Transformation

by Michael Ocheskey

  Thomas was carrying a box of sapphires from the storage room of Eri’s shop into the sewing room. His hair was starting to turn the same color as everyone else and was growing quickly, now reaching down to the small of his back. The roots were blue and there were faint traces of blue randomly streaking throughout, like fluorescent highlights in his hair. All of his body hair had also fallen off. Thomas suspected it was a part of being a merman. In all the time he'd been in Atlantis, he hadn't seen a single merman with facial, arm, leg, or chest hair. Thomas preferred not having body hair, so this change was something he was glad of.

  The change was also starting to affect Thomas’ ears and eyes. His eyes were always a sapphire blue, but now they were even more radiant. They were almost as bright as Alana’s emerald eyes and looked as though they had become florescent lights. Even in the pitch black of night, Thomas could gaze into a mirror and see nothing but his sapphire eyes, dimly glowing like a cat’s eyes. His ears were also changing. They were now about five inches long and had formed into a miniature replica of all the Sapphire merfolk’s. All he had to wait for now was a few more inches growth and his ears would be identical to Alana’s.

  “It’s been about a month now, Eri,” Thomas grumbled, not for the first time. “She still isn’t talking to me.”

  “Well, ya can’t blame her, lad.” Eri shook his head. Thomas had told Eri about his decision the first day he began to work for him. “It was yer decision to just be friends.” Sarcasm abounded in Eri’s last three words.

  “Yes, but we don’t even seem to be that.” Thomas was covered in a cloud of depression these days which seemed to follow him wherever he went. “True, she speaks friendly to me whenever she sees me in the palace, but it is a cold friendliness, like she is forcing herself. And all she ever says are formal greetings and farewells.

  “She also seems to be avoiding me because I rarely see her anymore. I just don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t explain it, but I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve dated many women when I was a surface dweller, but nothing was ever serious. After one or two dates, I would break off the relationship because I didn’t feel any kind of emotional connection toward them at all. Now, whenever I see Alana it feels like someone is tearing me apart from inside.

  “Not to mention, I can’t talk to anyone in the palace. The king is always busy with royal duties, and I don’t want to bother him. Then there are the guards. Captain Orion seems to stalk me wherever I go. I feel like he’s got his trident against my back and is just waiting for an opportunity to plunge it in. He’s even got the rest of the guards spying on me.”

  “Sounds like ya’ve got it tough, lad.” Eri sounded concerned, but there was a trace of a smirk on his face. “Just give it time an’ people’ll come round. Look at me! I like ya even though yer a surface dweller.” Eri burst out in laughter and popped Thomas hard on the back. “But seriously, I think the real problem here isn’t Captain Orion or the rest of the city; it’s you and Miss Alana.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “‘What do I mean?’ Ya can’ be serious, lad! It’s obvious, innit?” Eri smiled a mischievous smile, “Yer in love!” Thomas dropped the box he was carrying at the announcement and turned as red as a beat, a mixture of embarrassment and pain. He had dropped the box on his foot. Eri laughed heartily. “See! Told ya.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Thomas shouted defensively, “I can’t love her!”

  “Now, that’s enough, lad.” Eri regained composure, ignoring that he had just been shouted at, and looked comfortingly into Thomas’ eyes, like a father trying to talk some sense into an idiotic son. “Listen to me. I know all about why ya don’t want a relationship with Miss Alana.

  “Hang the merfolk of this city, boy. It don’t matter what they think about yer relationship. All that matters is whether ya love her an’ she loves you. She’s an innocent an’ kind girl. She’ll do what ya asked and stay clear of ya, but I know she’s hurtin’ as much as you are. Why not go to her, lad? She’s been waitin’ a month for ya to come to her. If that ain’t loyalty, then I don’ know what is.”

  “But how?” Thomas pleaded with Eri. “I can’t just go up to her and expect her to forgive me.”

  “Well, ya could always buy her a present.” Eri headed over to his desk. “It just so happens that ya’ve been workin’ fer me about a month now. I ‘spect it’s time fer yer first payin’.” Eri pulled out a bag of money and started counting it. “Here ya go. This is fer the month. It should be enough to buy a present.”

