Pretty Fin

by Smokey Moment

  “He’s fine Mr. Grant. He has no signs of delirium or mental illness. None! The only thing I don’t understand is his confusion on her ability to stay underwater. It’s probably some new scuba gear. Maybe she wanted to enchant him. I don’t know. I would love to talk to her. But anyway, I need to get going. He’s fine,” she spoke in a low tone, as she touched his arm. “Thanks doctor. He’s not confused. She lives in the water. I didn’t disclose what else I knew but my son saw her too,” Allan said. “Oh wow. Then I have no explanation. All I know is the man I just had a session with is not hallucinating. He is a normal thinking, mentally healthy human being,” she replied. Allan closed the door. He was no longer worried. Lance spoke nothing about his past. He had moved on from it. Healed from it. Allan smiled then walked towards the living room. He sat next to Lance. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said. Lance looked at him. He wondered what Allan would say now. It didn’t matter. He was done proving himself.

  “Miles said the same thing. Described her the same way. And I doubted him. The same way I doubted you. But I don’t anymore. Miles doesn’t lie and neither do you. I will never question you about her again. I really hope she returns. I would love to meet her someday.”

  Lance hugged his brother. It meant a lot to him that Allan believed him. “Thanks man. That means a lot. But it doesn’t matter. She’s gone,” he said. His mood changing as the words left his lips. Allan sighed. He hoped she wasn’t. His brother was incredible. She had to come back. She was missing out on a great man. “She’ll be back.”

  ******

  “Hi. I have reservation for three for Doctor Karpowski,” Helen said, as she entered the lobby of Ocean Grill. “This way please,” the man said, as he led her to a table with a great view. “I am expecting a colleague,” she alerted. “Sure Doctor Karpowski. I will show them back,” he nodded. Helen pulled her cell phone from her Chanel clutch and scanned the call log. “Damn,” she said, as she noticed she missed a few calls. She checked her texts then her emails. She looked up and saw her friend walking towards the table. Helen lit up. She was glad her busy friend of ten years, was able to make it. She wasn’t sure she would.

  “Susan,” Helen said, as she stood up and kissed both cheeks. “Helen,” she replied, as she kissed her left then right cheek, making sure not to get her bright red lipstick on her. The respectful greeting of the elite. Susan was at the top of their field. She had been in practice for fifteen years and hailed from a family of behavioral specialist and psychiatrist. The women sat and placed their napkins over their laps. Helen put her phone away. She wanted to talk to Susan undistracted.

  “So, what was so important?” Susan asked Helen. Helen smiled. “A strange case that fell in my lap. And I find myself questioning my own analysis and conclusion about it. I have to be careful. I know with patient confidentiality and the laws, I’m not supposed to discuss the case,” she said, hoping Susan wouldn’t view her as untrustworthy with patient information.

  “Well…As long as you don’t disclose names. And it is just one professional to another. You know, for help in diagnosing and such. There are no laws being broken. How about you tell me the specifics. I can help you categorize the behavior.”

  Helen spent an hour telling Susan as she sat speechless and totally absorbed in the story. Helen noticed Susan’s fascination. She had the same look on her face when Lance told of a woman from the ocean. A woman whose enchanting ways and loving heart, capture him totally and had him spellbound. Susan listened, intently, her mouth slightly opened, hanging on every word. So completely engrossed, that she hadn’t touched a morsel on her plate.

  “I don’t know Susan. He is incredibly gorgeous. I found myself attracted to him. And I wondered if that was hindering me from diagnosing him with an illness. I mean, I have Tom. I’m not looking to date him. But there was something about him. And I must admit, I was jealous of his affection for her. I have never witnessed a man so consumed. A man with that look in his eye. When he spoke of her it was almost like he was hypnotized. I wanted to meet her so badly. To see how she was able to get his heart so completely in such a short time. A rich, handsome and powerful man like him. He must get a dozen offers. Women must fall at his feet,” she said.

