Swish. Slowsh. Fwoosh.
Feral felt someone approaching but heard no footsteps making him conclude that it must be the merman who had brought him here as tails couldn’t make steps.
‘Hey, Zero should I just call this guy fishtails? How petty would that be?’ Dina mocked in her mind.
“Am not sure you’re in the right position to say that Dina,” Zero said, and with no explanation, Dina instantly understood.
Dina the true fish: F
“Why do you think he turned me to a f….?” Dina wasn’t able to complete her sentence when she felt a weight on her back making her face blank.
“I think it’s to….”
“Shut up! I fucking know now!”
Amidst the internal rampage Dina was having inside, Genad not knowing and probably wouldn’t care less if he did know rode off majestically in his new ‘ride’.
***
“Kyaa!!! He’s here, oh my god!” A shrieking voice said as a lovely mermaid with long flowing ruby air exclaimed with a squeal.
“Look at those red beauties and purplish hair!! He’s so beautiful!!! I can never get enough… uh,” another said before passing out from sheer excitement, her entire body, from face to tail blushed from admiration.
“Oh mi gosh, how can someone who’s not even royalty be so beautiful! It’s such a pity he barely comes outside but now…! Yay!!” another, a merman this time yelped with love in his eyes.
The screams, praises, exclamations of love, some of hatred, glares, stares of adoration, and many more were directed towards one person. A place that was once filled with mermaids and mermen waiting elegantly for the main occasion turned into a fan fest as the entire group were either haters or lovers.
The center of the entire attention was not even at the least fazed as he rode along into the gathering areas. Many instantly rushed towards him, his fans swimming excitedly towards him and gorging at him, if not because he was used to this he would have been stunned shitless by the sheer number of fishes after him.
“Ha….” Genad sighed internally, he could be cold to them but if there was one thing popularity had thought him it was that fans were masochistic beings.
The colder he was, the hotter he would seem to them, it was an annoying irony for him but the fact that he could never live a peaceful life without these nuisances was more annoying.
“Oh geez…! Genie! Did you get a ride? It’s so large! Oh my, can I join you?!” a mermaid daringly said making the silent Feral curse out loud but only bubbles came out of his fish lips.
The mermaid, however, somehow misunderstood as she said-
“Aw, it says it likes me!!”
Dina: Yeah, for dinner maybe.
Zero:….that’s a bit too graphic Dina….
Dina: Shut it. I’m pissed.
“Sorry, but this ride is special….” Genad started but was cut off by a sweet, calm yet strangely chilling voice like those of the ancient extinct sirens that drown pitiful pirates who foolishly fell for them into rivers.
“It’s for me and you, right? After all, who’s more special to me than you?” the voice echoed as it approached Genad and in the same instant the mermaids and mermen came up to him they left him with gasps.
Light Magenta hair and yellowish-grey eyes, the color of royalty and although quite diluted were still evident in this fellow.
He was called Cray Holien, although meant to be called Cray BYTHOS as a royal, due to his tainted blood by a non-royal with whom the current sea king had an affair, he possessed light magenta hair and yellowish-gray eyes instead of pure magenta hair and brimming golden eyes, he was deemed unworthy of the name and instead named after his non-royal mother.
But even though he wasn’t a true royal, he was considered a half-royal, therefore the commoners still had to show their respect and since no noble was present, as they had been sent out before the commoners per standard; no one dared to show disrespect, after all, they still valued their tails.
“Cray,” Genad said with a smile. He was the only one that had been with him all through his childhood, even after he lost his parents. Although he was more like a big brother figure, due to him being half a century older than him, he was still a true friend.
“I’ve come to escort you out of the portal, since everyone had at least a family member I thought to come,” Cray said with a smile, his light magenta and yellowish tails swaying vigorously to show his excitement.
Dina thought about where Cray was relevant to the plot and finally found it, according to the plot, this guy was a father figure to Genad and also a catalyst to a certain scene.
‘The target likes this guy a lot huh? I’ll check thoroughly later and hopefully, he doesn’t end up as an unfortunate guy who dies to motivate the protagonist or somehow turns into a villain. Not because I give a damn about Genad but because he genuinely seems like a nice guy and he’s suffered a lot according to his profile.'
“What about Fiota and Thymos?” Genad asked curiously.
Cray wasn’t alone, he had children with a human female during his own coming-of-age and although he lost his beloved during the process, had his fins scrapped off for 30 days as they regrew again and again and finally lost the minuscule support he had from the royal palace in exchange of keeping his children’s lives; he had never for once regretted having such lovely creatures as his.
“Oh, the boys are fine! You know Thymos being the knucklehead he is and Fiota the calm one, they both take after me ah,” Cray bragged.
“Sure, sure,” Genad said as he rolled his eyes, a tiny smile appearing on his face.
“Are you being sarcastic now? And stop with the smiles, your fans over there are dying,” Cray said as he pointed toward the group of people passing out from the impact of his smile.
“Hahaha.”
The talk continued as the gathered group waited patiently for the opening of the portals, normally, the king was supposed to give a speech to the fresh seedlings sprouting into trees, maybe a word of warning, a farewell, or anything at all but that was an exclusive right given only to nobles.
The commoners were to only gather dutifully and wait until the portal was opened then bid farewell to their loved ones before leaving.
The portal was left for a period of three days before being closed off and one would have to wait another two decades if missed before another coming-of-age ceremony.
“The portal has opened!!!”
There was an uproar at this announcement as both mermen and mermaids rejoiced, life only ever truly began for a mermaid/mermen when you complete your coming of age ceremony, many, many things you’ll be finally free to do not to mention the freedom to finally enter the midst kingdom! It was a true honor!
All bided their loved ones goodbye, not excluding Genad who gave Cray a big hug and his wishes to the kids, as they thought in excitement of all the adventures they would have, meeting both land demons, humans, and elves! Creatures only heard about in stories, and so much more!!
Feral couldn’t see very clearly but he could hear the commotion loud and clear, these vicious creatures which killed without a care in the world were being so…. humane, just like him whenever he thought about his own coming of age. It made them look so innocent but the blood in their hands said otherwise.
‘How bizarre,’ Dina thought complexly.
It was quite true that right and wrong had always been undefinable, what may be good or normal for one would turn out pure evil for another and vice versa.
This was one of the reasons living beings with sentience would never be able to understand each other.
‘How iconic,’ Dina thought as she imagined the scene of many aquatic demons swimming towards a multi-colored portal, different colored tails reflecting the beautiful colors of the portals. It would be a beautiful sight… such a pity she could never see it.
And for the nth time today what came to her mind was-
FUCK YOU GENAD!!!!!