Fun in the Sun
Floating Palace Pt: 1
Going a little out of order here. Seeing as how the Floating Palace took place in summer, the timeline still fits. Naturally, I'll add my own spins to make it work.
Oh and Royal Mess will come later on. I wanted to get this saga done.
One last note, I have NO IDEA what sort of swim where they had during this time period. So, enjoy modern day swim wear. NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES!
Enjoy.
xxx
Shapes sped beneath a lapping surface. Rhythmic sways of a current tracing the peak of waves. The shapes interwove themselves between one another. A dance for the fresh waters housing them. The cloudy, albeit clear, skies and sun made the vast oceans glimmer and gloss Fins broke the crystal blue waters, spouts of water huffed to the air. The teasing fins were just the tip of the iceberg. Speed built in the forms drawing near the surface. One final dunk and dolphins leapt to the air, chortling gleefully to the air gracing their gentle to the touch skin. Higher and higher the dolphins soared, echoing cackles to their friends.
Leading the pod of playful dolphins was a golden pegasus figurehead. different colored flags on small towers followed the figure head. The dolphins shortened their jumps and lowered their speed. They drew back and jumped again in celebration of the ship traveling their waters. A ship. More like a fortress. Not as big as the castle, but just as impressive. A Floating Palace for the Royal Family Enchancia. Who just so happen to be on board, making their way to a place very special to King Roland. Everyone was beyond excited.
"BLLLEEGGHHH..." Some so much that it made them sick. Eezeyal hung off the ship's stern, bringing up his breakfast for the ocean to consume. Lydia massaged his back, helping him along. Meanwhile, Ubos was searching his pages for a cure to his affliction.
"No sea wings yet, Ezee?" Lydia cooed.
"Gah!" Eezeyal's feathers were a sickly shade of orange. "I lost my sea wings at the docks!" Eezeyal scarfed the next round and threw it overboard.
"I'm sorry, Pops. You could have stayed home."
"And leave you and the book alone to grow chummy? NUH-UH!" He wouldn't have it. Lydia and Ubos shared incredulous smirks. Eezeyal's overactive imagination put it in his head that Ubos would steal Lydia out from under him. "Besides, this is our first REAL vacation, together. I wanted all three of us to spend it together."
"Agreed." Ubos chuckled. He gazed in awe to the ocean. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. Having you both hear makes it all the more special."
"My feelings exactly." Lydia brought them into a hug. For Lydia, this will mark her first vacation with her new family. James swore to being able to be Lydia in a swimming race. She planned to prove him wrong. On top of that, it was the perfect setting to spend time with Her mom and Dad, and sibs. Things have been so tense around the castle lately that they all desperately needed the R and R. "And we won't be on the ship for too much longer. Dad said where we're going there'll be a beach where we can go exploring."
Eezeyal had tears in his eyes. He bobbed clenched fists to the sky, "Thank the four seasons!" He fell back into Lydia's hands, drifting off to bliss.
"What a drama queen." Ubos playfully rolled his eyes.
"LYDIA!" Jame bellowed. Hurried footsteps were heading their direction.
"JAMES! HIDE!" Lydia stuffed Ubos outside the ship. He pressed to the stern, playing possum - so to speak.
"There you are!" James cheered, sprinting to Lydia.
"Yep! Here I am!" Lydia laughed nervously in a sweat. "Just me and Eezeyal! No one else!" If it were possible to make it anymore obvious.
"Hurry up to the terrace! There's something you gotta see!"
"YAH!" James yanked her like a mush dog. "Okay! Okay! I'm coming!" Lydia giggled. Eezeyal threw his wings into double time to catch up. Ubos crept along the side of the boat. He wanted to see what all the fuss is about.
James wasn't the only one excited to show one of his sisters the surprise. Amber found Sofia held up in the Floating Palace's library. He nose deep in a book about Mermaids, and a world under the sea. Amber insister Sofia hurry to the terrace. Of course Sofia was too engrossed in her book to pull away. Amber's pushy nature pried the book from her hands and had Sofia out to the terrace before she could blink. Roland, Miranda, and Baileywick were already outside by the time the girls showed up. At the same time, James arrived with Lydia.
"Hello, Ladies!" Roland brightly greeted.
"Dad! Are we there yet?!" James jumped in place.
"We sure are! Welcome to Merroway Cove!" He flourished an arm.
