~ p r o l o g u e ~
Upon a desk, a hand writ wildly across parchment, the letters curled into a perfected cursive. You would have never thought words so beautiful could come from a hand that large. Wrinkles spread along the back of the mans hand, rippling carelessly across his uneven skin. The skin was dyed dark with sun for the man spent much of his time above water. If you looked at his eyes, you would see a bright, energetic young man, destined to enrich others with his findings. But if you looked further, you would see this old man was withered, even his once beautiful sea green tail was now a dark weed color. The mans hair was long and frothed around his face as he furiously bit his lip. Blood faintly peppered the inside of his mouth from time to time.
The parchment was odd, waterproof, made from the best weed in all the seven sea kingdoms. The writing was written neatly and precise. The man, was writing a book. A book about something hed seen the night before. Last night, he had encountered something hed never seen in all his 100 years of living. He had watched it, aware he was seeing something that was never done before. “The Switch” is what he had named it
" the leaping white figure emerged from the water, dripping liquid crystals. A frivoled young man crumbled down the cliff above him. He snatched the maid into his arms, midair, they froze. Moonlight seeped through their skin and clothes. The maid now seethed, and the young man no longer had legs. This was when the moonlight became so unbearably strong, the old man was forced to look away. When he had overcome the light, the younger man had now attained a gleaming, fresh, dark golden tail. The once mermaid, now human, fell writhing into the ocean. The old man gasped as the new merman did nothing when she hit the water. The old man swam down to retrieve her.
He grabbed her and shook her. Her eyes opened, and fear crowded all the things that would once make her eyes beautiful. Bubbles escaped from her mouth and the old man cocked his head. He looked down and found her feet were still connected, a fin protruding awkwardly. She tried to swim upward, her movement becoming panicked. he watched her scramble upward to the air curiously. Cant she breathe? He queried to himself.
When he realized the situation was serious he flew up to the half human girl and saw her eyes start to roll into the back of her head. “No!” he yelled rushing the woman to the air, dragging her from under her arms and thrusting her unto a rock. Her body was limp, but the old man saw the faint rise and fall of her chest. He pumped the sea out of her body, its cold thick water choking her insides from the oxygen she needed. Her coughs sent hope reverberating into his mind and he pumped more until she sat up at her own will and cried out, looking at her half legs.
He knew she was doomed for a horrid life, and didn’t want to stick around to see it, but then the moonlight was falling and the merman came up to her. It struck her as if a call to the wind had told the moon to touch this doomed maiden. The young man touched her feet with a soft human hand and watched the light crystals form around her feet once again as the moonlight hit. The fin parted painfully and sized up to perfect, dainty little feet.
“leave her son. Its time you come to your new kingdom.” The old man murmured, touching the younger mans shoulder reassuringly. They left the woman, to join the new merman to the land of Kuried. “whats your name son?” the old man asked.
“my name, is Sir Toni.” "
Now, the old man sat at his faithful desk, that had bitterly stayed with him through his hundred years of life. Toni, the merman was flitting around with his new tail. “Old man,” said Toni, “Will I be able to have my own home, and my own family when I leave your place?” he asked, wondrously flipping open a sharp book, before closing it with a bored sigh. He swung his golden brown hair back, and threw his arms up behind his neck and appeared thoughtful. Toni drifted, and once it was clear he wouldn’t get an answer from the old man, he swam up to the old man’s shoulder and sighed.
The old man was now annoyed, and he twisted to face Toni. “Don’t. I am busy Toni. If you wish to experience the world of Kuried, go without me.” Toni’s face scrunched up in a confused manner, but then realized he was being let go. “one day! It will be me letting you go free!” Toni laughed, swimming gracefully out the open door.
100 years later.
A R I N A
“Daddy!” me, the first daughter to King Codi, and Queen Aridale, swam frantically up to my father. I was ten years old, and now had five other sisters, all trailing behind me with excited whispers. “What is it my little rosebud?” King Codi asked, touching my chin with a delicate but large hand. I blinked my bright green eyes, wondering what a rosebud looked like, then remembered my mission, “Mommy wants you, she says the humans have made showers of light in the sky, Come!” I had seen the dazzling shower of colorful lights myself, and I wanted my daddy to see the beauty.
