“What if we don’t make it, what if…the nishant are out there waiting for us, waiting to kill us.” My insides churned, as the fervor of fear shook my body. I wanted to see my family, yet I felt safe here, tucked in the cave that had been home for months.
“Nothing, I will let nothing, happen to you, Eva…Nor Ben. My word.” His eyes blazed, beautiful, glorious gold. Why couldn’t I stay with him? Ben tugged on my arm.
“Just think of your family, we will make it Eva.” I nodded in his direction and quickly glanced at Hanan standing on the other side of the hole, triton in hand. He was a god. He stood and wore his confidence like expensive fashion. Then Aella. She smiled, faint. She knew there was something between Hanan and I, but respected my decision to leave. Probably smelled the emotion, she was good at reading me. And now that I think of it, I wondered if she had a gift, other than creating light with her hands.
“I will go down first, and check for safety…Nishant. When I return, I will carry Eva on my back…”
“No…”
“Fine! Fine! Aella you carry Eva and the triton, kill any and everyone…if we are attacked.”
“What will protect you and Ben?” I asked, and he laughed.
“Eva, I am sea king, I will the triton. It needs me for power.” His grin was oozing arrogance.
“Then how will Aella…will it?”
“You’ve seen my power, nothing compared to Hanan, but the power I have is enough to will the triton against the demons.”
“Okay.” I trusted her word. I’ve seen her fight, or fight the air, but her moves where stealthy, agile, and perilous.
Hanan vanished down the dark hole…
“Remember, watch my back, focus and listen to the voice of the water. If danger is near, the water will tell you. If the nishant attack, go for the neck.” Sliding her hand across her throat like a knife. I gulped as the dry not sluggishly pushed down my throat, I squeezed the small dagger Aella gave me in my palm and then tucked it behind me, between my covers. “If you can not reach his neck, then slice him here.” She pointed to her achilles heel. “He will not walk after that.”
I took another glance around the room, the pile of seaweed; I would never see again, the spears with dried blood and guts, which I’d never clean again. The stone stand made to hold the triton. Good bye, I thought as sadness spewed from my heart. Ached dreadfully as I realized that I was truly leaving this place. Leaving adventure, leaving life.
Aella grabbed my hand, “if you ever want to see me, or…” She pulled the giant conch shell from my green sack. “Just blow this near the water and in three days time, I will be there. Hanan and I.” She whispered the last three words. Fighting back the tears and the agony in my heart I wrapped my arms around Aella.
“I don’t…want to go.” I whispered. “But I have to.” She pulled back and pierced me with her glowing eyes.
“I understand…”
“It’s time. The water is clear.” Hanan emerged from the hole, dripping wet, his abdominal expanding and contracting. Before he could take another step, I reached out and grabbed his arm. His head dropped and from my hand on his arm, he slowly met my eyes. Stretching out to his face, my fingers grazed the shell imprinted on his cheek, moving the hair from his face and behind his ears. I cupped his cheek and gazed into his eyes, and thought as hard as I could, so that my mind would connect with his.
“I’ll come back.” He stared for a while with acknowledging eyes and then nodded, removing my hand from his cheek.
“It’s too late.” He smiled softly. “You belong with someone like Ben, I have no future for you here. I cannot offer you what Ben can.”
I glanced at Ben, his face was shaped in disgust—the right side of his face was raised.
He gently pushed my hand down and closed his eyes, “you have to go Eva. Ben…he is better for you.”
“Okay.” I was a little angry, more embarrassed than anything. The warmth in my cheeks turned to heat. I turned from him and found Aella by the hole. She grabbed my hand and stepped forward.
“No!” Hanan snapped. “Ben and I go first. The nishant aren’t the only dangers in these waters. The deep is no place for a human.” He said dryly.
They disappeared down the hole.
And shortly, we followed.
The water gurgled as I pushed with my legs, and parted the water with my hands. It was dark, and I couldn’t see, but I was used to traveling through the dark water tunnels. Searching and exploring for caves, became a favorite hobby of mine. The water was cold and refreshing after being in the heated cave room. It chilled my skin.
