Carter leaned against the house, right beside the front door, breathing heavily. He was uncomfortably wet from the falling rain, and would much rather be underwater, in the ocean, or sleeping among warm air. His arm hurt from dragging Adam, who was terribly heavy, and his head hurt from having to listen to Dennis as he babbled in his madness. He hated having to enter the house in the state he was in, but at least the mud had been washed from his feet on his way back. Shaking his head, Carter turned the doorknob and entered the house. “Aqua, are you around?” He asked quietly, glancing around. She was sitting in the kitchen, and Carter stepped inside.

“I got rid of them.” He said, rubbing his sore arm as he stepped across the room and to Aquarius. “Missing small toe, Dennis tried to throw you to the wolves, save himself. Him and his brother Adam joined the Black Heart Guard a week ago. More will come when it’s found out they failed in finishing you off.” He leaned against the counter behind him. “I suppose I’ll be targeted too, since I don’t have much doubt the two I’ve been working for are part of the Council. We might have a cushion of time before they realize what’s happened.” His hair dripped water into his eyes, but Carter could only close them. “Oh, and… Sorry about tracking water. It’s… pretty wet out there.” He laughed weakly.

Aqua sighed I doubt the two you were working for are part of The Council. The Council isn't cruel, but helps others. They most likely belong to one of the dark groups or work for one of the corrupt kings. Or some other greedy person. Aquarius sipped some more tea. "I don't mind you tracking water. It was blood and broken furniture I was wanting to avoid by taking it outside. I put your bags from earlier upstairs in your room. Go shower and clean up. There is a waterproof bag there too. I think we might want to stay the night in the ocean. I have tea here, it will give you some strength if you want it. You can have it now or later. Aquarius paused. It did give one a bit more energy and all, but she sure was tired. And thank you. For being there for me. Now she felt a bit awkward. Saying thanks wasn't something she did often.

Then she thought of something else. He was a kid. There were things kids did that he should be doing. She felt some excitement about that. She would have to help him with his education... and what else? Games! What did kids play? She would have to think of that. There was a tree house out back that would do nicely. A kind of retreat for him if he wanted it. She would set it up tomorrow.

Carter shrugged. “Eh, well, I don’t know much about them. Haven’t shown themselves to be for or against anything. All they’ve ever wanted was a plant here and there, and they knew I could get to them. Never talked much.” He smiled a bit. “It’s no problem. I wouldn’t have left you to defend yourself, especially after they pushed you in the water.” He looked away. “Er… I’ll go get cleaned off. I can’t breathe in these.”

Turning, he crossed the living room and went to the staircase. He didn’t think he could lift his legs under the pain in his joints and the weight of the soaked denim, but against all doubt, he crawled into his room and to the bathroom. He had to wring out his clothes before he could drape them over anything to dry. By the look of it, a galleon had to be trapped in the fabric. Instead of a shower, Carter decided on a bath, which would take away the tense pain in his arms and legs. It would also take a bit longer, and he hoped Aquarius wouldn’t mind. He ran the bathtub half full of very warm water, and completely submerged himself. The soft movements calmed him, though the water was a bit strange. It didn’t weigh quite as heavily on his second set of lungs as the ocean water did, being free from most of what resided in the ocean itself.

He almost fell asleep more than once. Shaking himself awake the fourth time, he decided it best to get himself moving again before he gave in. Letting the water drain, he went to the bags of clothes and various other items Aquarius had gotten him. He felt a bit bad for taking them, but wouldn’t be able to walk about without clothes. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to put his other clothes back on to save the new ones from water damage as long as possible. Brushing his hair back, Carter looked through the rest of the bags. He folded the clothes, placing shirts in one pile, pants in another, and whites in a final, deciding whether to take one set or more as he picked about in the last bag. A couple combs, a toothbrush and toothpaste, which he put in the waterproof bag Aquarius had provided. A brush, he also set in the bag. Quickening his pace, he stuffed three changes of clothes in the bag afterward.

He certainly felt better. Going back downstairs, he set the bag by the door and went back to Aquarius. “Any time you’re ready to go, I’m right behind you.” He said.

She looked up and motioned him the cup of tea. Drink some if you want. Leaving that choice up to him, she put her cup into the sink and went to the patio door. Looking out towards the trees and the cliff somewhere beyond, she was relieved to notice that the weather was clearing and it was completely dry in the woods. Turning and pickup up the metal cot, she wrapped it in disolveable plastic and picked it up. It would last more than long enough to get to the cavern.

