Deleted Scene: Capture and Capital Pt II

Another scene from it's Fictionpress days that will not be published. Aside from the incredibly cheesy ending to the chapter, there really is no specific reason why this gets deleted. It was just a change in the story line in general that sent this to the cutting room floor.

All around the group was silence, save for the moans coming from the merman that had been stabbed. Marie could feel eyes shifting to her one by one, merely glancing but betraying all the same. Meanwhile, Mysar made certain to move her legs away from view, tucking her behind his large form where she held his shoulders to keep still. Recognizing the danger in revealing her, the merpeople around them refused to give her away. Instead a few drifted closer so to help hide her more.

However, unwilling to wait for Marie to show herself, the leader of the troops barked a command to the one next to him. In a flash of black and white, the killer whale descended upon their small army, catching up a mermaid in its massive jaws. Screams of the mermaid ended in a single bite, staining the waters in a flurry of crimson blood. The horrified cries of the scattered merpeople escalated to a crescendo as though all the pains of the world were echoed in their voices. In order to keep the scattered ones from fleeing the scene, the other mermen mounted orcas began to circle them in.

“We will slaughter every single merfolk here one by one should you not reveal to us which of you is Marie!” the leader declared, pointing his weapon as his own steed circled around them.

Their allies, consumed with fear, looked at each other and to the group leaders for aid. No one made a move to reveal Marie’s position. Still she remained, eyes closed tight, gripping hard to her father. Would showing herself really stop any of this madness? Marie truly doubted that it would get any better. Either they all die now or possibly later seemed to be the only two options at the moment. Even with their small army, they couldn’t possibly go against blood thirsty killer whales. Perhaps in showing herself, Dorian would have more of a chance to continue with the mission. Swallowing what courage she had, Marie pushed herself away from her father.

By that time the leader had grown impatient waiting and was just raising an arm to signal to another, when Marie’s voice called out, “Stop! Stop it!”

He paused, staring at the young woman who swam out from the crowd. Marie then stopped, floating just a few feet away from the whale’s jaws where she could be seen. The merman owned a look of confusion on his face. “You are Marie?” he implied.

Marie nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Astonished gasps and murmurs of disbelief filled the waters, circulating through the solders. In fear that he may lose control, an arm was raised to silence them. Eyes that were already dark grew darker still into the purest of black. “A human?” the trident wielding merman scoffed. “This is the Marie that has organized this rebellion against the elders? A mere human girl?”

Before a word could be uttered from her lips, a flash of brilliant white caught her off guard and approaching her fast. “No! She’s not the one who organized this! I am! Leave her alone!” a familiar voice exclaimed.

“Dorian?” Marie soon found the young merman floating in front of her, arms spread protectively, staring down the enemy. “Dorian what do you think you are doing?” she hissed in his ear.

“Giving them the truth,” Dorian whispered back.

His sudden appearance caught the leader off guard, but for a moment briefer than before. “You,” he said softly. “You little whelp! How is it that you are still alive? I left you beaten on blood island myself to die in the sun!”

Dorian didn’t respond, maintaining his firm position with eyes growing dark again as he glared.

A smirk creased the leader’s thin lips, chuckling in amusement, “Well, well, how touching this is. The little merman falling in love with a human girl. It’s like something out of a fairy tale, indeed.”

“Shut-up!” Dorian snapped much to Marie’s surprise. “You wanted the one who organized this rebellion and now you have him! Finish what you started on that island and get it over with! Just… let the others go… especially Marie… please.”

With a mighty thrash of its large tail, the killer whale approached them, encircling the siblings. The merman upon it swooped an arm down, catching up Dorian with a firm grasp on his hair. Yelping, Dorian held on as he was pulled up, squirming and wriggling like a worm in the grip that held him. Brought face to face with the leader, the merman sneered, “That rock I threw at your head must have done quite a number on you. You have forgotten so easily how weak a young one like you is compared to power of the elders.”

Marie readied herself to swim at the merman that held her brother captive, but was stopped by a touch to her shoulder. “So you decide that the best way to show your power is to pick on a little pearl like my son,” implied the voice of Mysar, staring fiercely at the leader. “You are not so much older yourself, Tempest.”

