>>5355242>>5355264>>5355271>>5355296>Pursue the fish-wives, but out of curiosity rather than malice. Learn what has happened.The mermaid trespassers certainly provoke your ire, more even than they make your stomach rumble. You did not risk your life to lay waste to a civilization, only for some others to just move into the same place, ruins or no. That they are fellow aquatic beings doesn't matter much to you, especially in the sense that the Atlantean domain is yours by right.
Still, as much as your blood rushes for vengeance, your wisdom only just barely wins out enough for you to not fly into a fury and go on another destructive rampage. You are... sorely aware of the actions which led to your imprisonment in the first place, and after such time slumbering you think you can afford a little caution. At least until you have a better understanding of how things have changed, else you broke free only to become a prisoner once more.
<span class="mu-s">"-have forsaken us! Flee for your lives!"</span>
<span class="mu-s">"What about those still missing? Help the injured!"</span>
If you had your oceanic powers it wouldn't be a problem, but as you are in your natural state, your massive form (though agile in the water) can't compete with merfolk. As such by the time you actually get into the ruins and better perceive the layout, the squatters have already raised the alarms and are in a full panic.
If they have their own stories, history of how the ruins came to be then it's no surprise they know of you. However by their reaction it seems the legendary sea monster Tanaloa had been thought of as merely a legend, some metaphor for a natural disaster that destroyed Atlantis. For you to actually show up in reality, seems to be worse a situation to them than the damage to their ruined homes as a result of the seafloor earthquake. Ruins even more ruined by true natural disaster, merfolk trying to rescue and piece their way through the crisis only for a feared monster of stories to materialize.
<span class="mu-s">"It's just like the old stories! We are doomed!"</span>
<span class="mu-s">"Surely the king can protect us?!"</span>
However, it's not as if you've given them reason to panic, as you merely stand and observe while the merfolk flee all around you. It's more a matter of their being able to detect your divine aquatic presence and your ominous scent. Deep sea creatures you know are already fearful and flighty, so mermaids with their own ominous history of what created their ruined homes... what can you expect?
What matters is that you've gained some sense of the way things are. They refer to you like ancient history so a significant amount of time must have passed in your imprisonment. The other thing, rather than just some feeble squatters they seem to have formed their own little society here complete with a king. Well that certainly rubs your gills the wrong way, but it means they could be treated with diplomatically rather than just some scattered individuals.
