Fins Above:HOPE

CH.9

The clouds rolled over the sun as its rays gleamed on a sandy beach. Giggles and laughter of the mindspace expanded as ears popped open and smiles breached the walls of paradise. Juicy fruits laid in the sands, rolling about as the sea came to drift them far away. It smelled like love, a nasty one that devoured the earth like a tiger to a deer. One buck picked up water in a woven bucket, holding the handles until his palm went blue. Though his form was made for walking, the sand made it difficult for him to scoot closer to his mate. Her longing eyes on him caught his heart, and he made clicking noises towards the smaller mermaid. The jewels alongside her ears swung as she laughed, holding one green fin to her bright smile. Her body shifted in the warm layers of earth. There, before her, was the love of her life.

The merman crouched, picking up her hands and guiding her to where he placed the bucket. The wind blew, wafting at her revealing loincloth and forcing her top to shimmer in the bright sun. Shade greeted them near the tall trees, which touched her sun kissed skin with chill as she cooed towards her mate. The two cracked open some of the fruits before scooping the innards and dapping them on the sides of their wooden plates. The siren moved his golden hair from his face. He had shown her how to make wooden plates instead of clay ones and make dipping sauces from the fruits of the trees. His toes outstretched as he shifted back, human skin prickling as sand rode up his thighs.

Olila looked at Sarga. Sarga looked at Olila. Their eyes met. With the passion of new lovers, the two connected their lips for a few seconds and held their chins together. A soft grunt came from Sarga as he pulled her into his lap, moving her tiny body downwards onto his hips. Olila nibbled at his smaller ears while the sea crashed behind them.

"Why do you only visit me hm?" She asked, rubbing his chest while she mewed.

He cleared his throat, clicking at her. "You know of the lengths I would go for you?" He pointed to the horizon of the sea, where the sun was hovering above, "Out of every gill and fin there, I chose you."

They watched the seagulls in the distance riding the waves, taking it all in one feather at a time. But a rippling force in the winds turned the ocean upside down and unleashed it into the earth. Cracks in the ground shot out with debris. Sarga picked up Olila, gripping onto her with his nails.

Galia strutted in, holding a panicked expression on her face. As the world returned to normal behind her, she rubbed her temples and groaned. The forest gleamed with life once more.

"It's just Galia.." Sarga relaxed his flexing body, slowly letting Olila go as the tang bounced excitedly on his lap.

Olila smiled, waving. "I'm so happy to see you!" She jumped off, quickly waddling over on her hind legs to shake the large hands of Sarga's sister, "He's told me so much about you."

Galia glanced down. His mate had that wide smile that you couldn't forget, which Galia seemed to find repulsive. The siren shook her hand anyway, then looked back at her looming brother.

Sarga scratched his head. "Why wait this long to show up?"

Galia stammered for a bit. Then she composed herself. "I was grieving for you. I didn't want to see you until I was ready. Even now, I don't like looking at you like this."

Sarga frowned a bit. The scars from after his death still existed. He had one hand, which was replaced with a modified seashell over the nub. His face was still battered and his ear was torn. The merman looked like a mashup of parts.

"The serious news," Galia wrapped her hands around a note, feeling the grooves in it, "Brizo left to go find her father's book so she could imbue the sword." Sarga fiddled with the note when it entered his palms.

The sirens glanced at each other before taking deep breaths. He unrolled the letter and found Brizo's prime scale strapped to the side of it in a necklace. His hand moved to his lip, biting his index finger. "Galia..."