WangXian Forever 4

Chapter 48 Sea

They got into the boat, all them feeling a little nervous except Wei Ying, who knew his way around boats like a second skin.

Li XiWang was terrified, sticking to his side and curling into his body when he sat her on his lap instead, his arms coming around her, holding her safe.

When he looked at her, she whispered, "bad dreams."

He remembered when he had touched her birthmark, and she had screamed. And later when she told him about her night terrors, and it was all about this place. He rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It's alright, little rabbit. I'm here."

She held onto his hands with both of hers, wide eyes scanning all around her. The calm waters stretched away in all directions, the coast becoming smaller and smaller as they rowed out to sea. Lan Zhan had taken one of the oars and was helping the sturdy fisherman, who looked like he could do it without breaking a sweat.

"If ya need a job, ya can come to me." The fisherman said, appreciating his arm muscles.

Wei Ying stifled a laugh, earning him a passive glare.

"I wonder what Uncle Qiren would say about that." He whispered. "Are you alright?" He had turned to check on SiZhui, who was looking a little green.

This trip had been unplanned, and they had all, including himself, had forgotten that SiZhui suffered with travel sickness, especially on boats. The rocking motion certainly did not help. Li XiWang grabbed his wrists and pressed down on his pulse points with her thumbs, and seconds later, his complexion returned to normal. He looked at her in wonder.

"Thank you so much. How did you know to do that?"

In her haste to help, she had forgotten about her fear of the sea. Now confusion gathered on her face as she thought about it.

"I don't know." She replied, scratching her head. "I just do."

"We are here." The fisherman announced, putting his oar on the side.

Lan Zhan copied him.

Wei Ying looked around at 'here'. He couldn't see any difference between this spot and any other. He bent over the boat's edge, trying to see into the murky waters. The little waves as they splashed against the side of the boat were mesmerising, and entranced, he continued to watch them in awe.

"They won't come yet," the fisherman told them. "But don't you worry, they know we're here. Sharp as tacks, they are." He cast his net far out across the sea, watching the ripples in the water as it sank.

Wei Ying leaned back, content. The sun warmed his face and his body, the low rocking of the boat reminding him of the best days in Yunmeng, lazing away the hours with nothing better to do. A small smile played upon his lips as those happy feelings wrapped around him like a blanket, soothing his mind. All that was missing was the alluring scent of lotus flowers. But sandalwood would work just as well, and he opened his silver eyes to see why he could smell it so strongly.

Lan Zhan was leaning over him, looking at his face. So much love shone from those golden eyes, just inches away from his face, that his breath caught. He wondered what was reflected in his own and hoped it was at least one tenth of what he was seeing.

A shout from SiZhui had them both scrambling up. Lan Zhan gave him a hand up and he leaned over the edge to see what had caught his son's attention.

A myriad of fishes swimming past, their colours like an underwater rainbow flashed past them, illuminating the blue essence of that other world. Bigger, longer fishes swam behind them, in search of a tasty meal. Eels snaked their way under the boat, stealing their attention and a couple of dolphins swam up to meet them, silly smiles on their snouts to match the ones they were seeing.

Li XiWang stretched out her hand to touch it, gasping in delight as it edged ever closer to her hand, and then nudging her palm again and again, making a clicking sound. Its pal decided to splash them all by bursting out of the water and flopping back in, drenching them in seawater.

Wei Ying couldn't stop laughing, finding an affinity with the mischievous creatures. SiZhui looked on, wringing out his robes.

"Would you ever want to swim in the sea?" SiZhui asked him.

"I wouldn't mind, er-" he saw Lan Zhan glare at him and changed his answer to, "maybe not."

"Be warned, young master, them there be strong currents in the ocean, and don't forget about the undercurrent. You'd have to be a strong swimmer to survive in that."

"Of course." Wei Ying agreed hastily, still feeling a hard glare from a certain someone.

"There's something there!" Li XiWang cried, pointing into the distance.

They saw a slim tail come out of the water, gracefully submerging back into the depths of the sea. The fisherman grudgingly complied with their excited requests to get closer, until they reached the spot where the tail was spotted. They looked all around searching in all the directions, until SiZhui pointed at the space right next to their boat.

Wei Ying leaned over to check if he could see something, anything of the strange creatures he wanted to know about.

And then, there they were.

Languidly floating around their boat, long bodies shining with iridescent scales swam with an agility not possible on dry land. Their speed and grace was unmatched as they danced among the currents with ease, proficient in their natural habitat.

They were people... but not, and yet they were not at all like the fishes they had seen. Wonderful smiles played upon their faces as they wandered around their boat, curiosity making them come slowly nearer and nearer.

Half of their bodies were like humans, but seamlessly turning into the tails of the greatest fishes, effortlessly showing their prowess in the watery depths.

Li XiWang was slowly overcoming her fear, and she leaned over the edge next to Wei Ying, smiling in delight at the beautiful creatures. For they were beautiful above everything else.

And then, with a snarl that transformed their faces, turning them from friendly to hostile, one of them reached up and grabbed Li XiWang, away from the safety of the boat into the cold and swirling sea.