The Merfolk of the Sulani Seas (Updated 01/10/2026)

Chapter 1: A Wayward Pod

Displaced from their ancestral waters, coastal reefs offered relative safety for merfolk to raise a family. And yet, settling in a place like this came with many risks. When the sun began to rise over the sea, Kemps called a pod gathering. The Zalrian Pod had been growing for some time, and the Patriarch felt it was time for a change.

“I know this is a lot to ask,” Kemps said. “But, I think it might be time to return to Mua Pel’Am.”

“I don’t know.” Calum said.

“You can’t seriously be suggesting that we move the entire pod to a place like that!” Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I understand your reservations, I do.” Kemps turned to face his youngest brother and his younger brother’s partner. “I know what we lost, but with the twins…”

“Kemps,” Sarah said, pausing to choose her words carefully. “Have you forgotten what happened to Rylan last time we swam near that awful place?”

“I do, and I don’t suggest this lightly,” Kemps replied. “However, there’s no denying that staying on the move is hard on all the merlings. We need to find a place to call home.”

“Those waters have been abandoned for a reason,” Arihi said. “You remember, right?”

‘As risky as it might be, the idea does have some merit,’ Reef thought.

“The surrounding sea and reefs are nearly dead.” Calum struggled to understand how such a place would be better. “There’s nothing but ruin.”

Sarah looked down as memories of her son surfaced. Rylan’s death. She never wanted to forget.

“I know how hard it will be to return,” Kemps began to say. “However, it took four of us to look after Alex…”

“There’s no way we could keep four merlings safe there,” Sarah interrupted. “Two were too much for us…”

“Our father gave his life to help us swim away from that place,” Calum added. “And you’re suggesting we raise our children there?”

“He wouldn’t want us to abandon our responsibilities to Mua Pel’Am’s reefs either,” Kemps said, intensity growing in his voice.

Kemps softened his tone; he wasn’t looking to start an argument. “Our father wanted us to get to safety because there was a threat to what our family was protecting. You know this.”

“I know, but let’s be reasonable. After everything, the chances of the reefs recovering are nearly impossible. Many have tried and none have succeeded,” Calum argued. “By staying away and keeping our pod safe, we are protecting what was entrusted to us.”

Arihi thought for a moment. ‘There are many risks for sure, but the problem isn’t if we should return. It’s whether it will be the right time to return.’

Reef tilted his head and crossed his arms. He knew enough about his brothers’ family, and their role in protecting the sea.

‘A reef that ruined isn’t easily revived,’ Reef thought. ‘How in the tides will we make that happen?’

“If you’re serious about this, how do you propose we protect the merlings, especially Alex? Mua Pel’Am is dangerous because of things that go beyond its decay,” Arihi inquired.

“Alex is a capable young man. We will have to look after him, but he’s not defenseless,” Kemps reassured. “The corruption from the abyss hasn’t spread beyond the island. The sea should still be safer than the land. The dangers of the past are no threat to him there.”

Arihi raised her hand. “I suspect that whatever was there might still have a lingering presence. How can you be so certain it will be safe?”

Calum shook his head, stressed by the uncertainty. “Kemps, I don’t feel good about taking those risks with my son. Alex can protect what needs to be protected without moving the entire pod.”

Kemps turned to Arihi and his youngest brother. “I know he can, but I’m saying we should move back so we can settle down in the grottoes. It might be easier to keep the merlings out of danger if they aren’t always in the open.”

“And yet, if we do return, the pod will no doubt face challenges that will threaten everyone,” Arihi added. “We can’t ignore that.”

“Open water exposes merlings to many of the ocean’s dangers,” Sarah said. “We don’t need to go far to find it in the sea, and the grottoes could offer some safety.”

‘We really don’t have anywhere to call home. If we returned to Zalia Grottoes, it would be easier to protect the merlings,’ Reef thought. ‘That alone might make it worth it.’

Kemps held his hand over his heart. “I promise that I will make sure everyone stays safe.”

“It’s not that we doubt you,” Sarah said. “It’s just the idea of settling in a place like that to raise merlings. Open water makes raising merlings difficult, but even if they are more exposed in the open, we’ve managed to keep them safe for a long time.”

“I don’t like this,” Calum admitted. “The twins are too young and haven’t been around as long as Kylen and Lir.”

“But things might be different now,” Kemps said. “A lot has changed since Kylen and Alex were born. Lir was able to survive around Mua Pel’Am’s reefs, conditions might be different enough to try.”

