Cemia seemed to be watching in slow motion. She watched as Hercules slammed blow after blow at the antenna, and then saw the fish give up and dive beneath the waves. But the fish's claw had not yet let go of Hercules' tunic, so as it dived, it pulled Hercules under.
Without time for thought, Cemia ran into the water and dived after them. But the fish was too fast. Cemia hadn't swum a league before her lungs started pounding against her chest for air and she had to swim back to the surface.
"Go get help!" she shouted to Iolaus who was standing on the shore. Iolaus took off running towards Corinth. "Artemis! Goddess of the Hunt!" she called out once Iolaus was out of earshot, "I need you!"
The goddess appeared floating over the water. "Why have you called to me, maiden?" Artemis said inside Mia's mind.
"Hercules is in trouble and will drown unless I save him!" Cemia said, treading water.
Artemis repeated, "And why have you called to me?"
"Herc is sinking fast, literally. I need my mer form to reach him." Mia replied.
The goddess seemed to consider, "And what is in it for me?"
Cemia was ready for this. "You can have my sight back. I'll serve you for my life. I'll sacrifice my life for you. Anything. I must save him." Mia pleaded.
Artemis questioned, "Why 'must' you?"
"Because he did the same for me." Cemia answered.
"This sounds like an interesting offer. I will consider it." and the goddess disappeared.
Moments seemed like eternity before Cemia felt her legs start fusing together. Without wasting any more time, she dove straight down.
"Come to my sacred hunting grounds when you are finished. We will discuss payment then." she heard Artemis say in her head as she dove deeper and looked for Hercules. Mia felt a trace of dread at what the goddess might want for payment, but she shoved her thoughts aside. She had to find Hercules before he drowned. A several leagues passed...no monster. Cemia swan faster.
And then, not too far away, she saw them. The monster was diving down, Hercules trailing it in the claw's grasp. Mia frantically sped towards them, while sifting oxygen through her gills and collecting it in her mouth. She reached out, felt Hercules' weak wrist, and pulled her self along until she had reached where the fish's claw held on to Hercules' tunic. She grabbed Herc's tunic and gave a hard slap to the claw with her tail. The fish, realizing that it was about to lose its prize, turned swiftly around to fight. A couple hard tail smacks to the already sore antenna changed its mind, though, and the monster swam away.
Cemia checked Hercules' wrist and thanked the gods when she found his pulse. It was not as strong as it should have been, but it was there. She hoped he was only unconscious because of the lack of air. No time like the present to remedy that. She wrapped her arms around the unconscious Hercules, and locked her lips with his. Then she breathed the oxygen she had been storing in her mouth into Hercules' mouth. She kept sifting oxygen from the water around then and giving it to Hercules as they slowly floated towards the surface.
Without time for thought, Cemia ran into the water and dived after them. But the fish was too fast. Cemia hadn't swum a league before her lungs started pounding against her chest for air and she had to swim back to the surface.
"Go get help!" she shouted to Iolaus who was standing on the shore. Iolaus took off running towards Corinth. "Artemis! Goddess of the Hunt!" she called out once Iolaus was out of earshot, "I need you!"
The goddess appeared floating over the water. "Why have you called to me, maiden?" Artemis said inside Mia's mind.
"Hercules is in trouble and will drown unless I save him!" Cemia said, treading water.
Artemis repeated, "And why have you called to me?"
"Herc is sinking fast, literally. I need my mer form to reach him." Mia replied.
The goddess seemed to consider, "And what is in it for me?"
Cemia was ready for this. "You can have my sight back. I'll serve you for my life. I'll sacrifice my life for you. Anything. I must save him." Mia pleaded.
Artemis questioned, "Why 'must' you?"
"Because he did the same for me." Cemia answered.
"This sounds like an interesting offer. I will consider it." and the goddess disappeared.
Moments seemed like eternity before Cemia felt her legs start fusing together. Without wasting any more time, she dove straight down.
"Come to my sacred hunting grounds when you are finished. We will discuss payment then." she heard Artemis say in her head as she dove deeper and looked for Hercules. Mia felt a trace of dread at what the goddess might want for payment, but she shoved her thoughts aside. She had to find Hercules before he drowned. A several leagues passed...no monster. Cemia swan faster.
And then, not too far away, she saw them. The monster was diving down, Hercules trailing it in the claw's grasp. Mia frantically sped towards them, while sifting oxygen through her gills and collecting it in her mouth. She reached out, felt Hercules' weak wrist, and pulled her self along until she had reached where the fish's claw held on to Hercules' tunic. She grabbed Herc's tunic and gave a hard slap to the claw with her tail. The fish, realizing that it was about to lose its prize, turned swiftly around to fight. A couple hard tail smacks to the already sore antenna changed its mind, though, and the monster swam away.
Cemia checked Hercules' wrist and thanked the gods when she found his pulse. It was not as strong as it should have been, but it was there. She hoped he was only unconscious because of the lack of air. No time like the present to remedy that. She wrapped her arms around the unconscious Hercules, and locked her lips with his. Then she breathed the oxygen she had been storing in her mouth into Hercules' mouth. She kept sifting oxygen from the water around then and giving it to Hercules as they slowly floated towards the surface.