Aella grabbed and yanked on my ankle, “wait.” I stopped moving instantly and my heart began to race.
“What is it? Ben?” Ben…I thought hard, hoping for an answer. I got nothing.
She swam ahead of me. I did what she told me, and focused while I waited, my brain hurt, I focused so hard. The hair on my arms and head stood on edge and I heard it, the deep silent yell from the water, a deep silent gurgle…danger.
Chapter 23
When I left the safety of the hole, I knew it. The vast openness surrounded me and I immediately felt vulnerable and wished that I’d listened to Aella and stayed put.
I was staring at a black wall…at least that is what my eyes saw, I hadn’t moved since I emerged from the hole, fear was drilling hard into my heart. I just kicked my legs to tread. My heart thumped erratically…the water passing through my nose and out of my mouth moved quick and I was nearly choking, as if it were the first time I was breathing like a fish.
“Eva…Eva…be calm. They will hear you. Your fear is loud, I can smell it. Be calm.” Sure easy, I’m blind in a pit of darkness. Something is out here, waiting to tear me apart and I’m supposed to be calm?
“Aella?” I stretched my arms out in front of me, trying to feel her. “Aella, please come get me. I’m sorry, I should’ve listened.”
“Don’t worry, just be calm or you will have us both killed. Now close your eyes, and focus on breathing. Focus on nothing.”
“Okay.” I tried to do as she said, but I couldn’t. I was scared and she wasn’t out here helping me. My body trembled. “I’m scared.”
“Keep your eyes closed.” Her voice balanced and steady.
And then I heard it, what I feared, what I knew was out here, what had come to finish the job. The nishant.
I slammed my hands over my ears and cried out into the water. That dolphin cry was worse under water, than when I heard it above. The sound seared my brain, or better yet, my brain was being sliced slowly, in slivers, thin as lunch meat. I cried again when the sound continued.
“You’re bleeding. Eva…”
“Bleeding?” The copper taste filled my mouth. It had to becoming from my nose. Sharks I thought. “Aella? Help me…” No answer. I tried to focus to hear the danger, but all was calm and then…
“They smell you.” A ghastly silence fell, cloaked me in chills. The water was still.
Then a crack and a bright white light filled the dark space and for a moment I saw the deep pit I had been treading above, the dark grey walls, the darkness went for miles below me. My head snapped up and I saw the demon, his split face and his flaming eyes staring at me hungrily. He was injured, clutching his stomach. I started to swim downward, I didn’t know where I was going, but I wasn’t going to sit there and be caught.
“Be still…” Aella said.
The mer swam away, and the darkness fell again. I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. Survive…I heard Daddy’s voice echo in my head. He would be ashamed of me, sitting here cowering, so I took in a deep breath of water and relaxed.
They were getting close, I could feel them…Their thoughts began to fill my head.
“I’ve always loved the taste of human heart.” One whispered.
“Fear…fear…fear…” Another chanted.
There was a crack. Bright white light filled the void again. One nishant was hit in the chest with the light and w
as sent hurtling right past me, further down into the dark. The other, glowing eyes and all was adamant, the loss of his fellow mer didn’t stop him, his eyes were on the prize and he sped towards me. “Fear, fear, fear…” he said again. Dodging the electricity that left the triton, he was quick and agile.
Closer.
I moved backward, pushing my arms forward.
“Fear.” Light blazed the dark again, and he smiled.
Closer. He dodged the next shot.
“Fear…” His cackle filled my head and he was only an arm’s length away. He reached out to me…
Panic…I began to reach around to grab the dagger and then finally, he was hit. Aella came shooting from behind me and I was suddenly hanging over her shoulder, we emerged in a somewhat lit area. I wanted to take in the scene, but I couldn’t the glowing eyes of evil mer tracking us was a distraction.
We landed, and finally there was light, I could see. Aella set me down and stood in front of me as the nishant mer landed directly after us. I glanced around, and inspected the surrounding, kelp forest, it registered in my mind. The kelp stretched high above us and grew thickly around. Hanan was right about the water, it was more brown than clear and beautiful. So far Tahirah, was not the colorful place I thought it would be. My toes grasped the dirt, as Aella slowly pushed me back.