“I’m still not convinced.” Arihi looked to the side. “It’s possible the condition of the reef has improved enough, but who knows. It’s been so long…”

“Even if some life has returned,” Sarah said. “It’s a huge risk to return with the entire pod. If something happened to my sons, or nephews…”

Kemps turned to Sarah. “I understand your concerns. I truly do. I promise that I will do everything in my power to ensure the past does not repeat itself.”

‘Lir did survive alone somehow.’ Reef thought. ‘Maybe something is different. The things humans built near the shoreline don’t look like they used to either. The biggest problem is the reef’s constant decay. It just doesn’t recover.’

Reef had a moment of realization. ‘What if the dangers we are concerned about aren’t there? What if it’s safer than any of us think? What if the reef hasn’t recovered because it needs help to do so?’

“You know, I think we should return to Zalia Grottoes.” Reef waved his hand.

Sarah leaned back in surprise.

Calum turned toward Reef, arms crossed in confusion.

Arihi pressed the palm of her hand against her face. ‘He can’t be serious,’ she thought.

Kemps felt surprised and reassured. He didn’t expect his younger brother to be open to the idea.

“You can’t be serious?!” Calum struggled to understand Reef’s reasoning.

Sarah glared at Reef with arms crossed. Arihi wasn’t excited about the idea, but she withheld her opinion, choosing to listen instead.

“I know it seems crazy, but I realized something. What if it isn’t as dangerous as we think? It’s been so long and so much has changed,” Reef explained. “I think it might be possible that fear keeps us away. I think we are assuming that something that was there is still there.”

‘An interesting idea,’ Arihi thought. ‘It’s possible that whoever wanted to instigate conflict between the land and sea left when there was nothing for them to gain. If only the scars of the past remain...’

Reef continued. “Every passing tide I try to think if there was some way we could have saved Rylan. And yet, the sea led us to Lir, and we adopted him. Maybe the sea was trying to tell us something by leading us to him. Perhaps we misunderstood the situation. What if the only way to change things is to return and try? Lir, a merling survived alone without a pod, that’s no small accomplishment.”

“You make a good point, but don’t you think we could just settle around here.” Calum knew that shallow reefs and open water was less than ideal, but they found somewhere safe. “There’s a lot we can do to build a new home here.”

“Calum, it’s not that much safer here when you think about it,” Kemps said. “We’ve kept storms at bay using our magic. We’ve altered the environment to suit our needs.”

“And? We keep the sea peaceful and cultivate the life that surrounds us,” Calum replied. “We’ve cared for these reefs and ensured they had a chance to thrive.”

“That’s just it,” Kemps said. “We can cultivate new life. We are doing it right now. We have the power to heal the reefs and create a haven for life.”

“You have a point,” Calum said. “Maybe after the merlings are older…”

“By then, humans might find us. They already inhabit the nearby island and their numbers only grow,” Kemps countered. “We cannot risk the exposure.”

“Then why can’t we learn to coexist with humans?” Calum asked.

“You know it’s not that simple,” Kemps argued.

“And you make it more complicated.” Calum retorted.

“Calum, staying hidden from humans is still the right decision,” Reef mediated. “Humans once hunted us. Your father among many others died trying to protect those that fled to safety.”

“I know what they did, but if we never try…” Calum began to say.

“Would it help us to invite another conflict with humans?” Reef asked. “Is it worth not trying to change a part of the sea abandoned and left in ruin? Our pod lives by a law to never openly reveal ourselves to humans for a reason.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that,” Calum said. “We can always return when the merlings are old enough to handle the rough environment better.”

“History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and humans are still the same greedy and power-hungry creatures they always were,” Kemps said. “We could be putting our pod in greater risk if we stay.”

Sensing a potential escalation, Reef shifted the topic.

“Look, at the very least, we should respect what humans won’t,” Reef said. “We need to stop enforcing unnatural order on the sea. More than anything, what we’ve done here proves that we can bring balance to the sea around Mua Pel’Am if we return.”

“Exactly, because stormy seas are too dangerous for merlings, we’ve stopped the harshest storms from reaching this island,” Kemps added. “We can make things better for the sea around Mua Pel’Am by simply doing what we’ve done here.”

“It’s true that we shaped the waters around us, enforcing control over nature,” Calum admitted. “But what choice do we have? If we don’t the sea will get too rough to live this close to the surface.”