She knodded to Carter, noticing he seemed tired and a bit less stressed than when he had first come in. Then she turned and headed outside. She locked the door behind them and then started walking across the backyard and into the woods. From there it was simply a matter of reaching the cliff and getting into the ocean. A place safe from the idiotic human world. She was worried about who had been using Carter. She didn't like them and hoped he would be okay.

Carter nodded and, as Aquarius stood and went to the sink, took the cup up, and downed the tea in several gulps. He didn’t think it necessary to take time with it. It would help him wake up and get to Aquarius’s underwater sanctuary. When Aqua acknowledged Carter, he nodded again and grabbed his bag, following Aquarius. It was clearing up, at least, and she would be safe from water until they got into the ocean.

He had the bag over his shoulder. For a while he was thinking about the two he had worked for since two years ago. Perhaps he had been working against the Council. Perhaps he had been recruited by the Black Hearts. Or, perhaps it was all just a coincidence and the two weren’t related to either group. But if they were of the Black Heart Guards, he had been working against both the Council and Aquarius for two years without even realizing it. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for that. He cleared his throat and stepped close to Aquarius’ side. “Er, the sharks should be gone by now. There were a good number, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be all right for a while. We won’t be bothered on our way to your cavern.”

Aquarius glanced at him and knodded. They generally wouldn't want to bother me. I'm huge and intimidating with my tail. It is good though to know that they will be out of the area. After the shark fest there earlier, I don't want to deal with any zealous drunk sharks. She winced at her ill attempt at humor. Maybe not such a great idea. Her jokes were either dry or cheesy. They arrived at the cliffs and looked down. She looked over at him Let's get down there and into bed. I'm zonked. You okay with jumping off cliffs? It is a long way down.

Carter hid the fact that he rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the best sense of humor, and when he tried, he tended to ‘cross the line’, as others would say. “Well, either way. I’ve been meeting massive sharks as of late. They wouldn’t think twice about attacking someone like you if they got a chance. But I didn’t see any nearby earlier, so I don’t suppose there’s anything to worry about in that case.” He scratched his head, wondering why he would have brought it up then.

He loved the breeze that was brought up by the waves at the bottom of the cliff. The sky was clearing quite well, letting them see the remaining sunset. “Oh, I’ve leapt off this cliff countless times!” He noted. “I love jumping from here, it’s the best rush and really wakes me up!” He secured the bag around his wrist and stepped forward. The water was calmer than before. “I’ll go first.” He bent his legs, preparing himself, and took a running start to avoid the worst of the churning water. The air swept by, rushing in his ears, hair flying behind. He managed to keep his eyes open, watching the water as he approached, and stretched out his hands so he didn’t hit the water face-first.

Palms down, he spread his fingers moments before hitting the water, and darted down. It slowed his descent a ways, to where he didn’t come near hitting the sandy floor. Letting himself breathe, he turned upward and moved away a bit, giving Aquarius room to follow.

Aquarius smiled and felt a refreshing breeze bring back a sense of energy. She adjusted the folded cot in into one arm and with a strong jump sailed into the air. As she melt gravity's call, she transformed and enjoyed the delicious feel of water rushing over her body. She twisted and turned, darting along the ocean floor. She remembered the games and races she had played as a child with other merchildren. Those had been happy times and more innocent than the human world. Before coming to live on the surface, she hadn't known the concepts of deceit, hate, and selfishness. Sure there were bad apples in every group, but those she had known were very sharing and kind. They were guardians of the sealife and saviors of the young and unconscious who fell overboard. Now she understood why they saved some and not others. It was to protect their identity. No one who might turn against them or speak of them to the wrong people were even considered. Aqua swam through the boulder field and came out to the clear area between her and the coral reed. The riptides and undertows, though invisible, were strong. She breathed a sigh at the thought of the peaceful sleep she could get here, knowing that the human world would not be able to cause harm in her refuge.

Speaking of refuge, she should get Carter's help in setting up the tree house for him. Maybe find a way for him to get up in it. There had to be a way even a person with webbed feet could enjoy a tree house. All kids liked them.