Lydia, Sofia, and Miranda were thrown back in absolute wonder. Eezeyal rose in the air, eyes and jaw growing wider the more he was exposed to. Ubos utilized every single restraint he could muster to not resound his whereabouts. But the view was absolutely breathtaking. A gorgeous island paradise before them. Waters so clear they could see the bottom for miles. A white, sandy beach, rocky shores and caves to explores. And the abundance of greenery just added to the beauty. James and Amber could hardly believe a place like this existed and they were only visiting it now.
"ROLLY! It's beautiful!" Miranda gushed.
"Oh my gosh!" Lydia planted her hands to the railing. "I've never seen anything so incredible!" She couldn't wait to go ashore. Her inner exploring was calling.
"It's just as I remember it!" Roland immersed himself in the timeless treasure. He felt his mother and father standing behind him, admiring the serenity with him. "My father brought me here when I was a boy. Remember, Baileywick?"
"All too well, Your Majesty..." Baileywick dizzily replied. He whimpered pitifully. He was slumped to the railing, holding his spinning head. Lydia and James winced at his unhealthy shade of green.
"Are you okay, Baileywick?" Sofia fretted.
"Yes, Sofia. I'm just getting used to being on the water." He dropped his head on the rail.
"You're not the only one." Lydia giggled at Eezeyal. He was beside Baileywick, ready for round ten.
"What a perfect place to spend our summer vacation!" Miranda announced exuberantly. Summer wasn't over until sometime mid September. And the weather promises perfect swimming time fun.
"I agree." Lydia slyly pulled Roland to the side, anchoring him to her height. "And the perfect time frame for a certain stain glass window to be finished." She grinned impishly.
"You know about that?!" Roland gasped quietly.
"Eezeyal spotted the window maker drawing it up a week ago." Eeezeyal impishly bounced his brows. "He said the design was absolutely gorgeous."
"Eezeyal?" Roland remarked dubiously. "But...how could he possibly-"
"Daddy." Amber interjected. "Isn't Merroway Cove where the Mermaids live?"
"Mermaids!" Sofia beamed.
"There are mermaids here?!" Lydia squealed, hugging his arm.
"I'm afraid those stories are just old fishermen's tales." Roland gently burst their bubble. "The last time I was here I didn't see any Mermaids. And I looked." He added strongly. It was an adventure that started out fun, but ended on a sad note. "Right, Baileywick."
"You did, indeed." Baileywick will never forget being dragged from ocean to land looking for one.
"At the Academy, one of my professor's told us he met a merman once." Lydia itched her head with thought. "It was hard to tell if he was joking or not. But some of us believed him."
"I thought you went to Hexley?" Amber remarked curiously.
"Hexley and The Academy are two halves of the same school." She conjoined her index fingers. "The Hexley half is for the amateurs and satisfactory sorcerers. The Academy is for the honors." Which is where her certificate was issued, naming her an honorary sorceress. She was not ashamed to be very proud of her accomplishment. The fairies taught both halves. Lydia was convinced they did it just to ensure she stayed out of trouble. "I remember my friends telling me they went looking for mermaids where he was, and never found any."
"Maybe they stayed underwater." Sofia threw out there, keeping the hope alive. "I'm reading a book about mermaids right now, and it's says a lot of times mermaids will come up to the surface when THEY KNOW humans aren't looking." Lydia considered it. Wouldn't be the first time creatures of myth stayed hiding to avoid humans.
"NONSENSE!" A gruff, portly man sauntered onto the terrace. Eezeyal and Ubos were frightened by his tone.
"Admiral Hornpike!" Roland flamboyantly welcomed.
"I have sailed the 17 seas, and seen all manner of creatures." He boasted. "But not one single mermaid." He folded a hand behind his back.
Lydia, Eezeyal, and Ubos - peeking surreptitiously from the side - eyed him befuddled. "Seven...teen?" They simultaneously glanced.
"The truth to the matter is, there IS no truth to the matter! MERMAIDS-ARE-NOT-RRREAL!" He rolled the tongue, finalizing his statement with a fine DOT. Or exclamation point. Whichever punctuation is preferred.
"But it says so in the book..." Sofia woefully tried to convince him. She wants so badly to believe mermaids are out there.
"Well, not all stories are true, Sofia." Roland regretfully drew her to reality.
"Maybe not." Lydia wasn't disagreeing. But she doesn't agree either. "But there has to be some truth to them. I mean...isn't that how most myths are started?"
"Sometimes..." Roland had to credit her for that one.