“And that’s why it gets dangerous for us to remain. It’s why pods never stay in one spot as long as we have,” Kemps said. “What we are doing to change nature. It’s not right. If we had a real home, we wouldn’t need to keep interfering with the balance of nature. Instead, we could be fixing something that has fallen out of balance.”

Kemps knew his youngest brother’s feelings about the human world. He knew that simply saying they should move to avoid humans wouldn’t be enough to convince him, but he also knew that his brother cared about the sea. They were disrupting the natural balance to keep the merlings safe. Calum could understand that.

Calum didn’t like it, but his older brothers weren’t wrong. They controlled something that was never meant to be controlled. They had to do it to prevent harsh swells and turbulent weather from endangering the pod. However, this was also proof that they had the power to correct the imbalance in nature around Mua Pel’Am if they did return. The merlings could survive there. This couldn’t be ignored.

“Reef, this is crazy,” Sarah admitted. “Have you fallen under a moonspell or something?”

“Sarah, I know it’s going to be hard to return to the waters where we lost Rylan, but I still think this is the best choice for the pod,” Reef said. “We can’t continue to do things like we have been.”

‘There’s no doubt that something needs to be done about the problems around Mua Pel’Am,’ Arihi thought. ‘Healing the sea is possible if the conditions improved.’

“Calum, we can make things right. We can heal the damage sustained by the reef,” Kemps said. “Don’t you think we’ve neglected our home long enough?”

“It’s been too long. I can’t remember exactly what those reefs used to look like,” Calum admitted. “It’s a risky change. A lot of things could go wrong.”

“Simply living here is risking all kinds of danger. We’ve survived because we’ve changed nature to suit our needs,” Kemps said. “We could make a real difference if we return to our old grottoes.” 

“We can.” Calum agreed.

“Imagine Alex and the twins getting a chance to see our old home like it was before.” Kemps said.

Deep down, Calum wanted his sons to see the splendor of Zalia Grottoes’ true beauty. Given care and time, the grottoes and the surrounding reefs could recover. Life was driven away, but the waters are sick and corrupted now. The reefs weren’t dead. Fixing that wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible.

“I promise, this will be a good change,” Reef reassured Sarah. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure of that.”

“I’m just so worried about something going wrong.” Sarah didn’t want to risk losing another son.

“Calum, there’s one more important thing we need to consider. What if Alex froze the twins in ice?” Kemps’s words cut into Calum.

“Reef can help him control his power if it gets out of control. And we can help Arihi control her magic…” Calum’s voice shook with uncertainty.

Arihi placed a hand on Calum and leaned in to reassure him.  “Calum, that’s a real concern. The grottoes would be one of the few places where we won’t have to worry about losing control of our powers. If Alex fell under a moonspell, he’d freeze everyone in their sleep. For us, it’s not a matter of if we will lose control under moonlight.”

“Eventually, the twins, will be vulnerable to moonlight,” Kemps added. “We can’t ignore the risk of ice and water magic getting out of control. Even worse than that, an unnatural freeze around the sea could harm the reefs.”

“I never want to see Alex, or the twins, to feel guilt for hurting another by accident.” For all of Calum’s hesitations, this one thing was enough to convince him.

“Sarah, are you really willing to risk everything that comes with staying here?” Reef’s tone carried concern and inquiry. “I will always support this pod, but there are limits to our power.”

“I know. I know the risks. I know the dangers. I know that our nephews will face challenges with controlling their magic, but…”

“But most merfolk don’t struggle with moonlight,” Reef continued. “Alex, and eventually the twins, will have to isolate themselves while under a moonspell. You don’t want any of them to be alone when they might need someone.”

“As much as I don’t like the idea of moving the pod, it would be good for our sons. Probably the best thing we could do to help them learn how to control their own power.” Arihi grabbed Calum’s hand. “The grottoes will prevent the unthinkable.”

Calum looked to the side. He knew this was true. There was no counter argument to make. He was proud of his son’s potential for magic, but he also knew it was only a matter of time before an accident could happen.

“Calum, believe me, if there was another option, I would suggest that over this,” Arihi reassured. “But we know that living here can’t be forever.”

Sarah felt uncomfortable with the idea of moving, but she understood the situation well enough. When she thought about it, the risk was the same if they didn’t return, but the risk of staying was a different kind of danger.

“Sarah, I miss Rylan as much as you do, but we need to think of Lir and Kylen,” Reef said. “We can’t let the past stop us from doing the right thing.”

