Page 35 of Sea's Secret

Not at all. I only wish to repay her kindness for saving my life. Even if it is better for the world if I had not been saved, I am too selfish to ever be a martyr.

I was a few paces away from the stream when I turned around to see that she was watching me.

“I will be right back,” I called.

She nodded, not following after me.

She was going to wait there; that was fine, probably better as I did not want to lead her into the unknown–into a place where she could get hurt.

Why do you care so much about protecting her? It’s every pirate for himself.

But she had saved me. She was timid, and for some reason, I felt different around her. I could not quite name what it was about her that was different, but there was something. There was no one else there anyway.

I could do as I wished and not ruin my reputation as the infamous pirate, The Cruel Hand.

But do I even want that persona anymore? Especially if my uncle is dead? No, I do not.

Those thoughts were too deep, so I walked faster and focused on the sights around me. I needed to ensure our survival. I didn't have time for such ridiculous, contemplative thoughts or for my emotions. They were useless when I needed to survive.

Chapter Fifteen

Meria

Good, he is gone.

I waited until he was gone from my view before I turned and made my way back to the beach. I wobbled a few times as I moved fast, but was impressed with myself for not falling flat on my face. Legs were not all that bad, and Dominick seemed to like them, as he kept glancing at them. I smiled.

“Ancients, Meria! I was so worried about you. What happened?” I heard as I walked to the spot where Dominick and I had washed up. Finn was there in the water, just offshore with a frown on his face.

“I rescued a human, and now I have legs,” I said, pointing to the obvious, new appendages.

“So it’s true,” he gasped, swimming closer.

“Yes, I will say they are rather easy to get used to,” I said, making a point of balancing on one and showing him the underside of my foot.

“Impressive.” Finn said with a grin and a nod.

“But I don’t know what to do here,” I said walking closer to Finn, my legs submerged up to my knees. He swam even closer to me in the shallow water. As Finn poked at my leg, I flinched.

“Feels so weird,” Finn said in awe. “No scales at all–just like skin.”

“Yes, I thought it was so strange, too. Please focus, Finn. What am I going to do? I have a human here!”

“Ask him if he can help you find your mother in Walden. Most humans who travel these seas have some connection to the Kingdom of Walden. If she’s on land, she’s most likely there, unless she is here–she isn't here, is she?"

“No, of course not! If she was, don't you think that would have been the first thing I told you?”

“My, you are in a mood.”

“I am on Marren Island with a human, and I have legs! Of course, I am in a mood, Finn! I am stressed,” I said, exasperated. “The island is small, and I walked around it. There are no obvious mer structures, but I found pearls, seashells, and some carvings in an underground cave of sorts. We were here.”

“I knew it!” Finn said, pumping his fist into the air. “Perhaps, your mother came here, and when she discovered nothing, she went to Walden. Like I said, it is the closest kingdom.”

“This is all happening so suddenly, Finn, and I know next to nothing about being a human.”

“You have to try. Of course, you could swim to Walden, but having a human connection already established could help us find your mother.”

“I can try, but he is strange.”

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