Of Fangs & Fins

Thirty

SR: Bring Me the Horizon - Ludens

Thirty.

Marina.

You'd think after two years I'd get used to the guards that tailed me 24/7. They argued it was to protect me, but I knew it was to keep me from running away again. The whole point of me being on land was for me to experience the human world. Father didn't want me to because of Nerissa. I understood how he didn't want his remaining child to be on land. However, I couldn't let him limit me to an existence without experiencing land life.

He was never going to let me out of his sight again, I thought miserably. How could anyone get used to this?

"You know, we've really done a great thing, merging our kingdoms," Jasper replied, walking around his study. We were inside a cave, the light blue water reflecting off the ceiling. The walls had been carved with markings, symbols written in Meridian. Our ancestors made a home out of this land and wrote their creed throughout all the underwater caves in Aqueria. 

I flicked my fin against the rim of the pool, unable to sate my annoyance. There was nothing else that Jasper talked about. It was odd to see him on two legs, his scarred muscles shifting. When we were both guppies he got his fin stuck on a fishing net. Even when he was shifted into his terrestrial form, the scars never fade.

 I leaned my elbow over the dive in point. My fin twitched, undulating under the smalls currents. The warm water was soothing to my scales. I did miss being home, but I didn't want to be here under these circumstances. If Jasper and silent henchmen weren't here, I'd almost be happy. These 'royal meetings' were so boring. You'd think he would be at least a bit more interesting. Instead, he just used up my time to brag about how awesome we are together. 

Jasper needed some hobbies. The guy had absolutely no hobbies. It was gross.

I pretended he wasn't there.

More often than I should admit, I imagined what it would be like for Eryn to be here with me. She'd freak out that's for sure. Eryn wouldn't be able to handle herself, or at least she would think she wouldn't. I know she'd like the beauty of Aqueria. It was like no other to outsiders.

I half smiled, knowing how much she'd tried to act tough, but ultimately not be able to keep her poker face. It was my favorite thing to look at, watching her stoic face break, an assortment of emotions on her face. For being a vampire, she acted so human.

Stop. We promised not to think about her.

Sydney's words rang through my head. Syd didn't want me to be upset that we were back home, but it was too late. I had a taste of life on land and I wasn't done with it. I met people. I had a different life on land, where I wasn't stared at or forced to make hard decisions that impacted many civilians.

On land, I wasn't royalty. 

I turned my head away from Jasper, feeling tears working to prick my eyes. I dived into the small body of water, growing restless at being here. The water hid my tears, and for a moment I was thankful.

I saw guards at the bottom of the seafloor, their spears glinting in the water light.

 Jasper replied, diving into the water. His dark green scales materialized and bound his legs together. I glanced at the Meridian symbols on his chest. Jasper got much more muscled and lean compared when we were children. Since his mother passed, he had to resume her duties on the throne. It changed him, hardening his eyes and heart. He'd left his kingdom to ask to marry me; to become my suitor to join the kingdoms. He was so desperate to open up trading between our lands, to keep his people alive.

Porluyiia always had trouble with humans overfishing, catching their kind among the fish. They began hunting them to sell their scales to the witches and use our blood to give to the vampires. So many of his people went missing, a ghost kingdom. He had no choice but to leave, bringing whatever civilians he had left with him. Only two of Jasper's royal guards remained, laying down their lives to protect to last royal member of Porluyiia. 

His kingdom didn't have the weapons and the power that we did. Father mastered the arts of our ancestors, giving us the gift to be able to manipulate water at will. He kept us well protected and normally didn't keep in contact with other kingdoms. Yet he had no choice, the former Queen of Porluyiia was an old friend of his.

 he called, pulling me out of my thoughts and I instantly remembered what he said

 I narrowed my eyes at him. 

  With a snap of his fin, he was swimming downward, back into the deep, barely illuminated waters. I followed him, the darkness swallowing us whole, our eyes protected by a thin clear sliver of skin over them. 

The first two weeks of me being back, I tried escaping several times. I began to give up when I was having trouble shifting back into my legs. Father somehow forced me to stay in my mer-form. A couple of months after that I stayed in my room and cried. A lot.

Father thought it was because I was afraid of what he thought happened. He thought I was taken along with Flynn and Sydney. He thought vampires hurt me. As sure they did, but they also saved me. I couldn't tell him about Eryn, for more reasons than one. 

