Deep end

24

Them he set off, swimming through crowds of mers heading to their posts. Some to patrol and others to their selected jobs.

~*~

Namjoon wasn't surprised to see him there when he arrived at the Archives. The older merman frequently came to the Archives. He was a bizarre mer thay Namjoon couldn't quite figure out.

He swam with jerky movements that Namjoon couldn't tell whether they were from old age or lack of swimming experience, though the later made no sense. Every met is born with the ability to swim and to do it with ease.

He had a yellow tail that resembled the colour of a yellow tang fish. Small flecks of orange scales could be seen if his tail caught the light. Though bizarrely his hair was white, that was highly uncommon for mers. Their hair was always the same colour as their tail, it never changed despite aging.

"Good morning" the man bowed slightly to him. Namjoon never quite understood that either. It wasn't like Namjoon had a higher station than the man. But it wasn't like he knew much aside from observations about this mystery mer.

"Morning" Namjoon said politely out of courtesy.

Opening the doors to the Archives via the key around his neck. The water rushed past him as the pressure was released. He slid open the doors to show that the Archives were now open to browse.

Namjoon was a mer on a mission. After hearing their human mate sing to them yesterday. Enchanting them with his siren like voice. He wanted to understand that beautiful language, so that he could truly appreciate the beautiful lyrics to the song.

Understand what their mate nearly whispered at the end of the song with such clear passion. He wanted all of that. And he hoped the Archives would solve those troubles and desires.

~*~

Namjoon had scoured the Archives all day, but there was no signs of any knowledge of the human language. Namjoon knew that the mers had an irrational fear of the humans, had fought them through the years, and had now thankfully passed into myth.

But in the time no mer had taken the opportunity to learn the language, and if they had they hadn't recorded it in any of the Archives.

"Are you alright young man?" It was the old mer, he swam up to him, leaning slightly against the shelves. It was as if he wasn't used to having his body, his back hunched over, like he was subconsciously looking for something lower than him to stabilise himself.

"I'm am fine thank you for your concern" Namjoon waved him off politely.

"Are you looking for something. Perhaps I can help you" the man smiled at him, a row of sharp teeth and some were rounded over, again not a common thing among mers.

It was standard that mer babies are born without teeth and their first teeth are soft and rounded over. Later being replaced with sharp fangs so they could hunt efficiently and tear through tough hides. To see it on an elderly mer was out of the ordinary.

"I'm looking for anything on the human language" Namjoon diverged.

"Ah now that I can help you with. Your wasting your time with the Archives. There is nothing in here that can help you" the old mer revealed.

Namjoon visibly deflated at that. Leaning back so his back and dorsal fin hit the book shelf behind him.

"Do not look so defeated young man. I did say I could help you didn't I" the old mer, smiled an almost mischievous smile.

"You can help me?" Namjoon perked up, looking at the old mer with hope.

"That I can young man. I happen to be fluent in the human tounge." The elderly mer revealed.

"Can you teach me?" Namjoon asked eagerly.

"Of course. Though I would have to know you first" the old mer teased.

"Oh I'm Namjoon" Namjoon stated.

"Hyun Park" the old mer replied.

And huh wasn't that strange. Mers didn't have second names, Namjoon just listed it off as another of the old mers bizarre traits.

~*~

So I thought the story was beginning to feel boring. So I thought I could try and make it interesting.

Also I realised that this is a book about mermen and despite one other scene we haven't seen or talked about the mer's home. So here we are starting to delve into some world building.

I hope you liked the chapter.

Vote?

Comment?

Bye,
Winter