Tanked

3

Chpt 3: Communication

(Ascal’s pov)

I clicked my tongue a little bit and tried to remember as much as I could of the mer-language. It wasn’t like any other language on earth and it could get very confusing. A lot of the words sounded exactly the same but meant very different things. I rubbed my hands together and pressed the button, going for the easiest greeting. “Hello.”

This seemed to capture the merman’s attention as his head whipped around toward me, his blueish blond colored hair floating around his head and his dark green, seaweed colored eyes wide in wonder. He quickly swam up to the wall of the tank and pressed his webbed hands to the glass as he peered about two feet down at me. The tank was elevated on a plat form that was already a good four feet high. I was just a little over six feet, and the sand that was piled in the tank came just under my shoulders; so about another foot was added there. I’m sure the only parts of me that the merman, or more like boy, could see was my shoulders, neck, and head. Oh, and my hand that was pressing the button for the speaker; which, by the way, was only about two inches from being coved by sand.

“Hello? Who are you?” The merman asked in excitement. He probably thought I was another merman. I knew mer-folk lived solitarily and they never really got together unless it was mating season. I was probably the first person he’s actually talked to in months; maybe years!

“My name is Ascal.” I told him with a small smile. “What is yours?” I hoped I was getting through to him. My mer-talk was very rusty.

“I’m Rinus.” The merman sank down to the sand so that he was lying on his belly, and I now had to look down at him slightly. He smiled at me, and I got a good look at his sharp teeth.

“What is did he just say?” Lord D asked behind me. I kind of forgot he was even here. Mer-talk probably sounded like nothing more than a bunch of random sylibals smashed together to make some impassible tongue twister; which it kind of was. I rolled my eyes slightly before turning to look at him.

“He said his name is Rinus.” I told him and he nodded.

“Alright, well start telling me everything he says.” I nodded and turned back to Rinus. He had his head tilted to the side and there was a look of wonder on his face. I couldn’t deny that it looked cute. I cleared my throat and tested my phase out a few times before I pressed the button again.

“Rinus, how old are you?” His head tilted more as his look of wonder turned to one of puzzlement. It then seemed to click in his head what I asked and he smiled again.

“16 summers.” He said and my mouth dropped open. Why was he so young? Where was his mother? Did they get separated somehow and he ended up in one of the nets Lord D’s fishermen had set up to catch a mer-person? Last time I checked, 47 years ago, the age of separation wasn’t until the offspring reached 19 summers; when the child was fully capable of protecting their selves, can hunt properly, and is ready for mating. Rinus still had three years before his mother should separate with him.

“He’s 16 years old.” I told Lord D real quick, and then asked Rinus, “has your mother already separated from you?” Rinus suddenly snarled at me and I jumped back slightly. I must have said something different than what I thought I did. Oops. Trying again, I rephrased my sentence a bit and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I just said. I meant: has you mother already separated from you?”

I must have said it right this time, because Rinus suddenly grew sad and he nodded. “About four days ago; maybe a bit longer depending on how long I’ve been passed out in this strange ocean.”

“Strange ocean?” I mumbled, confused. Then it clicked and I pressed the button again. “Oh, you mean the tank.”

“Tank? What’s that?” Rinus tilted his head to the side once more and I heard Lord D sigh angrily behind me.

“If you don’t start translating, Ascal, I’m going to order my guards to take you back to your room and I’ll start planning your funeral.”

“His mom already separated from him, and he thinks he’s in some kind of strange ocean.” I said quickly. “I’m going to try to explain what a tank is and that that’s what he is in.”

“Alright, continue.” Lord D waved his hand at me and I rolled my eyes before turning back to Rinus.

“Um…Rinus, you are in a tank right now. A tank is a big glass box that is filled with water and sea creatures, like you, to put on display.”

“What is display?” Rinus asked and I told Lord D. Then I tried to explain it.

“Display is…is…when someone puts something out so that other people can see it. Show it off. Do you understand?”

Rinus nodded and said, “I am in a tank to be displayed. I have another question for you.” I nodded for him to continue and he asked, “What does this movement mean?” He then rolled his eyes and I had to stop myself from laughing.

“It means that I’m annoyed.”I chuckled out and Lord D demanded to know what was so funny. I told him and Lord D scuffed.

“I wonder who he learned that from.” He then walked up to the tank. “I’ll be asking the questions from now on. How many more are there of you?” I translated and Rinus looked a little confused.

“I don’t know. The only mer-person I ever knew was my mother.” I told Lord D this and he frowned.

“Why is this?” He asked and I answered straight away since I already knew the answer.

“Mer-folk tend to live solitary lives, sir. They only really get together during mating season, which is in that late fall for them.”

“Well, where do they gather to mate?” I translated the question.

“I don’t know. I have never mated before.” I once again told Lord D Rinus’s answer and I could tell Lord D was starting to get angry. I slowly started to piece together all the information. I looked over Rinus the best I could while he was lying down and saw that he was pretty small; maybe only about eight or nine feet in length. Tiny compared to the 15 or so foot long 19 year old merman I had talked to almost 56 years ago; and still even dwarfed by 13 foot long mermaid I had talked to 47 years ago. At his age, Rinus should be about 13 feet in length at least. He should have already gone through his major growth sprits and would slowly reach his full length by the time he hit 19.

Rinus’s mother hadn’t just separated from her son…she had abandoned him…