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Plunging

"Shit" said Karla, like the common beggar-woman she was still dressed as. I stared at her, not that I hadn't heard such language before, only not from the usually self-possessed Karla. The magic carpet tilted slightly and swayed.

"Brace yourself my queen" the sarcastic tone was welcome as was the bossiness. I had missed having her advice to turn to when things got complicated.

"What am I bracing for?" I asked. The carpet bucked and leapt backward suddenly. Then forward, but not in a steady flow now but in leaps. Karla's eyes were closed and her face looked strained. Something was fighting her for control of the carpet. I looked back. Behind us were the glint of armor, the soldiers of course, but something else- a burgundy robe.

It looked like Lady Adela, the slave of the evil wizard who had kept me prisoner. 

"Karla!" she shouted and the carpet leapt free for a moment then bucked again and rolled completely. Karla and I were completely thrown off.

"I meant to hit the ground running...that is I would have meant to if I had time for intention. I lay there winded and surprised for what seemed like a ridiculously long time. Karla too did not move as quickly as I would have expected. She was up a moment before me.

"RUN" was all she said and I didn't bother stopping to point out that I had already decided to do that. We ran, though I was out of condition from living the life of an indolent princess and she was even slower than me (but then she never had been as strong as me). The soldiers, for all their heavy armour were gaining on us, although the crimson robe had dropped back.

"Can you swim?" I asked Karla

"What?" she paused to stare at me, wondering what I meant. The soldiers were too near and I knew that after she had escaped them twice already there was no way she was going to live to make a fool of them again.

"Get ready" I said and threw her into the river, following her in less than a second. Try to swim in chainmail! I thought childishly at the soldiers, but the water was rushing in my ears and despite knowing I only had to hold my breath for a few minutes as I swam out of arrow's range I felt terrified. Opening my eyes my terror increased as I saw Karla flailing helplessly and not even swimming.

Then I thought I must be delirious, because a remarkably beautiful woman with a fish's tail came floating gracefully up to me and kissed me on the lips in a way that as far too familiar a way to greet a foreign queen. The kiss was momentary, yet with a hint that she would have preferred to linger.

"A mermaid's kiss bestows the ability to breathe water" she said in a darkly rich voice that was beautiful as her almost ebony skin and her black and white striped silvery tail.