"All halt!" A commander held his fist up to signal the Orcan comrades to stop wading. Zaren fumbled and bumped into the boy in front of him, disrupting the perfect arrangement of the troop.

"Oops! Sorry." Zaren flashed a smile to pacify the staring daggers coming from other soldiers' eyes.

"You, third row. Come here." The major Orcan pointed his index at him.

Zaren gulped, a wave of fear washed over his face. "Yes sir." He obeyed, as he swam crisscrossing the rows only to stagger and pause in front of the officer.

"Show me what you got." The lieutenant orca-maid announced her arrival by addressing Zaren.

The major in charge gave her some space and bowed a little in respect. Zaren's eyes swayed aimlessly as he replayed his whole life inside his brain, 'what am I good at?
I can wield the sword, or a dagger perhaps? Or sail?'

"It's okay. I am proud of you for your honesty. That's what sets us apart. We are strong, true to the bone and honest to the sea goddess's spirit. Now, you just have to start from scratch, that's all the challenge is."
The lieutenant addressed not only Zaren, but also to other soldiers, who stood as stiff as a stick with unblinking eyes.

"Yes ma'am." Zaren stiffened his back, mimicking others' determination.

"Here." The major handed him a long spear, its tip was made of sharp and serrated bone. Its body was intricately carved using a narwhal's tusk. It felt heavy on Zaren's inexperienced hands.
"Let's go for a whale hunt."

"Major, I feel deeply responsible for this lad. Our future depends on him, so I will be personally monitoring his progress, I expect some co operation." The orca-maid nodded to the major, while her hands were crossed behind her back, "let's go."

Soldiers whispered and hushed amongst themselves in confusion, as they followed the lead. Zaren's hands gripped the spear with a new found confidence, but his heart was steadily banging his chest with a repetitive question, 'am I ready for this?'

Many troops of twenty to thirty each followed the lieutenant's lead, they crossed the red kelp forest and ventured into the city outskirts. They were made to hide and watch cautiously.

"Watch and learn," the lieutenant said to Zar hiding behind a slippery and mossy rock, "see for any sign of fishes. We need to herd them. That's the first part."

Soon, a school of sardines arrived. They synchronously darted back and forth, putting a show of underwater ballet, reflecting the sunlight as if they were broken pieces of mirror glued together. The lieutenant signalled her fingers towards the swarming school.

They chased the bait-ball, all the way across the end of the valley. A huge hump back whale which sensed the bait ball, arrived to the site of trap they had already well planned. As soon as it started to feed, three Orcan troopers locked the whale down on either side.

The whale kept its endurance to escape the attack. The Orcans took turns, as the out runners were replaced by the other soldiers on relay. Zaren was the last one of them; being the last hunter meant being important, since it's​ the last person's duty to convince the whale to surrender.

He plunged and prodded his spear to the whale's body as it tried to get rid of them by swimming faster, splashing giant waves of water and finally by a tail slap. But Zaren closely escaped the attack with the help of lieutenant, as she rescued him at the very last second. "The last one's not supposed to go near the tail, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." Zaren screamed at the top of his lungs. He continued spiralling along the whale's body, poking it carefully at several places to force its submission.

"Hurray!" Everyone ​clapped and triumphed as the whale slowed down to yield.

The lieutenant went over and stood right infront the whale, looking straight into its eyes. "I am sorry you had to go through this, but we need you for our infantry. I respectfully request you to join us, in this journey of good against evil," chanting that she stretched her fingers towards the whale. At first, it didn't respond, it locked its eyes with her and stood still sniffing and grunting air once in a while. The lieutenant waited, offering it some time to think about its life's decision.

It eventually gave in for her touch, it had been ages since a whale hunt was successful. Everyone​ seemed to shed their tears of joy, as an Orcan song of victory echoed across the valley. But Zaren stood there, dumbfounded by the enigma of their culture, their civilisation and the respect with which they treated other sea dwellers.

"What's next?" Zaren asked a fellow comrade.

"Nothing much. Tonight, there'll be a feast at the ceremony. You must be knowing that already, don't you?"

"No. But I do now." Zaren chuckled before leaving the place to join the parade of Orcan warriors.

