The Maiden and The Four Waters

The moonlight struggled to give light inside the cell as the two-woman held each other in another’s arms.

Walla rested up against the wall, Mariana’s fingers were intertwined with Walla’s fingers. Mariana’s head laid in Walla’s lap.

The air above the water was starting to get to Mariana, her normally wet soaked hair was now feeling the cold air, her body began to dry out. Her soft lips were starting to chap, her long hair stuck to her body. Her skirt like fin clung tight to her lower body. The shells around her body struggled to stay in place with each breath Mariana took.

The two-woman jolted awake at the sound of a loud crack.

Mariana looked up to the poorly made window. Her face filled with relief and praise.

“In here, I can’t do nothing for whatever that was” Walla lowered her gaze to the creature in her lap.

Another loud crack was heard from outside the walls.

Mariana angled herself to sit up as her eyes lit up.

The sound of large hail stones began hitting around the town.

“WALLA!” Mariana cried.

Walla didn’t understand what was going on.

“For he was lost, shall seek to land to return what was taken. Man, nor savage will be able to stop the return of blood.”

Walla watched as Mariana spoke her words. Words she had never heard in a sentence like that before.

Marian felt the cold breeze push through the poorly built window. She rested her hands on the dirt ground “For she is lost. Just another object of wonder stolen from below. Fearing the savages in her path.” Mariana’s shells rested comfortably against her skin as she closed her eyes.

They listened to the town. Listening to the men scream “GRAB WHAT YOU CAN” they listened to the cries of “PROTECT THE WOMAN AND CHILDREN.”

Walla turned her attention out the poorly made window, trying to see the sky darken not with the black night but instead with red.

Mariana’s hair loosened around her upper body “Together. They will find what is missing” She breathed as her skirt hem stretched out into a fin like shape losing the silhouette of the legs “Only one shall be granted safety. The one that saved the stolen heart.”

Walla shifted her attention to Mariana, watching as Mariana’s body began to cover in water droplets from top to hem.

They heard the shriek of the king.

Mariana smiled.

Walla watched as Mariana stretched out the fin like shape her skirt had taken. Walla quickly jumped too her feet.

Mariana gave a high-pitched squeal.

Walla quickly pressed her hands to her ears, she struggled to keep her eyes opened. Her body dropped down to her knees. Her chin pressed to the top of her chest.

The shrieks coming from Mariana didn’t quieten down the more Walla tried to protect her hearing.

The walls around her began to crumble.

Walla stayed as small as she could as she kept her ears covered, her eyes closed. Fearing the shrieks around her as they got louder.

Not one building left standing, the animals laid lifeless on the ground.

The shrieking stopped.

Walla took caution in opening her eyes, she noticed the crumble makeshift dungeon as she removed her hands away from her ears.

“Walla.” Mariana reached out her hand as the water maiden looked as if she had been covered in water, she couldn’t quite stand freely on her own instead she looked like she was just hovering above a small puddle of water.

“My town.” Walla couldn’t pull her eyes away from her once full of life village “Crowe!” She scrambled over the stones of the dungeon “Crowe! Exel! MELANA!” She cried out for her loved ones.

“Walla” Mariana called.

“No. This is my home. What have you done!” Walla cried “My family.” She didn’t know where to begin looking as she tried to take in the horror.

“They disrespected you, you even said so yourself.” Mariana didn’t understand Walla’s ache.

Walla heard someone cry out in pain, she rushed towards the sounds “I don’t care.” She struggled to move stones.

Mariana raised her arms, she closed her eyes as winds gushed through the village, lifting anything heavy in it’s way.

The winds carried heavy stones, wood and tree stumps through the air before dumping those on the dirt by the waters edge.

The king stood on the top of the water, he screeched for his daughter’s name.

The wind disappeared as Mariana opened her eyes, she lowered her arms.

Walla ignored the king and his daughter as Walla rushed to the village people.

She helped a woman to the middle of the dirt road.

“Can you move?” Walla asked.

“Just enough” The woman ached.

“Stay, here.” Walla raced around trying to find more survivors.

Walla paused as she noticed the lifeless bodies faced down with table splinters throughout their body, she swallowed hard as she noticed Rala pinned under the tavern bar. She turned her attention to Mariana “This was my town!” She lashed out at the creature “my people.”

Thunder cracked through the sky.

The king shrieked as loud as the thunder as he appeared by the side of his daughter.

Walla swallowed her pride; she didn’t care about herself as survivors began to help each other to where the woman was sitting.

“Your town disrespected me and my kin.” The king’s voice boomed.

“You injured innocent people!” Walla screamed.

Rain began to drop from the sky.

The king showed no heart as he took in the destroyed village.

“You did your damage. You proved your point. It’s one thing to take it out on my men, it’s another to take it out on the innocent, the woman and children who listened and stayed off the waters. The ones who were forced by their husband’s and father’s to rally against. You talk of family but look what you’ve done to mine!” Walla cried as the small group of survivors rallied around each other.

Mariana looked up at the king, she felt conflicted. The love of Walla kept her safe while Walla did the best she could to protect her town.

“Walla” Coughed crowed as she exhausted herself holding onto Clarinne.

Walla rushed to their aid, she helped Crowe lower Clarinne to the ground.

“She took something heavy to the stomach.” Crowe tried to lay Clarinne comfortably down on the now muddy ground.

Walla wanted to last out in anger, she refrained. She didn’t want to spook her village any further.

“Walla” Crowe begged, almost as if she read Walla’s mind.

Walla sighed as Clarinne coughed up blood.

“Help Clarinne, help everyone.” Walla urged; she scanned her demolished village for any other survivors.

“Leave!” She screamed at the king and Mariana. Walla began to panic as she rushed to the aid of a child struggling to move under the weight of their father.

Walla used what strength she had to shove the men off the young child, Walla scooped the young, scared child into her arms.

“Walla” Mariana called out.

“LEAVE!” Walla snapped.

The king snarled at Walla “How dare..”

Mariana shrieked; the survivors cowered in fear.

The king turned his attention to his daughter. They stared each other down before the king admitted defeat to his daughter.

Walla sat the child down amongst the survivors.

She didn’t care that the king was being shunned by his daughter. She didn’t care about the king making his way back to the water. She didn’t care about Mariana’s lingering gaze as Walla moved around her crumbled village, Walla was the only one not injured, the only one who had the strength to find anyone alive as Crowe tried to keep who she could alive.

Walla paused as she found Exel pinned under rubble of a building, she lowered her head at the wide eyed lifeless young man.

Walla swallowed hard as she saw Exel’s cold hand holding onto another cold hand, her gaze found Melana’s face smashed against the wooden floor.

Tears flowed from Walla’s eyes.

“I didn’t do enough.” She crumbled to her knees as she cried.