Sirein: A Dystopian World Alien Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  Bubbles burst out of her when arms closed around her, turning her through the water. From her peripheral vision, she was aware of his tail curling around her, fully fanned out, just before Ji’wa’s mouth sealed over her own. Nerida gasped into his mouth, and their breaths mingled. They breathed as one, just as he promised.

  She wrapped her legs around his hips so she could press up against him, helping him as his shaft slid deep within her while his tail coiled tighter around them. Only when he was fully anchored within her did she become aware that they were rolling through the current of the shallows. With every turn of his body, his hips rolled against hers, thrusting into her with tiny pulsing electric shocks that inflamed her until her body shook with pleasure. She whimpered against his mouth with the building frenzy of her need.

  His mating roll became quicker as his thrusts became more frenzied, spinning them wildly in the water with the tempo of his unleashed rut. Nerida closed her eyes against the disorienting turn of the sea around her, surrendering herself solely to the feel of him joined within her, and the awareness of his bioluminescent glow filtering in behind her eyelids. There was no surfacing; there was nothing but the two of them locked together in an endless dance.

  She didn’t know exactly when Ji’wa’s energy returned to him, but she felt a strong electric pulse slam between them moments before he plugged her, tying them together, and he rutted wildly within her as they spun through what felt like an ocean of time as one orgasm after another seized her. When he came, his song broke out, vibrating through him in a crescendo all around them that evoked in her mind the primal sounds of the beginning of life itself.

  Nerida lost and found herself and everything that she had ever wanted in that moment.

  She found her mate and her family in the mating roll that tied them together for the rest of their lives. When he finally took her to the surface, she breathed in the salty sea air as he held her in his embrace and they floated peacefully together, their bodies still tied as his sex pulsed fresh floods of seed deep within her. Grinning at him, she traced a finger against the delicate scales of his cheek.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “You hold my heart for eternity,” he vowed in an equally soft voice.

  Nestled against him, she smiled at just how magical the moment felt until finally his sex slipped away. Sighing with reluctance, she turned in her arms so that she was facing land once again. The beauty of the island filled her vision, and she stared in wonder.

  “This is… It’s…”

  “It is Osh’na’la’meh’na!” he filled in, pure happiness filling his voice. “It is paradise, the house of the mother of the fertile soil, Osh’na’la.”

  Although the names were unfamiliar, Nerida couldn’t disagree.

  At her side, he lifted his hand, his arm strong and no longer shaking.

  “Look there, a’sana. Do you see where the circle of jagged stones breaks through the waves, providing a natural harbor of calm waters in which we are currently swimming? This is the shallows, the ideal spawning and breeding grounds for generations to come. Just beyond the soft sandy white beaches are cliffs where we can dig out the foundations of our homes.”

  Her eyes strained just beyond those cliffs, and her heart pattered when she was able to see a hint of greenery peeking through.

  “Trees!” she whispered. “There are growing things everywhere. This island… it’s perfect.”

  “It is home,” he agreed happily.

  “Ji’wa!” Ger’se shouted from up the beach. He waved his arm, a huge smile stretching his face. “Your mating dance is an inspiration! I certainly hope for something equally as grand when I acquire my mate.”

  Ji’wa snorted and shouted back at the male.

  “First you will have to find a female willing to remain tied to you. Until then, initiate the emergency signal and follow it back. It is time to bring our pod home.”

  Ger’se nodded happily as he leapt and swam by them with a flash of his bright fins. Nerida watched him go, chewing her bottom lip before turning her gaze to her mate.

  “Will they accept me?”

  “They will have little choice,” he replied as he hugged her close. “There is no Ji’wa without Nerida. Although I no longer risk rejoining the sea and will help bring new life to my people, it is all because of you. You anchor me and give me my very soul. They shall never separate us, and I shall love you for the rest of our days and into forever.”

  “Forever,” she agreed happily as she leaned into him, sinking once more into his embrace, and he took her mouth with his.

  Epilogue

  It took days for the colony to arrive, and in that time, Nerida and Ji’wa basked in the shade of the trees and swam during certain hours. In the cool winter nights, they slept curled together near a fire pit that they carved out within a natural stone cavern that Ji’wa selected to be theirs.

  He was already speaking eagerly of plans for what he could do once the colony pod arrived, and he had access to his tools and supplies. She indulged the talk, although some part of her worried that, despite his words, that they would ultimately reject her. He wasn’t supposed to surface and interact with one of her species. He had defied everything, and some part of her still believed that it was too good to be true. Because of that, she wouldn’t be able to relax until the pod arrived.

  They were walking on the beach when it happened. The water near the entrance of the cove rolled, and amber-colored spires broke through the water as the upper turrets of the colony broke the surface. Not much of the pod emerged, but Ji’wa smiled as he watched.

  “Most of the pod is still submerged just outside the cove. That is a good place for it to anchor,” he whispered. “This is an upper platform that will give our people immediate access between the pod and the surface.”