************************************

"There was that big tail slap, that I barely escaped, Kai." Zaren kept on bragging about the whale hunt and his heroic efforts to save the day. Kai seemed to have lost in his own cloud of thoughts.

They were seated on the balcony of their brand new house, that was rightfully given as a quarters for Zaren's accommodation closer to one of the military facilities. Zaren sighed, looking at the young mermaids swimming all across the busy street, some of them were playfully putting on a show to draw him in. "Look at her, she just smiled at you." Zaren nudged Kai, a little bit harshly.

"What?" Kai huffed at him, "they are putting that show for you, captain."

"Nah...that girl's not my taste. Remember that ray girl? She was pretty cute, right?" Zaren lowered his shoulders as his lips gently stretched into a petite smile.

"Yeah. She even helped us get a job." Kai nodded, getting down from the balcony sill. "Anyways, time to go."

"Yup. I am so excited for this ceremony. I wonder if that ray girl's invited." Zaren grinned and took off towards the hall.

Their house was pretty much similar to the other houses in the lane. It was a huge conch with windows and balconies carved out of it. The hall was furnished with required furniture and a chandelier made of sparkly pearls. During night time, they were supposed to stick a glowing nudibranch into the chandelier, to light up the room.

"Gosh, this house is lavish." Gabby remarked, straining her neck muscles to look up into the spirally ceiling; for which Zaren chuckled with a hint of pride in his eyes.

"Kai, how do I look?" Chippie danced around, flaunting her new hair-do. Strings of hair from either side of her head were braided and tucked behind with a set of pearly and sparkly hair pins.

"Pretty." Kai sifted his fingers through long strands of her hair.

They left to the ceremonial reception, that was arranged at the high priestess's house. The ceiling was decorated with several chandeliers, similar to the one in their new house. Many merfolk had gathered around to welcome the prodigal children from the prophecy. A number of tables with a variety​ of delicacies were arranged for everyone to enjoy.

"Hi."

Zaren choked on the sour bite he had taken from a basket of caviar cookies.
"*cough *cough Pardon me. Nice to meet you again Ava."

"That was neat." Ava blinked her eyes as if she was a doll and blushed, teasing him.

"Want some?" Zaren put forth a basket of cookies in front of her, for which she frowned.

"No thanks. But...do you care for a dance?"

"I uh...I don't know how to dance."

"Oh come on. I have seen you the other day, you dance as well as you sing," saying that she dragged him all the way to the centre of the hall, where couples were dancing slowly to the melodious whale song that was being sung by a band of musicians.

"It's easy." Ava wrapped her hands around his back and pulled him closer. "See."

"Yeah, sort of I guess." Zaren put on a hesitant smile, as he struggled to follow her smooth steps. After a while, the music changed from the soft one to a rhythmic drumbeat. Ava tapped her tail for every note and within a minute, she was enthusiastically swirling faster as if she was doing a ballet.

"Ava!" The same male voice called her name again, "Go home, this isn't a place for you."

"Father... I just came here to meet you."

"Really? Do you want me to believe it? Go home, Ava." As the chief of Orcan community raged at her, she exited the hall sobbing all the way. Zaren's heart sank like an anchor into the sea bed, 'so, she's his daughter. That makes lieutenant her mom. That's impossible. Kai said her mom was a lobster lady.'

Zaren was lost in his own world until a pair of fingers snapped infront of his eyes, "I told you. It's no time for distractions."

"Yes sir." Zaren put his head low, until the Chief left him be. 'phew!'
He spotted Sheila at the end of priestess' league walking through the aisle. Everyone cleared the ground in order to welcome them. Sheila secretly waved her hand toward Zaren and Kai.

"I am so proud of her. She's my niece y'all." Gabby sniffed her nose, trying to fight the tears of happiness. Kai couldn't take his eyes off of her, until the high priestess began a speech. Even if he did, he couldn't understand anything until he was poked into his chest, that was when his name was announced. "Kai you are next."

"Come on dear." The high priestess gestured him towards the centre. Zaren was already called and was standing in the spotlight.

