Vanessa [A Poor Unfortunate Soul]

10. Morgana

Awakening to her senses, Vanessa reached for something. Anything. What her hand found was cold. Opening her eyes, she inspected the area around her.

The closed sculpture, Vanessa had no other name for it, seemed to have been made entirely out of ice. The floor, if one could call it such, was solid ice and divided half way through the cavern. The other half was flooded, but the ice seemed to be high enough to not allow any water upon it.

Going to stand, Vanessa's face met the ice. She had awoken at the ice's edge, her long skirt submerged in water. The material was heavy when wet, so Vanessa just assumed it was keeping her weighted. Attempting the stance a second time, her face met the ice for a second time.

Frustrated, Vanessa pulled the fabric from the water, exposing what she just assumed would have been her legs. What replaced them, looked to be something out of a horror story.

Red-violet scales, reflecting the light, covered the length of a fishtail. Vanessa didn't know what to think. Either the Gods had punished her. Or a God had rewarded her. She wasn't sure what for though.

"You're awake" came a voice, from behind a large clam shell. "How are you finding the fins? The day I got my tentacles, was not my best day. But that's another tale" After a moment, she laughed at her own joke. As if she had to take a moment, and realize what she'd said.

"Where am I?" Vanessa asked, her voice cracking.

"My home" the woman said, simply.

"Who are you?" Vanessa asked, looking for something to protect herself. The tail would have to do.

"You can call me Morgana" said the woman, spinning around in the clam shell.

The woman had large hair, that stuck straight up. Her body was slender, all over. Green at her upper, humanoid half, and under her tentacles.

"Is that your name?" Vanessa asked.

"Would I lie to you?" The woman asked, crossing four tentacles over the other four.

"I wouldn't know" Vanessa said. "I don't know you"

"Right" Morgana said, un-crossing her tentacles. "But you know Derek?"

"You know Derek?" Vanessa shot back at her. "Where is he?"

"He can't very well get down here" Morgana said, as a matter of factually. "Not with his condition anyway"

"What condition?" Vanessa asked.

"He never said?" Morgana asked, puzzled. "He's better than I thought"

"What of Kaleb?" Vanessa nearly barked.

"Calm yourself" Morgana said, waving her hands in the air. "He's fine, or will be anyway"

"Where is he?" Asked Vanessa.

"Half way back to France, by now" Morgana said, vaguely. "He'll be needing a kiss from his sweetheart. Connor, was it?"

"How do you know about him?" Vanessa shot back, fast. "How do you know about me?"

"We're not going to speak of your new development?" Morgana asked, pointing to Vanessa's bottom half.

"How do I know" Vanessa said, looking down. "That its mine, I mean"

"Oh, its yours" Morgana laughed. "The spell wouldn't have worked, if it wasn't. Oops"

Vanessa could tell that Morgana had said more, than she planned.

"What spell?" Vanessa asked.

"I assume Derek spiked your punch?" Morgana asked back.

"With what?" Vanessa asked, holding her throat. "It tasted like fire"

Morgana smiled, humming as she got up. Walking over to a cabinet, where she picked up a bottle that sat upon it. The bottle was an odd shape, with a purple shine to it.

"This" Morgana said, allowing Vanessa to inspect it before snatching it back again.

"What is it?" Vanessa demanded.

"Magic" Morgana said, simply and put the bottle back upon the shelf.

"Bottled magic?" Vanessa questioned.

"You don't get out much" Morgana guessed. "Do you?"

Vanessa ignored that remark, and returned her attention to her new fins.

"Nice scales" a tiny shark said, jumping out of the water at Vanessa.

"Undertow!" Barked Morgana, slapping him with a tentacle. "Do forgive him, dear. He's not use to guests"

"Well, I'm not use to having fins" Vanessa pointed out. "Are you going to slap me as well?"

"Sass" Morgana pouted under her breath. "You'll going to have to learn the art of swimming"

"I don't have to do anything" Vanessa shot back.

"Would you have me turn you back?" Morgana asked. "Because I can't, not right now anyway"

"No" Vanessa said, simply. "I'll figure it out, I've grown to like my tail"

"Okay, lets swim" Morgana said, smoothly.