The Stones of Fire and Water (Elemental Worlds Book 2)

by V. M. Sang

  Suddenly, Stannia, who had been leading them downwards, stopped in front of a large cave. To Pettic's surprise he `heard' her voice inside his head.

  _This is the entrance to our city, Pettic. We cannot speak as you do under the waves so we talk with our thoughts. To do this, you must think about the person or people you wish to communicate with and then think what you want to say._

  Pettic hoped the aquamarine had given him this ability as well. He thought about Stannia then thought _I hear your thoughts, Stannia. Do you hear mine?_

  He was delighted when her thoughts came back to him.

  _Good. You can do it. I hoped you'd be able to, but wasn't sure._

  The three swam into the cave. Pettic looked around. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and they had joined with stalagmites growing up from the floor to make columns. Openings penetrated the walls at intervals. Some seemed to lead into more caves, but others seemed to be entrances to passageways.

  At the far end of the large cave stood an ornate throne on a raised platform. This must be the ruler's throne. Did they have a king or some other kind of government? No doubt he would find out in good time.

  Kinne bade them farewell and swam towards one of the passageways while Stannia led the way to another on the left, opposite where Kinne had gone.

  _This leads to the bedrooms. I'll show you one and you can rest as it's getting night now._

  Stannia showed Pettic to a niche in the passage wall. At least, that's how Pettic thought of it. A shelf covered in seaweed ran along the back wall with a shaped stone at one end. There was nothing else except a curtain of seaweed that he could let down from above. Pettic thanked the mermaid and lay down on the bed.

  How would he manage about breathing while asleep? He worried about this and did not get to sleep for a long time. When he did, though, either he had got used to breathing using his gills, or the aquamarine took over. Whatever the answer, he did not drown in his sleep and woke refreshed when Stannia came for him the next morning.

  _I'll take you to where we eat. Then we'll go and see my father._

  She took him along a number of passageways to another large cave. This one was not quite as large as the throne room, as Pettic had begun to think of it, but it was still quite large. It was packed with merfolk all swimming towards a shelf with a variety of fish and shellfish lying on it. Several stone bowls contained different types of seaweed as well.

  Stannia picked up a bowl from a pile at one end of the shelf and began helping herself to the food. Pettic did the same. Suddenly a group of young mermen surrounded him.

  _What strange creature is this?_ one asked.

  _It's deformed. Its tail's split in two._ said another, and they all laughed.

  Stannia turned on them.

  _Tonip, Jerin, mind your manners. This is a human. Yes, I know we've been taught they're myths, but this is a real one. He's come from another world where we are the myths._

  The mermen looked abashed and quickly apologised to both Stannia, then belatedly to Pettic at a look from the girl. Pettic wondered why they were so quick to do her bidding.

  After they finished eating, Stannia took Pettic along yet another passageway. They were now deep inside the cave system and Pettic knew he would not be able to find his way out again without help.

  They were just approaching another large cave when a group of merfolk rushed past them. They all seemed to be young teenagers, probably around fourteen or fifteen. They pushed their way, rather rudely, Pettic thought, into the large cave. Stannia gulped water and passed it slowly over her gills.

  _Those younglings. They've not been here long and aren't properly trained yet._

  Soon they arrived at a small cave. This one had a shelf bed, but also two niches that served as chairs. On the bed lay a merman. He was old. He had wrinkled skin, white hair and a long white beard. He appeared weak.

  On one of the chairs sat a much younger woman. She was beautiful. Her hair was black and long and it floated around her head as the water currents moved it. Pettic noticed there were a few grey ones among the black, though, and some wrinkles beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. Stannia said something to her and she stood and looked at Pettic.

  _So you're human? My daughter tells me you're from another world where there isn't much water. Strange world that must be. I hope you can help with our little problem.__

  _It's really quite a big problem, mother._

  _Oh, I suppose so. Don't take any notice of me. Just my way of speaking,_ She turned to Pettic and smiled. _My name is Yossil. I hope you can help us. Henye seems to be weakening very quickly. Only a few days ago he was out and about, and look at him now._

  With that, Stannia's mother left the room.

  The old man in the bed looked round at the pair. His rheumy eyes focussed on Stannia and then turned to Pettic. His voice in Pettic's head seemed to wheeze.

  _What's this you've brought, Stannia?_

  _A human, father. I found him on the beach above._

  So this was Stannia's father. Much older than her mother, it seemed. The old man continued speaking, including him in the conversation, as he could `hear' what they were saying.

  _Father, I think he might be able to help us._

  _How, Stannia?_

  _He came here by magical means. Perhaps he has magic._

  Pettic looked at them both, then said, _Magic helped me get here, but I'm not a magician. I don't understand it at all._

  The pair turned their eyes to him.

  _Perhaps you can tell me what the problem is, then I'll see if I can help._

  Stannia looked at her father and he nodded his head. She gulped in a large amount of water and expelled it through her gills. Pettic decided this was the merfolk equivalent of taking a deep breath.

