25 part 26
Coral sits in his room thinking to himself after what Conch had told him about being human.
Conch
You want to be human, that's how you need to go about it. You revoke your life for a new one. It's a long process so if you still want to go through with something that could kill you because of stubbornness, I suggest you start diving either tonight or tomorrow for bones along the reef line.
It was like Conch didn't want to go through the idea of becoming completely human. Coral didn't understand why he would tell him something so frightening but he did understand the risks he was taking after their conversation. Conch was smart. Coral understood that he knew what he was talking about. He seemed to understand the risk more than he let on. That in itself worried Coral and made him question his choice. He wanted to be human. But he felt guilty for needing to revoke his life for a pair of feet that he could simply ask for.
Coral
… does this even wash off? It's been over two weeks since we've had our legs.
Coral goes to bed to sleep on the question and decides to ask in the morning.
Conch sat in the pearl room pondering the taboo recipe to be completely human. He hated the idea and it made him question his choices to follow through Coral's wish.
Conch
… I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this! I can't do this to us. I don't want to break a taboo. Just thinking about it hurts. Knowing what the consequences are is more terrifying than being shunned for being what I am. I can't. I'd rather be back at the trench hunting and hiding for the rest of my life than go through death and losing everything I've learned... I can't risk it. I don't want to lose what made me what I am. This is too much to… to… why did I let him talk me into this? I didn't even want to be here… I don't feel so good... I need to leave.
Conch picks up the pearl and walks outside with heavy breath and a sinking heart. The pearl shimmers softly and constantly as he takes it to the seaside docks by the boats. At the dock, Taro and Tommy were fixing up the nets for the next catch in the morning. Tommy notices Conch approaching the next dock with the large pearl and watches him with curiosity and confusion. Conch sets the pearl down and suddenly starts stripping, confusing him more. He gets Taro's attention and makes sure he stays quiet.
Conch hops off the dock into the sea. And stays under for a long while. Too long for a normal person. Taro decides dive in after him and tommy lets him go. Taro looks around the waters where they saw him jump off. With no luck, he dives deeper. Tommy stays watching the docks where the pearl stayed glowing for a while until it grows brighter and something reemerges from the water. A blue figure grabs the pearl and dives back down again. Tommy jumps up to his feet and loses his balance instantly and falls in the water.
Tommy tries to regain his composure so he could swim properly until he notices the blue figure he saw snatch the pearl holding the pearl as if it were a pillow. He became unsettled when he noticed it was staring at him with its bright yellow and green eyes. Tommy panics and swim to the surface and struggles to get back on the boat. He suddenly feels something push his feet and he is forced out of the water onto the boat. He fumbles and stumbles to his behind to turn and see what pushed him and sees the blue figure holding onto the boats edge looking at him.
Conch
Tommy. Tommy!
Tommy
Wha!? … Conch?? … What the hell. You look like… that???
Conch
You said it was fine to show you what I really look like didn't you?
Tommy
… you are… absolutely horrifying.
Conch
Jee thanks.
Tommy
… but, at the same time… it's hypnotizing.
Conch
Don't make it weird.
Tommy
Shut up.
Conch
*chuckle* what are you guys doing here anyway?
Tommy
Fishing for fresh catches. What of you?
Conch
… eh… pondering life as I knew it to be.
Tommy
Sounds complicated.
Taro finally resurfaces on the docks to find the two on the boat talking. He was in shock at seeing Conch's blue skin and bright eyes. He instantly rushes to the boat and boards it.
Conch
Welcome back, Taro.
Taro
… Uh… Conch??
Conch
Yup.
Taro
… good Lord, you're a fright.
Conch
Jeez, thanks! Tommy said the same thing.
Taro
S-sorry. It's just… I feel like you might actually eat me now that I've seen ya… so what… Are you doing.
Conch
I'm not repeating myself.
Taro
What's that s'pose to mean?
Conch
That you're slow.
Taro
Hey!
The three of them have a good laugh and talk for a long while on the boat as Conch dried off and returned to his human form.
Taro
… Uh… oh! Here. Take this.
Taro hands Conch a towel from under his seat.
Conch
Oh yeah. Thanks.
Taro
So I completely neglected to ask, but what the fuck is that??
Taro points to Conch's pearl.
Conch
This? It's a leviathan pearl.
Taro
What's it for? Is that what makes you human on land?
Conch
Yeah. So far its main purpose is enhancing powers and teaching better control of it.
Taro
So you can use magic? Like the great kings of waters?
Conch
I don't know if that skilled…
Taro
King titan is the only one that has the power to change a persons species altogether through the water gates and you don't know if you're that skilled?
Tommy
You put it that way, I'd say you be on par with them.
Conch
… Uh…
Taro
Don't tell me you didn't know that?
Conch
Well I never met the man outside of the last party so I wouldn't really know a lot about the Kings themselves.
Taro
… Uh oh…
Conch
W-what?
Taro
You don't have permission then? To be on this island. How did you get through the barrier??
Conch
Uh…
Taro
How did you force your way in here!? Conch!?
Tommy
Calm down, Taro!
Taro
If he doesn't have permission from the main gate, he'll be in big trouble later if someone else finds out of you two!
Conch
How else were we supposed to get through any other island!? We can't just swim up to the capital and ask! That's just suicide!
Taro
What do you mean you can't?? Your merfolk! You have every right to have asked that!
Conch
… what??
Taro
The point is, you're here illegally. You need to be careful swimming around here from now on. You and Coral. Yeah, there are still some problems with caecilians here and there because of the calamity twenty some years ago, and a lot of them went missing cuz of it, but there's no rule saying you guys aren't allowed on the islands.
Conch thinks long and hard about what Taro just told him. He could have been fine along the trenchline. In the markets. He might have been fine near Altas swimming with the other merfolk. Yet questions started welling up in his head.
Conch
Why are there so many missing? Do you know why?
Taro
No…?
Tommy
It's probably cuz y'all ain't know nothing.
Conch
That is one of our reasons.
Tommy
What's y'alls reason? You and Coral?
Conch
… we were still being hunted by guards. We didn't know why or where they would have taken us. We didn't want to be muzzled like the few that were caught in front of us so we stayed in hiding for most of our lives swimming through wrecks and caves. Hiding in valleys and infested area full of things far more dangerous than us. Even in dark depths. I was fine with the dark areas but Coral had the hardest time with it… I think it's better to hear his side from him… but there weren't a lot of places for us to go growing up. I'm sure you can at least imagine what it was like just to try and live.
Tommy and Taro stare at Conch for a long while. They didn't know what to say. They themselves were questioning why that happened.
Conch
There's not much to say other than something is obviously off about your end of this and ours. For now, I can only ask you to keep our existence a secret. We only want a live without too many worries and have peaceful days.
Tommy
… we understand. Right Taro?
Taro
Uh…! Yeah of course! Your safe with us. I'll even take it to my grave!
Conch
Don't get that ahead of me, jeez.
Tommy
… You know what. Since you here how bout you try that new suite on? It's just a shirt anyway.
Conch
Uh…
