The Magical Mermaid and the Moon

by Angiah Harris

  “No!” The general cut her off. “No, he will not. The time has come for darkness to rise and for your idiot father and all his light and singing to fall. I have a weapon so powerful not even his silly little fight song will matter—a weapon strong enough to wipe out singing completely.”

  As he spoke, he reached for something in his breast pocket and pulled it out. The princess had never seen such an object before. It appeared to be another stone or a crystal of some sort, similar to the glowing rock at the front of the town center but molded into a wand shape. The shark general held it up, and at that moment, as the other two sharks followed his gaze, staring up at the elongated crystal, the princess made a break for it.

  She swam only a short distance before she was wrestled down and detained.

  Song, she thought desperately. I will sing a song—then someone will come to help me!

  She opened her mouth to sing, but one of the soldiers pressed a gag into her mouth.

  Her father’s enemy laughed. “Foolish girl—you do not believe me! But know that you have now made my job easier. Tonight, I will trick your father into coming to find you, and we will search for you together. He won’t know what’s coming. Then, you will see my true power and understand why you will never sing again. Soon, I will be king!” He turned to his gray-eyed second-in-command. “Take her away, to somewhere no one can find her or hear her in case she decides to sing.”

  The princess struggled and screamed through her gag all the way through the town. Then the guards took her through a series of underground passages, so she knew no one saw where she was being taken. Momentarily, she would make eye contact with the gray-eyed guard, but his partner quickly pushed her forward each time.

  They continued for quite some time before they reached a holding cell of some sort, into which the guards placed her. After they left her alone, the princess screamed for help and even tried to sing, but she heard no response. There was nothing recognizable in sight, and the still waters seemed darker and quieter than she’d ever seen them. Exhausted from screaming, the princess finally sank to the ground next to the door, crying. Would her father be able to save her? Would anyone?

  Chapter 4

  Fun and Trickery

  The mermaid king and queen were out in the streets with their people, singing, eating, dancing, playing, and preparing for the festival planned for later that day.

  “Will our lovely daughter be joining us today, or has she run off to explore the world?” the queen asked her husband as she prepared some of the dishes for the feast.

  The king moved around the table, examining the different fruits and vegetables, and laughed. “I saw her scurry off earlier, so I don’t think we will be seeing her until dinnertime.”

  The queen giggled, then said seriously, “Do you think it’s okay that we let her go off and explore alone? She’s such a curious girl, and curiosity can get you into trouble. I don’t want our daughter lost in the world out there.”

  The silver-haired mermaid king stared at his beautiful bride in her golden blouse as she spoke. Her hair shone in the sun, and a dimple appeared in her left cheek when she smiled. He loved everything about her—how she worried about things he never even thought about, how wonderful a mother she was to their beautiful child—and he was grateful to call her his wife. She was his soul mate, and he couldn’t imagine life without her by his side.

  “My love, don’t worry—our daughter is very special indeed. The light that radiates from her inner being will always triumph over anything and will always keep her safe. One day, she will rule this kingdom, and all her travels will make her that much more of a successful leader. Do not worry—light will always be on our side.” The dashing king swept his wife into his arms and kissed her gently on the forehead. Then he moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “I love you.”

  The queen rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him, feeling the air become electric, as it always did when they were together. She whispered, “I love you too.”

  Soon, creatures from all over the kingdom arrived and began to feast. Everyone laughed and joked while eating together as a community. Elders told stories of the past as children ran around playing tag and hide-and-seek.

  The day crept into the evening, and the mermaid king noticed his daughter was still absent from the gathering. He began to ask her friends if they had seen her. None of them had. Neither had any of the townspeople with whom she typically spent long amounts of time talking or singing. The king found this odd. He decided to go to the top of their castle and sing his daughter’s favorite song that she liked to hear at the end of the day to pull her back home. She’d once told the mermaid king that the song made her feel as though she could never be lost in the sea, because no matter where she was, his voice and that song would always guide her home. He noticed his wife engaged with a group of creatures, so he quietly slipped away and made his way to the family castle.

  The castle was gigantic, and its every wall was beautifully colored. Because the castle had been built by the mermaid king’s ancestors, each of whom were members of the wizard bloodline, each brick in the castle’s walls glowed in the dark with magic. Windows everywhere let the sun into more rooms than the king and his wife and daughter needed. Often, friends and those who needed somewhere to sleep lived with them in the castle. The king felt it was important to be kind to others even if they could never repay the kindness, so if someone needed a hot meal or a warm bed at night, the palace doors were always open.

  The silver-haired king finally arrived at the highest balcony in their home, with a clear view down to the streets and all throughout the kingdom. He loved being up there and seeing everything below. It reminded him that everyone is a small part of a much bigger picture.