  “I’ve got an idea!” Thomas began bouncing on the spot, hyper with his new-found idea. Even if it was impossible, he could still hope. “Is there anyone in this city who is able to crystallize blood?”

  “Wha’d’ya mean?” Eri's gaze seemed to question Thomas’ sanity. Crystallizing blood seemed an impossible feet to him.

  “I mean turn blood into a gemstone, compress it. On the surface world, diamonds are created by carbon that is compressed tightly for centuries. Maybe I can compress blood into a sort of gemstone?”

  “Well, I’m not sure if ya can, but if anyone could do it, it’d be Dr. Algie.”

  “Thank you so much for everything!” Thomas took the money from Eri. “Would it be alright for me to leave now? I’d like to go see Dr. Algie.”

  “Wait, lad. Ya don’t know the way. Just finish carryin’ this box to the sewin’ room and then I’ll take ya there myself. Deal?” Eri was definitely enjoying watching Thomas act the fool. It was a nice change for someone who was normally composed and logical.

  Eri and Thomas came to Dr. Algie’s door about halfway between the palace and the barrier. The sign on the clinic read: Come right in. Thomas was really surprised when he realized that he could actually read it. This translator was really amazing. Thomas was not only able to read Atlantian, he was now able to speak it fluently whenever he wanted. He didn’t need to speak in English anymore, although everything spoken to him was still translated into English inside his head.

  When they stepped inside, a strange noise met their ears. Instead of bells to signal a patient’s arrival, there were seashells that bumped against each other making a hollow clopping sound.

  “I’m coming,” Dr. Algie spoke from behind a closed door. “Oh, hello there Thomas. How are you feeling? I haven’t seen you in a month. Oh, how wonderful! You’re already starting to take on merman features.”

  “Hello, Doctor,” Thomas smiled brightly. “I’m doing just fine. No problems at all.”

  “I doubt that,” Dr. Algie said with a mockingly sinister grin. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Are you having problems with Alana, perhaps?”

  Thomas went pale and Dr. Algie laughed heartily. “I’m sorry, Thomas. I was only teasing you. You know, the entire city is talking about you and Alana. You don’t want to know what most of them say, but Eri and I stick up for you. We tell them they shouldn’t judge you until they’ve met you. You really are a wonderful person and I’m all for Alana and you getting together.”

  “Uh...thanks, Doctor.” Thomas decided to skip the pleasantries and just ask outright. “Doctor, do you know how to crystallize blood into a gemstone?”

  He didn’t expect much from the response as the idea seemed incredibly farfetched, even to him. He was entirely braced for the rejection he expected. What he got instead surprised and elated him.

  “Yes I do. My father was a jeweler and invented a machine for it, though really, it’s more turning the blood into a crystalline glass instead of a gemstone. He taught me how to use it before he died. He thought it would be a new money maker, but the idea didn't really take off because most people thought it was sick to make jewelry out of blood. Why?”

  “Because I want just that, Doctor. I’d like to get an apology present for Alana and I want it to be something that she doesn’t already have. I had to think hard about what a princess wouldn’t have and I decided I would give her myself, literally. I’d like you to turn some of my blood into gemstones so that
I can have jewelry made from it. I’d like to give her a ring and a set of earrings with it.”

  “Well now.” Doctor Algie gestured for Thomas to sit down and took out some supplies from a cabinet. “I’ll need a pint of blood from you. When blood crystallizes, it becomes a much smaller amount, but one pint should be enough for what you require.”

  As Doctor Algie prepared to draw Thomas’ blood, Thomas questioned, “How long will it take to crystallize the blood?”

  “Well, when my father first started doing it, it usually took at least a month.” Thomas groaned at these words. The doctor gestured for Thomas to sit down and began to insert the needle for the blood draw.

  While working, Dr. Algie continued speaking, “Oh, don’t worry. My father and I have been doing this for so long that we’ve discovered how to improve the compactor in order to do it in six hours. If you come back tomorrow morning, I will have it ready for you to take to the jeweler’s. No, that won’t do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The jeweler is one of the merfolk who want you driven out of town. There’s no way he’d make a set of earrings and a ring for you. Do you have any money, Thomas?”

