The Ocean Guard Academy is a stronghold that oversees the mermaid city Sire Sa Lamin. It was equal parts underwater as it was above, though during monsoon season most of us stayed in the deep. The second and I swam past the academy until we reached the above-water market.

Hundreds of various sized vessels skimmed about, from small one-man canoes to giant royal ships. All had various flags hanging at their masts advertising their wares, from clothing shops to bars and fish boats. The second and I found ourselves sitting on the outstretched wooden wings of a family-sized cruiser. It was the best boat to find fried shrimp.

We sat side by side, myself with a green tail and her with green scale-covered legs. We both looked quite similar, from our matching practice armor to the bright orange color of our hair mixing in the sunset sky. The reason for that, obviously, was because we were sisters.

“I can’t believe she took my bintilet.” I muttered as I deshelled and cleaned my shrimp. The wooden bowl of seafood sat in Coraline’s lap. Ten bintilets hung from her belt.

“Honestly, I can’t believe she let you keep them this long.” she replied. “She told me she’d been planning on keeping you guys off land for at least a month.”

“That’s horrible!” I cried. “Being able to walk i-is like a basic function! I can’t get around with just this!” I kicked up my tail, lifting my fin above water. Bintilets were enchanted necklaces—without them, a mermaid had no legs. “Can’t you ask the captain to let us keep them?”

Coraline scoffed and discarded a shrimp shell in the water. “That crazy bitch would have my head if I went around her.”

“T-then…can you keep just mine?” There had to be some kind of advantage to having your sister as an officer. There was no advantage to having a captain as your mother.

Coraline shook her head. “Lori is going to check Captain Valle’s office later. If all bintilets aren’t accounted for she’ll gut me.”

I groaned. “But mine is special! It was from ma’am!”

Our mother was a captain that led a number of mermaid soldiers back on our home island, Kiniye. She’s tough, and a hardass, and a hundred times worse than my Commander. My sisters always teased that I had nothing to fear, should my biggest fear be our mother.

But none of that mattered here at the Ocean Guard Academy. The clout I’d been granted on the island made me hated here. Everyone expected me to be the same kind of hellion like ma’am. I was famous in the sense that everyone’s eyes were on me…waiting for me to prosper or fail.

Coraline sighed and leant on the rim of the boat. She’d been here for two years. She knew firsthand the weight of being the daughter of a captain. It had gotten to her too. Actually, it was probably worse for her when our eldest sister…

“Yeah, mom would get pretty pissed if we lost our bintilets, considering how much she paid for them.” Coraline said.

“Then…?”

“I’ll wrap yours in ribbon or something, don’t stress out.” She laughed. “Geez, look at yours. It’s clearly different from the rest.” She gestured to the throng of shells. Mine was white with a green jewel. The others were brown shells with rubies. I wonder if the black and blue one was Cheapskate’s.

“Hoy…!” a voice bubbled. A girl with long snaking dark hair bobbed up in the water in front of us. It was Tima, one of my oldest friends. We shared a petty hatred for the academy and were thankful that we ended up in the same pod. I’d wondered where she went.

“Hey Tima.” I grinned and gestured to a wooden pole. “Wanna eat? And where’d you go anyway?”

She went under and came back up to sit at the middle of the boat wing. If anyone else sat on this side, we’d likely sink the thing. “I thought you were heading to the mess hall, so I followed Ofelia and them…”

“You know those girls barely eat.” I said.

“Kuya, get me another bowl!” Coraline said, tossing peso to the boat rower. He nodded and leaned over his friend and their portable grill.

“I know but, get this,” Tima leant forward, her eyes wide at a scandal. “Some of the boys asked if we were doing the weekend trip, and Lori had signed no.”

“Aww, seriously?!” we both turned to my sister, the second-in-command. She stared back.

“…Yeah, it’s true. Our pod isn’t doing the weekend team-building hike.” She confirmed. Tima and I let out synchronized whale bellows. “Captain Valle gave her full control over the trip! I don’t know!” Coraline passed the new bowl of shrimp to Tima. “Why do you two want to go so bad anyway? Neither of you have hiked in your life. The island is as flat as your chests.”

“Umm, rude!” Tima sniffled, covering her chest with an arm.

“Hiking is better than whatever Commander Crazy has in mind!” I wound my hands together. “Can you pleeeease talk to the captain? Pleeeease!?”

“Are you nuts? I already told you, Lori won’t like it if I go behind her back!” Coraline snapped.

“Please!! Don’t you want to go to the mainland?!” I was on wits end. What could entice my sister? She hates physical labor as much as I do. And I was dying to see more than just the island. “The other pods are going to be hiking too aren’t they—we’ll get to camp with all those boys!”

“Think of all those shirtless guys splitting wood for the campfire!” Tima added.

Coraline’s tongue ran along her mouth, trying to decide whether to tsk or sneer at us. “…I’ll suggest it, but don’t get your hopes up.”

Tima and I cheered and tossed shrimp shells in the air with a “Wooo!”

* * *

Dear Captain,

I hope you do not think me forward for writing you so early since our meeting. I cannot stop thinking of what you once asked me. What is something only I can do?

My first few days at the Ocean Guard Academy has provided me an answer. Absolutely nothing. I am the weakest link on the chain, and I’m losing heart thinking I’ll ever be able to reach my eldest sister. You are so lucky to have her on your pod. Squad. Whatever it is you call your teams.

Thank you for your sage advice. I will continue to seek it as I survey this new landscape.

Regards,

Rocca.