Chapter 85: Mercy Is For The Weak
"And what is it do you think you are doing?"
"..." Merrick paused, still looking up at the mid-noon sky, "I am doing nothing as I shall be."
"You were not about to blaspheme the Sea Mother in MY presence. Not in YOUR lifetime."
"And if I was?"
"Do not take that attitude with me. And I am addressing you, you will face me now."
Merrick glares at the surface, letting himself drift down, before turning around. Kaiken looks up at him with his strong arms crossed, both mermen frown upon each other. "Come here." Kaiken told him. Merrick obeys casually as he swims to his father's side, Kaiken watching him as he comes, and then both of them turning to look at rare sight. A Colossus Octopus floats through the ocean, bigger than any human ship that has been built, swimming peacefully, its tentacles pushing and pulling through the sea as it makes its way to the open vastness.
"You have made your Sister sad." Kaiken said, "She said you had the eyes of the dead. You have frightened her." Merrick remains silent. "She still loves you, you know. And yet you cast her affections aside, and for what reason?" Still, nothing. After a pause, Kaiken continued, "You are all alone here. Your Mother told me of a pod of Coshitons that have taken you in. Why are not with them? You know you stand little chance when you isolate yourself."
"... My mate is gone." Merrick finally said, staring blankly into the ocean. Kaiken turns his head to his son, "He is as good as dead to me now. Slain, by other humans."
"Truly?" Kaiken asks.
"If you want the complete truth, no, my mate is not totally dead. But those humans destroyed every single memory he ever had. There is nothing left."
"There is never truly nothing, Merrick."
The two of them remained silent as they watch the giant octopus slowly disappear, "... You were right, Father." Merrick said, "You have always been right about the humans."
"Hm."
"They are all savages. Theirs is a world of war and devastation. They throw away their lives and their souls for the sake of what they perceive to be the most righteous path, and they kill each other all time for that very reason."
"You make them sound more sophisticated than I ever have."
"Make no mistake, Father." Merrick said drearily, "They are all creatures of hatred. Their only notion is the refinement of their chaos."
After another pause, Kaiken speaks again, "You know full well of my own views of the human world. And from what I can gather from your words, I am mostly correct." He turns again to him, "And yet, you are still alive and thriving. It has been so many moons since you bore that mark on your flesh, living upon the land for all of that time. And here you stand."
"... The grand scheme is what truly shows the madness of the land." Merrick says, "My mate is a man who is allured by other males, and not females. For that reason alone, despite that he is a pure-hearted soul, they preyed upon him, and they put him down. They beaten him mercilessly until he was on the brink of death, and they shattered his memories."
"So why are you here, Merrick?" Kaiken asked, "Have I not told you mercy is for the weak?"
"Heh... That is typical of you, Father." Merrick commented, "I hardly believe you and I share the same views for mercy and weakness."
"Ugghhhh, you are a very troubling child, do you know that?" Kaiken scowled as he bows his head and rubs his brow, "You are banished, and yet still in desperate need of my tutelage."
"And how does that matter to you? I no longer exist, remember?" Merrick told him, "I am your Son no more."
"That is not the concern here. I will not allow you to forget all that I have taught you." Kaiken answered. One more moment of silence, and Kaiken takes his trident from the mount of his back, "Come. We will spar." He pushes his mighty, firm tail up and down, and swim further away, before he looks back behind him, seeing Merrick has not moved. "I said 'Come'."
"For what purpose?"
"We will spar. Like you and I used to when you were younger."
"Again, for what purpose?" Merrick asked, "I am not your child anymore. You broke that right of mine when you broke my trident."
"I will not tolerate a disrespectful argument," Kaiken said calmly, "Now come." Merrick merely glares at him, still frowning. Kaiken growled as he quickly whips around, and came face-to-face with Merrick in a second flat. "Come!" He commanded. Merrick gives him a resentful look, before swimming around the larger merman, and then downward where he started, before Kaiken follows suit.
The two of them face each other in the middle, between the ocean floor, and the surface above. Kaiken holds his trident at the ready, while Merrick holds his own spear.
'It is as Daughter says...' Kaiken thinks as he looks into those dark, dulled blue eyes across him, 'His eyes hold no life...'
"Now." He said, before lunging forward. Merrick holds his harpoon to defend, catching the trident in one of its divides, before throwing it aside. Kaiken whips around quickly, and swipes at Merrick with the sharp, blade-like fin on his arm. Merrick swerves out of the way, and swings his weapon. Kaiken quickly flips, and knocks that harpoon from Merrick's hands with his tail!
"Do not insult me, Merrick." Kaiken scolded. Before it could drift down too far, Kaiken takes Merrick's spear up, and gives it back before assuming the attack pose. "Again." He makes the first move, driving the trident forward, but Merrick moves out of the way. Merrick grabs the end of the trident, and uses his father's strong swing to his advantage, allowing himself to be pulled up, before doing a full-turn swing, which is blocked above an angry face from the Triton.
"I said do not insult me." Kaiken moves and runs his trident along the harpoon, and then forces his hand onto Merrick's chest to push, and shoved him backward, "You were not nearly this slow when you were an Adra. Pick up your weapon, and fight." He said with that lethal sternness he's spoke with for so many years. Merrick begrudgingly takes his weapon back, and then moved into a quick whirl.
Kaiken uses the hook-like structure of the lower side of his trident prongs to yank here and there, either at Merrick's body to corrupt his balance and movements, or otherwise interfere with his weapon.
'He is still not cooperating. His soul is still gone.'
"Your Mother can only mend you to a vast extent." Kaiken said, "This is not so much as healing, as it is about reviving."
KNNNG!