  Susan leaned on her hands. “You know this story is from ancient times. Greek mythology. A story about a woman of the sea. They called them merfolk. Mermaids. Some people fantasize about the reality of them. There is a story about a woman who thought she was one. She spent a lot of time in water with her own self-made tail. She taught herself how to hold her breath for extended times. She would be seen on rock and near shores and would disappear. Then one day she was never seen again. Some people think she drowned. That she pushed the envelope and tragically died as a result. Maybe this is a copy-cat. Someone looking to get to him. You say he is rich. Maybe they want his money. I don’t know. The way you describe him…I see no signs. But clearly, someone has been successful in having him doubt his own reality. There are no mermaids. But he is a very interesting case. See if he’ll let you write his story. It is fascinating.”

  Helen and Susan left the dinner. The women held onto one another, arm in arm, as they laughed and waited for valet to bring their cars. “It was great to see you Susan. Thanks for having lunch with me. I’ll call you soon. We have to have lunch again soon,” Helen said, as she walked around her car and entered. Susan blew her a kiss then climbed into her two-seater sports car and pulled off. Helen was relieved. If Susan could see no behavioral issues from the description provided, then she felt good about her conclusion about him. If he needed help, she was doing him a terrible disservice by skating over his symptoms;

  Susan said he sounded stable. Clear in his thinking. And she saw no signs. Ok. I can move on to my next case. I’m closing this out. Nothing is wrong with him. But there is still the question of the woman. And who believes in mermaids. That is folklore. Tales. That is not real!

  11

  Anointed

  K

  ing Nephrus’ men waited at the agreed meeting point. Their strong bodies carrying wood, wrapped and bound together, across their backs. The men could see the soldiers of Mojarro coming. Over a hundred men swimming in rows of ten, from top to bottom. Their standard water formation.

  “This is all we could gather. Every tree in Panga has been cut. We only left the branches at the top to preserve the trees life,” the soldier informed. Lark nodded and ordered his men to take the piles of wood. His tail switching slowly back and forth to keep him suspended in the water. He took a strap fashioned from dead whale flesh and placed the bundled branches on his back as another soldier tied the strap. The men made the exchange, carrying thousands of branches of varying sizes, on their bodies to return to Mojarro. Lark bowed in the water then turned and led his men back to their city.

  “We have more wood Your Highness,” Lark said, as Fin sat with her hands on her face. She appeared stressed. “Ok. Thanks Lark. I just need a minute,” she said. Lark stood over her, looking down at the top of her head. He wanted to know. But it would be disrespectful to ask a queen her personal business.

  But she was more than a queen to him. And he wondered who she had fallen in love with. A baby meant someone had her heart. Babies were planned. It took time. Their creation was intentional. And he wondered when that could have possibly happened when he’d known her all her life. No one was that close to her. No male. She had one friend. A female. And she did not spend a lot of time with Rae. It was troubling. He was angry. Jealous. But he needed to keep his cool.

  Fin peeked through her hands. Her eyes, blood shot red. She was unable to pull herself together as thoughts of Lance consumed her. “Yes? Is there something else?” she asked him. In all her worries and obsessive thoughts about her lover on the other side of the dark lair, she had forgotten that Lark loved her first. Something she’d known her whole life. “No, Your Highness,” he said, as he turned and walked away. “What is his problem?” Fin said, then sighed. The look on his
confusing at first. Then she remembered something. He was there when Queen Rasbora blurted she was pregnant.

  “Oh…Lark!” she said, realizing he must have been devastated. Fin jumped up and ran to her door. She opened it but it was too late. Lark had left the castle and retreated to the quarters where his men waited instruction.

  “Lillia!” Fin yelled. Lillia ran through the halls. The walls were covered in a beautifully woven silk wallpaper. The stark green and gold colors were magnificent. She walked past a housekeeper, who washed the walls with warm water. “Please do the kitchen next. I cooked mophos and timb. The smell is in the walls. Please clean it before the queen enters. She has been ill lately. Smells affect her,” Lillia said, as she continued on to the queen’s chambers.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Lillia said, as she entered. Fin looked flushed. He beautiful caramel colored skin pink and spotty. “Please bring me herbs. I must get well so I can meet with my men. We have to construct the weapons. I must be at my best. My strongest,” she said, as she held her stomach. “Right away,” she said, as she rushed from the room to search the garden for something to ease Fin symptoms.