The merman whom Mysar called Tempest grimaced at his words. “Our prisoner warned us that you were set free along with the rest of the traitors, Tail-Splitter. Elder Pearl tail was less than pleased that your influence had apparently spread to this whelp.” At the word, ‘whelp’, Tempest gave Dorian’s head a violent jerk.

Marie was stopped by her father’s arm again, which she angrily grasped onto to keep from doing something stupid.

Catching her moment of attempted attack, Tempest tilted his head to the side with an amused grin. “Let me guess, you are the human who had bewitched this one much like his father, hm?”

“I did no such thing!” Marie yelled as her nails dug into her father’s arm angrily.

“Marie,” Mysar warned, glancing at her with a look that made her loosen her grip. With full attention returned to the merman, he continued, “The human’s presence is my doing as she is my daughter. Dorian’s only business with her is that he was the one who had discovered her.”

A silence held the solders captive, staring at the older merman that had uttered those words that were so strange to them. Many of them looked to Tempest, wondering what to do in reaction. Just as well, the merpeople that were with them were also caught in the wordless plague. All eyes stared at the merman father and his half human daughter in uncertainty as to the truth of those words. So dead was the water that very few noticed that the merman who was stabbed earlier had finally bled to death; turning to foam. Dorian’s small gasp of pain broke the stillness which led to a grin slowly returning to Tempest’s face.

“A half mer…” he hissed with a voice that gained much malice in such a short period of time. “This changes things. Yes, this indeed does change a great many things.” Bringing Dorian’s face close, Tempest gave the young merman’s nose a flick. “Looks like you are off the fish hook for now. From me.” With another violent jerk, he released Dorian, who then drifted away backwards, stunned. “The elders would have my head should I not allow them to have the pleasure of doing away with two abominations such as you and your daughter, Split Tail.”

Marie wanted to swim to her brother to help him, but Dorian was quick to right himself again, massaging the back of his aching head while glaring.

Before Dorian could even think to do anything more reckless, Mysar had him by the arm and towed him back to float beside his sister. “Will you be taking us to the capital then?” Mysar implied.

“Never said that we would be taking you all,” Tempest clarified with a smirk while lifting his weapon up across his shoulders.

The orca’s snapped their jaws while their owners stretched their weapons further towards the mass of rebels.

“The elders would only be interested in your mismatched family,” Tempest continued as the circle drew closer. “We needn’t the rest of you.”

“That would be very foolish of you to kill the rest of us,” voiced Calder from the masses, swimming forward so he could now be seen.

Tempest’s jaw nearly disconnected itself from his skull in astonishment. “Calder Ruby tail? You are alive too?! Cannot the dead remain dead? Who else is here that shouldn’t be?” he exclaimed in frustration.

Calder voiced his typical ‘feh’ sound, crossing his arms over a strong, bare chest. “Many of these merfolk you see before you have friends and family back at their village. Should you kill them all, then there will be those connections to contend with. The others will not take a massacre lightly. There will be a riot on the capital’s hands.”

A wince crossed over Tempest’s face at the blow of words. His temples becoming increasingly prominent beneath the flesh in anger.

“Of course,” Calder added, as he swam closer to the leader, floating eye to eye before him. “You could have the entire village slaughtered, but then that would be an entire population gone that had been under the elder’s control. Also… I’m certain there are some offspring of the elders themselves that would question the order. Too much hassle if you ask me.”

Marie watched in anticipation, inwardly wondering what had taken Calder so long to say anything in the first place. Floating on the sidelines couldn’t have been harder than it was now, knowing that the lives of the others rest with him. Dorian’s hand on her shoulder gave her some comfort, but his touch would mean nothing should Calder fail. Reaching up, Marie held fast to the webbed hand, clinging to the feel of his familiar cold, smooth skin for as long as possible. Once through here, she may not know that feeling again.

Tempest’s voice breaking the pause made her jerk, which in turn made Dorian start as well. Normally Marie would laugh at his expense at this, but the merman’s words had left her stunned.

“Very well, we all shall go to the capital, but the split tail and his spawn shall be taken to the elders,” Tempest scoffed. “You may go with them Calder… unless you feel it necessary to remain with the others in case I go back on my words.”

“No!” Dorian voiced much to Marie’s surprise. “We will all go to the elders. They all need to see and hear what we have to say.”

“Oh? A message have you now?” Tempest remarked with a chuckle. “Then I better not keep the elders waiting.”

