Aquata Cove

Chapter 18: Stories and Myths

"Ok, Merrick. Your turn." Adam said as he sat on his bed. Merrick pondered as he thought.

"Ok, uhhmm... Ooh! How about stories or legends? Do humans have any of those?"

"Hahaha," Laughed Adam, "I'LL say we have. We have millions, if not trillions of books and stories, along with countless myths."

"Ooh, really? Like what? Tell me one." Merrick asked.

"Hm, alright," Adam then got up and walked over to one of his shelves, where he has several large books by Candlewick Press, "Lets see..." He then picked a couple out, a few of them, and took them back to Merrick, "Candlewick Press didn't usually print these old stories, I'm glad they do, I like their publishing.

"Here's one of MY favorites," He said as he showed the merman a blue book with a pumpkin on it, with a woman in a dazzling white dress, "It's about a girl named Cinderella," He scooted right next to Merrick, and opened the book, showing him the pictures in several flips of the firm pages, "She was an abused servant in her own home. Cinderella worked night and day to clean the chateau, appease her two bitchy stepsisters, and her evil stepmother."

"You mean... She lived to please them? Even though they were cruel to her?" Merrick asked.

"Cinderella was too kind. They took advantage of her after her own father died. Her only friends," He turned the page, "Were the mice, birds, and farm animals of her home," He said, pointing out the illustrations - Candlewick press combined the elements of Disney's rendition of Cinderella with the origins of Perrault's version, "You see, her stepmother was jealous of Cinderella, because she was so charming and beautiful, unlike her OWN daughters, who were kinda ugly and obnoxious."

"... Wait, her OWN daughters? You mean Cinderella wasn't her daughter?"

"No. See, sometimes, some humans have children with one person, and they separate - be it divorce, death, or just a break-up - and when they get together with ANOTHER person, maybe one with children of their own, they become STEP-Sisters or STEP-Brothers. And the person the parent mates becomes a STEP-Mother, or STEP-Father."

"That sounds confusing... And silly." Merrick said. Adam chuckled and nuzzled his merman.

"It's just what humans do sometimes, babe. Anyway, one day," Adam turned the page, "A Fairy Godmother visited Cinderella, when Cinderella's stepsister destroyed a gown she was going to wear to a ball - that's a formal event that's arranged and celebrated by royalty. And with her magic, the Fairy Godmother transformed mice," He turned the page, "Into horses!"

Merrick looked curiously at the illustration of a mouse growing into a horse - both animals looking completely strange to him. "He-Hey! Those are hippocampi!" He said.

"Hippo-wha?"

"A hippocampus? They look just like these things, but they're colorful, and have large fins instead of those... Legs and baleen," He said pointed out the horses' legs, tails and manes, "They live in the depths, and they're very easy to tame. We call one when one or more merfolk are weak or injured to carry them... Anyway, go on with the story!" Merrick said eagerly.

"Heh heh, anyway, the Fairy Godmother then turned a vegetable, called a pumpkin," He turned the page, "Into a dazzling coach," He said as Merrick looked at the fancy white object, "And when that was said and done, she turned the tattered shreds of Cinderella's gown into a more gorgeous gown!" Merrick looked in awe at the drawings of the fairy's magic.

"... Why did the Fairy Godmother help Cinderella? Was SHE her real mother?" He asked in wonder. Adam smiled as he shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. The Fairy Godmother was more like a guardian angel; after all the suffering Cinderella has gone through, she decided to lend a helping hand to her," He turned the page, and showed what happened next, "So then, Cinderella rode the carriage to the ball, where she met a handsome prince," He turned the page to show the glittering woman, waltzing with a young man, "Where they fell in love, and danced until the stroke of 12, and she had to leave."

"What? Why? If they fell in love, why did she have to leave so soon?" Merrick asked.

"Because of the magic. As powerful as the Fairy Godmother was, her magic only lasts until midnight, and then it would wear off, and everything would go back to normal." Adam flipped the page, "So she ran away as soon as the clock struck 12, RIGHT before she and the prince were about to kiss," Merrick pouted at that, "She rushed down the steps at the front of the castle, and one of her glass slippers," He said as he turned the page, where a clear, plastic high-heel was inserted into the page.

"What's that?" Merrick asked as he tapped onto the fake glass on the page.

