Happily Ever After... The Wizard's Game

Chapter Eleven

The salt water was warm from the warmth of the sun as I swam moving my mermaid tail up and down in a rhythmic motion. I held my breath my lungs burning in protest, I was scared to open my mouth to breath in the water and find that the mermaid had tricked me. I gasped as I finally gave in, with relief I found that I could breath as little air bubbles went up around my face through the water.  The deeper down I swam the darker and colder the water became as I swam through all five sea layers. It didn't take long for me to reach the hadalpelagic zone otherwise known as the ocean floor.
Tiny pebbles of sand spread out around me in all directions with seaweed, rocks, and drift wood scattered about in random places. Behind me was a wall of stone with algae covering it. A fortress reminding me that the only way back was forward into the dark unknown.    I swam forward through the dark cold water repeating in my head the landmarks I had to pass to get to the sea witch's cave. Coral reef, sunken ships, sea cave, coral reef, sunken ships, sea cave, coral reef......
I was surprised by how fast I could swim in a mermaid tail. Once you got the rhythm down of moving your hips up and down together you could go surprisingly fast. My eyes quickly adjusted to the dark water. Before I knew it a coral reef lied ahead surrounded by several different colors of coral, from blue, to pink, to orange all different shapes and sizes. Pink sea anemone waved as if to say hello from the trenches they grew by along with other sea plants, seaweed, and algae that I didn't know the name of. All around fish buzzed like bees moving all around some in schools of fish, others darting here and there by themselves.
I gasped coming to a jolt stop as a school of fish cut me off swimming right in front of me with out stopping. "Sorry!" One of them called out behind him as they swam. I shook my head and smiled the mermaid was right these fish will run me right down. There were all different kinds of fish: clown fish, puffer fish, bluefish, cod, founder, striped bass, sea trout, sea perch, yellow tail, tuna, shrimp, starfish and more. All the fish swimming every where reminded me what it would be like in the Pub at the busiest nights when I used to work with Tallulah, or even a day in the market place. I swam a little ways then paused as a school of fish swam by before swimming on again. Finally I made it out of the coral reef, I was starting to distaste the smell of fish and salt water that hung all around me. I couldn't wait to be rid of this fish tail, I put on a burst of speed. I wondered what Hayden and Elowen were doing back on shore with the mermaid. Were they worried about me? I hope not, I didn't want them to worry. I had to get back to them. I had to get back to my precious baby Jessamore, to Elowen, and dare I admit it even back to Hayden. That boy held a place in my heart, and no matter how much time had passed for me, not even the fact that I was married to King Dylan could change the fact that deep down I still cared for him though I tried to deny it.
Shivering I slowed down casting sideways glances at my new surroundings. When the mermaid said sunken ship wrecks I didn't think she meant horrifying creepy ship wrecks. Jagged holes loomed out of old forgotten ships that had hit a rock and sunk to the bottom of the sea. Torn sails still clung helplessly to the ships never to feel the wind in them again. The whole grave yard of ships cast off shadows everywhere and  gave me an eerie feeling that I didn't like. I slowly made my way through the wreckage dogging wrecked ships and barrels that had rolled out of them.  I gasped coming to quick stop as I ducked behind the closest wrecked ship near me.
Looming up ahead swaying back and forth as he swam was a huge great white shark! All the blood drained from my face and went all the way down to the tippy bottom of my pink mermaid fin. I gulped as I peeked out at the massive predator. Every bone in my body told me to stay hidden right where I was, but also with each breath of salt water I took in reminded me that my minutes of breathing underwater were counting down and soon I wouldn't be able to breath at all.  I closed my eyes gathering up my courage before it sunk just like one of these sunken ships.
Biting my lips I peeked out looking around me for the great white shark. Seeing nothing I grabbed the rotten wooden railing of the ship and pushed myself up. I pushed myself forward with my mermaid tail moving up and down as fast as I could swim all the while looking out for the shark. I screamed as I heard a snarl, looking back I saw the great white shark hiding right towards me. I swam faster gasping for breath as I tried to out swim the creature. I swam into an  opening of a wrecked ship the shark following close behind. He snapped through the rotten floors of the ship trying to catch me. I swam up through the ship to a widow porthole. My hips got stuck on the other side of the window and I placed my hands on either side of the ship and pushed myself through swimming harder than ever.
I'm not exactly sure how, but I somehow out swam and lost the shark in the tangle maze of sunken ships. I kept on swimming though, not once looking back. My tail and abs ached from moving up and down, up and down. I felt weak and exhausted when up ahead loomed a large cave. None other than the sea witch's. 