Sarah flicked her tail and leaned into Reef. The embrace caught Reef by surprise. She said nothing, but he knew where her heart was. Reef wanted to stay strong for her, but his own heart wavered a bit with the idea of returning to Mua Pel’Am. Logically, it was the right choice, but he still knew that returning would also mean facing memories of loss.

“Look, I didn’t consider this lightly. We both know that he still lurks in the sea around Mua Pel’Am, and I never forgot what nearly happened the last time I spoke to him.” Kemps said.

“He did almost take your voice.” Calum said. “Permanently.”

“That and more. Fortunately, the deal didn’t work out that way.” Kemps recalled her, and her deception. He would never trust a human again.

“I hope you at least have a plan for dealing with him if he shows himself.” Arihi knew all too well who they were talking about even if no one would say his name. Out of superstition or simple fear, he was someone any mer should avoid.

“So, we either stay here and risk Alex losing control during a moonspell, encounters with humans, and continue disrupting the natural balance of the sea,” Calum said. “Or, we return to Mua Pel’Am where he resides, potential unknown dangers, and the hungry sharks lurking in the depths.”

“That about sums it up,” Kemps said, with one hand resting on his side. “The grottoes are a space that we can defend from underwater predators. Anything we might face will still have a hard time getting through us. We can make it a haven for the pod and the merlings.”

“Are you really still willing to go through with this?” Arihi crossed her arms. “It won’t be easy on any of us.”

“Most things that are worth it are never easy,” Kemps said.

Sarah’s arms wrapped around Reef, and she leaned deeper into him. “I don’t know what I would do if we lost Lir or Kylen.”

Reef felt the same. Lir was no replacement for Rylan, but they both loved him as if he was their own son. The only thing Reef could do was offer his wife as much comfort and reassurance as he could.

“All that being said,” Kemps continued. “We should probably see what we are swimming into first.”

“Not a bad idea. Who’s going to scout ahead?” Calum asked.

“I want the four of you to stay here.” Kemps drifted deep into thought. “The migration was my idea. As the Patriarch and leader of the pod, I should be the one to see what is waiting for us. I can find the safest path to Zalia Grottoes if there is one.”

“No one will be able to help you if you run into trouble,” Arihi said.

“I’m not defenseless,” Kemps answered.

Reef leaned in and embraced Sarah.

“It’s going to be alright,” Reef comforted.

“And if what you find isn’t safe?” Arihi asked.

Calum crossed his arms. Arihi had a good question. He expected a good answer.

“Fair question.” Kemps thought out loud.

“What if something happens to the merlings?” Sarah whispered.

“Nothing will happen,” Reef whispered.

“If it’s too dangerous, then I’ll admit it was a bad idea,” Kemps answered. “But we need a safer place, and we don’t have a lot of options.”

“We really don’t,” Calum admitted. “Me and Reef tried looking for alternatives. We couldn’t find anything.”

“This is such a headache. But, without other options…” Arihi pressed her fingers against her furrowed brow. “We should make a decision before the next full moon.”

Sarah looked up to Reef. Reef caressed her cheek.

“I will not let our worst fears come to pass.” Reef vowed to Sarah.

“I know you won’t,” Sarah said.

“I’ve thought a long time about this,” Kemps admitted. “I’ve weighed all the benefits and risks. But I know in my heart that this is something we need to do. We have a responsibility to the sea that we can’t ignore.”

“I agree,” Arihi crossed her arms. “And I know the elementals that watch over the land would agree with that.”

“I still have many concerns about this,” Calum added. “But we can’t leave things the way they are.”

“It will never get better if we don’t do anything,” Kemps said, fist held over his heart. “If we wait for the ideal time to improve the world we live in, then change will never happen.”

Next to the other three, Sarah placed a hand on Reef’s chest and looked into his eyes. “I know we will be safe with you looking after us. I know you would never let anything happen to our sons or nephews. I trust you.”

Reef smiled. There were no words to say. No need to say more. Both him and her understood everything they needed to know.

“I’m going to scout the waters around Mua Pel’Am,” Kemps decided. “I’ll find the safest way to get everyone to our new home.”

“We’ll prepare for the migration.” Reef treaded water alongside Sarah. “We’ll be ready when you return.”

Sarah turned to look up toward Reef. “We’ve come to an understanding. We will do what’s right for our sons.”

Calum had an arm around Arihi. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“Just be safe,” Arihi smiled.

Kemps lifted his hand, gesturing with his thumb pointing to the side. “I’ll get going. It’s not a short swim.”

