Chapter Three

I still had Eric in my mind and all I could think of was meeting him again. I wanted to go up to the surface but then the humans have been fishing again so I decided to stay down here for the moment.

"Hey prince Aric catch!" Zenon one of the merman tossed me the giant sea shell which I caught before it could drop.

"Prince Aric get your head in the game. If you don't wanna play then say so." Topher said as I sighed and then gave him the sea shell and sat down beside Leticia and Kayla.

"Prince Aric which one do you think is pretty? Pink or green?" Leticia asked as he placed the hair ornaments on her hair.

"I think the pink goes better with your hair." Kayla responded but Leticia looked at me that was lost in thought.

She tapped me as I flinched and looked at her. She gave me an annoyed look because I had been ignoring her since and when I saw the shells in her hands, I knew what she asked.

"I think the pink will go better. It brings out your inner beauty." I commented making her smile as she gave Kayla the green and looked at the pink.

"I'll look pretty for you Aric." She said before she swam off.

I was bored of staying with my friends and so I decided to swim off without much of a goodbye. I went to where I saw Flower and the dolphins playing and then decided to join them.

It was fun how they played tag and how we all scattered. One of the dolphins tagged me and I was it. I kept on looking for them when I saw two electric eels that were hiding in a dark corner. Their eyes seemed to glow and they had this sly and ghastly appearance.

"Hello." I said politely as they laughed sinister. I was creeper out and tried to run away when they came in front of me.

"Go-ing so soon, prince Aric." The first one with the glowing eyes on the left said hoarsely.

"Don't you want what you desire? Feet. To walk on the surface." The second one with a right glowing eyes said.

"Who are you?" I asked as I swam backwards.

"I'm Rascal." The left eyes said then looked at his brother. "And his Sly." He introduced them they circled me.

"Fear not child. We know someone except your father who can give you what you desire." Sly said with that cold sinister voice that could trick someone.

"There is?" I asked and they nodded.

"Question is; are you will to go with us and face danger to reaching your wish?" Rascal asked then stopped and looked at me.

I thought about it. If I went with them, I could finally be human and then I could see Eric again. I could play with him, talk to him and hear him sing those beautiful songs he sang with his crew. I nodded and decided to follow them and that's when Flower appeared.

"Get away from him you slimy bozo's." Flower said as she confronted them but then I brought her into my hands as I raised a finger up to the eels.

"Flower. It's OK, I'm going with them." I whispered.

"But Aric they look dangerous." She argued back as low as she could.

"Please Flower, your my best friend and this is a chance for me to be human." Flower thought about it then looked at me giving a puppy face.

"OK but if something goes wrong then we're leaving." She said and then I hugged her.

"We're ready." I said and then the electric eels started leading us out of Atlantica.

We kept on swimming till we got to a very dark but huge cave deep in the ocean that made me look around. It had a lot of tiny trapped creatures that looked like they were in despair, it also had shiny things like that ship and golden plates that made me see my reflection.

We kept on swimming till I saw a giant man with a kind of octopus legs lying down and then he turned to see me and paused.

This man was handsome with a kind of pale skin that looked purple, thick black brows, white hair, grey eyes, jawlines and a pointed nose. He was really breathtaking and in that moment my heart was feeling itching and then I felt something speaking to my soul but I couldn't make it out and ignored it.

"What is a merman doing in this part of the ocean?" He asked with a slight curious as I put my hands behind me.

"I was told by Rascal and Sly that you can make me human. What's your name?" I asked and then he faced me and for a while looked sad then he looked happy.

"I am Uriel. Why would a merman with royal blood running through his vein want to be human?"

"Because I want to see someone again. I want to walk, stand and play all day with him under the sun. It's been my dream to be on the surface." I explained then he came closer and used one of his legs and brought me closer to him.

"Are you sure that is what you want?" He asked as he held my face and stared his beautiful grey eyes into my eyes that seemed to look at my soul.

"Yes." I said curtly then he released me and then took my slender hands into his large, big and smooth hands.

He led me in front of a kind of hole then he looked at me and smiled. Then he started collecting potions and dropped them on the edge of the hole table.

"I must tell you something about this spell. More like a condition or two." He said making me to look up.

"Yes?" I asked as I looked at him.

"If by sundown on the third day and the prince hasn't kissed you, you belong to me." He explained as just thought lightly on it.

"OK then just do it."

