Chapter 3 - Secrets Unrevealed
"You did promise, you know," Jess accused.
Cody backed out from the tight embrace with his friend. "I know I did Jess, but you have to give me a while to get my thoughts in order. I just got back, and I can't really give you the best description right away."
Jess gave an exaggerated sigh and sat down on the edge of the pier, dipping his feet into the high-tide water. Cody smiled at his friend's antics and followed suit. The cold seawater felt strangely reassuring where it touched his feet, a constant reminder that the source of magic was always close at hand.
He had been astonished to learn, when he first reached Undersea, that magic was a common practice among sea people. Most, in fact, used it from birth. Cody was far behind, and hadn't managed throughout the whole summer to get to the point where he was totally comfortable using it.
His first major problem had been getting over his human perception of magic. In most human lore, magic tended to be a sort of invisible substance that people used, but it really was nothing like that. Magic was a way of warping reality to suit the needs of the user. It seemed to Cody to be much more dangerous than the sea people treated it. After thinking about it often, the triton had come up with an analogy that he thought fit very well.
If reality were like a giant cloth, a huge piece of fabric, then magic was simply a support, ranging from tent poles to bobby pins, that could be used to shape and move the fabric in the direction you wanted. Of course, the fabric would resist the movement. Gravity would make it continue to fall, so only the most complex series of stilting could keep a large portion of it at once. But it required little effort to, say, pin it in a swirl, or a series of folds. Such was the effect of magic on reality.
These stilts, however, still needed a source. It was the sea people's bond with the ocean and all forms of water that allowed them the inner ability and mindset to shape the fabric of the universe. Humans could not achieve it.
Jess looked at him sideways, apparently curious of his comtemplative silence. "You're different," he said eventually, "more thoughtful. It's not a bad change, but it's not exactly what I was expecting."
Cody raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah? What were you expecting?"
"Oh, I don't know." Jess shrugged. "I guess excitement, or something. How did Sam react to your return?"
Cody flinched slightly at the mention of her name. "Actually, I haven't been to see her yet. I'm kind of afraid to. I have to break up with her."
Jess's eyes widened. "What?! Why?"
Cody shook his head. This was going to be delicate. "I met someone. Down in Undersea."
"Cody!" Jess's tone was admonishing. "You know Sam specifically told you not to fall for any mermaids!"
"I didn't!" said Cody defensively.
Jess looked at him sideways. "I thought you just said..." he trailed off. He still seemed uncertain, but the look on Cody's face must have told him that his friend didn't want to talk about it. The triton had his hands clasped firmly in his lap and was doing his very best to burn a hole with his eyes in the water about a foot from the dock. Hess put a hand on Cody's shoulder and leaned closer, bringing his face inches from the other boy's. "Listen," he said quietly, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Cody nodded, looking up to meet Jess's gaze. "I know. It's just-"
He was cut off by Jess's sudden surprised yelp as a hand reached up from the water and pulled him down into the ocean. He floundered for a moment, gulping sea water. Apparently he hadn't spent the summer practicing his swimming. Cody blinked, startled, and reached down to take a firm grip of Jess's flailing hand. With a sharp heave, he managed to pull the struggling boy back onto the dock, the move overbalancing him and landing Jess practically in his lap.
"What was that?!" Jess spluttered.
Cody glanced out to sea in time to see a shimmering black tail with mottled orange, red, and yellow webbing disappear beneath the surface of the waves. "That," said Cody with a resigned sigh, "would be my jealous boyfriend."
Please sir, I'd like some more.
or
Take a risk and feed the tiger.