  _My father is the leader of this city,_ she said. _His power resides in a trident. Not just any trident, but one that has magic. There are three gems in it that help to strengthen various characteristics of the leader. They also keep him young and strong for as long as he's leader. Unfortunately, someone has stolen it and so my father is weakening fast._

  _How do you think I might help?_

  _I don't know. I suppose I just hoped._ Stannia dropped her eyes.

  The old man seemed tired. He looked at Stannia and must have sent her a message because she turned, beckoned to Pettic and the pair left the room. Kinne waited outside and after a brief nod to Pettic, he entered the cave and sat on the seat vacated by their mother.

  Stannia told Pettic the family took it in turns to sit with the old man, who was not, in fact old at all, as it turned out. He should be in his prime, being only forty-six years old. Since the trident had disappeared, though, he seemed to age very quickly and was weakening fast.

  _What will happen if he dies?_

  Stannia looked sad.

  _I don't really want to think about that eventuality. We'd have to elect a new leader, I suppose.'_

  Stannia led Pettic to a cave with several stone chairs carved from the cave walls, and some free-standing ones. They sat down on these chairs. Pettic found them rather uncomfortable, having been used to the softer chairs of his home world, but he assumed the merfolk were used to them so he did his best not to squirm around too much.

  There were a couple of other groups in the room. They looked up from their talk and nodded to the pair. They did not seem to be surprised at Pettic's appearance. He supposed they had heard about his arrival. The City, as Stannia called it, seemed small. Not much bigger than a village on Fusionem. He asked her about the population.

  _There are about five hundred people living here,_ she told him.

  _I've not seen anything that seems to be a home,_ Pettic said. _Where do the people live?_

  Stannia wrinkled her brows. _What do you mean by a home? The City is home to us all._

  _Well, in my world, every family has its own home, a separate place where they live, eat and sleep. The family all live together and prepare meals, eat and do all th
eir day to day things._

  _How very odd._

  Stannia went on to tell Pettic how everything belonged in common to the people. No one had their own place. They simply slept in any available bedroom that was not occupied. They had no need for cupboards or any storage facilities in the sleep caves because no one had anything to store.

  Then Pettic decided that if he were going to help to find the trident, he would need to know a little more and so he asked Stannia.

  _Tell me more about this trident. Does the leader need to have it close at all times or does its influence have an area?_

  Stannia looked at Pettic. _It has an area of effect. Father didn't have it close at all times, but he never went more than fifty yards away from it. When he was presiding over the government or sitting in judgement he always held it in his hand. I think the closer it is the stronger its effect._

  Because of this, they decided the trident must be hidden outside the city. If it were in the cave system, then Henye would not be weakening. Pettic asked Stannia if she had any suspects in mind, and who could have had access to the trident.

  _Well, it wasn't any secret where father kept it. Anyone could have gone into that room and got it, I suppose._

  _But do you suspect anyone? Did your father have any enemies or political rivals that might have wanted to undermine him?_

  Stannia shook her head. She told Pettic that at the election held after the death of the previous leader, her father won with an almost unanimous vote. There were only a very few people who voted for his opponent.

  She went on to explain that the candidates did not vote themselves and they were put forward by others suggesting names. In the last election there had been only two candidates.

  _Who was the other candidate?_ Pettic asked.

  _His name is Nodi. Father gave him the position of his deputy after the election. He's the father of Tonip, whom you met earlier._

  _Would he hold a grudge about losing the election?_

  _I don't think so. Although I don't know him well._

  After a while Stannia suggested they go for a meal as it was getting towards midday. They went back to the cave where they had eaten breakfast. There were again bowls of fish and shellfish along with seaweeds. Stannia pointed out different kinds of fish at this meal, as well as different seaweeds.

  _Don't you get fed up with eating fish all the time,_ Pettic asked.

  Stannia looked at him sighed and said, _We eat differently from you, it seems. We eat our fish raw, but then we can't really cook it, can we? What do you eat on your world?_

  Pettic explained how they ate meat as well as things like bread and fruit.

  _Oh, we eat fruit too. We go up to the islands and collect it when it's ready. It's quite a treat for us. You say you eat only a few varieties of meat, but here in the sea we have hundreds of kinds of fish. Our diet seems much more varied than yours._

  After eating, Pettic said that if he were to help find the trident he would need to ask people questions. They decided it would be better if Pettic spoke to people as they went about their daily tasks rather than asking them to come to him so he and Stannia swam around the city stopping people and asking them questions.

  Soon they had asked most of the people and they returned to the room where they had sat earlier to think about what they had found out.

  They had found out little. No one had seen anything suspicious nor been near the leader's room the day the trident went missing. Everyone knew where Henye, Stannia's father, kept the trident and so anyone could have taken it.

  The pair questioned everyone as to why someone would want to do this. Most had no idea. The leader had been elected fairly and by a vast majority. A few suggested perhaps someone would like to be the leader themselves, and hoped to hasten a new election.

  Pettic asked who would be likely to be selected as a candidate for leader and everyone he asked shook their heads and said anyone could be selected. A few said they thought Nodi would be a likely candidate and would be the most likely to win.

  While they discussed this, Tonip and Jerin came into the cave along with a few of their cronies. They sat in chairs across from Pettic and Stannia.

