Eustass was one of the villagers of the Varkaleth Kingdom—a realm known for its deep hatred toward merfolk. He lived by the shore, often spending his days fishing or simply staring out at the ocean. One day, out of boredom, he began tossing pebbles into the water. As he did, he caught sight of a tail flicking through the waves.

“Must be a whale,” he thought. But how? It wasn’t that big.

Eustass stood up and brushed the sand off his pants, convincing himself it was just another sea creature. Still, he silently hoped... it wasn’t a merfolk, walking back to his cottage.