Of Earth and Water
In the darkness, the water stirs. It is smooth and gentle, which is a rare occurrence in the midst of spring. I swim, passing schools of fish on my way to the surface. Uptargheia- the surface world- beckons me, sings to my soul with its many mysteries that none of my kind may know. What is my kind? Mer-folk, as the wizards had greeted us, along with the words 'mermaid' and 'merman,' but here, we call ourselves the Meloskans, or 'the people' in our ancient tongue. Rarely a wizard or witch might pass, but when they do happen across us, those of us close enough to acknowledge them, or trust them, ask to be taught the ways of Uptargheia. We know how to speak their language, we know of their traditions, their spells and even their fantastical creatures, and the many things we may not ever witness ourselves.
I break the surface of the lake and gaze around, narrowing my eyes against the cruelty of the sun. There in the distance, a great castle reaches to the skies. Many nights I have dreamed of what that place looks like from the inside. I dream of walking upon the unusual 'legs' those humans walk on, daydream about the food they might eat. Do they eat the richest of fishes, or the juiciest of fruit? Fruit, another thing I am deprived of down beneath the depths of the Black Lake (Kalekteck in Meloskenta). I sigh, for I will never be with those marvelous creatures. No matter how much my kind wish to see the world above, it can never be... With that revelation, I dive deep under the lake, twisting and turning through the weeds and rocks, before reaching the cave my family have come to call home. I have heard tales that on the surface humans own their own homes to the point where in some places small families of humans have a house to themselves. That is not the case for us Meloskans. We live as a group, dozens of our kind living in the same area. The cave I call home is also the home of many others. As I enter, I see many of my kind working on the various jobs they have been assigned, from weapons making to the Keepers of Knowledge, from Hunters to Scribes. My father is a Hunter, and my mother is a Carer- she takes care of the children when their parents are at work.
"Mother!" I call, swimming through the tunnels of the vast cavern. "Father! I am home!"
"Brycilia! Come!" My mother calls, and I follow their shouts swiftly.
"Mother! Father!" I say in relief once I reach them. They wrap me in their arms swiftly, holding me close as I hum my joy.
"Where have you been? You missed the Gathering!" My mother exclaims. The Gathering. That is where all the Meloskans gather to speak their concerns and gratitudes. I have never had much to say, for I do not work, I have no children and I am no longer schooled. As for why I do not work, the Elders are still trying to decide what I might be good for. I am a tricky child, so they say, since the only thing I am good for it declaring what might be happening up above…
"I am sorry, mother. I was collecting shells," I hold up a fish skin bag to prove it. Mother sighs.
"Brycilia. You really must attend these Gatherings! They could be your future! This meeting Darek brought up the issue of the Reef Magi! They are planning an attack!" The Reef Magi. They are dark Meloskans that have a natural gift with Wizard Magic. It is said they were the spawn of a wizard and a Meloskan who fell in love long ago. To them, we are inferior, but it is alright. We think the same of them.
"Do not worry, mother. I am sure they will not truly attack. It is most possibly Darek trying to strike irrational fear into our hearts. How about I make you a Shell-Ring? You love Shell-Rings! Then you will feel no fear!" My mother chuckles and allows me to retreat to our room. We only have one room for the three of us, but it is fairly large. The more impressive and important the job is, the better the living space. Since my mother is a Carer, which is fairly important and dangerous since she must protect the children from the predators of the lake, and since my father's a Hunter, also fairly important and dangerous, we live in a fair sized space. I set the shells out on the floor, placing the prettiest one- a beautiful shell that swirls pink, purple and the lightest of blues- in the middle, and arranging the other shells around it. I then find a long strand of dried weed and a sharp rock I had sharpened specially for this one thing. I poke a hole in each of the shells, and lace the weed through these holes. Once it is done, my mother has a very beautiful Shell-Ring, which I present to her. With a very bright smile, she places the ring over her head until it rests upon her neck.
"Beautiful," she says as she gazes down at the pretty centre shell. I smile back. "Well, at least we know one thing you will do well with, Brycilia! You could always make Shell-Rings and other beautiful items for us to wear!" She says it as a joke, but really we consider it deep down. However, it is not our choice whether I shall be a Shell Weaver, but the Elders'.
After a meal of fish and plants, we settle for a much needed rest. After all, with my father helping to bring food for the people, and my mother helping to care for the young each day, every day is as tiring as the one before.
The next morning I wake up. My parents have already left, so I see, for I am the only one in our sleeping place. I look to the entrance. Time for an adventure!
I have always loved to travel and see the world for what it is and should be. Many people find me odd, since females should remain at home and care for the young, or weave fine items, prepare the foods, but not travel as much as I. My favourite place is the world above, Uptargheia, it is just so different, like another world, or a place of dreams and daydreams and thoughts… As I swim to the surface, I stare out at the beauty around me. A beautiful creature with wings more delicate then anything I have seen, presenting colours I have never witnessed and a beauty I could never imagine flies passed me. It is a wonderful creature, and not the only one I have seen. There are so many wonderful things! I swim to the shore to rest on the land, and gaze into the forest. Many of the wizards who have come frequently comment on the wonderful creatures that live in the forest. They speak of unicorns (which a very lucky few have been fortunate to see), giant spiders and Bird-Horses. We have seen and proved the reality of each one of them over time, except a few wonderful creatures, one being the centaurs. We have never seen these marvelous creatures before, creatures with the head and chest of a human, which then blends into the body of a horse. Creatures with the intelligence of those marvelous two-legged land people, and the elegance of the brilliant animals known as the 'horse'. I have always wanted to see these creatures, for centaurs are known for their knowledge of the world above, as well as beyond. I sigh as I dream of what lays inside that enchanting forest, and beyond…
My eyes open slowly as the world begins to materialize around me. It is late. Very late. I had not realized I had fallen asleep on the shore of the lake! My skin is dried and my arms and tail hurts. I cry out for the help of anything, anyone at all. There is no response. I cannot move, I feel so weak… so weak…
"Hello?" A voice calls in the distance. "Who are you? What are you?" I will not be able to fight this person off, but I am so weak… I hope it is quick. I hear faint thudding nearing me. I close my eyes. I hear a gasp coming from not so far away.
"You poor creature," a male voice murmurs as he gets closer. I open my eyes slowly and look to the voice. I can feel my eyes widening at the sight which greets me. It cannot be…
What else shall come to my rescue but the one thing I have been waiting for for so long now?