“Give me the girl. You’ve broken the Laws of Tahirah, by keeping her here.” His voice was a deep snarl. His hair was shabby and stuck out in every direction. A thick black line trailed down the center of his face and divided one side from the other.
“Like you abide the law.”
“Give her over, or die.” Aella laughed and didn’t respond, she only pointed the triton at his chest, which seemed to only make him angry.
“You ugly maid, what will you do to me?”
“Your mother is ugly, and I will send you to her. You aren’t even a full nishant.”
“My mother lives in Tahirah. And I will be full nishant, after I kill you and take the girl.” His lip pinched up on his left, making an ugly smile.
“And Tahirah is where you will rest. A memory in your mother’s callous heart.”
Abruptly, the mer moved forward, knocking the triton out of Aella’s hand. He was a tower over us both. Aella laughed—not the response I expected or hoped for. I really wanted Hanan here, to kill him.
“What are we gonna do?” I thought to Aella.
“I will kill him.” I looked at the mer and then at Aella.
“How?” Even I was taller than her. And if I understood it, males are naturally stronger than females…in all species right?
“Like this.”Quickly, as if she were the force of light, she lunged forward, with her small fist leading—the sound of a smack met my ears—and then my eyes widened as I watched, the horror that was Aella’s fist inside his chest. Holding my breath as blood painted the water red. Fist in his chest, her free arm wrapped around his neck, bending him side ways, she snapped it. His eyes wide and blank, he didn’t see that coming, he was gone and I was immobile, dumbfounded, mouth a gaping hole, because the sweet maid, I had befriended, had become sweet death. Venomous.
She stood, her back to me, shoulders rising hard, dropping fast. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” Her heart beat rapidly. I heard the small echo of it reverberate through the water. It beat off rhythm to my heart. She enjoyed the kill, the warm energy I was used to feeling from her, filled me with cold. “It is my nature to be cold and ruthless, to feel nothing. But I’ve worked my whole life to not be what I was taught—my mother is nishant. I learned how to feel, I know what it is to have compassion. One day, I will share my story with you Eva.” She turned slowly, holding her hand out to me. “I will not hurt you.”
I took her hand and we began pushing through the thick kelp forest. The seaweed grew closely together, making us squeeze between the weeds. The water was murky as shadows seemed to appear and then vanish each time we passed a stalk of kelp. The further we pushed through, the darker it became. There was a dim, and dingy yellow light that made the seaweed maze ghastly eerie. Chills twisted around my spine and a short and hard convulsion ripped through my body.
The yellow light was provided by fish with yellow bulbs of light dangling from their heads. Their faces were rough and textured—they looked like brown jagged stones, with eyes, and a mouth full of large pointed teeth. The deeper we went into the forest, the more I understood the reasoning behind the name, “Wasteland.” I looked down to see skulls and bones littered everywhere. Bodies decapitated, flesh torn, eyes missing. I retched and swallowed the bit of vomit that got into my throat.
I closed my eyes when I saw fish tearing and fighting over old skin. I expected beauty beyond the cave walls, but all I saw was a horrid picture of sea hell. The fantasy was over.
“Is this what happens to your people when they die? They are just tossed out here? I thought it would be beautiful...”
“The Wasteland inherited its name because this is where the wicked dump the lives they’ve stolen. And trust me, you will see the beauty of the waters, we just need to make it safely to Hanan. Look up and you will see some of the beauty.” I looked up. “Do you see the small lights?”
“Yes.” They were tiny, barely visible, but there were thousands of them that filled the water like small silver twinkling stars.
“They are…”
“Sea jewels.” I said. “Hanan told me about them…they look like diamonds.”
“They are the only thing that make the waters beautiful, despite the famine.”
We came to the edge of the forest, Aella and I knelt down, observing the outer surroundings. Not that there was much to view, being that the only thing that was beyond the forest were large rocks and white sand, with pink and purple specs—like splattered paint against a white canvas. Snails slugged across the rocks, with their shells following slowly after them. Some of the shells were white and some gray as the stones—their iridescent slime left trails of where they had once been. History.
