MorganaLeFay
Still Alive and Kickin
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Prologue The land of Xervies is split up into many different parts. Many races populated the lands, and most of them did not associate with the others. The High Elves of the Eastern Mountains were one of those races. Fairer than the others, and immortal in all their beauty, they refused to mingle with “lesser races”. And although they were immortal, they had no magic. Their cousins, the Dark Elves of the Woodlands, lived for the earth. They mined the purest ore, and used it in their forges. Their weapons were the finest, rivaled only by the dwarves. They were mortal, but lived much longer than any man, for the magic they had in their blood was strong. The dwarves lived in the Western Mountains, mining and forging, and building their grand cities. Merfolk lived in the oceans surrounding Xervies, but since they cannot breathe air for long, they have never been seen above the waves, yet their lovely singing has brought more than one ship to its doom. Djinn lived in the volcanoes to the north, for fire and heat powered their magic. Djinn kept the balance between good and bad luck, so one was never more powerful than the other. Legends say that if you survived the climb up a fire mountain to a djinn’s lair, their ancient laws said they had to grant you three wishes. In the south, there were several nomadic tribes of ancient beasts known as the Nagris. They killed anything, even the other tribes. They cared nothing for the workings of life, and most of their spawn died young. This was how it was in the beginning. Eventually, men sailed across the seas to this land. They befriended the Djinn, Dark Elves and dwarves. For a time, there was peace, but mankind became violent, as men are wont to do. They cut down the beloved trees of the Dark Elves’ forest for their cities. The elves saw this as an unpardonable act, and declared war on mankind. The dwarves did not want to choose sides between their friends, so they retreated to their ancient homes in the mountains, and haven’t been seen since. The Djinn had to keep the universe in balance, and could not do so if influenced by either side, so they went back to their volcanoes. This war went on for centuries, and while mankind were ever growing more numerous; the elves did not have a fertility rate as high as them, and so their numbers dwindled. The elves fell back into their forest, and sealed the borders with magic, so no man could ever enter again. Some renegade elves came out from the forest, and slaughtered the young children of man, in the cities nearby, so that they could not mass another army for an attack. The king and queen of the elves did not condone this, and they forbid their people to leave the forest. This lasted ten years, before the elves began to revolt against the law, and the queen soon after found that she was with child. The king had to recall the law, so that he and his family would remain safe. Murder of human children became a daily occurrence, and even the youngest elves had the crimson stain of blood on their hands. The king and queen could not bear the thought of their child being raised amongst these murderers, so they decided that as soon as the child was born, it would be spirited away by a servant, to live in the world of man, far from the forest. The child was born, a little girl, and immediately the king took his daughter and used magic to change the features that distinguished her as an elf. The point and slant of her eyes and ears were rounded, and the sharp edges of her chin and lips were softened. Lastly, he placed a spell on her, which would make the family she was given to think that she was their own daughter. And with a great burden on his heart, the king sent his only daughter away with a servant, knowing that he might not see her again. The servant placed the babe on the doorstep of a powerful lord that had a son and wife, far away from the forest. Little did the servant know, was that the lord beat his family, horribly. But he left the babe, and disappeared back into the woodlands, never to return. The lord’s son, a young boy named Oliver, heard the babe’s wails, and took her inside, thinking that she was his sister. And there, in his room, he laid the baby girl down on his bed, and watched over her till morn. Thus began the life of Ilani, heir to the throne of the Dark Elves in the Forest of Dúnmharú. ……………………………………………………………………………………. “Elizabeth…” I whispered, shaking the sleeping form on the bed. “Wake up!” Elizabeth rolled over and moaned. “Do I have to?” she mumbled. “It’s so nice here… we should stay here…” “Yes, you have to!” I said. “Your father is waiting in the dining hall for you!” “And?” she grumbled, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “It’s not like he ever notices me anyway.” “Of course he notices you!” I said, and under my breath added, “You’re kind of hard to miss.” “I heard that,” Elizabeth frowned. “Of course you did. Now, come on. You need to get dressed.” Elizabeth slid off the bed and promptly walked into the wall. “Where is that darn closet? I swear Ilani; you change it every morning just to make it difficult for me.” “I didn’t do that,” I said. I took Elizabeth’s hand and led her to the closet. “It’s in the same place it has always been.” Elizabeth reached out her hand and stroked the fabric of each dress hanging in the alcove. After a few moments, she selected a hunting frock made of dark green linen. “This one, please,” Elizabeth said, holding out the dress towards Ilani. “It’s green right?” “Of course,” I replied, starting to dress Elizabeth. “Sometimes you could tell me you weren’t blind, and I’d half believe it.” “Aw...” Elizabeth cooed. “If you told me that you could talk the sun down from the sky, I would believe it wholeheartedly, because you have such a way with words. You would be able to convince the Lord of the Djinn himself that his skin was blue.” “I wouldn’t go as far to say that!” I laughed. “For all we puny humans know, their skin is blue.” “Nah,” Elizabeth countered. “Their skin is red, from being in those fire mountains all the time.” “I am sure that you are right,” I said, straightening from buttoning Elizabeth’s gown. “Would you like me to find the matching fold, or do you want to try and guess?” “You go ahead and find it,” Elizabeth replied. “I don’t feel like the guessing game today.” I went to the cherry wood armoire resting against one of the walls of the room. I opened the lid and pulled out a green blindfold matching the fabric of Elizabeth’s dress. The fabric passed hands between the servant and the noblewoman, and Elizabeth firmly secured the blindfold over the scarred tissue of her eyes. Chapter One "Good morning Elizabeth,” Lord Harper said as Elizabeth and I entered the dining hall. “Ilani.” “Good morning father!” Elizabeth said cheerily. “I smell pancakes. Is that what is for breakfast this morning?” I curtsied discreetly behind my mistress as she talked endlessly about how blueberries were tastier in pancakes than any other fruit. Lord Harper made general sounds of agreement, not really listening, while looking over papers on the table. One of the serving women scurrying around the hall was trying to listen to what was being said by Elizabeth, and she tripped on a slightly loose stone on the floor, and as she fell the tray and pitcher she held shattered against the ground. Her head snapped around to look at Lord Harper, completely aware of his harsh temper, and afraid of what he might do to her as punishment. Lord Harper’s face started to turn red, and he stood, shoving his chair back so hard it hit the wall. “Lord,” I said, laying my hand on his shoulder, trying to thinking quickly. “Let me take care of this.” He nodded, and I snapped my fingers. The chair returned to its previous position, knocking Lord Harper back into it, and the tray and pitcher reassembled themselves and floated gently to rest on the table. I knelt down to the level of the maid and whispered to her. “It would be best if you made yourself scarce.” The maid nodded and scrabbled to her feet, then dashed off, back to the kitchens. If she was smart, she would stay there for a while. I bent down to mop up the milk with a rag. “Well that happened,” Elizabeth said, then stuffed pancake in her mouth. “You don’t know what just happened, do you?