“Really?” he chuckled, I tugged his hand impatiently and my sisters copied. “Okay okay, i'm coming!” he swam with us, hand in hand, up to the surface. Our heads broke, and the harsh sound of the upper world hit me like a slap in the face, thunder clapped as the light showered, frightening all my sisters into the water.
My mother watched, her dark blonde hair shimmering behind her elegantly. Her head tilted upward, her eyes closed. I snuck up to my mommy bravely and took her hand. Suddenly, a crack louder than before deafened my ears, my mother opened her mouth as if to scream, her eyes now open and alert. She took me into her arms and dived as shards of something that sizzled when immersed started pelting the water. I poked at a sinking shard, its softness shocked me, and it was now cool. They fluttered around my head like guppies. My mother was yelling something to my father, but I was still slightly deaf, so I could only hear mumbles. My father worriedly looked at me and swam down, my mother following frantically after him.
The next day, a rule was decreed. I read the sign easily, “Anyone seen above the surface, will be thrown into the dungeon.” It seemed cruel and uncalled for, but I never questioned my parents. Today my mother set up a play date with me and Vio, my best friend. We were going to the gardens. My mother handed me over to Vio’s mother, who was going to accompany us. “Ari!!” Vio cried happily throwing her arms around my shoulders in a hug, I wrapped my own around her waist and laughed.
“Come on girls, the garden is in full bloom this time of year.” Vio's mother said with her swooning perfect voice that sent chills up my spine every word she spoke. I swam forward, gripping Vio’s hand and her mother watched as we did twin flips, spins, and dances. I looked back with my play smile and winked. We were nearly to the pink flowered and green covered garden. It had all sorts of beautiful oceanic flowers growing. Sea life busied itself with everyday schedules. Schools of fish parted around my body as I swam through them.
I watched wondrously as they lined right back up without even seeming disoriented. A pretty blue and yellow fish floundered up to my tail and brushed against me with the softest tickle, I wiggled and the fish scampered away. A giggle escaped my throat and I seeped into the soft spongy flowerbed, my arms resting casually behind my head. I looked up and saw the surface, the sun shining brightly through the clear water. The oceans ripples distorted its circular shape, but I had seen the sun, so I closed my eyes and pictured it silently. I heard Vio creep up next to me and do the same. Hours later, a nudge to my cheek woke me up. I sleepily whispered “hmmmhm?” Vio’s mother handed me a pink velvet book, titled The Mermaid and the Poor Fisherman by Chloe Hedden I smiled, “thank you!” I was thoroughly pleased with the new book. It was a human book I could tell. How she got it was beyond me, but I did not question her. I flipped open the book and started reading. Vio and her mother closed their eyes to listen to my musical voice.
Once upon a time there was a fisherman who had to give fish to the king every day. On the day he failed to do so, his head would be cut off. He lived with his wife, a little pup, and a baby two months old. When he returned home in the evening, his wife never came out to meet him, but his dog was always at the door barking a welcome
I read on, sinking more and more into the words as the floated into my head, creating the image of the fisherman, his pup and his wife and son.
One night the fisherman couldn’t for the life of him make a catch. Suddenly a mermaid appeared and said, "Listen to me, fisherman, if you give me the first creature who comes out to greet you at your door, I will give you fish." He though to himself, "My wife never comes to meet me, and neither does my baby boy. My dog is the only one who is always there." So he made the deal with the mermaid, and tossing out his net, he drew it in heavy with fish. Now there were fish and enough left over to sell in the city.
When the fisherman got home that night, out came his little boy as fast as he could creep and hugged his father about the legs. Then the fisherman said in his heart, "My son, my son, I have to give you to the mermaid." Without a word, he went off to the king’s to deliver his fish and sell the rest to the townsfolk. That evening, he brought home everything he needed for his humble cottage, but never mentioned a word of what had happened with the mermaid.
