by Kealohilani
A small splash and some distant conversation caught Lani’s attention. She looked to her right and noticed that Arante was leaning partway over the opposite railing of the ship. She seemed to be speaking to the water.
“What is Arante doing?”
“No doubt she is speaking with a mermaid.”
“A mermaid?! Really?! Wow! But, she’s speaking English, isn’t she? Don’t mermaids have their own language? Like Mermish or something?”
Lani felt a little stupid. After all, what did she know about mermaids? Her knowledge could be summed up in whatever facts she had learned from one of her favorite Disney movies of all time, or from the Hans Christian Anderson book it was based on. In other words— nothing.
“They did. As a matter of fact, each of our kingdoms had their own language once— some of them many languages. After a fashion, they still do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometime after the fall of Lanas— and before the fall of Zenastra— Vranah cast a forced-translation spell over all the Kingdoms of Alamea. From that time forward, every denizen of Alamea has been able to understand the communication of any other denizen.
“It made it easier for his men to subjugate the people when they no longer needed to concern themselves with securing reliable translators. It also insured that the conquered people could not work secretly in a language his minions could not understand.
“Consequently, although each individual still speaks his or her own language— they understand all others and are understood by all. Clearly the spell extended to you upon your arrival to our fair land. That would be why you believe that I am speaking… What did you call it? English?”
“Yes. You sound like you are speaking perfect English— with a charming accent. That is truly fascinating… So you are actually speaking to me in a different language right now?”
“Yes. I am speaking Trisaknen, which is the language of my kingdom— as is Arante with the mermaid— who is speaking Mermish, as you correctly called it. However, you hear us in your own language— just as I hear you in mine.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, it has its advantages. Although, we have lost much of our individual identities as kingdoms and cultures. A great deal of cultural identity is connected to language.”
“That is so true. It’s the same way on Earth. I think that is why it is always one of the first things that conquerors try to destroy— along with a people’s artistic and dance heritage. If they can rip the heart out of a nation, it falls much more easily.”
“Very wisely spoken, Lani. We have had to learn to express our uniqueness in other ways— as it is a permanent spell. I believe it would remain with you, were you to return to your own world.”
Lani thought of the advantages this would give her should she ever return. Before she had come to Alamea, it would have been a thrilling prospect to be able to travel all of Earth and speak every language— especially Europe and Polynesia.
A six-month split between a villa in Italy and a bungalow in Tahiti as permanent residences would have sounded like a dream. Not to mention the stories and the knowledge that she could help preserve amidst cultures whose languages had all but died!
A pang hit her heart again as she thought of home. Despite the hope she kept alive, it seemed so unlikely that she would ever find a way back. And even if she did find a way to return, she would never want to leave Jharate.
Maybe he would come with her if someone found a way to save Alamea and Earth… It was a hopeful idea at least. I need to stop thinking of home, Lani scolded herself. Get it together.
She diverted her thoughts back to Jharate and Alamea. She needed to focus on where she was now— and be happy here— not just keep thinking about where she wanted to go back to if a fairy godmother helped her go home someday with Jharate.
Lani looked up at Jharate and smiled with a gleam in her eyes. He smiled back at her and she closed her eyes happily. After a moment Lani opened up her eyes brightly and her eyelashes fluttered a little.
“You know, Jharate… I’ve never seen a mermaid before…”
Jharate smiled and lifted her gently into his arms— taking extreme care to protect her splinted leg— and carried her to where Arante was.
Lani looked down into the glassy black waters. Her eyes lit up in complete wonderment. The night was unusually dark and so she wouldn’t normally have been able to see anyone in the water. But the mermaid glowed.
She had long glossy silvery hair, with subtle streaks of lavender streaming throughout. Her tail splashed luxuriously and revealed its silver scales— which phosphoresced as she moved and gave off an unearthly glow— leaving behind a trail of evanescent, effervescent, coruscating light. Her purple eyes gleamed in the darkness— shining like her purple fish scales, which started just below her waist where the silver scales of her tail ended, and continued upwards until they perfectly covered her chest.
Strands of freshwater pearls draped across her shoulders like fallen straps. Her eyelids shimmered as if they were covered in ground up stars, and her lips were a glistening icy purple to match her eyes.
Freshwater pearls and assorted jewels made up her intricate necklace. Delicately intertwined, they supported a massive amethyst pendant— which hung just an inch or so above her cleavage, against her milky white skin. A magnificent, three-pronged crown— studded with diamonds and amethysts— rested on her head.
“Greetings, Narani,” Jharate said in a chivalrous and respectful tone. “Lani, this is Narani, Daughter of the King of All the Seas— Uarian the Great— Princess of the Merpeople. Narani, this is Lani Thomas, a traveler from another world.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” Lani said respectfully.
The mermaid nodded subtly in acknowledgement and returned her attention to Jharate with a mischievous grin on her face.
“She may have been in another world, but she is not from another world.”
Jharate raised an eyebrow.
“Please excuse me, Princess Narani, but what do you mean?” Lani asked curiously.
“It’s a secret,” Narani trilled with a small laugh. “You’ll find out.”
