Something within Asriyah felt uneasy. She felt suspicious of this mermaid yet could not stop following her. It was almost as if she had some sort of magical hold over her...
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"So...looks like you weren't born too long ago" Diodon said. You could feel the force she put in coming out with that sentence. Of course she was just trying to make conversation.
"Yeah...I guess." Asriyah was astonished with herself. She was re-born as a mermaid today. Yet this one trip in search for her soul-mate seemed to take a lifetime. "Do you think Arter-"
She silenced her. "Let's not mention her name. Might be a taboo."
Asriyah's eyes narrowed to slits. Something was niggling at her mind. Something was telling her Diodon couldn't be trusted. But then who could she trust? Maybe she was right. Maybe Artermisia was really going against her. This decision to trust Diodon could either really help her, or really put her life in danger. But what did Diodon have to hide? She seemed easy and outgoing enough. There really wasn't anything suspicious to suspect about her...
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"Can you believe the skies are already grey?"
Asriyah stared up. Whether it was the sky or the top of tihe water, she was right. They had been travelling for hours, stopping along the way to munch on sea-snacks. And now they came to this little deserted patch where they could stop for the night. "We should stop here. It's a good place to camp for the night." Asriyah didn't know why she was being so picky. She was so physically as well as mentally exhausted that she just needed to sleep it off; whether that be in a house or a crate or a dry patch of sand.
"We're actually not far off now. We'll definately be there by the end of the morning tomorrow."
"Really?" As much as Asriyah was willing to seek out Alesandese, her rest was far more important. "Let's stop here anyway. We deserve a bit of rest." Asriyah lay on the sand, and immediately it began vibrating. "Whoa! What's happening!"
Diodon burst into hysterics. "Calm down girl! The sand has magic. It turns into whatever you need it to!" Diodon sat down and the sand began shuffling into an arm chair. "See? Just relax."
Asriyah lay back on the sand and let it form a comfortable bed. 'Wow' she thought. 'This is even more comfortable than my bed back home.' It was so comfortable that immediately her eyes began to close. And slowly, very slowly, she was drifting off to sleep, the sound of crackling fire like music to her ears.
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Artermisia did not know where she was. After storming off in a huff with Asriyah, Artermisia had no clue where she was going as she was so busy being angry with Asriyah. She began to bite her nails, a habit of hers that showed she was nervous. "I dunno where the hell I am!" she screamed, flinging her arms in frustration. It was nearing night time and Artermisia needed her sleep. She began to feel dizzy and cold. She continued swimming in search of a comfortable spot to rest, and unbelievably, it was right there in front of her. It even had a fire to keep her warm. She began swimming forward but stopped immediately when she heard a painful groan. She spun around to shrink herself and speeded towards the site. She hid behind a tall length of seaweed and peered at the source of noise. It was Diodon. And Artermisia was lying on the ground sound asleep. Totally unaware of the noises coming from Diodon. It looked like she was having a spasm of some sort. Her arms and head were making sudden movements everywhere, her tail shaking visibly. What Artermisia saw took her by surprise. Shock surprise. Diodons explosion of white hair was growing longer and darker, with gold highlights slowly appearing. Her magnified glasses had fallen off and her eyes glowed a deep, striking red. Her skin was becoming paler and more veiny. She really looked like the true face of evil. Her delicate fingers were now sharp claws and her mermaid tail was no longer a tail of scales, but a tail of fire. Reds and oranges and yellow glowed brightly under the dark night, and "Diodon's" face stared at Asriyah hungrily. She neared to her and began stroking her cheeks gently. "My dear, Asriyah. My stupid stupid Asriyah."