Fin

Chapter 11: Fighter

Marinley

Eliyah and I had watched the news this morning-as I always do.

The Mermaid Marauder Strikes Again!

The company that was poisoning the water was shut down and the Lagoon was safe again. So we headed to the pod to let them know. The water still probably won't be swimmable for a while, but it'll get better again. That's all we could do.

My healing runes seemed to be working. They all looked better, color returning to their skin and their scales weren't covered in grime anymore. Some of the Mers had completely healed. Clearly they weren't as affected as Eliyah's Faray, who was still in bed but looked better than before too. The cure had worked. My remedy did the trick like I thought it would.

Red kelp for cleansing, montenel coral for fever, and blue raine crab shells for an antibiotic. Oh and purple seaweed for a sweet taste. Mixed with a dab of that nasty green shit they were spewing into the water and my cure was created. And it worked just as I had hoped. They should all be fine within a few days.

"The Lagoon is saved. I wouldn't suggest going there for a while until all of the...slime clears out, but it'll be swimmable again soon."

The Mers started cheering and crowding around Eliyah and I.

But I didn't like that.

I pushed away from them and let Eliyah be the center of attention and swam a bit away from the commotion.

They only like me because I did something for them.

It's not genuine.

They'll go back to hating me after a while.

"You're just like Fin. No Mer will ever want you colored like that."

I barely heard it, but I did.

And it made me angry.

Once again a Mer is being judged for their color-like they had a choice in the matter.

And they used me as an example.

I'm that much angrier now.

"I don't lack pigment! I'm not abnormal!" I heard a girl scream back.

I followed their voices and saw four Mers crowded around a girl. They were all taunting her, making fun of her for her color. She was black, well, her tail and hair were. She was ghostly pale, but still beautiful. Her scales shimmered an emerald green in the light, but she was a black mermaid. She has the most pigment too. You would think those idiots understood that but when you're not bright and colorful like a Mer is supposed to be, well, that's what happens to you.

"If you don't leave her alone I'll sick my sharks on you. And you know about sharks-They just love Mer." I growled, gaining their attention.

"It's Fin! She really does mean it!" One of the younger Mers called out, their eyes going wide with fear.

I bared my teeth in a snarl and lunged at them, holding back a laugh as they all swam away in fear.

It's nice to know my reputation still holds up.

I'd rather them fear me.

The black Mer was unphased, watching me with careful eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you." She stated in a cool voice, her black eyes staring into mine.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me. I know where you've been. They all treated me like shit because I'm a silver Mer."