The closer I got I could see the round entrance of the cave, but no windows or holes to peek in and see what it was like. How was I going to tell if the Sea Witch was home or not? What if I was swimming right into a trap? I stared at the long seaweed bed that led into the sea cave ready to pull any mermaid that tried to swim through to her/his death. The mermaid's words floated to my head, you look like a mermaid, but you're still a human at heart so the sea witch's spell on the seaweed shouldn't affect you. "Hello?" I called out from the entrance of the sea cave. Hearing no response I cautiously entered swimming as close to the ceiling just in case the seaweed could pull me down. The sea cave had a long narrow tunnel that would led me to the Sea Witch's layer. All along the sandy bottom were seaweed that waved back and forth threatening.
A piece of seaweed brushed against my pink tail and I stifled a scream freezing where I was at. But the seaweed didn't wrap it's self around me, it must have just been the movement of the water. I hurried through the rest of the tunnel till I emerged into the main open  area of the sea cave which was a wide open room. Directly in front of me towards the back was a mirror with starfish around the frame. A rock used for a counter was directly under the mirror with a sea sponge as a cushion. I'm guessing that's where the sea witch applied her makeup. Off to the side was a huge sea shell cauldron for prancing spells and other witchcrafts. Opposite of the cauldron was a giant clam shell hanging on the wall. Other than that the Sea Witch's cave was dark and empty of any living soul.
Thinking fast I hurried over to counter searching for any potion bottles. The sea witch was gone, but I didn't know how much time I had till she came back. The counter held nothing of my use so I swam back towards the shell caldron I circled it several times, but couldn't find anything. My eyes settled on the clam shell that hung on the wall. I flipped my tail and swam up to it. I studied the curves of the clam's mouth before finding a grip on it and pulled both sides open. On the outside it looked like a clam, but once opened showed shelf after shelf of potions all labeled distinctly. I found the potion the mermaid needed which was a blue potion showing human legs. I thought of my own mermaid tail at the moment, what if it took awhile for my potion to wear off? Better be safe than sorry I was just about to grab two blue potions that showed human legs when a voice spatted and talked to herself as she entered the tunnel. I was trapped! The tunnel was the only exit. I snatched two bottles of the potion then hurried over to hide behind the caldron.
The Sea Witch entered muttering to herself something about King Triton and how she wished she could get ahold of his golden trident. Safely hidden behind the caldron I caught a glimpse of the Sea Witch she had white hair, narrow eyes, and red full lips. She was on the husky side with and eight long tentacles for legs! My eyes widened I was expecting her to be a mermaid, but here she was half octopus! I had to get out of here before she decided to practice any spells. I looked around plotting a plan of escape. The tunnel was too far away from the cauldron and even if I made it there it was long and the Sea Witch would most likely notice me swimming towards the tunnel. I glanced up at the ceiling and noticed a round hole at the top of the ceiling, a hole just big enough for a tiny mermaid to swim through. I duck my head down as the Sea Witch waved her eight tentacles around as she walked by the cauldron.
"Why is this open?" She glanced around her sea cave and swam over to the clam shell shelves which I had forgotten to close in my hurry to hide. There was my chance while her back was towards me and she was clearly distracted in making sure all her potions were there I took a darting leap using the cauldron to give me an extra push up towards the ceiling I swam as fast as I could. "No!" The See Witch hollowed catching sight of me as I shimmied my body through the hole.
I screamed as one of her tentacles snatched my tail and starting pulling me back down the hole. I wiggled and squirmed kicking furiously with my tail. I pulled myself out of her grip and out of the hole swimming straight up through all five sea layers with the two potions in hand. I gasped the fresh sea air as I made it to the surface. Sunlight shined brightly nearly blinding me. "I made it! Hayden! Elowen!" I turned around glancing in all directions as nothing but sea and sky laid about. No landmarks with sand, grass, or trees. Nothing, I must have swam further out into sea than I realized and I had no idea which direction to go to get back. Just then a huge wave crashed into me causing me to go underwater and spin like a goat's skin ball being kicked around by children playing in the town's street. Fighting the wave I came back up to the surface coughing, "Hayden!" I called again just as another wave knocked me back under.  I felt my grip loosening on the potion bottles just as a wave pushed me forward and one of the bottles slipped from my fingers. I could see it falling into the ocean.
I didn't give up my human legs, only to have the potion be lost at sea. As much as I wanted to stay above the surface where I was safe from witches, sharks, and other sea creatures I knew the waves were too strong for me to swim. With a sigh I swam after the potion as it slowly drifted down. Snatching it in my hands I swam back down through the cold dark sea layers, but I didn't go all the way down. I stopped in the outer edge of Abyss zone where I could just barely make out the ocean floor and the nearby surroundings. The waves had pushed me pass the Sea Witch's cave and I could make out the layout of sunken ships on the bottom. I smiled now I knew the way back, sunken ships, coral reef, Hayden and Elowen.