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter. By your leave, Lord Harper,” I said, straightening from my task. “Go,” he said, waving his hand. “Do whatever you do when you disappear from your duties.” “Thank you,” I curtsied. Then I vanished. Chapter Two The last knife flew from my hand into the straw dummy. Aside from me, the courtyard was empty, and I was lost in thought. “Ilani!” one of the servants called my name from the second floor’s balcony. “She’s gone again!” I sighed audibly. “Did you check the wine cellar already?” “Yes, and others are searching the grounds. Lord Harper would like you to help.” I rolled my eyes and started to yank knives from the dummy, and I hid them in various places in my skirt. Elizabeth had escaped the manor again, as she always does when I leave her alone. Half the time I leave just so she can have some time to herself. No one knows as well I as I how oppressed she feels when inside. The most likely places she would be have been searched by some of the other servants, so now it was my turn to search the city. She wasn’t at the library, or the plaza, or in any of the taverns or restaurants. My next destination was the docks. I just hope she didn’t fall into the harbor. …. There were many ships in the harbor, many of which I recognized. I greeted the captains and asked if they had seen Elizabeth, and their answers were all the same. She was heading to a ship named Phil. I knew the name of that ship, but it hadn’t been anchored in this harbor for years! I grabbed my skirts and ran down the boardwalk in the direction of the last ship. “Elizabeth!” I yelled from the bottom of the gangplank. “Are you up there?” “Hi Ilani!” Her head popped over the side of the ship. “Get down from there!” “Why? Is something wrong?” “Yes! That’s the ship of a very bad man!” “Hey!” A new voice spoke up. “That isn’t nice!” The voice’s owner looked down from the side of the ship at me. His raven locks fell in front of his cornflower blue eyes, and he smiled at me. “Long time, no see, Ilani.” “Oliver! If you did anything to Elizabeth, so help me I will march up this gangplank and personally-“ “Calm down Ilani,” Elizabeth cut me off. “I’m fine. Oliver has been really nice!” “Yes, I have,” Oliver stuck his tongue out at me. “So why don’t you come up and we’ll all have a nice little chat.” “A nice little chat?!” “She doesn’t like that…” Elizabeth trailed off. “How do you two know each other anyways?” “That’s not important,” I said just as Oliver said, “We knew each other as children.” “Really?” Elizabeth’s face had a pained look. “Yes,” I sighed. “Elizabeth, do you know who that man is? Do you remember?” “Yep, I remember.” Elizabeth grimaced. “He’s the man that blinded me.” “Did you have to bring that up?” Oliver asked, actually having the audacity to look ashamed. “Well, it would have to come up sometime!” I shouted. “Do you think that Elizabeth would just forget what you did to her? That she wouldn’t talk about it? You are an idiot!” “Ilani,” Elizabeth said. “Can you please come up here so that we don’t have to yell at each other?” I nodded, forgetting that she couldn’t see me, and climbed up the gangplank, ignoring my fears of falling into the water. On the deck of the boat, I took a look around. “You’ve gotten a lot more organized, Oliver.” “Thank you, Ilani. I know how it bothered you.” “Enough with the idle chitchat,” I said. “What are you doing here? You are banished from this city. If found, you could die.” “I know that,” he replied. “But I had to come back. To apologize.” I softened at his despondent expression. “Okay. Apologize, then we’ll leave.” “Oh, we’re not going back,” Elizabeth smiled. “We’re going with Oliver on a little trip!” Chapter Three By this time I realized that the boat was moving slowly out of the harbor. “What? No!” I cried, dashing to the side of the boat and looking over the side, instantly turning green. I dry heaved a few times (I hadn’t yet eaten anything that day) then slid down to sit on the deck. I had horrible seasickness, every time I stepped onto a boat. Even the gentle waters of the harbor got my stomach rolling. “Lord Harper is going to kill me…” “Elizabeth’s father?” Oliver looked confused. “Why would he be mad at you?” “I work for him,” I said. “Wait,” Oliver grinned.” You’re a servant?” He started laughing. “Ilani, the nobleman’s daughter, brought down to the lowly status of a servant!” He was bent over double, clutching his stomach. “I don’t see what’s so funny,” I said, slightly miffed. “You were also of noble birth, but now all you have is this pirate ship.” “Touché, Ilani dear,” he straightened and once again was serious. “I want to hear what has happened to you since the last time we parted.” “After o- my parents were k- I mean died, I went into the nearest town and found work an apothecary’s shop. I only worked there for a few months before a nobleman walked, seeking a cure for his sick daughter. I offered my services, and ended up working for him as a servant. That was two years ago, and I’ve been working for him ever since.” I paused. “What of you?” “When I ran away from our childhood home, I went to the nearest harbor town and sought work on a ship. I worked for years until I had enough money to buy my own, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for a crew, so right now it’s just my first mate and me.” “What first mate?” I asked, slightly suspicious. “Oh, he’s working below deck; I can call him up if you want to meet him.” “I want to meet him!” Elizabeth said. Oliver walked over to a trap door in the deck and opened it. “Jackson! Come on up for a moment! We have guests!” He yelled down the hole. A moment later a young man with platinum blonde hair gently floated up out of the hole and landed softly on the deck. “This better be good,” he said not noticing me and Elizabeth. “I was working.” “Just look before you get grumpy,” Oliver gestured towards me and Elizabeth. “See?” Jackson turned around and his eyes widened when he saw me. “Ilani!” He rushed forward and captured my face in his hands. “What are you doing here? I thought I’d never see you again!” “Get off of me you oaf!” I cried, shoving him away from me. He stumbled back a few steps, looking hurt. “In what fantasy land are you living in would make you think that I’d be happy to see you?!” “But, Ilani, I thought,” he stammered. “Before you left, I thought maybe…” Blush rose to my cheek when I thought of the last time I saw him. “Whatever you thought, you were wrong.” Jackson hung his head with dejection and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Ilani, what’s going on?” Elizabeth asked. “I know Jackson too, milady.” “Well why are you being so mean to him?” “Because he, well, we’re… betrothed.” “Do you not want to marry him?” “No! It was something arranged by our parents. I want the freedom to make my own decisions.” “My decision was made 2 years ago,” Jackson said sadly. “It still is.” “Nobody asked you,” I spat back venomously, perversely enjoying the way he flinched. “Would you stop it!” Elizabeth yelled, trying to hit me but missing. “He didn’t do anything to you. Like you said, it was your parent’s choice, not his. Now apologize” “Of course, milady,” I curtsied to Jackson. “I am sorry good sir, will you please forgive me?” I had managed not to grimace while I was speaking. Oliver and Jackson stood looking at me, mouths gaping. They starting whispering to each other, and I picked up bits like: “besotted”, “she apologized” and “what do you do now?”. “Are you done yet?” I asked, annoyed. “Um, yes,” Jackson straightened his coat and bowed to me. “Apology accepted Lady Ilani.” “I am no lady,” I despised the title. “Just a humble servant for the Harper family.” Jackson frowned. “Of course.” “So where are we going?” I asked, looking at the calm ocean surrounding the boat, trying not to retch. “To the mermaids!” Elizabeth crowed. “Why?” Oliver nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Well I, uh, might need to marry one.” I slapped my forehead with my hand. “How did you manage that?!” “Well, there are these puffballs that you eat that temporarily turn you into a mermaid if you eat one,” Jackson started to explain. “And I ate one and went down to the underwater kingdom and destroyed a bunch of stuff.” Oliver finished. “So in redress, the sea king is going to make me marry his daughter, Amariel.” “Wow.” I said, not really all that surprised. Leave it to Oliver to pull a stupid stunt like that. “When’s the wedding?” “In two days. That’s how long it will take to get there. You guys will come and try to stop it, won’t you?” Oliver looked so hopeful, I couldn’t refuse. “Yes,” I sighed. “I’ll come.” “I’ll be there too!” Elizabeth smiled. “There’s no way that I’m going to let you live the rest of your life under the ocean.” Oliver smiled, and looked for a moment it thought I saw the little kid I used to know, before he turned into a young man and left me, after our parents died. Yes. Our parents. Oliver was my brother. Chapter Four I told Elizabeth the truth about me and Oliver after we went below deck for the night. “So you’re his sister?” she asked softly, as if she was afraid of me confirming it. “Yes, I am.” “Why did you not tell me this before?” I could hear the hurt in her voice, and each word was like a stab to the chest. “It would only cause you pain. There was no reason to believe that you would meet again.” I looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry.” She nodded. “What about Jackson? What’s the story between you two?” “Like I said above deck, he and I are betrothed. It was completely our parent’s idea. I wish I didn’t have to marry him.” “Why?” “I do not love him,” I said. “I want to marry for love, not some stupid rule my parents made before they died.” “Well, your parents are dead now, can’t you break that rule?” “No, they placed a spell on both of us. We have to be married officially by my 22nd birthday, or else we both die.” “Weren’t you 19 when you came to