Call Of The Waves - Blade, Dan Heng

8. Traces of Tragedy

"Scales... mermaid scales" Blade touched them, allured by the colours shining at the contact with the water "The tribes his mother spoke about... definitely did develop a lot"

Richard looked at Dan Heng getting closer to the scales, smiling happily. Famir grabbed his wrist to pull him away before he could find himself wet by the water flowing from the top and then ending up to the ground where the was a little ditch "Wait, you will turn back into your merman form!"

Dan Heng looked at Famir holding his wrist to then point at the walls "Friends! Here!" he smiled and Famir did tremble a little. Blade looked at Dan Heng and he had no idea what to do.

Playing around or exposing a tragedy of his people?

The walls were so big he really couldn't imagine how many mermaids have been... skinned for that.

"I don't think we should get in the city, neither should Dan Heng" Richard whispered, close to Blade who was looking at his crew regrouping.

"Hey boss! Can we take some? They would surely sell once we're back home" John smiled and Blade nodded a little, letting some pirates use chisels to gather some of those scales under Dan Heng confused stare

"I want!" Dan Heng sat on the ground and undressed himself from his pants making everyone turn towards him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Richard reached him to then open up his eyes when Dan Heng touched one of his blue shiny scales on the sides of the legs and tried to extract it "Stop that!" he blocked his hand and Dan Heng looked at him

"One..." his smile was shiny. He pointed at the wall full of scales thinking it was a wall where every mermaid left a little print of their first walk on the earth "Tradition! I made it! I want to be with them"

Blade laid the hand on his own forehead, laughing a little under his grumpy stare once he noticed that "Do you want to die then?"

Dan Heng tilted his head and Famir covered Dan Heng's ears, feeling himself trembling and the cheeks red "Captain, please, let's not get into that conclusion"

Dan Heng raised a little his face to look at Famir to then laugh a little from the young man behaviour. He was funny and cute to his eyes.

Richard noticed how Dan Heng didn't even flinch when he managed to pull his scale and show it "Can you put it... at the wall?" he asked to then notice every pirate looking at him.

"Wait, if he doesn't feel pain when someone gets his scales, does this mean we have a living farm of those? Are we rich anyway?" one of the pirates asked and Blade grit his teeth feeling actually annoyed at Dan Heng's behaviour.

He came closer and took the scale from Richard's hand "This will be coming with me" he pushed the second captain away and after he took a glance of Dan Heng's legs. He sighed and put the pants back on him "If you try to allure my men another time for your stupid plans, I will make sure to make you become one with that wall."

Dan Heng laughed "But I am not a.... recta..ngle?" he spoke and Famir tried not to laugh considering Blade was gritting his teeth

"What are you even... Ugh" the captain laid the hand on his own face frustrated to then sigh and smirk.

"Let's get inside the city. You take care to grab those scales" he said, pointing at some pirates "Eric, John, Famir and Leo, come with me. It's better we go for a little exploration before going all together. At the worst, set a camp." Blade grabbed Dan Heng's arm and forced him to stand up "And you better not extract more of those scales of yours, your leg is bleeding"

Dan Heng looked at Blade like he really didn't care about that. The Captain rolled his eyes to then push the merman into Richard's arms "Make sure he doesn't fall back."