  The herbs were a gift from Queen Rasbora. Seed planted in soil from King Nephrus had yielded a garden of exquisite and exotic plants for consumption. It was a small garden. Its contents specially grown for Fin. “Here you go. Drink this,” Lillia said, as she placed the teacup to Fin’s mouth. Fin sat up and took a big gulp then laid back down. “Tell Lark I need a minute. Please wake me soon. I just need to rest.”

  No one said a word as Fin slept for two days. Lark asked that no one wake her and he and Arfusei went about making the weapons that they would use in battle. Fin had already shown Lark and he in turn showed Arfusei and Ziege. On the third day, Fin felt better. She called the day a moment of reflection. Some of the men were allowed to leave and spend time with family before they left for battle. Word of Prince Andreus being seen in the waters had the citizens on edge. War was coming. And no one knew the outcome.

  F

  in walked the halls confidently. Her belly protruding. She could feel the baby moving. The time to give birth was near. The herbs were working. The queasy feelings and accompanying emesis had subsided. She wore a version of her father’s shawl to cover herself. Her legs were bound as the men’s legs were. Her belly was wrapped to protect her baby. She looked prepared to go into battle. Something done to relax her soldiers. She wasn’t quite ready. She had somewhere to be.

  Fin was under enormous pressure. Halacai had delivered bad news. The uaru’s mentioned Eulachon men in the waters. They appeared to be checking for uaru’s positioning. To see if their numbers had increased. Maybe checking to whether they were policing the waters closer to Eulachon, or just scattered and relaxed in their duties. Fin thought of the burdens of war. How the thought of it stressed the families to no end. She walked the halls with heavy burdens of her own. Soon she passed the secret room. “I am opening that room if it’s the last thing I do,” she said. It was next on her agenda. It would be a room of secrets no more.

  Fin exited the door. Her long wavy hair flowing behind her, swaying as she moved. She walked past several guards. They stood to attention. She embodied the spirit of her father. She carried her head high as he did. The respect of her soldiers already earned. They were well aware of her fearlessness. She was going with them. A move unheard of. What they knew, of the battles that formed the lands of Madaka, did not include any mention of a female fighter. But Fin could not be deterred. Lark was nervous. He now had three people to protect and fight for. Himself, Fin and her unborn child.

  “Your Highness,” the soldier said, as he opened the door to the quarters. Fin walked into a large room. Forty of her strongest men stood around. Ready for their commanding leader to give the word. Lark looked her up and down. Fin ignored him. She knew he wanted her to stay back. But she couldn’t.

  “Did you make them? As I showed you?” she asked Arfusei. “Yes Queen,” he said, as he walked towards a huge wicker basket and dumped its contents onto a table. The small spears made from melted and hammered gold, were perfect. Fin was proud of Arfusei. He labored for hours, over the last few days. And when he was done with the metal spears, he and Lark turned their attention to the branches, carving them into spears. Dozens of pointed spears, the size of a hand, came tumbling out. The men looked in awe.

  “What are we supposed to do with these Your Highness,” one soldier said. Fin walked over to the table and picked one up. She walked to the soldier. “Touch it! There! On the tip,” she said. “Ahh,” the soldier said, after touching the spear and quickly withdrawing his hand. “That is what it does. It will kill your enemy in half the time. Why waste time in hand to hand battle. It is nothing but a long and tortuous death. This is quick. And it leaves you with enough energy to take down several others. Hand to hand is tiring. Makes you tire quickly. But even better are the longer spears. Stand over there,” she said, as she grabbed a wood-carved spear. Arfusei and Lark had been up all night following her instructions.

  “Now. Come towards me,” she instructed. The soldier looked around. He felt strange being instructed to approach the queen. “Come to me. Its ok,” she said. The young male walked towards her. Fin swung the spear around. The soldier watched in awe. Fin advanced towards him, then put the spear to his belly. He gasped. Fin grinned.