This man went on fishing every night. The bargain he had made with the mermaid was to deliver to her, at the age of sixteen, whoever came to the doorway. Gradually the fisherman became richer than a king, and meanwhile his son grew up by leaps and bounds. The boy came to be a handsome lad, and when he was coming of age, his father grew very sad, for he knew that the deadline of his fateful bargain was drawing near. Although his wife served him faithfully, he would not take a bite to eat. One day she said to him, "Eat, my love. I have done you no wrong." But the fisherman answered nothing, until finally his son asked him, "Why won’t you serve yourself, father? Maybe it seems wrong to you that I am here."
Here, Vio and her mother had sobs in their throat, similar to my own. I felt the sun start to drift away, and realized how late it had become. I slapped the book shut, bubbles bursting from the sudden rush of movement. Vio protested for a second before her mother rested a hand on her daughters shoulder to reassure her they would hear the rest of the story. The image of the worried son still embedded itself into my mind, but I pleasured myself with the thought of the rest of the story to come. I watched the bubbles float to the surface and silently willed my body to be a bubble of its own, and float itself into the human world. I shook my head, realizing Vio was calling my name. When I got home, my family awaited me with open arms.
Grandfather," I said with disdain, entering his chamber the next day. "tell me of the war between the merpeople and the humans." I begged, my plush young hands grabbing his beard and tugging slightly. Grandfather Toni laughed, and slid me onto his scaly lap. I tugged again, with a playful frown painted on my lips. "Alright, alright!" he chuckled, pulling my hand free. He cleared his throat and started his story.
" the merpeople were cruel to the humans, they used their mesmerizing voices to lure the easily pleased humans to the cliff. If their dull eyes locked unto our own, there was no turning back. The legged beings had no sense of the beauty of the ocean, its wonders they were unaware of. To us, humans were creatures, unpleasing to the eye, but we innocently wished to reveal the secrets of Kuried to them so they could see what real glamour, real beauty really looked like.
" merpeople would lead the beings into the ocean, and never realizing that humans needed air to survive. They dragged them down until the bewitched human drowned."
I flew a shocked hand up to my mouth that had opened into an O. Grandfather laughed again, his merry chuckle shaking me from the shock.
" one day the humans had lost plenty of their population, and the King, King Vladus, not yet effected by the mermaids grace, ordered war upon the merpeople. He did not know of our innocence, so you see, this war was caused by the misunderstanding of both sides. The king sent troops to the cliffside and the dock, reaching their destination the army were ordered to put wax into their ears and cloths over their eyes, they could still see, but were protected from the beautiful appearances of the merpeople. With bows set in their hands, and arrows slung across their back, they silently set the arrow firmly into place. They howled " in the name of the king!" and fired, the merpeople, caught by surprise, fell one by one, the blue blood dripping and arrows flying mercilessly into the hearts of our kind."
I felt a weary sadness fill my insides, grandfather knowingly hugged me tight, but didn't pause his words
"When only the daughter of the Queen in Kuried stood, an arrow stuck in her shoulder, they stopped firing and howled in triumph. The king looked down at her and sneered " your trickery will no longer haunt my people. You will leave and never come back if your kind wish to live." the daughter sang, sang a song about the life of the sea, how it would claim all the lives that were lost on this day. Foam started to surround the dead bodies, engulfing it in the whitewash. Human men dived into the ocean, wishing to hear her voice. When she stopped singing the wash was gone, and everything it had touched had been scoured clean, even the human men had been drowned. The king found himself mesmerized by the princess and fell from the cliff, crying out he fell. Then beautiful princess tore the arrow from her own skin, covered in her own blood and plunged it into the chest of the king. “You will forget about the merpeople. And the lives lost, even of your own kind. And you will never know the real beauty of the world. That is the curse of you humans, imperfect little things" she spat wickedly. Before the arrows could be sent down into her she dived into the ocean, and with that the two worlds separated forever, or so we believe"
Grandfather turned my face to look into his eyes when Mother came bursting in. " there you are!" she swished up to my side, swooping me angrily into her arms. I sighed, while she yammered on “this better not be about humans, Father." she glared, and I looked at grandfather with big eyes. His odd eel-brown eyes blinked, "just telling her some old folktales dearest" he smiled, evading the verbal attack my mother was obviously planning on executing.
