“Sir,” Cora asked hesitantly. “I have told you my name, but you have not told me yours.” She closed her eyes. The ring felt cool against her skin, and the soothing peace from it radiated through her. Cora felt a surge of calmness so profound that she almost drifted away on it. Regaining herself, she tried to focus on the man in front of her. She heard him start to laugh. It was a genuine laugh that chimed like bells, a fine high twinkle of music, and she smiled.
“Magnus,” he told her, reaching his hand out in offer. “My name is, Magnus,” he repeated.
She shifted her stance in the sand, looking down at the hand extended. She felt no sense of danger, only that of a friendly gesture. She looked up at him and saw the same in those crystal blue eyes, eyes that matched the blue intensity of the sea. She extended her own hand as they both continued their walk along the shore.
Magnus held his breath; a moment later he noticed that Cora was watching him. She was waiting for the words he had somehow, someway came to tell her in a dream they were now both sharing. So as they walked, he told her the story of the seer’s and of their guardians. He told her of the good, as well as the bad, and of the return of the first seer and guardian, of the Hunters Moon, Victoria and Percy. When he finished, he explained that the ring she now wore was the ring of Mer. And how in fact, the ring had sought her out, or rather had chosen her as the seer of the blue moon. Magnus took pride as always in the telling of the legends, stories that were meant to be told. But now this was a choice that Cora would have to make, a choice once made, there would be no turning back from. It would be a new life, one eroded with peril and danger, a choice, all or nothing. Magnus wished he could help her with this decision, but it was her choice to make. If she refused the destiny before her, then the ring and prophecy would be lost…possibly forever.
Cora did not speak for a long moment. She stood staring across the silent beach, one without wind or crashing waves, one without gulls flying above or wind blowing through her hair. She remained as still as her surroundings. Her worst nightmare was part of her destiny, her future.
“Return to the waking world,” Magnus said calmly, gently patting her hand which he still held. “Return and consider the words I have told you. The choice must be yours, Cora. One made wisely.”
Cora turned to look at him, but Magnus’s eyes were not on her now. He himself seemed lost in his own thoughts.
“I give you one piece of advice, Cora. Trust the one who saved you, for he too has a decision to make. A choice that will also weigh largely on the one you ultimately choose.”
“Why does their choice affect mine? What do they have to do with what you have told me?”
“I cannot tell you anymore than I already have my dear. To do so would risk me influencing your own decision. And that, I cannot and will not do.” Magnus let go of her hand then and began to walk back in the direction he had come. “I have already said all that I can. I must now return to my own waking world. Go, Cora, return to yours.”
Cora only stood and watched as Magnus’s image became a blur on the horizon once more. Then, as if he had never been there, he vanished in the distance.
…
A figure walked down the darkened lane, across an empty lot and then proceeded to make his way towards the beach. He did not pay any mind to anything around him; his mind was only on the sea. He crossed the wet sand and stepped up onto a stone wall leading further out into the waves. The tide had already started to come in and with it bringing the crashing salty sea. He could taste the darkness beneath the waves, yearning for it. He only stood for a moment, staring down at the depths of the abyss. Then as silent, he plunged headlong first, his body cutting through the water like a knife, disappearing below. His body began to shimmer and glow, replacing the two human legs with that of a long scaled tail. In that very moment, the merman shot through the water at an extreme speed. He could feel the water caressing his body. Being mindful, he continued to stay deep below the surface. He swam towards a distant harbor, in the cover of sea and night. Swimming even faster, his destination finally came into view. As he neared the land he made sure to keep away from the lights that reflected on the water from city street lamps. He could hear the distant sound of city dwellers, people, and humans. He could hear their talking and walking as they roamed the concrete streets. To his ears the sounds were horrendous.
In the distance, he finally found what he was looking for. A figure stood on the pier in front of him, a woman dressed in a long black sleek gown. Her hair was pinned back to show the white pale skin of her face. A face that held no smile as her eyes held no warmth.