Clicking his tongue, Tempest directed his orca to turn around to take the lead to the capital city. He ordered for the others to move in, herding the merpeople along after him. This time Dorian took Marie up to ride on his back, swimming beside their father. “What’s going to happen to us now?” she whispered in her brother’s ear, holding tightly to his shoulders.

“We are going to do what the goddess asked of us,” Dorian hushed.

Turning then to Mysar, Marie gave him a tap to get his attention. “Did you plan to get Calder to convince them to take us like that?” she wondered.

Mysar gave a chuckle, “Plan? I’m just making things up as I go.”

“That is the best way to do it,” Dorian agreed.

Marie frowned, “Great.”

The capital itself was like something that Marie could only think to find in a sci-fi movie of some sort. Something out of the twilight zone about some freaky underwater society bent on turning the earth into one massive ocean. Except this particular culture had other plans in mind, not involving the earth… or not yet at least. Buildings towered over them, reaching high towards the surface like hands straining to capture the sun above. All the architecture was fashioned in a Roman style meets Atlantis. There were many domes, obelisks, columns, and all made from materials of the sea. Coral, shells, pearls, even bones kept the structure together while also using the natural landscape as a base. Despite the darkness of the ocean in the late evening hours, light could be seen from the windows of the largest building there.

Tempest led the group through a large, arched doorway adorned with pearls while a couple more armed mermen floated there, guarding. Marie could feel their piercing eyes glaring at the half human who dared invade their territory. Holding tighter to her brother, Marie avoided eye contact, fearing that doing so may somehow provoke them. Dorian made a gagging noise from her arms going too close to the gills again. “Sorry,” she whispered.

“You really need to stop doing that,” Dorian muttered, tugging at her arms while still swimming.

“Be silent!” barked Tempest from the front, still riding on his orca down the open, columned corridor.

Between the shell decorated pillars were more mer guards swimming about, making their rounds. This did not settle very well down in the pits of her stomach. An increasing chill brought shivers up and down Marie’s spine as they drew nearer. Before she knew it, there they were. In the chamber of the seven elders with a ceiling that domed high above them just a frame exposed to the outside elements. Everything was pretty open to the outside elements as fish swam in and out at their leisure. All around above were fish the likes of which Marie had never seen before, glowing. Hence the lights from the windows, but Marie couldn’t help but wonder where the fish were getting their light from.

“What be the meaning of this Tempest?” angrily exclaimed a strong, powerful male voice that made Marie start. “The sun has far since gone and you dare have us awakened to finish your duty?”

Marie strained to see which of the elders was speaking, but could not see over the orca that floated before them. Fortunately, the merman then dismounted the whale due to its need to rise for air. With the large creature now out of the way, Marie could fully see the seven mermen that were known as the elders. Indeed they did each bear a different gem like color to their tails. Even in the limited light from the fish above, their scales gave off a beautiful sheen. One that had the tail of gold spoke, “Why did you bring the traitors here?”

Tempest sunk low to the sandy bottom, bowing low to the seven before him. “Forgive me, my lords, but it had to be done.”

As their army swam to a floating stop, they did not bow. Marie hesitated behind her brother; wondering if now would really be a good time to reveal herself. All the while watching the seven and quickly locating Dorian’s grandfather. By the looks of his strong body, fierce gaze and silvery white beard, it was difficult to see the resemblance if it weren’t for the tail color.

“Had to be done?” the one who was Dorian’s grandfather bellowed, slicing his arm though the water angrily. “The order was to kill the one involved in the prison break out! How dare you return to us wi--”

He stopped, taken aback by Calder swimming forward in the middle of his rant. This widened the eyes of the elder that shared his tail color.

“My son… you live!” the elder gasped. To the surprise of everyone, the father darted to take Calder into his tight embrace. This even took Calder off guard at first, but soon forgot his shock and returned the affection, hugging his father.

The remaining six stared in aghast as though showing such tenderness to a family member was some form of sin. “Jela! Control yourself!” barked the emerald tailed one.

Meanwhile, during the distraction, Dorian carefully slipped Marie off his shoulders. “Stay behind me,” he whispered. “Don’t let them see you.”

Marie nodded, saying nothing in return and doing as Dorian commanded. It was her they wanted, but Dorian needed to get his message across first. If only the goddess had given more specific instruction as to what was to be done here to extend her will. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were left to figure things out for themselves. So, for now, silently Marie watched the goings on between Calder and his father named Jela.

