A faint glow appeared between Korbin's fingertips, the light cutting against the darkness of the water. It grew, first illuminating the boy's hands, his face, then Johnny, then the bottom of the sea. He loosened his grip on the boy, his pupils turning to slits as he stared at the beautiful light. Nothing else mattered at that point, the world was simply the merman and the strange, glimmering orb. The light then took skyward, a brilliant glow within the darkness of light. Unable to be seen from the depths they were at, the star shone brightly in the sky above.
From limp fingers, Johnny reached out a webbed hand and gingerly took the orb. He cradled it in his hands carefully, electricity flowing through him as he did. It didn't glow like it did when Korbin held it, but Johnny loved and cherished it all the same. There was nothing in the world for a while, the merman was completely enamored by the small object. There was something special about it, something far more important than any other shiny thing he'd touched.
This was it. This was the beginning, and this small orb a clear mark on his path to become an adventurer.
But then there was the case of the body...
The merman watched Korbin, giving him a gentle shove. Hello? he called. No response. He gave another shove, but instead the body just twirled in the water. Ah, yes Johnny, you seem to have committed a murder.
All things considered, he didn't seem particularly... upset that he'd just done one of the worst sins. In fact, if anyone were to ask the merman, he'd confidently announce that he had not murdered anyone. This unnamed boy had simply drowned and Johnny had simply not helped. Still, any adventurer wouldn't simply let a body rot away in the depths, would they? The right thing to do would be to put it somewhere. Was that... good?
Was he being... good?
Johnny didn't know. He didn't know what was good or what wasn't. He took one last look at his new object, precious and beautiful and shining, even in the darkness, and popped it into his mouth. This, Johnny thought, was the safest place for it to be.
He swam to Korbin, his arms carefully wrapping around the body before swimming to the surface. The night was still again, the sound of waves and boats thunking on docks and the voices of people who did not want to be heard. The merman pushed Korbin's body towards the shore and then gently tucked it beneath a dock. Maybe not completely noticeable, but someone would eventually find the boy.
Johnny looked up at the sky. Korbin's star shone brightly above them, dulling the stars around it in comparison.
"Thank you," he said, and then disappeared back into the inky black sea.
— Fin!
From limp fingers, Johnny reached out a webbed hand and gingerly took the orb. He cradled it in his hands carefully, electricity flowing through him as he did. It didn't glow like it did when Korbin held it, but Johnny loved and cherished it all the same. There was nothing in the world for a while, the merman was completely enamored by the small object. There was something special about it, something far more important than any other shiny thing he'd touched.
This was it. This was the beginning, and this small orb a clear mark on his path to become an adventurer.
But then there was the case of the body...
The merman watched Korbin, giving him a gentle shove. Hello? he called. No response. He gave another shove, but instead the body just twirled in the water. Ah, yes Johnny, you seem to have committed a murder.
All things considered, he didn't seem particularly... upset that he'd just done one of the worst sins. In fact, if anyone were to ask the merman, he'd confidently announce that he had not murdered anyone. This unnamed boy had simply drowned and Johnny had simply not helped. Still, any adventurer wouldn't simply let a body rot away in the depths, would they? The right thing to do would be to put it somewhere. Was that... good?
Was he being... good?
Johnny didn't know. He didn't know what was good or what wasn't. He took one last look at his new object, precious and beautiful and shining, even in the darkness, and popped it into his mouth. This, Johnny thought, was the safest place for it to be.
He swam to Korbin, his arms carefully wrapping around the body before swimming to the surface. The night was still again, the sound of waves and boats thunking on docks and the voices of people who did not want to be heard. The merman pushed Korbin's body towards the shore and then gently tucked it beneath a dock. Maybe not completely noticeable, but someone would eventually find the boy.
Johnny looked up at the sky. Korbin's star shone brightly above them, dulling the stars around it in comparison.
"Thank you," he said, and then disappeared back into the inky black sea.
— Fin!
