Chapter 9 - |Ocean| Part 1

THE CAVE SHAKES AGAIN, and pebbles fall from the skies. The atmosphere inside the cave seems so different from the outside. Rays of light seep through the small cracks in the ceiling, bringing in warmth.

What is going on? I muse as I look down into the swooshing liquid. The water is still rumbling, boiling like a tea kettle. I need to find out what is going on. I spin on my heel and search the room for anything I can use. The only items that stand out are the bed, dresser, and washbasin.

Without wasting time, I run over to the washbasin that is sitting on the ground. Looking inside the white-shaped bowl, I see a dry washcloth. I trance the fabric with my finger. More dust. . . my thoughts start to wander, formalizing any possible scenario of why the dress and washcloth are covered in dust. Did someone live here before?

The cave quivers again, and particles of rock land on my hair. What is happening? I need answers...to figure out a way to get Assan to tell me the truth.

As I stare at the ceramic bowl, I know the only leverage—the only way I can force Assan to tell me the truth—is to use what he wants from me: my ability to create life. He has protected me from the creatures of the sea, but how willing is he to protect me from myself? I pick up the bowl, hearing the sounds of water rumbling and splashing on the edge of the rocks. Sounds of tiny pebbles hitting the solid ground resonate through the cave, and my resolve is done. I swallow the gulp in my throat, and my mouth goes dry. My stomach growls for food, but eating is not necessary for me at the moment. Closing my eyes, I slam the porcelain washbasin against the cave floor until it smashes into pieces. I snap my eyes open to look at the tiny shards that can end my life.

Slowly, I move my trembling tan fingers toward the sharp, smooth porcelain. Before—when I was at home with Joe—I had thoughts of taking my own life, but I could never leave Joe alone with the monster named Leona. Now, I know I never will see Joe again. There is nothing left for me, but I can at least learn the truth of why I was taken away from my brother and the only person who cared for me. Maybe my boat will finally be sinking, landing in the depths of the forgotten ocean.

“You there!” I hear a male voice call out to me. However, my back faces the pool, which is the entrance to the cave where the mermen can surface to see me. Quickly, I grab the shard of porcelain, stand up, and then spin around.

“What are you doing?” The merman’s stern gaze is staring at me. Looking at him, I can see he has a silver chain around his chest, just like the white-haired, silted-eyed merman from before. Does a silver chain mean something? Hass and Assan weren’t wearing one?

I grip the shard of porcelain in my palm, squeezing it tightly. Pain throbs in my hand. I wince, but I must hide the piece until I need it.

“What is happening?” I demand, and the merman scowls at me.

“Lord Assan asked me to check on you, that is all. Do not leave this—”

Growing with frustration, I feel rage starting to burn within me. “I didn’t ask that. If I must be here, then tell me what is happening?” I raise my voice, knitting my brows together.

The merman growls and says, “It’s not my place to tell you anything, just know—”

Without thinking, I open my palm, revealing the sharp piece in my hand. I bring the shard to my stomach, pressing it into my skin. The merman’s eyes widen in disbelief, and again, the cave shakes. The water continues to rumble and splash violently against the bank. Mother always used to say getting pregnant by a nobleman causes problems for women like us, so it isn’t worth the hassle. And she added a man who is willing to buy you—for intercourse—doesn’t want a relationship with your child. I often wonder what she meant by that because my father wasn’t a nobleman. Maybe now I won’t have to worry about becoming with a child.

“Take me to Assan, now!” I demand in a firm voice. I wonder what I have become as I listen to myself and look at the merman gawking at me. Before, my mother would hit me and grab my hair if I ever spoke against her. Joe often cried when that happened and asked my mother to forgive me. I never wanted Joe to see our arguments. He is my baby brother, and one of us must stay innocent and feel loved. Joe isn’t here now, so I could, no; I will die once Assan has implanted his seed in me, and his offspring are born from my body. He owes me the truth, even if I have to fight for it.

The merman before me panics, with fear showing in his multi-colored eyes. His hand reaches out from the water. “Don’t...now is not the time for this,” he pauses, “I can’t take you to Lord Assan now, he…”

Lord, why do they keep calling Assan lord? Is he a nobleman? The cave shakes like a boat that is rocking from side to side from the ocean’s waves, and the merman sways in the clashing waters.

“Why not?!” I yell, trying to steady my balance against the shaking cavern. Something is occurring, but what is the question? Could it be another berserker? How many mysteries does the ocean hold?

The merman swims back from the bank, but his unwavering gaze follows my movements.

“Trust Lord Assan, as he is doing this to protect you,” the merman speaks softly with a firm expression. Protect me. I laugh internally. Assan only protects me for himself—he has made that clear.