"With all due respect, Princess," Hornpike's derisive chuckle jiggled his belly, "Aren't you a little too old to believe in fairytales?" Wobbled his head mockingly.
Lydia, insulted, squared off challengingly to the prude Admiral, "Do you realize I perform a phenomena that was RESTRICTED to fairytales?" A snap of her fingers. A glittery shape of an octopus woman appeared. She glared back at him, daring him to put logic behind her craft.
"R-right..." The Admiral sputtered flushed. He wasn't winning an argument with her at this moment. "SO! Who wants to go up to the wheelhouse and help me sail around this lovely cove?"
Roland and James threw their hands in the air. "I DO! I DO!" Eezeyal and Ubos couldn't resist snickering at the change in subject.
"Well of course you do. Talley-ho!"
"Come along everyone." Roland and Hornpike guided everyone to the wheelhouse. James and Roland were practically dancing in place. They couldn't wait to get behind the wheel.
"I'm going to borrow a life boat and go to the shore." Lydia informed Miranda. "Eezeyal's kind of..." She and Miranda saw the bird dying in a corner and giggled. Plus, she wanted to find some seashells. She can turn them into necklaces.
"Okay. Just be careful." Miranda waved, hurrying after the others.
"I will." Lydia waved back.
Sofia stayed put, too depressed that her mermaids weren't anything but stories. Part of her wants to believe they are in the cove. Swimming, playing, and living it up in the water. A whole other world lying at their feet, untouched by humans or their world. However, the chance that Hornpike and Roland are right, and that mermaids are fake, made her sad. It would mean that most of the stories she's read are based on fiction. Gnomes, Fairies, Dwarves, Hobbits - none of them real.
Lydia knelt behind her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Don't let what the admirable said get you down, Sofie." She stroked Sofia's head. "He's a sour old man who believes in tangible things only."
"She is right, Princess." Ubos came from hiding. He let Sofia hold him, winking charmingly at her, "Keep your pretty chin up."
"I was really hoping to see the mermaids." She moaned despondently, touching the warm arms around her.
"Me too." Lydia stroked Sofia's hair. "I've always wanted to see one."
"Too bad they aren't real." The young princess sat on Lydia's folded knees.
"Hmm, you never know." Ubos's purr lit the girls spirits. He wiggled a brow at them, taunting his audience with a dramatic pause. "Most people are prone to consider Lore and Myths attributes of fairytales simply because they've yet to witness them with their own eyes." He closed one and widened the other. "What do you think his opinion on floating, talking books is?" He gave a flared spin, posing for the girls. Sofia was cheered up instantly.
"There's that smile." Lydia hugged her proudly. Now the day can begin on a good note. "Anyway," Lydia stood, helping Sofia to her feet, "I'm gonna go ashore and explore. Wanna come?"
"No thanks." She drummed her fingers, casting a sneaky glance to the wheelhouse. "I kind of want to go steer the ship."
"Alright." Lydia figured as much. Sofia's a natural at sailing. She's been doing it since she was four. "I'll see if Cedric wants to go. Catch you later."
"Bye." Sofia picked up her dress, going around the starboard side to catch up to the rest of the family. Lydia moseyed for the sorcerer's tower. She wondered how Cedric managed to convince Roland to install a tower for him. Guess Dad likes him more than I thought.
"Cedric?!" Eezeyal fluttered in her path. He loved to show off his backwards flying skills. The stress molting feathers kind of ruined the feat, though. "Why are ya invtin' that string bean varmint?!" He grit teeth, smashing his face into her uninterested nose.
"Why not?" Lydia pinched his beak closed, moving him to the side. "Cedric loves exploring." She shrugged indifferently.
"That's not the only thing he loves." Ubos sniggered to himself. A vein clenched in Lydia's forehead. She glare roared, I heard that!
"But with us?!" Eezeyal cannot stress enough how much he despises this plan. "Liddy! The guy is tryin' tuh rob yer sister! And depose yer dad!" He grasped her collar, planted his feet, and pressed his face to hers, "AND HE'S TRYING TO KILL YOU!" Lydia actually bent back, scared of him right now. He's making very good points. And it sort of bothered Lydia that she's forgotten all he's done. Why am I inviting him? She quizzed her motives.
"Dethrone is the the proper term. Depose is for Management workers." Ubos, true to form, corrected. He must have been a dictionary in a past life.
"THANK YOU, BOOKWORM!" Eezeyal frothed. Ubos grunted, facing his insult to the sea. "It's a bad idea, Lydia! Don't bring him!"