“We need to make it there.” Aella pointed across the rock way, “do you see the bed of flowers?” My eyes brightened as I saw the blooming bed of flowers. The flowers that Hanan had given to me, the flowers that were so beautiful, that I needed to see the life outside of the cave. The colors popped in the open space with bright green leaves, petals outlined in white, filled with pink and some purple. They were all tangled together, crawling over the biggest stone, peeks of grey showed through the thick of blooms. It was something painted out of a book. It was beautiful. “Just beneath them is the sacred place, where Hanan and Ben are waiting. The nishant are lurking, and I expect there may be a few hidden behind the stones.” She pulled a long gold blade from her sack and that was the first time I wondered where they got gold, to make things like the knife and triton and the small dagger tucked away at my back. Placing the handle in my hand she looked at me with a serious and cold look. “I’m sorry…Sister, but today you will kill. It is kill or be killed. You must kill. I cannot take on the nishant waiting, I can take two at a time and…do you hear that?”
I listened and heard the voices of men fill my head. They were all saying the same thing. I will kill you.
“There are…five. I will kill them as fast as I can, but I need you to be swift. Do not think about what you will do, just do it and think later.”
My heart leapt, nearly crawling out of my mouth, but I swallowed it down each time.
“I’ve killed one before.” I told Aella, well injured one at least. By any means necessary, that’s what it was going to take to make it home. “Go for the throat, that’s what Ms. Reba told me.”
“Ms. Reba? A Surface Creature?”
“Yes a human.”
“Hmm…how would she know…never mind. Tell me later. Don’t forget…” She pointed to her achilles tendon. “Put all of your strength into it, our skin is thicker than yours and our muscles bigger. Be swift, do not think.” She tapped her head with her index finger. We waited and then final
ly she said, “I will go into the heart of the stones, you stay here.”
“You’re leaving me, alone?” I gripped her arm, trying to keep the fear at bay.
“Eva, you proved yourself strong when I believed you to be weak. Besides, the danger is in front of us, not behind. You will be safe.”
I watched as she swam low to the floor, like a shark in shallow waters. Her belly would’ve kissed the sand, her flippers softly flipping up and down. She held the triton below her, then stopped and stood in a crouched position, twisting the triton around. I held my breath. And then, one, by one, the nishant emerged, from behind their rocks. Five sets of eyes, glowing savagely.
“Eva, remember how I taught you to hunt, in the shallow for fish?”
“Yes.”
“Hunt. Strength is nothing without a thought, these are thoughtless demons. Hunt!”
I didn’t respond, I pushed all the worries and cares out of my mind and ran—though not very fast, due to the water—to the far right corner of the forest, where there was a pocket of darkness. Was I scared? Yes, but it was that or watch Aella die and I would never be able to live with myself if I let her die. I’ve wrestled a great, grant it the teeth were plucked from his gums and he was pretty close to dead, but still strong enough to wrestle me.
Out of the darkness, I followed the trail of shadow, from rock to rock till I was closest to the shortest mer. My back against the rock, I closed my eyes, keeping my heart silent and fear invisible—gripping the handle of the blade—forcing myself to ease my rapid pulse—it wasn’t easy. Then without hesitation—before he smelled me coming—I lay on my belly and slowly moved forward, like an army crawl. Sand swirled around me like beige dusty clouds. Pieces of broken shell stabbed and scratched against my skin.
Mer were pretty much human, though some had splotchy random black scales on their legs. They had the same bone structure, just larger feet and inhuman strength. But the strength didn’t matter, when an achilles tendon was left vulnerable. I held my arm over my left shoulder and counted to three (though I struck on the two) and struck both his achilles. Blood oozed, and the short mer, crumbled to the floor, while I rolled away and moved quickly to take cover behind my rock. When the closest mer came to see about his fallen friend, I crawled up behind him and grabbed a fist full of hair, yanked his neck back and with a heavy hand, slid the blade across his neck. The rip of his muscles were felt as the blade crossed his flesh. It felt like I was tearing and breaking thick rubber bands—letting off a hint of a vibration through the knife and to my hand. Repulsive, I shivered.
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