  Nerida raised her eyebrows curiously as she watched a vent open. In the space of a breath, a sea of color seemed to flow out from it. The sirei swam nearer until beautiful bodies rose, fins streaming water, fanning out in every color imaginable. One by one, they approached and bowed their heads respectfully to them.

  “Do not bow,” Ji’wa said with distinct unease. “I am no longer your commander. I have ceded the horn of my authority. If High Command finds out what I have done…”

  “You sound just like Ger’se now. Everyone is acting as if it is a fact that High Command will even find out.” A male chuckled as he waded out of the water. “I will tell you as I told him. There will be no repercussions. They will never find out, and we will retain our pod intact,” En’il said. “Our co-command is still in meetings telling them that they have simply decided to move to a lone island and establish our colony in a more fruitful place.”

  “But how?” Ji’wa interrupted. “En’il, you know that the High Council disapproves of any sort of insubordination. We were told not to send out any exploration teams. I have little doubt that they would recognize our pod’s claim to this island, but it could get complicated if I am connected to our settlement since I defied their ruling.”

  “Easy,” En’il responded with a smile. “They are claiming that Ji’wa perished in an attempt to secure our pod that was destabilized by a great storm that pushed us southward. While we were looking for a good place to anchor, we found this island. Your co-commander will officially take up the post of commander while you, Ji’wa, unofficially lead our colonization here. The Li’lal’fa will be the only people who will know that you are here and that you mated with the land-dwelling species.”

  At Ji’wa’s stare, the male chuckled with delight. “Do not look so surprised. Your union, and this place, represents hope to our people. We will gladly keep this secret and welcome any young born of your union. In the meantime, we will continue to find strength in each other and learn to grow as a people to include outsiders that we may swell our families once again. If we must do this without the knowledge and blessings of prejudiced commanders with outdated ideas, then we will do as we must for the welf
are of our people.”

  A murmur of agreement followed his words, and in a burst of excitement the Sirei emerged from the water onto the land. Ji’wa didn’t even seem to notice their departure as he leaned forward, speaking intently to the other male.

  “What of Ger’se? Where is he?”

  En’il sighed and crossed his arms. “Yes, your fool of a friend. He decided that he had an oath to fulfill to a certain human. He said you will know he has returned when you see them on the horizon, whatever that means.”

  Ji’wa glanced over at her, but Nerida shrugged. It could mean literally anything coming from Ger’se. She wasn’t aware of any vow in particular. Or at least not one that she could remember.

  The elderly male smiled indulgently, clearly amused by their confusion.

  “About how I left the colony...” Ji’wa began.

  En’il’s mouth thinned. “Yes, High Command was given the details by Ger’se. Before he left, he was briefed on this matter and surprisingly advocated for one female Al’hana, the Record Keeper. Learning of her existence is a horror I wish to not repeat for the rest of my lifetime. We immediately unhooked her from the records systems and brought her to one of the command chambers to give her what comfort we could for the little time she had left. She passed to the next world just a short time ago when we first breached the waters. I am at least happy to say that her last moments were spent out of that travesty of a pit she was kept in to see the sea and the skies, and the first sign of land. I just do not understand how such a thing could have existed without us knowing. It is causing ripples through our pod’s High Command but no one is speaking of it to the High Council, because we are certain that someone there must know and approved such a terrible fate for one of our pod’s own people. This is causing a significant rift that will require much to answer for.”

  Ji’wa bowed his head, his expression sober. En’il placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “Enough sad talk now. There is someone waiting patiently for their turn with you. It was a pleasure to see you again,” he said to Nerida before stepping away.

  He stepped away only to be replaced by a group of regal-looking females. Ji’wa twitched awkwardly and inclined his head.

  “Mother,” he said softly to the tall female in the center. “Allow me to introduce my mate, Nerida.”

  The female’s eyes landed on him affectionately before eventually trailing over to her.

  “Nerida, welcome,” the female trilled in a warm, melodic voice as she leaned forward to embrace her. Upon releasing her, she introduced all five of the other females, who were all his older sisters. Each of the females embraced her, some more enthusiastic than others as if uncertain how to touch someone so different from them. Nerida didn’t mind and returned every embrace and smile. Her family was expanding, and she couldn’t have been happier.

  Days later she was still thinking of what En’il said. Her mind repeatedly turned to Ger’se and whatever strange task he had assigned himself.

  It all became clear weeks later when Nerida left her home in the cliffs. It was nearly habitable due to the hard work of the sirein males. Every day seemed to hold new wonders as everyone worked hard to transform the island into the perfect place. To En’il and Ji’wa’s delight, the females began to mingle with the males again and more matings rose, the circumstances being recorded by the medic to go into High Command’s records. But no wonder was as great for Nerida as the day she stepped outside and looked out to sea to see the horizon dotted with boats.

  She hadn’t dared to hope, but as they drew in, Nerida jumped with excitement as she recognized one family boat after another. My pod! Not every family had come but at least a quarter of the pod was arriving at the island, among them she could see her family’s boat.

