Lady of the Sea: The Aureate Chronicles, Book One

by Heather Zwygart

  ***

  A white lump in the sand distracts me from my reverie. I veer off the path to investigate. It’s soft and pliable, exactly what I need to blend in with the other humans. What is it called again? Shirt. Yes. I remember this from my studies with Cian and am pleased with the ease of my find. I all but forgot the need to cover my naked body in light of everything that’s happened.

  Chapter 3

  My golden hair flutters in the breeze, the sun’s rays shining through the individual strands, emphasizing the warm reddish tones. It brings to mind what I always imagined a flame might look like, twisting and undulating as it burns bright and hot. I run my hands through my hair feeling for the rope of pearls woven throughout.

  The black pearls with blue and green overtones are a symbol of my station, and I’m never without them. But now I wonder if it would not be better to hide them from sight. I do this quickly, removing one pearl for each year, representing the passing of time since the day of my birth and stuff them into one of the large pockets of the shirt.

  The only thing that remains is the talisman that Acelin gave me that day in the kelp forest by the island of black sand and fire. I forged a sea globe of delicate glass to encompass it, which I wear around my neck at all times.

  Inside the globe, I placed a small starfish whose spirit had long since fled, a reminder of my own people’s condition should the Sol Fyre be lost to us forever; black sand from the island Acelin and I had been leaving when we were attacked; and the gem itself, a fire opal, whose scarlet flush is tempered by the rich color of seaweed and the deep cerulean of the ocean before a storm.

  I’m unaware of its true purpose, only that my family died protecting it. I can’t bring myself to hide it along with the pearls. If I stand out, it will not be because of my trinket.

  I continue to dress. It takes me a moment to get my arms and head through the appointed holes of the dirt-stained fabric, but I do and I allow myself a moment of pride at my aptitude. The shirt reaches below the tops of my thighs and covers my arms. A pungent odor wafts up from it and hits me hard. It will take time to become accustomed to the smells on this island.

  I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. My body reacts before my mind registers the need for caution and I dart off the sandy path, crouching low amidst the tall grass and underbrush. Peering out, I take in the dripping form of a young human male, leaving the water and making his way toward my hiding spot.

  His skin is tanned dark from the sun, wearing nothing but a pair of russet colored trousers hiked up above his calves. He has the lean and muscular build like that of a strong swimmer.

  He stops a few yards from me and glances around, a look of confusion on his face. He doesn’t linger long, and I’m uncertain what to do next.

  Staying low to the ground, I head up the sandy path, leading to the dense cover of trees and ferns that cover most of the island, where last I saw the human before he disappeared into their dark embrace. Making a quick decision, I follow him, taking care to keep a safe distance away.

  We walk for several minutes before coming to a large opening with a cascading waterfall. The dazzling morning sun reflects off the water in the pool in a lilting dance. Bright green moss covers everything, caressing my sensitive feet like a blanket of velvet.

  This place is beautiful, unlike anything I’ve seen on the island where my sister and I use to play, which was barren in comparison. My skin feels dry. I long to take a dip in the cool water, but the human male shows no signs of slowing.

  I feel excitement for the first time since leaving home. I’ve been given a rare opportunity to explore the world of men, to study their plants and their benefits to our kind. The import of my mission is not lost on me, but I smile as I think of what Acelin would have said if she could see me now.

  Acelin and I were of low birth. She had always believed knowledge would be our key to a better life. She believed there was something missing from our world that only the humans could offer. The Elders would have banished her for her beliefs, if they had known, and, sometimes, I find myself wishing that they had. Perhaps, then, she would still be alive. I would have followed her anywhere into exile.

  My people have created a world of structures every bit as fantastic as humans imagine them to be. Palaces inlaid in the rock, spiraling toward the sun. Summer gardens with corals, piercing blues, playful pinks and anemones, all colors of the rainbow, from all over the world brought to Sol to flourish. Benches and nooks are strewn throughout, and precious gems shimmer everywhere you look.