“Narani was just informing me as to what the men on the shore were doing and who they are. Jharate, we have a problem,” Arante stated gravely.
“Drakne?” Jharate guessed.
“Evidently. That explains why the wall of fire that followed us out suddenly stopped instead of burning the whole forest down. He was controlling it the whole time.”
Lani stared across the water, her head cocked to one side, immersed in thought. What had Princess Narani meant by saying that she was not from another world? She had been born in Southern California and adopted by the Thomas family not long after.
Her birth certificate said Fallbrook, California on it. It had had no information about her biological mother and father— but it was crystal clear as to where she had been born. Dr. Chipmanne had delivered her and he had signed it himself.
So how could she have been from anywhere but California? She had lived there her entire life. What could Princess Narani possibly m—
Lani suddenly went limp in Jharate’s arms.
“Lani? Lani!”
Jharate quickly took her back to where they had been before so she could lie down and be supported by the deck of the ship again— holding her gently in his arms. Had he allowed her to do too much too soon? He held her close and prayed for her to revive again.
Rats on a Sinking Ship
Chapter Fifteen
Lani opened her eyes. She blinked to make sure she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing. The green marble floor. The long purple carpet. The dark chandeliers. The dim torches. None of it faded away or dissolved into nothingness.
I’m in Jharate’s throne room! She could now stand and there was no pain in her leg. Her attention was drawn to her right and she started.
“Kara, what are you doing here?!” Lani asked in a panic.
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Kara did not answer. She was on her hands and knees inside a force field, breathing hard. Her skin glistened with a fine layer of sweat.
As Lani moved to run to help Kara, she found herself unable to do so. She looked down at her feet and physically pulled her legs with her hands, but they would not budge. She tried harder— then frantically— but it was no use. She could do nothing but watch.
Lani looked up helplessly as a man stepped out of the shadows in front of Kara, just outside of the electric cage, which held her captive. Lani’s eyes grew wide. Panic flooded her being. There was no mistaking the tall menacing figure or those cold soulless orbs. Vranah!
Lani’s heart beat rapidly as she remembered the dream she had recently had, in which Vranah had burned an entire village to the ground, along with all the innocent villagers— and realized, for the first time, that it hadn’t been a dream at all…
Now— even more frantic to help Kara— she tried even harder to run to her aid. But, just as before, she was powerless to do anything other than to observe.
“One final piece of information and you shall have your desire. I will send you home.”
“What information?” Kara whispered.
“Give me the names of your companions from the forest. First— the names of those who are of this world. Next— the names of your friends who came through the portal with you.”
Lani felt a burst of panic within her for Kara. Had Lani been in Kara’s place, she would have remained silent, but she knew Kara would use a different strategy. Kara was a brilliant girl with a great imagination— and she was also a decent actress.
She had always won whenever they had played the game Two Truths and a Lie, because she was so good at making everything sound true. But Vranah was the master of lies.
Would he know when Kara gave him the wrong names? Would he be able to sense it? What would he do to her then?
If Kara pulled off the ruse that Lani knew she was about to employ— and Vranah somehow bought it— would Vranah actually let Kara go as a reward? Lani prayed he would.
Kara exhaled slowly and a single tear fell from her eye and hit the floor with a quiet splash. She bit her lip and turned her head away from Vranah, pausing for a moment. She released her lip with a pained sigh and stared at the ground as the names slipped sadly from her tongue.
“Jharate and Arante are the only names I know. There are about thirty others with them but I don’t remember what their names are. As for my friends who came with me from my world— their names are Raoul, Justin, Kendra, Erik, and Lani. Now please let me go home,” she sobbed in self-loathing.
Lani gasped, shook her head, and cried out in disbelief.
“No, Kara… no… How could you?!” Hot, despondent, double-crossed tears streaked slowly down Lani’s cheeks as Vranah smiled.
“Ahhh. Drakne’s work will be easy then. After he kills the girls from your world, the prince will be mine as well. Things do certainly work to my advantage at times. Ha! Willing to sell your friends’ lives for a simple trip home. How delectable! Drakne was right to send you to me.”
Lani felt as though the room had suddenly gotten colder. She truly hoped Vranah had meant it when he promised to send Kara home alive. But her sudden fear for everyone else came to the forefront now.
She wondered what she and Kendra could have possibly done that would merit his attention? And what if he saw her now? Was that possible?
She had assumed this was a vision— but she had never had one like this. Everything she had seen before had always been more like the kind of three-dimensional feeling of watching a 3D movie on a movie screen. This felt as though she were actually in the room.
What if I am? Was it possible that she was only moments away from her own death? And even if it were only a vision, was it possible that she could be hurt or even killed while she was within it? The sound of Kara’s horrified voice pulled Lani’s attention back to the moment at hand.
“K-kk-k-kill them? N-N-No, you c-can’t! They’re my friends! They-they aren’t important to you! Just send them home like me!”
“Oh no, my dear, feeble, girl. You see, you are not important. You are not a Half-Heart, obviously. Even the weakest of all Half-Hearts can put up a bigger fight under torture.