He pulled his body up out of the water. The water dripped from him forming pools at his once again human feet. He knelt down, bowing low to the woman. He would remain in this position until he was given the permission to rise. He heard the click of a staff as it thumped the ground twice. This was the enchantress, his owner.
“Oh,” she purred. “My servant has returned, with more than just news if you know what is good for you!”
The merman trembled at the sound of her voice. His mission had failed. He did not have the ring, or the girl’s soul. To stay silent would only anger her worse, to tell his enchantress that he had failed, that could be his undoing.
“Well, do you have something for me servant?” she waited for his response. When he did not immediately answer, she became angry. “Speak!”
Slowly lifting his head so that he could look at her, he gulped. “I do not, enchantress. The girl is much stronger than we bargained for. The ring, enchantress…it protects her.”
“Fools, I am surrounded by fools! Do I have to do everything myself?”
The merman lowered his head. “No, enchantress, I have failed you. Give me one more task, and this time I shall return with what you ask.”
Raising the staff, she brought it down hard across his back. He shrieked out in agony as it laid assault to his bare skin, ripping it open. “If you fail me again, it will be your last!”
The merman brought himself to a calmer state. “Yes, enchantress, I will not fail you.”
Her steel cold eyes bore into him, as a smile broke at the corners of her lips. “Bring me the ring…and kill the girl.”
CHAPTER THREE
DAYS OF PAST AND FUTURE
Along a sea side coast, a sleepy little village was only now awaking with the early morning. The sun had already started to rise and shed its light across the horizon. Shutters began opening as women going about their morning tasks threw rugs out over the window sills shaking them earnestly. Over by the shore, an old man sat by the water’s edge wedeling away at a scrap of wood with a small knife. He looked up only once to see a few fishing boats making their way out to harbor. Life in the village was simple but hard, the people there worked even harder and made their way of life and bounty from the sea. Just off a beaten path sat a small humble cottage. A man dressed in old fashioned leathers of a forgotten time sat on its front porch. Thoughts this morning were mighty on his mind, as his eyes kept to the horizon as if watching an approaching storm brewing that was not seen by any eye but his, and there was a storm coming as surely as he could feel it in his bones.
Life was not to be easy; the recent signs were proving this to be true, the dream only last night marking the beginning of a dangerous journey. He had been on many a dream quest in his life, and now was no different. His mind just needed to keep at the task at hand. But, Batel…Batel, his son, that’s who weighed most on him. The Fae, the blood lost, and the death of his only son.
“Lost in thought this morning, Magnus? I called to you twice already, but I don’t believe you heard a word of what I said.”
With a solemn nod of the head, and a smile to match, Magnus gestured Percy over. “Sit, I’m just enjoying the rising of the sun. When you get as old as I, you will grow to appreciate the simple things that life has to offer.”
Percy eyed Magnus with doubt. There was no way he was buying the words. “Old man indeed, do you t
hink for a moment that you can pull the wool over these Fayen eyes? Something has you deep in thought, so out with it.”
Magnus let out a deep sigh. His burdens were heavy, but not only his to bear. “I must be leaving here soon, Percy. Another seer has come to be. The ring of Mer has chosen under the blue moon.”
“There is another seer? Then the guardian… When, how?”
Magnus chuckled, “When or how, I am not privy to the knowledge of who the sacred objects choose to pick to become the next chosen, nor why. So how I cannot say, but when, well that is something I have seen.”
“Fae, you have been having visions and this is the first time I am hearing of it, why such secrecy, Magnus?”
Looking directly at Percy, and pointing a sharp finger, Magnus had a stern look that matched the tone of his voice. “Now you know as well as anyone that I would not keep such things as this a secret!”
Percy sighed and shook his head. “No, I suppose you would not. Sorry, Magnus. Everything that’s happened over the last few months has me on edge. To make matters worse, there has still been no word from Avalon. It is not like the Fae to go so long without as much as a word.” Percy looked out beyond the horizon. “Do you think something has happened for them to close communication, Magnus?”
