by Conny Conway
“I dunno any God of Ocean.” Sebastian exclaimed.
Lann’s grip on her hand tightened and again he shook his head.
She took in a deep breath, opened her mouth as to speak, saw the warrior shaking his head again and blew out the breath. She shrugged her shoulder, but kept quiet. Maybe Lann was right.
“We should sleep, who knows how far we have to go and what will greet us on the other shore. Right now is a good time to refuel our energies.”
And that’s what they all did, cuddled up against each other and keeping warm this way. The center of their huddle was again the black, lifeless beast. Kept from wind and weather by the bodies of its friends. The raft rocked gently as it kept sliding through the waves.
Towards morning Sebastian gave up on sleep. His stomach was in absolute turmoil, he felt dizzy rather from being rocked all night or from panic. He still wasn’t comfortable being on the raft in the middle of the ocean.
Kneeling he looked around, but no land in sight. He swallowed hard to keep down the contests of his stomach. The sky had a purple hue as the sun rose slowly up the horizon.
He peeked over the edge of their floating carpet, the water beneath was crystal clear and his gaze went far below. He had no eye for the beauty of the anemones waving in the current, corals flickered in all colors of the rainbow, fish in big and small schools glided back and fro. A squid startled at the sight of the shadow the raft threw below, puffed out his ink and disappeared. Pilot fishes swam around bigger fish and consumed the parasite in their scales. Stingrays drew their circles, flapping their huge wings, drifting from reef to reef. Shark fins broke the water’s surface but they didn’t seem to be interest in the travelers.
A mermaid sat on a reef covered by sea grass swinging gentle. Her fishtail gleamed in the colors of mother of pearl, her upper torso in pale pink, nipples erect, gills on her neck, the face commanded by her huge royal blue eyes and full pouting , red lips, pearly whites exposed in her smile, long purple hair like a veil around her head. The shade startled her and she swam off.
If Sebastian could not be drawn by the beauty of the ocean, his interest was riled by the mermaid. Normally he gave a damned about beauty, aromas or many other sophisticated things like music and art. But this vixen had him mesmerized and he wanted to see her again, wanted to watch how she would swim gracefully, effortlessly through the blue clear water, yearned to observe her jumping over the breakers, how she danced with schools of fishes. He wished like nothing else to gaze into her pearly eyes again. Though she had left, supposedly scared by the raft. The knowledge ached in Sebastian’s chest. Just one more time he wanted to view her.
Then he heard it, a tune so sweet carried by the wind, a melody just sung for him, him alone.
His eyes searched and his heart jumped as he saw her sitting on a white rock protruding the ocean, she said there, humming a song so sweet while she brushed her long purple hair, seemingly oblivious to the vessel close by.
“Mon dieu.” the Creole muttered.
Lann woke at the mumble, warily he followed the brown man’s eyes, so the female sea creature, grunted and laid back down, still half asleep.
Sebastian followed the mermaid’s movement as she kept fiddling with her mane, decorated it with small shells, pearls and gold coins, she must have found at the ocean’s bottom.
An agony like an arrow hit Sebastian’s very soul as she lifted her shiny eyes to him. The pearly irises fixated on him. Her hum ebbed, then she opened her lips, exposed a row of immaculate white teeth and she started to sing.
“Wet is the night, hù il oro
Tonight and cold, o hi ibh o
If the MacNeills, hù il oro
Have to put to sea, boch orainn o
Men of high sails, hù il oro
And swift of ships, boch orainn o
And of banners, hù il oro
Blue and green, boch orainn o
No left-hander, hù il oro
Could take her rudder from you, boch orainn o.”
All the while her beautiful eyes peered into his dark blue.
The urge to go to her overpowered him and he dived headfirst into the sea, as soon as he hit the water, she too glided from her rock into the waves, with strong strokes of her fishtail she was with him as his head broke the surface and he gaped for air, looked for her as she swam in circles around the Creole. Out of the blue, with just one swing of her tail, she was with him, kissed his brown lips, giggled and swam away a few yards.