Carter flew forward to catch up with Aquarius. He hadn’t expected her to appear as soon as she had. The freedom of the boundless water around him brought back his lost energy, if only for a while, the rush in his ears propelling him forward. He darted through the boulders with the small fish, out swimming them easily, keeping just behind Aqua’s tail. Against his nature, he had to wonder what she was thinking about, especially as they approached the reef and riptide. Perhaps her younger years, before having to go to dry land. Perhaps she had other mermaid and merman friends, young ones like her, with whom she played. Carter had never had the chance of playing with his peers. He wondered how it would feel, or how he would even have fun. His concept of fun was probably twisted in comparison to other kids.

He lifted himself to Aquarius’ side. “I don’t think I ever said thank you for everything you’ve done.” He said. “For what you’ve helped me through. And the hope you gave me when you let me stay with you, and consider you a friend. You gave me a chance to live, and feel like I’m not just a thorn in everyone’s side. I’m useful, now, in some way. And I thank you for that.”

Before he could let her hear the emotion behind his voice, which almost cracked as he spoke, he used his rush of energy to fly through the current and be thrown off only a couple feet. The cavern entrance was just nearby.

Aquarius looked up as Carter swam up beside her. She felt surprised at his thank you, and felt a bit teary eyed. Thank goodness you can't cry in water. She watched him dart ahead, and wondered how he had managed to keep going day after miserable day. Life with only survival as a friend. She shook her head and sped into, through, and popped out the other side of the fast water currents. Swimming up beside Carter, she remembered what it had been like to be his age... and finding yourself alone. Moving the cot to the arm furthest from Carter, she reached over with her free arm and gave him a quick side hug, leaning close to whisper Ah, but now your stuck with me. I don't let those I care about drift back into unpleasant pasts. So let's enjoy the future together. Then she swam carefully down to the crevice. Setting down the cot, she slid under the coral sideways. Then she used one hand to pull while she carefully worked her way under the shelf of rock. Then she could easily pull it up and head to the surface. Once there, she tossed the plastic-wrapped bundle onto the ledge of her refuge.

Stuck with Aquarius? Carter felt that was an odd way of putting it. He didn’t feel stuck. But if that were the case, he certainly didn’t mind. At least he was stuck with someone, rather than stuck by himself. He floated about for a moment before realizing he had frozen where he was, and darted off after Aquarius. Avoiding the reef and rock, keeping his bag close to him, he used the rock cavern to keep himself steady, as his hands were too busy with the bag to keep himself upright and navigate. When he breeched the water, breathing the rest of the water from his second lungs, he looked around. Seemed the same as when they had left.

The rush had left him, the cliff long gone, and it took all he had to pull himself up and out of the water. Setting the bag up on the sand, he collapsed beside it, pushing himself away from the pool. “I feel like I’ve been whipped.” He said. “I’ll just sleep… here…” He breathed heavily, closing his eyes. Under the bluish glow from the ceiling, he felt safe enough to let his guard down completely.

Aquarius looked at him and smiled. He was just a kid. Completely a kid. Should would do what she could to make sure he stopped growing up so fast and had some sort of a fulfilling life. Give him the chance to enjoy life a bit. She loved the air of this cavern. The blue rocks glowing up top did something that few would ever realize, unless they were in mermaid form. She lifted her tail and floated up as if still swimming in water and made her way to the cupboard for a towel.

She remembered her home with her parents had been very much like this. With special rocks that light the place, provided a special atmosphere, and kept the temperature at a steady temperature. She remembered the main room her mother did business in. She was nobility so had many important things to do. Aqua remembered little of her mother except when she was working. However, her last memory of her mom was the day before she left. Mother had been talking to a close friend. About getting Aquarius away. Aquarius sighed.

Going back to her plastic bundle, she unwrapped it. The plastic floated into the water, to dissolve and be no more. It would take another hour, but that was okay. Then she set up the cot, put a mattress pad on it, and gathered a quilt. Then she picked up Carter, washed him off so to speak, got him dry, and gently tucked him into the new cot. This cot was on the opposite side. He could have his own space now. She was glad of that. She would give him all the space he needed. No child should have grown up as he did.

With all that taken care of, she grabbed some sea soap and cleaned up herself. Got back up on the sand, dried off, and used a blow dryer that was run on one of the glowing rocks just like the laptop. Then she transformed back. Picking up the cups they had used last time they were here, she washed and put them away. Opening the laptop on the table, she set some gentle music playing and went and climbed into her own cot. She was out cold. There would be time to patrol later.

