The Mermaid's Reckoning | ONC 2024

Chapter 8

Pretie swam in silence for much of the rest of the afternoon, lulled into a strange feeling somewhere between numbness and contentment. Her muscles were still sore—that much was to be expected from taking such a long journey with no prior practice using a tail—but the pain had become a distant, dull ache. The ray worm had done more than brighten her now-colorful scales. She felt rejuvenated, energized. Her mind was clear, and yet... Everything seemed a bit askew. Her scales didn't feel quite like her own. And they're not, Pretie reminded herself. This is just temporary. I'll be changed back as soon as we find that stone.

The other three swam ahead, Krill still leading the way with the aid of his compass. Melody and Ephyra swam side by side, murmuring and laughing to each other. Pretie's gaze kept absentmindedly flitting to Ephyra—but what she was looking for, Pretie had no idea.

Judging by the angle at which the sunlight was breaking through the surface above, the girl guessed it was late afternoon or early evening—Pretie hadn't quite figured out how to tell time, but it didn't seem like the mermaids around her relied on any real structure. The clocks Pretie was accustomed to reading off of didn't seem to exist here. They just seem to inherently know what time of day it is.

Pretie wasn't entirely sure when the group planned to rest for the night. Surely it has to be sometime soon. They can't possibly expect that we'll swim through the night... Right? She shuddered at the mere thought.

"Falling asleep back there?" A voice teased. Pretie blinked herself out of her daze to find Ephyra turned around to face her, swimming backwards with an ease that Pretie didn't even have swimming forward. 

"When are we going to stop?" She asked, hoping her words came off as mildly curious and not desperately out of shape. 

Ephyra chuckled. "Sun's still pretty high up, isn't it? Would hate to waste daylight."

Pretie opened her mouth to argue, but the mermaid just barked out another laugh. "It might still be a while, is what I mean. But, hey, you could always hang onto my shoulders, if you want to give your fins a rest and doze off for a bit. Get your beauty sleep, or whatever it is you princesses do." 

"Hang onto your shoulders? I'm not going to— Why would I—"

Ephyra held up her hands in surrender. "Calm down, Prettypants. The offer's there. That's all I'm saying."

Pretie crossed her arms with a huff, pointedly looking anywhere but at Ephyra. "I'm not some child that needs carrying around." 

"I didn't say you were."

"Yeah, well, you're treating me like I am," she couldn't help but grumble. "I don't need you to carry me. I can swim perfectly fine on my own, thank you."

"Didn't say you couldn't."

Pretie let her eyes leap once more to Ephyra, who continued to swim backwards. She let her gaze harden into a glare. "Would you stop that?" 

"Stop what?" By the way her eyes were crinkled in amusement, Pretie guessed that Ephyra knew exactly what she was referring to.

"You. Are. Impossible."

"Aw, thanks," the mermaid purred. "I really try to be the best, most impossible version of myself that I can be. I'm so glad you recognize it."

"Oh my gods," Pretie groaned. "Are you always like this?"

"She's always like this." Krill agreed from ahead, sparing a glance back toward Pretie. Ephyra stuck out her tongue, but he just chuckled. "Frustrating, isn't it?"

"Very."

Rolling her eyes with a smirk, Ephyra turned back around. Pretie let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Gods, she gets on my—