by Orchid Leigh
With a loud whoosh, we were falling.
Like a laser, the light had cut a large slab in the ice. It was now a floor under our feet, and a sheer wall of ice rose around us as we fell.
We descended rapidly, like a snapped elevator, and the icy walls changed to a murky wall of lake water that held firm at the sides and miraculously did not spill in and flood us.
The elevator continued down, and the water changed to rocks and dirt, then to ice again. But to my amazement, it wasn’t ice at all.
A bright light danced and bounced off the crystalline surface, creating shimmery sparkles. They were not walls made of ice but were a solid crystal that shifted from an opaque white to a sparkly clear diamond as we moved.
Dazzling rainbows bounced and beamed around us. I looked at Peter, who gazed around, mesmerized by the scene. His eyes fell on mine and we stared at each other, wide-eyed and grinning, as the rainbows played across our faces.
The elevator stopped.
“We are here,” said Levvi.
He pressed an invisible button on the wall. It lit a circle around his finger, and a solid stone door in front of us turned to vapor.
18
We stepped out of the elevator and my jaw dropped.
The room we had entered was enormous—a spectacularly large cavern cut from stone. Its floors and walls were composed of the same white crystal as the elevator, and it stretched out far and wide, covering the room in a blanket of sparkling white.
I stared in awe.
The room was bustling with activity. Creatures that resembled Levvi, with their pasty pale skin, filled the space. Unlike Levvi, though, many of these figures had hair in a rainbow of breathtaking colors.
Among the strange figures, dressed in white, were several white unicorns just as beautiful and poised as Midnight—all with an array of pastel rainbows coloring their manes and tails.
The chattering noise from the crowd bounced off the walls of the large room, creating an echo of ambient sound that reminded me of the busy train station in the city.
There were several pools of sparkling blue water casually scattered throughout the grounds, with white crystal bridges and pathways winding around and stretching over the pools. Pops of vibrant-colored hair in various shades of reds, blues, and pinks moved throughout the waters as figures swam.
High on the ceiling above, so magnificently far up that I felt like I would fall over if I were to continue to crane my neck in that direction, was a large domed skylight. It shined a bright light down into the white room, illuminating the entire space brilliantly.
To my right was a smaller space separate from the main room. Its walls were scooped and curved, creating a cozy enclosure, like a large den ready and awaiting a giant, sleepy bear. There was a roaring fireplace situated on the back wall of the den, and a round, steaming pool was off to the side, with several folks lazily relaxing in the mist.
At the far end of the main room, a towering wall rose as high as a cliff. It homed a breathtaking array of rough-cut, crystal clusters that jutted out at various intervals, displaying many beautifully cut facets that shimmered and sparkled along its surface.
In the mid-center of the wall fell a curtain of water that streamed around and over a stone arched opening. Steamy bubbles cascaded down on both sides where they fell and hit the stone floor with a splash.
And to my utter astonishment—and complete disbelief—the remaining wall to my left was a clear, blue, sparkling panel of water, smooth and still like a fishbowl. However, there was no glass. And a young boy, walking hand in hand with his mother, stretched out playful fingers to glide them along the smooth surface. His fingers rippled through with ease, and a stream of water splashed down, creating puddles at his feet.
The tranquil sea outside was a luminous blue world of water. Hundreds of shimmery fish swam in and out of a system of spectacularly colored coral reefs. The reef rose in layers from the white sandy seabed, creating a garden that bloomed in a vivid display of colors.
The rocky life teamed with creatures I didn’t recognize. A school of funny-looking pink, balloon-shaped fish weaved in and out of vibrant green kelp. A dozen jellyfish-like creatures with glowing rainbow tentacles lazily bobbed along near the surface of the wall. The jellyfish were followed by a large tangerine manta ray with a watchful cycloptic eye. It swooped down along the wall, leaving a cascade of bubbles in its wake.
And then I noticed them. The brightly colored pops of hair that had been swimming in the pools were also swimming around outside.
There was a small group of individuals clustered together in a tight circle, and in a beautifully synchronized burst, they pushed off and out from one another like a flowering fireworks display, revealing a dozen shimmery fish tails that gracefully fluttered in the water.
A pretty young girl, who broke from the group, swam down the length of the wall to a large arch made of white stone. It acted as a sort of door connecting the two spaces, and she swam down and through the opening, where she was poured out into a stream. The stream carved its way into the stony floor of the main room.
She swam until reaching a stone ledge and pulled herself up. She lifted a metallic green and violet tail from the water. Droplets spilled and splashed off the ends of her tail fins. In an instant, the tail faded into legs that were now covered in a shimmery white skirt.
“You’re mermaids!” I exclaimed.
I looked at Levvi unbelievingly and then to Peter, who stared slack-jawed at the scene before us.
“Yes,” said Levvi with a smile. “Though some of us prefer mermen.”
I laughed. “Levvi, this is wonderful!”
I gazed around in amazement. The sheer beauty of it all was overwhelming, and my eyes brimmed with tears.
