Black Hearted

Part 28

Sean sighed to himself. Mark would hate him for it most likely... but he wouldn't go far from the ship. Standing up on the bowsprit, he removed his clothes and tossed them on the deck. Luka grinned broadly, sinking below the water as he moved away to give him room. Carefully removing his necklace, Sean tied it around his wrist and jumped in. The ocean water felt like heaven against his scales. Luka circled around him slowly, his long tail reflecting the moonlight as it swayed back and forth. Sean stretched himself out, drifting on his back. He could feel the moonlight charging his amulet and tingle his scales. Something brushed against his tail and he tensed upright. Luka was running his hand along his tail with a look of fascination. When he noticed that Sean was watching him, he slowly removed his hand with a smile. Sean smirked back. He couldn't blame Luka. He was trying to resist touching his tail. It was just so different from his own. Did it feel as different as it looked?

Luka blushed, moving closer to bring his tail up to him. Glancing away shyly, Luka told him sweetly. "Go ahead. You must be curious yourself, right? I don't mind." Sean bit his lower lip trying to hide his own blush as he reached out to run his hand down his tail. His tail did feel different from his own. His tail was so smooth like a thicker skin. Luka shivered, chuckling out. "You don't have to be so gentle. That tickles." Sean removed his hand, trying to change the subject as he asked. "So... About Atlantis?" Luka stared at him blankly for a minute, before telling him softly. "Come with me. I want to show you something." Sean hesitated, mumbling out. "You promised." Luka twisted in the water, stating out honestly. "I know. This goes with it. Just trust me." Sean glanced back at the ship and groaned to himself. He'd be back before dawn. Mark would understand. Trailing off through the water after Luka, he led him out to the reef by the high cliffs of the island. Sean liked seeing all the tiny colorful fish.

Some even followed him along the top of the reef to check out his tail. Luka pointed just beyond the reef to a large sunken ship. In his excitement Luka thrashed his long tail from side to side to propel himself through the water, scaring all the little fish around them and forcing Sean to give him a wide berth. Sean was a strong swimmer, but Luka's tail stirred up more than just the water. It kicked up sand from the reef, leaving Sean blinded for a bit. By the time he made his way around to the ship, Sean was still shaking sand from his green bangs. Luka flinched, pushing his own white bangs back as he mumbled out. "Sorry about that..." Sean shrugged carelessly, casually asking. "It's fine. Why did you bring me here?" Luka pointed to the bow of the ship where its name was written in that same weird language as the brass wristband cuff that Luka was wearing. Sean turned back to Luka, asking hopefully. "Can you read it?" Luka's shoulders fell and he shook his head with disappointment.

After a moment, Luka swam up to run his hand over the strange letters to clean them more, while telling him. "According to my Elder, he said that this is Atlantean writing. Before Atlantis sank, Atlanteans were sailors. We owned the seven seas. We traded all kinds of goods across the lands in exchange for our knowledge and fish." Sean moved to the front of the ship to look at the statue mounted on the front. It was a mermaid with weird designs carved all over her upper body. Luka swam over to him, continuing excitedly. "My Elder told me that unlike any of the gods that ruled the land. Poseidon built our people a paradise. A place without war and was unified in all things. He even told me that Poseidon was so pleased with us that he chose to live in the palace with his eldest son, Triton. The first merman." Sean picked a small crab off the mermaid statues head and asked reluctantly. "But...? It ended somehow." Luka sank lower in the water as his voice filled with grim sadness upon answering.

"Yes... I don't know the full details, but the other gods became angry with Atlantis. They didn't like that we were... expanding. Zeus specifically. He didn't like the idea that Poseidon was surpassing him in worshippers... So, he unleashed a beast that none of the gods could control. Not even Poseidon. It was too ancient. Well, before their time. It came for Atlantis with a rage the world had never seen. It cracked the earth, causing the land to split down the center as it came for us. None of the gods were allowed to help or allow their followers to show us any mercy as we fled... Where we had helped them... They turned their backs on us. The beast attacked Atlantis bringing it down to the depths and flooding half the earth in its wake. So many of our people died... The rest of us were scattered by the floods. Since then, we've heard nothing from Poseidon or King Triton. We've been on our own." Sean let the crab go, watching it drift to the sea floor, while telling Luka softly. "My da told me that Atlantis was great, because of the things Poseidon brought to Triton. Poseidon was clever."