Chapter 6: Leadership
Adra Merrick soon made it to the pod of merfolk, with Adra Savarna holding onto his shoulders on his back. He swam around the merfolk, waving his tail up and down as he glided along, until he assumed his place, at the right side of a round gap of the group. Savarna looked around, climbing up to Merrick's head, until she suddenly swam off.
Merrick turned to see Savarna jet to a much longer mermaid. Her whole body reflected a deep light that shimmered her white, pearlesant skin. Upon her skin, there are silver, symbolic marks that designed along her arms, tail, torso, and head. From her head, are long tendrils of frilly fins, with a band of seaweed wrapped around her head, under half of her headfins, which bound several spiral shell slices, as well as various crystal and shell shards draped and adorned on her elegant form. On either side of her are thin, semi-transparent, cloak-like membranes run from her wrist, and reached to her hips. Her long tail flows with a long, veil-like tail fin
One webbed hand felt a rugged driftwood branch, that has been marked by scorched symbols of ancient text, with a large pearl strapped on one end, and a chipped ramosus shell at the other end.
The graceful mermaid same to Merrick, smiling gently as Savarna swam around her.
"Greetings, Son." She said.
"Greetings, Mother." The mermaid then drifted to her spot on the left side of the gap, with Savarna swimming quickly to her spot, right next to her mother. Merrick then turned around behind him, and turned back, for his father is arriving.
At least 10 ft tall in length, undulating his mighty, blue and black tail, carrying a thick shaft, attached with a fish knife at the bottom end of the pole, and a three 12inch spiral shells tied with fishing line onto two detached anchor prongs. A large, sharp fin on both his forearms, and a long dorsal fin from the base of behind his neck, and down his back, to below his hips. His face sported several thick, sharp spines on his chin, and onto his head, along with other sharp fins on the top of his head.
The large merman swam smoothly next to Merrick, raising both his arms. The merman opened his mouth, and let out a strange, deep call. All of the merfolk immediately ceased their mingling, and turned their attention to him, the white veiled mermaid, Merrick, and Savarna.
The merman lowered his arms just a little bit, but held them open, "Another Season of Birth has come to pass in the warm waters of the Hawaiian Islands. I feel rejoice in knowing seven young ones have joined my pod. Our Family. On this, the eve of the Full Moon, our pod moves on. We shall return by the seventh moon. May the Sea Mother, Atargatis, shine her love on our souls. May the Piscien Guardian, Leviathan, watch over us and protect our lives. On this day, you follow me, your Triton Kaiken. You follow your Noita Umiato," The white mermaid smiled, and nodded, "Your Adras, Merrick and Savarna," Merrick gave a formal nod, while Savarna waved her warm eagerly, "The Time of Departure is now!"
Kaiken then turned about, and moved forth, along with Umiato, Merrick, and Savarna. The whole pod then followed along with them.
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"Ok, um..." Merrick said, sitting on the stoney floor of the crystal cavern, hidden behind the waterfall, in his human form, facing Adam with a cluster of glowing shards stacked in the middle between them, like a campfire, "Who rules the humans, Adam?"
Adam rubbed his 5 O'clock shadow as he thought, "Well... That's a bit complicated."
"How so?"
"Well, see, there are about 7 continents on the planet. There many different and similar ideas of leadership; too many to count in fact. I'm no expert, but I'll try and break it down.
"In America, where we are now, a man called the President leads our land. Well, we're actually mostly... Enforced by our government, which is made up of many people."
"How do they work, Adam?"
"Ehehheh, I haven't the faintest idea. I try and stay out of politics. Let's just say, nobody likes the government. They're just a bunch of selfish, power-hungry tyrants that gets on everybody's nerve." Adam said bitterly.
"And humans just... Let them do what they want?"
"We don't have a choice, Merrick. We're stuck with them and their bullshit."
"... What about the other continents? What about humans who live on different lands."
"Well, there IS human royalty. Some lands are ruled by Kings and Queens, and when they die, their children - princes for boys, princesses for girls - take over and rule the lands. Some lands are led by Emperors, which is virtually the same as kings. Dictators or tyrants, who are vicious leaders that ruthlessly force their citizens to do as they command. And that's pretty much the majority..."
"That's... Good enough, Adam. It's starting to make me a little confused."
"Heheheh," Adam chuckled, "I knew it would," He picked up a crystal, and placed it onto the pile, "So, my turn," Merrick nodded, and sat himself at attention, "What exactly is your position in the pod? I mean, are you a hunter, or a gatherer?"
"In my pod," Merrick began, "I'm what's known as the Adra Triton."
"Right... And that is a..."
