Sleepy-Sleepy

Very similar architecture to the mermaids even on the inside.

Coral mixed in with stone and marble. The flooring in particular was really beautiful. To me, the whole place was beautiful honestly. The uneven walls, the multicolored glittering corals, the fish just floating about although technically the water here was light. I saw ducks swimming in ponds outside. Yes, ponds in the middle of the ocean. Huh.

I couldn't help but chuckle in nostalgia.

Alustur wasn't waking up but he was breathing and it was fairly easy to carry him right now. Which was great.

However, if things really did get dicey I was going to be extra cooked. Rexy! I hadn't even noticed my lovely lizard who'd hitched a ride in my hair. Okay, maybe I had to cut the damn hair after all, it'd grown far too damn much.

Mom would have been furi-

Oh… right, she wasn't here anymore.

 The elder looking guy sat on a chair while some other sirens sat on the ground. All men. I figured sirens had mostly women and while that was true, they were governed by all men?

"Do you not have any female representatives?" I asked.

"We leave the home affairs to men," she said.

Oh… huh. I suppose I had the wrong impression. Come to think of it, almost all the sirens I saw hunting were women.

Anyway, I didn't know how to address the male sirens, so I stood just front and offered a noble bow. "Greetings, I am Solar A. Barack. I understand it must have taken great effort for you to spend some time for me today but since you still chose to do so, thank you."

The elder, looking pleased, nodded. "Such manners for a young boy as yourself," he spoke. "I am Al-Suna leader of the Sbarinas."

Apparently, they didn't call themselves Sirens.

The others were also pleased. "Why did you want to speak with us, young boy?"

"I had come to this island to find my parents. Sadly, one of them passed away and the other has already left. I need to leave too but I cannot find a safe passage off this place because of the reefs. While I may be able to swim past the reefs, without a ship and a crew I would not be able to go far into the ocean. So, I was hoping you could help guide us off the shores, and deliver us into the ocean. Of course, it would not be for free. If you will allow us, we would like to repay you in kind."

"Hmm… what would you repay us with? I'm not sure if you are aware but we do not use money," one the men said.

They didn't find me offensive so far, so all good. While they treated me as though I was a child with some good manners, I was fine with it. I could use that sentiment against them after all.

"This," I said, producing a small chunk of red crystal. I hadn't shown it to anyone so far. If Alustur had seen it, he'd have surely argued I shouldn't have done this. This thing was far too precious.

However, Alustur was sleepy-sleepy right now.

"This is…" one of the men took the pea sized chunk and handed it off to the elder.

"Where did you even get this?" he asked.

Armania also stared quite curiously.

"We, me and sea goblins had slain a great Lobster and this was my reward and payment to be working for them later in my life."

Well, a part of said reward. Because this too was only a part of the part I'd been given. But these gentlemen didn't need to know that.

"And you'd be giving us such a precious thing just for safe passage?"

"Yes, because I understand just how tedious it must be for you to help us outsiders even though it may harm you in the long term. Besides, while it's true you do not have currency, you're currently lacking in food supplies due to mass migration and this chunk should come in handy when you eventually trade food and goods with others.

"Magnificent," one of the men exclaimed. "Young, talented, and wise. Just what we need!"

Excellent!... wait… what? Need?

Huh…

Armania sighed but kept quiet.

"Young man, we will ensure you safe passage. However, you must stay with us. Help us and live with us!"

I sighed.

Why do I keep getting popular with fishmen… for fuck's sake.