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Aquan/Oaritsi Language


Chapter 5

Nemir awoke late the next morning and was surprised at the slight tenderness she felt in her shoulders, thighs, and stomach area as she shifted in her bed. Apparently spending hours swimming in the ocean used more muscles than she realized. She slowly exited her cozy loft trying not to strain her abused body as she climbed down the ladder, but each step caused her face to cringe in pain.

"Good Morning," greeted Aeriel cheerfully as she bustled about the kitchen taking inventory of available supplies.

"Morning," mumbled Nemir sleepily as she carefully shuffled her way toward the roughly carved table. She was certain she had aged 100 years overnight and now possessed the body of an old lady. Aeriel noticed her daughter's pained movements and began to chuckle, "I see your body is now repaying you for yesterday's adventure."

Nemir responded with a glare as she attempted sit on a stool at the table. She eventually managed to lower her body down to meet the seat, but only after overcoming the loud objection in her legs. "I'll grab you some breakfast dear," said Aeriel sending her a sympathetic smile, " and then I'll change the dressing on your wound. I'm afraid the soreness will only become worse till your muscles adjust to the additional strain. Be sure to ask Mithiel about stretches that can help reduce the soreness when you see her this evening."

Nemir startled, her eyes wide and entire body tensed with surprise, "I'm meeting Mithiel today?" she asked her voice edged with alarm. The thought of meeting the intimidating Foam Maiden in her current state terrified her.

"Oh yes, but only after you finish your swim practice with me, and Laegwen has insisted that you meet her after sunset for training as well," replied Aeriel not hiding her growing smirk as she observed her daughter's distress.

Nemir's body collapsed under her mother's words and her head hit the table with a solid thunk. "I'm going to die," she muffled into the table before turning her face up to her mother. "You're trying to kill me aren't you?" she accused.

"Don't be ridiculous Nemir," Aeriel replied with a roll of her eyes as she placed a bowl of oatmeal on the table. "You're the one who demanded more advanced training sessions, and we all thought it best to begin as soon as possible."

"Is this punishment for running away yesterday?" asked Nemir accusingly.

"Oh course not!" exclaimed Aeriel in fake outrage, "Well maybe a little… Be careful for what you wish, it might just come true," she said giving Nemir a little wink.

Nemir released another groan and returned her head to the table, "I can barely walk! A snail could out run me in this state."

"The more active you are, the sooner the soreness with disappear, and the salt water will also help to soothe your aches and pains. The water gives us strength and it will assist you in healing quickly," explained Aeriel.

"Well if I leave now, I might make it to the beach before nightfall," replied Nemir dryly as she reached for her breakfast and shoveled a large spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth. The mixture was thick, warm, and perfectly seasoned with spices and dried fruit. It wasn't long before Nemir was scraping the sides of the bowl for every last remaining morsel.

"Nemir," Aeriel's serious tone caught Nemir's attention as her mother took a seat next to her at the small wooden table, bandages in her hands. "I want to apologize for restricting your access to the ocean as long as I did. It never was my intention to cause you grief in any way, I merely wanted what I thought was best for you," she reached for Nemir's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know, Naneth," replied Nemir as she adjusted her chair to better face her mother, "I just wish you would stop keeping secrets from me. It makes me feel as if you don't trust me."

"I do trust you," sighed Aeriel as she lowered her head, "I wanted to protect you from the burden of this responsibility for as long as possible."

Nemir leaned forward so she could meet her mother's eyes, "What are you referring to Naneth?"

"The Sea Spell," stated Aeriel solemnly.

"Sea Spell…" repeated Nemir slowly with a raised eyebrow, "I haven't heard that term before. Is it similar to the Sea Song?"

"Yes and no," explained her mother, "Every Oaritsi possesses the ability to channel the music of the ocean through their song and use it to influence men's actions. This is accomplished by invoking certain emotions in the listeners and decisions are then made based on those emotions. While effective the results are not always predictable because each person reacts differently."

Nemir leaned back in her chair with intense eyes as she tried to absorb her mother's words, "I think I understand. If you try using fear to scare away an enemy, you don't know if they will retreat by going forward or turning back…"

"Exactly," confirmed Aeriel with a single solid not of her head, "The Sea Spell, however, affects both emotion and physical action in anyway specified by the enchanter."

Nemir's brow furrowed as her head tilted slightly to the side, "I don't quite understand…"

"I think you do Nemir, you just don't want to understand," Aeriel's solemn face confirmed Nemir's fears and her eyes grew in realization, "I hope you now understand the motivation behind my caution."

Nemir took a deep breath and sat quietly for a moment gazing blankly at the wood grain on the table, "What is the extent of the spell's power?"