Not wasting a moment longer I swam in the direction I needed to go hovering just on the outer edge of the Abyss Zone  so that I could still make out the ocean bottom and the landmarks that I needed to see.
Somewhere pass the colorful coral reef my body started to feel different, it was becoming harder and harder to breath in the salt water. It was my like my lungs were on fire desperately trying to take in air when there was not enough air to take in. Which meant that my ability to breath underwater was almost to an end. The mermaid's oil that I ingested was wearing off, I wasn't quiet where I yet needed to be, but it had to be far enough. I needed to get to the surface before I ran out of air completely. Taking a big gulp of air I swam up desperately racing against the clock. I hadn't yet made it to the surface yet when I had to take my last breath of air and hold it as I swam. The water became warmer and sunlight could be seen from the water which meant I was almost there. My head felt fuzzy as I lost oxygen, You're almost there.... You're almost there.... You're almost....
I gasped coughing and spitting up water as my lungs took in the fresh oxygen that hung in the air.
"Amaya!" I heard Hayden's deep voice call out from shore. He waved his warms as Elowen jumped up and down excited.
My body felt weak as I looked at the ways I still had to swim to get towards the rocky shore. "I'm... I"m here!" I choked coughing up water. Using what little strength I had left I doggy paddled to shore.
Hayden reached his arms down and pulled me up onto the rocks where I laid gasping for air as I closed my eyes. The warmth of the sun felt so good as I laid there resting.
"Are you alright?" Hayden asked rubbing my bare arm.
I nodded slowly as my breath slowed down and became more steady.
"Well did you get it?" The mermaid asked eagerly.
Hayden turned towards her his hand still on my arm, "You can wait, she's exhausted can't you see?"
The mermaid sighed impatiently.
"No." I said slowly sitting up with the help of Hayden and Elowen, "I got what she wanted, now we get what we want." I nodded to the empty tin can that Elowen was holding.
Elowen walked shyly over to the mermaid and handed her the tin can. "Of course I always keep my promises." The mermaid held up her long finger nails and placing them on her scaly green mermaid tale she scrapped off mermaid oil till she filled up the whole tin. She handed it back to Elowen with the lid on, "Now my potion.... Please?" She added holding her empty hand out.
I kept the one bottle for myself and handed the other potion to the mermaid who snatched it eagerly.
Popping the cork on my mine I drank the blue liquid and with a squish of smoke my pink mermaid tail was gone and in it's place I expected to find my ripped and worn gown I was wearing, but instead I was wearing light pink leather jeans that seemed to shimmer some in the sunlight with a white cotton shirt and a pink leather jacket. "Woah!" I whispered running a hand over my leather jeans and my burns from the lava. "I.... I don't feel a thing." I pulled up both ends of the jeans and stared at my legs which had smooth white skin, and not a single burn, scratch, or scar on them.
Hayden gently touched my leg as well as I ran my hand up and down were my burns and scars were. "That's impossible." He whispered just as amazed.
"Not really." The mermaid spoke up and we turned to look at her, "Having a mermaid tail is good for more than just swimming." She smiled, "When you had the tail, think of it as having your legs smothered in mermaid oil, it healed you."
"Thank you." I said truly meaning it.
"No problem, thank you for this." She waved her bottle of potion before drinking the whole thing. Smoke went up around her, and when it cleared she was wearing a long shimmering gown with one strap going up onto her shoulder while her other shoulder was bare. Her red fiery hair hung in loose curls down her back, She stuck out a tiny foot and started walking on the sand with confidence.
"Wait!" I called as she turned to go, "Why did you want human legs so bad?" I asked.
"Are you kidding? You have the best life ever." She smiled then fixed her eyes off towards the distance as she thought of something, "To be honest, there's this Prince named Eric who I rescued not along ago when his ship crashed. Tonight he's having a ball, and I wanted to go, to see him one more time and to maybe....." She shook her head with a laugh.
I smiled knowing the feeling she had, she liked him, but was scared of a future with him since she's a mermaid and he's a human. Just like I had wanted a future with Hayden when he thought we couldn't have it since I was a princess and he was a poor commoner and he was scared to admit his feelings for me.  "Good luck."
"Yeah," Hayden added, "I hope you and Eric find all that you were looking for."
"Thanks." The once a mermaid turned to go, but then stopped and turned back around, "Oh and my name is Ariel." She smiled then turned and joyfully walked away from us on her new two feet.