Love and Deepwater • A Rafayel story

Return to Lemuria

In the heart of Lemuria, where the ocean's depths cradled ancient palaces, a slumbering deity lay seemingly sleeping within protective chambers.

Rafayel, the crown prince and heir to the sea's dominion, was feared by his people.

His powers, vast and unpredictable, had once unleashed a cataclysmic tsunami upon the unsuspecting Human world. Cities crumbled, lives were lost, and half the land lay submerged beneath the relentless waves.

Now, the world above water lay in ruins, battered by the wrath of the sea. Most cities lay underwater and the only survivors had been small cities up in the mountains, where most humans took refuge as humanity clung to survival, their cities reduced to rubble, their hope fading like the last embers of a dying fire. But amidst the chaos, another tale unfolded  —one of the merfolk, silent witnesses to the catastrophe.

After the tsunami, a lot of the Lemurians trapped in many cities were able to escape their slavers. It happened like this, in the submerged remnants of once-thriving metropolises, merfolk that had long been enslaved by their human captors were able to liberate themselves from their shimmering scales dulled, their voices stifled and being used relentlessly for harvesting pearls. Free from the fake water used by humans held them prisoner, their freedom a distant memory.

But when the tsunami struck, it was as if the sea itself rebelled. The waves surged, tearing through the city streets, swallowing mansions and, and drowning the slavers. Amidst the chaos, the merfolk felt a surge of power, their bodies feeling a lot better thanks to the seawater, as they were carried away by the tide until the sea had calmed and were able to return home.

But what happened to our protagonists? 

Lukian, the first, swam through the currents, Rafayel's limp form cradled against his chest. But before that moment, Lukian, many years before the fateful disastrous day, had always been drawn to the surface. Lukian's curiosity had led him astray. He had ventured too close to the human world, where ships sailed and nets were cast. They had taken him aboard, their eyes wide with wonder and fear. Lukian's tail thrashed, desperate to break free, but the ropes held him fast. He watched as they whispered among themselves, their voices a cacophony of languages he couldn't understand. One fateful day, he found himself ensnared, a prisoner in a world not his own. 

Days turned into weeks, and Lukian grew weaker. The salt air burned his gills, the water they put on him had been normal water with salt, weakening him daily, and he longed for the cool depths of the sea. His first owner, a young man with bright eyes, brought him scraps of fish and whispered secrets of the land. Lukian listened, entranced by tales of cities and forests, of laughter and tears. Many centuries passed, and he had been brought from castle to castle, always away from the sea, away from the sun. 

And then he saw Rafayel. Rafayel, with his storm-mixed eyes of blue and crimson and tangled hair, a merman who could do the unimaginable, offered him freedom. He waited for Rafayel's infatuation with the human princess to decrease, but seeing as it seemed unending, he offered an ultimatum. And Rafayel, their prince, accepted it, liberating him and heading out to save as many Merman lives as they could. 

They escaped thanks to Rafayel's flames that took them into the lake. As they breached the surface, the scent of salt and tar assaulted his senses. The docks stretched out before him, lined with warehouses and ships. He followed Rafayel, as he was guided by some kind of instinct to their kin, trying to hide from Human guards who patrolled the houses that kept their kin, their lanterns flickering. They wore heavy boots and carried tridents, their eyes scanning the water for any sign of trouble. Lukian's tail twitched, ready to strike. As Rafayel instructed, they waited for the right moment  —the guard's back turned, the moon hidden behind a cloud. Then, without waiting for Rafayel, he lunged, propelling himself out of the water. His tail slammed into the first guard, knocking him off balance. The trident clattered to the ground. Lukian's fists met the second guard's jaw, sending him sprawling. He grabbed the fallen trident, its metal cool against his palm. The third guard, wide-eyed and trembling, raised his weapon. But, Lukian's rage burned hotter than the sun. He had escaped captivity once; now it was time to free his kin. They resumed like this: Lukian fought whilst Rafayel went inside of the houses and liberated Lemurian from their tanks. Once their kin were able to walk and fight, Rafayel disappeared to another house whilst they fought with guards and hunters who approached, drawn by the commotion. Lukian's trident whirled, deflecting their blows. He fought with the strength of the sea, each strike fueled by anger and determination. Until Rafayel left them, suddenly, disappearing somewhere with panic and true terror in his eyes, whispering the princess's name.