"That's a glass slipper. It's a type of shoe human females wear to formal events - though, shoes made of glass went out of style several centuries. Here," Adam then swung his legs over the bed, and put on a sandal, "See? This is another type of shoe," He then slipped it off, and put on one of his tennis shoes, "And this is a shoe I always wear," Adam tugged it off, and got back to the story.

"Cinderella didn't have time to put the glass slipper, so she just went into her coach, and rode back home as fast as the horses can go." He turned the page "As the clock rang out, one by one, the her dress withered back into tatters and shreds, the pumpkin turned orange again, and shrunk back into a large vegetable, and the horses transformed back into mice, the only thing she had to remember the night, was the other glass slipper on her foot." Adam said as he showed him the next page, showing Cinderella looking down onto her foot.

"So... What happened? Did they all just forget?"

"Nope," Adam turned the page, "No one forgot the beautiful woman at the ball, though no one knew who she was, not even her stepsisters or stepmother recognized her.

"After Cinderella left, the Prince found the glass slipper on the stairs, and vowed to find and mate with girl who fits the shoe," He turned the page, "So he searched night and day, trying the glass slipper on every woman in the kingdom, until he came to Cinderella's home. The stepsisters tried in vain to infatuate the Prince, but it wouldn't work at all. And then, Cinderella walked in, with one foot bare, and the other wearing the other glass slipper."

Merrick smiled as Adam turned the page, showing the Prince kneeling down and fitting Cinderella's dainty foot into the other glass slipper, "Once the glass slipper was placed onto Cinderella's foot, she forgave her stepsisters and stepmother for everything they've done to her. The she married the Prince and they both lived happily ever after." Adam said as he closed the book, "The End."

"Hehehe, that was an interesting story," Said Merrick, "Did this really happen?"

"Hahahah, no. It's just a story," Adam then put aside the book, and looked to his merman, "What about you though? Do merfolk have any stories like that?"

"Mhm," Merrick nodded, "Yeah, we have. There this one we... We THOUGHT it was a myth, but it turned out to be real..." Merrick's smiled faded, "It actually happened when we were on our way back here... I... I almost lost everything to it..." Adam gasped lightly.

"What happened?" He asked. Merrick looked back up.

"One moon ago, we were resting, and our Razirah was telling the pod a story, as usual..."

- One Month Ago -

"This is the tale," Denizyr said, "Of the Phantasma Whale..." He said, as Noita Umiato used her magic to illustrate a cluster of energy glowing in the middle of the pod, with them huddled in a circular area, like a campfire. Savarna, who is curled up next to Merrick, gasped quietly as she held his arm tightly. Merrick chuckled as he sensed the fear coursing through his baby sister, having heard this eerie story several times before in the past.

"There once was a colossal white whale - some say it was a child of the former Amnien Guardian Taniwa," The burning energy gave birth to a shape of a lion-like whale image. A large sperm whale swam from the same energy, calling out an artificial cry.

"The Whale was great and powerful! And like its parent, was able to create whirlpools and fierce, spiraling hurricanes with a whim." The whale surged around, and swam threateningly around the pod. Savarna squealed as the scary whale apparition howled. The mermaid clutched onto her brother, who wrapped his arm around her protectively, and held her close.

"However, the Whale was arrogant, and sought blood sport," A squid-like image rose from the energy, and wrapped it tentacles around the whale, "And so it challenged the champions of the deep - giant squids," The whale moved looped out of the tentacles, and bit down onto the squid, "Mighty sea serpents," A snake-like monster slithered from the energy, and attacked the whale, to which the whale howled and eliminated with a swipe of its large tail "Godly fish of the dark and black light," Several strange and oddly shaped fish swam and attempted to take down the whale, yet it eluded them all, defeated them, and devouring each opponent, "With each opponent that fell before him, the Whale swallowed them all, stealing their strengths and becoming even stronger.

"It was never enough for the Whale, for his victories made him grow ever more vicious and arrogant. Until one day, he challenged the Piscien and Holsien Guardians of old," A giant shark shot from the swirling energy.

"The former Piscien Guardian, Megalodon, the last living remnant of the ancient times, the very last of its kind, old and battle scarred from ruthless wars gone by, taunted the Whale of his impudence," The much larger shark laughed down at the whale, "He accepted the Whale's challenge, and initiated combat for many moons."

"As mighty and strong as the Whale was, it was no match for Megalodon's vast experience of war and fighting. Too injured to carry on, the Whale could not continue engaging the battalized Guardian, and left in disgrace. Though he hid it well, Guardian Megalodon was severely injured by the battle, and soon perished peacefully." The shark-like image curled up, and slowly disappeared, "To be succeeded by the brave Leviathan to protect the Piscien Merfolk."

