"May I ask you something Tonak?" you asked as you swam beside him. You were amazed at the speed at which you could swim now. Your tail must be more muscular than it looked. Of course having fins helped too.
"You may" Tonak said as you reached the cave entrance.
"Why did you react that way when I said that the staff of CYOC were humans?" you asked.
"Go into the cave opening first and I'll explain" Tonak said. "Just stay right inside until I come through."
"Ok" you said and entered the cave. There was a bit of light inside but it was coming from plants on the walls. Must be some sort of bioluminescent plant. It gave off just enough light for you to see.
Tonak came up beside you and said "There have been merpeople who have been caught by humans."
"That can't be" you said as you followed Tonak. "Someone capturing a merperson would have been breaking news."
"I don't know about that" Tonak said. "All I know is that merpeople have gone missing and then they show up a few days later with stories of being captured by humans. They also said that the humans had put something in their bodies. After a day or two even more merpeople would go missing. A few came back and they told some disturbing tales. It seems like most of the merpeople were killed and taken somewhere. After a few times of this we decided to kick any merperson who had been caught out of the villages. It saddens us that we have to do this but we must protect our people. There have been calls for us to attack the humans in their ships."
"Good luck with that" you said. "You could of done it like a century and a half ago but the ships today are a lot tougher than the wooden ones."
"So we have thought" Tonak said. "Still, there are those that want to try. They're convinced that it's the only way the humans will leave us alone."
"Then they don't know humans" you said. "If you attack their ships they will attack you back. Then you'll have a full scale war on your hands and you'll probably be wiped out."
"You might be able to help us out with that" Tonak said. "If you were really a human you could have information we could use."
"I'm not sure how much information I have that could help you" you said.
"We're here" Tonak said. "This is our village."
The cave opened up on a good sized village. There seemed to be sunlight filtering through the water from above. "How can there be sunlight here?" you asked. "I thought we were in a cave."
"We are in a volcano" Tonak said. "The cave leads from outside into the crater."
"We're in a volcano!" you said in shock. "Is it active!?!"
"I don't understand your question" Tonak said.
"Can this volcano erupt at anytime!?!" you clarified for him.
"Yes it could" Tonak said. He must have seen the fear in your eyes for he added "But you don't need to worry. We carefully watch for any signs that it is about erupt."
"Such as?" you asked.
"Well, such as the schools of fish" Tonak said. "If the fish suddenly left then we would know that there was a danger in time for us to leave. Some of us would also feel the danger approach and warn the others. So you see there's no need for you to worry."
Tonak had such a confident look on his face that you couldn't help but trust him. "Alright" you said. "I believe you but I'm still a little nervous."
"That's natural" Tonak said. "If you weren't at least a little nervous you would miss the small signs that always proceed an eruption."
"I take it you've made your homes in the craters of volcanoes before" you said.
"Yes we have" Tonak said. "We've never lost someone from a volcano erupting before and we don't plan on it. There's Cosson now."
A merman with green hair and a pink tail swam up to them and asked "What's going on Tonak?"
"I'm taking this mermaid to see the chief" Tonak said. "I need you to replace me on sentry duty."
"Of course" Cosson said. He turned to you and asked "May I ask your name?"
"It's Ashirra" you said. "Nice to meet you Cosson."
"It's a pleasure meeting such a beauty as you" Cossan said.
You blushed as Cossan swam into the cave. Tonak looked at you and said "Cossan is always looking for a potential mate. He will say anything to get one. Beware of his charm. He may look like a good catch but he does have a few flaws. He's quick to anger and he's pretty forgetful. I'm not telling you this to give you a bad impression of him. He's very dedicated to what he holds dear."
"Well he doesn't sound like someone I'd like to date or marry" you said.
"What are those words?" Tonak asked as he began to swim again.
"Well a date is going out with someone, getting to know them" you said. "And when you marry someone you make a commitment to them to love and cherish until one of you dies. At least that's the way it's suppose to be."
"I think I know what you're talking about" Tonak said. "We have several pre-mating rituals and then the mating ritual. Though I'm curious about your last comment. What did you mean by that?"