"While Cedric has shown wavering resolve, your boorish partner makes a valid point." Ubos admitted disgruntled. He has faith there is good in Cedric Lydia and Sofia will bring to the surface. "Perhaps it is best to take it in stride how close you allow Cedric."
Lydia was starting to regret bringing those two along. They're killing the mood she worked hard to lift. "We're on vacation guys!" Lydia parted them like the sea, hearing no more of their naysaying. "We're in the second most beautiful location in the world. Even Cedric has to take a break to smell the seaside roses!"
xxx
"BWAHAHAHA!" Cedric's cackle riled thunder and lightning rocks brewing behind him. A very nice aesthetic for his evil. He should make a mural. "Yes, Wormy! There will be no vacationing for us! There is absolutely no rest for the wicked!" Wormwood cawed in agreement. Cedric burst his tower windows open. The fresh ocean air of the beautiful cove fueled his spark to a raging flame. "The seaside roses will have to wait! Let Sofia and Lydia enjoy their li'l beach party, fun in the sun. I've got kingdoms to take over!" He thrust a finger to the air, adjourning to his work station. Wormwood loop-de-looped eagerly. He couldn't wait to see what dastardly plans Cedric cooked up to take over Enchancia.
Cedric lugged his heavy bag onto a desk, barely able to contain his excitement. He needed to be careful. He was drooling enough to fill buckets. "And the best part, Wormy, is that we won't need Princess Sofia's amulet to do it." Wormwood murmured an inquiry. He was under the impression the amulet was all he needed to rule Enchancia. Was there another option. "Because I've found another way!" He cheered, lifting his spellbook from the bag. "The Mermaid Comb of Merroway cove…" He purred huskily, getting tingly all over. He opened the book to the object of his newfound affection. Drawings of Mermaids circled a map of the cove, and a rumored world at the bottom of it. On the sister page was an elegant turquoise tiara like comb. Two baby dolphins lying in their backs and touching heads decorated the body. "According to legend, the Mermaids that live at the bottom of this cove have a comb that can harness the power of the ocean." He unsheathed his wand. "Like THIS!" He ran the wand in a spiral. A wild water rapid coiled in midair, dousing Wormwood to the bone. "OOH! If I can get my hand on that comb, the entire Kingdom will bow at my feet!" He can see it now. The admiration, the limelight, the women hanging on his arm. And the crown. Oh, the crown. All the while he's fantasizing, chewing on his wand, Wormwood was drowning in a puddle of magical water.
Knock-knock-knock! Cedric's bubble burst. He growled dangerously, wanting to kill whoever dared interrupt. "Come in!" He permitted irked, shutting his spellbook.
"Morning, Cedric." Lydia poked in. "Sorry to bother you."
"And yet you're doing it anyway." Cedric jadedly jeered, clenching teeth in a creepy grin. Inside, though, he was slightly pleased she was there.
"Well excuse the heck outta me!" Lydia stamped her toes. Serves her right for wanting to do the loner a favor. Her attention drifted to the choking, pleading for help, Wormwood on the desk. He was fumbling and slipping in a puddle of water. "What happened to you?" She picked him up, putting him on a dry area.
"I received my second bath today. And it was awful." He spread his wings, flapping the excess water off. Then he stifled a laugh. Lydia, drenched before hitting the beach, groaned miserably. She took out her handkerchief, dried her face, and then gave Wormwood a quick dry off. His feather fluffed in all directions. The mohawk was flattering. "Thank you…" He grumbled, not really in need of her help. He flattened the askew feathers.
"No prob." She shot the cloth into Cedric's hamper. Wet brid smell was worse than wet dog.
Cedric briefly lost track. A normal conversation between a girl and a bird. The english and bird caws made it difficult to translate the situation. "How is it I always forget that you can speak with animals?" He sneered at her gleaming earrings.
"Because I don't do it around you very often." Lydia stroked hair behind her ear. She shined the earring in the light. "I'm always talking to Eezeyal when people aren't around."
"A state secret?"
"No. A running gag."
"A princess of sorcery and comedy. I like it." He leaned debonair to his desk, flashing Lydia a charmed smirk. "What brings you to my slice of heaven this morning?"
"I'm taking one of the lifeboats to the shore to do a little exploring. And maybe swim a bit. I was wondering if you wanted to come."
"No thank you. I'm not one for recreational sports."