“I am glad you like it, my princess, for it is your home.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
He held out his hand to me. “Come with me. I will show you more.”
I took Levvi’s hand as he guided me through the room. Midnight and Peter followed closely behind.
“This, my princess,” he said, “is the main center of our city, Glacia.”
He lifted stretched arms and swept them proudly around the room. My eyes followed his fingers, and the magnitude of the beauty before me hit me once again. I stared, amazed.
He led us down a stone path that followed along the edge of one of the pools. It circled around, and we came to stand beside the unbridled wall of water. I marveled as I watched a young mermaid playing outside in the blue abyss—so happy and free, swimming in the water with her beautiful green tail.
“This here is the main entrance,” said Levvi. He pointed to the arched door I had seen the mermaid swim through before.
I looked through the arch opening out into the beautiful sea. The water moved and flowed through a channel, and I was amazed to see it didn’t all spill in and flood the place. I shuddered to think what would happen if it did.
“Farther down,” continued Levvi, “through that arched door in the back, are miles of passages that lead to the rest of the city. That is where you will also find the private quarters of our citizens.”
“Is this where all mermaids live?” I asked.
“Oh, no.” He laughed. “Not quite. We are just one city, though we are a large one. Many merfolk live in smaller groups apart from us and they are scattered all over your world.”
“So you’ve always lived here? Below us?” asked Peter.
“Yes, Glacia is an ancient city. We were here even before humans walked the land above.”
I stared, bewildered. “So all the legends are true?”
He laughed again. “Oh, no. I am sure they are not, but I suspect many have origins based in reality.”
“What about Midnight?” I asked. “Do unicorns also live here?”
“They do not live here. Not really. Some have found a home here, but mostly they are land creatures.”
“So where do they live?” asked Peter.
“They live in the forest,” said Levvi.
“What forest?” Peter’s face lit with excitement.
“Yes,” said Levvi, leaving me and Peter to stare at each other in confusion.
“Huh?” we said together.
“Oh, I am sorry. I was responding to the question you asked in your mind,” said Levvi. “They do live in your forest above, and yes, they are the ones who have formed the magnificent trails you walk. They make their homes in forests all over the world, though they are more adaptive to colder regions.”
“But how come we’ve never seen them?” asked Peter.
“That is because their magic conceals them and allows them to move as ghosts through your world,” said Levvi.
“Is that the same magic that keeps everybody away from the lake?” I asked. I was sure now that that was it.
Levvi’s eyes brightened. “Oh, well, we merfolk have our own magic for that,” he said with a wink. “But now, I am sorry. We must move on. Perhaps we can arrange another visit soon and I can give you a proper tour and answer all your questions at that time. Follow me.”
Peter and I followed Levvi as he and Midnight guided us through the crowd. Many eyes looked our way, and Levvi greeted each with a friendly nod as we passed.
As we walked, we crossed over a delicately carved stone footbridge. The water below was as clear as diamonds, and a single small blue fish swam around in circles beneath us.
We came to the back of the room, where the stone wall towered high above, and we passed under the archway in the middle.
The noise from the raining waterfall echoed into a long, dark hallway that extended out in front of us. Midnight’s horn beamed brightly, and we followed him and Levvi down the lengthy passageway.
To my right, several archways opened up into more tunnels, which Levvi pointed out were the entrances that led to the sleeping quarters, the pasture for the unicorns, the queen’s chamber, the dining hall, and other various locations in the city.
We continued down for some time before walking through another door at the end. Here the floor slanted up, turning into a ramp. The slanted floor curved up and around, running along the wall of the circular room like a spiral staircase. A stone rail ran along the inner edge. I rested my hand on it and stopped.
“Peter,” I said, calling him over. He had just entered through the door behind me. “Look!” I pointed over the rail.
He peered out, and we both stood with our heads leaning over the rail, looking up and then down again in amazement. The serpentine floor wound beautifully in a concentric spiral that towered up for hundreds of feet above us. Peter stepped back.
“That makes me a little dizzy,” he said.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Oh, look, we gotta get going.”
I pointed at Levvi and Midnight, who had continued to walk and were now higher up on the other side of the tubular space, directly across from us. Peter and I ran to catch up.
We walked for some time, climbing higher with each step. At last, we exited through a door on the side. We entered a narrow hallway and followed it down until we came to another room at the end.
19
This room was much smaller than the entrance hall. It was dome-shaped, like a carved stone bowl flipped upside down. The walls were marked with several cut-out windows running along the length of them, each one with a curtain of water splashing down behind.
At the top and in the center of the dome, there was a prismed sunroof with a bright light shining through. The dazzling light cast hundreds of colorful rainbows around the room, and they bounced off the water of a large round pool centered on the ground below.
The pool was filled with dozens of merfolk swimming around and hanging off the edge as they chatted. They were speaking in a strange, melodious language that came very close to something that sounded like singing, and it echoed a lovely song around the stony room. Levvi led us over to the group.
