Jan did remember her title, but it suddenly occurred to him that it might be best not to tell this mermaid. But then… What's the worst she could do?

“Why do you want to know?” Jan had read a story once about an intelligent coroner who had to solve the murder of the king’s son. He had learned from this story that knowledge was power, and asking questions could lead him to the truth of her motivations. 

“Because I wish to worship you appropriately.” Belle said levelly. 

Silence. Jan looked at her, trying to judge whether she was telling the truth. He swallowed, and scratched his cheek. He said, “Truly? What is it you wish to worship?”

“Well… I can’t tell you until you tell me who your mother and father are. And what demigod you are.” Belle answered, drumming her fingers on her cheek.

Jan pursed his lips. What am I to do…? Wait… I’m smart. Maybe I can manipulate her.

“If you wish to worship me, you should let me go. I command you to.” Jan demanded. 

“I can’t let you go. I need your blessings and your protection to protect my school.” Belle said. “You will, won’t you?”

A smile pulled at Jan’s lips. He straightened his clothes with a smirk. “Of course I will provide my protection. How is your school in danger?” 

“It’s in danger from sharks, from poachers, from those who try to kill mermaids based only on how we look.” Belle said with a frown pulling at her lips. “We need you!”

Utterly convinced, Jan gave her a slight bow and said. “Very well, Jan, the son of the goddess of love and the god of thunder, is at your service!”

“Amazing.” Belle said drolly. 

“So… where are these poachers? I can help you. I have great powers! I have the power to control clothes!” Jan said proudly. 

Belle blinked rapidly. “Control clothes? What kind of worthless–I mean, fantastic power is that?”
“That is an excellent question, young barbarian! I discovered it just the other night when I was thrown into a battle with my twin. I can use it to destroy your assailants!” Jan exclaimed. 

“Riight.” Belle answered.

Just then, Uther arrived at the tent, and he took Belle aside for a moment. “Well? Did you get the name of his mother and father?”

“He said his mother is the goddess of love and his father is the god of thunder.” Belle answered.

“Good, good! Those are popular, powerful gods.” Uther exclaimed.

Jan, who was listening, beamed. He was glad to know that his parents were in good standing, even with lowly creatures such as mermaids. 

Uther whispered something to Belle, and Belle nodded. Belle cleared her throat. She snatched Jan up and said, “We mortals can make you more powerful through a ritual, little god!” she exclaimed. “We can give you powers rivaling that of your parents!”

Belle then grabbed him and tossed him in her bag again, which he didn’t appreciate. He frowned and thought to himself, Her bag smells like turtles. It was an odd thought to have, as he didn’t know what turtles smelled like. 

He was bounced around in her bag until she came to a sudden stop. She plucked him out of her bag and gazed at him levelly. “We have arrived at the Temple. We will bring you inside and lay you down now.”

Jan looked ahead. 

There was a giant ‘building’ made entirely of colorful coral, kelp, and seaweed. It glowed an unearthly, red color. Jan gulped. “Um… on second thought, I think my powers are just fine. I would rather defend you as I am, now.”

Belle tsked and waved a finger on him. “No reason to be nervous! You need powers befitting yourself!”

“But, I, um… I really need to… fix my hair first! I haven’t washed it in awhile, and the water is really murky.” Jan insisted. 

Belle continued carrying him to the odd building, and she merely said, “Nonsense, you are the picture of health and hygiene! You are ready for the ritual.” 

She swam inside the building with Uther, and Jan, who was riding on the palm of her hand, looked around. It was dark inside the building, and the only light to see by was the glowing kelp the building was made of. 

There was chanting in the distance that made Jan’s hair stand on end. “I… I really don’t want to do this! Let me go!” 

Jan jumped from her palm, but Belle seized him by his collar. “You would be throwing away a grand opportunity! Don’t be silly. And your powers will need to be increased if you wish to protect us.” 

Up ahead, Jan saw a room lit brightly with nauseating colors–bright oranges, dark reds, cool blues. Abruptly, Jan remembered a story he had read about mermaids sacrificing a human in such an oddly colored room. 

