At the Bottom of the Ocean for a Night || Samuel Draco || Alea Aquarius

Chapter 1 Cru and Band

"Sammy's Adventure Journal, 20 July, 7 years after Orion, entry 2022. For the first time in a while, we are finally sitting together with the Alpha Cru again. Alea and Lennox had quite a lot of work to do with the whole 'rebuilding the ocean world'."

Alea laughed. "That's quite an understatement. But you guys helped too." Alea, Lennox, and Sammy were sitting on the couch inside the Crucis. Ben was sitting on the hammock, Fussel was lying in front of the couch, Niki was getting drinks. "But I could have helped you a lot more! Ok, anyway, we can talk about that when else. I've written down a few questions that people might be interested in. I'd start doing that now, when you're ready."

Niki just came out of the kitchen area. She balanced empty glasses in one arm, water and apple juice in the other. Ben stood up and took three glasses from her. "What do you want to drink?" Niki asked. "Apple juice, please," Alea said, and Lennox took a glass from Ben. "I'm mixing, thank you."

"Now that we're all taken care of," Sammy happily pulled the sheets of paper out of his pocket with his questions, "we can begin. First question, what have you been doing all this time? You don't even hear about you above water anymore."

Lennox replied: "After we finally defeated the virus with Nelani, we naturally had to revive the ocean. People probably heard 'Message for the Ocean World,' the video we uploaded to let the sea children and other merfolk know that they could return to the ocean and waters if they wanted. Next to this, the whole world found out about the merfolk because, well, the whole of humanity saw the video," Lennox didn't like the idea, as so often when it came to the sea world and landwalkers.

Alea took over: "So, after another message, in Hajara this time, all the merpeople met in Rach Turana, and we did a census. Now, of course, you don't just do that, especially with so few old merfolk who still know the times before the virus. The seafolk were a great help. Once we had done that, we divided groups to rebuild the Sea Cities. Unfortunately, there were very few Schai among the survivors. Most seaside cities only have a temporary restoration.

Lennox and I have introduced some new tasks. There are now representatives from every sea tribe. For example, I am the representative for the wanderers, I was elected by all the wanderers who were present at Rach Turana. Merpeople come to me when they have problems with my tribe to solve them peacefully, it takes a lot of travel and therefore time. Lennox travels with me, so we can't be with you very often. We're very sorry."

Sammy felt the uncomfortable tightness in his chest. It's been happening more often lately. He had made a pendant out of things that reminded him of beautiful experiences or adventures. For some time now he held onto it. He pulled it out of his pocket and immediately felt better. Ben, meanwhile, shook his head, "No, no problem, we were able to help a bit. Ever since the Kendarer boy found the mobile aerial bronns in old documents from before the division of the land people and merfolk world, we have been helping to rebuild Suun Amuun."

"Thanks, again," Lennox's gaze turned to Sammy, "Do you want to move on to the next question?" The addressee nodded. "Where are the rest of our gang?" Sammy knew where Tess, Aunt Hildegard and Kit were, but he asked because the Alpha Cru had always traveled around the actual adventure in groups of five, and in earlier episodes that Sammy had put online, they were usually five, later with Kit and Niki they were seven.

"Kit and Tess live in a beach house in the south of France. Kit became the representative of the Brim because she had a lot of experience with the abilities of the Brim and her main task is to train young Brim so that they do not endanger themselves. Tess has been looking for a merperson for a while, preferably a Brim, who would give up his abilities to trade with her. We're on our way to them." Alea grinned. Sammy grinned back and looked at his paper.