Jela had ignored the emerald tail elder, but did part from Calder, still holding his son by the shoulders. “Tell me; tell me what happened to you all this time? Have you found your brother? Where is he?” he asked of him, with eyes full of hope that the news would be good.

Calder crushed the hope with three simple words, “Pisces is dead.”

With that, the light in his father’s eyes was gone. “Dead…” Jela whispered. “Pisces is dead?” Slowly his hands fell from Calder’s shoulders, drifting further away to sink down to the ground, with hand to broken heart.

“Do you feel that father?” Calder asked, while still floating above the elder. “Feel that sharp pain in your chest? The weight on your back that has brought you down to the sand? Do you feel it?”

Jela raised his head, eyes growing wide at the harsh words of his son. “How can your words be so cold towards the fate of your elder brother?”

“How can you be so sorrowed by his fate?” Calder answered calmly. “The death of your sister did not faze you as Pisces’s death does now, and she turned to the sea in your arms.”

“What are you insinuating?” demanded one of the other elders, this time with a golden tail.

“I insinuate nothing,” Calder replied to the other elder. “I only point out what is before your eyes. My father is feeling sorrow; an emotion that we had at one time before the curse.”

An explosion of angry voices sounded from the elders. All demanding an explanation from the merman who dared to speak so bluntly. Marie couldn’t help, but be afraid yet also grateful to have someone like Calder on their side. Even though he did cause somewhat of a disturbance in the process. It wasn’t until the claims of madness sounded that they began to grow concerned for their own lives. If Calder couldn’t get them to listen, then no one will listen to Dorian.

Suddenly Calder’s voice sounded louder than the rest as he swam up to float above them. “You claim me insane, but you know nothing of what I have been through. I was like the rest of you content, happy in my existence until my elder brother disappeared. I wondered about him, and had made a wish to a mermaid to find him as I had promised my father. Never would I have guessed that in doing so I would find myself human.”

This silenced the elders instantly.

“Pisces was dead not too long after I found him,” Calder continued. “Having angered the wrong individual, but then I was trapped in that form. How I wished that I could die as he had, to be free of humanity until I realized that I could sorrow. I had emotions that were never felt before, but I didn’t understand why that was until I discovered the little pearl over there.” At that last part, he motioned to Dorian who was floating still with the others below.

Eyes turned to the young merman that Marie still hid behind. She found it increasingly difficult to do so with her hair moving on its own accord and also trying to remain in one spot at the same time. It was as though those eyes that stared at her brother were burning through him to reveal her. Her heart began to pound in her ears, sounding like thunder clapping. Can everyone hear that? Were her own natural bodily functions giving her away?

To her relief, Marie’s internal panic didn’t get any notice as the pearl tailed elder spoke, “Dorian? You still live? How is it that you still live? I had you banished.”

Mysar remarked, “Because the will of the goddess is stronger than any command of an elder, Father.”

A sneer formed on the bearded merman’s lips, “Mysar, you still speak to your father of such nonsense? That time in prison has done nothing to sway you, I see.” Looking at Dorian again, he motioned to the youngest of their generation. “You would also pollute the mind of your son, the last member who could inherit my position?”

“He’s telling the truth!” Dorian insisted, almost swimming forward which would have revealed her had Marie not stuck her nails into his side first.

“Don’t be an idiot, Dorian,” she hissed behind his back.

“I can’t just float here,” he argued back in whisper.

“Yes you can,” Marie stated. “Cause if you don’t then they’ll see me!”

“Who are you whispering to?” their grandfather demanded.

“To your granddaughter,” replied Mysar.

Both Marie and Dorian gaped at their father at those words. Was that really the wisest thing to say at this time, at this very moment? If Marie were able to have a vote, she would say no. In fact, coming to the elders surrounded by guard mermen with their small army was feeling less and less like a good idea. After all, these were the elders of the entire race living in this part of the ocean. There was a lot of power there, but then again, something like that didn’t stop humans from rebelling all the time and succeeding. However, she doubted they were always caught off guard from their positions like this.

Laugher sounded from the older merman of the pearl tail generation and was probably the scariest form Marie had ever heard. “I have no granddaughter,” he said, swimming back to sit upon his throne, lounging there. “Mysar, you would have to do much better than that to get me to listen to your madness.”

