The Quest

Chapter IX

Chapter IX

“I can’t! I can’t get out of the water! I’m stuck!” he cried, the shape only a metre away from him now. Suddenly a head surfaced from underwater and arms grabbed him, pulling him towards the ruby red lips and inevitable death.

And kissed him.

Anamaia stood stunned for a minute, feeling a little jealous as she watched the mermaid kiss Ellaime lightly on the lips, never relinquishing her hold on his arms; then she dragged him underwater.

“Ellaime!” she cried as he disappeared. “Ellaime!” Anamaia collapsed by the side of the pool, sobbing quietly over the death of her friend – irritating, angry, stubborn, superior friend, but a friend nonetheless; because there could be no doubt that he would die.

Suddenly a low coughing drew her attention and she saw a young man sitting on a rock by the pool. “Who are you? You’re one of them aren’t you! What are you doing here? Come to kill me too?” she said, irrationally angry with the handsome young man with tousled blond hair, high cheekbones, a straight nose and thin lips which were curved slightly up at the corners, giving him the appearance of always being about to smile, and whose blue eyes were widening at her accusations.

“Ok, I’m going to try and answer your questions in order,” he said slowly, “My name is Nalin and if by ‘them’ you mean am I a Nymph, then yes, I am. I’m not here to kill you; I’m here because my sister had the blindingly brilliant plan to take you both to Atlantis which is why she picked up your friend, but we thought that you might prefer being kissed by me to Nereida or another girl.”

“Oh he did, did he? How thoughtful of him. But I’m fine; I don’t particularly want to be kissed by anyone much thanks. Oh and, I suppose my name’s Anamaia,” she added onto the end sounding ungrateful.

“Lots of people want to see the water realms Anamaia. I don’t know why you’re refusing an easy way in. Well, the only way in for outsiders to be honest,” he said casually.

“Well why do you have to kiss me?” she asked mulishly.

“I don’t have to, but if you don’t want to drown then it’s probably a good idea. We live underwater you know. There isn’t any air to breathe there.”

“No! Because that’s just too obvious!” she scoffed as she sat down next to him, anger forgotten. “I don’t want to be rude, but why don’t you have a tail?”

“Because I’m not fully in water. For some reason, the women keep their tails when they’re partly in water – say over their knees – but men don’t have one unless we’re fully submerged.”

Anamaia couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just sat there in silence with him.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked after a minute or two.

“Yes sure,” she said distractedly.

“It’ll be quick, I promise,” he said as he leant in. From where she was sitting, Anamaia could see that his eyes were flecked lightly with a deep green.

“Why do you have to kiss me again?” she asked suddenly.

“Stops you from drowning,” he said sounding matter of fact.

“Really?” she said incredulously. “That is really quite strange!” Nalin leant in and brushed her lips with his; it was only a peck, just like he said, and they pulled apart quite quickly. Suddenly he grabbed her hand, wrapping it in his and slid off the rock and into the water, his legs joining together into a tail, deep blue scales wrapping around his legs almost instantaneously and tapering off to reveal a lighter blue fin where his feet should have been.