Josey's Story

Chapter Two

Mayim held Josey's hand and lead her down into the dark water below. Mayim knew that she'd have to give Josey a new shirt before showing her around Rialta. The black and white thing Josey had on would definitely bring unwanted attention. The last thing Mayim needed was to get caught going up to the surface, especially so close to the ceremony. Guards get to go up to the surface legally, with the permission of the highest of monarchy, of course. Mayim figured since she was so close to officially being a national guard it wouldn't really matter if she went up to see how it really was. Get some Intel on the humans before other newbies could. It was just her luck that a human was swimming by.

It was rather far for a human and Mayim had complete faith in her capability to remain hidden. All her training taught her not to interact with humans and how to avoid them. All for the safety of Rialta and the citizens, of course. But this human had fins! Bright yellow fins! No one told her about that! So she did the logical thing and followed. At least, logical to her.

When the human heard her thoughts, she was set a back. Humans could not do that. It simply was not possible. This is common knowledge amongst all merfolk and has been for centuries. But when Mayim herself heard the human's thoughts, she knew it wasn't an average human. She knew then the right thing to do was to swim away and act like her little adventure never happened. But it wasn't in Mayim's nature to retreat. An oddity in merfolk.

When she was communicating with the frightened human, she remembered the old story her grandmother would tell her. Her brothers and sisters were frightened by the story and Mayim's mother asked her to never share that tale again. But it didn't scare Mayim. Merfolk were raised to be weary of evil humans. And with good reason, of course. It's well known in merfolk history the experiments humans had before played on merfolk. Which brought Mayim's own experiment to mind.

In retrospect, pulling the human under wasn't the best thing to do. But after every history class and death to happen in Rialta by the hands of humans, she had developed a certain disregard for human kind. And it all worked out for the best since the human wasn't really a human at all. Or completely. A real hybrid like the ones of myth! Although this one didn't seem frightening at all. And Mayim doubted her conception was as heinous as the ones in the story. She just seemed scared, like how anyone else in her situation would be. And angry. Only that much rage could create a whirlpool, especially from someone who wasn't even aware of her own capabilities.

Almost all merfolk were born with an ability over water. Some more than others and a few unlucky few didn't have them at all. Mayim had the ability to freeze water, like many in her family. Although most with that ability would use it for medical purposes. Just another trait that differed Mayim from the rest of her family. She was brave and fearless, when all her siblings were cautious. The first in the family line of medics to join the Rialtan National Guard. Almost anyway.

She wasn't the only one in her family to not follow the medical tradition. Her sister Cordelia owned a small and sadly unpopular clothing store. Her clothing designs were too advanced for their dull simpleminded brains. In Mayim's own personal opinion, she found them too colorful. She hoped this wouldn't work against her now that she needed her sister's generosity for Josey to attempt to blend in.

So where exactly are we going? Josey asked, feeling the butterflies going into their second round of whatever sport they were playing in her stomach. Josey worried this whole thing was a giant bad idea. But it couldn't be worse than the argument she'd have with her father once he found out she didn't apply for any colleges.

Rialta. But we're going to my sister's store first.

Oh okay. Wait, what? Why? Josey then wondered if there was such thing as underwater butcher shops.