“Take me to him,” I demand again, still holding the shard to my stomach. Slowly, the sleeve of my dress slides down my shoulder, but I do not flinch. The merman does not move, and I know he is calling my bluff. I press the shard deeper against my stomach as the tip cuts through the dress and pierces the flesh.

“Stop! I will take you to him. If anything happens to you, I will be punished, but if you will not listen to reason, as most humans don’t—”he snarls—“I have no choice.”

“Do you swear it?”

He frowns. “Yes, or I will face my master’s hand. I’d rather not share the same fate as you, human. Now, come to the water.”

I keep the shard against my stomach, not trusting his words, and start walking towards him. He stays firm, but the water around him still rumbles, roaring like a small tidal wave.

I make my way to the edge of the land, hesitant to dive into the water.

“Get in,” he orders sternly. Without saying a word and keeping the shard pressed to my abdomen, I dip my feet into the water. I slowly lower myself with my other hand, feeling the chill of liquid brushing my skin. The merman swims closer to me, lacing my fingers with his.

“Drop the shard. Where we are going, it won’t help you,” he says ominously, but I don’t comply with his request.

The merman stares at me and then scowls. He must have determined I am not going to drop it because he quickly touches his hand to my chest, causing me to wince. A dim, glowing blue light emanates from his hand, and a tingle flows in my throat as before.

“My powers aren’t the same as Advisor Hass’s or Lord Assan’s. You can only sustain the water until we reach Lord Assan. That is the risk you are taking, human,” he growls.

Advisor Hass...and again, he calls Assan lord...who are they really?

I part my lips about to speak, but the merman quickly dunks us into the water before I do. Now submerged in the liquid, it isn’t as bright or light as before. It’s complete darkness, and my eyes cannot see anything. My thoughts swirl like a raging storm, and I don’t know what to think. I was blind and naive, thinking I could demand to see Assan without knowing the situation.

If I didn’t take this current, I would be left in the dark, staying helpless for Assan’s protection. How ironic. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all…

The merman’s hand squeezes mine, and he swims quickly through the darkness, as when Hass guided me. We stagger in the water, forced back by a strong current coming from before us. Midnight darkness surrounds us. I’m swimming blinded; my eyes cannot see.

Why aren’t the cryptids glowing? The merman maneuvers us downward, and finally, faint noises are heard in the distance. I try to make out the sounds, but the rumbling of water and my heartbeat echo in my ears.

“We’re almost there.” I hear a voice say next to me, and adrenaline pumps through me; the sounds before us grow louder with each second. The violent current picks up again, and we are spinning in the water like a whirlpool. The merman tightens his grip, but our digits slip from each other. With all my strength, I hang onto the shard in my hand, but it loosens, nearly rushing away with the water.

What is going on? Why must Assan always leave me in the dark?

As we keep swimming, a blue light, albeit faint, glows in the distance. My vision is blurry, but I make out silhouettes of what must be mermen moving about. The silhouettes race in every direction, clashing with other vague shadows. What?

The more I remain in these dark waters, the more I wonder if I should regret my decision. I grip my fingers around the semi-dagger until I cut skin. For a second, the rushing water slows down and calms again. We move closer; however, the current returns. We stagger as a rush of waves rocks us around. The merman’s hold slips, and I break my grasp on the shard.

“They tricked us! One is coming in!” I hear a voice yell in a panic. Rough water knocks me apart from the merman. He tries to grab me, but it’s useless: I’m thrown off course. My body whips around, being pushed and pulled in all different directions. Shutting my eyes, I hiss and take the pain, then I gasp. The taste of saltwater hits my tongue. Quickly, I close my lips and try to settle myself in the water; however, the yelling and shouting are louder, but as the current pushes me away, the noises fade.

I have to swim against the current, I tell myself, as I force my body to swim in a straight line. I kick my legs faster than before, pushing my body beyond its limits. If I don’t find someone soon, I won’t be able to breathe much longer.

Through my blurry version, a shimmer of blue light expands in the distance. I must be on the right path. I keep going, propelling forward. I glance from right to left, but the cryptids still are not glowing. My speed is slow, but I get far enough to use the light as a guide. I make out the rocky walls on each side of me, but the cryptids are closed as if hiding from something. I swim further until the surrounding noises capture my ears. Beyond the large opening of the castle, I faintly see a group of mermen in the distance. My eyes widen. The mermen’s forms are like Assan’s when he battled the berserker: Their bodies are covered in scales—blue, green, sea-green—with giant claws extending from their hands. All of them are hurrying fluidly through the water.