  The tales they write are not all that far from reality and I know that the Aureate and humans must have tolerated each other once. Yet our world remains far from the reaches of wandering humans.

  We are creatures of the light, and past kingdoms were built to lie just below the surface of the ocean. I’ve seen evidence of them. Not now, with humans posing such a threat to us.

  Our citadel now lies deep, far from the reaches of humans, where few beams of light stretch the distance, slipping through unbroken, special plants, that harbor the sun’s energy, are harvested to bring light to our days. With the ebbing of the sun’s last rays, Sol becomes another world entirely, lit by bioluminescent creatures at our command.

  I love the world I’m from, but we are ever curious creatures, wanting what we cannot have. I suppose that’s why Acelin and I traveled outwards, away from the safety of our borders. We knew the risks, or, rather, Acelin did. As I think about it now, I realize how young and naïve I was. I’m still young in the span of things, but I know more now.

  I know why they tell us to never leave the boundaries. I know why my kind are in hiding and the reason for the weakness that plagues us. I know what evils lurk in the dark waters forbidden to us. That knowledge has come at a great price.

  The memory of that day is as much a part of me as a shell is to the hermit crab; I don’t take shelter in the memory but only wear it as a reminder of what I’ve already lost and how much more I stand to lose should I fail in my task to find Sol Fyre. So I remember…

  Chapter 4

  “Are we lost, Acelin?” I asked.

  “Have I ever gotten us lost?” Acelin replied.

  “There was that one time when we found all those shipwrecks,” I said in earnest. Acelin smiled mischievously before answering.

  “The currents were strong. They threw us off course, but I found the way back eventually, didn’t I?”

  “Acelin, what is it you’re looking for? I’m almost of age. You promised you would tell me.”

  “Not such a small fry anymore, are you? You will know when we find it. Ava, this could change our lives, but if anyone found out we were out here… if you told anyone, even that Triton friend of yours… what’s his name? Trae? We could be in so much trouble. You have to trust me. We’re close, I can just feel it.”

  I didn’t know what was so important that we had to travel that far to find it. I had begun to understand the great trespass was leaving the boundaries as we did. Trae was a Triton, a guardian to the Royals. He was born to that station just as my sister and I were born Hunters for our clan. He was also my best friend. Although Trae was still in training until his sixteenth year, he knew a lot more than he let on.

  “Talk to her, Ava,” Trae had pleaded one morning. “There are things you couldn’t possibly understand.”

  That had stung my young pride. Trae had always thought he was so clever just because he was two years my elder. But he was right; the sneaking around had started to eat at me. I had promised myself I would talk to Acelin later that day.

  Evening had come, yet we had far to go before returning to Sol. That wasn’t normal. Acelin and I glided through the water for some time without speaking. Whether minutes or hours passed, I couldn’t say, only that I became more alarmed as we went. The shadowed kelp forest we weaved through was one we had passed earlier that day, but now, in the dark, I swore I could see silhouettes darting with the erratic movements of a school of fish in a frenzy.


  The water had cooled, more so with winter at hand. To light our way, we used a school of bioluminescent jellyfish. They varied in size, some as large as my head while others were no bigger than a thumbnail. They rose and descended on the current with a gentle sway. I gathered them nearer me with a song, no more than a whisper, and felt braver for it.

  “Avelessa,” Acelin said in a solemn tone. Something was definitely wrong. She used my full name, instead of Ava, which she rarely did. “I shouldn’t have brought you out here. I’m sorry. I thought by finding it—”

  “What?” I interrupted starting to feel a lump of panic well up inside my chest. “What are you trying to find?”

  “Mom and dad were looking for it too. Sol Fyre, sun fire, they called it. Only I don’t think they wanted our parents to find it.”

  “Who? You’re not making any sense, Acelin. Who didn’t want them to find what?” I wanted to shake her by the shoulders. I was scared. I was almost certain we were not alone.

  “I can’t explain it all right now. I thought I was doing the right thing…” Acelin paused, darting a glance over her shoulder.