"What recreation? We're on vacation. And besides," She trolled a finger to his lanky figure, "You could use an extra hour in the oven."
Cedric put hands to his hips, "I'll have you know that I like my meat rare!" He leaned forward, sending a static charge her way, "Not all of us can be blessed well done."
"I'm not well done! I'm medium rare! Mom's well done."
All this talk of well done and rare was making his stomach growl. "Great. Now I want sirloin." He cupped his stomach.
"Dad brought Tri-Tip to be barbecued later on."
"Thank the seven heavens!" Cedric thinks he might faint. Tender, juicy tri tip, with a side of potatoes.
"Cedric." Lydia snapped her fingers, bringing him back. "Focus."
"AHEM! Yes, quite." He blushed. Food tends to make him daydream. Getting back to the subject at hand, Cedric arched a bewildered brow to Lydia's headband. "By the by..." Cedric pointed to a spot on his own head, "Are you sure your headband can get wet?" Lydia masked her churning anxiety with a fake baffled expression. "In my day, they weren't water proof."
"Why...would I...not be able to get my headband wet?" She shifted her nervous gaze, her mouth going dry.
"Oh come now, Princess! Give me more credit!" Cedric marched to her. Before Lydia had a chance to react, Cedric pried the headband off. She screamed in protest, lunging for it. Cedric stopped her by the chest. He unenthusiastically dangled the headband by a slender finger. "I've known what this was the moment I you walked into the palace." He is, of course, talking about their first - literal - run in. When he and Lydia collided, he sensed a charge come from her. That charge came from the headband she is never without. "This delightfully, fashionable number is a physical misnomer. The true purpose has to do with your adolescent control - or lack thereof - of your magic." Lydia lost ten shades of color. Her eyes wide with horror. Impossible...he can't possibly know...how could he? Her knees knocked. Sweat was running down her brow. Cedric re-set the accessory to her head, situating it so it was perfect. "But what can you do? Most your age have difficulty keeping a leash on their magic. There's no shame in it."
"Wait! What?!" That carriage crashed to a booming halt. They weren't talking about the same thing anymore. "What are you talking about?" Seriously.
"Your secret is safe with me, Lydia." Cedric reassured her, putting hands to her shoulders. "It just so happens my mother wore a similar accessory when she was your age. A sort of placebo to help her during her youthful trials." He winked. Lydia blinked in part relief and part confusion. They really weren't talking about the same thing anymore. "You'll grow out of it in no time, and find you never needed it in the first place."
"R-right..." She trailed off, drearily looking to the ground. He doesn't know?
"You're quite the...adequate sorceress. It'll be obsolete for sure."
"Ha-ha-ha...right..." She trailed off, dodging a bullet on that one. "Th-thanks, Cedric." He really has no clue. She finally released her breath. Thank goodness.
"Are you alright?"
"FINE!" She yelped. "I'm just fine." She lied laughing. "I'm just excited to go ashore."
"Well, don't let me stop you." He waved her off. "See you when you get back."
"Okay. I'll bring you a seashell or something." She opened the door.
"OOH! Bring me a conchshell! Those are my favorite!" Stars sparkled in his eyes.
"Deal." Lydia closed the door behind her.
Cedric was looking forward to receiving the conchshell. In the meantime, he had more pressing matters to attend to. "Time to stop lounging, Wormy. We are going fishing," He conjured a shadow of a mermaid swimming in a bubble, "For mermaids~" He sang.
xxx
Lydia, her hair tied in an up ponytail, emerged from her changing room in a maroon bathsuit. The blue pair of knee length shorts Miranda helped her make were remarkably comfortable. And the best part, Roland wouldn't have a panic attack about her going out into the world in revealing clothing. Odd, seeing as she wears a skirt 24/7. A white shoulder shawl hugged to her shoulders, wrapped at the front by a band. Lydia threw on her closed toe sandals and met Ubos and Eezeyal at one of the lifeboats. On the way, she passed by Sofia who was playing with a stowed away Clover. A bag of blueberries was at his mercy. That explained the snoring she heard in one of the boxes.
"You guys ready?" She tossed her bag into the boat. It was going to hold her seashells, and whatever else she found on the beach.
"Born ready, Lydia!" Eezeyal flexed his muscle-less wings. "I can't wait to soak up so vitamin C!" He tossed on a pair of sunglasses, lounging in an imaginary lounge chair. Coiled rope is very comfortable for a small animal.
"Vitamin C is in oranges." Ubos's political corrections ruffled his feathers. "What you seek is vitamin D."