With that, Kemps began swimming to Mua Pel’Am. He occasionally leapt out of the water only to dive back under. The flick of his fluke and fluid rolling movement of his tail propelled him forward. Once approaching the edge of the island’s reef, he dove down beneath the waves and swam to the island far away.

Early that same morning, Alex looked after the merlings while their parents began discussing the pod’s future home with Kemps.

“Storytime!” Dylan leapt onto Alex’s back, overflowing with joy.

“So, you want a story?” Alex smiled.

“You guys prepared another story?!” Lir couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

“It’s going to be so awesome,” Zephyr added. “I saw a bit of what they were practicing.”

“I’m not surprised,” Kylen said. “I never see you without Dyl by your side.”

With a powerful kick of his tail, Alex spun around, wrapping his arms around his little brother. The merboy tilted back and began spinning, lifting himself and Dylan above the water’s surface. The aquabatics caught Zephyr and Kylen by surprise. Lir couldn’t contain his excitement for another one of his cousin’s stories.

Dylan laughed as the merboy spun around.

“The story continues with turbulent tides and swirling currents,” Alex began the story.

Dylan waved a hand in the air and added the sound effects to the performance.

“This is going to be good!” Zephyr exclaimed.

“I remember this!” Kylen added.

“The storm that Kelp got caught in!” Stormy weather scared Lir, especially thunder.

“After spinning through the currents and tumbling in the waves, our hero Kelp leapt out of the water near an island with a huge volcano.”

Alex released Dylan and tossed him up. Dylan stretched his arms wide and curled his tail midair, preparing to dive.

Zephyr rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “I knew he’d get out of that awful storm.”

Kylen looked up. “Did Kelp really leap that high out of the water?”

Lir uncovered his eyes, curiosity turning to surprise.

Dylan continued into his dive above Alex’s head. Alex shifted himself upright, treading water with his tail. He turned his torso and lifted his hand. His expression changed to something sinister, like a villain plotting something.

“The sea witch looked into his magic pearl and didn’t like what he saw. Kelp had the magic shell with the voice of his sister, Selia, in hand,” Alex continued. “Worst of all, Kelp somehow used the storm conjured by the sea witch to get closer to his sister.”

“Of course he did!” Zephyr said, confident in the hero. “He’s a genius like that.”

“Kelp knew what the sea witch was trying to do, so he used the storm to help himself,” Alex said. “It was dangerous and risky, but it worked out. However, he stole from a sea witch.”

“That mean old witch doesn’t like thieves.” Lir pressed his fingers together.

“You’re absolutely right,” Alex said. “That sea witch hated thieves, but even more, he didn’t like his plans to fail or for anyone to get out of a deal with him.”

“Selia! He wanted her voice as part of his plan to get their father’s magic conch shell.” Kylen pulled back in surprise. “Without her voice, the sea witch has nothing to bargain with.”

“Exactly!” Alex said. “But what Kelp didn’t know was that his sister wanted to go on land and see humans up close. Returning her voice would undo the magic and take away her ability to use land fins to swim among humans.”

“Selia really loved the human world,” Lir said.

Dylan continued into his dive while Alex shifted his expression.

“Yes.” Alex held a hand over his heart. “Kelp didn’t know that his sister chose to go to the sea witch. He thought she was tricked. He believed he was helping her.”

“He’s about to put his sister in danger?!” Zephyr couldn’t believe this.

“Kelp, you might be making a huge mistake.” Kylen said.

“This isn’t going to end well,” Lir said.

“When Kelp approached the shore. He heard sounds from a nearby land reef. Something that sounded like music. He swam closer and he heard the tap of land fins against the land reef. When he was close enough to the land reef, the tap of land fins seemed to have a rhythm to it. It was nothing like he thought it would be. Above, his sister smiled and twirled with her land fins. Kelp didn’t expect her to be so happy.”

“Kelp! You can figure it out.” Zephyr wanted to try and stop the hero.

“Don’t do it,” Kylen added.

“I can’t look,” Lir said.

“Kelp looked at the glowing shell in his hand. All he had to do was break it and his sister’s voice would be returned to her. She would be able to sing again. She could explain everything. He had her voice. He was so close to returning it.”

 “He’s not going to return her voice, right? Not with so many humans around.” Zephyr said.

“Kelp, your sister wanted to be able to swim on land,” Kylen said.

“Don’t do it.” Lir said.

