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10: mieta, calyx' bottom line

10: mieta, calyx' bottom line
Alt. Title: unsurprisingly, calyx is a shameless person
Alt. Title 2: calyx, the papa's boy

A giant ship laid quietly at the bottom of the seafloor. Two schools of fishes swam around it, causing the torn mast to float around. There were barely any sunlight penetrating through the sea surface, giving the wrecked ship an ominous air underwater.

Suddenly, a figure could be seen swimming towards the ship. Thin, strands of what seemed to be a Sea Whip; a bunch of whip like soft corals. The figure paused, turned his head, and yelled for his companion with an impatient tone.

"Nereus, hurry up! We have to get back before Arete's ceremony!" This merfolk was called Arsen, Arete's older brother.

When a merfolk reaches a certain age, they would undergo a ritual to establish the fact that they were no longer younglings. Although the merpeople often liked to mind their own business, this ritual was a tradition passed down since the beginning of time.

Transitioning from a child to an adult was a very important milestone in their culture.

It was because upon reaching a certain age, the mana which laid dormant inside them would come to life. Every child, not only those from the merpeople but also other races, wished they could use magic. And in this olden times, everyone was capable of wielding mana.

A male soon came into sight, his long braided hair trailed behind him. "Arsen, the ceremony's not until two weeks from now. We have plenty of time to head back." Was Nereus' exasperated answer. Arsen rolled his eyes, snatched the other's wrist and dragged Nereus with him.

"Do you even hear yourself? Do you think I'm like you who can cover thousands of kilometers in just a single day?" Upon hearing his words, Nereus sheepishly scratched the tip of his nose.

Perhaps he was a little too hard on Arsen.

After all, it wasn't like Arsen had the same blood as him.

Nereus' dark blue tail with hints of gold glistened in what little light that penetrated through the sea surface; the tail moved with grace. He made sure to scan the vicinity, just in case there were any other creatures present that could pose any danger.

When Nereus didn't sense anything, he let Arsen drag him freely.

The sunken ship was big but not as big as Nereus' room back home. Besides, this wasn't the biggest ship he'd ever come across. A few tens of years ago, he had already seen one made by the dwarves. Although that race was smaller than the human race, they liked building things in large scales, after all.

"Weird," Arsen's voice pulled Nereus back to reality. "Don't you think this place... is a little quiet?"

"No worries," Nereus answered with a nonchalant tone, swimming beside Arsen who wore a look of worry. "I have already checked the surroundings; there's no one else but us in the area."

"Still," uneasiness laced Arsen's tone, grasping the other's hand tightly in his. "What if we just look for another ship? I can't help but feel something ominous about this place the nearer we get."

Confusion painted his face. "Was it not you who picked this location?"

Arsen, who had been feeling uneasy, lost all his worries upon hearing his friend's words. He was expecting to be comforted, alright? Why did Nereus have to be like this?! Arsen huffed, not saying anything anymore, but he did drag Nereus away from the ship.