  ***

  The sound of rock shifting brings me back to an altogether different world, the one I’m in right now. I must keep better diligence. The human male is leaving the clearing without so much as a second glance. Just as well, I don’t need the temptation that the waterfall and pool present.

  I continue to follow him, closing the gap, as I feel more secure among the cover of the trees and underbrush. Upon closer inspection, I note he has blond hair, now dry from his swim, with loose curls that fall every which way, giving him a disheveled look. As far as humans go, he looks harmless enough.

  The path picks up again as we continue our trek. A whare, made with walls woven from dried reeds, materializes suddenly just off the path to my right. Because it’s so low to the ground, it’s well hidden among the trees and bush. I marvel at the entryway that would require me to crouch in order to pass through.

  No one appears home. I hurry past, despite my curiosity, but I’m quickly treated to another of its kind and another and another until I find myself on the outskirts of a small village.

  I notice several children playing, kicking at a round object in the dirt, darting for cover behind the nearest whare. Their laughter and shouts of excitement provide the perfect distraction, for surely they would have noticed me otherwise. My first day on the island and already I’ve grown careless.

  “Ethan!” a young man calls out. He’s darkly handsome with medium length black hair tied back out of his face and with bare and well-muscled broad shoulders. “Come see what I found,” he says, brandishing a wooden chest. I’m pleased to discover I understand them.

  I envision a time when we walked among humans with ease. Knowing their language would be crucial in keeping our identities hidden. Thankfully, my people have an affinity for languages, so I ought not to be surprised. This and many hours spent in study with Cian have given me the advantage.

  The blonde male, whose real name I now know to be Ethan, pulls out a satchel I had not noticed before, as if preparing to show off his own find. The two make their way back toward the waterfall. Despite the threat of discovery, I follow, curious what treasures they possess.

  “Alright, Ethan, show me what you have there.”

  “Pearls, which are common enough, but Kai... I’ve never found so many in one dive,” Ethan says.

  “Maybe the storm washed them up,” Kai suggests. “It was one of the bigger storms we’ve seen on these shores.”

  “I guess… I’m not complaining. After I sell these, I think I’ll have enough utu to buy that bay mare I’ve been eyeing,” Ethan declares excitedly. “So what do you have there that’s got you smiling?”

  I watch as Kai opens the lid to a small wooden box. It has several carvings etched in the grain. I’m not close enough to make out the details. Inside, lay several grey stones of varying size, green streaks weaving their way throughout some while others are solid green on one surface. They must have some symbolic meaning or special properties; otherwise, they’re rather plain looking. I begin to lose interest, that is, until I feel them.

  “They call it Kahurangi pounamu, greenstone,” I hear the one called Kai explain. “This pendant is from my grandfather. The Kahurangi variety is the rarest of its kind. My people believe the greenstone helps ward off the taniwha, monsters of the deep. I want you to have this.” Kai holds out his hand with the greenstone to Ethan.

  The greenstone, held steady in Kai’s grip, is in the shape of a knife, all sharp edges and bright mossy flare. It wears smooth where the handle begins. Intricate designs are etched in a darker greenstone, the patterns reminding me of towering waves. I feel an ownership of the small knife and, with that, the sudden urge to act. It’s a rare treasure and I desire it. All I can see is the greenstone knife.

  “Kai,” Ethan sighs, “you cannot expect me to believe…wait what?”

  Pain shoots down my arms as I become aware of my surroundings. I’m being held by someone strong, my arms pinned behind me, and to move is to invite more pain. In front of me is the golden boy, Ethan. He looks as stunned as I feel.

  “Has she been here all this time? Did you know?” asks Ethan.

  “No, regrettably, I did not,” Kai says. “I think she was trying to get this.” Kai holds up the knife.

  “Odd. Is it necessary to hold her like that? I think you may be hurting her. Hey! That’s my shirt she’s wearing,” Ethan exclaims, his face suddenly turning red as fire coral.

  I cannot tell if it’s anger or embarrassment that causes his face to turn such a shade. And I don’t know how I got into this situation to begin with. One moment, I was admiring the knife and the next…

  “Who are you?” I hear Kai ask.

