The Ocean's Song (pt. 1) (Going through edits)

~3~

"Please Naida, we know you're scared, confused, and probably still in shock, but we need you to trust us. Your life depends on us now." Said one. He had thick sunset orange and white striped hair that flowed around him in the water and drifting in front of his eyes, which were completely black. He wasn't necessarily muscular, but he had a nice build that you could tell held hidden strength, and, his legs... he didn't have legs but a tail that resembled a lionfish'. The pattern, fins, shape, how was it possible? All of them had tails as if they were mermen, a fabled race.

"Your legs!" Naida blurted without thinking and was surprised she could talk underwater as well; she wondered how it worked.

Another spoke up. He was the largest of the five, but his wide smile made him seem more protective than threatening. He had buzzed dark grey hair, solid black eyes that matched the other one, and his tail resembled a whale shark's. "Naida, you're special, the sea has given you a second life in favor of your devotion to us. Come, if you feel comfortable, we'd like to take you to our dwelling, discuss your rebirth, answer all your questions."

"You're asking me to trust you, but you're also saying the sea has given me a second life because I love it, then you guys smother me in bodies and magic or whatever makes me do all this," She gestured to her face, "and then you want me to go to your house? How do I not know you'll harass me more than you already have? What's with the mermen costumes, and how do you know my name?" Naida blurted out. Two looked sheepishly at their tails, two others smiled softly, and one swam closer to her.

His chest was bare, like the others, and his eyes were completely ink black, like the others as well, giving them all a mysterious and almost possessed look. His tail, however, didn't resemble an animal's as the others did. His tail was cherry red splattered with black dots like stars. His bright red hair bad black highlights were cut short on the sides, and was wavy and loose on the top, swaying with the motion in the water.

"I'm Mako, these are my brothers, Lionfish, Shark, Krait, and Ray. For years we've been sending you gifts, and we've watched you as you've loved them. You may not have meant for it to turn out this way, but the way you have praised our gifts, the sea took it as you devoting yourself to us. You, sorta..." Mako drifted off and she surveyed his supposed brothers, though they looked nothing alike.