This story begins on a ship but not any kind of ship. A ship who sets sail all around the world. Here on the deck is our main character, a little miss. Excuse me a young woman aged of 20 years old, whose name is Aulori. Her eyes colour could be confused with foliage. She has also red hair as fire. However she is not here as a girl because they are seen as a bad omen on the ships. So is she on the boat as a guy and she is important as the navigator. As every member of the crew, she is also a fighter and a good one. She already saved few members and so is recognized as a good member of the crew. During a calm day, everybody outside the captain is on the deck. They tell different sea tales to pass time. One is about the famous and dangerous Kraken. This creature is a nightmare for every sailor. This gigantic squid lurks in the depth of the ocean and awaits its prey. However this prey happens sometimes or more like often to be a ship. The entirety is destructed and the crew eaten. Some rarely barely escape and are rescued. Then they tell their story to other sailors and the story propagate. Another one is about the Leviathan, the kelpi and so on. One in all those story is not so terrible and is about the merfolk. They seems humans if you don't go under the waist where they possess a fish tail, they can breathe in the water but if someone fall inside the sea they can either be saved by one or be drowned and eaten according to the different versions. At the end of the stories a youngster on the deck affirms to have seen a tail, a merfolk tail. But athe rest of the crew only laugh and replies that it's only a result of the tales said earlier and it was only a dolphin or whale's tail.
Sometime after this happy moment, a storm arrives. Everyone take its place in order to avoid the sinking of the ship. As the navigator, Aulori gives each one indication to avoid the dangerous areas. Suddenly a wave flood the ship and take her away. "Man overboard ! Man overboard !" resonate on the deck. Every available crewmate hasten in order to help this poor soul. "Who is it ?" asks one "Aulo" Her head can be see sometime between the waves but one moment she drowns only to reappear a little after. She is finally rescued and taken to the infirmary. She is then inspected by the doctor in order to find any injuries. She is in hypothermia and has many little bruise on all her body but one is weird : like a bite a little higher than her ankle. She is fine but her true gender is discovered. The medic informs the captain and the rest of the crew. When she wakes up few days later, she has almost no bruise left only for the one on her ankle. Her position as the navigator was given up to another crewmate. As she walks with little difficulties on the deck, some men names her traitor but the majority comes to her to ask about her condition. She responds that she is alright but doesn't tell them about the strange pull she feels toward the pull is harder each day, the bruise extends itself day by day a little and the storms are more frequent. Scales begin to appear around the bruise more every day. One day she goes to the captain.
"I am sorry, captain. I didn't tell you everything. Since my fall, I have a strange bruise as if I was bitten on my ankle. And all those storm, I fell more and more attract toward the sea.", explains she as they walk on the deck. The walk is a bit difficult because since her fall, the storms have become more frequent. "And if anything happens to me, don't search to rescue me.
- No way, little girl. You are a member of this crew and even if some criticize you, you will be rescued
- I truly insist on it. I feel that if you try to, only harm will befall you. And it's also my will."
Just as she finish her sentence, a bigger wave as the other one make her fall again in the sea. Even if she didn't really fall but dive in the ocean.
Many miles away, was one mythical creature. A merman. He had a deep blue tail, dark hair and grey eyes. As he was swimming, he feels a wave of sensation coming from somewhere in the sea. He quickly goes toward its origin. He arrives in the middle of a stormy ocean. In the waters is a woman floating as if she is asleep. But she is likely dead but curious to find why the same feeling only stronger seems to come from her, he approaches her. To his surprise, she is not dead but shocked. Indeed, she has her eyes toward the sky and doesn't seem to notice him. Using this opportunity, he examines her closer and discovers a bites mark with the scales on her ankles. Recognizing her as a cursed human turning into a mermaid, he decides to 'awake' her by shakening her.
"Hey, fish bait, wake up !
- Hm. I'm fine, replies she turning her head toward him. But who are you? Do you happen to know what is happening to me?
- My name is Blur. As you can see, I'm a merman, explains the young man waving his tail in front of her. I can breathe beneath the water thanks to my gills. And you, you are slowly turning into one of my kind. Tutu. Don't interrupt me, I will clarify my words. Firstly you are able to breathe in the waters thanks to this. His hands approaches her neck and he just brush against it but she quickly swims away after a strange pain erupt. The reason to your retreat is your gills. Nobody likes when they are touched. They are essential to our life in the sea. Secondly, your legs will soon become only a reminiscence, a memory of your past, little one. The scales on your ankle will spread even more from your toes to your waist, as he says this his hand travel on her legs to her knee. And you will obtain a beautiful tail. Once this done you will be entirely part of the merfolk. However, the sea can be dangerous for a new mermaid such as yourself so I will be with you to guide you.
- Do you know why I become a mermaid?
- From the scars on your ankle, you are a cursed human and as such you will become the opposite of the merfolk who bite you. But come on, we can't remain here. It's a den of sharks."
And so their journey began. He teach her how to swim efficiently, defend herself but also hunt to eat, what and what not to eat and so on. All the things needed to survive in this new world. The transformation of Aulori was total only few days after she met Blur. . Her tail is purple, almost lavender. Her scales go up her rib to her breast so she doesn't need any clothes anymore. In their wander, Blur suddenly stops.
- Fish bait, now that you are pretty adapt to your new condition, there is more I need to tell you.
- Enlight me fish boy, replies the red haired, swimming fluently in the water around him.
- Can you stop call me fish boy? You are as much as fish person as me.
- No way, as long as you are calling me fish bait and not my true name Aulori as you already know it.
- As you can see, your colours are pretty vivid. You conserves you flamboyant hair colour and your scales are purple. But for me, I am much more dull and dark. It's also true for our skin colour. He change the direction of their path to the austral plains. We belong both to the merfolk but you are a south mermaid as I am a north merman. The southern ones live in warm and tropical waters, full of many tones. On the contrary, the northern live in cold to almost frizzing waters. They can't live in the other's territory.
- But we are in a cold sea. So I shouldn't possibly be able to be here if I am a south mermaid.
- The cursed humans transformed into mermaid or merman are special case. They can live in both waters. But for the original, if they are not in their kind of water, it can be lethal. The in-between zone is alright for everyone and is often where the north and south merfolk will meet. In order to finish your transformation, you need to go to the tropical sea, explains Blur.
- My transformation is not finish? But I'm already like you with different colours.
- Your powers as a mermaid are still not developed. You will need to go if you want to fully be a mermaid and be able to defend yourself.
- And why now? inquires the girl with eyes of algae
- I needed to form you so you can survive alone and not die due to starvation or poison.
- Alright. So off to the South. If I understood well, as you are a north merman, you can't accompany me there. How will I learn what I need?
- It's up to you fish bait. Use this head of yours, grins he to her. But let's go. We will need some days to arrive at the border.
Some moons after, the man begins to have difficulties to swim. It is a sign they approach the limits of the in-between zone.
- I didn't know you can be such a slowpoke Blur.
- It's nothing, we are just soon arriving and the warm water affects me. We need to say good-bye now, fish bait.
Suddenly hugging him, Aulori replies to him : Bye my knight in a shining armour. If you didn't found me back then I don't know what will have happen to me. But we will see each other soon. And after that, she moves aside slowly with a smile and glassy eyes then turn around toward her new homeland where she can learn the last thing about her new form.
- Sorry to not explain all the truth to you, my dear. But you need to discover it by yourself, pleasantly or not, murmurs the dark tailed man as he observes his companion leaving him to the tropical waters.