One by one, as they saw us, the mermen and merwomen pulled their fins from the water and hopped out of the pool on legs. There was a chorus of voices as each of the individuals stretched out their hands to greet us. Their smiling faces were warm and friendly, but the fervent attention was daunting and working to set me on edge.
Levvi motioned Peter and me over to a stone bench that circled the perimeter of the pool. I found a spot on the bench and sat down. Peter followed, sitting with shaky legs beside me.
“Good evening, my friends,” said Levvi to the group.
The merfolk quieted down, some settling into the pool with their soft fluttering tails, with a dozen more finding their seats on the stone bench beside us.
“I welcome you,” said Levvi. “But we must be quick tonight. Our guests are from the land above and are borrowing our time. And to avoid any confusion, let us also remember to keep to their language tonight.”
Levvi motioned for me to stand. I followed his orders on weak knees.
“May I introduce to you Miss Cordelia Amora Heart,” he said. He smiled at me and added, “Our princess!”
The crowd cheered, and applause filled the air. Every face was a spotlight upon me, and my knees quivered. I sat back down next to Peter, feeling uneasy. He found my hand beside him and kept it firmly in his.
Levvi waited patiently for the crowd to quiet.
“She has joined me tonight on a single strand of faith, and I promised we would provide answers and the information she needs to decide,” he said. He turned and spoke to a pretty mermaid who sat across the circle from us. “Starla, will you so kindly give Princess Cordelia a brief summary of her connection and history to Glacia?”
Starla looked cheerfully at me. She had shiny magenta hair that draped smoothly over her pale shoulders. A pointy pink nose and rosy cheeks matched her hair. She wore a strappy, white pearled top that stopped just at her naval. And in place of her tail was a long flowing skirt in a shimmery white. She was lovely.
“Yes, Levvi,” said Starla. She turned to me. “Oh, Cordelia, my sweet and beautiful princess, it is my greatest pleasure to meet you—”
“Quickly, if we could, Starla,” interrupted Levvi.
“Yes, of course,” said Starla. She stared down at her lap and continued, this time reading from a stone tablet in her hands. “Cordelia Amora Heart, it is my greatest pleasure.” She smiled at me. “I am here to inform you that you are the descendant of the most high and admirable Queen Zera, who ruled our city with love and honor for many years.
“Queen Zera was the loveliest and kindest of rulers, and as a nation, we flourished and prospered during her reign, so much so that much of what you see today in Glacia is a direct result of the Golden Age of Zera. She remained in power until the end of her long life, whereupon her great-granddaughter, Leira, took up the throne.
“Leira was a kind and lovely ruler, but her time as our leader was cut short, for she was young, and her heart betrayed us when she fell in love with a human. She abandoned us for him and for a life in the world above.
“Without our queen, we were left vulnerable and scared. We carried on the best we could, managing a peaceful and happy life, even though we were without a queen and the protection of her magic.
“But we did not know that amongst us—disguised as a friend and fellow mermaid—there lurked an evil witch. And while we were naively living our peaceful lives, her darkness brewed and bubbled.
“Razora was a witty and cunningly clever mermaid, and she was the best friend who Leira left behind. But we are sure not even Leira knew of the corruption in her heart.
“And once Leira, her only friend, was gone, Razora had no reason to carry on pretending for the rest of us.
“When we finally saw her true colors, it was already too late.
“And when we realized her heart’s true intentions, ours broke.
“Razora desired to be queen. We thought it should have been impossible, for the queen’s magic is transferable only to the rightful heiress. But she was somehow able to bypass that ancient and dee
ply set law, and she obtained the power of the queen.
“Unlike the sweet and pure magic of the true queen, Razora’s magic was dark and bitter, and it brought destruction to our lovely city.
“A dark shadow was cast over us as she sat as queen, and those cold, dark days are remembered with fear and sadness. We lost so much and many poor souls to her evil ways.
“But graciously, those dreadful days did not last long, for one morning, we woke to discover Razora was gone.
“And we have gone on now for many years believing she had passed and her threat had been buried with her, but once again, we were wrong.
“She is back . . . and she is again hovering over us, threatening to take over and destroy Glacia and the beautiful merpeople that live here.
“We are weak against her because she is still queen. A queen’s power surpasses any other, and only the true heiress would have the power to fight against Razora.
“We need our princess to take the throne, giving Razora no power over us anymore.
“Once the heiress returns and we have our true queen, Razora will be powerless and we will be released from her chains for good.
“You, my dear, are that said heiress. And our hope is that you may consider helping us.”
Starla finished and looked up from the stone tablet.
I tried to swallow the magnitude of what she had just spewed at me, but my throat was so scratchy and dry. I coughed a dry cough and scanned the room. So many hopeful, pleading, sad eyes stared right at me. I met them with sorrow and pity.
I chewed my lip and sighed. Obviously, there had been a mistake.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I’m not who you think I am.”
A large merman who sat beside Starla spoke. “Levvi,” he said. “Did you not get the right child?”
Levvi looked at me with an affectionate smile. “It is she,” he said. “But she was never informed of any of this until tonight.”