the castle? Your birthday can’t be that far away.” “It’s in seven months.” “Your parents were harsh. Why would they want you to get married that badly?” “I don’t know,” I sighed. “I guess I’ll never find out, will I?” “No,” she said sadly. “I guess not.” “Well,” I stood up. “It’s time to get you ready for bed.” “Alright,” Elizabeth replied. I could see tears trickling out from underneath her blindfold. I sighed once again and enveloped her in a hug. “Don’t cry for me dear. I’ll live through this, and so will you.” She wiped away the tears from her face, and pulled away from me. “I know. But it’s hard sometimes.” “I know,” I whispered. “I know.” … I watched the sun rise from the deck of the ship. “Did you sleep at all last night?” A voice asked behind me. I stiffened, reaching for one of my knives. “Jackson.” “Ilani.” He walked over to stand beside me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The way the sun reflects off the water?” I nodded. “I’ve never seen the sunrise on the sea before.” He laughed softly. “I’ve seen it too many times to count, and it still takes my breath away.” He paused. “Just like you.” “Jackson, I-” he rose a hand to quiet me. “I know you don’t feel the same way, yet. I will not give up hope that your feelings toward me will change.” I looked at him sadly. “Your hope is ill founded. I do not think that I will ever be able to love you.” “I still will hope, and pray.” He said defiantly. “I won’t give up.” “Foolish man.” “I know.” We finished watching the sun rise in silence, standing side by side. My hand never left the hilt of my knife. This man who said he loved me was a killer. Chapter 5 “We’re almost to the rendezvous!” Oliver called down from the crow’s nest. “One point to the starboard bow!” Jackson hollered back an answer and moved the giant tiller slightly. Elizabeth and I were sitting and watching, or listening to, the two men’s running around the ship and yelling at each other. It wasn’t long before Oliver called for the sails to be tied up, and we sat motionless on the water, except for the constant rocking of the ship. “Are we stopped?” Elizabeth asked me. “Yes. Now we wait.” “I hate waiting,” she said, sighing through her nose. “Do you not think that I already know that?” I shot a glare at her, but she remained oblivious to my frustration. I hated waiting just as much as she did, but I was not looking forward to the upcoming situation. Not only was I going to have to save Oliver from his impending marriage, I would have to keep Elizabeth from killing herself also. I would expect no help from Jackson, and Elizabeth would be next to worthless, so the burden of rescuing Oliver rested solely on my shoulders. We didn’t even have a plan. “It’s time!” Oliver yelped, looking at his hands. Greenish webbing was spreading between his fingers. He yelped again, and looked as if he was being pulled by a rope to the side of the ship. He only had time to yell “Give them the puffballs!” before he went over the side. Jackson ran to a cupboard and pulled out three pink fluffy balls, handing one to me and Elizabeth. “Here, eat these,” he said, and then he stuffed a puffball in his mouth, and jumped over the side of the ship, disappearing underneath the waves. I looked at the pink thing in my hands, shrugged and took a small bite. The fluff dissolved in my mouth, and it tasted faintly like strawberries. I could tell that Elizabeth was savoring hers by the look on her face. I notice that webbing was starting to spread between our fingers, so I took Elizabeth’s hand, and together we jumped off the side of the boat into the frigid waters below. “About time you two came down here,” Jackson said behind me. I turned and gasped at the sight of him. He had a sparkling blue tail, as long as his legs were. I noticed that he did a once over of me, and I looked down. My legs and skirt had been replaced by a glimmering red tail, longer than my legs had been. Elizabeth now had a long, pink tail, and she flicked in in the water experimentally a few times. “Very cool,” she smiled. “Yes, very.” Jackson smiled at me, and I grimaced. “Let’s just get down there and find the idiot, shall we?” I said, glaring at Jackson. He was unfazed, and that just made me mad. “Yes we shall,” Jackson dove under the rolling water. I grabbed Elizabeth’s hand. “Are you ready?” I asked her. She nodded. I dove under the water, Elizabeth in tow. We swan deeper and deeper and I held my breath for as long as I could, because I was scared of inhaling water. I never really cared for the ocean, even though I lived in a port city. When I did finally breathe in, the water filled my lungs, but it was like air. I didn’t choke, and my hopes rose a little bit. “Do you see the mermaid palace yet?” Elizabeth asked. Oddly her voice carried normally, like it would on land. “We don’t even know if it’s real,” I told her. Her asking was justified none the less. There was an old legend in the city that the mer-king, Neptune, and his kin lived in an extravagant palace, underneath the sea. Nobody on land had ever seen it and came back to tell the tale, but it was told that if a mermaid took a fancy towards a sailor, she would lure him into the ocean with her beautiful songs, then give him the power to breathe underwater. She would take him to the palace, so that he could be her plaything until she tired of him. Then, a ship would find a waterlogged body drifting in the ocean. Not all of the mermaids were malevolent though. It was said that one of the mer-king’s daughters was as sweet and innocent as any creature could be. Amariel. That was the mermaid that Oliver was supposed to marry. “Well, why wouldn’t be?” Elizabeth said. She had a point. “I just wish Jackson hadn’t run off. We could be looking for Oliver together.” Personally I was glad Jackson was gone. But I kept my mouth shut and swam deeper underneath the waves. We swam along the ocean floor for a while, passing colorful coral reefs and schools of shimmering fish. Truly, it was beautiful down here. We swam up a steep incline that ended as a cliff. In the trench below, was a beautiful palace. “So the stories are true,” I breathed. Elizabeth pouted. “I wish I could see.” “I’ll describe it to you. It’s made of roughhewn alabaster stone,” we swam closer, and Elizabeth ran her hands against the outside wall. “There are little shells embedded in the stone, and coral is growing on the upper walls.” I craned my neck as I looked up. “There are four torrents, one on each corner, not unlike your father’s castle. It has to be at least twice as big as your home though.” “It sounds amazing!” she cried. “I how I do wish I could see…” “I wish you could see too,” I muttered sadly. “I heard that.” “Of course you did.” We swam around to the front gate of the palace. There, there were two mermen with spears in hand. “Who goes there!” The one on the left called as we approached. “Two friends of the groom to be,” I told him. “Will you allow us to pass?” “No, king’s orders,” he scowled at me. “None are allowed to enter or exit.” “Alrighty then,” I smiled at them, and then snapped my fingers. The sound was muted under water, but the effect I wanted was almost instantaneous. The guards went limp, fast asleep, and began drifting to the surface. “Well that was interesting,” A voice said behind me. “Jackson!” Elizabeth crowed. “Where were you?” “Just above you. I got the same greeting you did so I decided to wait for you two to come along and solve the problem for me.” He smiled. “We should head in before they come to.” We followed Jackson through the gate, and down the main hallway. “Where are we headed?” Elizabeth asked. “The throne room,” Jackson and I said at the same time. I glared at him, and he just smirked. Boys. “Where is it?” She asked. “Probably at the end of the hall,” I replied. We swam around a corner. “Which is right there.” There was an ornate door right in front of us, with carvings of sea life on it. It was wrought in gold and silver, which mysteriously wasn’t damaged because of the seawater. Must have some sort of spell or charm on it. “So… do we just enter?” Jackson asked. “Do you have a better idea?” I said as I pushed open the doors. As I did, three faces swung to look at me. The sea king, identifiable by his flowing beard and stern blue eyes, what assumed was Amariel, because she was the only female in the room, and Oliver. “Who are you?” Neptune boomed. “None are welcome at these proceedings! Leave!” “Sorry,” Jackson smiled at Neptune. “Can’t do that. Cuz’ you see, we’re the groom’s friends, and we want to see the wedding.” “Correction,” I stepped in. Or swam… never mind. “We’re here to save him from the wedding.” Amariel frowned. “Why would he need saving?” “Because he is a man, and you are a mermaid.” I spread my arms. “He has a life back on land, with a home, a family… wouldn’t it be cruel to tear him away from all that?” I was lying through my teeth, hoping to appeal to the mermaid’s better side. “Please, Madame Amariel. Let him go.” “Who are you, anyways?” Amariel looked a little downcast, which meant things were turning in my favor. “I’m Oliver’s sister,” I told her, trying to look stricken. “Our parents back home will