  With love in his heart, he began to sing. “My child, my heart, where could you be? Come home, and tell me all your adventure stories.” His voice rang out, and those below cheered and sang too. The king heard his queen’s voice joining in singing with the crowd. He continued on with his song till it was finished, then waited anxiously to hear his daughter’s angelic voice sing back to him above the cheers of the excited crowd.

  But he didn’t hear her.

  Suddenly, he saw movement below—someone or something was moving quickly toward the crowd. Was it the princess? It seemed unlikely—she’d never done such a thing before. Feeling uneasy, the king quickly left the castle to confront whatever was approaching them.

  “Halt!” the mermaid king screamed at the moving blur.

  Whatever it was came to a screeching halt, kicking up ocean sand and blocking the king’s view. “My king!” the familiar voice said from the sand cloud. “The princess is in danger. I was too late—they took her!”

  The sand settled, revealing the king’s best friend and right-hand man, the shark general. He spoke in broken sentences, catching his breath. “He told me—I tried to find her—I was too late.”

  “Silence!” roared the king to everyone in sight. The crowd stopped its chatter instantly. “What is this you speak of? Gather yourself and inform me, brother!”

  The shark general slowed his breath and regained his composure. “I was out doing my afternoon swim around the kingdom earlier today when a creature flagged me down in the outskirts. Regular townsman—I sensed nothing suspicious about him—so I approached him and listened to what he had to say. He said he’d seen the princess go exploring today and that maybe I should go make sure she was all right. He mentioned that today’s energy felt especially heavy and that he wasn’t sure what sorts of creatures would be out. I thanked the creature and headed in the direction he said he’d last seen the princess going. I swam farther and farther, and it seemed like the water grew so much colder. It’s not like it used to be out there, brother—we have much we need to explore.”

  The crowd gathered closer as he spoke.

  “I swam forever and almost gave up, thinking she might have headed back—but then I heard a scream! I moved as fast
as I could in that direction. I was surrounded by strange, dark creatures that didn’t notice me. And then I saw. My king, the princess was being roped down and taken prisoner.” Everyone gasped. “I wanted more than anything to save her, but I was outnumbered and might have lost both of our lives in the process. I turned around and came straight here, my king!”

  The king stood frozen like a statue, absorbing everything the shark general told him. The crowd was silent, and his queen was watching him, but he couldn’t find words to speak.

  “This is war!” blurted the shark general.

  “No,” the mermaid king said calmly.

  The queen stepped forward. “We are a peaceful people. A war is not the answer.”

  “She’s right,” said the king. “We are a peaceful people. But—” Anger chased the feeling of surprise from his mind. “This gesture is a declaration against me and my queen. These people dare take our daughter, the final remaining member of the song wizard bloodline of many generations of mermaids, and use her as bait. Bait for a war! Well, they will get their war, but not the one they’re expecting. It has been a long time since I’ve used my magic for anything other than love, but today I will unleash a fight song like no other before, and they will feel my wrath!”

  “I will assemble the troops!” said the queen.

  “No,” the king said before she could move. “I will go, and I will go alone! I will face these creatures who have taken our daughter, and I will return home with our child. When we return, we will celebrate our victory. Do not worry, my love!”

  Chapter 5

  The Death of Song

  The mischievous shark general was burning on the inside with glee as he listened to the mermaid king and queen. The leaders of the kingdom were experiencing a moment of strain, and he knew it was because of him.

  He had waited a long time for this moment.

  The shark had come to the kingdom as a young boy, separated from his family, who had been lost to one of the largest storms of the century—although it still hadn’t been strong enough to move the calm ocean waters. He’d been found days after the storm by the mermaid king’s mother, who was the queen at the time, as she was out with rescue teams helping manage the aftermath. He’d hit his head in the storm and was still unconscious when the queen found him, so she took him back to the kingdom to care for him until someone came looking for him. Once he came to, he couldn’t remember his family or where he was from. Word was sent out, and they waited for his family to return, but they never did. The queen took the shark in as her own and raised him next to the mermaid king as his brother, and as they grew up together, the mermaid prince became more powerful as a song wizard, and the shark grew in combat skills and physical prowess.

  Then the young mermaid prince had made a simple choice—a choice that had sparked the rage and hatred in the shark general’s heart and continued to fuel his vengeful plan as he rose through the ranks over the years and eventually became general to the king. The shark general knew the king had always appreciated his loyalty, but the mermaid would soon learn that his loyalty had only ever been a disguise for his hatred.

  Trying to hide his excitement about how well his plan was working, the shark general shouted, “I will lead the way to where I saw them, my king, and I will fight by your side!”

  “Thank you, brother. Let’s go!” The king and his shark general set off into the night.

  * * *

  They’d been swimming for hours when they began to notice, off in the distance, a dim light.

  “There—let’s move,” said the king.

  But before he could continue forward, the general said, “No, let me go. You stay back, and I will go see what’s going on. We can’t risk your being captured. I’ll see if there are any traps or anything to be concerned about.”