“Even if the very truth is shown before your very eyes, Father, you would not believe me,” Mysar pointed out as though it were a fact known by all. “Like it or not, Father, I have a daughter. The one named Marie.”

Murmurs spread between the elders like wild fire while a groan escaped Marie. She couldn’t help but wonder if her father was secretly trying to kill her. Even Dorian wasn’t entirely confident on the timing. “Dad, what are you doing?” he hissed.

“Time is growing shorter, Dorian,” Mysar pointed out. “The moon will not remain full forever. We must show them.”

Dorian frowned, his face pained with uncertainty. Slowly, he drifted away from Marie, who remained where she was despite her desires to cling onto him for further protection. Now, caught in the gaze of the elders, Marie knew that she was trapped. There would be no going back. So instead of just remaining in a crouched position, she made herself posed more erect and then swam forward for all to see.

“Impossible,” came the whisper of Jela to her right.

The other elders were too stunned to speak, but that is just what Mysar was looking for. “This is my daughter. A half mermaid born not from the need to mate, but from the love that I felt for her mother. Never did I know love until I saw Diane. Nor would I ever had it not been for my experiences as a human.”

Before her father could even think to continue further, the pearl tailed elder interrupted harshly, “What proof do you have you of this love, which you speak of? This word means nothing to us!”

“Are you really blind?” Marie found herself nearly screaming in frustration. “Calder’s father was in pain by the news of his son’s death! Would he have felt that pain if he did not love his own son? Even Calder pointed out that change!”

“If love is the cause of such agony, then why want it?” stated the gold tailed one again who crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “Why deliberately take part in what makes one suffer?”

This time Dorian was the one to voice his testimony, “Because it’s the most wonderful feeling that any human or non human could experience. All forms of it whether great or small are a blessing that the goddess gave us. Nemesio had it taken away, but the curse is broken now. If it were not so then Jela would have felt nothing as it had been for so many years.”

Jela was floating above the sand again, watching Dorian and Marie with a curious expression. “How would you know of this? Has the goddess raised you from the dead with this knowledge?”

“I was never dead,” Dorian replied. “I was a human for a time as well. It was not by my own choice and it was to save my life and you can thank Marie for that. Were it not for her quick thinking then I would not have grown as much as I have in such a short time. I understand now that our contentment was all a lie.”

An uproar rose from the mermen leaders, with one of them declaring their words blasphemous. With a bark of command, the chamber was soon swarming with mer guards bearing weapons while others came in upon orcas again. Even with their large numbers, getting past the killer whales was an act of suicide. Marie’s mind began to race as the hopelessness of the situation began to take root. No, no it can’t end this way! her thoughts screamed in her ears. Though her heart was pounding and all logic was yelling to swim away to safety, Marie swam closer to the elders.

“You think it’s a bright idea to just kill everyone who doesn’t agree with you?” she demanded. “Like it or not, I am here! A half human and half mermaid and who knows how many others like me are out there right now!” The command was made to seize her, but that didn’t stop her from talking their ears off if she had to. While two guards were taking hold of her arms, Marie continued to rant,

We came to tell you that the curse is gone. That the mermen have their abilities back and you reject it? What is wrong with being able to love? With love you will be able to do as the goddess has created you to do! To be able to give hope in the dreams of mankind because you know that without mankind then you might as well not exist. We need each other! Humans need the merpeople!”

“Silence her!”

With that bark of command came a heated flash of pain shooting from the core of her body. Marie felt all words die on her tongue as the blazing fire took all clear thought away. Instead there was confusion, numbness and blood as the spear that pierced through her shoulder was yanked out of her body. She could hear the cries of loved ones behind her, but they meant nothing to her now. With the numbness of the shock, Dorian and her father might as well not exist. In fact, nothing really seemed real anymore.

She did notice a flash of white and black speed past her gaze, then more flashes of color following after it. Dorian, Marie realized, he was trying to get to whoever had given the order. The other colors must have been the guards trying to stop him. As this came into focus, so did the sensation of floating back heavily to the sandy ground below. Her blood clouded the clean water like a foreboding fog as she lay staring up at the domed window above.

Her stare took her heavenward, past the crimson mist and through the deep waters above. There was supposed to be a full moon tonight, but it was covered by clouds. How strange that in dying, though there were sounds of fighting and screaming going on all around her; all Marie could think about was the clouds covering the moon. Why did that seem so wrong to her right now at death’s door?