Her kiss had been shy, but sweet as honey to Sebastian and he wanted more, he coaxed her with a purr deep out of his throat.
Astonishment was written on the mermaid’s face, she came closer again to investigate the strange sound.
Again she draw circles around him but her hand this time on his chest, then on his shoulder, his neck and his chest again as she completed another round, then she stopped, her head bopped next to his, she took his hand in hers, placed it on her cheek, rubbed her face against the dark skin, kissed the fingertips, led his fingers down her throat, then to her chest, her hand over his, while her full breast was cupped by the dark fingers, she moaned.
With his free hand Sebastian pulled her close to him, his lips pressed almost violently on her, full of hunger for the creature.
His tongue slipped into her mouth where hers met his and they began a wild dance, robbing the Creole’s reasoning.
The kiss lasted for ever it seemed. Again and again their tongues wrestled and stirred his arousal until he forgot where he was, who he was or even why he was.
As she pulled him under he was ensnarled in her net.
Her beautiful face changed from angelic to demonic, her eyes turned black and empty, her lips became rubbery, sluggish and her aroma turned from salt, water and earth to something decomposing.
Though the brown man didn’t see nor feel her change.
His eyes were long shut, his lungs burned for air but he didn’t care, the panic, which rose, was halted in its tracks by the sexual stupor.
Death was on his way.
Lann had been startled by the splash of water, warily he opened his eyes, on and off he still heard the water splashing, which was not surprising, after all they were on a raft on the middle of an ocean. But then he heard a purr, followed by more spattering, then a moan and then …nothing.
By now he was fully awake, something felt wrong and he jumped up, looked over the raft, realized something was wrong, their group seemed off. Sebastian was gone.
Lann’s golden eyes searched the surface, to no avail.
A glimmer under the water drew his gaze, a glimmer of air bubbles in the clear water, dispersed by Sebastian’s lips which were no longer brown, but blue. He was engulfed in the tentacles of a monster, its ugly head reminded him of a Gorgon.
Deeper and deeper they sank.
The Creole didn’t fight his captor.
Lann knew the brown man was on his way to become fish food.
“God damned.” He cursed as he pulled his sword out of its sheath, dived into the waves, with strong strokes he caught up with the siren and her prey.
She saw him coming, slashed her free tentacle towards the emerging warrior. His movements not as fast as on dry land, she made contact with his shoulder. Pain surged through his muscles, for a few moments his arm felt tingly, paralyzed, but he had no time to dwell on the pain and the sensation, he needed all his strength, all his body to fight the sea monster.
He bit his teeth and lifted his sword arm, as his sword came down in elapsed time it sliced into the limb of the beast, cutting of a pointed tip, razor sharp.
A scream was muffled from the water around the fighting opponents. Again he lifted his blade and managed to cut of the whole tentacle, which seemed to be attached to a shoulder. Again the creature shrieked.
It let go of Sebastian and turned to Lann.
The Creole’s body drifting with the current.
The siren changed back to the beautiful mermaid she had been, except her sho
ulder was bleeding where the arm should have connected.
Her eye socket filled in a blink with those mother of pearl eyes.
Her lips curved. Under water she started to hum and sing, which made the surrounding water vibrate.
Lann cocked his head to the beautiful sound, never had he heard such a beautiful tune.
And the sensations of the water stroking his golden skin, a yearning woke in his belly, a heat which went straight to his groin.
Sexually aroused his loincloth lifted and more water could stroke him at his most intimate places, inside and outside his body.
The water around him began to swirl, funneling him towards the siren, her spell ensnarling him with every finished circle of the water.
His eyes glazed over, the sword grew heavy in his hand, which opened.
As the blade slid out of his grip, he felt like losing something important, something he needed like roses need rain and sun.
He was the night and his day was gone, this, whatever it was, in front of him was not bright enough to be his sun and stars.