"Also as a sign of our contract, you have to trade something as an offer. What about your pet?" I hugged Flower and looked at him making him laugh.

"Flower isn't a pet and she's my best friend. Isn't there something else I can give you?" I asked then he taught hard as he added the potions one by one.

"Your voice." He demanded with that his deep, smooth voice. I touched my throat then looked at him.

"My voice." I didn't have much of a choice, if I could get Eric to kiss me then I could get it back. I nodded and then he sighed and continued.

"Here the deal, the ocean demons take his voice for a pair of legs." He chanted and then a golden light came out from the hole.

"Now sing!" He instructed and I started to sing. I felt something taking my voice and my tail from me then I looked at Uriel.

I saw my voice enter the shell necklace on Uriel's neck then when I wanted to swim, I realized my tail was missing and I was panicking then turned and saw Flower and Sebastian as I mouthed for help.

They came towards me and pulled me fast up into the surface as I held my breath till we reached the surface where I gasped out for breath. They took me to land where the rocks were and I rested flat on the ground before I sat up.

I looked down on my tail to see that I had actually legs. I had tiny little things on my legs that I believed were called toes and then I wiggled it and then laughed but no sound came out. I touched my throat and realized that Uriel really did take it.

I tried to stand but then I fell down hard on the ground and then I tried again but this time I used the big rock beside me as support. I held it for support as my legs wobbled but I was glad that I didn't fall when I removed my hand.

I took my first step as a human child, slow and steady but I kept on shaking as I took another step. I looked at the ocean to sea Sebastian and Flower who looked at me in shock.

I waved at them excitedly but Sebastian gasped as he came on land and touched my legs making me shift it at the cold feel of his pincers. I tried to tell him it's cold but I couldn't then I touched my throat.

"What am I going to do? How do I tell king Triton that his youngest child is now human?" Sebastian said panicky as he walked from the place I stood to the edge of the ocean and back.

"Well you heard what that wicked sea wizard said. If he kisses the prince then he can turn back to normal if he wants." Flower reminded Sebastian who gasped and overreacted as usual.

"Then I want you to go to King Triton and tell him about Aric." Sebastian requested making Flower to laugh.

"You think I'd like to be dinner for a shark then think again. I'm not risking my fins by telling king Triton." Flower responded back.

I felt cold and then started to hug myself and rub my skin making Sebastian to look at me and then he realized I'm cold.

He went behind the rock as I followed him then he pointed at some abandoned clothes that I went to pick up.

"Tie it around yourself with those ropes." Sebastian instructed as I took the clothes and tied it around my waist before I used the rope to secure it.

"Better." Sebastian said as Flower gave me a fin up. I smiled then Sebastian cleared his throat. "Now let's practice on seduction." Sebastian said making me to blush in embarrassment.

I gave him a signal on why which I was glad he understood clearly.

He then looked at Flower then me.

"Because if you want to get back to normal then we have to get the prince to fall in love with you." Sebastian explained.

He made sense and then he tried to make me smile which I did but it ended up being awkward. It's not that I can't smile but this would be my first time meeting a human.

I heard voices coming closer as Sebastian was educating me. Sebastian entered into my clothes and hid to keep guide me and Flower swam back into the ocean.

I peeped at the direction from where the sound was coming out to see the Eric who saw me and then I hid quickly behind the rock. His little pet, a dog came after me making me to climb high on the rock as the dog barked excitedly. I used my hands to chase it but it didn't leave before I heard a small laughter.

"Stop boy, it's not nice to chase people." Eric said as he held the hairy dog by the neck and pushed him away from him and calmed him down.

"Do you need help?" He asked but I shook my head.

I tried to climb down but I slipped and then I fell into his arms then looked at him as he was smiling.

"Didn't see that coming. Are you OK?" He asked as me as I felt my face grow hot on our contact.

I tried to talk but nothing came out and I touched my throat then I nodded. He understood that I couldn't talk and then patted my hair.

"Let's guess your name." Eric said as he started to think. I mouthed my name and then he started to attempt.

"Aries, Aron, Ari," He attempted but he wasn't getting close.

"Aric." Sebastian whispered to Eric's hearing.

"Aric." Eric said as I nodded quickly making Eric to smile.

"Do you have a family around here?" He asked and I pointed at the ocean.

He looked at me in disbelief and then laughed he then took my hand and walked me to his palace.

"Well let's go take care of you." Eric said as I faced back and looked at Flower who watched me leave.

"Well hello new world."