  I hold my tongue. Cian had been too sick when I left to advise me on what to do in this situation, and my sole mission had been to find the pearl. I guess I never truly believed my path would cross with that of a human, let alone two.

  I don’t like the idea of lying. The tangles and pathways one can get lost on when in the midst of a lie would inevitably happen to me. I tell myself to stick as close to the truth as possible.

  They cannot discredit me if I tell them as little as possible. Besides, I’ve done nothing wrong. Although the lack of clothes and stolen shirt do put me in a bit of a quandary.

  I must be taking too long to answer because Kai growls, “Fine, don’t talk. We will take this matter to the elders. You’re clearly not from the village and we can’t have you running around swiping personal belongings whenever you get the itch to. Ethan… after you,” Kai finishes, sweeping his hands in front of him, indicating Ethan should lead.

  “I don’t really mind. It’s an old shirt, and I would wager she needs it more than I do,” Ethan offers, a blush creeping its way back up his face. Was this kindness? From a land dweller? He thinks I’m one of his kind. He wouldn’t be so kind if he knew the truth.

  This thought helps further my resolve of silence. I don’t know where they’re taking me. I’m frightened, unsure of myself in this foreign place. In the water, I’m as fast as the sailfish. The two of us are a sight to see as we race through the water, his iridescent blue reflecting off my golden scales. And as I draw strength from the ocean’s energy,

  my tail becomes both a powerful propellant and fierce weapon. But I’m not in the water now. So I wait.

  Chapter 5

  I’m curious about the stone Kai holds in his hand and its effects on me. If he knows about rare stones, perhaps he knows something of the Sol Fyre.

  This was always going to be the way of it, meeting humans, enticing them to share their secrets. I would see this through until they were no longer of use to me or became a danger to me.

  “Is this really necessary Kai?” Ethan asks. I see a larger structure up ahead. We are nearing it when Kai says, “Wait for me in the wharenui. I’ll go find chief Tupaea. He pauses for a moment as th
ough trying to make up his mind. “You’re going to be okay, right? Not going to let some girl get the best of you?”

  Ethan grins, “I’ll just flash this fancy knife at her,” he says, holding the greenstone Kai had gifted him, “and show her who’s boss.” Kai gives him a dark look. “Seriously, Kai, just go. She’s not going anywhere.” Ethan looks at me, “Right?” I nod my head. “See, very compliant. We shan’t have a care in the world.” Ethan’s words are lilting and carefree and I struggle to keep from smiling. I wonder if he finds this whole situation a little absurd. With Kai gone, Ethan turns to me.

  “I admit I’m curious about you. Maybe if you can tell me a little more about yourself now, you won’t have to go through the inquisition with the chief and his councilors when Kai gets back. For starters, what about a name? What do I call you?” he asks.

  He cannot see me for what I really am. He’s ready to believe any answer I give, and I’m inclined to answer him truthfully.

  “I’m called Avelessa.”

  “Never heard that name before. I like it. Do you have any friends or family here on the island?” The look of concern on his face is disarming. If he doubts my veracity, even a little, he doesn’t show it.

  “I had parents and a sister, but they’re lost to me now.”

  “You have an unusual voice, rather musical if I had to describe it.” Ethan scratches his head looking as though he were piecing together a puzzle. “Are you even from around here?”

  “I don’t know,” I lie. “I woke up on your beach with no memories of my home. All I know is my name and that my parents and sister are dead.

  Ethan smiles, “Well it doesn’t look like I’m going to get much out of you. I’ve always loved a good mystery. Let’s get you dressed in something more proper before—”

  A voice from the doorway cuts him off. “So you woke up on the beach with no idea where you came from… without a scrap of clothes?” Kai asks, incredulous. Ethan and I both turn with a start. I imagine the guilt that must be evident on our faces, both for different reasons. Kai has seen me as the enemy from the first, and Ethan’s kindness, I imagine, feels like a betrayal to Kai. I don’t belong here, and Kai knows it.