miss him dearly, and I don’t know what I will do without my big brother!” I pretended to wipe away a tear, which was stupid, because we were underwater. Oliver was looking at me strangely, and I discreetly shot him a look that clearly said play along. “My sister is right,” Oliver laid a hand on Amariel’s shoulder. “I don’t-” “We had a deal boy!” Neptune roared. “You can’t back out of it now!” “Daddy! Please!” Amariel swam towards him and looked up into his eyes. “I don’t want to be cruel, and I don’t love him either!” Neptune laid a hand on is daughter’s cheek. “Love has nothing to do with it. It is politics.” “If I’m going to marry, I’m going to marry for love! Not because of your stupid politics!” Amariel cried, pushing away from him. I smirked slightly, watching this family drama unfold. “I don’t want to marry Oliver, and you can’t make me!” With that final statement, she swam out of the throne room as fast as she could. “You!” Neptune turned towards me, eyes blazing. “You did this! She was perfectly fine until you came in here and filled her head with ideas of freedom and love!” “I only speak the truth,” I said, bowing, which is easier said than done underwater. “No, you do not,” Neptune growled. “He has no family.” “Yes he does. Our parents and I.” “Just let him go, you big meanie!” Elizabeth shouted at him, then cowered behind me. “Elizabeth!” I hissed. “Don’t ruin this…” “Oh, a meanie am I?!” Neptune rose through the water, electricity flickering through his beard and hair. He waved his trident through the water. “I’m just trying to make a criminal atone for his crimes!” “And forcing him to marry your daughter is going to achieve that?!” I rose so I was on eye level with him. “To me it sounds like you’re just punishing Amariel!” ‘What else do you suggest then?!” I saw a flicker of movement outside the window in the throne room, and I heard faint screams. “We could stop the magical giant squid from destroying your city?” I pointed out the window to where a few buildings were burning with a magical fire that glowed green. Neptune turned and blanched. “Y-yes,” Neptune stammered. “That would work.” “Deal. Just one more thing. The blind girl stays here,” I pointed at Elizabeth. “Fine,” Neptune nodded. “Wait! I’m not staying here!” Elizabeth protested. “Yes you are!” I yelled. “We’re wasting time! Jackson, Oliver, come with me! Neptune, please keep her safe!” We swam back through the hall, leaving behind Elizabeth and her cries of indignation. “Oliver!” I yelled as we sped past the front entrance. “Take out its left flank! Jackson the right! I’ll keep it distracted from the front!” “Got it!” We swam through a flood of mermaids swimming away from the monster. It was difficult fighting the crowd, but we made it through. We were closer than I expected. “Split up!” Oliver sped to the left, Jackson to the right, and I swam up to look it straight in the eye, which was as half as big as I was. “Hey ugly!” I cried. Then I stabbed it in the eye. Its tentacles flailed around, crushing many more buildings, and nearly decapitating me. I heard a cry of pain and saw Oliver fly backward into a pile of rubble, blood flowing into the water around him. I screamed at the sight, his arm hanging at a strange angle, a gaping wound in his chest, eyes closed. “No!” Jackson cried somewhere to my right. He swam over to Oliver, and tried to staunch the flow of blood. “Ilani! Finish it! I’ll take care of him!” I screamed again, this time it was a sound of defiance, not despair. I stabbed the monster in the eye again, and its black blood filled the water, making me choke. The squid flailed again, and narrowly missed where Jackson and Oliver were huddled. My arm slid into the monsters eye, and I used a brief burst of magic to blow up its head from the inside. The blast threw me back in the water a few feet, and I saw that my arm was covered in eye juice from the beast. My first thought was why the squid didn’t use any magic against me. The second was just pain. Mind numbing pain. I heard a scream, I don’t know from where. Then everything went black. Chapter 6 When I awoke, I was swaying in a hammock aboard a ship. I tried to lift my head, but groaned in pain at the effort. I felt a cool hand rest on my forehead. “Rest Ilani,” a voice said. “You’re not healed yet.” … I drifted in and out of blackness. Sometimes I could hear conversations. “Is she ever going to wake up?” “She was awake some time ago.” “I put a simple sleeping spell on her. She should sleep for a while longer. But I don’t know if she’ll wake up after the effects wear off.” “Oh.” “Ilani, if you can hear me, don’t give up.” … “We’ve got to get her help.” “Let’s go to the elves!” “They’d never take us in.” “We have to try. She hasn’t woken up yet, and it’s been days. If she doesn’t wake up soon, she’ll die!” “She has a point. I don’t really think we have a choice. They are the only ones that can heal her. Can you get us there?” “Yeah, the forest grows right up to the coast. We can dock there.” “Okay, let’s do this!” I felt a hand touch my face. “Don’t worry Ilani, we’ll save you.” … The second time I awoke I was in a small room draped in white cloth. There were no windows and I had no idea what time of day it was or where I was even at. I just laid in the bed for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling trying to remember what happened before I ended up here. I remembered fighting the squid then… darkness. Eventually the door to the room opened. “Ilani?” “Elizabeth?” “Oh thank the gods! You’re awake!” She ran forward into the bed post. “Ow.” Elizabeth maneuvered her way to me and gave me a hug. I held her tight for a few moments. “What happened?” I asked her. “I hardly remember anything after we went into the ocean.” “I’m not sure I am the best person to tell you that,” she replied. “I only have a second hand account since I have no eyes and you left me in the castle. I’m still not happy about that by the way. Neptune had to restrain me from swimming out there to try and help you guys.” “Well I’m glad he did.” I told her. “You could have gotten seriously hurt like… Oliver!” I gasped. “Is he okay? Where is he? Where is Jackson?” “They’re fine. Jackson bound Oliver’s chest wound well enough until we got here and he was healed.” “Can I see them?” “Yeah, I’ll go get them. I’ll also tell your father that you’re awake.” “My, my what?” “You’re father!” “Elizabeth, my father is dead.” “Your human one is, not your real one.” “What?!” “You’ll see in a moment. I’ll be right back okay?” “ELIZABETH!” I tried to climb out of bed to follow her, but I couldn’t even force myself to sit up, I was so weak. A few moments later a man rushed in, eyes wide and a huge smile on his face. “Ilani! My dear, it’s so good to see you awake!” He cried. “Who are you?” I asked. He had pointed ears knifing through his long silver colored hair. “Wait… pointed ears… you’re an elf aren’t you? How the hell did I end up in the elf kingdom?!” “That’s a long story,” said Jackson as he walked through the door, along with Oliver. “Want us to tell you?” “Yes,” I stared at him. “Be sure not to leave anything out. Start after where I stabbed the monster’s eye.” “Well after that, the squid burst into flames.” Jackson said. “Oliver and I were out of range, but you and a couple of nearby buildings were completely enveloped. I’m not sure how they burned underwater, but we had to wait until they died down to retrieve your… body. Neptune put a spell on you that kept you from dying, just as long as we got you to a healer soon. So we took you up to the ship and waited to see if you woke up on your own. I don’t know why we waited…” “It was because that even though you looked like a burnt log, we hoped that we didn’t have to come here,” Oliver cuts in. Jackson glares at him. “We would have done anything to save you, but he’s right.” He sighs. “We really didn’t want to come here because of the elves’... history.” Jackson glances nervously at the elf man, who until then had stayed quiet. “I do not blame you, my boy.” The elf man said softly. “My people do not have the best past.” Oliver snorts. “The understatement of the century.” “But then we came here, with the insistence of Elizabeth,” Jackson continues. “And then this guy welcomed us with open arms, at least until he saw the condition you were in.” “But why? Why would this elf be interested in me?” I asked. “Because you are my daughter, and the heir to the elven throne,” the elf man said simply. “Excuse me?” “I know you’re not stupid, my dear,” he sighed. “No matter how much damage you sustained. I meant what I said.” “But that means I’m an elf, and not just an elf, but elf royalty.” “Precisely. I’m so glad you were able to come to an understanding.” “But why? Why did you give me up then?” I asked. “Staying here would have meant almost certain death for you. Your mother and I could not let the general public know. Even if we were able to double the guard, it would have not been sufficient.” I stayed silent for a moment. “But you still gave me away to an abusive family. Do you know how much I went through?” The elf king looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry my dear.”
