by V. M. Sang
Pettic thought for a moment before continuing.
_My parents had just myself and my brother, but many families have more. The king and queen, for example, have seven. Some have even more. I know a family near to my parents' farm who have twelve, but that's rare. Many children die._
_So few? Even twelve, that you seem to think of as a large number, is nothing to the hundreds, perhaps thousands spawned by one couple at one mating. So you see, there's a great need for the offspring to be thinned out._
They arrived at the rocks and the conversation had to end. Stannia swam round to the opposite side and entered a low cave. She turned to Pettic.
_The sea hags are not of the merfolk_ she said. _They don't look like us. Many think them ugly, and there are those who are frightened on their first visit. Be assured, however, that the hags are benevolent._
With that, she continued to swim into the cave and Pettic followed.
Some kind of phosphorescent creatures lined the walls of the cave creating some light. At first, Pettic could see nothing at all, then he noticed a movement at the far end of the cave and felt a kind of scratching in his head that eventually resolved itself into words.
_What's this you've brought me, Stannia? Some new kind of food?_
_No, it's a human._
_Ha! A human indeed! They don't exist. So stop playing games and tell me what it is, and if it's not food, why is it here?_
Pettic decided to answer the hag himself.
_I am indeed a human, but not from this world. I come from a world called Fusionem. It contains some of all four of the elemental worlds. I came here by magic in order to find a gem that will help me to free my friend who has been captured._
Stannia then added, _He's helping us to find the leader's trident, which has been stolen. My father is gravely ill because he's now out of its range. We've asked everyone in the city but no one has any ideas. We thought you might be able to help us to track down its whereabouts._
Stannia felt in her bag, which Pettic thought looked like crocodile skin. She pulled out a large fish that looked a bit like a bass, and a lobster. The sea hag took them gratefully and stowed them behind the rock she was sitting on.
_Do you have any suspects, young Stannia?_
_Well, Tonip has been boasting and seems pleased about it all. His father could have done it in order to get the leadership. My father defeated him at the last choosing, of course. Then again, Tonip could have stolen it himself either to get kudos for `finding' it just in time, or to help his father._
Pettic swam a little nearer. He stopped dead as the hag came clearly into view. His eyes widened and his legs refused to move. He could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest.
She was indeed ugly. She had a fish's tail like the merfolk, but there the resemblance ended. The nearest thing Pettic could later describe her as was a fishtailed monkey. That was, however, a very poor description, because although her face was a bit like that of a monkey, the hair on her head was more like eels and seemed to writhe like those creatures. Her arms were like tentacles rather than human or merfolk arms but they divided at the end into three parts that she used like fingers.
She was large, though. Larger than any human or merfolk. She seemed to be sitting on a rock, but then she moved. Pettic again felt the alien scratching in his head and it slowly resolved itself into words.
_Human, come closer. I want to see this strange human creature. I wondered why Stannia wanted the enchanted aquamarine. So it was for you. was it?_
Pettic forced his legs to move and he swam slowly closer to the hag. He began gulping water more quickly as he approached her. He shuddered as she ran her tentacled arms over him and she laughed at his reaction. Then Stannia interrupted.
_We came here to see if you can help us to find the trident. My father is so very weak now. We need to find it quickly._
The hag turned her eyes away from Pettic, much to his relief, and replied to Stannia.
_I'm afraid that finding things is not an ability I have, nor is seeking the truth from people, although I can usually tell if someone is lying to me, but not by magic. You need someone much more powerful than me. You need to go to our queen. She lives in a cave in the Deeps._
_Then we must go there to find her and ask her help._
Stannia beckoned to Pettic and asked him if he would be willing to go to the queen of the sea hags. After his experience with the minor one he had just met, he was a little reluctant, but he must find the gem he needed. Maybe it was in the queen's cave. He turned to Stannia and agreed.
As soon as they reached the city, Stannia went to relieve Kinne in sitting with their father. Kinne left the leader's bedroom and accompanied Pettic to one of the common rooms. It was empty and Kinne told Pettic that everyone was working. Some had gone fishing and others to collect fruit and vegetables from the land.
Of course, there were those working in the city, looking after the eggs, cleaning and the like. Pettic wondered what cleaning needed to be done in an underwater environment. There would not be much dust around.
He mentioned this to Kinne, who told him that algae grew in places it was not wanted if it was not cleaned away. Hence the cleaners.
The pair discussed what the sea hag told Pettic and Stannia, and Kinne decided he would go with Pettic.
_You'll never find the queen's cave otherwise,_ he told the human, _and speed is of the essence._
The next morning, Pettic and Kinne set off for the sea hag queen's cave. It was quite a long way, Kinne said. It would take them three days there and three days back. That was assuming they met with no obstacles.
They each took two of the bags, one of which was shark skin and the other crocodile. Kinne told Pettic that the merfolk liked crocodile meat as a change from fish, but they were dangerous to hunt. When they caught one, they used every bit. The teeth they used as jewellery and the stomach as a storage jar. They stuffed the intestines in much the same way as humans did to make a kind of sausage that they, of course, ate raw.
