Then he turned his attention fully to me.
"Land dweller, I suppose you have a name. How should we address you?"
I smiled lightly. "Yeah, I do have a name. Arawn. My name is Arawn. It's a pleasure to meet you… Mr.?"
He cleared his throat. "Denus. Denus the Revolutionary. Also, can I ask you something?"
I nodded. "Go ahead."
His head tilted slightly. "How come a land dweller is here in the ocean? How did you get here? And why did you approach me?"
I took a slow, steady breath—the water around me filtered, letting me inhale only the air.
"It's pretty simple," I began. "I was dying. And some very kind-hearted merfolk saved me. They pulled me back from the brink of death… and they didn't treat me any differently, even though I'm from a completely different species. They let me roam here freely… so, here I am."