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Prologue The land of Xervies is split up into many different parts. Many races populated the lands, and most of them did not associate with the others. The High Elves of the Eastern Mountains were one of those races. Fairer than the others, and immortal in all their beauty, they refused to mingle with “lesser races”. And although they were immortal, they had no magic. Their cousins, the Dark Elves of the Woodlands, lived for the earth. They mined the purest ore, and used it in their forges. Their weapons were the finest, rivaled only by the dwarves. They were mortal, but lived much longer than any man, for the magic they had in their blood was strong. The dwarves lived in the Western Mountains, mining and forging, and building their grand cities. Merfolk lived in the oceans surrounding Xervies, but since they cannot breathe air for long, they have never been seen above the waves, yet their lovely singing has brought more than one ship to its doom. Djinn lived in the volcanoes to the north, for fire and heat powered their magic. Djinn kept the balance between good and bad luck, so one was never more powerful than the other. Legends say that if you survived the climb up a fire mountain to a djinn’s lair, their ancient laws said they had to grant you three wishes. In the south, there were several nomadic tribes of ancient beasts known as the Nagris. They killed anything, even the other tribes. They cared nothing for the workings of life, and most of their spawn died young. This was how it was in the beginning. Eventually, men sailed across the seas to this land. They befriended the Djinn, Dark Elves and dwarves. For a time, there was peace, but mankind became violent, as men are wont to do. They cut down the beloved trees of the Dark Elves’ forest for their cities. The elves saw this as an unpardonable act, and declared war on mankind. The dwarves did not want to choose sides between their friends, so they retreated to their ancient homes in the mountains, and haven’t been seen since. The Djinn had to keep the universe in balance, and could not do so if influenced by either side, so they went back to their volcanoes. This war went on for centuries, and while mankind were ever growing more numerous; the elves did not have a fertility rate as high as them, and so their numbers dwindled. The elves fell back into their forest, and sealed the borders with magic, so no man could ever enter again. Some renegade elves came out from the forest, and slaughtered the young children of man, in the cities nearby, so that they could not mass another army for an attack. The king and queen of the elves did not condone this, and they forbid their people to leave the forest. This lasted ten years, before the elves began to revolt against the law, and the queen soon after found that she was with child. The king had to recall the law, so that he and his family would remain safe. Murder of human children became a daily occurrence, and even the youngest elves had the crimson stain of blood on their hands. The king and queen could not bear the thought of their child being raised amongst these murderers, so they decided that as soon as the child was born, it would be spirited away by a servant, to live in the world of man, far from the forest. The child was born, a little girl, and immediately the king took his daughter and used magic to change the features that distinguished her as an elf. The point and slant of her eyes and ears were rounded, and the sharp edges of her chin and lips were softened. Lastly, he placed a spell on her, which would make the family she was given to think that she was their own daughter. And with a great burden on his heart, the king sent his only daughter away with a servant, knowing that he might not see her again. The servant placed the babe on the doorstep of a powerful lord that had a son and wife, far away from the forest. Little did the servant know, was that the lord beat his family, horribly. But he left the babe, and disappeared back into the woodlands, never to return. The lord’s son, a young boy named Oliver, heard the babe’s wails, and took her inside, thinking that she was his sister. And there, in his room, he laid the baby girl down on his bed, and watched over her till morn. Thus began the life of Ilani, heir to the throne of the Dark Elves in the Forest of Dúnmharú. ……………………………………………………………………………………. “Elizabeth…” I whispered, shaking the sleeping form on the bed. “Wake up!” Elizabeth rolled over and moaned. “Do I have to?” she mumbled. “It’s so nice here… we should stay here…” “Yes, you have to!” I said. “Your father is waiting in the dining hall for you!” “And?” she grumbled, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “It’s not like he ever notices me anyway.” “Of course he notices you!” I said, and under my breath added, “You’re kind of hard to miss.” “I heard that,” Elizabeth frowned. “Of course you did. Now, come on. You need to get dressed.” Elizabeth slid off the bed and promptly walked into the wall. “Where is that darn closet? I swear Ilani; you change it every morning just to make it difficult for me.” “I didn’t do that,” I said. I took Elizabeth’s hand and led her to the closet. “It’s in the same place it has always been.” Elizabeth reached out her hand and stroked the fabric of each dress hanging in the alcove. After a few moments, she selected a hunting frock made of dark green linen. “This one, please,” Elizabeth said, holding out the dress towards Ilani. “It’s green right?” “Of course,” I replied, starting to dress Elizabeth. “Sometimes you could tell me you weren’t blind, and I’d half believe it.” “Aw...” Elizabeth cooed. “If you told me that you could talk the sun down from the sky, I would believe it wholeheartedly, because you have such a way with words. You would be able to convince the Lord of the Djinn himself that his skin was blue.” “I wouldn’t go as far to say that!” I laughed. “For all we puny humans know, their skin is blue.” “Nah,” Elizabeth countered. “Their skin is red, from being in those fire mountains all the time.” “I am sure that you are right,” I said, straightening from buttoning Elizabeth’s gown. “Would you like me to find the matching fold, or do you want to try and guess?” “You go ahead and find it,” Elizabeth replied. “I don’t feel like the guessing game today.” I went to the cherry wood armoire resting against one of the walls of the room. I opened the lid and pulled out a green blindfold matching the fabric of Elizabeth’s dress. The fabric passed hands between the servant and the noblewoman, and Elizabeth firmly secured the blindfold over the scarred tissue of her eyes. Chapter One "Good morning Elizabeth,” Lord Harper said as Elizabeth and I entered the dining hall. “Ilani.” “Good morning father!” Elizabeth said cheerily. “I smell pancakes. Is that what is for breakfast this morning?” I curtsied discreetly behind my mistress as she talked endlessly about how blueberries were tastier in pancakes than any other fruit. Lord Harper made general sounds of agreement, not really listening, while looking over papers on the table. One of the serving women scurrying around the hall was trying to listen to what was being said by Elizabeth, and she tripped on a slightly loose stone on the floor, and as she fell the tray and pitcher she held shattered against the ground. Her head snapped around to look at Lord Harper, completely aware of his harsh temper, and afraid of what he might do to her as punishment. Lord Harper’s face started to turn red, and he stood, shoving his chair back so hard it hit the wall. “Lord,” I said, laying my hand on his shoulder, trying to thinking quickly. “Let me take care of this.” He nodded, and I snapped my fingers. The chair returned to its previous position, knocking Lord Harper back into it, and the tray and pitcher reassembled themselves and floated gently to rest on the table. I knelt down to the level of the maid and whispered to her. “It would be best if you made yourself scarce.” The maid nodded and scrabbled to her feet, then dashed off, back to the kitchens. If she was smart, she would stay there for a while. I bent down to mop up the milk with a rag. “Well that happened,” Elizabeth said, then stuffed pancake in her mouth. “You don’t know what just happened, do you?