It's Just Magic

Part Of Your World

The trio were pulled deeper and deeper underwater, the pressure building to a peak where they should really be being crushed.

Their nymph guide led them towards a large rock face, like an underwater cliff. There was a narrow opening carved into the boulder and the nymph swam towards it, gliding through the water and slipping through the gap. Dylan and Roxie were tugged along behind, one in a stunned stupor and one still passed out. Both were breathing naturally and seemed unaware of their surroundings.

Edendir pushed Dylan's legs out of his face and drifted through the crevice, ducking his head under a stalactite and stopping point-blank in shock when he saw the sights spread out before him.

An entire underwater city was laid out on the pond floor. But it wasn't a pond anymore; it was more like a sea, or an underwater world beneath the ground. Everything was covered in seaweed or shells, nymphs, mermaids and other watery creatures using them like decorations. Fruit that had been taken from the human world was stored in coral boxes and being traded along shell-paved streets, flippered feet patting the ground.

"I should probably take you to the main building," the nymph said, pointed face doubtful. "What are your names?"

"Edendir," the elf said, pointing to himself and then to his friends, "Dylan, and Roxie."

"I'm Meris," the nymph smiled, teeth glittering in the peculiar golden light shining at regular intervals. "It means 'of the sea'."

"My name means 'new young man'," Edendir replied. "Sort of stupid, I guess... Where are we?"

"Hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurre vitae," Meris chanted. "This is the place where death rejoices to teach those who live."

"Does it have a shorter name?" Dylan asked, coming back to reality with a nervous look on his face.

"Home," Meris said simply. "That is all."

"Meris!" a young voice cried. A smaller, male version of Meris swam over, blue tail flicking through the water. He wrapped his arms around Meris and looked up at her, resting his pointed chin on her stomach.

"You were summoned," he whispered. "I thought you wouldn't come back."

"This is my little brother," Meris said awkwardly, prying the boy's webbed fingers from around her midriff. "Aqua."

"How many water names are there?" Roxie groaned, rubbing her eyes. "And how the heck are we underwater and still alive?"

"You have air bubbles," Meris explained. "They'll last as long as you go underwater here, and any time after that."

"So I could swim the channel?" Dylan asked, eyes sparkling.

"You could walk it underwater," Meris told him.

"Let's go!" Dylan yelled, frightening Aqua and making Edendir jump. The elf shot backwards, lines of blue magic lacing the water and keeping Dylan in place.

"How did you do that?" Meris asked in fright, the street below going silent as people turned to stare. It seemed like there was no set place where you could be in Home with people swimming up by the cavern's roof as well as wandering along the seabed.

"I told you," Edendir growled, "I'm an elf."

"A water elf," Aqua added. "We were studying you in school."

"Go on," Roxie encouraged the young creature.

"As the entire water elf dynasty has died out," he began, "it is probable that somewhere along your family tree there were water elves breeding, possibly causing illegitimate children that were lost and then interbred with your normal elf family, thus causing a woodland elf-water elf hybrid. These genes were passed down to you, possibly skipping generations." He paused for breath before continuing. "As you have hidden water elf genes it is probable that you have hidden other genes that will only become apparent when you are thrown into an unknown situation. Oh, and elves aren't typically magic." He smiled nervously. "So you're probably part warlock as well. You're elf royalty, right?"