War of Djinn and Men Part 1.

We all sat throughout the rest of the night and well into the morning, telling them about what had happened to me, how I got here, and where I was from. Lodon was able to corroborate at least the story he was told and the fact that I protected the kids on the mainland. But as we carried on, dozens and dozens of mermaids showed up. A mix of beautiful, terrifying, large, and small. All here to look at the demon whale and listen to the story. Most only showed up to look at the demon whale in bewilderment and then left.

That said, many of them were able to use their mana to keep themselves wet, which at first was just as distracting to me as their coming and going. Having to start and restart the story, listening to them splash themselves constantly, either politely or aggressively, made the entire event an unmanaged cluster of pawns with no direction.

A few oddball questions from the crowd made things more difficult. "Say we trust you," asked a beautiful blond-haired mermaid with a rather stunning upper body but horrific, predatory, crooked teeth. "What stops you from not catching us for our tears?"

"Did you attract the demon whales?" asked a stubby male merman with an eel's long, white lower body.

"This evil djinn," one male deep in the crowd blurted out. "When can you kill him? Be done with this..."

"Why does this djinn concern us?" A female with a gravelly coarse voice blurted out from the very back. "We live deep in the ocean."

I didn't expect the first two questions; the last two were even harder to explain to these people. They were simply so closed off to the world that they couldn't see into the future. "But how do you kill this djinn, who makes himself stronger by killing and torturing others?" I asked myself, and then told them, "We need to find a home to start with to keep the halflings safe from everyone else. I can't focus on the djinn while worrying about the kids getting captured or killed. We need to find a home first, build a population that no one wants to take on in a fight. Then we can hopefully come together and find a way to find this djinn and stop him from dumping more and more evil into this world. If you say no here and now, that mission is delayed for the kids. Which means this djinn gets stronger and stronger. And if he wipes me out, there's no telling how long it will take him to go after humans. There's no telling if they don't work together to find more of you or capture you. I don't have all the answers... But I know if you aren't willing to start an alliance here and now... you might be the last free generation of mermaids alive."

London sat offshore by his little boat, the front end of which had been smashed by the whale during the struggle. With a very sober face, he nodded right at me as if to say, "That might do it." I took it as encouragement because I needed it. I was finally tired and stressed out from all the talking and cross-examination.

The mermaids and mermen made unrecognizable sounds, squawking and guttural grumbling back and forth for minutes. Several swam off as they continued. After a minute or so, I sat on the shore, and more mermen inspected the dead demon whale only to look back at me from a distance. A few joined in this conversation between the mermen... and the cycle continued for a good five minutes. With no end in sight, I returned to examining the island by eye only.

I saw random birds and seagulls, and the honeysuckles kept drawing my eyes to them with their beauty. I tried to keep imagining what we could do and where to start. "Plenty of space for crops here. Maybe we can pull Douglas and his sheep here. Let some of the kids learn animal farming from an experienced old man. There are already small deer on this island that I can see in the distance, about four or five feet tall, maybe normal-looking deer. None with antlers that I can see yet, which means there's plenty of food for halflings and Lycans. This is an amazing start," I thought to myself and looked back at the mermen. They were all still huddled up and talking in their own way that I couldn't interpret.

It irritated me that there was nothing for me to do to help persuade them, not even a way for me to be nosy. So I scanned up the incline and looked at the mountain shooting straight into the sky. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing; there was literally nothing like it on Earth I could think of to relate to it. A larger tree caught my eye about half a mile from me. The tree was large and long. All I knew was that it was massive and not a conifer. I looked back at London and thought hard about how Native Americans would hollow out trees to make canoes, but I didn't remember exactly how. "Could we use those trees to build London a new boat? Is he any good at it?" I thought to myself some more about it, trying to lose my anxiousness over the mermen talking. Continuing the thought, "I am historically bad at first attempts with no teachers. There's no way he didn't build the last boat by himself or at least manage the project. Hell, I'd hollow it out too much and a kid would puncture the floor and it would flip. Unless we add a counterweight or make it with three hulls – left, right, and center... could we make London a Waterworld ship?"