The pair swam southwards for half a day. As they left the city, they swam past the beds of seaweed Pettic had seen on his arrival. These were farmed seaweeds, Kinne told him. They saw some of the farmers tending the crops and they waved as the pair passed. Kinne, it seemed, was well liked in the city.
A little farther along from the seaweed they came to some rocks. There were holes in the rocks that were closed off by sticks. When Pettic asked about it, Kinne told him they picked the sticks up from the islands and fenced in some of the sea creatures. These they fed by hand to be eaten in the city. It was easier than going out to catch the wild fishes, although they did eat wild fishes when the fisherfolk caught them.
_It's more certain than relying on wild fishes,_ Kinne told Pettic. _Sometimes the fisherfolk are unlucky and come back with nothing. Then we have to rely on the farmed fish._
Soon they left the vicinity of the city and found themselves swimming amongst some wild fishes. There were more of them here than near the city. Pettic supposed it was due to those closer having been caught and eaten.
The variety of the fishes in this part of the sea amazed and delighted him. They swam amongst the rocks and seaweeds, a positive kaleidoscope of shapes and colours. He had not expected them to be so colourful and he exclaimed in pleasure. Kinne smiled at his companion's reaction and seemed to see the creatures with new eyes.
Then there were the corals. Pettic was surprised when Kinne told him that they were animals. Their delicate fronds waving in the ocean currents seemed more plant-like to him. This was an entirely new world and he was entranced. If his errand had not been so urgent he would have liked to stay here and learn more about the creatures of the oceans.
They swam on for around two hours when Kinne suddenly sent an urgent message to Pettic to follow him as quickly as possible into a cave just ahead. Pettic could not understand the urgency, but as Kinne was the native in this place he followed without question.
On entering the cav
e, Kinne turned and said, _There's a shoal of younglings not far away. They can be dangerous. We're safer out of their sight._
Pettic was just about to ask how he knew, when the shoal came in view. They looked like merfolk of about twelve years old and they were swimming fast. Soon it became apparent why. A shark pursued them. Just as they came level with the cave in which Pettic and Kinne hid, a scream sounded in Pettic's head. He instinctively clapped his hands over his ears although that did nothing as the sound was in his brain. Then he saw what caused it.
The shark had caught up with the back of the shoal and had grabbed a youngling mermaid. She struggled in the mouth of the beast, but the more she struggled the more she injured herself against its teeth. Blood began to flow freely into the water.
_We'd better get out of here fast,_ said Kinne. _That blood will attract a host more sharks. They have an excellent sense of smell. They'll be able to smell us here in this cave._
As he said this, the merman swam quickly towards the cave mouth followed by Pettic. They swam in the direction they had been travelling until the seabed began to rise towards an island.
As they swam towards it, Pettic felt the water become less buoyant. He mentioned it to Kinne who told him a river emptied into the sea not far away and the fresh water made him feel that way.
They swam up the said river for a short while until they came to a pool. Kinne said they called it the Still Pool and as they pulled themselves onto the rocks surrounding it, Pettic could see why. No ripples marred its surface and they could clearly see their reflections in it.
The pool had a cliff at one side and a sandy beach running from the base of the cliff to the rocks where they sat.
Pettic noticed a movement at the far side of the pool and when he looked, he could see the shape of a mermaid. She was looking into the pool intently and had not noticed the two young men. She ran her fingers over her face and round her eyes as she looked. Then she seemed to pull something from her hair.
Just then, Kinne noticed her as well and called out, `Mother! What are you doing here?'
Yossil jumped as she heard his shout. A look of consternation passed quickly over her face but was gone in an instant as she smiled at the pair. The young men slipped into the water and swam over to her.
`I might ask the same of you two,' she said, looking from one to the other. `We're all quite far from the city.'
Kinne answered. `We're going to see the sea hag queen to see if she can use her magic to find the trident. Our sea hag suggested it.'
`That's a good idea, but you must be very careful. There are many dangers on the way there.'
Pettic had heard too many times about the dangers. He was determined to go through with it, though. It seemed helping these people was the way to find the stone he needed. On each of the other worlds he visited he had to complete some kind of task to help someone so he argued it would be the same here. To find the gem he would need to find the trident.
Kinne spoke again. `You haven't told us why you're here, mother. Shouldn't you be with father?'
`Stannia is sitting with him until I get back.'
She paused for a moment and then continued.
`I thought I'd picked up some parasites from the fishes. I came here to check and to get rid of them if I can. As you know, they can't stand fresh water.'
She then dived into the pool and rose to wave at the pair. `I'd better get back before it gets late. Good luck with your quest.'
There were a few ripples on the pool where Yossil had dived but they quickly settled. As Pettic looked into the now still waters he could see his reflection staring back at him, and across his face floated three grey hairs.
They decided to eat here on the island. The sun shone warm on Pettic's skin and he lay back to enjoy it. He took a deep breath. He had not realised just how much he had missed the sun and the scent of the vegetation.
In fact, he had not previously noticed all the smells around. The grass under his body released its odour as he crushed it when he lay down and beneath it he could smell the soil. The slight breeze carried the perfume of flowers growing in the cracks in the rocks. After the cool world of the oceans he wallowed in the sensations.