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter. By your leave, Lord Harper,” I said, straightening from my task. “Go,” he said, waving his hand. “Do whatever you do when you disappear from your duties.” “Thank you,” I curtsied. Then I vanished. Chapter Two The last knife flew from my hand into the straw dummy. Aside from me, the courtyard was empty, and I was lost in thought. “Ilani!” one of the servants called my name from the second floor’s balcony. “She’s gone again!” I sighed audibly. “Did you check the wine cellar already?” “Yes, and others are searching the grounds. Lord Harper would like you to help.” I rolled my eyes and started to yank knives from the dummy, and I hid them in various places in my skirt. Elizabeth had escaped the manor again, as she always does when I leave her alone. Half the time I leave just so she can have some time to herself. No one knows as well I as I how oppressed she feels when inside. The most likely places she would be have been searched by some of the other servants, so now it was my turn to search the city. She wasn’t at the library, or the plaza, or in any of the taverns or restaurants. My next destination was the docks. I just hope she didn’t fall into the harbor. …. There were many ships in the harbor, many of which I recognized. I greeted the captains and asked if they had seen Elizabeth, and their answers were all the same. She was heading to a ship named Phil. I knew the name of that ship, but it hadn’t been anchored in this harbor for years! I grabbed my skirts and ran down the boardwalk in the direction of the last ship. “Elizabeth!” I yelled from the bottom of the gangplank. “Are you up there?” “Hi Ilani!” Her head popped over the side of the ship. “Get down from there!” “Why? Is something wrong?” “Yes! That’s the ship of a very bad man!” “Hey!” A new voice spoke up. “That isn’t nice!” The voice’s owner looked down from the side of the ship at me. His raven locks fell in front of his cornflower blue eyes, and he smiled at me. “Long time, no see, Ilani.” “Oliver! If you did anything to Elizabeth, so help me I will march up this gangplank and personally-“ “Calm down Ilani,” Elizabeth cut me off. “I’m fine. Oliver has been really nice!” “Yes, I have,” Oliver stuck his tongue out at me. “So why don’t you come up and we’ll all have a nice little chat.” “A nice little chat?!” “She doesn’t like that…” Elizabeth trailed off. “How do you two know each other anyways?” “That’s not important,” I said just as Oliver said, “We knew each other as children.” “Really?” Elizabeth’s face had a pained look. “Yes,” I sighed. “Elizabeth, do you know who that man is? Do you remember?” “Yep, I remember.” Elizabeth grimaced. “He’s the man that blinded me.” “Did you have to bring that up?” Oliver asked, actually having the audacity to look ashamed. “Well, it would have to come up sometime!” I shouted. “Do you think that Elizabeth would just forget what you did to her? That she wouldn’t talk about it? You are an idiot!” “Ilani,” Elizabeth said. “Can you please come up here so that we don’t have to yell at each other?” I nodded, forgetting that she couldn’t see me, and climbed up the gangplank, ignoring my fears of falling into the water. On the deck of the boat, I took a look around. “You’ve gotten a lot more organized, Oliver.” “Thank you, Ilani. I know how it bothered you.” “Enough with the idle chitchat,” I said. “What are you doing here? You are banished from this city. If found, you could die.” “I know that,” he replied. “But I had to come back. To apologize.” I softened at his despondent expression. “Okay. Apologize, then we’ll leave.” “Oh, we’re not going back,” Elizabeth smiled. “We’re going with Oliver on a little trip!” Chapter Three By this time I realized that the boat was moving slowly out of the harbor. “What? No!” I cried, dashing to the side of the boat and looking over the side, instantly turning green. I dry heaved a few times (I hadn’t yet eaten anything that day) then slid down to sit on the deck. I had horrible seasickness, every time I stepped onto a boat. Even the gentle waters of the harbor got my stomach rolling. “Lord Harper is going to kill me…” “Elizabeth’s father?” Oliver looked confused. “Why would he be mad at you?” “I work for him,” I said. “Wait,” Oliver grinned.” You’re a servant?” He started laughing. “Ilani, the nobleman’s daughter, brought down to the lowly status of a servant!” He was bent over double, clutching his stomach. “I don’t see what’s so funny,” I said, slightly miffed. “You were also of noble birth, but now all you have is this pirate ship.” “Touché, Ilani dear,” he straightened and once again was serious. “I want to hear what has happened to you since the last time we parted.” “After o- my parents were k- I mean died, I went into the nearest town and found work an apothecary’s shop. I only worked there for a few months before a nobleman walked, seeking a cure for his sick daughter. I offered my services, and ended up working for him as a servant. That was two years ago, and I’ve been working for him ever since.” I paused. “What of you?” “When I ran away from our childhood home, I went to the nearest harbor town and sought work on a ship. I worked for years until I had enough money to buy my own, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for a crew, so right now it’s just my first mate and me.” “What first mate?” I asked, slightly suspicious. “Oh, he’s working below deck; I can call him up if you want to meet him.” “I want to meet him!” Elizabeth said. Oliver walked over to a trap door in the deck and opened it. “Jackson! Come on up for a moment! We have guests!” He yelled down the hole. A moment later a young man with platinum blonde hair gently floated up out of the hole and landed softly on the deck. “This better be good,” he said not noticing me and Elizabeth. “I was working.” “Just look before you get grumpy,” Oliver gestured towards me and Elizabeth. “See?” Jackson turned around and his eyes widened when he saw me. “Ilani!” He rushed forward and captured my face in his hands. “What are you doing here? I thought I’d never see you again!” “Get off of me you oaf!” I cried, shoving him away from me. He stumbled back a few steps, looking hurt. “In what fantasy land are you living in would make you think that I’d be happy to see you?!” “But, Ilani, I thought,” he stammered. “Before you left, I thought maybe…” Blush rose to my cheek when I thought of the last time I saw him. “Whatever you thought, you were wrong.” Jackson hung his head with dejection and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Ilani, what’s going on?” Elizabeth asked. “I know Jackson too, milady.” “Well why are you being so mean to him?” “Because he, well, we’re… betrothed.” “Do you not want to marry him?” “No! It was something arranged by our parents. I want the freedom to make my own decisions.” “My decision was made 2 years ago,” Jackson said sadly. “It still is.” “Nobody asked you,” I spat back venomously, perversely enjoying the way he flinched. “Would you stop it!” Elizabeth yelled, trying to hit me but missing. “He didn’t do anything to you. Like you said, it was your parent’s choice, not his. Now apologize” “Of course, milady,” I curtsied to Jackson. “I am sorry good sir, will you please forgive me?” I had managed not to grimace while I was speaking. Oliver and Jackson stood looking at me, mouths gaping. They starting whispering to each other, and I picked up bits like: “besotted”, “she apologized” and “what do you do now?”. “Are you done yet?” I asked, annoyed. “Um, yes,” Jackson straightened his coat and bowed to me. “Apology accepted Lady Ilani.” “I am no lady,” I despised the title. “Just a humble servant for the Harper family.” Jackson frowned. “Of course.” “So where are we going?” I asked, looking at the calm ocean surrounding the boat, trying not to retch. “To the mermaids!” Elizabeth crowed. “Why?” Oliver nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Well I, uh, might need to marry one.” I slapped my forehead with my hand. “How did you manage that?!” “Well, there are these puffballs that you eat that temporarily turn you into a mermaid if you eat one,” Jackson started to explain. “And I ate one and went down to the underwater kingdom and destroyed a bunch of stuff.” Oliver finished. “So in redress, the sea king is going to make me marry his daughter, Amariel.” “Wow.” I said, not really all that surprised. Leave it to Oliver to pull a stupid stunt like that. “When’s the wedding?” “In two days. That’s how long it will take to get there. You guys will come and try to stop it, won’t you?” Oliver looked so hopeful, I couldn’t refuse. “Yes,” I sighed. “I’ll come.” “I’ll be there too!” Elizabeth smiled. “There’s no way that I’m going to let you live the rest of your life under the ocean.” Oliver smiled, and looked for a moment it thought I saw the little kid I used to know, before he turned into a young man and left me, after our parents died. Yes. Our parents. Oliver was my brother. Chapter Four I told Elizabeth the truth about me and Oliver after we went below deck for the night. “So you’re his sister?” she asked softly, as if she was afraid of me confirming it. “Yes, I am.” “Why did you not tell me this before?” I could hear the hurt in her voice, and each word was like a stab to the chest. “It would only cause you pain. There was no reason to believe that you would meet again.” I looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry.” She nodded. “What about Jackson? What’s the story between you two?” “Like I said above deck, he and I are betrothed. It was completely our parent’s idea. I wish I didn’t have to marry him.” “Why?” “I do not love him,” I said. “I want to marry for love, not some stupid rule my parents made before they died.” “Well, your parents are dead now, can’t you break that rule?” “No, they placed a spell on both of us. We have to be married officially by my 22nd birthday, or else we both die.” “Weren’t you 19 when you came to the castle? Your birthday can’t be that far