"Can we please leave him?" Eezeyal begged.
"Too late. We're casting off." Lydia twirled her wand. The winch lowered them into the water. Eezeyal pouted over the edge. Ubos saw a lot of potential for fun. "Oh cheer up, Ezee." Lydia pulled a rope, letting the sail fall and catch the wind. "The three of us are going to have a great time." Ubos helped her fasten the rope while she worked the rudder.
"Any plans for scouring the cove for Mermaids?" Ubos wiggled a teasing brow.
"As fun as that sounds…" Lydia guided the boat more to the left. The wind puffed up the sail, and a current carried them, "I don't feel like drowning for a fairytale."
"Why so certain they are fairy tales?" He cooed, sitting on her lap. "Dragons and Griffins exist. Why not Mermaids?"
"I dunno." She bobbed her shoulders. "Anyone who's seen one can't prove they exist."
"Yet stories of them transcended the ages, bringing to life the possibility." He dramatically breathed, projecting a mystical wonder behind the tale.
"Are you trying to tell me you've met Mermaids?" Lydia avidly asked, holding onto a smidge of doubt. Ubos's widening smile was neither a yes or no. More of a I'll leave it to your imagination. That marvelous twinkle he idolized filled her. Ubos can't have his princess losing her sense of wonder.
Thump! A jolt startled Lydia at her feet. They hit something under the boat. She looked over, checking for reefs. The shore was drawing close, but the water was fairly deep. No reef that close. "Hm? What's that?" Ubos and Eezeyal spied a disappearing mass in the water.
"A dolphin?" Eezeyal proposed.
"Possibly." Ubos knit his brow. He can't help but think it was a bit big for a dolphin. Studying the surrounding ocean, it bothered Ubos by how calm the water was. Too calm.
Lydia, Ubos, and Eezeyal ran the boat aground just enough it would stay put. The anchor was dropped in case the tide decided to grow a sense of humor. The beach was even more gorgeous up close. Sofia and the others were going to be sorry they missed out.
"What do you wanna do first?" Eezeyal landed on her head.
"Hmm…" The forest would be a fun place to explore. A lost city just waiting to be discovered. But there were also some caves. Maybe a sunken treasure hid the caverns. "How about…" She panned the scenery. There's so much they can do, but with too little time. "How about a quick climb to get the blood flowing?" There was a cliffside overlooking the ocean, and it seemed to offer a view of the rest of the island.
"Sounds good to me!" Ubos charged. "Race you there!"
"CHEATER!" Lydia and Eezeyal chased after him. Little did the trio realize, another life boat was sailing their way. It coasted wayward, heading in the general direction of the caves.
Eezeyal and Ubos had it easy. They were able to fly up the cliff. Lydia had to hike up a steep slope in sandals. When she catches those two, she would kill them for making her work so hard. Still, it was fun. Listening to her boys laugh and smack talk one another. James and Zandar aren't nearly as competitive.
"WINNER!" Ubos flipped. He smirked at the huffing and puffing Eezeyal and Lydia coming up on his heels. "And the slowest horses cross the finish line."
"YOU...CHEATED…!" The two struggled for breath.
"Excuses, excuses." Ubos savored their defeat while it lasted.
Crisp ocean wind nearly blew Lydia back down the slope. It was colder too. She was rethinking wearing shorts and sandals. She pushed hair from her view, gazing out to the wafting forest. It was bigger than she thought it was. She couldn't' wait to see it. There were hills all around, begging to be climbed. Lydia slowly turned to face the powerful bluster. "Whoa…" Even from on top of a rock - a five story drop to rock ridden waters - the cove was stunning. Lydia had a tear in her eye. Glistening waters basking in the sunlight. Miles upon miles, a horizon as far as the eye could see. "Lezard, you are so missing out right now!" She gushed. "Wish I would have brought a pad and pen. This would be a good postcard to send him."
"Careful…" Eezeyal tauntingly elbowed her, "You might make Cedric jealous."
"Why would Cedric be jealous?"
"No reason. Just, when you aren't fighting, you both seem REAL chummy."
"Look who's jealous now?" She flicked his forehead. Cedric doesn't have a reason to be jealous. I mean...we aren't 'best friends.' She doesn't even think they're friends.
"AAAHHH!" The shrill scream dropped Lydia to a knee. Her heart pounded. She thought she was the only one there. She frantically searched for who screamed. No one was there. But it wasn't her imagination. That was a scream. From where? "AAHH! GET AWAY!" Below?
