Into The Unknown

I gasp, passing through the high currents, attempting not to get swept away. Huffing, I pump my tail harder and cling to my bag. Maybe I shouldn't have turned Rysah down whenever she offered to send a few people on this expedition with me. It wasn't too far, so I had insisted on coming alone, especially since everyone was busy with the final prep for my magazine. The first ever to be published and mass distributed throughout the five great cities. The idea of my work coming to life in between each page had me giddy at the thought. Everyone had jumped at the thought of going so far and distributing the fiftieth volume not only to Neredyen — our small outlier town — and Merillia, the capital that we so closely reside to, but to help me to produce and distribute it to all five great cities. Whenever the small ship had gone down, and we were notified of the contents on board, I volunteered to go alone. My company had first dibs on shipwrecks in the area that sank to this level. Usually it all sinks to Meeri, the deepest city, but every once in a while it gets stuck in the middle ground. Finally, the shipwreck came into view. I pump my tail harder, picking up my pace. The ship had only been underwater for forty-eight hours, but the sea had already begun to stake its claim on the small passenger ship. Small schools of fish lingered around ready to scavenge any edible food for themselves. The ship is tilted on its side with a big hole on the bottom. I swim through a few of the missing planks and look around. The humans own an odd collection of things. Entering the first room I notice a sculpture of a woman with missing limbs. I was looking for jewels. Or anything shimmery to decorate our tails and cover our chests. It seems miniscule, but everyone loves my designs. No two pieces are alike and they pay the top prices, my collections are my pride and joys. In the third room I found what I was looking for. A chest filled with jewels; the chest is small enough that I lift it to my chest. Taking the treasures I swim from the room and back towards town. The treasures weigh me down so it takes me twice as long to get back to Neredyen. Neredyen is a small outlier town closest to the capitol on the south. The town is built into the multi-colored coral. I swim directly into the top floor of our editorial house. It's still bustling with mer folks. Ignoring everyone I go straight to my work shop and set the chest on my desk. Immediately plopping open the chest I finger through the jewels. “We did it!” Rysah swims into the room, swimming in fast happy swirls around the room. Her aqua iridescent tail shimmering as she went. I smile at her as she throws her arms open and tackles me once she's done with her outburst. "You're going to be famous! Not that you aren't already, but you're going to go down in Mer history!” I roll my eyes at her absurdity. “Rysah, don't be ridiculous. No one goes down in history for creating a few sparkly pieces.” She lets me go and holds me at arm's length a scowl replacing her broad smile. “Odine! I’m not being absurd! You're going to be as big as the queen!” “The one currently sitting on the throne or the one that will be sitting on the throne in a few months?” It's her turn to roll her eyes. “Princess Sloan, obviously. The current prince's mother is a character, so I'm obviously talking about his fiancée. Now who's being absurd?” “Still you.” She drops her hold on me and sighs. “I found a whole chest of jewels today. My next collection,” I go back to fingering through the jewels. “Yes, yes, yes, I don't see how you're not excited about the magazine. In three days millions will have bought a copy and have seen your designs. This is out of this world!” Again, she swirls up in the air excitedly, her blonde hair sprawling around in a heap of messy curls. “I’m excited; I just need to keep busy. I don't want to spend the next three days being anxious for the reviews, and we still have normal orders to fill.” I line a few iridescent jewels on my working table, fully ignoring Rysah as she begins to twirl about the room again. “You’re no fun. A few of us are going out to celebrate if you'd like to join, but you have to leave the stewing here.” I look back up at her. “I may join you all later, but these jewels are just the thing I've been holding out for. Do you remember those white shells we found at Vanora two years ago?” She nods her head. “Yes, that is still the closest to the surface I’ve ever been. Are you finally going to make a piece with them?” “Yup.” I held up the iridescent bead to the light. Coming over, she fingers through the chest, “This was a great loot. Was this the only chest to be found?” I shrug, "probably. I checked three rooms before I found this chest and it was the only thing I could carry so I left soon after.” “Probably? I'll send someone else to check it out.” “If you insist,” I grab my half mannequin and set it on the table. “Well, I see you're about to get in the zone. Come out and party with us for a bit later, yeah?” I nod my head at her, opening a drawer for a needle and thread. I began to thread the iridescent beads, making six separate strands. Pushing them to the side, go to my drawers in the room that houses most of my supplies and grab the two purely white shells. By the time I shine the shells and begin to piece together the top, it's well into the night. Finally, I place the rare white starfish in the middle between the two shells and swim back to admire the piece. It had come together quite nicely. I take it off the half-body mannequin and swim over to the full-body mirror closest to the door. Holding it up to my body, I admire the piece. I might just keep this one for myself. Very rarely did I do that. It still needs a matching piece for my tail, but that's all I would work on tonight. I lock it in a case in the closet and clean up my workstation while wondering if anyone would still be out celebrating. Deciding to skip the celebrations this time, I swam back to my dwelling.