Aliénor's Song

A New Friend

I lifted the limp body off the ocean floor. Mairi opened her eyes. They were the enchanting white-blue of a frozen lake.

"Where am I?" She asked.

I was shocked for a moment, I couldn't hear my voice under the water, but hers rang through, light and bell like. I wondered why that was. At the moment though, I had to try to explain what was happening to this girl. From my own experience, I knew she must be so confused.

"You are at the bottom of the sea. The question you should be asking is not where we are, but what. You have changed."

She looked down, noticing the strong tail, the webbed hands, and the spike just as I had. Her eyes widened in wonder. Had I looked that way when I discovered what I had become?

"Aliénor, Mairi."

The voice pulled me out of my quiet contemplation. We both looked up to see a small orb of blue light pulsing just feet from us.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Why did you save us?"

"You are the guardians of the sea. You are the bane of murderous seafarers and the avengers of the women they cast out. I have given you everything you need to survive here. You have gills to breathe under the water, and tails to swim. I have made you strong, you will live long lives here in my oceans."

"How long?" asked Mairi

"That is entirely up to you. You're not invincible, but you can survive things most humans wouldn't."

That was good to know, but I had a much more pressing question in mind.

" But what are we?"

"You are the first of many to come. You will be called by many names, but I have chosen a name for you. I will call you Mermaids."

"Who are you?" Mairi asked, a hint of defiance in her voice.

"I have also been called many names. Sailors have prayed to me for safe passage in these waters since men first sailed the seas. However, I will share my given name with you my daughters. If you have need of me, you may call me Atargatis."

"But what are we supposed to do?" I asked

"You will seek vengeance for the countless innocent lives that are lost in these waters. You will protect the sea and all of the creatures in it. In return, the sea will share her bounty with you. You will not hunger, as the sea will provide you with a vast array of prey. You will know no chill, as the sea will hold you within her bosom to warm you. The sea will protect you from the heat of the sun above. It will also grant you safe haven where no mortal can follow."

"Your voices will drive men mad," she continued. "They will sing of your beauty and of your deadly song. You will draw men into these waters, and return to the land nothing but their bones. Your lives will be long, and when they are finally over, you need not fear death as I will be here to guide you over. I wish you both the best, and beseech you to welcome each new sister you find. There is safety in numbers, and there one day come a time where you are grateful for the protection your sisters can provide. You are alone no more."

"So there are more of us?" asked Mairi

"Not yet, but there will be."

With that, the light vanished and Atargatis was gone.

I looked to Mairi. She seemed almost fragile, even though Atargatis had said we were stronger than we looked. Who could have possibly wanted her dead? I asked her, "Who did this to you?"

Her lower lip trembled for just a second, then her face turned dark. She pointed a finger at a shadow on the surface.

"Men who did not know better. They thought my life was worth less than theirs."

I saw red. I remembered the life and the love I had lost to men just like that. How dare they decide to do this to another. This time, they would pay dearly.

"Let's go!"