Though Aquarius opted to leave the past in the past, Carter’s subconscious wouldn’t allow that to happen. He wasn’t blinded by sunlight like last time, though, instead, the soft glow of a low-wattage bulb lit the small, cramped room. Carter recognized the smoke-stained white walls, the cobweb-caked ceiling, and the piles of magazines and paperback books. He could smell the cigarette smoke in the air, and when he looked at what he was sitting on, remembered the old, ugly greenish-toned couch and matching chair grouped around a small, outdated television set in front of a window that couldn’t open. The little table to his right held the source of the light. His mother, a red-haired thirty-something, sat with one of the old magazines on her knee, head propped in one hand.

Carter turned his tired eyes to the television. It was showing a real-crime drama, explaining forensic information Carter couldn’t follow. Shaking his head, he looked back at his hands. Just a few days ago he had gotten out of the hospital after the third and final surgery to rid himself of the webbing between his fingers and toes. But they were back, and almost finished stitching themselves together in an even stronger state. He sighed. “Momma.” He said quietly. “Why don’t the other kids like me ‘cause of this? I’m just like them.”

“No, you’re not, darlin’.” His mother sighed. But her words held no warmth. She held him in contempt for the others, her co-workers, past friends, those who she would have liked to be friends with, shunning her for his oddity. “You’re a freak, you know that.” She smiled to herself, running a perfect, normal hand through her hair. “Seems the only thing we can do now is cut your hands and feet off. How’d you like that?” She glared at him, and Carter shook his head, sitting on his hands to hide them. When he averted his eyes from her, she stood. “Maybe you’d do better as a cripple, eh?” She asked. “Can’t be a human, can’t be a Neo, can’t manipulate water in any way. Only thing you got is your hearing, and what’s that good for? Cheating off tests in school? Listening to me and your dad talk about you? You already know what we think. What else you good for?”

Carter slid off the chair and stood. “Um… I… I gotta go.” He tried to pass his mother, but she took his arm.

“Where? Ain’t got no friends, I’m your only family. Where you go that’s so great, anyway?” He gasped when she shook him a bit, waiting for an answer. “Ain’t you a swimmer? Going swimming?”

Mom, s-stop!” Carter fought back tears. If he showed weakness, she would grin and claim victory. “Please!” She raised a hand, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Mom!” He woke himself up, his voice weak with fear and a combination of anger and sadness. He had always tried to love his mother and father, despite their loathing of him. He had never wanted to be like them and hate others for their differences. But it was very difficult to love them when they were belittling him and smacking him. That was the day he was thrown out of their home, when he was nine years old. Now, sitting up on the cot, tears burning his eyes, he felt his face become hot at his outburst. Without a sense of time, he brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, hiding his face from the cavern.

Aquarius woke with a start, the cry "Mom" resounding through her brain. Quickly rising from her covers, she stood and looked with alarm towards Carter. He was sitting there sobbing into his hands. Her face grew still as she eyed him, sympathy and sadness welling up inside of her. He had to have had a nightmare. Most likely about his past. She feared it was worse than hers. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

Marching to her cabinet she pulled out that jar of her 10 eao stones. They were small pebbles about half the size of a penny. To use one, his race of merpeoples would grind these up into powder and use it in a drink. The dust was used to change from mermaid to human... and from human to mermaid. They were rare. None of them had ever tried them undeluded. The stones were rare and worked in pretty small doses. However, he obviously had more abilities and talent than the rest of his kind. To have mer-characteristics in human form showed how much more potential he had over his mer-peers. She was willing to bet that no merman or mermaid could out swim him, more so if he ever transformed into a mermaid. She wondered what would happen if he ate the whole pebble instead of just some of the dust? If any merperson had even ever tried it? If it worked, he could only change to and back 5 times.

She looked over at Carter with it clinched in her hand. Maybe she should wait a couple years until he was older. She felt torn. Striding over to him quickly, she sat beside him. Reaching around him with both arms, she held him close and prayed her inner strength would reach him. That he would feel somewhat safer. That he would remember he was no longer alone. She fought back the tears, preferring to keep her cool and collected self on the foreground of her posture.