  Ger’se was joining her family with theirs, bringing in her people to the one place where they would all be able to live peacefully away from the ruling human government and the harshness of life continuously lived on the open sea. Exploration had revealed many other fertile islands clustered in the Greater Sea on the other side of the planet from the mainland. Someday, all the wavelanders could call the islands home, should they wish to live among the sirei.

  As the first boat made berth in the newly constructed harbor where her own repaired boat was anchored, Nerida shouted out with happiness when she watched her parents step off the boat. To her surprise, Ioina was with him with Ger’se lingering at her side, his arm slung around her as her two small children from her marriage with Danner lingered around their legs, the youngest of them playing with Ger’se’s tail. He seemed unconcerned, though he smiled playfully at the little ones. Eventually he lifted his eyes to meet Nerida’s gaze and waved.

  Nerida returned the gesture, her hand shaking with emotion. She felt a presence come up behind her and she turned to find her mate standing there, a pleased smile on his face as he too raised his hand to welcome his friend.

  Her family rushed down from the ramp, the arms of her siblings, cousins and mother surrounding her warmly in familiar loving embraces. Her mother laughed, drawing her firmly into her arms.

  “Nerida, I thought I would never see you again! I am so happy to hold my baby in my arms again.” Her mother let out watery laugh, glancing over at Ji’wa. “And now with such a fine mate it seems. You really did find exactly what you needed out here. I am so proud of you!”

  Nerida, leaning into her mother’s arms, her own body shaking with laughter and weeping as she returned the other woman’s embrace for several long minutes. Eventually she lifted her head and looked over her mother’s shoulder to see her father standing behind awkwardly, his hat clutched in his hands. Slowly she pulled away, giving one last teary smile to her mother before walking toward him.

  “Neri—” he choked out, tears trickling down his weathered cheeks. “I am so sorry. I know I have no excuse; I just hope that maybe you can forgive me.”

  “You came...you left the pod for me.”

  “I was a fool not to have left the pod for you before you felt the need to run away,” he mumbled miserably.

  She stepped forward, taking his hands in hers. “I know that you thought you were doing what was best out of love. Just as I did what I thought was best even though I knew it would hurt you. I love you daddy, and I am so glad you are here.”

  A sob left him, and he gathered her into his arms, drawing her against his large chest for a long moment before reluctantly turning her over to her mate with a shaky smile. He nodded his head in Ji’wa’s direction, his expression a little uncertain as her sirein regarded him impassively. Relief swept through when her mate’s expression warmed, and he stepped forward to clasp her father’s arm in a show of affection.

  “Welcome sire of my mate,” he said.

  She grinned with pleasure as her father returned the gesture briefly before wandering back to her mother’s side. Her mother’s excitement was palpable and within minutes she could hear the laughter of her parents mingling with the enthusiastic shrieks of her siblings as they splashed across the sandy beach.

  Leaning into the arms that suddenly surrounded her, she whispered to her mate, “Did you know that he was doing this?”

  “Of course,” Ji’wa said. “He had mentioned that he would rescue a female that he saw. Since the males seemed to be members of your pod, it stood to reason that the female would know you. And he was aware that you longed for your family. Naturally, Ger’se would do something so crazy as to hunt them all down,” he laughed.

  “And you didn’t tell me. You are such an ass,” she teased as he swept her up into his arms, his tail fin slipping between her legs to tease her thighs. She stroked a hand through his hair and pressed her lips against the soft scales of his chest. “And I love you for that.”

  His hand tilted her head up to face his, and his mouth crashed down over hers. Distantly, she was aware of the sirei gathering on the beach. She could hear the cheers from the island population to the arriving wavelanders. Their shouts of
welcome shifted into a song that rolled through the air like water sliding over the shore. Water and voice seemed to blend together in celebration of generations that had been and had yet to come—a song of hope and love as they welcome the new lineage of kin to arrive. Nerida smiled against Ji’wa’s lips and returned his kiss with fervor.

  This was the beginning of a new future for both of their species, and she couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for joining me for another alien fairytale! When I wrote Red I was captivated with the idea of writing a universe of alien fairytales. It was implied subtly in this story but Earth in this universe had gone through wide colonialism through their galaxy before their fall. Red takes place on Earth generations after its fall. Meanwhile, other fairytales will take place on their colonies that have continued to exist on their own since loosing all communication from their homeworld. In Sirein I explore a retelling of Little Mermaid on a water world planet, with attention paid to Hans Christian Anderson’s tale which inspired many of the little easter eggs through the story (ie the amber halls of the colony dome is taken directly from the amber castle of the mermaids for example).

  I had a lot of fun writing this as the story of the Little Mermaid is a favorite of mine and one that is so compelling I felt like I needed to tell it with a happy ending for our aquatic alien. Next year will be another alien fairytale with the story of Thumblina so I hope you join me again then!

  SJ Sanders

  Other Works by S.J. Sanders

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