"Oh well a lot of marriages don't last until one dies" you said. "They separate before that."
"That doesn't happen here" Tonak said. "We take the mating ritual seriously. When we make the commitment we honor it."
You were swimming through the middle of the village now. The houses seemed to be made of sand and rock. They varied in size but they were all more or less dome shaped. As you swam you noticed that almost all of the merpeople were staring at you.
"Don't worry about them" Tonak said. "Since humans started capturing us we tend to carefully evaluate any new comers. You're with me though so all they'll do is stare. If you weren't you would be attacked. That's why I told you to stay with me."
"I can understand your caution" you said.
It was a few minutes before you came to the largest structure you could see in the village. As with the other buildings this one was dome shaped and made of sand and rock. Two mermen were standing by a door. As you approached they lowered their spears and one said "Identify yourselves!"
"It is I, Tonak" Tonak said. "My companion here is Ashirra. I'm taking her to see Chief Tritus."
"She is new here" one of the mermen said. "Do you accept responsibility for her actions?"
"I do" Tonak said.
"Then you may pass" one of the mermen said. "I hope you know what you're doing Tonak."
"I do Mammon" Tonak said.
The two mermen raised their spears again and you swam through the door which was covered with some type of plant. It reminded you of the beaded curtains people would sometimes put in doorways. You think back on your journey through the village and realize that you had seen the same plants over some doorways and windows. You swim through a few more doors until you come to a room with what looked to be a throne in it. Sitting in the throne was a merman with orange hair, mustache, and beard. His tail was blood red. He didn't know how old he was but he looked a little older than Tonak.
"Greetings Chief Tritus" Tonak said.
"Cut the formalities Tonak" Chief Tritus said. "You are my younger brother after all."
These two were brothers? You wouldn't have guessed that they were since their hair and tails were different colors. Though as you looked closer you realized that Tonak's hair was the same red as Chief Tritus' tail and his hair was the same color as Tonak's tail. Chief Tritus had the same broad chest as Tonak and you thought you could see the same square jaw under the beard. They did have the same green eyes. When you looked at Chief Tritus your heart didn't flutter like it did when you looked at Tonak.
"I was raised to respect the formalities as you were Chief Tritus" Tonak said.
"Well I don't like it from my own brother" Chief Tritus said. "Don't make me have to order you to treat me like your brother."
"Fine Tritus" Tonak said.
"Now, why are you here?" Chief Tritus asked.
"This mermaid appeared outside of the village" Tonak said. "When I asked her who she was and where she was from she gave me a disturbing answer. She said her name was Ashirra and that she was sent here by humans. After I called for reinforcements she said that she had been human before and was transformed into a mermaid. I of course searched her body carefully for any marks that would indicate humans had put something in her."
"And you're satisfied that she doesn't have anything in her?" Chief Tritus asked.
"I wouldn't have brought her here if wasn't" Tonak said.
"Of course you wouldn't have" Chief Tritus said. "Now then" he said turning to you. "You have claimed that you were human before. Is this true?"
"It is sir" you said.
"I don't know that title" Chief Tritus said. "Please call me Tritus."
"You should call him Chief Tritus" Tonak said.
"Don't listen to Tonak" Chief Tritus said. "I like you and I want you to call me Tritus."
You were given permission to be informal so you said "Ok."
"Now, how were you transformed into a mermaid?" Chief Tritus asked.
"I was looking on a website called CYOC when I read a story that said I was being transformed into a mermaid with mystic energies" you said. "A woman I worked with wanted a promotion that we were both up for. She didn't want to take the chance that I would beat her out of it so she had me transformed."
"I don't know about most of what you're talking about" Chief Tritus said. "I do understand about being transformed by mystic energies. Tell me, were you a woman or a man before your transformation?"
"I was a man before" you said.
"You couldn't have been" Tonak said.
"She could have been" Chief Tritus said. "I'll let you in on a secret that only the village chiefs know. Neither of you two are to repeat this on penalty of death to you and whoever you tell. If you don't think you can keep this secret leave now."
"I want to hear this" Tonak said. "I'll keep it a secret until I am dead."
"I can keep a secret" you said.