Gritting her teeth, she reinforced her mind for what she was about to try. Granted if it didn't work, nothing was lost. However if it did... then he could have hope. She took a deep breathe, gathered her courage, sent the courage into her hug to him, and shifted to pick him up. Smoothly carrying him from the cot, across the warm sand, and to the edge of the pool... she set him down allowing his legs to slide into the calm ocean water that was lapping slightly against the edge. Careful to not allow the water to splash on her, she took a firm grip of his chin in her hand, turned his head so his bewildered eyes could look into her encouraging ones, and forced his jaw open. Dropping the whole pebble into his mouth, she closed it and held it firm... waiting.

The water around his legs turned to a bubbling mass of foam. It worked its way all the way up his waist. She heard him gasp and tightened her arm that was around her shoulders. It was taking longer than normal. The water of the pool had small waves now. She eyed them uncertainly, hoping they didn't touch her but refusing to move to avoid it. Suddenly the foaming stopped and the waves washed the bubbles away. His legs were gone. In their place were two amazingly long tails. This kid was going to be quite an excellent swimmer. She breathed a sigh of relief...

When Aquarius moved about, he hated the fact he had woken her up. He didn’t want to show how weak he felt, but the dream of his past brought back feelings that were so incredibly real, weighing on his heart so heavily he felt it would surely stop. He didn’t try to fight the hug she gave, but found a strange strength resonate between them, easing the terrible anger he had brought back from his subconscious. It wasn’t like him, to let go so quickly and easily, but Aquarius seemed so comforting, like the mother he had never had, though she was rather young to be a mother to an eleven-year old.

He didn’t fight back when she lifted him. It wasn’t from the trust, though he certainly trusted her. He couldn’t find the will to fight back, or the desire. He sensed that whatever she was doing would benefit him, but couldn’t quite figure out what she was doing. In human form, she couldn’t touch water, especially salt water, but she was nearing the hole in the floor anyway. Under the light blue glow of the ceiling stones, the water glittered mysteriously. When she set him halfway into the water, he looked toward her and tried to speak, but too late. Whatever she put in his mouth, instinct told him to get rid of it at once, though he couldn’t. Without knowing what else to do, he forced himself to swallow the small, round object.

He gasped at the water, the odd, tingling feeling spreading through his legs, up to his hips, into his arms and hands. His heart beat fast, so quickly, in fact, he felt it would explode in his chest. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling his toes, his feet change, the texture of his skin rather odd, hidden in the foaming seawater. Shutting his eyes, he waited for the ominous feeling to pass, and when the tingling faded, the water calmed. Though the odd texture and movement of his feet and legs remained. For an instant, he almost blamed Aquarius for doing something terrible to him with something of hers, perhaps an edible rock that bound the legs together or immobilized them completely, leaving him to be done away with. But his paranoia turned to shock, a speechless awe, at what he saw when he forced his eyes open.

Glittering pale blue-green scales covered two very long tails where his legs should have been. His feet felt so odd because they were replaced with perfectly flat, perfectly wide, very powerful fins. A smile appeared when he looked at his hands, and found they no longer had webbings between the fingers. “Aqua…” He gasped. “I… don’t… I can’t believe this…” He shook his head, pulling his hair to make sure he was awake. Nothing dimmed, nor darkened, and he didn’t feel a falling sensation. The ground was real, the tails, the lack of webs on his hands, the calming water. “My parents didn’t use Eao stones! They wanted me to stay a freak of a kid, to hide this… It must be the way things were!” He grinned widely at her. “Oh, Aquarius… I don’t know what to say… Thank you won’t cut it this time. It just won’t. I can’t ever repay this…” He bit back thankful tears and hugged her tightly. “I know you might not have known if it had worked, but… It’s unbelievable. I… I have to try these…”

Without splashing, he lowered into the water and moved through the cavern, into the reef, breeching the rip current. His tails seemed a bit awkward at first, and the fact that he didn’t have to use only his feet to propel him along, or his hands at all, was something he could hardly comprehend. He didn’t waste time, letting himself dart through the water, out into the open, testing his new acquisitions. It felt natural, even as he moved about for the first time. Without much practice, he seemed to master his movements, propelling along faster than he ever had before, flying past undersea plants and animals, unable to contain the laughs of joy that filled him. He felt free, unburdened by clumsy feet and the need to use his hands to move faster. His new tails did all the work, and didn’t seem to take much more energy than a quick walk.