Lydia crawled to the edge. Salty splashed stung her eyes. She squinted hard, scanning the rocky line. So far nothing. And no sign of who screamed. Correction. "Huh. What's that?" A tide was bringing a hefty level of water in. Crashing it ferociously to the cliffside. A short distance from the rocks, the water was splashing and fizzling strangely. The rest of the water was calm in a sense. But in that one spot the water was in tizzy. Lydia was about to rule it as coral, or fish gathering. Or… "Could that be who screamed?" Then she saw darkly colored fins. Lydia went to ice. Three sharp fins breaking the surface, three more swatting it fiercely. It wasn't a person. "Sharks?! This close to shore?!" That's not right. Sharks never swim where the water is so shallow. "What are they-"
"SOMEONE! PLEASE! HELP ME!" That voice again. It was close.
Lydia darted her head left to right. Where...where...THERE! "OH MY GOSH!" Off to the side of her position, behind the rocks. A girl with long brown hair in a ponytail was trapped on the rocks. Her hands clamped to the seashell crown, protecting her from the crashing waves, and approaching sharks. The harder the waves came, the higher the water rose. The sharks, in random bursts, used the rise to snap their jaws at the girl. Sometimes they were far off. Others times...if the girl didn't have such fast reflexes, her bracelet would leave with her arm still attached. "HOLD ON! I'M COMING!" Lydia swung her legs off the ledge.
"LYDIA!" Eezeyal and Ubos screamed in protest, hovering helpless to stop the descending girl. "ARE YOU INSANE?!" They both screamed. One would think they'd be used to her crazy stunts by now. Half the time what she does shocks them to the brink of death. Climbing with nary a harness, or trampoline to catch her, to shark infested waters took the cake today.
Lydia ignored the - very sane and panicking - naysayers pleading her to climb back up. Truth be told, that tiny voice in the back of her head was begging her to go back too. Go get help. Any help. She wasn't going to. No one was in calling distance, and it would take way too long to sail back to the palace and get help. And those sharks were getting closer. Lydia planted a foot on a secure rock. It broke off. She was weightless. Ubos and Eezeyal closed their eyes. Lydia blindly grabbed another rock, finding footholds to stop her. She froze in place. Her muscles clenched in vices. Lydia was fine. She saw her life flash before her eyes, but she was fine.
"That was close…" She rasped. Her voice was gone. She looked down. She was almost to the girl. The salt water was going to ruin her pink dress for...ever. At least the shells holding it looked nice. "Take it slow, Lydia." She squeezed her holds, burying her other foot. "One foot and hand after the other."
"WATCH YER STEP, LIDDY!" Eezeyal shouted. "Those are black tip sharks! They're nasty!"
"Thanks, Eeze! Next you'll tell me not to look down, right?" She sardonically spat.
The girl pressed her back to the rocks, hyperventilating with frightful tears streaming down her cheeks. The water was getting higher. Already at her chest. The sharks were wedging themselves in the rocks. The bases cracked and chipped under their impressive strength. In a mad panic she pulled and yanked at her legs. There was nowhere for her to go. The rocks had her trapped. "Mommy…" She closed her eyes, cowering under her hands. One of the sharks was coming around, leading to a charge. "Help me…" The charging shark parted the waters. Rows of razor sharp teeth opened.
Lydia in the pool with the crying girl. She whipped her wand out. The shark lunged in a leap. "ANCHOVY!" Grey streams hit the shark's nose. In a poof the shark shrank to an anchovy, rebounding off Lydia's head. "Ew!" She wiped the slime off.
The frightened girl marveled at her rescuer. Glancing to the water, the anchovy shark was swimming in circles. Am I...losing my mind? The girl thought. She had to be. She was still shaking. Her head and heart are racing. She's living in a figment of her own panicked mind. It's not possible for humans to perform magic. She screamed. She scrambled to get farther away. She winced. A burning pain at the sides of her legs put her in a vice. She has to be a witch of some kind! She's an evil witch! She put herself to a large boulder. The ferocity in Lydia's eyes grew more terrifying than the sharks. It's just as her mom and friend said. The humans are scary monsters. Mom...Plank...help!
The other two sharks were coming their way. "ANCHOVY! ANCHOVY!" Lydia transformed them into anchovies. They bumped into her legs, unable to stop in time. Lydia slapped the water, shooing them off. The scared girl finally relaxed in her pool, if not keeping her guard up. It took Lydia a minute to register that the danger was passed. The cold water at her thighs brought her back to herself. "Oh...man..." Lydia slouched.