“Marie! Marie hold on! Please hold on!” a male voice desperately cried, but sounded so far away.

“Where?” Marie whispered. “Where is our miracle?”

“Marie!” There came that same voice again. “Come on Marie, don’t lose yourself now! Stay with me!”

If she could only cry right now, she would. Death was coming to claim her like it had claimed Viki. Poor Steph would be without her closest friends and her mother will survive her daughter. No parent would ever wish to outlive their child. Yet, whether she liked it or not, it was happening. The mind screamed to live on, that her work was not finished, but Marie could think of no more to do.

“I don’t want to die,” she cried. “Not like this! Dorian needs me! I can’t die now!”

“Marie I’m right here!” his voice cried. “Can you not hear me?”

Just as Marie’s sorrow was turning to rage, a white light, brighter than she had ever seen before, shone down upon her. Thinking at first that it was heaven coming for her, Marie was surprised to see Dorian’s face appear. His black hair creating that same halo as it always does in the water around that youthful face. “Marie, what did you do?” he asked in awe.

This confused her, out of all the things to say at her dying moments. How long had Dorian been there anyway, she wondered as the reality of his presence began to sink in. Marie then found that she was in her brother’s arms, her back resting against his tail curled beneath. His webbed hand pressed at her wound, desperately trying to obstruct the blood flow since there was nothing else to use. “Are you doing this?” Dorian questioned frantically, his expression a mix of concern and complete astonishment as his gaze shifted from heavenward then back to her again.

“Doing what?” Marie asked in whisper as the source of the light came more into focus.

It was not heaven at all, but the moon now finally free from the cloud cover above them. Never did the moon shine so brightly down like this before, defying all explanation until a memory surfaced. Words that were spoken to her before all this, echoing in her mind once more. With this burden, shall be granted the ability to change thy path and others for good. Yes, that was what the goddess said all right. However, it was the words after those that really stuck out then in her mind. A heavy groan left Marie’s lips, but it wasn’t from the pain in her shoulder at all. “You’re kidding me!”

Dorian blinked in surprised, having not expected that to come out of his sister’s mouth.

“My heart just burst in my desire to help you,” Marie said slowly, as the pain from the wound was growing stronger, numbing her senses.

“What are you talking about?” demanded a very distraught Dorian. “You’re dying and all you can talk about is helping me?”

“That is what I am here for,” Marie argued, which quickly turned out to be a bad idea as pain shot through her system.

Dorian increased the pressure of his barricade against the wound, only increasing the sting.

Marie groaned in protest, “Dorian… you’re… hurting me!”

“The blood has to be stopped,” he said, refusing to lessen the hold.

She shook her head, unable to stop the unusual words that then came out of her mouth, “You need to sing.”

“What?”

If she were able take a moment to think about that last statement, Marie would have fully agreed with him. However, such a luxury did not exist long enough for her to do so. All at once, pieces were coming together in her mind of the goddess’s words. “You need to sing!” Marie insisted. “Don’t you get it? This is the moment! This is the miracle that we’ve been needing!”

“I think you’ve lost too much blood,” Dorian replied in disbelief.

Reaching up, Marie grasped tightly to his shoulder, digging her nails into his skin. “You need to sing! The moon is at full strength and the goddess is using my power to help you. Can’t you feel it?”

Dorian opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead he bit his lower lip, taking in the seriousness of her words. With eyes opened wide, the young merman turned his head towards the moonlight. Silver irises shone brightly as it met with the beams reaching from the sky. Marie watched as her brother grew relaxed, exhaling slowly through his gills and leaning his head back in pure inner bliss. Yes, yes now he could feel it, Marie sighed mentally. Now, truly, everything was in place for Dorian to show them all what the mermen had missed out on for so long.

