..."Baby, if your love is in troublen. When you know, you know When you know, you know"...
...Lana Del Rey (Margaret) ...
Eldoris raised both her hands, causing the sharp rocks around her to rise up and float around him, then she threw all the rocks forward, striking a wounded mermaid and sending her crashing to the ground as the sharp rocks cut into her vital organs. Eldoris swam as fast as lightning toward the mermaid before she hit the bottom. He thrust the sharp tip of his tail into the mermaid's upper back, causing him to scream in pain. The water around Eldoris was stained red with blood. Eldoris raised his tail, forcing the mermaid to face him. "What do you want? "What did you do to my clan?" Eldoris asked in a deep, intimidating tone, his eyes piercing sharply into the eyes of the severely wounded male mermaid.
"You… hid…" The male mermaid spoke haltingly in a forced, soft tone, clearly on the verge of losing consciousness.
Several other sirens approached, bowing before Eldoris. "What shall we do with him?" asked a siren clad in armor
Eldoris paused to think, lowering his gaze to the male mermaid who was already beginning to slump. "Take him to Malvis's residence. I'll summon him myself; don't let anyone tell him before I do," said Eldoris.
"Alright, we understand," said Eldoris's subordinate siren, holding the male mermaid alongside her companion.
Eldoris moved his tail and swam away from there, flicking his tail as he swam off with great force, causing the merman to be flung onto another of Eldoris's subordinates.
"Malvis," called Eldoris, who had just arrived at a building ruin teeming with various deep-sea fish. Marella was there too, seemingly unaware of Eldoris's arrival as he sat on a rock, talking to the fish while admiring the many beautiful skirts introduced by them.
Hearing this, Malvis swam away from Marella's side and approached Eldoris. "What is it, Your Highness?" Malvis asked.
"Treat the mermaid at your residence. After that, detain him. I need a lot of information from him," Eldoris whispered softly, to which Malvis nodded in response. Malvis swam away from there.
Eldoris stared ahead at Marella, who was laughing heartily as she watched the pufferfish she had frightened, its body now puffed up like a balloon. He mimicked the pufferfish's lips, which jutted forward. In his hand was a beautiful gray cloth, and a sharp object in his other hand
Eldoris gave a faint smile as he swam towards Marella and pulled her onto his lap. He sat on the stone with Marella glaring at him angrily. "What are you doing? Taking advantage of the situation?" Marella asked in a sharp tone
Eldoris leaned forward, causing Marella to suddenly jerk back so sharply she nearly toppled backward if Eldoris hadn't quickly caught her. "Distracted?" Eldoris asked, confused.
Marella shook her head. "No, your face was too close to mine, so I almost fell over," Marella retorted, looking embarrassed.
Eldoris raised one eyebrow and chuckled softly, so softly that Marella couldn't hear it. Eldoris deliberately leaned in closer to Marella again, their noses almost touching. This made Marella freeze. Their gazes locked simultaneously. A flush of red appeared on both sides of Marella's face. Eldoris noticed Marella's face beginning to turn red. "Are you sick?" Eldoris asked, causing Marella to snap out of it and push Eldoris's body away.
"No," Marella evaded, turning her face away, biting her lip to hide her embarrassment.
"Your face is red," Eldoris remarked, causing Marella to touch both her cheeks.
"The water's hot and it's irritating my face," Marella explained, fanning her face with her hand.
Lotus rolled her eyes lazily. "You're such a fish," Lotus teased, curling her lips.
Marella suddenly glared at Lotus. "You don't look in the mirror, you're a fish too," Marella retorted, leaving Lotus speechless.
Pippy giggled mockingly at Lotus. "Miss Marella is learning to knit, isn't she?" Pippy teased Eldoris.
Eldoris examined a skirt that Marella had knitted, then picked it up to look at it as if appraising it. "It's wonderful, you really are talented," Eldoris praised proudly, stroking the top of Marella's head, causing the girl's cheeks to flush red.