“Kelp almost broke the shell against the land reef, but he paused before doing it. As he thought about what he saw, he remembered how his sister talked about the human world. He noticed her being quieter than normal at home. He thought she regretted not having her voice. But seeing her so happy, he wondered if he misunderstood the situation.”

“He still stole from the sea witch.” Zephyr said.

“Even if he learns the truth, he can’t exactly let the sea witch have her voice.” Kylen added.

“I have a really bad feeling about this.” Lir said.

“Kelp finally realized his mistake, but he did understand that he couldn’t let the sea witch have his sister’s voice. So, he dove underwater and looked for a place to hide the shell. As long as the sea witch didn’t have it. He could protect his sister’s happiness and thwart the sea witch.”

Dylan slipped into the water, hands returning to his side. Alex continued telling the story.

“After hiding the shell, Kelp thought about how he might explain things to his father. He would not approve of what Selia was doing. He started to worry less about the sea witch and more about his dad. He needed to think of a way to explain things to him without getting his sister into trouble.”

Alex raised a hand to his neck and lifted his other hand.

“Unfortunately, the sea witch found Kelp before he could think of what to say. The sea witch was furious, but he was cunning. Instead of punishing the merboy, the sea witch decided to take a different approach. Selia’s Voice wasn’t the only way he could get to their father.”

“Kelp!” Zephyr said.

“Watch out!” Kylen said.

“This isn’t happening!” Lir said.

“Kelp felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and he turned to see the sea witch. The merboy did his best to contain his fear. He was met with a friendly smile from the sea witch. While Kelp couldn’t simply swim away, he also knew that he couldn’t let his guard down. He found the courage to speak up and confront the witch. He wouldn’t get tricked.”

“You got this kelp!” Zephyr said.

“The sea witch didn’t curse him. That’s a relief.” Kylen said.

“But what is the sea witch planning?” Lir asked.

“The sea witch led the merboy back to his lair, explaining the nature of his deal with Kelp’s sister…”

Without warning, Dylan surfaced and grabbed Alex’s arm. “And that’s when the Kraken rose from the depths and our hero Kelp…”

Dylan noticed that something was off. The merling pulled himself out of the water and over Alex’s outstretched arm.

Alex turned a hand toward Dylan and smiled. “And that’s how Kelp saved the day.”

“So, Kelp escaped the sea witch because of a kraken?” Zephyr asked.

“Well,” Alex said. “I guess that’s one way to think about it.”

 “Naturally.” Dylan sat on Alex’s arm and waved his hand to the side. “What better way to escape an evil sea witch than the sudden appearance of a kraken?”

“It’s certainly a creative way to get out of trouble.” Alex said.

“There’s no way that’s how the story goes.” Zephyr said.

Alex gestured a hand to the merling sitting on his arm. “As you can see, that’s exactly how things play out.”

“It’s really the only way to keep the story going,” Dylan added.

“It’s too random.” Zephyr argued, waving his hand to the side.

“Well, some things are just unpredictable like that. Not everything has to be super logical.” Dylan waved his hand, mirroring his twin.

“I’m just glad Kelp got away from the sea witch,” Lir admitted.

“I’m a bit relieved everything worked out for him too,” Kylen said.

“The sudden appearance of the Kraken was still strange,” Zephyr said.

While Alex continued to look after the merlings, Kemps surfaced to get a look at the conditions of Mua Pel’Am. The sky was filled with a sickly smog choking life on land. The corruption lingered still, and that corruption continued to find its way into the sea.

Kemps recoiled when he saw the water’s surface. A film of slime shifted in the water around him. As the water settled around him, the slime floated towards him. He could feel a bit of it sticking to his skin.

‘This horrible smell.’ Kemps thought.

‘The smell, the slime.’ Kemps shivered. ‘Disgusting. Life isn’t gone, but the level of suffering…’

The smog, the slime on the water’s surface, debris, dying reefs, the sea a sickly green instead of azure sea blue. It was all corrupt.

‘We can’t leave things like this,’ Kemps thought.

‘When I guide the pod, we will need to avoid this area,’ Kemps thought. ‘Aside from avoiding the corruption, I need to figure out if humans have truly abandoned the island.’

He felt the slime sticking to him and was worried about his tail getting tangled in debris. He looked over the horizon. He couldn’t see the sky through the smog. No humans swam on the shore with their two fins. He scanned around what he could see and focused on a channel of water with rocky cliffs and no shoreline.