"Greetings, my beloved people.
We have been scorned, pained for centuries. It's not easy sacrificing your brothers' and sisters' lives.
After years of the saint's patience, today we are singing the war song. Prophecy has spoken for itself, my children. The warriors have arrived. I present to you Kai, Zaren and the lovely Sheila." As soon as the high priestess gave a blood boiling speech, the crowd made a ear numbing noise of claps, and cheering screams.

"All hail the sea goddess! All hail the sea goddess!"

The high priestess raised her hand and the room once again fell silent. "Let the celebration begin!"
People resumed to continue what ever they were doing with the high priestess's retreat.

"Guys I am scared." Sheila mouthed secretly to both Zaren and Kai, who were standing on either side of her.

"Me too." Kai whispered into Sheila's ears, while Zaren rushed towards the archway of exiting door hastily.

"Where's he going?" Sheila asked Kai, her eyes trying to follow Zaren's disappearing silhouette in between the crowd of kaleidoscopic people.

"I don't know. He's been acting very weird lately." With that said, Kai went over to the buffet to pile up a platter of delicacies. He picked up a green jelly cube and asked the cone headed and squid tentacled chef near the table, "what's this?"

"Aah...that's our finest delicacy, it's sweet and sour with a tongue twitching shock. It's made from piranha flesh."

"Piranha?" Kai's eyes bulged out of his sockets, "no thanks, I am fine."
The chef burst into a laughter, as Kai left the place.

************************************

"Hey Ava!" Zaren called her name out, as he saw her wading into the lawn flapping her side wings up and down, "Wait up."

"Go away. I don't want you to see me weeping."

"Look." Zaren turned her around, by swinging both of her shoulders. Her stubby nose had turned red, as if it was a clown's nose ball. "It's alright. Parents are always hard on their children. My father always used to scold me up there."

"But, my father is different." She released herself from his grip. She let her shoulders droop with a soft sigh. "When we were up there, we were a happy family. Then the ship wreck happened, the next minute we were here stuck in these weird bodies. But, for my dad, it was a whole new life. He gave up on us and my mom. He is now married to that military lady, he doesn't want us to be seen around him. He says that would ruin his career."

"I'm sorry, but it's alright Ava. You don't have to cry for that. Now, show me that move you did on the dancefloor," saying that Zaren softly brushed his fingers to her chin.

"It's easy. Shake. Twist. And turn." Ava swirled and swirled to show off her skills in ballet.

"Zar! What are you doing?" Sheila caught them doing an underwater couple dance. She crossed her arms and raised one of her brows, expecting an explanation.

Zaren and Ava separated from each other and stiffened to put up a normal look, but utterly failed at doing so. "Nothing Sheila. I made some new friends, she is Ava. Ava, she's my twin Sheila."

"Nice to meet you, no wonder, you look exactly like Zar."

"Zar, huh? I think, only I was supposed to call you that. Isn't it Zar?" Sheila playfully smiled, hinting a look at Ava with the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I won't call him that from now on Sheila. I was just being friendly."

"No. You must call him 'Zar'. That's a priestess's orders." Sheila smiled, trying to keep the conversation light hearted.

"Phew! You got me Sheila." Zaren swam across and stood, taking support of her shoulders with his elbow as if she was a wall.

"Zar, come with us. We have an important matter to discuss, Kai and I will be waiting at the house." Informing that Sheila darted like a shooting star and reached where Kai was patiently waiting for her return.

"Bye." Ava waved her hand, but Sheila was already at a far away distance.

"Alright. Time to go." Zaren grazed his fingers on her cheeks for one last time before leaving the place.

************************************

"What's the matter guys?" Zaren announced his arrival as soon as he entered the house.

"You are late." Sheila huffed.

"...by only a minute." Zaren completed her sentence, his pubertal voice full of sarcasm.

Sheila rolled her eyes and brought a heavy bag, filled with rolled transparent papers and other stationaries. "Come here."

"What's that?" Kai pointed his index at a set of lime white seashells. He picked one of them and opened to see a sparkly peach coloured pearl inside. "We are rich, aren't we?!"

"Ugh!" Sheila face palmed, "it's not a pearl. Think of it as a wolf in sheep's disguise. That was possibly the only way for me to sneak it out of the temple premises."

"What's so 'wolfy' about that?" Zaren took the pearl from Kai's hand to closely examine it with a squinted eye.
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WC - 2505