"It is only limited by your focus and ability to be heard. The Sea Song provides greater range, but the Sea Spell provides precision," Continued Aeriel.

"How…how have you used this power in the past?" inquired Nemir.

Aeriel shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she tried to gather her thoughts, "I did not understand the importance of discipline when I was young. Before your birth, it was only I who possessed the Sea Spell, and I made several mistakes before learning control. It was a dark time in my life and if not for my fellow sisters, I would have succumbed to the darkness long ago. Absolute power such as this is naturally corrupting so I swore an oath only to use it against Melkor, his shadow spawn, and in the last extreme defense of life. The secret to controlling this is self-control so before I continue your training, I must demand that you the same oath."

"What if you don't train me? Will I be unable to access this power?" asked Nemir hoping for an alternative.

Aeriel shook her head, "You would only become a danger to those around you. This gift is in your blood and if you do not learn how to swim you'll drown."

"I'm sorry for judging you so harshly Naneth," Nemir's outstretched arms embraced her mother in a fierce hug, "I promise to obey the oath and to follow your guidance."

Aeriel returned her daughter's hug with a firm squeeze, "I love you Nemir."

The couple soon parted and the women started to complete the long list of daily tasks necessary to support a successful home. Nemir's responsibilities took longer than usual to complete due to her reduced speed, but she still managed to be done in time to begin her first day of training. She wasn't sure if this was a positive outcome, but followed her mother down to the shore anyway. While the sun lowered in the sky, light was still plentiful and boats were still out on the sea. In order to avoid attention, Aeriel led her daughter to a more secluded area of the shore that was difficult to access due to an outcrop of rocks. The small cove was peaceful and lined by a small strip beach before being met by a sheer rock face.

"In light of your present condition, I will be merciful and focus on the mental instead of the physical for today's lesson," Aeriel positioned her body behind Nemir. "I want you to start by leaning back and floating your body on the surface of the water." Nemir rested her back upon the water as the sun glinted off her scales. Aeriel gently held her daughter's shoulders to anchor her in place, "In order to counter the continual physical drain our bodies suffer by living on land, we must regularly access the power of the water to regenerate. This process also increases healing ability and helps negate muscle fatigue and exhaustion."

Nemir enjoyed the gentle rocking of the waves as it smoothly greeting the beach, outstretching her arms for better balance as the sun warmed her face. "This process is rather straightforward," instructed Aeriel, "it only requires that you enter a relaxed, meditative state allowing for the song of the ocean to caress both your physical and spiritual body." While Nemir could hear her mother's words, her attention was occupied as she succumbed to the water's lullaby, releasing some of the tension causing her muscles to ache. Her mother continued to instruct her on different methods and purposes of this activity until the arrival of Mithiel brutally forced Nemir back to reality.

"I hope you enjoyed that nap," stated Mithiel as she swam up to meet the two women a mischievous grin plastered on her face, "because it's only downstream from here." Strapped to her back she carried two, white quarterstaffs engraved with Aquen symbols and swooping shapes that mimicked waves on each end. The material was unfamiliar to Nemir as it didn't have the grains and lines found on wood nor did it have the weight of stone. "Quickly, follow me. We're wasting daylight," ordered Mithiel as she motioned for Nemir to follow her onto the small beach. Nemir responded quickly and pushed her way through the water, grateful that the meditation had removed some of the soreness from her muscles, but she was still nervous about what the mermaid had planned. As soon has her feet exited the water, Mithiel unexpectedly propelled one of the quarterstaffs at Nemir's face causing her to frantically flail about in an attempt to catch the stick.

"Reflexes need improvement," judged Mithiel as she retrieved the other weapon from her holster. Nemir secured the long pole in her hands and explored the smooth surface with her fingers, and she was barely able to reach the top of the weapon as it towered above her at around 7 feet, "What material is this made from," she asked.

Mithiel's face brightened as she moved closer to Nemir conspiratorially and her voice lowered to a horse whisper, "That is made from the bones of a great Sea-Serpent".

Nemir's eyes widened and she gazed up at the staff with new eyes in wonder, "This is not a jest?"

"Nay, ask your mother if you don't believe me for she was present at the time of the creature's demise. The great serpent was slain many centuries ago by a group of Foam Maidens, your mother and I included. It was a glorious battle," Mithiel's eyes glazed over and her lips stretched into a slight smile, "After our victory, we discovered that the skin, scales, and bones of the creature could be fashioned into many items that would not succumb to the corroding powers of salt water. I've lost many a good blade to the evil red dust".

"Could you not use Mithril to forge weapons instead since it does not rust," asked Nemir innocently.

