A small mermaid swims through a deep trench. Shadows from the deep hides her bright teal skin as she swiftly dodges rock walls. As she emerges up above, bright magenta hair flows behind her. The young female reaches behind and adjusts a large golden clip, adorned with various gems, pulling the right side of her hair back tightly until it is smooth.
She looks around with quick glances. There has to be something out here, I can feel it... One flick of the fins gracefully shoots her to the right, barely missing a falling rock from the craggy wall.
Oh god, that was close. Dad is going to be so angry if he finds out I got hurt out here.
The mermaid quickly propels through the deep. As she nears a cliff, a glimmer of light steals her attention. She stops and looks down at the glare. Moving closer, a golden color emerges from beneath the shine.
The young female reaches out towards the golden object but hesitates. A rock is covering most of it, but is easy to move. The rock is pushed to the side and a gasp escapes the girl's mouth.
"Whoa…" she whispers as she inspects a small golden amulet, filled with jewels and decorated with fine designs. A circular, ocean-blue stone is placed perfectly in the center, taking up most of the amulet itself.
"Entaria!" a distant female voice cheers. Entaria is startled and covers the amulet again, whispering that she will be back to retrieve it soon.
"H-hi?" she timidly responds, peeking around the large rock to greet the voice.
"Entaria! I knew you would be out here!" The source of the voice came from a pale pink mermaid, tail a dark tint and long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and side bangs that frame her face beautifully. A golden flat star decorates the base of the hair that is pulled back. Her small nose and ear fins indicate she is slightly different than most merfolk in the area.
"Your father is worried sick about you!"
"I knew he would be… please, don't tell him I am here. He can't know." Entaria sighed. "Claphora, why are YOU out here?"
"Looking for you, dummy. This is the only place you will go that isn't monitored." Claphora reaches out to her friend. A scoff escapes her lips, "You know what could happen to you? I could have found you dead…"
They hold each other's arms in a sisterly way. "Hah, yes I know… I am sure father will give me the same talk, and then some…"
Claphora can't help but smile, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go face him…" she suggests as she drags Entaria back towards home.
The girls swim around the craggy rocks. Claphora smirks and glances at her friend. "So, find anything worthwhile?"
Entaria's mind suddenly shuts down, feeling strange after leaving the area. "U-uh no, just rocks…" She doesn't think telling her about the strange amulet is a good idea. Is the amulet the one making me feel strange?
Claphora looks disappointed, not noticing the confusion in Entaria's face. "Alright… Strange, because you usually find something."
Entaria shakes her head, not only in response but to also attempt to shake the feeling.
As they approach an area with less gaping holes, Entaria goes through many scenarios in her head.
1. Father will swim up to me with a big hug. I tell him about the amulet. He becomes super happy and escorts me to go get it.
Not very likely, but a nice thought.
2. He will send me to the dungeon for disobeying his rule.
Dungeon? Do we even have one?
3. He will get very angry and I will never leave town ever again, not even to visit other towns with him.
Bingo. That is exactly what happens.
As she approaches her angry father, Entaria sinks into her hair of high volumes and looks at the fine tiled floor. She glances at one of the many seats at the end of the room then at a fancy white doorway, anywhere to keep from her father's hard glare.
"Daughter."
"Y-yes Father?"
"Where were you?" his voice rang throughout the large empty room, for none of the six or seven other merfolk, that happened to be there for a meeting, dared to speak.
A long, painful moment of silence goes by.
"The reef."
"Which reef?"
"...The one on the other side of town…"
Father shakes his head disapprovingly and places his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Entaria. You know why you can't…." He sighs and looks at Claphora.
"Cleph, I would like to speak to her alone." Claphora nods and backs away, giving Entaria a sad look that said it all. Entaria returned the look, then her attention went back to her father. He flicked his powerful tail and floated through the large white doorway and into another room from there, Entaria following from a distance with a guilty look.
The two stop in the center of a small office and she closes the door. Her line of sight never leaves the floor.
"Entaria."
No response.
"You could have died today."