  The mermaid king reluctantly agreed and watched as the general headed toward the dim light in the distance. Much time passed. The king grew anxious waiting for his general to return, but still he did not. Something clearly was not right.

  I have waited long enough, the king decided. He followed the general’s trail with urgency, kicking up a cloud of sand behind him. Before he’d gone far, he rounded a corner, and the sight beyond was so surprising he stopped dead in his tracks.

  A large gathering of creatures he didn’t recognize stood facing him like statues, staring at him with their dark, judging, hateful eyes. The mermaid king was taken aback.

  He slowly searched the crowd with his gaze for the shark general or the princess, but he did not see them. After moments of silently surveying his surroundings, the king yelled, “Who is in charge here?” His voice was so strong it shook the entire crowd.

  Silence followed. The creatures continued to stare at him with a darkness in their eyes.

  The mermaid king continued. “I am searching for my daughter—she was taken. My general and I are out looking for her. We mean no harm; we just need your help in finding her.”

  Still, no one responded.

  Then something began to happen. The crowd parted, making a pathway for the king. He hesitated, confused by the silence, but decided to make his way through the crowd to whatever or whomever they were parting for. He moved slowly past the creatures, searching their eyes for a glimpse of life. He could now see their camouflaged clothing, and he realized they were all dressed the same. Everything and everyone was so dark and uninviting. He searched the creature’s faces, looking for a sign that someone would help him, but he found only darkness. He was alone. Where was his general? What had happened to the shark? The king was surrounded by the enemy with no one to help him.

  But still he was unafraid.

  Moments later, the mermaid king reached the center of the crowd—and what he found sent a rage surging through him like he had never felt before.

  Here stood the shark general, holding his daughter in chains.

  The king’s eyes moved back and forth from the shark general to the princess. His heart pounded a thunderous roar in his chest, as if it were trying to escape from his body. Every part of the king wanted to tear the shark general apart. He tried to move, but the sight of his brother holding his daughter in chains and the thousands of dark eyes surrounding him paralyzed him.

  The shark general let out a howling laugh and began to speak. “The king is here. The king is here,” he mocked. “He has finally graced us with his presence.” The shark laughed again. “Oh, Princess, you should feel honored that your father ventured out by himself to find you. It made my job that much easier. I surely thought we would have to fight a few of your so-called soldiers.”

  The king stood shocked and silent, listening to his supposed friend speak so proudly to him and the crowd.

  “Tonight is the night that everything changes,” the general continued. “Tonight is the night that darkness prevails.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” screamed the mermaid king, finally finding his voice. “How could you do this, my brother, after everything we’ve been through?! My mother was your mother, my daughter your daughter, my kingdom your kingdom!”

  “No!” said the shark general. “Your mother was your mother; she took pity on me, but you were the apple of her eye. She did not care to hear me sing; she only wanted to hear you. She did not pay attention to or praise the things I did for her. And the kingdom—it was always yours. I’ve hated you and your kingdom my whole life. I was never one of you. And now I’ve built my own kingdom with others who feel the same as I do. It has been our vow to each other that one day we would find a way to silence your and the kingdom’s songs, and that day has come!”

  * * *

  The princess stared into her father’s eyes, terrified. She wanted desperately to scream to him about the stones, but she’d been bound and gagged again earlier by the gray-eyed guard and another soldier. She’d thought, surely, the first face she’d see coming through the doors would be her father’s, not a guard’s. But then she’d been dragged out here to wait among these dark creatur
es, and the general had appeared beside her. “Your father is here, and you will watch us kill him,” he’d told her.

  Now, her father stood before her, and she could see the shock on his face as he listened to the shark general’s mocking. Her heart broke for her father, and she wanted desperately to break free from her chains and run into his arms.

  * * *

  The king spoke, sincerity deepening his voice. “I’m very sorry you and all of these creatures feel that way. We have never forced our way of life on anyone; you are all welcome to live how you feel suits your needs. Release my daughter so we can leave this dark kingdom you have created. We will never return. We will leave you and your people alone and live peacefully next to each other in the sea.”

  The shark general laughed cruelly. “This is not an option, my king. We do not want to share the sea with you anymore, and we will not. I said it in so many words earlier, but let me say it again: this is war. We are prepared to battle your fight songs and end your reign as king and the reign of singing.”

  The general’s words shocked and angered the mermaid king. He looked again at his daughter in chains, and a storm brewed inside him—a fight-song storm.

  He had used fight songs in the past to defend the kingdom from attacks after his parents died, when he became the king. Typically, his men would engage in hand-to-hand combat alongside him to fight off enemies. Many of the king’s enemies believed they had a chance against his soldiers, but as soon as the mermaid king began to sing the fight songs, the enemy stopped in their tracks, broken down by the melody and tune of his magical voice. By the time the song was finished, the fight was long gone and the enemy soldiers had either fled or found themselves at peace, their negative energies healed by the vibrations of the king’s songs.