. "But what is government?" The others laughed.

"They are the people who run a country and make laws" Helena replied.

"And what are laws?"

"Oof..."

"They are rules that the government sets so that people behave appropriately and do not harm other people." Explained Mateo. "Sure you also have laws and a government, although they are different."

"Yes! Each clan has a chief who directs everyone, but there are also military and religious leaders. Laws exist for a long, long time, they have always been there, but sometimes there are new laws and then the big chief together with the other leaders discuss." He paused. "Is your government like that?"

"Something like that." said Mateo. "It's just that there is an assembly with a hundred people who have to agree to pass a law."

"A hundreds people!?" Erunestian was worried. "The government is a hundred people?"

"No, well yes... In other words, there is a president, but he cannot make laws without the approval of the assembly."

"It's actually more complicated than that." Helena intervened. "Trust me, you don't want to know, it's very boring."