"Good" Chief Tritus said. "A long, long time ago there were no merpeople. One day a wizard had found a way to transform people into half- fish half- human beings he named mermaids and mermen. He usually transformed those that he thought would benefit from it. Of course other wizards and witches also discovered how to do this and they too transformed people. They had different reasons for transforming people. Some transformations were done to help people, others were done to punish enemies, and some were done simply because it could be done. One witch combined the mertransformation spell and a sex change spell. She made men into mermaids and women into mermen."
"So merpeople only exist because a few people were able to transform other people?" you asked.
"That's right" Chief Tritus said. "Now then Tonak. I assume that you were going to ask if Ashirra could stay here. I see no reason why she couldn't. She will stay at your dwelling. I'll have some seaweed delivered so she has something to sleep on besides the sea floor. Now I want to talk with Ashirra alone so if you could please wait outside the dome. I'll bring her out when I'm done."
"Very well" Tonak said and left.
Once Tonak was gone Chief Tritus said "I think you'll be good for him."
"How so?" you asked.
"Tonak hasn't looked for a mate yet" Chief Tritus said. "He likes you and you like him."
"I like him because he was nice to me after he was satisfied I didn't have any trackers in me" you said.
"You liked him when you first saw him" Chief Tritus said. "Don't bother denying it. I can tell just by observing your actions when you looked at him. He took an immediate liking to you too when he first saw you. He won't admit it right now but he will. Perhaps he won't admit it until you two are mated."
"Whoa wait a minute!" you said. "I'm a guy. I can't mate with a merman."
"You look like a mermaid to me" Chief Tritus said. "And you were giving off little signs that you are attracted to Tonak."
"What signs are those?" you asked.
"Oh your tail turned a slightly darker shade" Chief Tritus said. "You breathing caught for just a blink of an eye. I'm willing to go so far as to say that your heartbeat was a little irregular as well. Now tell me I'm wrong."
"You're not wrong" you admitted. "It was part of my transformation that I would be attracted to mermen."
"Well at least you'll still be able to reproduce" Chief Tritus said. "I should tell you that merpeople of your age and Tonak's age usually have one or two pre-mating rituals before the mating ritual. It might be a little different with you since you're a stranger here. Of course you're both attracted to each other so you may not even have a pre-mating ritual. You just may go straight to the mating ritual. It's rare when two merpeople feel so strongly for each other that they go right to the mating ritual. When that happens it's something special. I know that personally. Me and my mate, Hamarra, went right to the mating ritual. Why don't you and Tonak come to my dwelling for dinner. That way you can meet Hamarra and my son and daughter. Would you come?"
"I would love to" you said.
"Good" Chief Tritus said. "Now let's go tell tell Tonak." As soon as you were outside the dome he said "Tonak, you and Ashirra are invited to my dwelling for dinner. She has already said that she would love to come."
"Well I can hardly refuse an invitation" Tonak said. "We'll be there."
"Very good" Chief Tritus said. "Now you should show this fine young mermaid where she'll be staying."
"Of course" Tonak said.
You left Chief Tritus and followed Tonak to his dwelling. It was one of the bigger ones with three rooms in it. One was an eating area, one was a sleeping area, and one seemed to be a toilet area. There wasn't a toilet though just the sea floor with a hole in the middle filled with some sort of black sludge.
"Where's the toilet at?" you asked.
"What's a toilet?" Tonak asked a little confused.
"It's something that you sit on to eliminate waste from your body" you explained.
"Oh" Tonak said. "The sludge pit handles our solid and liquid waste."
"Doesn't your pee mix with the water?" you asked.
"I'm assuming that by pee you mean the liquid waste" Tonak said. When you nodded he continued "It doesn't mix with the water. The sludge pit breaks down the waste. Once the pit is full sludge reclaimers come and scoop it out. They leave a little bit in it so the waste after is turned into sludge. Now I need to get back to my sentry duties. Stay in here until I come back. Everyone knows that this is my dwelling so no one will bother you if you stay in here. You may sleep on the sea weed if you wish. Now I must go."
Tonak left and you wondered what you would do to entertain yourself.