Aquarius looked at Carter in wonderment. The hope that lit his eyes and the amazement that took over him turned him into another person. The person he almost looked like when he had felt pride. She smiled as he slipped into the water and took off. Not wanting to miss a moment of this spectacular drama, she jumped and transformed, splashing into the water and diving down and out. She stayed by the reef and watched him spiraling, twisting, zooming all over the cove and boulder field. He zipped effortlessly through riptides and surfed along the undertows. She grinned as he danced among the coral and effortlessly enjoyed the underworld as easily as breathing. She wanted to bet his stamina was also better than most merpeoples. What a shock he would be to his parents if they could see their "disaster" was now an idol among his own.

She dreaded having to explain to him that the pebbles were limited. He wouldn't be able to switch back and forth. He most likely would prefer the sea too... since he was so much more clumsy on land. She sighed. She better get a small bag that could hold a stone or two for him to wear at all times... around his wrist or neck or something. But for now, watching him was so much fun. She suddenly had a longing to be a kid again... and get away from here. Darting out and spiraling through the water, she ease up to the surface and checked the coast. No one was about... with it being night. Though they could see fine, humans wouldn't be able to make out much in the dim starlight. She dove back down and picked up as much speed as she could before going for the surface again. With a burst of spray she sprang into the sky, allowing a backflip combined with a twist, before returning to gravity's waiting arms. She re-entered the ocean water with a thrill and headed out towards the middle of the reef. Weaving and dancing among the coral, she reached the open ocean and looked out. It was tempting to find some playful dolphins. Yet she hesitated. This moment was for Carter. She turned, wondering where that fascinated and excited boy had gotten to.

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Merpeoples

The Three who can become Human:
Dia: Notorius for their beauty and strength. Needs a key to transform to human and back again.
Neo: Often has blue hair coloring. Sometimes a rare merperson with white hair will be born with amazing potential. Needs eao stones, usually ground up, to transform to human and back again. White haired ones need the whole stone.
Lerk: Often considered bullies of the ocean. Less than kind temperament. Has what appears to be a shark fin on their backs. They transform at will, but the fin on their back stays there even in human form... so they usually are disguised as hunchbacked old people.

Other Five MerPeoples

Noble: These are kind, long living merpeoples whose main families rule the oceans. Each ocean and major sea has their own King and ruling family. They live the longest, are known for their love of peace, and each family specializes in a form of art.
Muses: As their name implies, they are musically talented. Their best mermaids, as they are usually women, can put on shows around the world. They appear to transform, as when singing they have human legs and outfits. However, they cannot breathe air and so are trapped in the ocean. They enjoy visiting palaces and homes of nobility to entertain.
Atlantians: Yes, Atlantis exists. These merpeoples are neither super kind or ill tempered. They are very much like humans except that they have fins.
Ancients: They are exactly that... ancient. They exist. Usually one individual will serve as an adviser in one of the courts. But the whole race lives in a remote and deep area of the ocean. They are a mystery.
Garth: These strange creatures are merpeople. They are like midgets though as they are only half the size of a normal merperson. They keep to themselves in quiet and small communities. They grow fields of ocean plants to harvest and sell if they are near larger mertowns. They live primarily in the Great Barrier Reef, maintaining what they called Paradise.

He heard Aquarius follow, her sound waves moving in very different forms than anything else. He didn’t want to show off, but couldn’t help himself. He squeaking social activity of night-riding dolphins nearby called to him, there only being one or two. He approached them as they swept easily through the water, feeling much like them, able to move without much effort, if any at all, his energy at full capacity and not about to run dry any time soon. Carter’s past wasn’t a bother to him at the moment, his parents would be red in the face and he knew it. He would be able to outrace them, outlast them, with no problem on his end. Though he had never heard of a mermaid or merman with two tails, he didn’t want to question it. He was faster, maybe not faster than Aquarius, but so much faster.

Leaving the dolphins behind, he found Aquarius zooming toward the bottom of the sea floor and decided to follow her. Just out of her line of sight, he raced her to the surface, putting every ounce of available speed behind his ascent, breeching the water so quickly he didn’t think he would be able to stop moving forward. But he did, arcing in the cool night air, staring at the beautiful sky and the bright, glimmering stars until gravity took hold once more and brought him back down. The waves swallowed him easily, his body falling like a bullet through the water again. His heart was racing, a smile plastered to his face. He didn’t think he would be lucky enough to remain in his form for long, as Aquarius had told him when they first met that she didn’t have many Eao stones. However many times he could change, he decided to take full advantage of all of them.

