Chapter: 107.
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Once he had caught up to him Tide pulled him into a hug pressing their chests together, their Soulpearl bloomed with warmth and an overpowering strength that had both Merman and Tideian panting loudly. Alexander pulled away shortly after that and turned away from Tide so he wouldn't see his reddened face.
"Why do you worry so much about death and the future, Alexander?"
"They're inevitable, no matter how you look at it, death is our fate and we do not reincarnate, we just fade away to the Halls of the Gods for eternal rest but you live longer, the Merdragons never die nor age, so they do not have to worry about death or the future, they have all the time they need to do whatever they want and as for you, a Tideian, whether you left something unfinished, you reincarnates to have it finished, but what fate do we have, when we are dead that's the end of us nothing more, so I worry, I worry I may not have enough time, I worry I may not be happy enough, I worry I may not live long enough for you. I fear for the future since it's so bleak, so uncertain, I fear love... I am terrified to leave you all alone for I know I will not return to be by your side." The last words he had whispered and began to swim away.
Tide followed in pursuit but this time Alexander didn't stop until he was out of the sea shifting before Tide and walking on two feet as humans do toward a rock where he proceeded to pull out a cloth and got dressed in them. Tide watched in awe as he did this. He didn't know he could do that...trade his tail for legs. He was worried he may have bargained with the Merwitches and that singular thought worried him more than anything so screaming from the waters he asked.
"How did you earn the feet?"
"I went to Merlona, the Whispering Ghost granted me the wish of feet and transformation!" Alexander replied, turning to look at Tide.
"But why?" Tide asked.
"Princess Atana," Alexander told him. "She often goes up here, one day I followed her, she is in love with a human, can you believe that?" He asked and when he didn't see the reaction he expected from Tide he shrugged. "Of course you can, you are her father's Tideian and if anyone should know about the Princess that one is you but as I was saying after I followed her for a few months I wanted to see what she sees in them, I wanted to learn more about them and so I went into Merlona, being with a clear Soulpearl, I didn't become a Whispering Ghost, my Soulpearl could not be trapped and in the end I got a wish granted by the Queen."
"You met Queen Nerissa?" Tide asked with bulging eyes. He has lived four hundred years and has only met her once and only because he needed to bring the tears of a Whispering Ghost fish for a special potion for the King. He knew Alexander was special but how special can he be to have found favor before Queen Nerissa of Merlona?
"I know, it is hard to believe since she never shows herself to anyone but yes, she granted me the legs."
"But, why them? Why the legs?" Tide asked, confused. "You could have had anything you wanted, maybe even longer life. Why waste such a precious wish for a pair of legs?"
"The same question I asked myself when I saw the Princess and the human, but I soon learned that there is so much strength in these humans. They live very short lives, you know, they constantly have illnesses that threaten even their short lives yet they thrive, they hope, they are happy, they love, they welcome, they fight! We have magic to do everything for us they have none so instead, they find other means to strengthen their weaknesses, learn to expand their knowledge, and thus become stronger. We may consider them inferior and flawed, but they are much stronger, they are wise." He explained and all the time he spoke Tide just looked in awe at the sheer delight in his eyes and how proud he is for learning this much about the Humans.
"So you study them then?" Tide asked.
"You could say that..." Alexander whispered. "If I could reincarnate, I would want to come back as one of these." He added softly.
"The legs or the humans?"
Alexander chuckled softly. "Human, but we know that isn't possible." He told him. "And about my wish, it has been a while since I got the wish. If I had met you then, perhaps, I would have asked for a longer life by my Tideian's side." Alexander muttered almost inaudibly but as soon as the words left his mouth, he shook his head and proceeded to address Tide again. "You should come with me, you're a Tideian, you can grant yourself legs, come, please, and I will show you all my favorite places here, they have amazing food that I am sure you will find tasteful maybe not as much as the MerElves but tasteful nonetheless."
Being one who could never say no to the merman Tide cast a transformation spell and when he emerged from the waters he stood as one the humans would liken unto a god even the merman in front of him graveled at the sight of him.
"You make my Soulpearl weak," Alexander muttered unknowingly and looked away quickly before Tide could throw in his own reply.
Smiling Tide cast another spell clothing himself. "Now, what?" He asked.
Alexander with much difficulty looked behind him to find him all clothed and smiled. "Let's go into town." He grabbed his hands and led the way but Tide stood rooted in the sands and wouldn't move a muscle. "You don't want to come with me?" Alexander asked, eyes sad.
"I do but first I have to do something," Tide told him and Alexander looked at him confused.
"What?" The words barely left his mouth when Tide began to transform his current wear into something more elegant yet casual. "Thanks," he muttered after he finished. "I shall cherish this cloth for as long as I live." He whispered and ran off. "Try to keep up!" He called and Tide laughed.
"I do not understand how to use these things." He pointed to the feet causing Alexander to halt and turned to find Tide standing there a little shaky in the sands.
"It's simple, just move one in front of the other. Come on, you're a Tideian, you can do this!" He was gone again and Tide used his magic this time he ran after him.
Running after him would be a routine, he could see that.