The sun beat down on the calm surface, casting shimmering diamonds on the water. Lashanie, her sleek form cutting through the cool embrace of the sea, scanned the seabed with practiced eyes. Today's scavenging haul was meager at best – a few colorful seashells, a dented compass likely lost by a careless sailor, and a handful of smooth, pearlescent stones.
Disappointment tugged at her, but it was quickly replaced by a surge of excitement as she spotted a glint of green amidst the swaying seaweed. A glass bottle, half-buried in the sand, shimmered with a strange, otherworldly glow. Curiosity, a constant companion in Lashanie's heart, piqued. This wasn't human flotsam and jetsam – this was different.
Cautiously, she approached the bottle, her keen eyes scanning the surface. No markings adorned the smooth glass, but a small piece of rolled-up parchment peeked out from the opening. Hesitantly, she nudged the bottle with her pointed finger, dislodging the scroll.
With a flick of her tail, she propelled herself to a hidden grotto, a secluded alcove away from the prying eyes of her pod. There, she unfurled the parchment, her brow furrowing as she deciphered the strange squiggles that formed words. She recognized the language – human – from the many trinkets she collected. But this one was different.
"To the mysterious mermaid who witnesses the falling stars," the message began, the words swirling and enchanting, like the stories her father forbade. It spoke of the meteor shower, observations that resonated with her own. But then, a thrill shot through Lashanie as she read further. The message, signed by a cryptic "Varian, the Stargazer," spoke of a desire to learn about her world, to share stories. Finally, it included a set of coordinates, marked with a small, crudely drawn map.
Lashanie clutched the message to her chest, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. A human, a stranger, yet his words echoed with a sincerity that resonated deep within her. Could this be a way to bridge the divide between their worlds, to foster understanding where her people saw only fear?
The coordinates marked a spot on the map, a secluded cove within the large bay bordering her kingdom. Fear battled with the spark of curiosity ignited by Varian's message. Was it safe? Could she trust him? But a single phrase from the message solidified her decision: "Share stories."
For the first time, Lashanie considered the possibility of not only learning about the human world, but sharing stories of her own, of the hidden beauty and wonder that lay beneath the waves. With a determined glint in her luminous eyes, she tucked the message into a pouch hidden amongst her scales. Tonight, under the cloak of the moon, she would venture to the cove, to meet the Stargazer and see where this unexpected encounter might lead. The vast ocean had always held its share of mysteries, but this one, a connection with a curious human, promised to be the most captivating of them all.
Lashanie clutched the message to her chest, a storm brewing within her. Varian's words, filled with curiosity and a desire for understanding, resonated with a yearning she hadn't dared to acknowledge until now. A yearning to connect with the world beyond the vast expanse of the ocean, a world her father had deemed too dangerous.
Meeting Varian, this Stargazer, went against the one unwavering rule that had governed her life – to avoid all contact with humans. Generations of merfolk had passed down the stories of their ancestors, tales of humans who saw mermaids only as creatures of myth, to be captured or exploited. Her father, stoic and ever-watchful, had drilled this fear into her since she was a tiny hatchling.
Yet, Varian's message felt different. It wasn't filled with threats or a desire to control. Instead, it spoke of shared stories, of mutual respect. Could there be a possibility, a sliver of hope, that not all humans were like the ones in the cautionary tales?
YOU ARE READING
The Little Mermaid
FanfictionBook 9 in the Varashi Collection: Prince Varian x Mermaid Lashanie The Little Mermaid tells the story of Lashanie, a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human. After rescuing a handsome prince named Varian from a shipwreck, Lashanie makes a deal...