The Ark of Humanity

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  Currently, Beyond Cardonea Tower in the Royal Procession

  “Is there wisdom in meeting a man who leads such an indignant boy, out beyond Meridia’s walls with only friendship on the mind?” Alexandra drifted towards Nicholea as the procession neared the meeting of the East and West Shale walls, the outskirts of Meridia City. Her curly red hair flowed up and down in the currents, patting the tiny gems glimmering about her dress.

  “Truly there is not, my love, but would there not be less wisdom in not meeting with such a man and leaving all that is unknown to remain unknown? I will not let harm befall you, our son or our daughters. Our guards and Gelu protect us, Meridia’s outersands are ours too and not so large a troop could enter them without our knowing. These men we meet surely would not be enough to harm us, be their intentions malice.”

  “Greetings,” a voice then bellowed from beyond the shale walls, “from Sangfoul. I am Evanshade of the guard of Sangfoul and servant of the lord of the depths.”

  Three foreign men drifted in the currents before all Meridia, silver fish swirling before them, strapped in black and crimson hued whale hides. Pale, blue-skinned Venge beat his fin on the left, another blue-skinned man swam to the right and a black skinned man, draped with pointed teeth, floated between the two. This third was Evanshade. Fins pulsed where legs would normally be.

  Nicholea had heard of black men beyond his waters but had never seen one before. Until now he was unsure he even believed in such a thing...

  With this newness, Evanshade’s warm, mocha eyes looked into the Zhar’s own, and a smile on the man’s lips brought a trust into Nicholea. For Evanshade was a man to whom women found instant attraction and men found instant trust. Venge might be the wickedest youth in all the world’s waters, but Nicholea saw something in Evanshade he connected with, a sort of seemingly gentle passion resting in his eyes.

  “I am Nicholea, Meridia’s Zhar, and this is my Zharista Alexandra, our son Ailoo and daughters Psyol and Lilya. We welcome you to Meridia with many curiosities of your race.”

  Nicholea’s fins pulsed in the currents, drifting him close enough to touch Evanshade. The men of Sangfoul hovered still in the waters, and with the extension of the Zhar’s massive yet gentle hand, Evanshade and Nicholea shook. A bizarre energy flowed though him as they did.

  “Tonight we shall feast in honor of the re-meeting of two brother races and talk much of our loves, passions and livelihoods, Evanshade of Sangfoul. We shall revel and toast to new friendship. Come, to Cardonea Tower.”

  “Agreed. There is much about these waters I am curious to learn,” Evanshade spoke while looking to his men.

  The two parties wove together as one as they swam in the depths through a murmuring wall of Meridians toward Cardonea Tower and its shimmering, spherical rise. The goliath-like guards pushed back the hovering crowds for the royal family’s protection as they swam.

  High above in the tower Anna watched as her father came home, wondering who these half men, half fish beings were and what, if anything, they would come to mean to her life. A certain shame rippled through her because she had been so stubborn with her father about meeting the strangers. If the visitors remained in the tower as night came, she decided she would welcome them and apologize to her father.