"How are you doing?" I smiled, bringing him in for a quick hug before hopping on his boat. It was no bigger than two coffins, but it fits so much luggage that it might as well have been a cargo ship.
"Good, sir."
Teston, a rugged and weathered figure of the high seas. His tail is a shimmering tapestry of azure and seafoam green scales. His upper body, strong and muscular, contrasts with the graceful curves of his aquatic lower half. Yet, what sets him apart from his fellow merfolk is the singular eyepatch that stretches across his right eye.
The eyepatch is crafted from the leather of some long-forgotten sea creature, as dark and mysterious as the abyss itself. Its edges are frayed from years of saltwater exposure, bearing the scars of countless battles against the creatures of the deep. Affixed firmly over his right eye, it hints at a story untold. No matter how many times I ask, he refuses to tell me how he lost that eye, but I still haven't given up.