Once of the Sea

Spring was always a time of peace for Elliott. He never really traveled far from his little beach cottage during this time, preferring to stick close to the sounds of the oceans over the bustle of people. Hours of simply sitting at the edge of the ocean, feeling the warm water wash over his toes, the sun gently beating down upon him. Perhaps he wasn't quite used to human life yet, and needed the peace to gather his thoughts. Or perhaps he was rather homesick, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

It had been over a year since he met the mysterious wizard that changed his life forever. The wizard that granted him his wish to walk among the humans, to pursue the dream long thought to be impossible for someone like him. He still remembered so vividly the day he departed from his old home of the sea to the new and exciting—though admittedly rather frightening—world of the land.

His parents and friends had warned him that the dream he held was dangerous, that if he were to go with it, he probably never would be able to return. That the beloved sea he once called home would be an insurmountable abyss, never to be explored again. But Elliott was an excitable man, and when the opportunity came to him, he joyfully accepted the offer.

It was funny, really. Before, he never cared much to see what the world above the water was like. He was happy, or at least fine, with simply staying in the water, swimming among the fish and others of his kind. It wasn't until that one fateful day, when he was trapped in a net to meet what he thought was certain doom, that everything seemed to change.

That day, he met the jaunty fisherman known to him now as his dear friend Willy. And instead of being gutted, strung up as a trophy, he was released back to his home. The generosity of the human certainly caught Elliott off guard; for so long he heard stories of humanity's ruthlessness, of its disdain of all things different. Yet this human didn't look at his with hatred or fear; if anything, he looked happy, surprised. And with a chuckle and a "Whoops, sorry 'bout that, son!" Elliott was free once more to swim his aquatic home.

Needless to say, this simple act was enough to intrigue Elliott to return to the spot every time the fisherman returned to the sea. Always out of sight from the others, but out enough to talk to his new human friend. It was with this he learned about the land, of it's green majesty and lush fields. Of its variety of people, good and bad, and of creatures not unlike himself. And of it's arts, both physical and mental. It was this mental art form that ignited a passion inside of him, one he long thought would be impossible for him to figure out.

It started out with a simple book. Or as Elliott called it, weird square thing, as his only encounter with them before were waterlogged and long ruined of their true purpose, so it may as well have been a simple square. Willy was reading one as he waited for a bite, and was caught by surprise when Elliott surfaced from the deep blue. It was here that Willy showed Elliott the wonders of the written word, the marvels of the mind.

Each day then, Willy would return with a book or two of various genres and types. He always got a scolding from Gunther when he returned the books with water damage, but he was willing to pay the fine for his new friend to enjoy his new found interest. And it wasn't long before Elliott's love of literature overpowered everything else, and fueled him to the decision that wrote his new path of life.

His dream of forsaking his fins for a pair of legs. His desire to write and paint mental images for the world to enjoy.

He knew he couldn't do this if he stayed in the ocean; water was poor for ink, and to stay out of the water on land was dangerous, both for his health and his safety. But when he expressed his desire of new life to his friends, family... they were less that supportive. Calling it childish, a pipe dream, an impossibility... or worse yet, reckless and foolish. That he wouldn't survive a day above land.

But still, he dreamed. And still, when the chance came for him to leave it all behind, he did so without a second thought. At least, not at first. But as time passed, thoughts began to follow him like his new shadow. Of if he reacted too swiftly, if everyone was right that it was just a dream that would fade away to the back of his mind.

Spring was the time these thoughts hit hard. The season when he made that decision. And it was with this time he stayed close to his home, both new and old. Hours spent on the beach, staring off into the blue, wistful to return. Especially when his dreams of writing turned out less than successful, and the money he was given to live with was dwindling faster and faster.

The lapping of the waves was both peaceful and solemn, as it was the most he could experience with the ocean now. His pants stained with the sea water and sand as he sat, feeling the foam at his fingertips. Occasionally he would see a crab or some other sort of creature and give a light chat, but if anything the talk only made him more homesick.

Elliott leaned back into the sand, not caring if his hair was messed with particles of sand and how tedious it would be to get it out. Simply basking in the feeling of the waves over his legs, the sight of the clouds racing overhead. He swore, sometimes he would close his eyes and feel the air become toxic, his legs mesh together once more into the fins he gave up to walk. As if he was going back to his nature. But every time he opened his eyes, he was still with his pair of legs, his lungs filled with the clean air of the world.

He loved the world above the water. But he couldn't help but feel the longing of going back home as the days passed. Especially when the weather was warm, the sea was beautiful, and his writing stagnated more and more in its lack of success.

However, he never would come to regret his decision. No matter how much he missed his home, how often the chides of his old life bounced in his head, he loved his new life too much to regret it now. Sure, he missed his old life every now and then, and watching the ocean sometimes made him wish he could just jump in and dive as deep as he could, but the glory of the world above was unlike any he experienced under the sea. The vast amount of creatures, the ever shifting form of humanity, the bright days and the stormy weather. And of course, most of all, the wonders a piece of paper, a pen, and a curious mind could craft.

These little things he experienced, these were enough to make him certain he chose the right path. That no matter how tough life could get, he would overcome to achieve his dreams.

With a renewed happiness in his soul at his certainty, Elliott stood up from his spot and brushed himself down of sand. As he was about to turn around to head back to his little beach cottage, an unfamiliar "Hi" sounded to him. Turning his head to the side, his eyes locked with a new face, one he hadn't seen around the small town before... but even with this fact, the face was warm and welcoming, as if they had known each other for years.

With a smile, Elliott introduced himself. It was these little encounters, these unexpected occurrences, that made him glad he chose the life he did.

"Ah, the new farmer we've all been expecting...and whose arrival has sparked many a conversation! I'm Elliott...I live in the little cabin by the beach. It's a pleasure to meet you."