A Merman's Tale

Margaret: Chapter Eight

     I woke up the following day feeling weak and dizzy. For a moment I couldn’t move; my entire body felt numb as if I was floating in the air. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was my parents’ portrait hung on the wall across my bed. At first I thought they were real and was back to accompany me to heaven.

     Then I heard voices. One was deep and husky; the other soft and raspy.

     “A few more minutes and she would have died,” I heard Grampa say. “It was a good thing that she has the Key with her. Our abilities would have been fruitless if not for it.”

     “Yes,” Seirra answered. “This is the first time my human companion was attacked. And by mermen nonetheless.” Seirra sighed loudly. “Thank Neptune you’re a Huntre.”

     Those green guys were mermen? Heck, I need to know what happened.

     My body still felt dead to me so I tried using my voice to get their attention.

     “Unnhh…”

     Both of them had sharp hearing abilities and I did not need to say anything more for them to realize that I have already awoken. They rushed over to the side of my bed and I immediately saw their furrowed foreheads and concerned eyes.

     My grandfather sat beside me then held onto my right hand. “How are you feeling, dear?”

     “I guess…I’m fine,” I answered him in my whisper-soft, hoarse voice.

     He dropped a feather-light kiss on my forehead then smiled at me. “I’m glad.”

     I moved my lips in an attempt to smile back at Grampa. He must have understood what I was trying to do and he nodded. My room had stopped moving now and my skin was slowly starting to feel the soft fabrics that surrounded me. Not five seconds had passed when I saw a small movement behind Grampa. I smiled, more easily this time.

     Seirra moved forward and stood beside the bed, parallel to my right arm.

    “How did you find me?” I asked him with a voice that was still throaty but clearer compared to a few seconds ago.

     He was still standing when he addressed me. “I didn’t find you. You found me.”

     I looked at him questioningly. I didn’t remember trying to look for him at that time. Well, actually, all I remembered was seeing three green, ugly people. No wait, four. Another one appeared and killed the others.

     “What do you mean I found you?”

     “I was in Harbor Drive,” Seirra replied. “As owner of the Key of Saol, I have a connection with it. Someone with an impure intent must have been around it for me to feel that it was in danger. You probably felt it too.”

     Yes. I might have denied it but somehow, when someone was following me, it had felt too dangerous. As if it was a matter of life and death.

     “One of them died when he touched the pendant,” I informed him thoughtfully. My voice had come back to normal and I no longer felt weak since Grampa held my hand. He must have possessed healing powers too.

     He nodded a bit stiffly. It was obvious that he knew what happened and that he was not happy about it.   

     “I followed the path where the feeling was strongest and found you as he tried to touch the Key. I was the one who killed him. The Key can only paralyze a merman for a few seconds.” His fists started to clench.  “I was also responsible for the other two. I would have wanted them alive but they surely won’t let me bring you to safety.  I had no choice,” He said with gritted teeth.