Clash of Tides (A merman story)

I do not move wherever I am, and all there is darkness. Booming voices reach my ears; people are fighting, but who are they? Then, I hear whimpering; perhaps someone is crying.

“Elle! Elle!” Something or someone is moving my body back and forth; they call my name repeatedly. As I try to lift my arm, the haziness dies down; I touch my forehead and clench my teeth, feeling the throbbing ache from my head. Every part of me hurts, up from my feet to my chest, but as memories come flooding back to me, knowing I am alone now is more painful.

Slowly, I remember everything that happened: My farewell to Assan, Hass and I fighting to survive, and the forest creatures trapping the Belua between their vines, tearing their bodies apart. Once my feet touched Hlynn, I collapsed.

“Joe.”

The voices get louder than before. What is going on here?

“Elle! Wake up!”

My eyelids open like the passing of time, slow, but eventually, I see a faint light from beyond the darkness of my pain; it’s Joe. A big grin extends on his face, and he wraps his arms around me, pressing his body to mine. Despite the hurt I feel, I return the gesture and hug my brother back.

“They didn’t know if you would wake up. Mother was yelling at the doctor, telling him he had to save you. You went away again! Why, Elle? Why do you keep leaving?” The white gown I am wearing soaks up his tears, and if I could, I would tell Joe the truth about the mers, the Belua, and our mother.

One day, Joe, I will tell you about the undersea world.

From downstairs, the arguing I hear continues. I unwrap my arms around Joe and place one hand on his shoulder. Carefully, I sit up, hissing at the bursts of pain throughout my body, but to my surprise, the cuts on my skin are small, as if they were fading while I slept.

Now is not the time to think about my wounds. Joe is upset, and there is a fight downstairs with my mother, but I wonder who she is arguing with.

“Joseph, listen to me. I promise to keep you safe and know I will never leave you behind. I will tell you a tale of magic and the sea when you are older, but I need to help mother until then. Can you tell me who is downstairs? Who is she fighting with?”

He wipes his arm across his face, drying up his tears. “It is the man from before. He brought you back with the guards, and he said he found you in the street, asleep.”

Before I ask Joe another question, I give him time to compose himself; he needs to slow his breathing. I don’t know how long I slept, but I am sure these past few days were hard for him. Despite my eagerness to run downstairs and see who Joe refers to, I wait, sitting on the bed.

“Joe,” I coo, hoping to calm my brother’s fears. “How long was I sleeping for?”

“Two days…”

“Two days!” At first, shock hits me, but I remember everything I went through. It is no surprise my body is weak. I long for nourishment, but my stomach will have to wait.

“Every day, the guards came by to see if you woke up. They said they need to speak with you about a murder.”

Murder. There is no point in flinching; I knew Assan’s actions would come back to find me. Running and hiding will not save me from the guards’ wrath, so I have only one choice.

“Stay here, and no matter what you hear, don’t leave this room, understand?”

He nods, and even though sweat forms on my brows, I smile at my brother, hoping to ease his worries. As I rise from the bed, Joe moves back from me and then settles into a corner of the bedroom. Without any hesitation, I make my way to the door and glance at my brother one more time.

He sits with his head down on the floor, buried in his knees. Both he and I have suffered so much, but today I want to end it all – all of Joe’s suffering, even if it means increasing my own. I place my hand on the doorknob and turn it, waiting to see if the noise from downstairs stops. Still, my mother’s booming voice can be heard crawling up the stairs into the bedrooms.

Whoever she is arguing with doesn’t respond to her shouts. I inch my way to the kitchen, taking small steps, hoping no one has or will hear me. To grip myself better, I place my hand on the wall, carefully making sure not to cause a sound from the stairs. Once I am close to the bottom – five steps away – I stop, waiting for the sound of any familiar voices.

“You insist on waiting for my daughter to awaken; instead of standing here, you should be searching for the miscreant that attacked her!”

“Leona, you forget you and your daughter’s place. Whores get attacked all the time, but you need to remember that two of the magistrate’s guards were killed. He is calling for your daughter’s death. We can easily take her unconscious body and finish what the culprit did, but it would be a waste without hearing her side of the story, don’t you agree?”

To that cold voice, my mother goes quiet.

Nathan! That is the man from before that Joe was talking about.

Hiding in the shadows will do me no good. Nathan wants answers, so I will tell him what he wants to hear.

“I am right here.” I rush down the stairs into the small kitchen. My mother is standing back by the stove, and Nathan is next to the front door, with a guard standing in the doorway.

Unlike most of Hylnn’s guards, this one’s face is not full of agony. Around his eyes are no hints of age, and under his hat are blonde curls that fall past his shoulders. His lips show no emotion, like all the guards that stand by and protect those in power.