Breathing in water, letting it move easily through his second set of lungs, he glanced around. The water was dark in the state of the sky above, but he could see Aquarius nearby. Moving forward, he darted toward her. “I can’t thank you enough for this chance.” he said. “A million thank-yous aren’t enough, really. I’ll just try to repay you by being the best friend I can be, and I’ll never leave you alone. I owe you so much more than I can give, but I hope it’s enough to just be there for you when you need it.” He put a hand out.

Empires:

Main Empire - Elois: Ruled by King Edyman. Greedy personality, though not always cruel.

South - Wastelands: Ruled by Goce. Barran and desert country filled with silver mines. Cruel and vicious personality.

West... the ocean.

East - Melvern: Out in the plains. Famous for horses. Many tribal kings and leaders. Nothing special about their personality, except they tend to be war-like.

East - Mergette: Past the plains and on the other side of the mountains. They stay to themselves. Little is known of them.

North - Centrary: Best artisans come from there. Good economy. Selfish king. Currently in anarchy as the last king died and a new one hasn't been chosen due to no apparent heir.

North - Isle of Peretta: A large Isle nation. Amazing sailors and explorers.

Those are the main empires. More exist past them. Politics is tense between all of them. Each has their own share of unruly dark guilds to deal with and control... or attempt to. They all cause small problems that have to be dealt with... often by The Council.

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Aquarius saw Carter had beaten her to the dolphins She grinned as she watched them. She was mildly surprised at his agility and speed. It was very possible that he might be faster than her. That made her pause. When he finally wore through some of that exuberance and came towards her, she tried to hide her grin. But it peeked out anyway. There went being calm and collected.

He came and thanked her. She laughed and accepted his outstretched hand. You owe me nothing. I did for you want any sane merperson should have done long ago. I think your parents must have cared a lot about you. I know they probably didn't show it. I'm just saying, no one has ever swallowed a whole eao stone before. I don't think it crossed anyone's mind. I guess you will want to stay this way forever huh.

Carter’s smile faded. “My parents were cruel and hateful. If they really cared about me they wouldn’t have put me on display. At least it backfired on them, though, and alienated them. I’ll never forgive them.” He looked down, at what he had now, for the time being. “I love the ocean. The expanse, the mystery. The danger. The beauty. I love it. But I know I can’t stay this way forever.” He tried to think back at where he visited before, in the ocean, the secluded, tiny places he managed to squeeze into. Stones sometimes littered the sea floor, other times hanging to the walls of narrow, claustrophobia-inducing caverns and caves. They resembled the eao stones. Perhaps he could take Aquarius to those tiny places, but he doubted she could follow him. He was small enough to get in, but she was an adult. Perhaps they were really eao stones. They were rare, but not many merpeople were small enough to get into those places. And he was told they could appear just about anywhere. He was torn.

Aquarius was sad when his smile faded. And guilty. She didn't mean for that. Internally sighing, she looked out at the open ocean. A lot was there. A lot to learn and explore. She looked over at him. Why can't you stay this way forever? Why can't you stay in the ocean where you are happier? The world above here is so cruel to you. Your at a constant disadvantage. You don't need to go back to that and face that ever again. She thought back to his parents. Better leave that subject alone. It was a touchy one and she didn't know them or all he had been through.

Carter glanced at her. He thought she knew why he wouldn't want to stay that way forever. "While the ocean is beautiful, dangerous, and where I truly belong, the world above, the dry land, has its beauty as well. The vast mystery of all that is, both above and below the water, exist everywhere I go, and I never tire in seeing the trees, the sunsets and sunrises over the water, the endless skies and stars and moon at night. I love the wide meadows and massive trees, ancient and proud. And the animals. There are animals there so odd, just like in the deepest depths of the sea. And while the people are cruel, hateful, and are quick to shun me for my difference, there are merpeople here who would do the very same. People are people, whether they have fins or one set of lungs, they'll always find a difference to ridicule you about."

He looked down. They were far enough away from the riptide and Aquarius's refuge that he could recognize a run in the ocean floor, a series of plants that led to a certain small crevice he had found those odd stones some time before. "Ahem... I might know of a place that holds more eao stones." He said quickly. "I never thought about it at the time, though. C'mon, I'll show you there." He went down, following the plants a little slower than he'd been going.

