17
I should be nervous right? I'm about to meet a civilization I thought was but only history lessons from my childhood teachings. But maybe being surrounded by all this water that should have killed me by now, but not due to this suit, kept my minds attention elsewhere. There was no time to be nervous. Namor remained beside me rather than swimming ahead of me. Immediately I could see lights meeting darkness in the shape of an illuminating flower. My eyes widened as I could see many Talokans swimming about. Both plant life and aquatic life swam freely around. Some men were moving what looked like a ball through a hoop against a wall where numerous plans were over. Some heads were slowly sticking out of the foliage to see us.
Now eyes were on us and immediately they seemed shocked and surprised. Their skin was a beautiful brown like Namor and they began to swim toward me. Their skin must turn blue only when out of the water. Many were swimming around us, bowing their heads and giving the respectful hand gesture of Talokan before looking at me. I could hear them murmuring and whispering. But I did not know the language. Namor spoke to them and they all seemed taken back by me and I noticed women were leaning in to me and admiring me. Both young and old women were slowly touching my shoulders and hair. And the suit did not weaken. I could feel their touches against me. Their hands were warm.
I knew they were talking about my features. Namor looked at them now and spoke with a mild firmness which made the surrounding women float back and immediately bow to me. I guess he told them to give me space. He now took my hand and lead me further into the city.
"Talokan is the capital city. We have many markets for trading. We need no currency. We host many games in our arenas." he informed. As he explained, I noticed many were following us. "We hunt the life around us. The temperature here is always the same so we do not have to worry about it ever being too hot or too cold." I nodded, my eyes moving everywhere before suddenly a bright jelly fish creature began to float in front of me. I gasped in shock watching as more began to float above us.
Namor smiled.
"These jellyfish are created in our labs to provide light." he said. I looked at him stunned.
"You have labs?" I asked. He chuckled and nodded.
"Oh yes. We have medical bays, pods for sleeping, we have an abundance of everything. You have much to see here in Talokan." he said. I nodded looking around at the jellyfish as they floated carelessly above us.
"I do… eventually my body will tire from swimming. What will happen?" I replied and he looked me over.
"You will gain stamina through the suit the longer you use it. But for now, if you get too tired, just hold on to me and I will swim for you." he said. I smiled and nodded. We continued through the city and we swam through the markets and I watched as goods were swapped, and dead sea life were brought to what looked like butchers. Once again, I gained attention from everyone and many approached, but this time Namor was a shield to make sure they didn't crowd me. They bowed and gestured, he spoke to them again, they bowed and gestured to me and I returned it. We swam over a large stadium. Namor informed me that their biggest competitions were held here.
"Every Talokan here is a warrior, many like to compete in games and hunts to prove themselves worthy to fight." he informed. We passed many homes which looked like under water huts. I noticed kids swimming in and out of them. He showed me multiple glass bubbles, they were huge. There were a few women inside lying down gently clutching their stomachs. Women, dressed in the same fashion as Atzi were bringing water.
"These are our medical bays. Women in Talokan still bleed to show they are still fertile so they are allowed to bleed freely here and give birth. There are still many creatures who will come into Talokan following the blood." he informed. I nodded and watched as the young woman cared for the other.
"Rather than killing unnecessarily every period cycle, it's best to just keep them together." I concluded and he nodded before his brows pushed together in confusion.
"Period cycle?" he asked. I nodded.
"In the land above we call bleeding, a period or a menstrual cycle, because a woman is menstruating… or bleeding." I replied. He nodded slowly.
"Menstrual cycle." he said. I nodded.
"You know your people have a beautiful language." I replied and he smiled warmly moving up closer to me.
"As do your people. We can teach each other our language, it will make us closer." he said placing his hand over my cheek. I smiled and nodded.
"I would like that." I replied. He began to lean in to me but before our lips could meet, we were swarmed by more Talokans curious of the Wakandan in their city. Namor began to speak and once more bowing and gestures were exchanged and now they were all looking at me with smiles. That was good right? They were not judging me or thought negatively of me? More hands were on me, and more men and women bowed and gestured to me. I returned it and smiled wishing I could tell them how honored I was to be here.