“But your friends… now their importance is less certain. At least one of them is a Half-Heart. And— as fortune would have it— one of the strongest Half-Hearts ever born. Although I do not know which one she is— or whether or not there are more Half-Hearts in the group who traveled with you to this world— it is no matter. I will know who she is when her body is brought before me.”
“But they are my friends! Just send them back like me! They can’t bother you there!”
“Oh no,” Vranah chuckled darkly. “I will not make that mistake again. Nevertheless, I will keep my word. You are going to go home— now!”
Vranah snapped his fingers and she disappeared. The force field deactivated and he smiled as he looked at the vacant spot. The wind blew in from one of the throne room windows and Vranah stood frozen… completely still… waiting.
“What is this treachery?” Vranah asked, his eyes narrowing. “Someone is WATCHING ME!”
He reeled and faced the spot where Lani stood. Her eyes widened in terror and she struggled wildly to move, to run, to hide— anything. But she could not.
She stopped and held her breath as Vranah neared. Vranah walked closer and closer until his downturned, sharp-featured face was a mere foot or so away from her own. He towered over her, and Lani’s desire to flee became desperate.
“YOU! Whoever you are— I cannot see you, but I know you are here! I would not use a gift such as yours to spy on me if I were you! You do not know what I am capable of!
“Ah, you are with the prince. I can sense it. I told you spying on me could be dangerous. You have now betrayed him.
“From the moment a door is opened, it may be stepped through in either direction, you foolish girl. Perhaps you are the one I am looking for. Perhaps not. I cannot be sure. What is this magic protecting you? Mark my words— it will not save you from me forever! Now GO!”
As he commanded her exit, he shot a stream of energy straight through her. She threw her hands up defensively, closed her eyes, and screamed.
Jharate endeavored to keep Lani from harm as she struggled against his arms harder and harder and harder, until her eyes flew open and a frenzied cry burst forth from her lips.
“You are safe, Lani!” Jharate spoke firmly to her. “You are safe now! I am here. You are safe. What happened? What did you see?”
Lani relaxed and breathed a relieved sigh as Jharate’s face came into focus and she realized where she was. She threw her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder for a moment— before letting go, reclining back into the crook of his arm, and concentrating. She had never experienced anything that vivid and strong before. The intensity was so great that she didn’t even notice that all of her friends were staring at her.
“What did you see, Lani?” Jharate asked again.
“I… he… she… it was… what? Oh my goodness… Vranah! It was Vranah! He had Kara! Where is Kara?! Is she safe?!”
“I am sorry to inform you that Kara left to find a way home just before the fire occurred,” Jharate divulged solemnly. “What else did you see? Has Vranah harmed her?”
“He tortured her to get information. She told him! She gave him your name and Arante’s as well! And… the rest of my friends! And mine… I think he sent her home. Something about her not being a Half-Heart so she could live.
“He ordered Drakne to kill the rest of the women from my world. I guess that means Kendra and me. And he wants you! He wants to capture you!
“He wants the rest of my friends too! But he isn’t sure why. He seems to think that at least one of us is a Half-Heart for sure but… he saw me!”
“Are you certain?” Jharate asked. “How is that possible?”
“Well, he didn’t see me with his
eyes— but he sensed me. He told me not to spy on him. He told me he couldn’t see me, but that he knew I was with you, and that I couldn’t be safe forever.
“I don’t understand. I’ve seen him before in other visions or dreams, or whatever they were, and he’s never noticed me! And how could there be a chance that any of us could be a Half-Heart? I was born in California! So were all of my friends. Half-Hearts are only born in Alamea! There must be a mistake!”
Lani’s friends looked very confused. They whispered to each other and looked from Lani, to Arante, who was nearest them, and back to Lani again.
Kendra rolled her eyes and glanced back at Lani one more time. She stood up, threw her head back and dragged her feet the few steps between her and Arante before stopping in front of her and dropping her head dramatically to look down at the deck.
“What’s a Half-Heart?”
Now Arante rolled her eyes and sighed before answering.
“How can you not know this yet? You’ve been here how long?!”
She hopped up onto one of the railings and crossed her legs gracefully. Her boots and stockings were drying— so she was currently barefooted. Her toenails were painted a perfect shade of light lavender with royal purple and white flowers— which looked like fruit tree blossoms— painted on top of the base color. Each flower had a rhinestone in its center. Her feet looked as though she had frequent pedicures.
How the heck is she keeping that up?! Kendra wondered.
Arante sat there on the railing with ease and perfect posture— as if she had grown up on a ship or was part of the ship itself— speaking in a slightly-bored-but-matter-of-fact tone.
“Alright, listen up. I am not going to repeat myself. According to legend there are twenty-four Half-Hearts born in every generation— twelve exceedingly virtuous men and twelve exceedingly virtuous women.
“One of our primal prophecies states that if any man and woman, who happened to both be Half-Hearts, could ever find each other, fall in love, and marry in a place ‘magically prepared’ for such a union—” she made quote marks in the air again “— they would be able to tip the balance of power from evil to good, and defeat Vranah forever. Only problem is— according to that same prophecy— only Vranah knows who they are.”
