Above the Waves

Chapter 4: Oceania and Alexander

[Word Count: 1248]

"The rivalry between our families has been going for a fair amount of time now, June, since before you were born. It wasn't a coincidence when we met on the beach, I'd watched you on that stone wall for months, waiting for the chance to redeem myself to you and your mother, Oceania."

"It began, before your parents were even engaged. Oceania was struggling to sleep one night because of the full moon, so she went out walking on this very island with your father, Alexander. I guess that's where you got your curiosity for humans from."

"At the time, your Summer Island was also my family's vault, far from land dwellers and thieves, a perfect spot. Alexander had found a gold ring amongst our belongings and he took it. I believe he gave it to your mother."

"My mother's wedding ring, the emerald one," I say.
"Indeed."

"But your father was greedy, very greedy. Years after he took the ring, when your mother fell pregnant with you, he went out looking for more. Somehow, he found our whole stash of gold, buried for a rainy day and he took it, the whole lot. He hid it from your mother, hoping to buy her a nice present, when the baby arrived."

"But my brother and I placed many protection charms on that gold. It belonged to my father before he passed away, it wasn't his property to take and he suffered the consequences of stealing from a wizard. Those protection charms turned into a curse and several days later, he paid the price."

"All the stolen gold returned to the cave which it was mined from, but our spells were powerful, too powerful. The curse didn't just take back all the stolen gold, but all the gold your family owned. It wasn't our fault, your family lost everything because my brother and I couldn't control our spells."

"I guess they were fairly mad, your parents, they came for my brother and I. Your parents, they were very talented, almost as good at magic as I was, in their time. They declared battle, right here, on this very beach, the Northern Beach."

"Alexander, he-he threatened to take my brothers life away. Alexander had mastered the frozen fire ball, a deadly ball of flames that will freeze the heart of  any victim, I'm sure it's forbidden in your land now."

He stopped and looked at me, surprised to find I was still listening. I found the story interesting, I didn't know much about my parent's history. However, I'm beginning to regret asking to hear this story, I know where it's going to lead.

"June, I'm sorry for what I'm about to say. You have to understand that my brother was all I had, we were as close as brothers could be. I had no family left and wizard's don't travel in pods. I couldn't bear to lose my brother."

"Like your father, I knew a few powerful tricks myself, one including turning an attack back on the castor. I couldn't take the chances, I had to do it. I saw poor Alexander's life flash before his eyes then he was nothing more than a cold body on the floor."

Tears started to roll from my eyes, I never even met my father. I could feel the hole in my heart that I'd been trying to fill for so many years opening up once more. The hole of being raised without a father, never knowing who he was. I felt my gut turn and my head reel, I'd lost him before I even knew him, this wasn't fair, this wasn't fair at all.

"I saw Oceania's heart breaking. She fell to the ground almost as quick as he did. Her eyes burnt red from her tears, she was shaking so bad. I consider myself a very forgiving man, June, I don't know what I was thinking. Sacrificing my own pain for another's?"

"I felt terrible, I still do. It's entirely my fault, I was so selfish. I can still see the pain in your mother's eyes when she begged for my brother and I to fix it. Her eyes swelled with pain and anger as her tears dropped onto your father's dead body. I felt the war had been won and we both vanished from sight, but nothing could soften my cries that night."

"You killed my father," I muttered.
"June-"
"I-I always thought he was killed by sharks while trying to save my mother."
"June, please I'm sorry, I honestly thought you knew the story already." I couldn't even hear Lincoln over the sound of my own squealing thoughts.
"You think that makes it okay?"
"No, no, I don't think it's okay. If I could go back to any moment in my past, it would be letting my brother die. I would let your father get to meet you and carry the burden myself but even the most powerful of wizards cannot change the past without recreating the future."

Lincoln was very kind, I had a feeling he was lonely and just wanted a friend. He mustn't have anyone but his brother and his magic. He made me feel lucky to live in a pod full of mermaids, who I could happily talk to at anytime. I took it for granted, Lincoln had nothing.
"You said you wanted to redeem yourself?"
"I do," he said.
"Where's your brother, I wish to speak to him."

I was mad but I still couldn't blame Lincoln, he was here trying his hardest to make up for the damage he'd done 16 years ago. Besides, Lincoln was probably my first and only friend that wasn't a mermaid, not that I had many mermaid friends. But I couldn't lose him so quickly.

I felt, perhaps talking to his brother might help me figure out what actually happened to my father. Why he was so angry that he resorted to killing. Why my father thought he needed to take so much of the gold. How my father had even learnt such a gruesome spell.

"June, you can't just go talk to my brother," Lincoln exclaims, trying to calm me down.
"Why?" I grunt.
"He- He isn't the same man he was all those years ago."

I was so full of rage now, I could barely hear what Lincoln was telling me. I just don't understand how he could be so selfish, how he could let my dad die for his brother, how he didn't bother to save him even with my mother's begging. He's the reason I never met my father, he's the reason my father's dead.

"Where is he?" I shout, again. "Where's your brother?"
He sighs, "He goes by 'The Dark Warlock' and I'm warning you, he's not a very nice man."

He grabs my wrist, fiercely. I watch him as he squeezes his eyes together and suddenly all I can see is lilac smoke. The smoke is thick and I can no longer see my own body. I realize I can't feel the sand below my feet either. I can't feel Lincoln's tight grasp on my wrist, but somehow I know he's still holding on.

I felt like I was spinning, faster and faster, getting dizzied and dizzier. There's a deafening ring in my ears as I watch the smoke turn from lavender to violet and back to lavender. I start to feel sleepy and slowly, everything vanishes.