Lann shook his head. He came to again, dived after his sword, lifted it and hit the mermaid straight into the heart.
A scream of horror and anguish left her mouth, green blood enveloped her, her beauty disappeared once more and she turned into her true from of a siren.
Lann ran out of air before she died and he rushed towards the surface, where he drew in deep gulps of fresh air.
Shiloh had felt Lann stir, tired she had peered between her lashes as he got up, her eyes shot open as she saw his surprise, heard him curse and as she wanted to ask what upset him so much he had already dived into the water.
She jumped up, looked astonished behind the raft, where Lann had disappeared, her gaze followed his sturdy strokes.
That’s when she realized a lifeless Sebastian, dragged into the deep by a sea monster.
Without hesitation she leaped into the water, swam toward Lann, saw how he attacked the creature, how it hurt her beloved, his revenge and then how the monster released the brown man.
Even though Shiloh’s heart ached of worry for her Lann, she dipped right to Sebastian, took him in her arms, his back to her chest, and she fought her way back to the surface.
Xylophia was awake now also and helped Shiloh to pull the lifeless Creole onto the raft.
His chest did not heave, his body was still and quiet.
The unicorn bowed her head and touched Sebastian’s lips with her horn.
The magic threw sparks, but then the Creole coughed up the water, which had flooded his lunges, just at the moment when Lann broke the surface and swung himself over the edge and landed in the soft carpet.
Sebastian blew bubbles, coughed and gagged, but he was alive.
A tremor rippled through his body.
He remembered everything, including the transformation of the mermaid. He had been disgusted and horrified by her, but the spell he had been under had been a strong one and he couldn’t shake it.
Looking back all he wanted to do was vomit, get rid of the foul stench which clung to his clothes, wanted to forget, but this experience was so vivid and fought to stay branded in his mind.
“Sebastian, are you okay now?” Shiloh worried.
He nodded in answer, leant over the side of the raft and barfed.
“You don’t seem okay.” The human stated.
The Creole wiped his mouth.
“Just too much water of the ocean.” He said warily. “Check on my rescuer.” Shiloh detected a tiny hint of sarcasm, but she kept quiet.
She turned to Lann she saw the scarlet running down his arm, dripping of his hand into a pool on the raft.
“Oh, you are hurt.” The woman gasped.
“I can’t feel my arm.” Lann bit out through clenched teeth, than his sight went dim.
The friends had pulled him next to the black unicorn and huddled around him, troubled of the condition the golden warrior was in.
No one paid attention as Sebastian slid back into the water, dived down to the carcass of the siren, inserted the oil into her eyes, the blood and dust were a problem, but somehow he had used the current.
He tapped his index finger on the creature's forehead, connected telepathically to the zombie and ordered it to report to Balor.
It sated him that he had turned the siren into an undead. Though the thirst for revenge was not quenched. His heart grew darker.
Chapter 14
The sun was high, Lann, now recovered, healed by the magic of his sleep, assumed it was midday, as the clouds thickened out of the sudden, the wind increased and the ocean churned.
Though the troop was safe on their raft, Sebastian blanched, retched over the side of their sea foam carpet.
Rain turned to hail, but they were protected like in a bubble.
Just as it had happened a day before, the water parted and the God of the oceans appeared out of the depth. Immediately the weather calmed like in the eye of a hurricane, the sun broke through the black clouds.
“My friends, I bear news.” Poseidon exclaimed. “I spoke with Hades and he will be sending his minion to the black unicorn. It will be up to you how you’ll greet his messenger. He’ll give the infant a chance. It will have to proof the knowledge of right and wrong.”
“How could it? It is so young and most of its short life it was in a coma.” Shiloh protested.
“I am sorry, my daughter, but those are the rules he made. Leave it or take it.”
The female opened her mouth to insist of better rules, Xylophia whinnied.
“We will take that chance.” She declared before Shiloh could say another word.
Poseidon gazed with his swirling eyes on the human, then nodded.