C A R T E R
“My sons. One of you, one day, will be the king on this throne.” King Frodrick patted a golden arm to a throne. His sons, Aaron and Carter, nodded tightly, their seriousness reflecting in both of there eyes. “Right now, you are both 11, going on 12 when you will start your training to become king. You must learn the lifestyle you will live, the heroism, the chivalry. All this will be taught. And the one most successful will become the heir to the throne.” King Frodrick explained, pacing the length of the steps he stood upon. The King talked about duties, then dismissed them. Carter dipped his head solemnly and walked out of the Throne Room. He didn’t wish to be king, he’d rather investigate the world’s wonders, plant life, animal evolution, space, just everything. Aaron was more king worthy, strong, tall, athletic, brave, and reasonable. Surely Carter didn’t have a chance, but nor did he mind. He wanted to be one with the people, not someone they had to go through guards to speak to, not one they would bow to, and call “sir”.
Carter ran hurriedly down the steps and through the castle. In his rush, he accidentally ran into Rylee, the Mistress’s daughter. Her eyes watered as she fell to her rump. Carter apologized quickly, and started to extend his hand to help her. But, Aaron had already hauled her up, his face a blank stony stare, as usual. No emotions could be read. Dejected, Carter continued on his way, more alert. He found himself running, panting, through the forest. Vines and twig branches whipping at his already red face. He clawed his way through, excitement making the hairs on his neck bristle. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as a foot slipped off a cliff. Misplaced pebbles skittered down the Cliffside. He was standing on the edge of a high cleft. Backing up warily, his heart thumped against his chest, causing an earthquake of his own soul. Carter lay himself on his stomach, and inched his nose over the edge. Peeking down he glimpsed the green ocean tinted in blue, gleaming in the light of the sun. Waves laughed upon the bottom of the cliff, white water clinging to the rocks as the wave pulled away.
Carter whistled to himself, the beauty of the lulling crash of the waves dulling his senses. Suddenly a blonde head emerged from the water, liquid diamonds dripped off her in rivulets. He blinked, unsure if this was just a trick of the mind. No, she was still there. He gasped, and her head snapped up in an instant to meet his eyes. His breath caught in his throat, the girls face was young. Her eyes were a bright, sparkling green. The smile on her lips sent chills up his spine. Her hair trailed behind her in long curls of cream. She called up to Carter, who was still holding his breath, “Hello Human!” her voice entered his ears like a sly invader. He fell victim to the melodic tunes lacing her words. He struggled to pry his eyes from her features, and the pale green tail, tinted with gold, that peeked out from the water behind her every once and a while.
She spoke again, with confusion, “Are you deaf, O legged one?” the affect of her voice once again making his eardrums melt.
Carter blinked, escaping from her locking stare. He heard the voice struggling to get his attention, his unresponsive manner confusing her like never before. His voice cracked as he opened his eyes with a snap, “I can hear you!” he howled, afraid the wind would drown out his voice. She smiled again, and his insides fell to jelly. Tears dropped willingly from his brown eyes. The mermaid put a dainty green tinted hand to her lips, hiding her mouth from his view. But he couldn’t help but hear the giggle that sounded, tinkling like a bell, soft and quaint. He heard a splash and with anguish, he realized she had gone.
“No!” he said reaching out with one hand to the water, the wind beat him ferociously now, his heart felt as if it were being torn in half. “NO!” he screeched. Reality hit him hard, his only connection to real beauty, gone. He felt the sting even after he’d gotten home. He ran home, hot tears burning down his cheeks, sobs wrecking his chest. Colors that once made the world alight with color seemed dull as the sand kicking up behind his feet. Birds sang, but sounded off tune and far away.
When he opened the doors of the castle, voices smothered him, blurring together so he couldn’t understand much. Not that he cared. He walked in a haze to his own chamber, slamming the great doors behind him. He sat there, staring at the fluffy, perfect biscuit sitting on his desk. He bit into it, hoping for the freedom from this dull point of view, but to no prevail. The biscuit was bland, barely finding a scrap of its terrific taste. This was no way to live, but Carter sat down and prepared for the rest of his days.
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