Barely able to see, I try to watch what is transpiring. Another group, which appears to be some sort of sea creature, is attacking the mermen. Like the mermen, scales cover their bodies; however, their lower halves differ. There is no tail, just two pairs of legs like a human’s.

My body is shocked as I can’t understand or even fathom what I see. For a moment, I am at a standstill, not moving, until a dark shadow disrupts my view.

I swim backward a bit, questioning what I saw. Behind me is complete darkness, and I ponder the best course of action. I will not be able to breathe much longer...I need to find someone.

I propel myself forward again, but the shadow returns, appearing before me. I can tell it’s circling me from its movements in the water. My heart thumps in my chest, and my body fills with intense fear. Not knowing what to do, I reverse again until I feel a sharp, sticky hand on my ankle.

“What is a human doing here?” A non-human voice hisses out, and I’m drowning in fear and panic.

The shadow increases its grip around my ankle and moves another hand up my thigh. I squirm, struggling to get out of its hold on me. I wiggle in the water until the dark creature’s face forms under me. My eyes widen in pure horror. This thing, this creature, is not like the berserker. Its body resembles that of a human, with a head, two arms, and two legs, but its body is covered in rough, green scales, with two wide eyes that have no pupils. Instead, only two dark green circles stare up at me. I avert my gaze away from its face, not wanting to see any more of its grotesque appearance.

Flailing my legs, I kick wildly, twisting my body in the water as if my life depended on it, which it does. The creature tightens its hand around my ankle and uses its other hand to caress my leg. Disgusted knowing this creature is playing with my lower torso, I kick again, finally causing it to loosen the grip on my ankle. Once I break free, I’m forced back into the darkness of the castle, and I know my ability to breathe will soon come to an end. Behind me, I hear water shuffling—the creature is swimming; it won’t let me go. Panic courses through my veins, my heart beats rapidly, and I’m at a loss for ideas. I sweep my eyes around when I see the faint glow of a cryptid opening.

Why is it opening now?

Confused, I stare at the glowing light, thinking quickly of my options. Hass said the cryptid won’t attack me. Even though I do not trust it, I can use its light to find my bearings. I need to hide. Either course of action will not help me: stay here with the deformed creature or encounter a man-eating water plant. Neither option is ideal.

Quickly, I swim towards the cryptid’s bright light, but the creature claws at my feet, cutting me, but I keep moving. It moves faster than me, eventually grabbing my ankle and pulling me back.

“You will not escape, human; we will learn why the mermen have you here.” It hisses again, a voice that sends a shiver through my spine. Even the chill of the water doesn’t affect me compared to this inhuman voice.

“No...” I say weakly, feeling the lack of nourishment and intense swimming catching up with me. With exhaustion weighing down on my body, my movements slow down, but I must keep going. I try to fight, but it’s unless. My body is too tired. The creature pulls my body back towards it, running its webbed hands across my legs. I suppose this was a bad idea after all.

All the cryptids around us suddenly open, illuminating the watery passageway with their bright lights. Vines rush towards the creature behind me, grabbing it from all directions. I sway in the water and quickly spin around. My heart beats, and panic engulfs me. I dart my eyes around, wondering if the cryptids will grab me next, but the vines only go toward the humanoid creature. In the shimmering light, everything comes into view; the creature is entangled in the cryptids’ vines. Its body is ugly, with webbing in between its fingers and toes. Black locks of hair protrude from its scaly head, and an expression of fear is on its features. The cryptids’ vines lock it in place, and it hits me what the plants are doing. They will rip the humanoid to shreds. Its arms start to twist, and crimson ooze trickles into the water. The creature tries to defend itself and escape the cryptid’s wrath. Sharp claws grow from its nails, tearing the green veins, but it’s a feeble attempt. The vines are too strong. Not wanting to see the carnage, I quickly swim back towards the castle’s opening, leaving the creature to die behind me. An echo of death fills my ears, along with the sound of rumbling water. This is too much for me.

As I approach the front of the castle, the fight rages on in the distance. The mermen are fighting the humanoid sea creatures in a bloody battle of claws and controlling the water. I duck behind a rock on the side of the castle’s entrance, not wanting to be seen. As I stare at the battle, I notice what may be females on the enemy side. At the top of their scaly, green chests are the outlines of breasts, and unlike the males, their lower halves are flat, not jutted with a bulge. More crimson liquid spreads in the water surrounding the battle, and it is a picture of red instead of the beautiful blue. I feel foolish again. Assan did not want me to see this; he wanted me to stay protected, but I did not trust him again. More questions run through my mind, and as I look at this battle, it is too much for me. I avert my gaze and then question, where are the mermaids?