"Angered and humiliated from his first defeat, the Whale sought out yet another powerful, indomitable foe."

A 5-headed water dragon appeared from the burning energy, and hissed an eerie roar, "The former Holsien Guardian, Hydra, rose to the Whale's challenge," The reptilian creature swam in loops, its heads contradicting the Whales very move, "As skillful as the Whale was, Guardian Hydra was far too clever to be defeated. The battled ensued for many moons - for Hydra was not made for a battle of force, but a battle of wits. Years of struggling with the cruel mind-games of the Holsien Guardian, until the Whale's mind was too tired to continue. The Whale swam again, hearing the patronizing laugh of his two adversaries, still echoing in his head," A grotesque, squid-like creature came up from the energy, and confronted the Hydra image, "Disdained by the cruelty of Hydra, the cunning Kraken rose up, and challenged Guardian Hydra to its own game of wits. Hydra lost, and fell into insanity, leaving Kraken to become the new Holsien Guardian."

"Bitter and full of rage from his losses, the Whale done the unforgivable: Challenge its own mother, Guardian Taniwa, to a duel to the death." The angered whale apparition howled and roared at the feline-whale image, "The Whale, consumed in its hatred, mocked and raged at its parent.

"Hurt by the Whale's words, Guardian Taniwa refused to fight her own child, and so gave birth to the benevolent, gentle Charybdis. In hopes of subsiding the Whale's anger, she gave the White Whale a sister to guide him in his time of anger," The larger whale image then created a whirlpool, triggered by a large, flurring dolphin-like image, "Outraged by this action, which the Whale deemed as weak and cowardly, the Whale charged at Guardian Taniwa, and killed her in cold blood."

Savarna gasped as the violent whale image tore into the Taniwa, "Charybdis watched in horror as the Whale destroyed its own mother.

"Having finally conquered one of the three Guardians, the Whale devoured the remains of Taniwa. Before he could claim the title of Guardian, he could feel the soul of his mother destroying him from the inside. The Whale cried out in agony, begging the Charybdis to save him. Sadly, the Whale had then disappeared before Charybdis can help him, and so was dubbed as the new Amnien Guardian."

Savarna shook fearfully, as a glowing circle then appeared, "Some say the Whale still lingers in our world. On a moonless night, when the Shining Sea Mother Atargatis sleeps, the Whale appears - later named the Phantasma Whale" The merfolk looked on as a half skeletal sperm whale, floated around, "When the moon loses its light for one night, it is said the Whale returns, its hollow, dead soul make its form glow - a terrifying ghost of what it used to be, its rage still fresh in its spirit, and instantly killing and devouring any living thing its empty eyes sees. Once inside the belly of the Phantasma, the souls of everything it swallowed, lost long after its time..."

The energy vanished slowly, with half the pod spooked by the story. It is late, and it is time to rest. Merrick chuckled lowly as he felt Savarna swim away from him to huddle over to their mother and father.

Merrick chuckled as he laid himself down onto the sand, and soon drifted off into slumber.

A few hours later, while the pod is sleeping, Savarna is still unable to sleep. She is still quaking from the story. She keeps imagining a grotesque, whale skeleton, swimming in her head. The image itself is enough to keep her scared.

Then, she sensed something. She looked up, and looked out into the vast blueness of the ocean. She softly drifted up from the arms of her mother, and swam away.

As she moved, the orb-like eyes of Penina, the jellyfish mermaid, and Brishen's mate, opened as she felt a small flurry of water. She woke up, to see the young Adra Noita swimming away. Curious, the semi-transparent mermaid swam gradually after the younger female.

Savarna swam as she followed a strange, cold trace. She doesn't know what it could be, but her curiosity has gotten the better of her. The Adra followed the feeling to a huge trench. She looked into the bottomless abyss.

"Adra Savarna?" The little mermaid yelped as she heard a sudden voice. She turned quickly to see Penina. The jelly mermaid has glowing lines and circles adorned upon her body, along with the leaf-like appendages on her three, long tendrils, illuminating the dark.

"P-Penina! What are you doing here?!" She demanded.

"What are YOU doing here?" Penina asked back, "We are supposed to be resting. Let us go back to the pod."

"But I feel something..." She said. Penina tilted her head as she drifted closer, "Can you not feel it too?"