Taking in a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, Magnus rose to his feet. “One cannot say, Lad. But I believe something is definitely brewing, I can feel it. I would gander as much that Avalon feels it too and only taking necessary precautions to protect her people. The lives of the Fae are precious and few.” Magnus hesitated and turned to look at Percy. “To have their only heir to the Fae throne on this side of the mists, this only tends to bother me more.”
Percy immediately stood on his feet. “I cannot breach the mist, and I will not leave Victoria on this side of the realm.” He shook his head and began to pace. “I cannot return home with the path closed to me, nor can I bring Victoria and her family into Avalon without an approval. What am I supposed to do?”
Magnus placed a gentle hand on the young Fae’s shoulder. “You wait, just like the rest of us. That is all you can do. The path will open once again when the time is right.”
“When the time is right? The last time the path to Avalon closed, it stayed as such for nearly five hundred years!”
Magnus shook his head. “I do not believe we will have to wait quite that long, Percy. But until this threat that has obviously caused the passage to close is taken care of, I am afraid the passage to Avalon will remain shut to us, Fae or not.” With tenderness, he tried to calm the young Fae… “Now come, Percy. We have much to talk about before I take my leave from here.”
…
Cora awoke to a warm, soft bed of dry seaweed over in a far corner of the cave. She stretched, yawning loudly. As she brought her arms down to her sides she saw the remainder of what was left of a fire. A skewer with what looked to be blackened burnt fish sat to the side of it. Taking a quick look around the cave, she became aware that she was alone. Whoever had brought her here was nowhere in sight. She tried to remember what had happened, and she remembered the dream, the dream, if that’s what it was. The man in the dream, Magnus, yes that was the name he had given her, Magnus. He had told her to trust the one that had helped her, saved her. Well that was all good and worthy, but there was only one issue, she had no idea who or even where this person was. She also had one other issue at hand. She was hungry and the fish on the skewer did not even come close to looking the least bit appetizing.
Wrinkling her nose, Cora got up from the makeshift pallet on the caves dirt floor. Proceeding to make her way over to the fish, she eyed it suspiciously before hesitantly taking a piece and placed it into her mouth. Oh, it was awful. Fighting to keep the charred substance in her mouth, she reluctantly swallowed and made a horrid expression. “Just awful,”
…
Just outside the cave, a Mer swam through the clear blue waters of the sea. The storm from the night before had come and gone without a single trace that it had ever existed. Leaping from the waves next to him, were dolphins, splashing the Mer in gleeful play. The Mer laughed as he dodged the incoming salty spray. “So you want to play that game huh? Well bring it on then.”
One of the dolphins chatted away and shook its head from side to side as though it were having a good laugh. Then without warning, it flung its tail around sending another spray of water onto the Mer. As a children’s delightful game of play, the chase was on. As the Mer chased the dolphin through the water, two more dolphins trailed behind. This was the life of a Mer, as free as a soul of the sea.
…
Halfway across the deep blue ocean, Magnus was preparing a boat for departure.
Victoria was saddened by the news of Magnus leaving them, but also understood the importance of what the trip meant. She had only recently come into her own destiny, becoming the seer of the hunter’s moon. It was something she had never regretted, and Percy had been the best part of all of it. For that was when she had found the one true love of her heart, Percy, her guardian, her soul mate. Magnus had become very special to her, almost like that of a fatherly figure. And now, she felt as if she was about to lose him.
“Do you really have to leave us, Magnus? Could we not join you, help with the search for the seer and guardian? I don’t like the idea of you taking this risk alone. Can’t you stay for just awhile longer, at least until Percy hears word from his father?”
Magnus threw a bag over the side of the boat. Turning to Victoria, he placed a hand on each of her shoulders. “My dear child, by that time it could very well be too late. You know that I must take my leave now to assure the safety of the seer and her guardian. Just as the safety of Percy and yourself has been secured, it will remain so. I will not risk either one of you. No my dear, this is something I must do on my own.”
