Tale from the Deepwater

Chapter 25

She began to sense the subliminal changes and moments felt like ages. Her eyes seemed to betray their function as her entire awareness was condensed in touch. She could feel the scaly texture lose its smoothness as it appeared to be falling off as sheeny motes into the water. The glassy physique itself was subtly yet palpably turning warmer and harder.

She had placed her hands where she thought the palm would be, and the surface that was rock-still, moved a little, thus startling her, and yet she kept her hand there. She realized what must be happening even though she could not see it clearly yet. The amorphous structure was slowly morphing into more pronounced parts. She could feel dents forming, and she intertwined her fingers where his fingers should be till they fully fit. The dark sheen on the skin, and the complexion itself, had started to turn from pitch black to a lighter shade till it was bronze. Hair had begun to sprout over the head that topped the face with shapely forming features. By the time the limbs, torso, and every part were formed, the only unchanged feature remained the eyes, which were still wholly crimson with no whites, and that made him look like a demon or a demigod. Finally, the color of his eyes stirred as if it were some bloodied liquid. It circled and contained itself into two orbs, leaving the sclera white and visible now with some lingering red veins. The eyes twitched, and the pupils dilated as they focused and finally looked at her. She was unnerved, but she did not move her hand and continued to look him in the eye. Her eyes widened in surprise as his intertwined fingers tightened their grip around hers, and the warmth spread throughout her palm but it only lasted for a while as he removed his hand from hers.

A long silence followed, and only her long wings that were dropping down in the water as raindrops pattered against them created a rhythmic patting sound.

"What did you say?" She was so taken aback by the low, deep voice that she flinched. She did not expect him to suddenly speak, and even when she processed it, she could not quite understand what he was asking, so she gaped mutely at him.

"Earlier, I saw you say something, but I could not hear it."

She finally remembered the small question that she had asked and which was in fact, so much on her mind so many times that she had forgotten about having uttered it out aloud and hence had to rack her brain to answer him. She couldn't believe that he was aware of her presence when she was sure he wasn't.

"I asked..." she was about to repeat it, but she couldn't muster enough courage to ask him to his now.

"It was nothing important," was her mere reply.

He didn't say or ask anything further. She stayed, and he did not leave either. The clouds had cleared away, and an icy wind, carrying the misty coldness created by the rain, blew.