Suspicious Seaweed - 6. Maren's Mercy

The solution seemed deceptively simple, but the risk was anything but. All I had to do was swim deep within a brackish water region, retrieve the suspicious seaweed from Maren's temple, and bring it back to conduct experiments. This seaweed, believed to have unique properties, was the key to our plan. I hoped not only to make it to the seaweed in time but also that it'd prove effective.

"Be careful not to push yourself too hard," Griffin warned me.

We faced a corner of the brackish barrier that opened up to a broader region of murky water. One of Maren's temples was visible in the distance.

"Turn back at the first sign of duress," He insisted.

"If anything happens, please find a way to send a message to Aunt Hali," I pleaded. I knew she'd be upset if she knew I was risking my life, and I didn't want her to suffer my loss should anything go terribly wrong.

"I'd much rather you come back to tell her yourself," Griffin responded stiffly, letting out a troubled sigh. "If you're not back before moonrise, I promise to tell her everything."

I nodded in thanks, reaching through the barrier to gently squeeze Griffin's shoulder. Taking a deep breath, I swam right into the brackish water. My gaze focused on the distant temple, which appeared closer than it truly was. Three-quarters of the way there, my muscles began to feel oddly sore, and I found it difficult to ensure my heartbeat was steady. When I finally reached the temple's entrance, a camouflaged catfish scampered past me. Startled bubbles escaped my gills, and I mentally cursed myself for not keeping calm. The outside of the temple was devoid of seaweed, and I was beginning to feel like I had risked my life for nothing.

Maren, I mentally pleaded. Have mercy.

That was when I caught sight of ropes swaying from within the temple. An entire row of brown seaweed lined the inner walls. I quickly grabbed a bundle and tugged, but the seaweed was thicker than I'd anticipated. Remembering Griffin's gift, I pulled the sharp stone from my hair and began cutting the plant at its base. I started feeling dizzy from the exertion, along with a queasiness I could have lived without. Unsure if I'd even be able to make it back at that point, I took a hesitant bite of the seaweed, using my canines to rip off a small portion to swallow.

After managing to cut three long ropes of seaweed, I began to head back. At first, I was still seeing double, and my movements started to falter. However, I then began to feel a strange sense of relief. The woozy feeling settled, and my muscles relaxed. Stunned by the change, I took a considerable risk and drew the brackish water into my nose.

"Ha!" I exhaled, a giddiness filling me when I realized it felt like breathing regular freshwater. Laughter bubbled up in my throat, and I let it all out. The myths were true, at least insofar as they pertained to the seaweed regulating brackish water. I was still grinning widely the rest of the way back.

I reached the corner where the brackish barrier separated my freshwater region from Griffin's saltwater region. I swam down the barrier, seaweed in hand, looking for Griffin's form. Where did he go?

"Peter!" Griffin's voice, filled with relief and joy, echoed through the water as I neared the barrier. "You found it?" His words carried a sense of hope and reassurance, calming the turbulent waters of uncertainty.

"I didn't just find it," I responded, a triumphant glint in my eyes as I waved the ropes of suspicious seaweed in front of me. "I took too long and had to test some of it on the way back. It works! I don't know for how long, but it does!"

Griffin swam right through the brackish barrier to give me a tight hug, which I returned with equal enthusiasm. We weren't in the clear just yet, as we still had to test the seaweed with Aunt Hali. But it was thrilling to think that we could theoretically live and thrive in brackish water away from any violent clans.

In the weeks that followed, Griffin and I tested and timed the effects of the seaweed. The more we ate, the longer we could remain in the brackish water without any repercussions. Just a bite granted us a day's worth of immunity, and a handful provided us with six days' worth. Aunt Hali believed that Griffin and I had eloped until we explained everything to her.

We continued to experiment until we were confident Aunt Hali could consume the suspicious seaweed without any concerning after-effects.

Meanwhile, Balar stopped challenging other bettas into battles and only fought when others challenged him. I felt a strange sense of sadness that our betta community was finally beginning to change, just as we were getting ready to leave. But Balar assured me he'd continue to make more changes the higher in rank he rose in the clan, so that the next time we visited, we wouldn't be immediately attacked.

Griffin's exploration led us to a region where peaceful merfolk farmed a steady supply of Maren's seaweed. Here, I, along with Griffin and Aunt Hali, felt a strong sense of belonging—a feeling of comfort and homecoming that we had longed for.

"Maren embraces the sea and merkind," Griffin sang as he deftly wove plants and shells onto a panel that I was layering around a round hut we'd been building.

"She hears all their pleas, and, in turn, she provides," Aunt Hali joined in, leaving the assembly to the younger mermen while she took her time knitting a covering.

When Griffin finished the panel, he handed it over to me to secure it. "And that was the last one. What do you think, Aunt Hali? It's not as big as the one the clan helped make for us, but—"

"It's perfect for me," Hali interjected. "Better than any dwelling I've ever imagined."

I gave her a tight hug, whispering in her webbed ear, "Thank you for choosing to live here with us."

"You can thank me by keeping safe," Hali insisted, holding one of my hands and reaching out to take one of Griffin's hands as well. "And by being happy. That goes for you both. Not that I wouldn't mind an adopted grandchild or two."

Griffin and I exchanged glances, our eyes simmering with heat—a silent testament to the shared moments of laughter and understanding we had experienced together. We'd forgotten about Hali until she made an amused noise, causing us to blush and glance away in embarrassment.

"Now, now," Hali fussed, her hands reaching out to pat each of our cheeks. "You've nothing to be ashamed of." Her words were a soothing balm, a reminder that she was there for us. With a gentle smile, she turned and entered her new hut. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my knitting."

Griffin held a hand out for me to take, and I didn't hesitate to grab it. We had yet to discuss where we wanted our relationship to go, but the fact that we were no longer separated by one another's waters filled us with more joy than we had anticipated.

The hut we shared was twice as large as the one we'd just finished for Hali, and our new community helped build it. As we entered our new home, Griffin tugged me into an elegant spin, and we began to dance as he sang.

"A rainbow betta danced for a retired guard," Griffin's deep voice resonated as we swayed. "Such grace that hid more than what was seen from afar. A barrier between them kept their love apart. Until Maren's Mercy drew them right to her heart."

"That one's new," I mused aloud, a smile forming on my face.

I moved closer, draping my arms over Griffin's shoulders, and gave the lavender merman a soft kiss. He hugged me even closer as he returned the kiss, then nuzzled the crook of my neck.

"I'm glad I followed your siren song," I said.

"Not as glad as I am that my voice led you to me," Griffin replied, and in that moment, I knew we were exactly where we were meant to be.

END