Mithiel grabbed at her stomach and released a bellowing laugh so intense that it shook her entire body; Nemir, surprised by this reaction, awkwardly watched unsure of the cause. When the laughter finally subsided, the silver haired mermaid straightened and wiped under her eyes, "Oh, you clearly do not have your mother's sense of humor. Mithril! Oh my poor sides. The only way those landlocked, rock suckers are parting with any weapon quality Mithril is if we free it from their bodies as they lay at the bottom of the ocean."

Nemir unsure how to respond to such a statement, muttered a simple, "Oh".

"Let's cut the talking and get to the action. I shall begin at the beginning with grip and stance," Mithiel walked toward Nemir and shifted her positioning on the quarterstaff and adjusted her foot placement. "Good," satisfied she retrieved her own weapon, "Now, I want you to raise your arms to stop my staff as I bring it toward you. This is a block."

Nemir followed the instructions and successfully blocked the mermaid's slow attack from above. The speed of these gradually increased forcing her to quicken her reaction each time. Once Mithiel was satisfied with her progress she demonstrated the correct position for an offensive thrust, which Nemir then repeated several times. This continued for quite some time with many pauses between exercises for corrections. By the time the sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon, Nemir's body was covered in a sheen of sweat, her arms lacked the strength to lift the staff, and her lungs struggled to take jagged breaths. Mithril leaned casually on her weapon, her body showing no signs of distress, "Well done minnow. Well done. I'll end your torcher… for now." At those words, Nemir let her body collapse gracelessly to the sand, her limbs sprawled about her like the arms of a starfish. Aeriel approached her daughter's still body and gracefully lowered herself down by her head, "I'm afraid you won't have much time to rest, Laegwen will be arriving soon." Nemir could only muster enough energy to reply with a groan.

"Don't despair little minnow, Laegwen will probably teach you the secret language of otters or some such nonsense," said Mithiel as she gathered Nemir's staff from the sand.

"One should never underestimate the gallantry of otters," responded a quiet voice that materialize from the darkness. If Nemir's body was capable of movement, she would have jump with surprise, but the other two mermaids didn't seem startled by Laegwen's sudden arrival.

"You only say such things because you find their appearance enduring," responded Mithiel with a roll of her eyes.

"Thank you for coming," greeted Aeriel as she met her sister with a hug, "I'm afraid Mithiel, in her typical fashion, has destroyed the opposition."

"Well, that certainly makes my task a little more difficult, but fortunately my lesson does not depend on physical strength," said Laegwen as she took a seat next to Nemir, giving her a sympathetic look, "But I must ask that you kneel with me."

An unpleasant noise escaped Nemir's lips as she tried to force her upper body to lift off the sand, and . after a long struggle she finally managed to mirror Laegwen's position. The tide was rising and the small strip of sand was gradually being overcome by the incoming water. Nemir could feel the gentle licking of the water on her legs as the waves merged with the shore, and she used this to help focus her exhausted mind. "Tonight, we shall study the most basic type of magic for our people," began Laegwen as she gently grasped Nemir's hand, "the ability to summon mist or fog for the purpose of concealment is gifted to all of us. I shall demonstrate." Her emerald eyes disappeared behind her lids and she began to quietly hum a simple tune, in moments Nemir spotted a white mist crawl from the surface of the ocean and spread along the sand. It surrounded their joined bodies and formed a thick, hazy barrier which caused a slight tingling upon her skin. Laegwen ceased her humming and met Nemir's eyes, "Tonight I want you to focus on experiencing the effects of the spell. The mist can't be used to blind the eyes of other Oaritsi, and with a little focus you can look past its effects."

Nemir inhaled a deep breath and let the smell of salt and brine anchor her mind before gazing into the hazy depths that surrounded her. She aimed her focus at a singular spot, searching for any weakness and willing the mist to separate. Gradually the opaque film thinned enough that Nemir could see her mother and the waves before her. The fog, however, had not entirely dissipated for she could still see faint wisps moving around them. "Well done," congratulated Laegwen with a gentle smile, " I think that is enough for tonight. I can tell that today has been draining for you," her eyes shifted over to Mithiel accusingly, "Once your stamina increases we will increase the length of our sessions".

A long sigh escaped Nemir as she let her body sag slightly; she wanted nothing more than to collapse and let the darkness of sleep claim her. She doubted she even had the energy to swim home and even contemplated sleeping on the beach before realizing her mother would never agree to such an arrangement. "Let's go home," she pleaded to her mother who simply nodded and guided her to the water.

"You did well today," Aeriel congratulated her daughter once they reached the beached connected to their home.

"I know I certainly don't feel well," grumbled Nemir as she stumbled toward the path, thoughts of sleep fueling her. She almost collapsed with despair when she reached the ladder that led to her loft, but pushed through one step at a time. Once she reached the top, her body toppled like a downed tree onto her bed and she knew no more.


Thank you and please review! A little drama will happen next chapter.