away.” “It’s in seven months.” “Your parents were harsh. Why would they want you to get married that badly?” “I don’t know,” I sighed. “I guess I’ll never find out, will I?” “No,” she said sadly. “I guess not.” “Well,” I stood up. “It’s time to get you ready for bed.” “Alright,” Elizabeth replied. I could see tears trickling out from underneath her blindfold. I sighed once again and enveloped her in a hug. “Don’t cry for me dear. I’ll live through this, and so will you.” She wiped away the tears from her face, and pulled away from me. “I know. But it’s hard sometimes.” “I know,” I whispered. “I know.” … I watched the sun rise from the deck of the ship. “Did you sleep at all last night?” A voice asked behind me. I stiffened, reaching for one of my knives. “Jackson.” “Ilani.” He walked over to stand beside me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The way the sun reflects off the water?” I nodded. “I’ve never seen the sunrise on the sea before.” He laughed softly. “I’ve seen it too many times to count, and it still takes my breath away.” He paused. “Just like you.” “Jackson, I-” he rose a hand to quiet me. “I know you don’t feel the same way, yet. I will not give up hope that your feelings toward me will change.” I looked at him sadly. “Your hope is ill founded. I do not think that I will ever be able to love you.” “I still will hope, and pray.” He said defiantly. “I won’t give up.” “Foolish man.” “I know.” We finished watching the sun rise in silence, standing side by side. My hand never left the hilt of my knife. This man who said he loved me was a killer. Chapter 5 “We’re almost to the rendezvous!” Oliver called down from the crow’s nest. “One point to the starboard bow!” Jackson hollered back an answer and moved the giant tiller slightly. Elizabeth and I were sitting and watching, or listening to, the two men’s running around the ship and yelling at each other. It wasn’t long before Oliver called for the sails to be tied up, and we sat motionless on the water, except for the constant rocking of the ship. “Are we stopped?” Elizabeth asked me. “Yes. Now we wait.” “I hate waiting,” she said, sighing through her nose. “Do you not think that I already know that?” I shot a glare at her, but she remained oblivious to my frustration. I hated waiting just as much as she did, but I was not looking forward to the upcoming situation. Not only was I going to have to save Oliver from his impending marriage, I would have to keep Elizabeth from killing herself also. I would expect no help from Jackson, and Elizabeth would be next to worthless, so the burden of rescuing Oliver rested solely on my shoulders. We didn’t even have a plan. “It’s time!” Oliver yelped, looking at his hands. Greenish webbing was spreading between his fingers. He yelped again, and looked as if he was being pulled by a rope to the side of the ship. He only had time to yell “Give them the puffballs!” before he went over the side. Jackson ran to a cupboard and pulled out three pink fluffy balls, handing one to me and Elizabeth. “Here, eat these,” he said, and then he stuffed a puffball in his mouth, and jumped over the side of the ship, disappearing underneath the waves. I looked at the pink thing in my hands, shrugged and took a small bite. The fluff dissolved in my mouth, and it tasted faintly like strawberries. I could tell that Elizabeth was savoring hers by the look on her face. I notice that webbing was starting to spread between our fingers, so I took Elizabeth’s hand, and together we jumped off the side of the boat into the frigid waters below. “About time you two came down here,” Jackson said behind me. I turned and gasped at the sight of him. He had a sparkling blue tail, as long as his legs were. I noticed that he did a once over of me, and I looked down. My legs and skirt had been replaced by a glimmering red tail, longer than my legs had been. Elizabeth now had a long, pink tail, and she flicked in in the water experimentally a few times. “Very cool,” she smiled. “Yes, very.” Jackson smiled at me, and I grimaced. “Let’s just get down there and find the idiot, shall we?” I said, glaring at Jackson. He was unfazed, and that just made me mad. “Yes we shall,” Jackson dove under the rolling water. I grabbed Elizabeth’s hand. “Are you ready?” I asked her. She nodded. I dove under the water, Elizabeth in tow. We swan deeper and deeper and I held my breath for as long as I could, because I was scared of inhaling water. I never really cared for the ocean, even though I lived in a port city. When I did finally breathe in, the water filled my lungs, but it was like air. I didn’t choke, and my hopes rose a little bit. “Do you see the mermaid palace yet?” Elizabeth asked. Oddly her voice carried normally, like it would on land. “We don’t even know if it’s real,” I told her. Her asking was justified none the less. There was an old legend in the city that the mer-king, Neptune, and his kin lived in an extravagant palace, underneath the sea. Nobody on land had ever seen it and came back to tell the tale, but it was told that if a mermaid took a fancy towards a sailor, she would lure him into the ocean with her beautiful songs, then give him the power to breathe underwater. She would take him to the palace, so that he could be her plaything until she tired of him. Then, a ship would find a waterlogged body drifting in the ocean. Not all of the mermaids were malevolent though. It was said that one of the mer-king’s daughters was as sweet and innocent as any creature could be. Amariel. That was the mermaid that Oliver was supposed to marry. “Well, why wouldn’t be?” Elizabeth said. She had a point. “I just wish Jackson hadn’t run off. We could be looking for Oliver together.” Personally I was glad Jackson was gone. But I kept my mouth shut and swam deeper underneath the waves. We swam along the ocean floor for a while, passing colorful coral reefs and schools of shimmering fish. Truly, it was beautiful down here. We swam up a steep incline that ended as a cliff. In the trench below, was a beautiful palace. “So the stories are true,” I breathed. Elizabeth pouted. “I wish I could see.” “I’ll describe it to you. It’s made of roughhewn alabaster stone,” we swam closer, and Elizabeth ran her hands against the outside wall. “There are little shells embedded in the stone, and coral is growing on the upper walls.” I craned my neck as I looked up. “There are four torrents, one on each corner, not unlike your father’s castle. It has to be at least twice as big as your home though.” “It sounds amazing!” she cried. “I how I do wish I could see…” “I wish you could see too,” I muttered sadly. “I heard that.” “Of course you did.” We swam around to the front gate of the palace. There, there were two mermen with spears in hand. “Who goes there!” The one on the left called as we approached. “Two friends of the groom to be,” I told him. “Will you allow us to pass?” “No, king’s orders,” he scowled at me. “None are allowed to enter or exit.” “Alrighty then,” I smiled at them, and then snapped my fingers. The sound was muted under water, but the effect I wanted was almost instantaneous. The guards went limp, fast asleep, and began drifting to the surface. “Well that was interesting,” A voice said behind me. “Jackson!” Elizabeth crowed. “Where were you?” “Just above you. I got the same greeting you did so I decided to wait for you two to come along and solve the problem for me.” He smiled. “We should head in before they come to.” We followed Jackson through the gate, and down the main hallway. “Where are we headed?” Elizabeth asked. “The throne room,” Jackson and I said at the same time. I glared at him, and he just smirked. Boys. “Where is it?” She asked. “Probably at the end of the hall,” I replied. We swam around a corner. “Which is right there.” There was an ornate door right in front of us, with carvings of sea life on it. It was wrought in gold and silver, which mysteriously wasn’t damaged because of the seawater. Must have some sort of spell or charm on it. “So… do we just enter?” Jackson asked. “Do you have a better idea?” I said as I pushed open the doors. As I did, three faces swung to look at me. The sea king, identifiable by his flowing beard and stern blue eyes, what assumed was Amariel, because she was the only female in the room, and Oliver. “Who are you?” Neptune boomed. “None are welcome at these proceedings! Leave!” “Sorry,” Jackson smiled at Neptune. “Can’t do that. Cuz’ you see, we’re the groom’s friends, and we want to see the wedding.” “Correction,” I stepped in. Or swam… never mind. “We’re here to save him from the wedding.” Amariel frowned. “Why would he need saving?” “Because he is a man, and you are a mermaid.” I spread my arms. “He has a life back on land, with a home, a family… wouldn’t it be cruel to tear him away from all that?” I was lying through my teeth, hoping to appeal to the mermaid’s better side. “Please, Madame Amariel. Let him go.” “Who are you, anyways?” Amariel looked a little downcast, which meant things were turning in my favor. “I’m Oliver’s sister,” I told her, trying to look stricken. “Our parents back home will miss him dearly, and I don’t know what I