  “Yes. I just got paid today for working at Eri’s shop.”

  “Alright. Give me all of your money and I’ll bring this to the jeweler’s shop tomorrow morning. The jeweler knows Alana’s ring size, so that won’t be a problem. I’ll have your change and the jewelry by tomorrow evening. Come by then to pick them up.

  “By the way, what do you want the jewelry to look like?”

  After explaining thoroughly to Dr. Algie what he wanted, Thomas hopped off the bed he'd been sitting on, thanking both Dr. Algie and Eri.

  As Eri and Thomas turned to leave, Thomas watched Dr. Algie pull a strange orb out of a cabinet, pour the collected blood into it, and flip a switch. The orb began spinning so fast that it became a crimson blur. Thomas ran back to the palace in a mood nearly equal to how content he had felt when he first woke from his coma and met Alana.

  “Halt!” Captain Orion staggered in front of Thomas as he was running into the palace. “What are you doing, Surface Dweller? In a hurry to assassinate the king, are you? Perhaps Princess Alana?”

  Thomas was momentarily dumbstruck by Captain Orion’s idiocy. What would have possibly driven him to the conclusion that Thomas wanted to assassinate anyone. Yet, Thomas knew that was only an excuse.

  Captain Orion seemed to be drunk and a little tipsy. Thomas knew that Captain Orion was just blurting out drunken slander to provoke Thomas and give him an opportunity to strike Thomas down for good.

  Thomas could feel his patience grow thin and snap. Thomas’ elation evaporated in a flash and was replaced by a cold rage. “You are the most arrogant, paranoid asshole I’ve ever met. Now get out of my way, twit.”

  This wasn’t the brightest thing to do. Being mainly brawn with little brain, given his current inebriation, Captain Orion resorted to the only reply he could think of. Before Thomas had time to react, a large fist flew directly between his eyes. With a dull thud everything went black. Thomas thought he heard a distant scream of intense agony. Had that been him screaming?

  “Uhhh....” Thomas awoke, the feeling of a cold rag dabbing his forehead. He expected, no, he hoped that Alana would be sitting over him when he opened his eyes, but to his great disappointment it was Dr. Algie. Thomas was inside his room with Dr. Algie and King Aquarius. Alana was nowhere to be seen. “What happened to me?”

  “Well now, that’s what I call foolishness, Thomas.” Dr. Algie was trying not to smile. “I can’t believe you called Captain Orion an arrogant, paranoid asshole and a twit. You’re lucky to still be alive after that.”

  “But what happened?”

  “Captain Orion assaulted you.” This time it was King Aquarius who spoke. “He probably would have killed you, as drunk as he was, if you hadn’t fought back and knocked him unconscious as well.”

  “What do mean ‘fought back’? I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even have time to react. All I remember is feeling a sharp pain rush through my head and then I was lying here.”

  Thomas was startled to see that his puzzled expression was being shared by the others.

  “You really didn’t attack Captain Orion?” King Aquarius asked.

  “Are you sure you didn’t attack him?” Dr. Algie added. “He is in critical condition right now, mind you. He’s in my emergency room being looked after by my nurses.”

  “What!” Thomas sat up swiftly and collapsed back on the bed, his head still spinning. “What happened to him? He may be a jerk, but he didn’t deserve to get seriously injured. Will he be okay?”

  “You’re worried about your would-be killer?” King Aquarius shook his head and a smile curled up on one corner of his mouth. “You really are a noble man.”

  “Well,” Dr. Algie was searching frantically for a logical answer. “I’m not sure what happened to him. His body shows signs of being struck by lightning. His armor was melted to his skin and took an hour to remove. He is currently drifting in and out of consciousness. He may be delusional, but when I asked him what happened to him, he said you electrocuted him.”

  “I what?”

  “He said that the instant he punched you a large voltage of electricity erupted from your body. The strange thing is that there are rumors floating around in town. The citizens said that tonight the sea just outside the barrier was acting weird. They said the water outside the city was churning like the surface water during a thunderstorm. It was only for a second, but this is the really weird part, the electrocution and the sea water acting strangely both happened at the same time.”