I began to play out making the ship in my head with the wood tools and chisels I could think of. Then again, I realized I was on an island with no tools. Could I just say "fuck it" and use Ki to help me fashion a boat from a huge log? So far, Ki had been an extension of my mind. Whatever I thought or willed it to do, it carried out sloppily at first and then better and better with practice... but then again, Ion seemed to be stuck moving earth, and Timous had said he had limits using his mana. "Shit, I wish he was here. Timous could at least give me a little guidance as to how to try... then again, maybe all I need to do is try? I mastered some fire stuff, some Ki stuff, and throwing rocks. Why not this?" The thoughts raced through my head.

"Halfling!" London's father yelled at me, so I looked his way in shock to see him motion me over as he was still surrounded by at least 20 mermen. I started jogging over to them to see what was next, maybe a no or possibly a "Get fucked." I finished my approach and looked right at him after he splashed himself again.

"You swear you will build ships and keep men from hunting us?" A little shocked, I plainly answered, "Give us time to make ships, and we will help however possible." He asked a new question directly, "We are missing many friends and family members from the humans. We doubt they are taken care of at all, or ever to be found. Do you also swear to stop the other halflings from attacking us along with humans?" He asked sternly, looking right at me. "The only plan will be that we are allies. We work together to protect and help each other. If you rarely want to talk, that's fine too. We can work out a way for us to signal each other with issues." I responded. A large, bulbous-looking merman with catfish-like stingers on his face came forward and pointed at me, and with his black eyes called out, "What guarantee do we have you won't betray us for the jewels of our tears?" Most of the group made noises and agreed with him. I shot back hastily, "My word, without you helping us protect the shores, humans could wipe out the halflings. Without us, you may still be hunted for some time. But if we work together now, we can respond to threats together." Most fell silent but looked to one another, expressionless. I felt like I was losing this battle altogether. A mermaid from the middle spoke, "If you will not hunt us for our jewels, what will you do for gold if there is none to be had on these shores?" I was stunned by the question. I never thought of it; I've been day by day and not looking for a long-term solution or plan. I'm still playing catch up to learn this world...

That's when I saw a knife on London's belt that looked like a slaver's knife from the shore battle. I thought of the slavers I had killed protecting the kids. "I... I have no shortage of enemies to kill. I'll take their gear, wares, and swords and sell it to humans for extra supplies. And on the island, perhaps we won't use money at all. There are too many non-humans who have not used it before. So how do I expect them now?" They all fell quiet and then turned to each other and started speaking to each other one more time.

I walked to London down by the shore, but separate from the merman group of now 30 or more. "I don't suppose you have any idea what they are saying, do you?" I asked him as indiscreetly as possible while examining his boat's remains. He chuckled lightly and looked around us, scanning for eavesdroppers and prying eyes. "Hmmm haha... you are not from this world at all are you? Hahaha. Humans hate us because we are not just human, the creatures hate us for we are not creatures only. Not even my father would love me enough to teach me to speak his native tongue. No Mark, I could never know what they say unless it was the inflection of disdain with my presence," he said rather softly to me while splashing his clothes with fresh seawater. I looked out at the ocean, "I'm sorry about your boat... we need to find a way to get you back to the kids," I said as I turned to face the direction he faced and again discreetly. "Oh, it's fine, I can swim back faster than I can push the boat. And the trees here can help us replace it just fine. But it will take some time. And we need to move these children now..." he said, trailing off, obviously hoping to come up with a solution.

"Tell me, London, how did you build the boat you had?" I asked him, needing to know we could build another anytime soon. "Well, I used a metal set of wood carving bits meant to carve wood out and then chisel it to a better edge if needed. It took weeks unfortunately," he explained to me. But I slowly drowned his voice out and thought to myself, "This armor has given me the weapons I've needed. Maybe I can think of the tool? Could I make this boat in days? My thoughts are interrupted by a dozen more mermaids and mermen coming from the water, except one is not. I think it's an octopus. It stays in the deeper water, and the mermen circle around it. Again in this strange place, I find myself at a complete loss for words and even thoughts."

"My father has told me about this..." Lodon spoke, breaking my stunned silence. "Do you know what that is, Lodon? Are things looking up?" I asked loudly enough for only him to hear.

