The sun was setting in a conflagration of brilliant reds and golds when the mermanta surfaced and hauled himself with deceptive ease onto a large, flat rock near the shoreline. His gold-scarred tail trailed half into the water, but from the raised position he could address the shore folk on more equal footing – so to speak. In one hand he held a trident tipped in starfire, but otherwise the dark-skinned, steely-haired man with the emerald eyes and muscular torso bore no obvious crown or symbol of his authority.
He looked around with a calm serenity, nodding gratefully to those who he knew as they arrived and greeting those he didn’t with solemn, silent courtesy. When all those who were intending to come seemed to have gathered he took a breath and raised his quiet voice so all could hear him.
”Thank you for coming.” His voice was a slow, sonorous rumble. ”I seek suggestions for how to improve the relationship between our peoples. Ways to communicate between our cities. Projects that we may undertake together.” He hesitated, the inclined his head in acknowledgment. ”I do not promise immediate change. Or swift. But at the very least… a beginning.”
He looked around with a calm serenity, nodding gratefully to those who he knew as they arrived and greeting those he didn’t with solemn, silent courtesy. When all those who were intending to come seemed to have gathered he took a breath and raised his quiet voice so all could hear him.
”Thank you for coming.” His voice was a slow, sonorous rumble. ”I seek suggestions for how to improve the relationship between our peoples. Ways to communicate between our cities. Projects that we may undertake together.” He hesitated, the inclined his head in acknowledgment. ”I do not promise immediate change. Or swift. But at the very least… a beginning.”
