Celeste

11.

"Pirates?!" I spluttered, "why on earth would we want to fight them?" I said, alarmed.

Mitch stopped then, and turned my body so he could look into my eyes, his eerie silver ones seeming disturbed.
"Don't you want revenge? Justice for what they made you?" He asked softly, holding me at the shoulders.

He gave a low sigh, "I was a reverend, on a voyage to new lands. My child, Eric was there. I was widowed at the time, and vowed to spread the word of the lord. Pirates took over the ship, killed the weak, including my son. They kept me for my strength, and I tried to convey that they were sinners, tried to turn them to righteousness... they grew bored and angry, and one day, chained me to the anchor and threw me over."

I said nothing, but my hand went to my mouth silently. He continued to speak.
"When I awoke, I was furious. How dare life treat me this way?! Lost my dear Lilly in childbirth, my parents to disease... and my only son to a pirates blade. Ruby found me. She helped me adjust, and then helped me destroy the men who did this to me. It takes twelve moon turns, or a year to breach the surface, to walk on land. During that time I helped build this place, finding lost souls and bringing them justice." He finished.

I blinked at him. "Oh."

He nodded. "Let's go see ruby."

I let go of his arm, and gasped, wriggling my tail as Mitch laughed. The weightlessness of water had turned me upside down, tattered dress promptly covering over my face. I fluttered my arms, pulling at the fabric, spluttering and cursing my tail.

Hands rightened me again, and I flushed, pouting.

"You'll get the hang of it in a week or two. Young fry are usually in the coves until they can balance themselves, using soft sea sponge rocks." He explained, looping his arm about my waist.

He guided me smoothly over glowing stones and bright jellyfish. I saw the inside of a shipwreck, where a mermaid was lounging on a bed of seaweed, holding a cracked hand mirror.

We followed a neon blue path, going to what seemed like the heart of this strange place. There were ragged cloths on the ground, glittering jewels proudly displayed. I saw some more of those strange creatures, but with saddles and ropes about them. Lots of mermaids were here, haggling with wares, carting children about.

I gaped as we passed another grand entrance, with mermen guarding the outside. It was made on more glass this time, but in a kind of mosaic, depicting faces and tales, it seemed.

"It goes on into the cave," Mitch whispered in my ear. "It starts with the legend of mermaids."

He was right. Faces of anguish, black ships stark against the glass. A sudden tail. I continued forward, into the Rocky dark cave. But it wasn't as dark as it seemed. Glowing lines on the rock in swirls of bright colour led us to a gigantic mirror, Which took over the entirety of the wall, only covered with delicate seaweed stands, gently swaying to and fro.

For the first time, I saw the new and improved me.

I had never particularly liked my face. Too much like my fathers, with a strong nose, chubby cheeks and mouth too thin for any man to look at me with interest. The only thing I honestly liked about my face was my eyes, the same shade as my mothers. Father never met my gaze because of it.

But now...
My round face had sharpened, revealing, for the first time ever, cheekbones. My lips had turned full and lush, to my astonishment. I raised a hand to feel them. My hair, so usually curled and pinned, stood in tatters, half up, half down in a catastrophe of fashion. I sighed at my dress, somehow still on.
My eyes, to my dismay, were ringed in silver.
I flicked my sight downwards.

"My goodness..."

A tail. Not my two legs with scabby knees. Not my two stout feet. A. Tail.
It was beautiful, reflecting the meagre light in this cavern with ease, sending glittering sparkles faintly on the floor. Two fins either side flicked quickly, making the whole thing swish in an erratic pattern.

"I know. My first few months I could hardly believe it either. Pretty darn magical, huh?"
I nodded, lost for words. Mitch chuckled.

"Come on, you can admire yourself later. Let's go see ruby and see what she has to say." He said, winking at my reflection, before giving a strong flick of his tail, and pushing downwards, towards the floor.

I had been so busy looking at myself I hardly noticed the hole in the floor, pitch black save for a single bright blue line. I held on tight as we began to navigate the twisting tunnel.

When we emerged, I was still holding on, looking around at the new room before me.

It was covered in jewels protruding from the dark rock in clusters of light, sending lines of it through the room, to reflect on others. I could see a few mermaids here too, sorting through the rock, revealing more and more light.

It was a long room, leading up to a circle carved into the floor, behind which stood a glittering throne of red and white shards of diamond. A mermaid lounged on it, eerie eyes firmly on me.

She didn't look like most of the others I had seen. The scales were on her shoulders and arms, ending her nails with sharp shoots of white, deadlier than any blade. Her hair was coiled on her head, in long loops of fine braids. A few red Jewels made up a crown on her brow, matched with a bedecked neck and fingers. I had no doubt in my mind that this was ruby.

"Mitch. You bring a new fry to expand this place. Your work here is done. My girls will look after her." She spoke, breaking the icy silence.

As she spoke, three mermaids began to encircle us. I looked at him with panic.
Mitch nodded, and, letting go, bowed deeply.
Then, he left.