"ARE YOU THICK IN THE HEAD?!" Eezeyal dive bombed a peck to her head.
"YOW! That hurt Eezeyal!" The scared girl blinked in shock of the bird. It was screaming at the strange girl as if she would understand him. Do animals really think humans understand them? "What was that for?!" She yelled teary eyed, massaging the swelling lump.
"REALLY?!" Was she really asking why he's knocking sense into that air head of hers? "You climb down the side of a cliff, and then you face down the ocean's most deadliest predators!" He pecked her five more times, hoping she would realize how stupid she acted. "What would we have told Sofia had you been eaten?! OR WORSE?!"
"Good thing I'm hard to digest!" Lydia forced a laugh. Eezeyal's talons yanked tuffs of her hair, harvested by the roots. "OW! OKAY! OKAY!" The girl widened her eyes. It was undeniable. She can understand him! Impossible! Humans can't- "Hey? Are you alright?" The girl jolted from her daydream. She barely noticed the arguing stopped, and now Lydia was leaning over her.
"Uh...ugh...umm…" The frazzled girl shyly bobbed her head.
Lydia shuffled on and between the rocks, taking care not to step on the girl's legs or feet. "The sharks didn't get you? Are you hurt anywhere?" She put a knee on a stone. When she reached to inspect her, the girl jerked back, half hiding behind a boulder. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. My name is Lydia. This is Eezeyal. What's yours?"
The girl growled harshly. Her dagger glare prevented Lydia from trying to get closer. She hugged the rock as if she would throw it should Lydia not keep her distance. However, as she is the one person who saved her life, the least she can do is offer a name. A thanks, so to speak. It's the LEAST this human deserves. "C-Cora."
"Cora. That's pretty." Lydia smiled widely. Cora inwardly lightened, but that doesn't mean she'll trust her. She was just baffled. Lydia was being remarkably nice. Maybe because she doesn't know I'm a- Lydia tried again to help her, offering her a hand. "Can you stand?" Cora was about to take her hand. Then she stopped. Stand...She retracted her hand, twisting timidly so Lydia wouldn't see her apprehension. "What's wrong? Are you stuck?" By the way she is sitting, Lydia guessed where her legs would stretch. Closed in rocks were in the general direction. "Here. Let me take a look and-"
"WAIT! DON'T!" Cora wasn't able to lunge far enough.
Lydia held her breath and put her face in the water. She batted her eyes, adjusting to the potent sea water. Everything was blurry...clearing...clearing. A long...pinkish red bed of coral came into view. Wait a minute. Lydia paused, focusing hard. That isn't...Scales...fins...it was wiggling. On the surface, Eezeyal was flapping fervently. It unnerved her how long Lydia was keeping her face in the water. Cora trembled like seaweed in a tundra. Panic claimed her again, making her pant heavily. She was on the verge of crying. Eezeyal saw the gathering tears, arching a confused brow. A mass of bubbles rippled the water. Lydia slowly lifted her face from the water. Her wide eyes blinked, locked in a daze.
"Well, Liddy. How's it lookin'?" Eezeyal asked hopefully. Lydia looked at Cora, frozen in...she wasn't sure how she was feeling. Cora swallowed a large lump. Lydia back down to the water, and to the pink NOT CORAL. Then back to Cora. "Liddy? What's wrong, girl?" Eezeyal perched to her shoulder.
"She doesn't have legs…" Lydia drawled blandly.
"THE SHARKS TOOK HER LEGS?!" Eezeyal cried. Lydia, not taking her eyes off Cora, dunked Eezeyal in the water and held him there for a few seconds. Cora was getting more nervous. She padded the rocks, searching for anything that would give her the semblance of security. Lydia lifted Eezeyal up, and he was ogling Cora in the same gobsmacked way. "Liddy. The girl don't have legs."
"No she doesn't."
He gestured a finger to the water. "That's...a...tail. A-FISH-TAIL!" He pulled her hair anxiously. "Lydia! Human girls don't have tails! Let alone fishy ones!"
"No...no they don't." This girl wasn't human. Far from it. Cora bit her lip. She braced herself. "You're…" Lydia rolled her eyes up and down Cora one more time. In the back of her mind, a voice was shouting that she was losing her mind. That the shark attack made her hallucinate. "You're a mermaid?"
To be continued.