All around him, Kemps saw reminders of why pods left, and Mua Pel’Am abandoned seemed abandoned by both humans and merfolk alike. More importantly, the neglected island and abandoned sea proved that Reef was onto something. There was no evidence of active threats from the past as far as he could tell.

Carefully maneuvering through the water with small flicks of his tail, he turned and rested his arms on debris at the surface. After identifying the safest route to the underwater grottoes and assessing the potential danger, he looked around to make certain no humans were around. He could never be too careful around their kind.

Kemps pulled himself out of the water and onto the driftwood. He leaned back and curled his fluke up. Inspecting the condition of his tail. Between the slime, grime, and debris, he wanted to be sure his movement wouldn’t be impaired. More than that, the water felt so repulsive that he wanted to be out of the water no matter how exposed he would be.

After seeing that his tail was fine, he twisted and pulled himself to the edge of the driftwood. Being out of the water like this reminded Kemps of the past, of a betrayal, of a human he thought he could trust.

‘Don’t think about her,’ Kemps thought. ‘What’s important is the pod and their safety. I need to focus.’

He slipped back into the water. As he dove, he felt better in his element. Out of the sea, the limited movement made him anxious.

Kemps dove deeper, gauging how deep he had to go to avoid being exposed to the corrupt surface. Eventually, he reached a depth where he couldn’t see debris, feel the slime, and experience uncomfortable grime.

‘It’s possible to avoid the worst of the surface,’ Kemps thought. ‘This is good.’

He navigated a path underwater until he found the cave that led to the deeper grottoes. He could feel a subtle current flowing into the cavern. He had a safe path for the pod. From his time growing up in the grotto, he knew that once they were in the grottoes, they would be able to avoid the most dangerous things in the sea. While tending to the reefs, they could protect the merlings.

‘We can do this,’ Kemps thought. ‘We can make a sanctuary for the merlings to thrive in.’

Kemps returned to the pod. Energized by what he found, the swim didn’t feel like it took as long. When Kemps surfaced, everyone was caught in a deep discussion. Calum went over how they would look after the merlings and Alex. They considered potential rules that could protect their sons from moonspells. Reef was reassuring Sarah again. Her anxiety returned and he wanted to put her mind at ease.

“I know the grottoes should be safe enough, but I’m not ready to settle away from the others.” Sarah knew that the pod was growing. “I know that it doesn’t mean leaving the pod, but…”

“Then we can stay together until Kylen and Lir are older,” Reef said. “No matter what, this is the pod we will belong to. We can settle in another grotto later.”

Calum and Arihi noticed Kemps surface and turned his way.

“Is it safe?” Calum asked.

“Yes, and I think it’s potentially safer than any of us expected actually,” Kemps said.

“And the corruption, lingering dangers?” Arihi needed confirmation. She knew that Kemps understood what she was asking.

“It looks like humans have completely abandoned the island. I didn’t even see other pods. I couldn’t sense anything to be worried about. There’s corruption near the surface, but the sea hasn’t been completely overtaken by it.”

“I guess I’ll let Alex, the twins, and our nephews know,” Calum said.

“I have our path planned out. We should be able to swim there without any problems.” Kemps said.

“In the meantime, we need to talk about something important Kemps.” Arihi added.

“I don’t see you that concerned often,” Kemps admitted. “Do you think moving might be the wrong idea?”

“No, moving is the best thing, but the elementals of that island have me a bit concerned.” Arihi explained. “I think we should be careful about a few things. We might need a pod law just to be safe.”

Calum wanted to stay and hear Arihi out, but he knew she would fill him in later. The pod needed to rally the merlings before they could move. That would take plenty of time on its own.

While Calum swam towards the merlings to let them know the pod was moving, Alex continued to look after them.

“I want another story!” Lir raised his hand into the air.”

Dylan leaned on Alex’s back, airily looking at this tail. Alex helped to guide Zephyr through the water with his hand.

“You know the rules Lir,” Dylan said.

“Dyl is right,” Kylen said with a lazy glide around Lir. “Only one story a day. We still have to practice swimming.”

Lir jumped toward Alex and grabbed on.

“But I don’t want to practice swimming,” Lir protested.

Alex floated backward, catching the green tail merling. Dylan fell backward into the water without Alex to lean on. Zephyr saw his twin and glided backward, clutching his stomach and laughing. Kylen lost focus mid-glide, caught up in the same laughter.

Dylan arced his back and turned into a dive. His tail curling through the water.