will do without my big brother!” I pretended to wipe away a tear, which was stupid, because we were underwater. Oliver was looking at me strangely, and I discreetly shot him a look that clearly said play along. “My sister is right,” Oliver laid a hand on Amariel’s shoulder. “I don’t-” “We had a deal boy!” Neptune roared. “You can’t back out of it now!” “Daddy! Please!” Amariel swam towards him and looked up into his eyes. “I don’t want to be cruel, and I don’t love him either!” Neptune laid a hand on is daughter’s cheek. “Love has nothing to do with it. It is politics.” “If I’m going to marry, I’m going to marry for love! Not because of your stupid politics!” Amariel cried, pushing away from him. I smirked slightly, watching this family drama unfold. “I don’t want to marry Oliver, and you can’t make me!” With that final statement, she swam out of the throne room as fast as she could. “You!” Neptune turned towards me, eyes blazing. “You did this! She was perfectly fine until you came in here and filled her head with ideas of freedom and love!” “I only speak the truth,” I said, bowing, which is easier said than done underwater. “No, you do not,” Neptune growled. “He has no family.” “Yes he does. Our parents and I.” “Just let him go, you big meanie!” Elizabeth shouted at him, then cowered behind me. “Elizabeth!” I hissed. “Don’t ruin this…” “Oh, a meanie am I?!” Neptune rose through the water, electricity flickering through his beard and hair. He waved his trident through the water. “I’m just trying to make a criminal atone for his crimes!” “And forcing him to marry your daughter is going to achieve that?!” I rose so I was on eye level with him. “To me it sounds like you’re just punishing Amariel!” ‘What else do you suggest then?!” I saw a flicker of movement outside the window in the throne room, and I heard faint screams. “We could stop the magical giant squid from destroying your city?” I pointed out the window to where a few buildings were burning with a magical fire that glowed green. Neptune turned and blanched. “Y-yes,” Neptune stammered. “That would work.” “Deal. Just one more thing. The blind girl stays here,” I pointed at Elizabeth. “Fine,” Neptune nodded. “Wait! I’m not staying here!” Elizabeth protested. “Yes you are!” I yelled. “We’re wasting time! Jackson, Oliver, come with me! Neptune, please keep her safe!” We swam back through the hall, leaving behind Elizabeth and her cries of indignation. “Oliver!” I yelled as we sped past the front entrance. “Take out its left flank! Jackson the right! I’ll keep it distracted from the front!” “Got it!” We swam through a flood of mermaids swimming away from the monster. It was difficult fighting the crowd, but we made it through. We were closer than I expected. “Split up!” Oliver sped to the left, Jackson to the right, and I swam up to look it straight in the eye, which was as half as big as I was. “Hey ugly!” I cried. Then I stabbed it in the eye. Its tentacles flailed around, crushing many more buildings, and nearly decapitating me. I heard a cry of pain and saw Oliver fly backward into a pile of rubble, blood flowing into the water around him. I screamed at the sight, his arm hanging at a strange angle, a gaping wound in his chest, eyes closed. “No!” Jackson cried somewhere to my right. He swam over to Oliver, and tried to staunch the flow of blood. “Ilani! Finish it! I’ll take care of him!” I screamed again, this time it was a sound of defiance, not despair. I stabbed the monster in the eye again, and its black blood filled the water, making me choke. The squid flailed again, and narrowly missed where Jackson and Oliver were huddled. My arm slid into the monsters eye, and I used a brief burst of magic to blow up its head from the inside. The blast threw me back in the water a few feet, and I saw that my arm was covered in eye juice from the beast. My first thought was why the squid didn’t use any magic against me. The second was just pain. Mind numbing pain. I heard a scream, I don’t know from where. Then everything went black. Chapter 6 When I awoke, I was swaying in a hammock aboard a ship. I tried to lift my head, but groaned in pain at the effort. I felt a cool hand rest on my forehead. “Rest Ilani,” a voice said. “You’re not healed yet.” … I drifted in and out of blackness. Sometimes I could hear conversations. “Is she ever going to wake up?” “She was awake some time ago.” “I put a simple sleeping spell on her. She should sleep for a while longer. But I don’t know if she’ll wake up after the effects wear off.” “Oh.” “Ilani, if you can hear me, don’t give up.” … “We’ve got to get her help.” “Let’s go to the elves!” “They’d never take us in.” “We have to try. She hasn’t woken up yet, and it’s been days. If she doesn’t wake up soon, she’ll die!” “She has a point. I don’t really think we have a choice. They are the only ones that can heal her. Can you get us there?” “Yeah, the forest grows right up to the coast. We can dock there.” “Okay, let’s do this!” I felt a hand touch my face. “Don’t worry Ilani, we’ll save you.” … The second time I awoke I was in a small room draped in white cloth. There were no windows and I had no idea what time of day it was or where I was even at. I just laid in the bed for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling trying to remember what happened before I ended up here. I remembered fighting the squid then… darkness. Eventually the door to the room opened. “Ilani?” “Elizabeth?” “Oh thank the gods! You’re awake!” She ran forward into the bed post. “Ow.” Elizabeth maneuvered her way to me and gave me a hug. I held her tight for a few moments. “What happened?” I asked her. “I hardly remember anything after we went into the ocean.” “I’m not sure I am the best person to tell you that,” she replied. “I only have a second hand account since I have no eyes and you left me in the castle. I’m still not happy about that by the way. Neptune had to restrain me from swimming out there to try and help you guys.” “Well I’m glad he did.” I told her. “You could have gotten seriously hurt like… Oliver!” I gasped. “Is he okay? Where is he? Where is Jackson?” “They’re fine. Jackson bound Oliver’s chest wound well enough until we got here and he was healed.” “Can I see them?” “Yeah, I’ll go get them. I’ll also tell your father that you’re awake.” “My, my what?” “You’re father!” “Elizabeth, my father is dead.” “Your human one is, not your real one.” “What?!” “You’ll see in a moment. I’ll be right back okay?” “ELIZABETH!” I tried to climb out of bed to follow her, but I couldn’t even force myself to sit up, I was so weak. A few moments later a man rushed in, eyes wide and a huge smile on his face. “Ilani! My dear, it’s so good to see you awake!” He cried. “Who are you?” I asked. He had pointed ears knifing through his long silver colored hair. “Wait… pointed ears… you’re an elf aren’t you? How the hell did I end up in the elf kingdom?!” “That’s a long story,” said Jackson as he walked through the door, along with Oliver. “Want us to tell you?” “Yes,” I stared at him. “Be sure not to leave anything out. Start after where I stabbed the monster’s eye.” “Well after that, the squid burst into flames.” Jackson said. “Oliver and I were out of range, but you and a couple of nearby buildings were completely enveloped. I’m not sure how they burned underwater, but we had to wait until they died down to retrieve your… body. Neptune put a spell on you that kept you from dying, just as long as we got you to a healer soon. So we took you up to the ship and waited to see if you woke up on your own. I don’t know why we waited…” “It was because that even though you looked like a burnt log, we hoped that we didn’t have to come here,” Oliver cuts in. Jackson glares at him. “We would have done anything to save you, but he’s right.” He sighs. “We really didn’t want to come here because of the elves’... history.” Jackson glances nervously at the elf man, who until then had stayed quiet. “I do not blame you, my boy.” The elf man said softly. “My people do not have the best past.” Oliver snorts. “The understatement of the century.” “But then we came here, with the insistence of Elizabeth,” Jackson continues. “And then this guy welcomed us with open arms, at least until he saw the condition you were in.” “But why? Why would this elf be interested in me?” I asked. “Because you are my daughter, and the heir to the elven throne,” the elf man said simply. “Excuse me?” “I know you’re not stupid, my dear,” he sighed. “No matter how much damage you sustained. I meant what I said.” “But that means I’m an elf, and not just an elf, but elf royalty.” “Precisely. I’m so glad you were able to come to an understanding.” “But why? Why did you give me up then?” I asked. “Staying here would have meant almost certain death for you. Your mother and I could not let the general public know. Even if we were able to double the guard, it would have not been sufficient.” I stayed silent for a moment. “But you still gave me away to an abusive family. Do you know how much I went through?” The elf king looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry my dear.”
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