Dark Waters

Chapter 4

Despite the labyrinthine passages that pirouetted around the building, Aelaria and I found the council’s meeting room without too much trouble. Double doors, much like the ones outside, stood menacingly before us. 

“What do we do, knock?” I inquired.

As Aelaria opened her mouth to respond, the doors swung open in complete silence, as if with a mind of their own. Inside was a tall half moon of podiums, each one of the eleven desks taller than I was. Behind each one floated an old, wizened merman, each with neatly trimmed beards and hair, all of which was shot with (if not completely) gray and white. Each old man had a band of shells and coral that crossed his bare chest from shoulder to hip. They all bore the same tattoo on their forehead; in jet-blue ink, a simple etching of a compass. The north arrow nearly touched their hairlines, and the south arrow extended in between their eyebrows, nearly on their noses. Despite their slightly withered appearances, I suspected that each and every one of these odd, crotchety old men possessed enough power to wipe me from existence with a flick of their smallest finger.

“Enter and speak,” The merman at the center podium boomed in a rich bass voice that was mismatched with his exterior. I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was unclothed, unarmed, and very afraid. Luckily for me, Aelaria took firm hold of my hand and swam me forwards, a slithering line of serpentine grace. I paddled next to her, feeling very clumsy in my human body with my big hands and feet. 

“I am Aelaria, Daughter of Iskapah, and I bring before you a creature of the dry land; Marin by name.”

“Child,” said a councillor who sat off to my left, “this has never been done before. You have taken a great risk by bringing her here.” His voice was thin and reedy, not nearly as nice as the first councillor’s was.

“Yes,” agreed a third, also to my left. “How are we to trust her? Send her back.”

“No,” piped another voice, “She will bring more of her people and they will wreak massacre upon us. Keep her here.”

“No,” came yet another protestation. “Her kind will come looking for her. Kill her and let them think she drowned.”

“Yes,” rumbled another council member. “If she lives she will bring humans with swimming machines, and probes, and nets.” A collective shudder goes through the council at the word “nets”.

“No,” said another old man. “We will not have the blood of innocents on our hands. Keep her imprisoned.”

“ENOUGH,” thundered the center merman. “We will hear from the child herself. Speak, Marin. Tell us your story.”

So I did. I began at the beginning, spared them no details of my life, the abuse, the tiny shimmering rays of love. I told them everything.

“...and here I am,” I said quietly, finishing my tale. “I want to stay here, and be a part of your community. It’s so wonderful. All that I want is for my little brother to come with me. Without me, he would’ve been hurt so much more, so many times. I just want to keep him safe. 

“She speaks the truth,” muttered the council member who had wanted to lock me up.

“Her love for her brother is nearly tangible,” grumbles the one who had wanted me killed. I believe her.”

“Very well,” says the head councillor again. All in favor?” The men went looked slowly around the room at each other. One by one, each one raised his finger slightly off his desk to signify his approval. I didn’t release my breath until each one has said yes, blowing outwards in a storm of bubbles.