"That's one of the Ontomons," he explained. "Foremothers of merfolk, perhaps as old as this world itself. Few things can reach them in the depths where they live. When they are born, they inherit the knowledge of their mothers and only grow wiser. I've only glimpsed one before, during a brief visit to my father's home. This is momentous for both of us. I don't..."

Lodon and I were interrupted by more merfolk surrounding the Ontomon, chattering in their own language and splashing each other to stay wet. It sounded like chaos and potential violence to me. No one voice controlled the group. All we could do was stare in wonder, feeling like nervous wrecks. But one mermaid stood out. With beautiful, tanned skin like an Asian woman, she had long, silky black hair. Her lower half resembled an octopus, with only four slender tentacles perfectly matching her frame and contrasting her gray skin tone. She smiled warmly at us and began to "walk" towards us.

"Hello, I'm Tabatha. Are you the halfling who helped save my father?" She addressed Lodon directly, then turned to me. "And you must be the something else that killed a demon whale from the inside?"

Lodon simply nodded. I chose to answer, "Yes ma'am. This is Lodon, and I'm Mark."

She smiled at Lodon and asked, "Are you caring for children? Are any of them sea-born, or are they all land-born?"

Lodon hesitated shyly. I looked at him and nudged him with my elbow. He looked back, took a deep breath, and seemed rather timid. I was a little shocked and wondered to myself...

"Aren't you in your 30s? Even if she's just being nice, talk back, man!"

He responded slowly and shyly, "Yes, Tabatha. I mean, he slew the one. Uh, none of the halflings are from the sea other than me, but they are all fine children." He spoke softly to her.

"When we're done here, I'd love to see them," she responded to Lodon with a very human smile. Lodon crossed his arms and offered a sheepish smile in return.

Trying to break the awkward silence, I asked, "Can you tell me how things are going? Whatever language you all speak, I don't understand."

She smiled and tilted her head to the right, flashing her eyes at Lodon. "Most of us can't believe you killed a demon whale. We normally have to evade them for hours to tire them out or outrun them."

I nodded to show I was listening, but I was slightly annoyed that she wasn't understanding my concern. My priority was the children and finding them a safe home.

"From what I hear," she continued in a refreshingly kind manner, "most wouldn't mind you staying here if you keep your promise to defend us from humans. However, they don't want trees cut down or waste in their environment. So I believe there will be terms for you staying. The Ontomons have also heard of your work and have taken an interest. They seem to want to meet you. We don't get to see them or hear from them very often; they tend to protect themselves in the deep."

Our conversation was cut short by a powerful voice booming, "It is decided! Halfling, come forward please!" The voice was so loud it vibrated the earth under my feet and deep in my chest.

I looked at the group of merfolk, surprised to see all 40 or so staring at me, waiting for me to approach. Army training kicked in. "Be an ambassador at all times. We only display confidence because you are warfighters!" Every drill sergeant we saw must have drilled that into our heads a dozen times a day.

I approached with corrected posture, straightening up in the first step as I had been trained. Lodon followed behind me a few steps and took off his hat. One merfolk locked eyes with me and pointed deeper into the group, almost ushering me into the center of the formation. As I reached the end, a wall of merfolk stood in front of me, enclosing us. To my left, just inside the water, was the large Ontomon, resembling a massive octopus with skin in shades of dull pinks, tans, and browns.

The voice boomed again from seemingly nowhere, causing major vibrations. "We have not seen your kind before. Come forward, let me prove your history to be true or false." I looked around and saw Lodon, who seemed more scared to be in the center of this formation than to fight a demon whale. His father pointed to the Ontomon and said, "Step forward and take a knee, boys, that's all." I did so, with Lodon following behind. I took two full steps forward into the water, up to my mid-shins, and Lodon followed, doing the same as I dropped to my knees.

Two tentacles rose up, one resting on each of our chests and then on our faces and foreheads. A powerful voice, seemingly from nowhere, declared, "Just relax, I will not harm you." Suddenly, I saw flashes of my childhood: my first kiss in a park, learning to drive in my family's old S10 Chevy in my teen years, days in school wishing I could be anywhere else, times in the Army, friends' suicides. I remembered the morning I was brought into this world, when Hugh started blending his armor with my body, the pain of the threads running through my bones, skin, and organs, and then my brain. I vividly remembered and felt the pain again, screaming as the Ontomon screamed with me as I flashed back to this world and then back to the fight with the demon whales. Then it stopped, and Lodon and I looked around at each other, exhausted.