“So be it.” He acknowledged. “Again I want to thank you for your deed.”
The God’s look swerved over all of them.” And if you ever need me, find water and summing me. I will follow your call.”
His soft smile almost hidden by his white beard. He bowed his head ever so slightly and turned to emerge back into his realm. Before he did so, he turned one more time.
” Know, my children, that you nurture a ghastly evil in your midst.”
By the time any could have replied, the waters reunited, the weather’s fury returned. Then all of them at once started talking.
“What did he mean?”
“Which one of us could betray us?”
“He didn’t mean my offspring, did he?”
“Oh me, oh my.
An enemy here with us?
Oh why, oh why?
Exposing him we must.”
“Evil, good, who cares, he is hungry and he will need his yummy soon. Hopefully he will be on dry land in short time. The wetness is not good for his flame. But the yummy will fix him.”
Suspiciously they looked from one to another. For the first time Lann saw something like doubt in Shiloh’s lovely eyes, it pained him.
“Don’t look at me like that.” He snarled to hide his ache.
“Why? Have something to hide?” She inquired in a small voice. Only the thought of him betraying them all tore her apart.
“No.” The answer was growled between teeth.
“Why would you even suspect me?”
“Because you’re half a demon.”
“Not demon, God, sweetheart. I’m half a god. But what about you? You don’t belong here.” He countered.
“Trust me, I wouldn’t be here if it would be for me.”
He paled at her words. He knew she wasn’t the nemesis, he had leashed out to hurt her, but his words had back fired. His eyes spoke of his remorse. Though they also burned in fury of her suspicions, of her mistrusting him.
She saw that burning sting sweltering in his golden eyes. Her heart knew he was not the one betraying them.
“I’m sorry, Lann. I didn’t mean it. Believe me, I know you are the best thing that could happen to any of us. Please, forgive me.” Her eyes rimmed with tears about her stupidity. She h
ad never wanted to hurt the winged warrior, yet she had done so with ill-chosen words.
Granted she was hungry, tired, wet and thirsty, but Lann had not deserved her wrath. All he had ever done was good to her, even when he took her to the underworld, all he wanted was to protect her, not knowing her or her heart. This proved that his heart was pure gold. He wasn’t malicious, quite the opposite. Her tears rolled over her cheeks.
Lann starred at her still furious, but her tear snuffed out his anger, he roared out his rage as he pulled her in his arms.
“Never doubt me again.”
“No, I never will and actually, I think I didn’t. I’m just in a bad mood. I lashed out and by chance you were the one I hurt with my bad temper. Please, forgive and forget, I didn’t really mean one word.” She cried.
He pulled her closer, clung to her desperately and felt his blood begin to boil, felt the heat collect deep in his lower abdomen. Her behavior was arousing him sexually, first how she had made him angry, now she was torn up about the whole thing. He stroke her back and kissed her forehead.
“Mine.” He growled. Then lifted her head and kissed her deeply, hungry, expectantly.
“So sorry to disturb, but what do you think who could be the trayi Jezi a?”
Sebastian interrupted their tenderness.
Anew Lann rumbled. “No, clue. For all I know it could be you.”
“Mon dieu, I would never talk again, if I were spying on you. The Gods should rip my mouth out.”
“Rip your tongue out. Besides we don’t know if it is a spy. Maybe he, she, it is just malevolent.” Lann said.
Sebastian grunted in answer.
“Land!” Willie danced around in the strong sea breeze. “Land.”
The wisp’s yelling caught everyone’s attention. They searched the horizon, and true enough, just behind the cloudbank was a landmass, studded with Dark Mountain, dark green trees came into sight not much later. The sea foam carpet steered right towards the shore and landed against a black beach. In the distance the friends heard a rumble, but it was too low to make it out for sure.
Lann carried the dark equine ashore, while Shiloh helped Derwa. Overly zealous Sebastian fell to his knees and kissed the black sand.
