The Lost Secret of the Silver Sea

Chapter 3: No Claws, No Scales

Kaelonne presses his lips into a thin line, taking in his surroundings. He half expected his brother to appear from nowhere and drag him home, yelling into his ear the entire time of how his need to help everything he came across will one day be his downfall. The young royal waits a few minutes in utter stillness, curious to see if the creature hardly a tail distance away from him would move.

            It did not, regretfully. Kaelonne’s ears droop as he realises that he’d need to get closer to help the creature. Shouldn’t be too hard right? All he had to do was drag it close to shore and one of its own kind would find it and take care of it, right? All while not being seen…

            It made no sense to waste his time fiddling with his fins, it would be getting dark soon and Falkon would soon be done with his training for the day. The last thing he needed to do was explain to his father why he was meddling in the lives of the very creatures he was sworn from even thinking about helping.

            Kaelonne bared his fangs in challenge of the situation, flicking his tail and stopping right before one of the human’s hand floating in the water. His eyes widen in surprise at the distinct lack of claws, did the human loose them in the tumble? Is that why he wasn’t able to help himself? He frowned as he noticed that there were still a form of claws on the fingers, but they barely reached past the soft, dark skin. How were humans supposed to protect themselves it their claws were so thin?

            He shook his head and focused on his task. He poked his head slightly above the water, eyes barely passing the water line, he knew he must look ridiculous, but he’d preferred that than a sudden fight. The human didn’t react, it’s face slack and pressing uncomfortably on the board. Unconscious then, not asleep, that makes a little more sense.

            He lets the claws of one hand touch the wood, noting absentmindedly that it was much smoother and waxier than he expected, the face remained unchanged. The smell of blood was at its strongest, with a spark of worry, his eyes land on the red life source staining its temple and the hand still clutching the broken edge of the board.

            The young royal inches closer, hesitantly taking a hand out of the water to rest on the wood entirely, he winces as the dry air touches the fins on his arm and the gills on his neck, he’d suffer soreness later but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He pushed himself closer, it was rumored that these beings breathed from their noses, not carrying gills on their sides and necks like the Mermatians.

            He flinches harshly as a soft push of dry air hits his own sensitive nose, issuing from the being’s open mouth. He hissed in surprise as the broken board shifts dangerously from his weight, the creature doesn’t react. Kaelonne eyes the rapidly darkening skies, ear-fins raising as he hears the soft rumble, rain would be upon them soon again. He need to get the human to shore, least he be subjected to the harsh waves that would crash on the rocks.

            Kaelonne steels his nerves, and drops back into the water, grabbing on to the edge of the board, wincing as his claws sink through it easily. He flicks his tail hard and pulls the board with him, groaning internally at the awkward angle. Fortunately, it moves easily with him. Unfortunately, the being on it doesn’t move as easily. He eyes the hand that is slackening its grip, frowning hard as the body slips lower into the water.

Human were accustomed with the water but breathing it was very bad for them, this he knew, so his heart hammered in his chest as he eyed the slowly closing distance between them and the shore.

            He ignores the problem for now, pulling the board a little slower and periodically watching for the outcropping of smooth rock that they were approaching. He cheers in his head as the board knocks on the solid rock, turning to grin at his unconscious partner… just in time to see them slip into the water.

            Kaelonne screeches in panic, hardly taking notice as the sound echoes on the rock and water. He dives under and eyes the human sinking to the floor. With a hard flick of his tail, he’s at its side, grabbing on to the cloth covering its upper body and growling as his claws easily shred it. It a split decision, he wraps his arms around it’s middle and hurries back to the surface.

            They break the water line gracelessly, the Mermatian’s hair blocking out most of his slight as it flopped uselessly, claws slicing into the rock effortlessly. With a bit of hissing and growling, Kaelonne drags the creature until his upper body is out of the water, his ears droop in relief. Job done, he pushes away from the rock, fully intending to head back to his brother when a thought stops him, what if no one is aware that the human is here?

            The Mermatian hangs his head in resignation as he realizes that this might be a lot harder than he originally thought. Kaelonne winces as thunder rolls in the sky again, the wind drying out his hair uncomfortably as he pushes it back. He swims closer again, wondering if it would be possible to wake the unconscious human, it’s awake it could find a way to call for its own, right? It was worth a shot.

            He eyes the strange, unfamiliar feet, hesitant to actually touch in fear of a sudden awakening that led to a fight. If it came to such, he’d easily overpowered, regretfully, though he holds his hopes against an injured human. His siblings were much better fighters. Though he his could hold himself in a pinch, he wasn’t suited for war like they were.

            Careful with his claws, he pokes the soft underside, frowning as the absolute lack of scales or any other form of protective amour, natural or otherwise. How were these things considered so dangerous when they lived with such fragile bodies?

            He yelps and ducks underwater as it twitches, slowly poking his head up again when the action is not repeated. Kaelonne eyes the creature warily, tail swishing in the water irritably, he was not in the mood for games or half-wishes. He pokes the soft underside a little harsher, wincing in apology as his thoughtless act ends with a small, bleeding scratch. He is rewarded, however, with frowning brows and twitching fingers.

            Kaelonne raises his ears in wonder, poking the leg harder with his knuckle, and ducking into the water as the being lets out a strained sound. It was rough and grating compared to the soft, smooth tones of Mermatians, making his ears twitch unwillingly. He pulls himself a little onto the rock, daringly pulling on the jerking fingers a few times. He perked up when the creature sucks in the dry air suddenly, chest rising harshly with the motion.

            Eyes open and it takes another grating breath, chest arching off the ground and one hand push itself on its side. Kaelonne stays frozen as eyes meet his own for a few seconds, watching stiffly as the curious brown pupils breaks the short spell and close again, flinching as a set of wracking gasps – coughs comes from the creature. He goes against the lesson thought to him on dealing with humans and stays out of the water just enough to keep an eye on the creature in pain.

            The wide eyes meet his own for a few seconds again, head resting tiredly on the rock, chest moving rapidly from the intake of air. Kaelonne flinches when a loud shout echoes on the rocks, tail splashing the water hard enough that the human raises its head again, meeting his eyes and turning in the direction the Mermatian nods his head.

            The call comes again, but it’s a little further now, as though it was moving away. Kaelonne feels panic rising in his chest, turning sharply at the human on the rock. The creature seems to understand what was happening, pushing itself up a little and letting out a harsh grunt. It frowns and tries again, seemingly unbothered that the living creature beside him had not moved to help him. The voice is a little louder this time, though still rough and grating.

            The call from the distance reaches them again, this time in a questioning tone. The human echoes back a ‘Here!’ in their language, one that Kaelonne is mostly familiar with due to his father’s consistent pestering to learn it. The being bares his short fangs in a smile as his voice carries, dropping its head tiredly to the rock again. Kaelonne clicks one of his claws on the rock, catching its attention gently, a warning that he would be on his own now, at least until his own came for him, which were a few rocks away.

            The human’s eyes flutter open again, chest rising again as it lets out a soft whisper and closing again. Kaelonne turns his head to the calling voice one more time before ducking under the water for the final time, slightly reluctant to leave his charge so soon. He pushes away from the rock and ducks close to the sea floor, watching as another human finally reaches the rock, pulling the injured one out and crouching above them worriedly.

            Kaelonne whistles a soft note of the prayer for health before turning away and heading back to his brother, eyeing the steadily darkening sky, hoping to high waves that he wasn’t late.