Dawn of Ancient Realms

Her

    Wren's Pov

    I was out on patrol on the south shore when I say something shining bright in the dark water, as I got closer it got brighter.  The object shone like the sun, I focused my eyes so I could get a better look while maintaining a safe distance.  That's when I saw her, she was like the sun, her golden scales made this once dark ocean seem so bright.  I had never seen a Merrow with gold scales or hair before, just when I thought she couldn't be more stunning, she turned around and looked at me, one eye blue, one eye gold.  I floated there stunned, it was her, the girl from nine years ago.  

    I was thirteen at the time, I was on the beach arguing with some arrogant Welkin children, who were picking on some of the younger Merrow children.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw another Welkin girl approaching, but when I turned to look at her, she wasn't just Welkin, she was also a Merrow.  I froze on the spot, she looked confused by my reaction, her eyes held loneliness in them, the other children had noticed her as well.  What was she? She had both characteristics of a Merrow and a Welkin.  Growing up we had all been told stories of how a cross between the two species would be an abomination, a monster. The half-ling smiled at us, being the ignorant children we were we ran away.  I ran back to the Ocean and swam as fast as I could home.  I entered the dome shaped air pocket, and transformed back into my more human like appearance. 

    "Marcellus, Alistair?" I yelled, both Marcellus and Alistair came running.  We lived in a humble little dome, being that there was only three of us and we were all men, we didnt need a lot of space.  We lit our homes with bioluminescent algae that gave our homes a blue glow.  The front room of our home held the kitchen and dining area, to the left was Marcellus' room, and to the right was mine and Alistair's room.  The walls were made of white sand stone, and the furniture was made of the wood from sunken ships. 

    "What happened, Wren are you okay?" Marcellus asked looking me over to make sure I wasn't injured, Marcellus wasn't my real father but he has been taking care of me scene my parents died during a battle between us and the Welkin.

    "I saw.." I huffed, "I saw one" 

    "You saw what boy?" Marcellus asked,

    "A half-ling, a mix between a Merrow and a Welkin." Marcellus paled at the mention of the girl

    "What did you just say?" there was fear and sadness in Marcellus' eyes ,

    "There was a girl on the beach, she was half Merrow half Welkin."  Marcellus who had been looking off in the distance, finally turned his eyes to me.

    "Where?" he asked grabbing my shoulders 

    "North of the city" I said, I felt fear creeping up my spine, Marcellus had never looked so frantic before,

    "Father, what's going one?" Alistair finally spoke up.  Marcellus gave Alistair a look full of regret,

    "I'm sorry son, that I never told you sooner, but right now I have to go to King Drogo, Wren," Marcellus gave me a very serious look, "go back to the beach where you saw the girl and find her, you find her and you bring her back to me." I was so confused, what was so special about this girl to him?  Why did he want me to bring her back?  Did he want to kill her because she was a half-ling?

    "Why does he need to bring her back, aren't Merrow, Welkin hybrids forbidden, are you going to kill her?"  Alistair asked the question for me.

    "No son, that girl is my daughter and your sister."  

    After Marcellus told me that the girl was his daughter I became determined to find her again, but she was no where to be found.  Every day for the first couple of moths I would go back to the shore where I first saw her, but she never showed up.  Soon after that first day, the Welkin announced that they were hunting a Merrow Welkin hybrid.  King Drogo also announced that all Merrow were to look for the girl as well, but to offer her protection, and not to harm her in any way.

    Her beauty was haunting, i often dreamed of her, and how i might have done things differently back then.  I had to find a way to get closer to this mysterious creature.  I started swimming towards her again, but before I could get too close she swam away.  I followed her out of the water, I yelled for her to wait but she just kept running.  I chased her all the way back to her camp, where a man lay asleep.  Who was he, her husband?  She was careful not to wake him as she frantically scanned the woods to see if I followed her.  Now free of her scales and tail, the girl resembled a Welkin, more then a Merrow, she even had the pointed ears, but her hair was much more golden then any other Welkin I had ever seen.  Stunning was the only word I could come up with to describe her.  

    It never mattered much if a Welkin or a Merrow, were to mate with a human, their offspring never had any powers, or the ability to transform, at most they received was the eye color. For centuries it has been told that Merrow Welkin breeding was strictly forbidden, and punishable by death.  I never understood that Marcellus could possibly have seen in a Welkin woman.  Welkin's are arrogant bastards, always looking down on the rest of us, just because they live in floating cities.  They saw themselves as God's, they believe that they should rule all, I even heard that their Queen is so stuck up that she never leaves her castle.  I have a deep hatred for Welkin's, they killed my parents.  When I was just a boy my Mother and Father took me to a human celebration called the Union festival.  There were a few Welkin in attendance  as well, but it wasn't all fun and games, because the Welkin's had other plans.  A battle broke out between the Welkin and the Merrow, both my parents were killed.  That's when Marcellus found me, alone and scared, he took me in and raised me along side his own son.  The least I can so is help him save his daughter.