With a nod of her head, Victoria smiled. Tears had already begun to form at the corners of her eyes threatening to spill over. “You are right, Magnus. I would not wish harm on anyone. Go, but please return soon, and safely.”
“I shall my precious child, and with the blue moon seer, and that of her guardian.”
Victoria nodded once and smiled. “Then we shall await your return, and please know that we will be safe.” Stepping back, she allowed Percy his time with Magnus as she returned to the side of her mother and sister, Madeline.
“Percy, you must be sure to follow every precaution that we spoke of. The other Fae from the forest have assured me that they will keep an eye over all of you from a distance.”
“Oh, Victoria’s mother is going to be really happy about that. You know how she is already taking the idea of Victoria being a part of all this prophecy.”
“Unless there are any issues, I doubt very much that you will even see them. Victoria’s mother will not even know they are there. They do not tend to mingle much with mortals after their imprisonment. I believe their wild hearts have become even more skittish and less trusting.”
“I will follow your orders, Magnus. There is no reason for you to worry about us. As for you, stay safe my friend.”
Magnus smiled. Percy had become like a son to him, he would never take the place of his son Batel, and no one could ever do that. But if anyone could ever come close, that would be Percy. “I intend to.” Throwing the last of his belongings into the boat, he looked out towards the sea. “I intend to.”
…
Cora walked out of the cave and was greeted by the bright warm sunlight on her skin. Distant noises met her ears as she peered out towards the sea. She could see dolphins playing in the waves. Dolphins were playing and jumping, racing from here to there. “How beautiful,” she thought. They were so beautiful and majestic. Her eye caught sight of something else then…what was that? Something was out in the water with them, and she could tell that it was not a dolphin, the coloring and shape was all wrong. With her curiosity peeking, she decided to get a better look. Crawling down along the rocks, Cora made her way to the san
dy beach. Finding a rock to hide behind she peered around it hoping this distance would give her a better view; squinting her eyes against the blinding sun, Cora struggled to see. Once her mind allowed her to see the form for what it was, she gasped. Was that a man, a man with a…fish tail? Cora’s mouth gaped open as a thousand thoughts ran through it. Either she was seeing a merman, or she had taken a harder hit to the noggin than she had previously thought.
Cora shook her head hoping that it would help to clear it. No, the sight was still there. She closed her eyes telling herself to wake up just in case she was still dreaming. “You’re only imagining things,” she told herself. “You’ve hit your head and now you’re just having hallucinations.” Opening her eyes slowly, she peered out and saw the merman, tail and all. “Cora, you’re sitting here talking to yourself, seeing things. You’re not crazy, you’ve just gone plain bonkers!”
The sight before her was both strange and glorious. She let her eyes trail down the merman’s body. It had a brilliant shine that was luminous with fine edges of scales on the tail dotted with aqua blues and turquoise. The colors seemed to intensify against the backdrop of the deep blue ocean. She began to feel a little flushed and embarrassed as she became aware of how intently she was staring. “Just don’t look too close,” she told herself. But it was just too hard not to look. How many times did a person get to see a real merman? She made up her mind; she was going in for a closer look.
Carefully crossing the beach and keeping low so as to not be seen, she found another rock closer to the water. From there she was able to get a better look at the merman.
The Mer turned and looked in her direction. Cora stayed as still as she could behind the rock holding her breath. She wondered if he had seen her or knew if she was there. After a few moments, or what seemed like an eternity to her, the merman looked back towards the dolphins and began his play with them once more. Cora let out her breath; he had not seen her after all. She wondered if she should go back to the cave, or maybe…go in for a closer look. Did she dare? Her legs had already answered her question before her mind was able to ponder the idea. Up on her feet again, she found herself moving towards the water’s edge.
Blue Moon: The Ring of Mer (Seer's Of The Moon) Page 2