Marella had just learned that the skirt she wore to cover the color of her tail was actually made from human waste polluting the oceans. Since that waste doesn't break down easily, the ocean's inhabitants had to get creative to turn it into something useful, as mermaids and sirens were often injured by getting trapped in piles of fabric in the sea. A mermaid queen introduced this technique, using needles made from the sharp fangs of Fangtooth fish and thread from the thin, long tentacles of small jellyfish, which they call "bioluminescent fine fibers." These skirts became a trend among female mermaids and sirens. Marella's question about why such skirts existed in the underwater world was answered. They simply wanted to reduce ocean trash. "Really? I'm still learning to sew," said Marella. She had never sewn in the human world; once her clothes tore, she would immediately throw them away.
Eldoris nodded. "Beautiful. How about you make a cloak for me later?" Eldoris asked.
"Make a cloak for you? But I'm still an amateur," said Marella, feeling unsure of herself.
"Well then, you're a reliable amateur. As a siren prince, you must make me a cloak for my coronation ceremony. This is an order," declared Eldoris, earning a playful jab from Marella.
"Fine, fine, you annoying prince," Marella snapped in a joking tone, making both of them burst into laughter, ignoring Lotus and Pippy who had been watching with blank expressions the whole time. They exchanged glances and rolled their eyes lazily
The sound of Marella's stomach suddenly growled. She looked at the fish there, reminding her of fish salad. The memory made her hunger surge
Eldoris noticed Marella's hungry gaze on the fish. "Do you want to eat them?" Eldoris asked, to which Marella replied with a loud snort, snapping back to her senses.
She still had a soft spot for these beautiful fish. "They're too beautiful to eat."
"You're beautiful too," Eldoris murmured, though faintly, and Marella still heard it.
Marella turned to Eldoris. "What did you say?" Marella asked.
Eldoris shook his head. "Nothing."
Marella looked down. A piece of light green scale was at the sharp tip of Eldoris's tail. Marella reached for the scale to examine it. "What is this? I've never seen a mermaid with a bright tail," Marella asked, showing the scale to Eldoris.
Eldoris grabbed it and threw it as far as possible, propelled by the wave created by her power. "It's nothing, just forget it. How about we go back?" Eldoris suggested, to which Marella nodded in agreement.
On the other side, at the bottom of the deep sea in a pitch-black place, an argument was taking place. "Tell me, what did you mean by suddenly attacking a mermaid?" asked Malvis with the gentle gaze she usually directed at anyone. He could see clearly beneath the darkness with his siren eyes. A mermaid with a face covered in scars seemed unwilling to answer the question. "Answer me," Malvis pressed, thrusting the tip of his spear toward the mermaid trapped inside the stone prison.
The mermaid looked intimidated and afraid, but he still plucked up the courage. "Return the mermaid you've imprisoned," the mermaid commanded, leaving Malvis suddenly bewildered.
"What do you mean?" Malvis asked urgently, lowering his voice so no one else could hear; fortunately, no other sirens were allowed into the secret cell in the basement of his residence.
The mermaid seemed to regret his words. "I won't say a thing to any of you," the mermaid said, glaring sharply at Malvis.
Malvis sighed softly; there was no point in pressing him. The mermaid in front of him was stubborn. "Alright, I'm not sure you'll stay silent if you're facing the Siren Prince," Malvis said. Instantly, the mermaid looked agitated. Malvis swam away, leaving the mermaid alone behind the stone prison with very little light.
Meanwhile, in another part of the realm, Darchole, a siren with a dark green tail with black tips and sharp spines adorning parts of her tail, swam swiftly in one direction, her dark green hair swept by the current as she entered a majestic-looking building overgrown with moss and seaweed. She swam quickly through every corridor of the building, her sharp eyes scanning back and forth in search of something; her keen instincts led her to a room locked by a stone door. She swam swiftly toward it, but an electric eel blocked her path. "You are not permitted to enter Prince Eldoris's chamber, Miss. Hasn't the prince warned you time and again?" said the electric eel.
"Get out of the way, Lotus! I want to see Eldoris!" the female mermaid screamed, snapping at it.
Lotus shook its head. "Leave, or I'll sting you, Miss," Lotus threatened fiercely. This didn't deter the woman. She swiped her tail at Lotus, sending it flying hard into the door.
...Eyes OF The Sea...
...Happy Reading...