Page 60 of Music of the Ocean

“Come on, then. Let us go home.” Indigo looped an arm around Saxby.

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

Indigo kicked off into the main current.

They swam back to the city, Indigo’s arm still wrapped loosely around Saxby’s waist. When they reached the main thoroughfare, the current in the upper avenue was brisk.

The city’s central flow carried them effortlessly along. As they moved, Indigo pulled him closer, steering their course through the slipstream and avoiding the main knots of traffic with practiced ease.

They drifted behind a school of small, brilliant fish that darted in restless patterns, their colors echoing the city’s ever-changing light.

Saxby glanced at Indigo and saw how the glow from the buildings caught in the scales around his temples. He smiled at the way Indigo’s short dark hair waved in the water, wild and almost luminous.

Indigo didn’t seem to be in a hurry, instead letting the current carry them in a comfortable drift, the kind that made every brush of skin or gentle squeeze linger longer.

Indigo finally guided them toward a small alcove off the central corridor.

“This is one of my favorite places to eat,” Indigo said, gesturing to a counter where several citizens sat on floating stools.

The alcove was narrow but deep, lined with coral benches and a bar topped with pulses of live moss. The air here smelled of brine and ozone, but also something warm and yeasty that made Saxby’s mouth water.

Saxby nodded, suddenly aware of the hollow feeling in his stomach. They settled onto adjacent stools as a slender being with skin that shifted between blue and green, like the surface of the ocean, approached.

“Greetings! Two of your usual?” the server asked Indigo, who nodded in response.

Saxby was fine with Indigo ordering for him, since he was still learning the food.

Within minutes, two bowls appeared before them, filled with purply noodles and chunks of some kind of sea creature. The aroma was sharp and briny, with undertones of something herbal.

Saxby picked up the provided eating implement, which was a curved scoop with small teeth along one edge, and took a tentative bite. The flavor exploded across his tongue, complex and satisfying. He ate with increasing enthusiasm, barely pausing between bites.

Indigo watched him with an amused expression, his own meal disappearing at a slower pace. “The noodles are made from a type of kelp that grows in the deep thermal vents,” he explained between bites.

“They’re incredible,” Saxby said, already halfway through his bowl. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

The server returned with two cups of a pale blue liquid. “Compliments of the kitchen,” they said with a slight bow.

“Thank you, Sheen. Please tell the kitchen I appreciate it,” Indigo said.

Saxby smiled at Sheen as Indigo introduced them, then the server moved on to another table.

Saxby took a cautious sip of the drink, finding it cool and slightly effervescent, with a hint of sweetness that complemented the savory meal perfectly.

Around them, the dining alcove hummed with conversation. A group at the far end laughed at something one of their companions said. The sound echoed off the curved walls, creating a warm, communal atmosphere.

Saxby stretched his arms overhead, the movement fluid and unhurried. The ridges along his forearms caught the light, shimmering with each shift of muscle. He let his hands drop to his lap.

“So,” Saxby looked at Indigo. “What’s next?”

Indigo’s tentacles uncurled from beneath the bench. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. The bioluminescent lines along his arms pulsed once, then settled.

“I thought you might want to see the communications hub,” Indigo said. “Where the city monitors the surface and manages the planetary defenses. You mentioned wanting to understand how this all works.”

Saxby sat up straighter. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Good.” Indigo stood, the bench shifting as his weight left it. He extended his hand toward Saxby. “It is not far.”

“I meant to ask earlier when we were eating. What about payment? Is there some sort of payment system?” Saxby took the offered hand and rose.