  Suddenly, Tonip said, _Do you think Henye will die before the trident's found?_

  Since Pettic and Stannia could `hear' him, it was obvious he was broadcasting his thoughts to them as well. The other young men laughed.

  One of them said, _If he does, Tonip, I expect your father'll become the next leader. Then you can speak to that little fishbone, Stannia, like she just spoke to you. You'll outrank her then._

  Stannia half rose, but Pettic put a hand on her arm to restrain her. She sat down again. The group continued to broadcast their conversation and Pettic wanted to listen.

  _It was a good thing someone did, to steal that trident, Tonip,_ one of them said. _Do you have any idea who did it?_

  _Why would I have any idea?_

  _Well, your family would have a lot to gain if Henye dies or becomes too weak to continue as leader._

  Pettic stood up and beckoned Stannia to follow him. The pair left the room and progressed to another one further down the passage. It was very similar to the one they had just left, but this one was empty. They sat down on two of the chairs.

  _What do you think of that, Stannia?_ Pettic said.

  _I think he was just trying to wind me up. Even Tonip couldn't be so stupid as to incriminate his father._

  _Yet that's exactly what he was doing. He hates you, Stannia. I don't know why, but could he have stolen the trident in the hope his father would become leader and then, as his friend put it, outrank you._

  Stannia thought. Her brow furrowed and then she said, _He does hate me. It was from a long time ago, when we were just little more than larvae. We were from the same hatching, you see._

  _Hatching?_ Pettic frowned, looking confused.

  _Yes. You look puzzled. What don't you understand?_

  Pettic explained to Stannia that his species did not lay eggs and so did not hatch. Her eyebrows rose at this idea and asked how humans reproduced.

  _Now is not the time for those answers,_ he told her. _We have a problem to solve if we're to save your father. Do you think Tonip could have stolen the trident?_

  _I don't know, Pettic. He hates me because I developed more quickly than he did and my parents chose me before he was chosen. Then at school I was cleverer. But to steal the trident just to get back at me, I don't know…_ she paused and looked at Pettic. _I'd hate to think he'd go so far._

  _Look, Stannia, we've asked everyone in the city and are no further on than when we started. Where do we go from here?_

  The girl smiled. _We have one suspect. Tonip. Or his father, perhaps. What should our next step be? Well, I'd suggest going to the sea hag. She has magic, which the rest of us merfolk don't have. She might be able to cast some sort of finding spell to help us locate the trident._

  _If she can do that, then why hasn't she done it yet?_

  _The sea hags aren't really merfolk. Each city has a hag to help with things like sickness and to find the shoals of children, but they don't really take much interest in our politics._

  Pettic decided they must visit the sea hag and they agreed to meet the next morning after breakfast. Stannia told him he could sleep in any of the bedrooms that was free and she slipped into one of the rooms through the curtain of seaweed.

  Pettic found it odd to sleep just anywhere, but he picked an empty room near to Stannia's and lay down to sleep. Sleep was long in coming. His head buzzed with thoughts. Could Tonip be the culprit to get back at Stannia for some long ago slight? Could his father be so ambitious that he stole the trident to become leader of the city? Could it be that Tonip wanted to be leader himself? Was he too young? Did the merfolk have an age limit on being leader? Or perhaps Tonip wanted to be the hero who found the trident and saved the current leader's life.

  Then his thoughts turned to the strange things Stannia had said about hatching, eggs,
larvae, choosing and shoals of children. What did it all mean?

  With these thoughts swimming round his head, Pettic eventually dropped off to sleep.

  Chapter 10

  After breaking their fast Stannia went to a storage cave and picked out a bag made of some kind of leather. She then went to the kitchens and chose some fish before they set out for the sea hag's lair. The hag had her home outside the city, although she served it. The nearest way out took them past what Stannia called the `Reproduction Caves.' As they passed, she explained a little more about them.

  _These first caves are the caves where the couple go to lay their eggs. They go in there and the mermaid lays her eggs and the merman then fertilises them. It takes quite a long time as they dance around each other to stimulate the egg-laying process.'_

  They continued along the passage until they came to more caves. These caves had eggs littered all over the floor. The eggs were smaller than hen's eggs, more the size of a quail's egg, Pettic thought, and they had a translucent membrane through which he could discern faint movements.

  _The eggs are left in the reproduction caves for a whole day to give time for as many as possible to be fertilised, then nursemaids come and remove them to these caves._

  There were no more caves after that and they exited into the open sea. Pettic looked back at the caves. What happened to the young after they hatched? He had seen no babies or very small children he realised, and he asked Stannia about it. She looked at him in disbelief.

  _Babies and small children?_ she asked. _They leave the caves as larvae, of course, and swim amongst the plankton until they leave to join the shoals._

  _But don't a lot of them die? They must get eaten by other creatures if they're in the plankton._

  _Of course they do. But that's the way things are. It's the way we know those who become merfolk are strong and healthy. Only the best survive._

  Pettic was going to make another comment, but thought better of it. They continued swimming over the sandy bottom of the sea towards a group of rocks ahead.