Aquarius followed him down. Her mind was flying a thousand miles a minute. She understood what he said. But he had a better physical advantage here than up there. However, it seemed he had made up his mind. Oh to be a kid again. She forced her thoughts to focus and watched where they were going. It appeared they were heading toward a crevice. There were plants growing along it and she wondered how much exploring he had done past the beach and reef.

When she was his age, she had loved to explore too. However, she was a lady and a lady had to learn manners. Running off hadn't been allowed. Then when she was sent to the surface, she was too fearful to explore knowing that anyone who saw her would stare. A girl of her age should hold such beauty. She wondered if there was a way to disguise herself more readily. Not likely. Her training as a lady was thorough. She had never been able to get out of it. She mentally smacked herself and told herself to focus. Eao stones were important. Considering it took the whole thing to transform, they were going to need more.

Carter glanced back. She was following with a far-off look on her face, but she was there. He went down, toward the edge of the cliff, on the far side and under a particularly heavy rock formation originally hidden by thick seaweed gatherings and the remains of a small wooden fishing boat. Pushing past, he squeezed through, glancing back to see if Aquarius could get in. The hole looked large enough. Moving forward a few dozen feet, he came to a hole in the solid rock floor, about four feet in diameter, and flew into it. His newly-acquired tails were longer than his legs by quite a bit, and it took some maneuvering to avoid the walls as the cavern passageway leveled out.

It went for about thirty feet, before dipping down a bit and opening into a large cave. The walls were lined with veins of glowing blue-green stone, giving light to the area, which was a good sized room. The floor was littered with stones resembling what Aquarius had given Carter to turn him. They stuck to the walls, the ceiling, the largest stone still only as small as a nickle. "This is one place I know of." He said. "I never thought these were eao stones, but the ones my parents always used were large, black things, like lava rock. They must've just polished some rocks they found in the driveway with black shoe polish and convinced me they were the real deal." He went down and picked up a handful.

Aquarius gingerly approached the cliff and slid past the fishing boat and seaweed. This place was unfamiliar to her. She saw Carter go into a small hold and she figured it couldn't hurt to try to follow. She got her shoulders through and by wiggling her tail, was able to squeeze through. From there she watched Carter lead on through a hole in the floor. Completely back to earth... or in this case back to sea... she followed him down. Feeling much like a gymnast, she twisted and gently slid down. Coming out into a beautifully lit cavern, she looked around in surprise and pleasure. Thousands of tiny blue and green stones glowed all over the place. She grinned and basked in their light. Blue was common enough, but green... oh such a pretty color.

She closed her eyes and let a soft smile play on her face. It was warm and peaceful here, even if out of the way. She felt going past the seaweed and rocky crevices were with it. And the eao... her eyes popped open and she stared in surprise at the eao stones littering the walls and floor. There were so many! It was almost like a Garth had started a garden here... only definitely not a plant garden. And out of the way too. Beyond Carter, what merperson would have even thought to check here? She turned to him with surprise and wonderment all over her face, speechless.

Carter went to the bottom of the cavern and scooped up handfuls of the stones. He usually didn’t have to close his fingers, water or small items being caught by the webs between them, but being without them, he had to close his fingers in a cup. That he could have easily just eaten one in the past, taking away all the foolishness he had ever felt, showing his enemies and tormentors that he was really something to behold, made him feel like an idiot. But he didn’t dwell on himself. Letting the stones fall through his hands, he looked around to Aquarius and grinned.

“I’m curious.” He said simply. “Whatever little place in the floor of the ocean, anywhere I can get to, I look around. There’s always a place to explore, and sometimes I find the strangest places.” He stared at the goldmine of stones he could use to move from human to merman, and wondered how to transfer more than a handful or two from their hiding place to a safe place. Coming to a quick conclusion, he struggled out of his shirt and let it fall in a flat form on the floor. It held a little more than a hundred, and he glanced at Aquarius as he scooped them up. “This is the closest mine containing eao stones to your house above and below water.” Carter said. “There are a couple more, a bit more dangerous to get to, though, and I don’t think you’d be able to get in. But there are a lot here, and this is where I slept at night.” He smiled. “I guess I don’t have to worry about the number of changes I can do now, eh? I can be helpful to you now.” He scooped up his shirt and went to her. “Besides… I thought you’d like this place. The veins of colored stone that run through the walls and ceiling are the same ones you have on the ceiling of your cavern.”