My legs were slowly starting to stop moving front and back, the autopilot they were on was running low. I hooked my hand onto Namor's arm as he was speaking to another man. He looked at me and looked at my legs and nodded before saying something to the crowd and immediately everyone back away, bowed and gestured, and went on with their business. Before I could think, Namor had wrapped his arms under my legs and back.
"I thought you wanted me to hold on to you?" I said and he grinned.
"I like this better. Come, I will show you my court where there are air tunnels attached." he said. I smiled and nodded and he took over the moment. My body felt relieved by this and I just melted into him for a moment as he moved quickly through the water. He still pointed out many things as he moved from homes, to open fields of dirt where his warriors trained. I noticed this field was filled with large men holding spears and training. I had never seen such a force before. He moved through a temple like gateway painted just like his room in the Talokan cave. There was much culture inside this hallway. It has been around for quite some time.
They literally took their culture under the water. The dark halls brightened as we were now in a very large sanctuary like space. In the middle was a large thrown inside the skull jaws of a rather large creature. Namor's movements slowed as my eyes wandered all over this massive place. I looked up at the darkness to see rows upon rows of what could be aisles for others to sit in. This place was huge.
"Wow." I said mesmerized as I looked at the many paintings on the walls of gold and green.
"This is where I speak to my people." Namor said looking around the place. Gently I moved from his hold, and already my joints were screaming to stop moving. Namor must have seen the wince in my face and simply held my hand to keep me anchored.
"Wow this place is enormous." I replied.
"And it has been around for hundreds of years." he said. I noticed his voice echoed a bit. I laughed a bit and noticed my own voice echoed as well.
"This would be a great place to sing in." I replied. He tilted his head.
"Sing?" he asked. I glanced at him with a mildly witty smirk before looking up at the darkness.
"You will be my wings," I sang which immediately made him alert, eyes locked on me. Seeing as he would never know the duet of the song from the children's movie Thumbelina, I had to work with what I had, but he still gazed at me with impressed eyes. The children in Wakanda loved that movie and so I would sing with them while I was healing them so they would not be so afraid of the water going inside them. "You will be my only love." Although I was more enjoying the beautiful echo that followed that made it seem like someone was singing with me.
"Wonderous things are sure to happen, we'll see the universe and dance on Saturn's ring!" I sang dancing with his hand in my own. He seemed amused enough to move my arm and attempt to join me in this dance, as we both swam around each other happily.
"Heaven isn't too far, Heaven is where you are." I sang stroking Namor's cheek now, and he seemed very awe struck by my words. Now I got carried away and just shot my arms to the sky, letting my head fall back. "Stay with me, and let me be your wings!"
I harmonized the last word feeling my body rising to the meet the darkness as I realized, Namor was holding me up and flying high into the water until finally we were above the entire court and I couldn't help but giggle as I held on to him now.
"That was beautiful, my love! I did not know you could sing!" he gushed and I shook my head.
"Oh no, I cannot sing. I just got carried away and felt a song with the words wings in it would suit the situation seeing as you have wings." I replied. He grinned.
"What is this song?" he asked. I grinned.
"It's called Let Me Be Your Wings. It was composed a long time ago for a movie called Thumbelina." I said. He tilted his head holding on to me as we just floated in space.
"Thumbelina?" he asked. I nodded.
"There's many tales about it, but this particular movie, a widow cannot have children and so a nice witch gives her a seed of which grows into a plant and a tiny girl comes out of it." I replied. His eyes widened now.
"A girl? In the flower!" he asked and I giggled at his reaction but nodded.
"Yes. The young girl is named Thumbelina and through the tale, she meets a fairy prince." I replied. He tilted his head.
"Fairy?" he asked. I nodded smiling, our bodies had shifted until now he was horizontal with me on his chest.
"A magical person with wings and his parents has wings and all of his people have wings." I told and now he seemed completely taken by my story of this movie. "Anyways, he's drawn to her singing and they sing together a beautiful song called Let Me Be Your Wings." Namor nodded looking up as if the wheels were turning in his head.
"Because she has no wings so he is pledging his love for her by offering to be her wings." he said. I nodded.
"Yes, that sums it up." I replied. Immediately his arms locked around my body pressing me firmly against his.
"Then you are my Thumbelina and I your fairy prince and I pledge to always be your wings." He said before leaning up to finally capture my lips.