Chapter 3966: The Right Direction (Part 1) The Songsters used Lith’s spell on each other first, assessing how the different merfolk songs travelled through the air and how to adjust them so that their unique melodies would retain the right inflection from short and medium distances. Once the main problem was solved, however, another one emerged. It was no less serious, and its solution far more complex. "This is unacceptable!" Akhar the Songster said. "The rules of crafting a Sea Heart date back to our forefathers, when the first merfolk escaped the unforgiving gaze of the sun and returned to the soothing embrace of the ocean. "Every merfolk Songster after them has followed in their footsteps and built upon their teachings. There is no village, not one, that dared disregard the wisdom of our ancestors while crafting their Sea Heart, no matter the challenges it presented. "I can understand a surface dweller like Verhen coming up with that abomination in the name of practicality, but such behavior is unacceptable from you, Rem." Akhar pointed at the flower-shaped Desert Heart, and the other Songsters nodded. "Verhen is not one of us. He knows nothing of our traditions and doesn’t understand their importance. He was just a human with a job. You, however, were supposed to know better. You are the representative of our tribe in the Desert, Rem. "You are supposed to make compromises to enact the will of the tribe, not yours! What you presented us is no solution to our Sea Heart problem. It’s a desecration of everything our ancestors’ legacy stands for. "Even entertaining the idea of following Verhen’s suggestion would require us to turn our backs on millennia of merfolk history. "What in the sea gods’ names made you think that we would follow you on the path of oblivion and disrespect our most sacred rituals in favor of the ignorant ideas of a surface dweller?" "Lith Verhen is no mere surface dweller, nor is he a human." Rem was outraged, but she kept her tone polite. "He’s a hero and a friend to our people. He is the reason our homeland, Zhen, is now free from the threat of Kolga. "It’s thanks to him that, after millennia of fear and isolation, we could take our first steps on the surface without fear of being exploited or enslaved by the treacherous humans. He’s the reason Overlord Salaark took us under her benevolent wing. "Verhen gave us the opportunity to make up for our past mistakes, yet you are eager to throw his goodwill back in his face." Rem destroyed the keystone of her opponent’s argument before addressing the rest of the merfolk. "Esteemed Songsters, what Akhar forgot to mention in his self-righteous anger is that our progenitors never abandoned the surface. Since the birth of the merfolk race, we have always kept one foot in the ocean and one on dry land. "Each one of our ancient underwater settlements had its twin on the surface, where we could practice all elements, exchange knowledge and information with our neighbors, and trade goods. "Our forefathers never meant for us to live in the darkness of the ocean trenches. We ended up like this only because our ancestors made a stupid decision during the War of the Races. "They foolishly joined the side of the arrogant elves against the humans, and were forced to follow the knife ears in exile upon their defeat. We cowardly ran away to avoid facing the retribution of those we wronged and to escape our punishment. "We saved our lives, but we paid an enormous price for it. We lost our freedom, half of our cities, and all the knowledge they held. What we are doing here today is not disregard for our traditions, it’s restoration. "We know that the ancient merfolk had Sea Hearts on the surface, we just forgot how to craft them during the millennia of our exile. "The ancient texts contain many words that, due to our inability to see colors and have access to resources that are only available on the surface, lost their meaning over time, and I’m sure that the word for what Lith calls Desert Heart is among them. "Now, however, we have regained our sight and can trade freely again. What we are building here is the first twin village since the day the merfolk lost the War of the Races. We are walking in the exact same footsteps as our ancestors and restoring the missing half of our lives that countless generations of merfolk have longed for. "Merfolk are supposed to live on the surface, or we wouldn’t lose our scales and gills once our bodies dry up. We are creatures of two worlds, and we gave up on one of them solely out of necessity." Rem paused to look the Songsters in the eyes one by one. "The Starry Lagoon village is our new home and represents our opportunity to undo our past mistakes. I won’t miss it out of fear of change. I volunteered to come here, just like all of you did. "We knew that our life on dry land might be harsh, but we knew for certain that it would be different. If any of you has changed their mind, you are free to leave." Akhar turned his back and walked out the door. About half of the Songsters followed him, but the other half remained. "Thank you for your trust. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you." Rem gave the Songsters a deep bow. "Now, let’s get back to work and make our ancestors proud. They faced our same hurdle when they built their first village on the surface. "Their magic was weaker and their knowledge primitive, yet they succeeded, so I don’t see any reason why we should fail. Make no mistake, though. Ours is not a step forward. "The millennia we spent amid the ocean tides pushed us far behind the starting point of our ancestors, and crafting the Desert Heart doesn’t improve on their legacy one bit. Yet perform your duty knowing that this is a step in the right direction, and that you are taking it on behalf of the entire merfolk race." *** Working on the Desert Heart posed a twofold struggle for Rem and the Songsters trying to help her. It was not only a matter of turning the merfolk’s bunch of mismatched houses into a community, but also to put down their first root in the surface world. The merfolk had dreamed about their return to dry land for centuries, yet now that their wish had become true, it felt like a curse. Their songs were muted, the houses of which they had been so proud had turned out to look terrible, and everything was a chore. Merfolk weren’t used to walking, sweating, or enduring sunlight for long. Back when they had restored their connection with Jiera’s Emperor Beasts, the merfolk spent most of the time while they exchanged information and resources in underground caves. In the Blood Desert, instead, there was nothing to shield them from the sun. The merfolk had to move around the village all day, learning how to keep their houses clean, cultivate the land, and get familiar with their human and beast neighbors. All the while wearing suffocating clothes that sweat glued to their bodies like a gaoler’s chains.