  “Are you saying I made it happen? That can’t be. Surface dwellers don’t have the power to control lightning. Could it be a side effect from turning into a merman?”

  “I don’t believe so.” King Aquarius stared at Thomas with deep concern. “The only merfolk who can control electricity are the Lothanian merfolk, the green ones. But even they can only use small amounts of it, like an electric eel.” He added, when he saw Thomas’ look of confusion, “Atlantian merfolk have never been able to control electricity.”

  “The fact is,” Dr. Algie spoke up when he was certain the king had finished, not wanting to interrupt him. “We really don’t know if what Captain Orion said was true. It may have just been a lucky coincidence for you. Most lightning on the ocean comes from the sky downward, but there is an extremely rare occasion when lightning comes from the ocean floor and shoots up into the sky. It is far more likely that this rare occurrence is what happened. It may have just looked to Captain Orion like you did this.

  “Besides, as King Aquarius said, not even the Lothanian merfolk could have been able to control the amount of electricity that hit Captain Orion. Lothanians may be like electric eels, but this much electricity would have had the same effect on them as it did on Captain Orion. No. It would have been worse for them because the electricity wouldn’t have left their bodies like it did the captain’s. The electricity would have continued to swirl around inside their bodies until it cooked them from inside.”

  “I will speak to Captain Orion when he recovers,” King Aquarius spoke up again, changing the subject. The subject of grilled Lothanian made him slightly green in the face. “There is no reason for him to blame you for this. I will command him never to harm you again.”

  “And I will explain to him about the rare lightning occurrence.” Dr. Algie concluded, choosing to believe that it was a fluke of nature, the only scientific conclusion he was able to offer. For Dr. Algie, things had to be proven before he accepted them. He didn’t like mysteries much.

  “Thank you Dr. Algie, King Aquarius.” Thomas’ eyes darted around the room again just in case.

  King Aquarius smirked sheepishly, “If you are looking for Alana, she’s gone out. She helped carry you in here and was taking care of you until Dr. Algie came here. When she heard that Captain Orion did this to you, she stormed immediately f
or the hospital to tell him off. I hope she doesn't slow down his recovery. I need my guard Captain.

  “I think she may still like you, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Well, I’ll thank her properly tomorrow evening and also apologize for having been a fool the last month.” Thomas gave a questioning gaze to Dr. Algie. “Doctor, is everything in order?”

  “Oh, yes.” Dr. Algie seemed exasperated as he spoke, “You are very lucky I rushed off to start crystallizing your blood as soon as you left my office. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to get to it with Captain Orion’s condition. I’ll bring it to the jeweler’s tomorrow morning, so don’t forget to pick it up tomorrow evening.” Dr. Algie's tone became harsh and he shook his finger at Thomas.

  “I won’t forget.” Thomas’ instincts kicked in and he found himself preparing to argue from Dr. Algie's tone. Then he realized the tone was only slightly accusatory, but in a playful manner.

  “Well, after the blow you took, anyone could easily forget many things. It was just a friendly reminder.” Both Dr. Algie and King Aquarius laughed heartily.

  There was a quick pounding sound outside the door, the sound of someone running. It seemed Alana had returned and was hurrying back to Thomas’ room.

  “No, you can’t let her in!” Thomas panicked; a deer in headlights. “I can’t see her yet. I want to do this properly tomorrow evening when I have the present. Please get rid of her somehow. Tell her I’m alright, but need my sleep.”

  “Alright,” King Aquarius smiled and shook his head. “Let’s go, Doctor.”

  Everyone left Thomas alone. Thomas could hear Alana’s exhausted voice as she panted for lack of breath, frantically asking about Thomas. It was then muffled by King Aquarius and Dr. Algie’s voices. The last thing he heard was Alana sighing and footsteps walking in different directions. Before he went to bed, Thomas went into his restroom to wash his face.

  He groaned as he glanced up into the mirror. There was an immense lump forming on his forehead. Thomas could almost feel it growing larger with each pounding pulse of blood through the tender flesh. Still, his injury was nothing to what had happened to Captain Orion.