Wordlessly, Dorian took the hand that held his shoulder and moved it to the wound, pressing the heel of the palm down tight upon it. With Marie now tapering the flow of her own blood, she watched her brother slowly slip away. The sounds of contention were long gone, replaced by an overwhelming peace that held the siblings in its embrace. Casual strokes of the merman’s powerful tail carried him higher and higher until Dorian was almost nothing more than a silhouette above her. “Please,” she whispered, holding tighter to her wounded heart. “Please, please Ariadne. Guide my brother’s words. Please…”

Dorian’s voice, if he was singing, started out very faint. As Marie watched below, she continued to whisper her prayers to the goddess for guidance. Gradually, the resonance of his voice rose louder, clearer than any she ever heard before. No human singer could even hope to reach the purity that was held in Dorian’s voice. The song of a little pearl, innocent and having experienced so much could be matched by no other. Though Marie could not fully understand the lyrics the goddess flowed through him, she knew that they held power. Warmth filled her body like being wrapped in a warm blanket fresh from the dryer. Sweetness held Marie like the caress of a mother’s hand upon her cheek. Light radiated within the very soul of hope and joy.

Tendrils of colorful ribbons twisted down about Dorian like long silk scarves made up many colorful, moving images. The ribbons swirled around the merman, surrounding him in their DNA strand like web. His song finished, Dorian was now left with figuring out what to do next with these images. Marie watched, knowing that those tendrils held the dreams of humans all over the world. Troubled dreams brought to her brother so to spread peace and hope to unsettled minds. This he did, reaching out to one of the images with barely a touch of the fingertips upon its moving surface. A smile grew across her lips as the sight, “You’re doing it, Dorian… you’re dream weaving.”

Moments were practically nonexistent as Marie basked in the warmth and comfort of the merman’s dream weaving. Power drawn from what the goddess had given her upon breaking the seal. How content Marie felt, now knowing that she had played a role in all this. Surly now if death were to take her, Marie would leave happy. So brief a time was the young woman allowed to remain in this blissful state as the dreams, one by one flowed away. The moonlight drew further away, taking with it the numbness to Marie’s pain.

Marie cried out in agony as soon as the moon’s light was returned to normal, untouchable far above the sea. Like a shot out of a cannon, Dorian returned to her side, taking hold of her free hand. “I’m here, Marie,” he said with a voice wearied from the display. “I’m here… my sister.”

She moaned, squirming uncomfortably upon the sandy floor, but forced herself to open her eyes. Looking around from where she lay, Marie could see the rest of the merpeople that had accompanied them. Though fewer in number, many now stared back in awe. Even the guards and what elders that remained were taken by the same reaction. Though Marie knew that she should be pleased, a feeling of unease over took her. What if in doing this, she and Dorian proved to be more dangerous? Would they still be put to death? Was all this for nothing in the very end? Even Dorian was not at ease as his grip grew tighter upon her hand.

Somebody do something, Marie’s mind screamed. Anything to break this silence!

However, words were found to be meaningless compared to what did happen. Jela, the ruby tailed elder merman, brought a fist to his heart and sunk low to the sand, prostrating himself before the brother and sister. This was soon followed by another and another until all the merpeople in the chamber were sinking into a bow. Even their own father, who smiled broadly at his children, was brought down with the rest of them. Surly, no words could truly describe the feeling of each individual who had prostrated themselves that night in pure humility.

The moment of personal triumph was interrupted sharply by another shot of pain. Writhing, Marie was taken up into Dorian’s arms, cradled against his bare chest as though doing so will keep her soul inside the body. Desperation returned to his voice again as he choked out, “Don’t leave me! I’ve only just met you as my sister! You can’t leave now!”

A knowing smile took over to curl her lips, “Silly merman.”

He looked down at her in pure confusion.

Marie didn’t stop smiling, despite the condition she was currently in. “Come on, Dorian,” she teased lightly. “You should know what to do by now.”

The look was still the same.

“Make a wish.”

This clicked the knowledge that was already there in his mind, waiting to be used. His child like grin returned, sheepishly upon his face. “But… what do I wish for?” Dorian wondered of her.

She chuckled, with a pained gasp, “Just make a wish.”

Giving a nod, Dorian rested her more upon his slick, fish tail, holding fast to her left hand. The blood, despite efforts to hold it, had been loss significantly enough to pull away Marie’s consciousness. With the parting of his lips came the weight upon her eyelids. Soon, it was nearly impossible to fight them any longer.

“I wish…”

Marie rested her head upon his tail as the watery world began to grow fuzzier. It won’t be long now, she knew before her eyes may close forever. At least in sleep, whether it be in death or in life, she was content.

“I wish…”

His voice was miles away now as Marie lost the fight to remain conscious. Slipping further away into darkness where no one can hurt her again. Echoing within those final two words--

“I wish…”