A timid voice speaks quietly. "I was fine-"
"-no Entaria. Our men reported Sirens out in the Abyss. Do you hear me?" He began to raise his voice, but calmed himself down as he saw his daughter look at him with eyes filled with horror.
"T-they- What?" Oh no. The amulet. The one that called me. They are going to take it. Sirens! It just HAD to be sirens!
"Entaria, it can happen at any time, that is why you should never go out there alone. After what they did to your mother…" Pain sounds in his voice. "Sweetie, I cannot fathom... " He stops mid-sentence and looks at his now crying daughter.
"Why… why would you… bring that up…" she mumbled. Her hair covered her face as memories flooded her mind.
-Watching as devilish seamonsters dragged her mother away. Being too young and helpless to save her mother as they cackled, glaring at her as they bared sharp yellow teeth . Her father regained consciousness after being attacked and used what energy he had left to grab his daughter and swim as fast as his fins could take him.-
Entaria sobbed uncontrollably. She was then surrounded by the large arms of her father.
"I'm so sorry sweetie… I was just upset." He hugged his shaking daughter tighter. She returned the embrace, sobbing into his fancy tunic-like shirt.
A few minutes go by and he looks down at her to check up. She looks up at him sadly, feeling weak for crying in front of her father.
"How about you and Claphora go to your room. I will have Miss Luli bring you girls something to eat."
Entaria nods, wiping away any leftover tears and she slowly leaves the room. Her father watches her leave and guilt overtakes him as he whispers "Why couldn't I have saved you." He looks at a picture of a pale blue skinned lady with dark purple hair on a desk across the room, smiling back at him happily as she held their beloved child. "I should have been stronger."
Entaria and Claphora go to the upper level. Inside her bedroom, Entaria sits at a mirror observing herself. "What did he say?"
"Just… some stuff came up about my mom and… ugh…" she scoffs as she removes the clip from her hair and swims to her bed, laying face down. Hair is sprawled everywhere, but somehow perfectly maintained.
"Oh… I'm sorry…" Cleph sits next to her friend and rubs her back lightly. "I know what it is like." A muffled voice is hardly heard. "I know... " Entaria turns her head to the side. "At least you know he is somewhere out there though. Your dad could come back any moment."
Cleph shakes her head. "We are pretty sure dad is gone." She sighs. A knock pulls them both out of their trances.
"Come in…"
The door opens and a small, middle aged pink woman floats in with a large silver platter. The platter carries two medium sized plates of perfectly proportioned food. "Here girls, Leader asked me to check on you. How is everything hm?" She sets the platter on the vanity desk.
"Hi mom, Entaria had a talk with her dad."
"Again? Oh you poor sweetie, you know he means well"
Entaria forces a laugh. "Yea, it's fine though, it was bound to happen. I think his beard is making him cranky."
Luli chuckles. "It's what fathers do. He only wants the best for you. Well, I will leave you two at peace to eat. It is getting late and the festival starts up in the evening. Best to get some rest." Claphora smiles at her mother and reaches for a plate. "Thanks mom… goodnight."
Luli gives a reassuring smile as she closes the door. The two girls eat their seaweed based meal and lay on the bed. They stare at the ceiling in silence for several minutes.
Cleph finally sighs and slowly sits up. "Are you sure you're okay? I can stay if you want."
"Nah I'll be fine. Your mom is right, we need to sleep. I am actually excited for the festival."
"Hah yea, maybe you will find your prince charming" Cleph adds as strangely as possible. She mocks a handsome fellow. "'Oh my dear princess, shall we go on a date?'"
Entaria's face gets red and she laughs. "Oh but you must ask my father first, and besides. I'm no princess."
"Yes you are Entaria, you know you are."
"Hah whatever…"
The two exchange Goodnight's and they head off to their respective rooms and beds. Entaria lays on hers and stares up at the dark ceiling once more. Why do I have the urge to go get that amulet? It is probably a piece of junk anyway…
She shrugged and pushed the feeling down, trying to get some rest.
"Prince Charming. Hah… As if that could happen to me."
Entaria rolled onto her side and drifted into a deep sleep.