His stature is tall, taller than even Nathan’s. Framing his body is a red coat with gold buttons lining the front. Across his chest are medals matching his already shiny buttons, and white trousers cover his legs. I glance to his right side and see the sword hanging off his hip. On the handle, I see a symbol; it’s the insignia of Hylnn, the sea dragon. Blue irises stare back at me until I avoid his sight.

Nathan takes one step, snapping me back into the moment. “My dear, Elena, I am glad to see you well-rested.” The edges of his lips form into a smile, one that tells me he has a story to tell.

“We can drop the formalities. What do you want to know, Nathan? But before you ask your questions, know I did not kill the governor’s guards; however, they wanted me dead, but I did not wish death upon them.”

“Oh, Elena, we know you did not kill the governor’s guards.” He steps closer to me, with his face beaming with delight. Nathan has most likely seen his share of death and murder, so it’s no surprise what he said about me.

He glances at the guard in the doorway for a moment, like unspoken words are passing between them. I step back from him, preparing myself for what he will ask me next.

“Tell us, Elena, how do two experienced fighters die in the middle of the city, with one drowned to death? Surely, no whore such as you could have killed those men. Tell us about the man in the blue suit with black hair and mismatched eyes. I heard his eyes are the color of the sea, luring women to the depths with his charm.”

All the air leaves my lungs, and I contain my surprise about his description inside myself. Nathan stares at me, most likely studying my face for any signs of a weakness in my masquerade. For Assan’s sake and for my family, I must say only the right words, not giving away the mers. Standing before Nathan reminds me of the king’s warning message: do not tell anyone about us, or I will kill you myself.

“Yes, he wore a blue suit, and his eyes were different. Now, if that is your only question about the assailant, then please-“

He cuts me off. “That man was dangerous, no? So how did you escape from him, Elena? Did you willingly go with him?” His tone is cold, and the chill of his anger runs down my spine.

Mother flicks her gaze to Nathan and then to me; her lips are pursed, but her form says she wants to speak. She steps towards Nathan, but his sharp glare is on her before she moves again. When she stays still, frozen by his stare, he spins his head back at me.

There is only one way to get Nathan to stop with his questions. “No, I did not willingly go with him. I was ready to give my body to the magistrate but then-” The words leave me as I think of Assan, of how he said he could not leave me in that place for me to be taken by another. Nathan’s step knocks me from my thoughts, and I say, “then the black-haired man entered the room and took me. I told him to leave, but he wouldn’t. Surely, the guard has heard of fights between men, wanting a woman that was bought by another.”

He chuckles. “Of course we have. So this man wanted you, did he?”

“I suppose he did, and before I knew it, there was fighting. The magistrate’s guards were dead, and the man took me to the forest. To escape from him, I jumped in the water and swam away. Now here I am, speaking to you. Does that satisfy you, or will you arrest me for a crime I did not commit?!”

Narrowing my eyes to him, he looks at me, silent. He places two fingers on his chin, closes his eyes, opens them, and spins towards the guard in the doorway.

“What do you think, Governor?” He says, looking across his shoulder to the man in the doorway. The guard, now with a sly grin on his face, walks inside the room and faces Nathan.

“Governor!” Both mother and I regard each other with confusion.

The Governor, who I thought was a regular guard, whispers into Nathan’s ear. Adrenaline runs through me, and for a moment, I decide if running would be better than waiting for their decision. Will I be taken to a cell for a murder I didn’t commit? My heart thumps in my chest; I came home to protect Joe, but have I already failed him?

The powerful man who oversees Hylnn removes his cocked hat and does a slight bow while standing in front of me.

As he lifts his head, he says, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Elena. And may I apologize for the ordeal you had to face under my rulership of Hylnn.”

His soft smile and blue eyes show his concern for me, but I am no longer the fool I once was. When I watch him stare back at me, easing my worries, I can only wonder why he is here. The Governor is only heard of, but his presence before the people is rare, except for important events.

I am only a whore, and so is my mother, so why come to our home.

If this is a role in a play, I will be an actor and continue the show.

“Forgive me; I am not suitable in your presence, my lord. And please, there is nothing to apologize for. The acts of another are not your burdens to bear,” I reply as I bend my knees and bow my head. Once I straighten my backside, I ask, “I did not think the Governor of Hylnn would come to my home. If you will, please tell me what business you have here? Am I to be arrested?”

Like a flick of fire, the warm grin on the Governor’s lips is no more. In its place is a grimace. With that, I ready myself for the real truth of this visit.

“I have come to make you an offer.” His voice is stoic; there is no emotion to his words.