“Oh no! The kraken got me! Someone help!” Lir flailed, reaching forward and kicking his tail.

Alex steadied the merling in the water. “If you don’t practice swimming, how are you going to escape a Kraken or something else?”

Zephyr continued laughing. Kylen was so lost in laughter he sank below the surface.

Dylan glided around Alex underwater towards his twin. Zephyr turned to see Dylan.

“He’s getting pretty good at that,” Zephyr admitted. “Maybe I should practice aquabatics for stories with Alex too?”

Alex grabbed Lir and began spinning like he did with Dylan during the story.

Lir saw his brother surface. “Kylen, it’s got me! Help!”

Kylen regained composure and glided with gentle kicks through the water. “I would, but I don’t think I’d be able to handle a kraken.”

“Traitor!” Lir cried out.

Dylan glided toward Zephyr with ease. Dylan looked up with a smile. Zephyr waved a hand and chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m still the best at a game of Lyrachek though,” Zephyr said, sensing what Dylan felt.

“When I get out of this whirlpool…” Lir said.

“You got this Kraken!” Kylen cheered.

Zephyr chuckled. “That was too funny.”

Dylan laughed. “I know right! I didn’t even see it coming!”

Alex spun with Lir as the merling laughed.

Kylen turned to see his uncle surface.

Calum crossed his arms and frowned when he saw Alex roughhousing with Lir. The twins sensed their father’s presence and turned toward him. The twins paused, gauging Calum’s expression.

Kylen pointed towards Alex and Lir. “I tried to tell them to stop.”

Lir heard his younger brother. “Liar.”

Alex released Lir. Lir glided to the side.

“I thought I told you to look after the merlings,” Calum said, raising an eyebrow with arms crossed.

Alex raised his hand, a bit nervous. “Sorry, we got a little carried away.”

“It was my fault, I started it.” Lir admitted.

Zephyr stabilized himself holding onto Dylan’s shoulder. Dylan crossed his arms and glanced to the side. The twins treaded water together, keeping quiet.

“Uncle Cal, Alex was helping us practice swimming after telling us a story,” Kylen explained.

“We were just having a bit of fun,” Lir added. “Alex never did anything wrong.”

“Well, I guess merlings will be merlings. I couldn’t stay upset if I wanted to,” Calum said. “Thank you for looking after them.”

“Everyone was gone for a while, longer than normal,” Alex said. “What’s going on?”

“Well, we talked about it and the pod will be returning to Mua Pel’Am,” Calum answered. “Actually, we are moving back to Zalia Grottoes.”

“Really?” Alex only heard stories about the grottoes. “Does that mean we won’t be wandering anymore? We’ll have a home to call our own?”

“Yes, it was decided that we will be settling down in a new home,” Calum explained. “Moving forward, we’ll have a place to call home. A safe place for everyone.”

“A safe place!” Lir sank down, still excited despite his past.

“A home!” Kylen remembered the stories but never saw the grottoes.

“I can’t wait!” Dylan enthused.

“So many new things to learn!” Zephyr enthused.

“When are we leaving?” Alex asked.

“Before the sun sets,” Calum answered. “Actually, I came to get all of you because we need to catch up to the rest of the pod. I hope everyone is ready for a long swim.”

Calum paced himself so the merlings could keep up with him. He couldn’t carry all four so whenever a couple of them got tired from swimming, both Alex and Calum carried them before switching with another pair.

When they caught up with the others, each of the adults except Alex and Kemps, held one of the merlings. Alex followed the pod from behind and Kemps took the lead. The pod swam a good distance before finally reaching the grottoes. When they finally made it to their new home, the merlings were asleep holding onto their parents.

Kemps slowed and the pod did the same. Animated fish bones, angler fish, venomous lionfish and other fish from the deep swam around in the cave. The coral was sick and debris from the corruption caught in the current collected in the grotto. Signs of the abyss surrounded them.

“Let’s be careful and find a place for the merlings to rest. Tomorrow, we’ll work on making this a proper home for them,” Kemps said.

Everyone else nodded. The pod swam deeper into the grotto and secured a place to rest before the next day.

From the shadows, a dark figure watched.

In his lair, Damion used his magic above the Cauldron to observe the pod’s return. Behind him, a red tail merman floated in a deep sleep.

‘I see. That’s why I was struggling to find it,’ Damion said. ‘He passed on his power. And to such a naïve merboy no less. No matter, I will have it in time. And when I do, it will be mine.’