Thanks to all readviewers. Some of this was shamelessly lifted from Perelandra.
Prompt: Some myths create a personification of the sea. Write about Caspian (or someone else, if you prefer) meeting such a personification.
It happened so suddenly. The Dawn Treader tipped sideways, the wave poured across the deck—Kelsar's cry was cut off by a mouthful of seawater as he was swept into the sea. He struggled to the air once, twice, but the storm was too strong. He gave himself up for lost.
As he sank into the depths, something moved in the dark. A voice that was not a voice rose from beneath, or above, or around; he could not tell which.
You do not belong here, small one.
Kelsar accepted that this was the madness of death, and replied, I do not.
Would you prefer to live?
Yes. His lungs were screaming, but he fought against simply breathing in.
Even if it must be alone?
The reflex won. His mouth opened, desperate for air, and gasped down water. He choked and began to convulse. As the bubbles of his last breath floated upward toward the distant light, he wordlessly screamed YES!
Something that was a hand and not a hand wrapped around his wrist. Caught in the throes of drowning, he had no spare thoughts to notice the water rushing past. All went black.
When Kelsar opened his eyes, he jerked upright.
Or rather, he tried to jerk upright. He was lying on something pliable, which gave too much under him to permit such an abrupt movement. He tilted over on his side instead, and came face to face with half of a woman.
With an oath, he scrambled backwards as best he could—and suddenly realized he was not dead, and neither was she. He nearly collapsed in shock.
The half-woman lay on the ground, her cheek resting on one hand, and watched him with mild curiosity. Her skin was the deep midnight hue of a starless sea, and her long hair a thousand different shades of watery green. He could not tell where the hair ended, and...ahhh, that was it.
The world righted itself. He lay on a sort of sandy beach, though it was far softer than even sand had a right to be. He could see only half of the woman because she had risen half out of the water to prop herself on the edge of the beach. It seemed that the beach ended very abruptly, with none of the gentle increase of depth that might usually be expected. Birds called behind him, and twisting back to look, he saw strange trees and plants.
"Where...where am I?"
"You are on one of the unfixed lands that roam my waves," said the woman in a rich, smooth alto that hinted of amusement. A swell rolled toward the beach—and then under it, rolling the sand like water.
"Floating islands," Kelsar murmured in awe as the landwave gently rose and lowered beneath him. "We had thought the Lone Islanders were telling tall tales..."
"There are more things in the sea, small one, than any of you landwalkers can ever dream."
He turned to look at her. "I take it, then, that it was you who saved my life."
The woman inclined her head.
"My eternal thanks, lady." He attempted to rise to his feet, but found the ground too unsteady, and settled for a seated bow instead. "If there is any way I may repay you, only name it."
She chuckled, the frothing dark bubble of waves dashing on rock. "Do not be overquick to promise that which you cannot guarantee, small one."
Abashed, he sat back. "What manner of place is this?"
"The unfixed lands, of which this is merely one, float upon my surface. Thus did I ask whether you were willing to live alone, for though there is plentiful fruit and water to be found here, it is indeed an unfixed land; carried ever to and fro by wind and wave, it cannot be charted, and the chance of rescue is exceeding low."
For a moment, he allowed himself to think of spending the rest of his life without ever seeing another man or woman, and black despair yawned before him. He shook it off. "Yet 'tis better to live than to die, lady, even though the living be in solitude. I thank you once again."
"Happy the man who knows the worth of gratitude. I wish you well."
The woman did not slip down into the water so much as she simply dissolved away into it. Kelsar blinked, and relegated this to the list of things to ponder at a later time.
"Right," he said aloud. "Time to learn how to walk."