As the group spent much of the day talking to Cameron, many of them decided to spend the rest of the day getting to know the rest of the merpeople living in New Atlantis.
Oscar swam away from the rest of the group and went towards a nearby site that would have resembled some sort of park in the better days of Atlantis. Still, he did see a couple of merchildren playing around in the ground, a four-year-old mergirl and a two-year-old merboy making little castles in the sand.
For some reason, the sight gave Oscar pause. In the back of his mind, he had thought about being a father a couple of times but he hadn’t really thought of where to start. He preferred to remain at his studies and play DnD with friends rather than worry about dating. Still, it wouldn’t be that bad to raise kids under the sea, it just saddened him that they would likely have to be raised under the ruins of an empire and the threat of machines.
“Hey,” A male voice called out.
Oscar turned to a couple sitting on a bench. The merman had a muscular royal blue tail and didn't seem too older than Oscar, only about four years his senior, but his eyes do show authority that commanded Oscar’s attention. By the merman’s side was a blonde mermaid with a ruby red tail, she smiled as she stroked her belly and looked at Oscar with curious but inviting eyes.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” The merman questioned.
Oscar nodded. “Yeah, how did you know?”
The merman chuckled. “Just an instinct. I’ve been here just long enough to tell from both my gut and your eyes. You’re not entirely familiar with your surroundings yet, I can tell.”
Oscar nodded. “You’re right. I honestly don’t know anyone here besides my group of friends.”
“Lemme guess, a broken shard?”
“Yeah…”
The merman laughed. “Same here, man. The name’s Kyle.” The merman scooted over, letting open space on the bench. “How about you take a seat? If you want, I could tell you how I ended up here.
Oscar nodded and laid himself on the bench as Kyle cleared his throat.
“It started about four and a half years ago. My wife Courtney was pregnant and I was just a 20-year-old college kid trying to make ends meet by delivering pizza. I had to admit, it wasn’t the most ideal situation to start a family but neither Courtney nor I wanted to abort the baby. We both knew the risks of having sex without protection and didn’t want our child to pay the price for it.
“Anyways, one day the pizza place I worked at was about to close when the counter girl handed me a delivery slip. She said that the customer sounded weird on the phone, with his voice being pretty old and raspy. She handed me the ticket and it was a weird order - 1 large pizza with anchovies, pepperoni, and at least $20 worth of extras. The address was in the middle of nowhere and the only reason I went there was I usually got great tips from old people.
After a couple of hours of driving, I found myself near a forest with no house in sight. I tried calling the number from the ticket but no answer. Instead, I saw a tall thin figure coming out of the forest, wearing what I could only describe as a raggedy blue cloak with stars on it. I probably would have driven away in fear from the size of the man alone if it weren’t for the funny beard on his face.
He talked to me as if he was about to cry. “Is it here, is my glorious pizza here?”
I pointed to the boxes and before I could get them outside the old man took the boxes with his long thin fingers and gobbled them up before I could even tell him to pay up. I was about to speak when I heard him mumbling some… strange occult stuff.”
Oscar raised an eyebrow. “Strange Occult stuff?”
Courtney then spoke up. “Yeah, dear. I remember you mentioned something of what the man said once but never told it again ever since we became merpeople. Can you still remember?”
Kyle nodded. “I do. He said something of how he and his friends were once wise scholars of the olden teachers such as Poimandres and Apollonius and became knowledgeable in the nature of the cosmos and the world… Yet never knew the taste of pizza. It was.. weird hearing such a guy saying stuff like that. But he did say something that shakes me now.”
“What was it?” Oscar asked. “What did the old man say?”
“He said something like this: The giants are gone. The centaurs are ensnared. The elves have fled, and we will soon strip the merpeople of their magic.” Kyle said grimly. “I can still remember it because, after his rant, he gave a couple hundred bucks in tips and… A necklace with a crystal in it. ”
Courtney nodded. “I remember now. It was a gift for the baby’s first birthday but as soon as our daughter had it in our hands, she threw it at the floor and broke the crystal.”
“Exactly,” Kyle said. “After that, we became merpeople and have been here ever since.”
“Wow,” Oscar said. “Did you ever meet the old man again?”
“Oh God no.” Kyle shook his head. “I quickly pressed on the gas after he gave me that necklace and haven’t seen him since. I gotta admit, I wouldn’t call myself a religious nut but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t start sleeping with a Bible and a gun next to me, just in case that thing stood over me or my wife by our bed.”
Oscar gulped at the thought. “So… How do you feel about being a merman now? Especially since you and your wife are merpeople because of what your daughter did?”
“You mean Madison? Oh, I don’t begrudge her for that.” Osar shrugged. “It was an accident and she had no idea what she was doing. Needless to say, I never got to complete my college degree but at least I got a house and a family now. Can’t complain much about that, even if we have to be more careful at night.”
Oscar turned to Courtney. “What about you?”
“Oh me? I’m happy where I am. About to deliver a baby and everything. Of course, I had a friend who helped with my motherhood. Her name was Anaya and she and her daughter Ebrah were big helpers in getting me settled here.” Courtney’s face soon fell into a mournful frown. “Anaya would have loved to see Maidson and her brother Liam grow up but she and her husband died before Madison's second birthday. I miss them…”
Kyle nodded and gently embraced his wife. “I miss them, too. At least we’re not alone.”
Oscar looked at the two and smiled before slowly swimming away. “You two seem really nice. Glad I got to know you guys. Now, I think I need to go back to my friends now. Thanks for the story, Kyle.”
“You’re welcome, brother. Feel free to talk to me or Courtney anytime! By the way, welcome to New Atlantis!”