I just binged the first installment of Linked Seas, and it is GLORIOUS. And slightly terrifying, because now I’m thinking about all the ways the current members of the Chain tribe could have ended up alone before they joined…. From the pieces we have so far, they can’t be happy stories.
I’m especially concerned for Four and Warriors, since it seems extra unnatural for them to be on their own!
eeeeeeee! I’m so glad you’re loving it!! I’m having a blast with this au, let me tell you
And you are so right on all accounts. Everyone in the Chain’s been through some ROUGH stuff, even Malon a little bit
(Long) Backstories for Four and Warriors below the cut!
Four: he grew up in the Minish Tribe, thinking he was one of them (he’s naturally small like them and has similar-ish magic), but he never grew a Minish Scale like everyone else. (He was really sad about that, he had plans to give his first Minish Scale to Ezlo for raising him.) Four heard about the Demise Tribe’s conquest and wanted his own people to help in the fight. But the Minish Tribe aren’t warriors by any means, and they live in a hidden cove far from Demise activity. They said no.
Four (begrudgingly) accepted this until he was working on his swimming one day and found another guppy tangled in a net. He saved the guppy’s life, only to discover that the guppy looked just like him … and was a scout for the Demise Tribe (who uses guppies as scouts, anyway? Four was furious, and his new friend was mostly confused. Doesn’t everyone use their smallest, most expendable members as scouts?). Four brought his new friend, Shadow, back to Ezlo’s to heal up. During this time (and with some help from Ezlo), Four and Shadow realized they were twins—they had been born into a tribe close with the Minish, but the Demise Tribe wiped them out, causing the Minish to flee somewhere safe. Before the migration, though, Ezlo found Four, the only survivor.
Shadow had been kidnapped and his biology changed to thrive off of Demise poison. They’ve never been sure why the Demise Tribe only took one of them, but they want to study it as soon as they’re old enough.
The Minish found out Four was harboring Shadow and told Shadow to leave. Four spoke out against them. Despite Ezlo’s best efforts, the rest of the Minish kicked both twins out for the safety of the tribe and migrated again, leaving them behind. But before he was forced to leave, Ezlo told the twins their connection would strengthen their magic and be unlike anything the sea has ever seen. Just as the Minish started to leave, the Demise Tribe attacked, led by Shadow’s “caretaker” Vaati (Four and Shadow still have no idea how Vaati found them😈). The twins fought to buy time for the Minish to escape, led by Ezlo. Shadow was critically injured, and only about half of the Minish survived. Still a much higher percent than normal. Four rushed Shadow somewhere safe. He only survived because Four discovered a new side to his magic. Instead of Shadow needing to breathe Demise Poison frequently, Four could transfer some of his own life force to his twin. This had the odd side effect of splitting Four into, well, four mer.
It took a few weeks before Four had enough control and Shadow was strong enough to move, they barely escaped the Demise Tribe taking over their hiding spot near the Minish ruins. They wandered for a bit, until Four discovered the Chain Tribe, who immediately accepted him. Four hid Shadow nearby, afraid they might get kicked out again if their new family realized Shadow was ex-Demise. But Shadow was still a guppy, and without constant care, guppies are super disease-prone. He got sick enough that Four’s magic couldn’t save him, so Four risked everything and told the Chain about Shadow. They were wary at first, but realized within a couple minutes that Shadow was a victim of Demise just as much as Four (and them both being guppies certainly helped the decision). Now, Shadow and Four live together with the rest of the guppies. But no one except them know the specifics of how Four’s magic keeps Shadow alive …
Warriors: one of the saddest backstories, imo. He originally came from one of the largest tribes in the ocean. They knew they were a target for the Demise Tribe’s takeover and had a strong, organized military (which Warriors joined in late adolescence, as soon as he could—a little sooner than was legal, but he’s always had unusually hard and metallic scales, so he could pass as an adult back then).
But when the chief saw the Demise Tribe starting to form up for an attack, he disbanded the military and decided to surrender the tribe, hoping Demise would have mercy. No one’s sure if the chief was bribed to do this or if he was just a coward. That decision didn’t sit right with Warriors or the chief’s daughter, Artemis. Together, the pair started a revolution to find anyone willing to fight and save their home. But it wasn’t enough.
Warriors still doesn’t know if the Demise Tribe wiped everyone out because he resisted, or if they would have done it anyway. All he knows is that the one leading the attack, Cia, looked unnervingly like an ally of his, Lana. Cia had an obsession with Warriors, which he didn’t understand because she’d never seen him before the attack, right? But she acted like she knew him. He prefers not to think too much about it.
He killed Cia after weeks of battling, and Lana died at the same time (a hidden injury? Poison? Something he didn’t see happening across the battlefield? He doesn’t think he’ll ever know, she was far away and he never made it back to her). He collapsed from his injuries, and when he woke up, he was the only one alive on the battlefield. And inside his tribe. Demise poison crept into his home, and he was forced to flee before he could give his friends a proper burial. He never saw Artemis in the destruction. A part of him still holds out hope she escaped, but he knows the chances are slim. He knows even Impa didn’t escape, after all.
The Chain Tribe found him wandering and delirious a few days later. He was thrilled to find out that Artemis had wound up in the same situation as him, just that the Wisdom Tribe found her instead of the Chain. But he avoids Artie whenever the Chain and Wisdom get together. He feels like he failed her, and he couldn’t even get her to safety. Artemis feels the same way about him. They didn’t survive without several helpings of stubbornness, though, so their new families hold out hope that the two will come together again …