The Ontomon spoke again. "The threat is real. He speaks the truth to us. Even my sisters and the dragons face extinction or chains..." The crowd erupted in more of their merfolk language. I looked over and saw Lodon had five pearls in front of him on the ground. I saw tears fall off his face, turning into pearls before hitting the ground. I wondered if his past was what he saw, his past or mine. He reached out, grabbed the pearls, and looked at me with a stone-cold expression. I decided to leave him alone, remembering how humans tried to capture merfolk for their tears. In that brief moment, we locked eyes, and I nodded to tell him, "I'm here, you're good."

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Lodon's father stepped forward as the Ontomon spoke up again. "This alliance will happen. Bring your halflings and other creatures to us on this island. Keep your promise and help defend the merfolk. We will forge this alliance now. For now, this will be our meeting place to voice our concerns and reports." The remaining merfolk let out shrill screams that startled me, but it seemed to be a form of applause. I thought to myself that if the fallen djinn didn't know I was here or had no idea I was going to try to build an army to stand against them, they would soon know now.

I stood up and held out my hand to Lodon, offering him help. He looked up, smiled at me, and took my hand with his cool, moist hand covered in sand. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself again. Back home in Minnesota, I was just a face in the crowd. Nothing to many, and little to so few. More people would stab you in the back than try to be nice and say hi. Hell, I rarely heard "Happy Birthday" or "Thanks for serving." I'd even take the occasional "I'm sorry about your friends." But here, I had saved kids, stopped soldiers from being killed by Lycans who were trying to survive, made allies with the Lycans and their pups, and adopted a little girl who had been beaten to near death and left to drown.

Lodon's father gave his son a hug and purred at him. I didn't have time to think about it when he looked at me and held out his three long fingers and thumb to shake my hand. I took it in mine, looking down at him slightly. He grinned at me and said in a much softer voice, "Get your babies, build the island as you please. But keep the trash out of the water. No shit and no piss. I will see you around the island, halfling." He looked back at his son, smiled, and started walking off into the water.

All the merfolk started disappearing, a few shaking hands with Lodon and myself. I guessed it was still high praise for creatures who were rather isolated and antisocial. Tabatha approached Lodon, with fewer merfolk around, and gave him a long kiss on the cheek, saying, "I'll see you around the shore, Lodon." With a huge smile on her face, she looked at me, lowered her head shyly, and giggled. I responded with a wave.

The Ontomon spoke up as the others continued to leave. "We will meet here in four days, on the fall of the sun. Until then, focus on your children and bring them all here. The other tribes of merfolk will know of our alliance and we will try to help where we can. Until then, I must return to the depths where I belong."

The Ontomon pushed off the shore and slowly disappeared into the waters. I looked to Lodon, bewildered. "Did she go through your whole past like she did with me?" He looked down, either sheepishly or ashamed. "Absolutely, she would take no chance that we were lying. She knows us and remembers our past better than we ever could now." I took my eyes off him and looked out to the sea being bathed in the evening sunlight, responding plainly, "Well, that's a scary thought..."

Only a moment passed before Lodon asked, "Well then, Mark, we have an island with no people and no shelter. Where do we start?" I turned inland to the grasses and honeysuckles and confirmed, "We tentatively have a home so long as humans don't try to compete for it. We have no shelters here because we are the only ones here for now. So can you swim to the mainland and tell the kids not to worry? Then you can come back and help me build a boat to start ferrying them here." He nodded in compliance, "I can make that swim and be back after nightfall." I started eyeballing a few trees not more than a hundred yards away. "Then I'll start trying to work on the boat as much as I can. When we get the whole family here, we will take another step and find the best place to build homes for all of them." I let him know my thoughts as I stared into the distance.

"I'll see you as soon as I can, Mark!" he shouted out as he made his way to the waters to disappear in the small waves crashing into the shore. I made my way to the trees, spotting a few that I thought would work just fine for the start of our boat.