Freedom through death, you mean? That was the thought that had crossed my mind. [Which is why he suspected the "she" was the same... entity?... asking to help them.]

I don't know about you but I, for one, am certainly wary of seeking help from some unseen force. If they truly have good intentions they are doing a poor job of making that clear. [He sounds grumpy about it. Spooky voices usually have poor intentions!!]

Furthermore the mermaids seemed quite reluctant when the topic the ruins were brought up. I suspected it was out of fear.