Water

Wave Fifty Five

With nowhere to hide, they had no option but to let the Mer approach.
(Anyway,) Leira thought to Hali, (there are four of us, and one of her.) Terrified, Hali could only nod. As the Mer swam to them, Leira studied her carefully. She’d never seen a Mer from another herd before. Her tail was a dull green colour. It was ragged and strands of filmy tissue hung from it. Many of the scales were missing, and Leira noticed several nibbler fish clinging to it, feeding on the algae growing there. Shuddering, Leira moved her gaze up. The Mer’s body was rounded and her brown hair fell to her waist. Ropes of pearls wrapped around her neck and arms, and a belt of precious shells swung from her waist. Her skin was mottled and tanned, with deep set eyes that flashed as she closed in.
         
A smile broke across her face as she stopped in front of them, and the Mer began to gesture enthusiastically. She was beckoning them forward.
(Why can’t we hear her?) questioned Hali, concerned.
Leira paused before answering. (I’m not sure.) She hadn’t thought about communication between herds. She’d just assumed they could all connect. The Mer kept pointing at Leira, then pointing away. Hesitantly, Leira projected aloud to her,
(Hello?)
There was no reply. Leira stretched out her mind, seeking the Mer’s being instead. Garbled thoughts reached her, and she struggled to interpret them.
(She doesn’t mean us harm,) Leira relayed to the others. (I think she wants us to follow her.)
(Follow her? No way!) Tal thought. He looked scared at the wild thing before them. (She looks ready to eat us!)
(Tal!) Hali shushed. (She might hear you.) Tal gritted his teeth and huffed, but didn’t project again.
(I don’t think she can understand us, Hali.) Leira thought quietly, just in case. (She seems…different. Less conscious. Less connected.)
(It’s you she wants, Leira,) Nerida thought to them. They turned to look at Leira.
(What if it’s a trap?) Nerida projected. Her thought rang with trepidation.
Leira kept her eyes on the Surface Mer.
(I’m going with her.) She nodded to the Mer, keeping her hands open to show her peacefulness.
(Then so are we.) Hali’s thought left no room for discussion, and Tal and Nerida moved into formation. As a unit, they swam toward the Mer. Grinning, she turned and sped away.
         
The Mer led them to a reef just under the Surface. Fish swirled around the colourful coral that grew there, darting in and out of the crevices. Great plants blossomed along the length of it; vibrant hues of pinks, yellows and blues filled Leira’s eyes as she drank in the scene. So much life existed up here! Tal nudged her arm. He pointed to a part of the reef Leira hadn’t noticed. It was drenched in shadows, and no fish swam there. Leira swam to it, staring at the coral. It was drained of colour and completely lifeless. It looked exactly like the fragment they’d seen Kai present to Firth all those tides ago. Leira wondered what had caused such devastation, and noticed a thoughtful expression on Tal’s face.
         
Looking complacent, the Surface Mer waited for them to finish their examination of the reef. Leira noticed Nerida snap a piece of coral off and sneak it into her bag. They moved on.
         
After a time of skimming along the surface, the Mer they followed plunged down. They raced along for several lengths and Leira saw her approach a great sheet of rock that lay on the seabed. There was a small hole in the rock, and the Mer squirmed into it. Leira put her face to it and saw darkness. Shrugging her shoulders, Leira took a deep breath and squeezed into the tunnel. It was mercifully short, and Leira soon found herself in open waters, surrounded by a ring of rocks. She saw light pouring down from the Surface, illuminating the waters of a lagoon.
         
An ageing nest lay before them. Leira thought it was abandoned until she saw several Mer shapes darting around it. She wondered why the Mer hadn’t fixed the crumbling caverns, or pulled away the sea moss that was wrapped across the buildings. The weed glowed a beautiful emerald green in the spears of light penetrating down through the water. Their guide was nowhere to be seen, but several of the nearby Surface Mer swam over. Their green tails seemed dull and lacklustre, but their bodies looked healthy and nourished. They smiled and bobbed their heads, spreading their arms wide. They seemed especially fond of Nerida, and the shells she wore.
(Why can’t we connect with them?) Nerida projected, as several young Mer bounced around her.
(Must be because they’re from another herd,) Tal offered. Leira shook her head. She didn’t think that was it. Each time she tried to connect to them, she could hear slow snatches of sentences, as though they were projecting through mud. Something seemed off.
         
Before she had time to consider it further, their guide reappeared. Leira’s hand flew to her mouth when she saw who swam with her. It was Sirene.