The Medallion

Halo: Searching

I was so upset with myself for losing track of Nilla. I never should've let her out of my sight. When we finally found her, she was still lying on the ground in shock. Steven was holding her in his arms. I returned to my human form. I didn't care that I was naked in front of everyone (not that I much cared to begin with), I just wanted to check on my friend. I called her name demanding her attention.

"Damn!" said Banta. "He got away again."

"Steven, what's happened to Nilla?" I asked.

"It was when she saw Jace. I think all of her emotions came flooding back," said Steven.

"How could you possibly know that?" asked Banta.

"Because it's how I feel when I see her." His voice was low right next to her ear, barely audible to human ears from that distance, but we all heard it.

Banta grumbled but kept her comment to herself.

"Which way did they go?" I asked.

"That way, to the north," Steven replied. "I think they may be heading back to the ocean. Allison has been filled with his energy. She really has betrayed us."

As Nilla started trembling at the mention of Allison's name, Steven pulled her closer to him tightening his grip.

"I think they may have a way of disguising their scent," I said. "Either that or they laid down a false trail. Either way, it'll take some time to find them."

"We don't have a lot of time," said Banta. "The full moon is the day after next. If we don't find them soon, the oceans are doomed. He'll control every body of water, every sea, every lake, every pond, even your bathwater."

"He's not after bathwater," Nilla said, muffled by Steven's strong chest. "I'm not even convinced that he's a bad person...creature...whatever." She tried to stand up. Steven kept his hands firmly planted on her back holding her steady.

"What do you mean you're not convinced he's bad?" said Banta. "You saw what he did! You heard what he was guilty of. He's a corruptor!"

"It's not a sin to love someone. It's not a crime to want to be with them and it's definitely not wrong or evil to want to be treated fairly. For all I know, Azalea wanted him for herself and became so jealous of the relationship between Jace and her sister that she just made stuff up."

"You would accuse a mermaid of lying?" Banta looked genuinely surprised and completely flabbergasted that Nilla would say such a thing.

"Oh, are mermaids completely infallible now?" Nilla grumbled. "I'm just saying what I believe to be true and I don't believe that Jace is evil."

"He has influenced your friend."

Nilla rolled her eyes. "Allison influenced him, probably by preying on his broken heart and desire for equality."

"I believe you are still under his influence now."

"Banta, please listen to me. I know you think that dolphins are evil and not to be trusted and that mermaids are good and never to lie about anything, but we've had the same sort of things happen here in the human world. Sometimes the injustices are based on race, other times on religion, and all of them pointless and stupid with no basis in reality. I know a jealous, broken-hearted individual when I see one. I haven't had them jealous of me very often, next to never in fact, but I have tried to talk them down. Azalea is jealous of something. She wants Jace."

"She wants revenge for the death of her sister."

"She's not in mourning, Banta, she's jealous and she wants Jace. His actions are for equality, her actions are for possession. Why can't you see that?"

"Nilla," I said. "Not everyone is as observant as you are. Not everyone spends their life watching people and studying their every move."

"You believe me, don't you, Halo?"

I thought for a moment. I shouldn't have needed it, but my desire for the person I loved most fought with my duty as leader and protector. Believing what she was saying went against everything I was taught before being sent as protector... but I loved her.

"I will always believe in what you see in people. After all this time I know from experience that you're right more times than wrong about what a person is feeling."

"Lady Halo, you can't be serious," said Banta.

"You haven't seen what I've seen."

Banta grumbled her discontent.

I growled.

Banta hunched her shoulders, lowered her head, and stepped back.

"Lady Halo?" Nilla asked.

"I am this tribe's leader."

"But I thought that was Banta."

"It is...well, was. I was testing out my human form when you and I met. I was actually following you to make sure you didn't harm the forest but I lost sight of you when you climbed that tree. You must've climbed it very fast but I wasn't that great of a tracker then anyway. You fell out of that tree on my head. There was something about the way you apologized that made me believe you to be a good person. You even offered me everything you had to eat in your bag.

"After some time of getting to know you, I just didn't want to ever leave you. My parents agreed to let me live with some human adults they knew so long as my training as a protector continued during the summers when you and I would be separated. During one of those summers, I told my second in command to take over the pack because I wouldn't be rejoining them. I wanted to spend my life as a human. I was ready to give it all up until I found out about Jace. How could I let him slip through my defenses like that? If I had continued my training it never would've happened."

"No, Halo," Nilla said. "Please don't blame yourself. I'm the one that didn't want to listen to anyone."

"Yes but I'm the one who should've seen it, should've smelled it or something."

"So, I take it you took your position back as head of the pack?"

"I have to, Nilla. I let harm get far too close to you. I love you too much to let anything happen to you and if I have to leave you to protect you, then I will."

She hugged me. "How about I stop being so hard-headed?"

"It'll only be for a few months out of the year and periodic updates every month. Banta is very good with the pack and extremely trustworthy. I'm actually sorry to have to make her step down."

"I am honored to serve you, Lady Halo," Banta chimed in. "But our time is growing short and we need a plan. The girl's light grows quickly and then he'll gain real power." She hesitated for a moment and cleared her throat. "If I may ask, why is everyone so fixated on this young human?"

"Because she has a kind heart," I said. "Genuine kind hearts are hard to come by these days. Plus she always smells really nice."

"If she truly has a kind heart, then the union between her life force and the dolphin's would've been much stronger than the light that grows in that other girl," said Banta.

"Banta, you know she does. You have seen it for yourself."

"She trusts dolphins and threatens the mermaid's motives."

"You've been programmed that certain creatures are good while others are bad," Nilla said. "It's an easy ideal to fall into and a hard one to climb out of. The point is that you're trying. That's all that matters. Look at it logically."

Banta bowed to Nilla. "Of course, Nilla. I will consider these things in the future."