I wish I got to see her one last time before I was forced down here. There was no doubt she had her hands full with Ally. I didn't know how newborn vampires acted, but I'm sure it wasn't easy. Holy carp... Ally must think I left her... I missed Ally so much.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't go back.

Even if I was able to, I couldn't--no shouldn't. I didn't let myself think what Eryn felt after finding out about him. It pained me to think of her coming to the beach looking for us, only for her to realize what might've happened. She must've blamed me, thought that I betrayed them and hurt someone very dear to her. Eryn must've been stretching herself thin, trying to figure out what happened to him. It was only this year that I started drowning myself in work. It was the only thing that distracted me from not knowing what happened to... I couldn't even say his name.

It was Flynn who contacted my father before we got there, I should've known that he wasn't open-minded enough to appreciate Eryn's and everyone else's help. I was still thinking about how it was possible that Flynn contacted him. How could it have happened so quickly? 

I was distraught. None of this went the way to was supposed to. I should've been more vigilant, or at least talked to Flynn. I didn't know what happened to him and Syd while they were in Lucinda's clutches.

 I had given up trying to escape, the royal guard wasn't letting me out of their sight any time soon.

 The mer guards at the front entrance of the kingdom pulled their spears away, letting us swim inside. Aqueria was made up of hardened sand that was triangular-shaped structures. Swimming around or in between the structures would integrate merfolk with schools of fish that traveled beneath the radar. Not many creatures were able to sustain how deep and how cold Aqueria was, but a merperson's body temperature regulated itself, leaving us able to withstand copious amounts of water pressure and cold temperatures.

Fifteen thousand meters down was as close as you could get to Aqueria. Our home was hidden under a gigantic coral reef, keep us hidden from any deep divers. The creatures that dared to enter were glowed brightly, giving light to the kingdom. Water lights made from glowing crystals kept our land illuminated.

We followed the sea creatures until we hit a drop-off point, where the castle was located.

 Jasper spoked abruptly in my ear. I rolled my eyes, sick of Jas talking about the wedding. He thought we would marry in order to bring the kingdoms together. I managed to avoid it by telling him I needed some time since I was grieving Ally and how it would be hard to adjust to merlife. Hearing him talking so lowly about vampires angered me, especially when Ally was alive and okay. I would rather have her as a vampire than lose her forever. 

 I snapped, swimming past him, alone.>

 Jasper tipped his head at the guards and they manifested eels. They came from the spell done on their arms, the ancient Meridian another dark art that father discovered. the eels were almost demon-like, their slick sides black and slimy, growing a bit of watermoss over their backs. They trailed me on either side, making me feel compressed. I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers against one, bubbles coming from it. It screeched slowly, the noise of them carrying over through the bubbles. Weak.

I swam deeper into the abyss, approaching a broken mini-submarine submerged into the coral. I floated towards the dial and turned the sub door. It looked like a car wheel and took three spins to get in. When I first found it, I was delighted. A piece of the human world was able to join me here, in solidarity. Water flooded inside as I slipped in. I held out my hand and displaced the water flowing in, cranking a lever that forced some of the water out. The door slammed closed. The submarine was damaged, so it couldn't let all of the water out. It was just enough to swim around comfortably, therefore making this the perfect hideaway.

I headed over to a spongeshell and rested atop of it, the soft sponge conforming to my body. Here is where I let it all crumble. I let myself mourn what I lost and let my mind wander, thinking of what was happening land. Knowing how impulsive Eryn was, I'm sure she blamed me for Lance's demise. I was obsessing over that fact, but it was because I blamed myself for not catching on sooner. I should've predicted that Flynn would call for someone. He hated being near the vampires. He was incapable of changing what he grew up knowing.

I imagined how Eryn would react when she saw me. She'd probably make fun of what I did to my hair, cutting it short so what happened with two years ago would ever happen again. It took some getting used to having it so short up to my shoulders. The pink was growing in thicker, less brown shoving each day. I was spending so much time in the sea that I was reverting to my mer-form entirely.

The dull sound of nothing rang through my ears, forcing me to close my eyes. Focusing my hearing outward, the hollow sounds of sea creatures slowly lulled me into sleep.

I tried my hardest for my last conscious thought not to be about Eryn.