Music From The Deep

Lulled To Sleep

Each breath sent a surge of pain shooting across Sedrick's skin. He groaned, tail curling and twisting in agony as he awoke. Then he felt a hand pressed to his face, gently caressing his cheek as he was cruelly dragged into consciousness. He gasped piteously, clutching at his chest, which burned on the outside.

Shhh, it's okay. It'll hurt a little bit. But you will be okay. Mare soothed, stroking his cheek.

He opened his eyes, afraid when he found that there was a veil of fog over his vision. He couldn't see anything properly, and it terrified him to find that the face of Mare was just a pale blur before his eyes.

I... I can't see. Sedrick said, panic rising in his chest.

Toxins from the angry Mer. Making you sick. Mare explained, smoothing Sedrick's hair gently. It will not kill, only sicken. It will end soon.

Nodding slightly, he felt a new pain flooding through his body. His very veins seemed to be on fire, lava pouring through his body and scalding him from the inside out.

It... it burns! He wailed.

He arched his back, lashing out his tail. It was so painful that he was sure he was dying. Mare kept stroking his hair, unable to do anything more to help him.

Sedrick clenched his teeth tightly to prevent himself from screaming, though it wasn't like he could make any audible noise underwater. As he did this, he felt the tip of his fang jab into his lip.

Can I do anything to help you? Mare asked, holding Sedrick close as he shook like a fever patient.

Sing? He practically begged, hand closing around the hand Mare held his cheek with.

There was a brief pause, before Mare opened her mouth to sing. It was a melody that Sedrick recognized from sailing off the coast of Iralu. A story of a sailor hoping to find the heart of the sea and tame it because of how much he loved and cherished the waves.

In the end, however, the sailor's ship had capsized in a hurricane, the sailor sinking into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again, laid to rest at the very bottom of the ocean.

Or at least, that's how the song should have gone.

Mare did sing of a sailor, yes. But he did not perish in the ocean like the song Sedrick knew. The sailor she sang of dove into the waves looking for the heart of the sea, only to find a Mer. She was kind and showed him the beauty of what lay beneath the surface.

And because he loved the ocean so deeply, she transformed him into a Mer like her.

I know that song... or something similar... Sedrick said, eyes closing against a sudden wave of pain.

I heard it a very long time ago. My... pod? Maybe? Did the...

A rush of blood filled Sedrick's ears, blocking out what Mare was saying to him. He twisted around again, feeling Mare hold him tighter, before he sank back into nothingness.

Mare hid in the eel cave with Sedrick lying unconscious beside her, desperately lonely for the first time in a very, very long time. While the eels were good company, she missed the way Sedrick talked to her and his facial expressions.

Right now, the only expression on his face was pain.

She didn't leave his side. Not even to search for any food. She feared that the Mer that had attacked them would come back. He never did, though, despite how afraid Mare was. What if he was angry that she had retaliated? He was a large Mer, her bite might not do a lot of damage.

They were safe in the cave. For now.

Sedrick did not wake fully for several days. There were times when his lips would move, but she could not understand what he said. She often wondered what he was saying, if he spoke of anything above the surface. He was quiet about that. It seemed to pain him.

His eyes would open on occasion, but there seemed to be a sort of cloudy film over his eyes. Waving her hand before his face did little to get him to focus. The toxin from the attacker must have affected his vision.

When Sedrick woke next, Mare had curled her tail over his chest, meditatively making her scales glow for her own entertainment. He had begun to stir, breaking her out of her reverie. She stroked his face, watching as he opened his eyes.

For the first time in several days, his eyes fixed clearly on her.

Mare? He said tentatively.

You're awake! She said happily, hugging him tightly from behind. How do you feel?

Sore... but alright. How long was I out?

A few days. I'm very glad you're awake now.

I'm sorry to have worried you.

Don't be. You are okay now, that is what matters, yes? I do wonder, how did he find you? What were you doing? I thought you had been sleeping in the cave. Mare said, worrying at her lower lip.

Sedrick sighed, running his hand over his face. He winced slightly, lightly touching the claw marks along his chest and tail.

I was hunting. He said at last. I don't want to be a burden. I thought that I could experiment while you were hunting. I can't hunt like you can, after all.

This surprised Mare. She had thought that perhaps he had just surfaced to see the sun.

He attacked while you were hunting then?

After I had finished, I guess. I had caught something. I'm guessing that my catch is what he was after. Too lazy to catch it himself, I suppose.

Territorial, I think. Mare disagreed. Stealing from another Mer is too much effort. Most often at least. I don't understand why he would be territorial, though. I've never seen someone so aggressive over this stretch of water.

You've never seen him before, then?

Like I said before, it has been many years since I've seen another.

Sedrick nodded to himself, closing his eyes. Mare feared that he had gone back to sleep when he opened his eyes again. Without the film and being so close to him, Mare was able to truly see his irises, dark brown, shot through with green and flecked with spots of gold.

We don't have to stay here anymore. I'm sure I can get around just fine. You don't have to come with me either. Sedrick added hastily. I can navigate with the stars, I've done that for years.

If you were to go alone you would die. Mare said candidly, knowing that it was true. If you get attacked again, in this state, you will die. I will help you get home.

He didn't say anything, merely looked away, deep in thought.

Are you sure? That wasn't exactly the best thing to happen for being your first real Mer to see in years.

I'm sure I will manage. My pod was not the kindest, after all. When do you want to leave?

Sedrick pushed himself up, but his limbs shook despite his efforts to steady himself.

We rest first then. Mare decided, pulling Sedrick back to her. You sleep. I will hunt. When you are strong again we will leave.

Alright. Sedrick said, eyes slipping shut, taking a deep breath. Don't be afraid to wake me. I've done enough sleeping to last me the rest of my life.

We'll see about that. Mare said, easing herself away from Sedrick to get to the cave mouth. Ichiro is going with me to hunt, the rest will stay with you.

Thank you, Mare. Sedrick said faintly, drifting back off to sleep.

Mare watched him for a moment, before nodding at Ichiro and slipping out of the cave.