  “You feel that?” she asked. “Yes,” he said, his eyes wide. Fin retracted the spear and took a step back. Her legs straight. Her back, lean and tall. “Again,” she said. Fin did the move repeatedly as Lance showed her. She twirled it then swung it around, precisely landing it exactly where she wanted it. At the soldier’s abdomen. He nodded. He understood. So did the rest of her men. Fin walked to the middle of the crowd. The men surrounded her. They were committed to the fight. To the cause. She had successfully gotten to the heart of why they were embarking on the mission. It was more than saving the individual cities. Even the people of Eulachon deserved as much. This was not a war against the people. It was army to army. No civilians would be harmed. The men stood valiantly. It was an honor to be close to her. She was more than a standard of beauty. She was the face of a new era.

  “You will have two weapons at your disposal. Everyone gets a long spear and a short one. Start with the long one. It keeps your enemies at a distance. But if it becomes lodged in their bodies, or if they grab it, you will have the smaller knife to continue your attack with. You can’t depend on either weapon alone. And don’t waste time trying to get it back. Once you wound them, take them out. Or they will gather themselves and use your own weapon against you. Do not allow them to do that,” she commanded.

  Fin walked among them looking the men directly in the eyes. Something she grew up watching her father do. It came naturally to her. She was a leader. She was brave. And now she was a skilled and formidable enemy of King Andreus. “I want you to practice. And just when you think you have mastered it, go another round. Water is more dense than air. Once you have mastered the air, go into the Trojian Sea. Practice handling yourselves in water. Go in groups of a hundred or more,” she said, as she smiled at Ziege. He and Arfusei would need to oversee the soldiers progress. Fin was sure they would be triumphant. The men looked ready. And their confidence was showing.

  Fin continued with her speech of encouragement. She told the men they were brave and that their families were proud. She lifted the morale of everyone there. It was something her father did well. And they could see King Zander’s spirit in Fin. She was now their beloved queen. They thought it was brave for her to want to go into battle with them. They preferred if she didn’t. But if she did, they would protect her fiercely.

  Each man vowed to die defending her. Fin was brought to tears as the men expressed gratitude for her inventive solution to help ensure victory. Fin thanked them and then asked that they visit their families once again. She understood the value of words and encouragements from loved ones. She herself had somewhere to be. She winced in pain but tried t
o keep from appearing weak. The confidence they had ready to fight alongside of her, was what she wanted. If they looked at her as vulnerable, it could cost them their lives. Especially if they spent time worried about her when she needed them to focus on the enemy before them.

  “Fin!” Lark shouted, as he tried to catch up with her. The skies were dusk. It would be dark soon. Fin turned around and waited for him. “Where are you going?” he asked, as he neared. Fin bit her lip. His interest in her every move was unwanted. His timing was bad. She was pregnant. A small protruding belly that hardly anyone noticed but Lark. She would deliver soon. And she didn’t feel like sharing the moment with him.

  “Lark. I have to go. My baby is coming. Please. I will explain to you later. It is no one you know. Don’t concern yourself with it. I need you to stay focused,” she said. Lark became emotional. Fin’s heart ached. She was torn. He loved her. Perhaps even more than Lance. But theirs was a bond built on a lasting friendship. He was family. She loved him, but it wasn’t enough. There could never be. Not with Lance taking up the entire space of her heart. She belonged to Lance. And she didn’t expect Lark to understand. She was connected to him mentally and spiritually. She had been with him sexually. They had done things that Lark could not fathom. Nermeins were virgins. Unable to visualize sex and lacked any desire for it. Their sexual parts were void of nerve endings. Or so it seemed.

  Fin turned and walked towards the Trojian Sea. She wasn’t sure how much time she had. Her baby was moving more aggressively. The feeling of twisted knots in her belly, was increasing. The baby wanted out. Fin touched her stomach. “Ok baby. Calm down. I have to take you home. You cannot stay here. I may not survive this battle. Your daddy will want you. He will love you, like I love you,” she said, as she wiped a tear.