Vikk's P.O.V.
They had brought in another specimen overnight, a very beautiful one too. Tall, blonde, blue eyed when he was awake and if he had been human he likely would have been called very handsome. Of course, he wasn't human so we never used that sort of language in reference to him or anyone like him. He was instead a good, near perfect, specimen.
He freaked out the moment he woke up, unsurprising considering he had been taken from his home and was placed in a small glass box so he could be examined. He thrashed and let out high wails of fear until his energy ran out and he sunk to the bottom of the tank, curled up in the ball. That was when I approached him, recording any observations I made. That was my job after all- to care for the specimens brought it, make sure they were fit to be exhibited and then send them out to the larger tanks, just outside the room in which I worked.
I was only an apprentice, working under an older and much more experienced man when it came to the mermaids and mermen, but I had slowly been gaining more responsibilities. He was the first specimen I had been left in charge of, completely on my own.
Curled up in the way he had I couldn't see much of his face or upper body, but I noted down what I could see. His tail was a beautiful emerald green, bright and practically glowing. There was a long scar, years old and completely healed, running down that tail along that back. His skin was pale, hair was a silky, golden blonde kept cropped close to his head. I could see a set of gills along his ribs, knowing it was mirrored on the other side. His eyes peered up at me over the edge of his arm, watching my every move, waiting for me to do something. I didn't reach my arm into the tank. He would probably bite.
"Anything?" My mentor asked, coming up behind me. I shrugged.
"A scar, nothing really unusual. Perfect specimen otherwise. I'm not sure he be able to be displayed for a while, he seems aggressive. I would give it some time before placing him out there." I said easily, watching the blonde merman. "Maybe some time in a small tank will settle him."
"If you think it's best." My mentor said with a wave of his hand. "I trust your judgement. Stick him in a corner and look at some of the others. He is pretty, but he isn't that important."
"Will do."
When I began pushing the tank, water slopping over the side, he began squirming again. The box was small enough the he couldn't turn around and was instead pushing at either end with quite a lot of force. I didn't worry, the glass was strong and couldn't be broken simply by pushing against it. He couldn't leave the water either, so he was stuck until I or someone else moved him.
But as I wandered the room, looking and checking on various other specimens that had arrived that day, I kept glancing back at him. His eyes were always on me, watching me, observing me. I watched him as well because never before had I seen a specimen so alert, so curious and so obviously knowing what I was doing and wanting me to do something to help him. I had never felt a connection with one of them before, but this one was different.
It was only after my mentor left the room that I approached the merman, cramped in his small box with his tail tucked up by his chest. He watched me, bearing his teeth.
"Hey." I crouched down so I was eye level with him. It took him a moment, but then he tilted his head. I sighed, shaking my own. "God, how much of an idiot am I. You don't even understand English, do you?"
His raised his eyes above the water, blinking at me. Then his mouth open and, still under the water, he spoke. His voice echoed.
"I do. I speak it, too."
I reeled back in surprise because holy shit, these specimens were meant to be a whole different species! They weren't supposed to understand English and they certainly weren't supposed to speak to me! He gave me a toothy grin, once again tilting his head.
"No one's spoken to you before, huh?"
What surprised me the most was how he was speaking. His eyes may have been above the water his mouth was not, bubbles leaving his lips every time he spoke.
"N-no." I stuttered.
He pulled himself back under the water, blonde hair waving eerily above him. He never took his eyes off me.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Vikk." I said after a moment. "What's yours?"
"Lachlan." He said. Then he paused. "Why I am here? Where are you taking me?"
"You're... meant to be displayed. In a zoo. I'm supposed to help, determine your health but I thought... I thought you weren't like me. I thought you were just an animal. I didn't know you could understand me or... talk to me. Are the others like you?"
He shrugged, wrinkling his nose. "Some. Some learn from the kind humans, we speak their language. I did, he was kind and he helped when I was in trouble. But then someone of your group found me. You humans are very different."
"Yes." I sighed. "Some think of you as display pieces. This felt wrong. Like the dolphins and the whales, you aren't meant to be here. There are more out there, that help you?"
"For me, there was a group. There were four to them that saved my life when I became stranded on shore. Rob, Preston, Mitch and Jerome. They'll be wondering where I am. Are you going to help me?"
"Help you... how?" I asked.
"Get out of here! What do you mean how?! I'm not about to stay in this shitty little tank and then get put on display! Get! Me! Out!" He hit the side of the tank in frustration and water slopped over the side, startling him.
"I just... alright. I'll try and get you out. Just give me a few minutes, I need to make sure that we're alone. The ocean isn't far from here, I could probably get you out there pretty fast..."
I checked the room- my mentor wasn't there, he probably was off watching the other ones already on display. Or he had gone home. I didn't really care, because it meant I had the opportunity to push the tank with Lachlan in it through the side door, round the building and push it 500m across an open carpark and concrete path towards the dock, where the salt of the ocean drifted towards us. Lachlan turned himself towards it, bright and happy when-
"VIKK!!!" My mentor roared, startling me. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
I didn't turned around. I just pushed harder, ran faster until we were on the dock, stumbled, and the tipped the water and Lachlan into the ocean. He landed with a splash, disappearing into the cold, blue depths. But I didn't regain my balance. The motion of pushing sent me pitching forward right into the water. I gasped as the cold hit me, body seizing- I was sinking, sinking, sinking....
Hands closed around me, but instead of bringing me to the surface they pulled me further down under the water, into the pitch blackness.
"It's okay Vikk." Lachlan's voice echoed. "You saved me. I think I owe you this one."
And when I opened my eyes instead of legs, a flickering blue tail was there instead.