"... Now that you have mention it... I feel a dark foreboding from the depths..." She crept and floated over the edge of the trench.

"I want to see..." Savarna said as she sunk herself lower.

"No," Penina said as she stopped her, "I will go. My body is more flexible under deep waters, and I am more adapted for darkness." She said to the young mermaid; it's probably nothing. At this point, she's only doing this so Adra Savarna will be persuaded to return.

"All alone?" Savarna asked.

"I am from those depths," She said, "I do not fear the darkness. Wait here, Adra Savarna. I will be back shortly..." With that, the flowery mermaid swam down, and dove steadily down into the blackness. Her bioluminescent body faded more and more as she sunk lower to the trench. It wasn't long before her blue and yellow light faded into the abyss.

Savarna grew nervous as she waited. The more seconds that passed by, the more fearful she became. After waiting a total of two minutes, the small mermaid swam over the edge, and hurriedly downward.

~~~

Merrick sounded multiple signals along the reef, swimming as fast as he can, he spotted a pod of dolphins, to which he swam forward too. His throat stiffened as he sounded a pattern of squeaks and clicking noises. The dolphins immediately swam in his direction, and he swam up to them in turn. He continued to speak in a crackling noise, until the pod itself separated in multiple directions.

"Merrick!" Called Brishen. Merrick swam up to the green-tailed merman, "Any luck?"

"No. I cannot find Sister anywhere. I just sent those dolphins to locate a small mermaid. I pray they will be of help," He sighed as he looked to his friend, "I surmise that none of the other mermen have been successful?" Brishen shook his head.

"No... Razirah Denizyr cannot sense her trace. He cannot sense her at all... And it has gotten worse..."

"What? How?" Merrick asked. Brishen looked, up, looking scared.

"No one knows where Penina is!" Merrick gasped as he looked at Brishen, looking as if he is about to weep, "I cannot find her anywhere! No one has seen her since last night, she's gone! Denizyr cannot feel her, just like Adra Savarna!"

"Brishen, it is going to be alright. We will find them..." He said, though he cannot deny that he is feeling doubt and fear as well.

His gills twitched, and he turned around. Merrick blinked as the dolphins he summoned earlier are swimming away...

"Merrick... We have been searching all through the sun... We have not found so much as a scent," Merrick sent out a few more signals. He looked up to see a few hammerhead sharks swimming quickly away, "I... I keep thinking about her... My Penina..." Brishen started to feel more distraught, "I do not understand... How can- Mmmff!" He felt Merrick's hand over his mouth.

"Brishen, I need quiet..." He said. He closed his eyes and sent a signal every 10 seconds. Moments pass by, and a low, long call came from the silence. Brishen removed Merrick's hand.

"That's one sad whale..." Merrick then swam around, and forward, "Merrick? Where are you going?"

Merrick placed his webbed hand onto the sand, keeping his eyes shut, and sent out a long, loud moan. Moments later, the same, sad moan from before was called. He moved his head to a certain direction, and swam forth. "Merrick! It's just a lone whale!" Brishen said irritably, "We have to find Penina and Adra Savarna!"

The Adra Triton ignored him as he followed blindly to the source of the low call. He eventually opened his eyes and peered down into a gigantic trench. "Merrick! Stop wasting time chasing whales!" Brishen said to him as he swam up next to him.

"Brishen..." Merrick uttered. He turned around, and looked directly at Brishen in the eyes, "There are not any whales within 50 miles of here."

"RRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Both mermen gasped as they heard the same voice, this time, it sounded angry instead of sad. They stared down into the abyss. Brishen sent a signal, but nothing responded. Not even a faint glow from any bioluminescent creatures from below.

"... Why is there not anything down there?"

"There is. But they are silent. They won't give any signals."

"Why not?"

"... Let us find out..." Merrick said as he swam down. Brishen followed the Adra, both of them holding their weapons tightly. The delved into the darkness, growing colder and colder the more they traveled down. Both mermen kept sending down signals, everything in the trench remaining silent, no matter what angle they sent a signal.

-The Previous Night-

Savarna grew nervous as she waited. The more seconds that passed by, the more fearful she became. After waiting a total of two minutes, the small mermaid swam over the edge, and hurriedly downward.

"Rrrrrrreeeeeeennnnnnnnnnrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Savarna eeped as there came a deep, sad moan from the darkness, like a dying whale, calling out for aid.