This must be a bit like the world Cledo inhabits, he thought, only he can smell so much more.
The waves on the shore, just over the edge of the cliff, swished against the beach and made a sucking sound as they retreated over the pebbles. There were seabirds crying, floating effortlessly on the slight breeze that tickled his skin. One bird settled on a rock not far away and began to make a sound like the crying of a baby. That was another thing he had not noticed before. How different were the sounds of the birds. Not only were there differences between species, but within one. This seemed especially true of these seabirds. Now one was laughing. Then there was a screech. Some gentle sounds, then some harsh and aggressive.
Kinne interrupted his musing by poking him in the ribs.
`Come on, Pettic,' he said, `we should get going. There's another island we can get to before the sun sets. I think you'd be safer resting on land than in the sea. After all, you aren't really a sea creature.'
With reluctance, Pettic followed Kinne back into the water. They swam on the surface until the river emptied into the sea and then they dove once more. Pettic had to remind himself how to use his gills once more as they dove deeper into the water. He could not swim as fast as Kinne, and the merman had to keep slowing down for the young human to catch up.
After swimming for another hour or so, they climbed out of the water onto an island where they ate some fish Kinne caught on the way. Pettic then slept a deep dreamless sleep until morning.
The next morning they continued their journey. As they passed a rocky outcrop, a tentacle shot out. It latched onto Pettic's arm and there it stuck. Pettic tried to shout out, but of course he was under water and no sound emerged. He remembered to use telepathy to call to Kinne.
_HELP,_ he shouted.
Kinne turned round. As soon as he saw Pettic's predicament he drew out his dagger. It was made of sharpened flint and had a mother of pearl handle. Just as he was about to attack the arm, another shot out and pinned Pettic's other arm to his side. It then slid round his body where it was joined by a third and then a fourth.
Pettic looked down and his eyes opened wide. There he saw the tentacles of a giant octopus. The creature tried to pull him into its lair, its tentacles tightening on his body with each pull. If he had been in the air he would not have been able to breathe, so tight did the tentacles feel.
Pettic looked to where Kinne was slicing the arm of the octopus. It seemed to be taking for ever to cut through it. Pettic, for the first time since he arrived in this world, wished the people had been able to develop some iron at least. Still, under the sea, he acknowledged, it would be difficult.
Eventually, Pettic felt the pressure of the tentacle lessen, but the suckers still clung to his skin. Then, as Kinne began to attack another of the three that were now holding Pettic, the octopus snaked a fifth out of its hole and swung it towards Kinne. The merman saw it coming just in time, and with a sweep of his tail he moved backwards at a speed that surprised the human. The tentacle missed by a fraction of an inch.
The octopus, it seemed, decided to take a more aggressive stand for it began to creep out of its hole. It was huge. Its eyes looked malevolently at the pair. Still holding onto Pettic, it moved quickly towards Kinne who again performed the evasive movement. While the octopus pursued him, he could not cut at its tentacles to release his friend. Pettic heard Kinne's voice in his head.
_Don't try to struggle. The octopus will only tighten its grip if you do._
It was with some difficulty that Pettic managed to keep still. Kinne swam upwards and then back down so he was behind the octopus. He slashed with his knife and made contact with another of the tentacles holding Pettic. This time he managed to make a deep cut in the creature's arm. It was more by good luck than anything else because the octopus,
realising its tormentor had moved behind it, turned in such a way as to help the slash cut into it. After this cut it must have decided this prey was not worth the trouble and it released Pettic and shot away.
Pettic still had the tentacle stuck to his body, though.
_Come here and keep still,_ Kinne told him.
Pettic did as he was bid and Kinne took his knife and inserted it beneath one of the suckers. He gently prised it and it released. He did this for all the other suckers until the tentacle fell slowly to the sea bed.
Pettic rubbed his skin where the tentacles had been. The suckers had left little round marks and it was slightly sore. The salt water stung the marks. Pettic grimaced.
Kinne laughed at him. _Don't worry, the marks will soon fade and we've got some excellent food here. Ever had octopus?_
_Never, although whatever it tastes like I'll enjoy eating my tormentor. That wasn't the best experience I've ever had!_
The pair cut up the tentacle into easily managed chunks that they put in their bags.
They swam on for the rest of the day until they came to another island where they emerged from the sea onto a narrow beach. Cliffs rose above them and a little stream had cut a steep valley in them. Pettic craved some cooked food so he set off following the stream into the woods at the top of the cliff. He searched around until he found what he needed to make a fire bow. He also spotted some edible fruits on some of the trees, which he picked before he returned to the beach.
Kinne watched as Pettic made the bow and then used it to light a fire, as he had done on Aeris. He was fascinated and declared he would take this knowledge back to the city. The people could have cooked fish parties on the beach. He started to become quite excited by this new technology and declared he would be famous throughout Aqua.
Pettic enjoyed the meal, especially the fruit. He was quite surprised at how much he enjoyed the octopus too. Kinne suggested leaving some of the fruit to give to the sea hag queen. and they packed what they had not eaten into their bags and settled down to sleep.