If he weren’t under water, he would have been sweating profusely. 

He begged, “Let me go, please! I don’t want to be sacrificed!” 

“You are not being sacrificed, I promise.” Belle said ineffectually. 

Jan tried to calm down and concentrate. There must be some way to escape. 

His mind went to using worldly things to escape–like trying to find a knife or some sort of weapon. But then, he realized there would be know demigod-sized knife around. 

Wait. I can control clothes. He reminded himself. He looked around, trying to look for any article of clothing he might be able to use to his advantage. 

His concentration was interrupted when he was brought inside the nauseatingly bright room. Inside the room was a giant slab with old blood splashed upon it. Jan’s heart was thumping wildly. There were merpeople lined up against the walls, chanting a song in their native language. Belle placed him on the slab, and then used a string of twine to tie his wrists and ankles behind his back to he couldn’t move. 

He struggled like a worm, trying to wriggle his way off the slab. 

Calm down, calm down. Find something made of fabric. He thought to himself.

He looked around the room. The merpeople, were, for the most part, unclothed savages who wore only their god-given scales for modesty only. But, upon looking closer at Belle, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before. The scales on her arms were actually gloves. They were the same texture, but he could tell they glinted less than her scales, which gave them away. 

He clenched his hand, and created a rip in her gloves down the middle, and they fell off. He willed the fabric to float into the air, and then, he used the fabric to pick up some sharp rocks he saw on the ocean floor. The room full of merpeople gasped, but weren't sure what to make of the floating fabric. 

Belle gasped as well, trying to hide her uncovered arms. Jan saw they were dotted with scars. The fabric scooped up the sharp rocks as if it was a human with hands, and then floated to Jan’s rescue, using the rocks to cut the twine and setting him free. Jan manipulated the fabric so that it was spread out like a floating blanket, then jumped atop it. 

He grabbed the corners of the blankets and held on tight as he sped himself out of the bizarre room. 

He heard the merpeople yelling behind him–heard water swishing–violently as they pursued him, but he refused to stop.

The piece of fabric floated through the ocean at a breakneck pace, and breached the surface of the water even quicker. 

Jan used the blanket to float toward the nearest place with buildings--a port to the east. He grabbed the corners of the blanket and pulled back, causing the blanket to rocket high into the air and hover over the city. 

Jan was shaking with terror from his encounter from the mermaids, but was also shaking from excitement from seeing so many humans below him. The roofs of the buildings below red squares that came to a sharp, spindles point at the middle.

Jan tried to remember what his mother had said, but her words were escaping him. He thought as hard as he could, and remembefed her telling him to find humans who 'look like him'. He whipped the corners of his blanket and dove toward the city. He flew past humans who mostly had eyes like his--with skin folds over the corners. But there were some who didn't have those folds. Those who had eyes similar to his own had shade of black and brown hair, as well as mostly brown eyes. Those who didn't have the folds on their eyes had hair of yellow, brown, and even red, but they were far fewer than those who looked like him.

The ones who don't look like me look like the god of thunder… he thought to himself.

Many of the humans looked at him and gasped in surprise, many of them shouted, "Demigod!" 

Jan flew past them all, but paused when he saw a very elegant young girl his age. 

She was one of the ones who did not have similar eyes to his own. She was garbed head-to-toe in white yarn, and had blue eyes. Jan was intrigued, as she stood out in a crowd, but rode past her. 

He saw, up ahead, two humans with eys similar to his own bowed low to the ground on all-fours, beckoning him to come to them, and giving him the respect he thought he was owed. 

He flew in low, and the pair of humans stood up. They were an older man and woman with pitch black hair and brown eyes. The woman was wearing an outfit called a kimono, and the man was wearing a hakama--outfits he had read about and made for fun. The woman stood up and held out her hands. "Hurry my lord! It's safe with me!"

Jan had a feeling she was true and honest, so he unraveled his blanket as he flew over her hands, and landed on them safely.