Chapter Six- Bargain Fulfilled

Atem surfaced and glided toward a smooth rock large enough for two and low enough so that most of the tail would stay in the water. Atem hoisted himself up onto the rock by the time Heka surfaced. He move forward and joined the pharaoh. All was quiet, calm, and clear with a crescent moon overhead. Heka leaned back, closed his eyes, and exhaled silently.

"Yes," Atem agreed. "I love coming here to enjoy the peace and quiet. Most merpeople choose not to surface but enough of us do and describe the wonders we witness.

"I enjoyed dancing with you. We seemed made for each other the whole time." Heka sat forward and opened his eyes to look at Atem with those beautiful eyes. The pharaoh smiled. "Heka, I know I had asked before but I'll ask again anyway. We have met before, yes?" Heka nodded.

"Okay then tell me: Did you save me that day? Was it you?"

Heka nodded and mouthed the three words he had said that day, Hang on, pharaoh. Atem's eyes widened as they read the lips. "It was you. Somehow, I know it. Well, you know that I want to marry my rescuer and so Heka, will you marry me?"

Heka nodded, smiling hugely. Atem took one of his hands, fingers interlaced. "I thought you would. We won't hold the wedding yet, but we will let the kingdom know of our engagement, okay?" Atem leaned over and gave Heka a deep, loving kiss which sent Heka's heart soaring. He kissed me! I'll be staying a merman!

The couple parted and gazed happily at each other until a stream of energy and a glowing sphere came flying through the air and entered Heka. Heka inhaled and coughed as his voice settled in his throat.

"Heka! Are you all right? What were those things?" Atem asked, concerned.

Mahad smiled. "I'm fine, my pharaoh."

Atem gasped. "You can talk again!"

"Yes and it's because of your kiss.

"Let me explain. My actual name is Mahad and I was a human who dreamed of being a royal sorcerer or warlock by our term. I was trying out a spell that would let me breathe underwater that day and when I saw you, I instantly fell in love. When you were caught, I broke the spell by surfacing and freed you."

"Why didn't you stay? I would have wanted to thank you and ask about humans."

"I heard the guard call and I panicked. I managed to teleport myself back to land. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Yesterday morning, I met an elderly sorcerer named Aknadin. He had been reading my mind to find out about my magical knowledge for the purpose of taking me as his apprentice. He learned of my love for you and offered a bargain. I had planned to use the underwater spell to find you but Aknadin offered to make me a merman, something I couldn't perform and hadn't found in any of my books.

"He said he would turn me into a merman for three days. If you kissed me by then, I would stay a merman. If not, I would be human again and end up switching bodies with Aknadin. He wanted my voice and magic as payment. Both have returned because of the kiss. If I had become human again, I would receive my voice, but not my magic."

"Why would this…sorcerer want your body?"

"I imagine so he can live even longer." Mahad closed his eyes to enjoy the return of his magic. He probed it and came to a surprise: His magic had become much stronger and much more powerful than before. Aknadin must have been strengthening it these last two days. He planned for me to fail so he chose to strengthen my magic thinking it was his now. His eyes flew open and displayed the shock of his discovery.

"Mahad? What is it?"

"My magic is stronger and more powerful than before," he said in an awed whisper. "Aknadin planned for me to fail and strengthened my powers believing they were his now."

"But you didn't fail. I kissed you and the moment I heard you speak, I knew for certain that you saved me."

Mahad smiled and his eyes looked down to where his tail was concealed beneath the water. His life was definitely looking better. He was a merman, had his voice and magic again, and was engaged to a handsome merman pharaoh. He leaned back again and his gaze went up to the stars.

"Atem, you really are interested in humans, right?"

Atem nodded. "They fascinate me."

"I would be happy to answer any question you have."

"Let's start with the ships. That fin on the back. What's it called and how does it move?"

"Oh. It's called the rudder and it moves by an object called a steering wheel. It would be easier to explain if I could show you."

"You explained well and there is a way to show me. There's a shipwreck not far from home where I like to go and try to figure out the objects stored there."

"I would love to tell you about those objects."

"I was hoping you would." Their fingers still interlaced, they leaned back, watching the stars and pointing out constellations to each other.

Mahad awoke the next morning and laid there for a little, truly savoring that he would live in the sea now. He looked forward to greeting the kingdom with actual words. I also want to learn to read and write the merpeople language which makes sense as I'm one of them now. He got out of bed, smoothed his hair, and swam out of the room.

He took the seat he had taken the day before and smiled happily at Atem who beamed back at him. The two of them had planned to surprise Seto and Isis with the engagement as well as Mahad being able to speak again and his origins. The pharaoh took in his advisors. "I am happy to announce that Heka and I are engaged."

"Wonderful! Congratulations," Isis said, smiling.

"Thank you," Mahad replied.

Isis and Seto gasped, drawing chuckles from the other two. "You can talk!" Seto exclaimed.

"Since last night when I kissed him," Atem said. "His name is Mahad and he used to be human. He struck a bargain with another warlock or sorcerer, as the humans call them. He traded his voice and magic for three days as a merman."

"I agreed to it because I fell for Atem the moment I saw him. The terms of the bargain stated that if I was kissed before the three days were up, I would stay here and get my voice and magic back. If not, I would be human again and get my voice, but the sorcerer would keep my magic and switch bodies with me."

Isis gasped and Seto said, "Obviously that won't happen as you are talking. My pharaoh, you did say a kiss was given last right, right?"

Atem nodded. "Mahad is willing to tell me about humans and in return, I will teach him our language."

Seto leaned forward toward Mahad. "So, you truly are a warlock?"

Mahad nodded. "I was using a spell to breathe underwater when I first saw Atem."

"Wait," Isis said. "How did you meet?"

Atem shifted slightly. "I was following a ship that was sailing and got snared in a net that dropped over the side. I didn't have a stone with me and I had gotten separated from the guard."

"I cut him free but before we could truly meet, the guard had called and I teleported out of there in a panic."

"So, you never saw him, pharaoh?" Seto asked.

"I vaguely recalled his eyes and knew his voice as I was…above water at the time."

His advisors gasped. "You were above water?" Isis said.

"I know getting too close to a ship was foolish," Atem admitted. "But if I hadn't, Mahad and I might not have met or be together as mermen. Now, we have an engagement to announce to the kingdom."