Stories of the Woods

Saving Minka

Jed whistled happily as the vortex spit him out of its grip.

It was his first free day since the end of the faerie war, and he took the opportunity to leave Gorlan Fay happily. He'd asked his uncle, King Kavait, to let him go - a first for the young merman, who was used to sneaking out - and he had gladly let him go.

"You deserve to do what pleases you, Jed." Kavait told him with a smile. "You've worked hard these last few weeks."

And he had.

After the deaths of his brother, Okello, and his cousin, Natori, it had been made clear that Jed was the new heir to the throne. He'd been unsure and anxious at first, but as his uncle began to train him, his unease began to dissipate. The people of Gorlan Fay had always seen him through exasperated but affectionate eyes, but once they heard how he had lead the mer in the Faerie War their perspective changed. Jed realized reluctantly that he like the newfound respect; he was usually in the background being younger than his brother and a mere cousin to the prince. He found he liked the processes of leading, especially visiting with the people. There were so many people he had met since the end of the Faerie War, and he felt a new confidence in himself by how they evidently trusted him.

But of course, he missed his days of freedom.

He'd aimed the vortex to just beside Chile, in South America. He'd had yet to fully explore the wrecks there, and he was excited at what he would find. It was rare for mermen to have contact with humans, so Jed found that he was satisfied with the relics that they cast into the sea; specifically their ships.

As he swam through the dark blue water now, his eyes scanning the gloom for any ghostly ships, his mind wandered to his late brother. His mind almost always ended up there. Okello had been seven years older, but they were close. He'd had a reputation to live up to as captain of the guard, so in public he would scold Jed on his numerous escapades, but at home, in the privacy of their house, he would gift Jed with a compass or a radio or other lost relics that he would find on his patrols. His brother always disapproved of his adventures, but he never once actively did anything to hinder Jed's interest in humans.

His chest hurt now, thinking of Okello, and how he had died. War was a terrible thing, especially when you had loved ones in it. He could still remember the hollow thud that seemed to echo through the universe as a club struck the soft part at the base of his brother's head; he could still remember the lurch of horror in his stomach as he watched his brother's eyes go blank, and as his body bobbed up in the water and began to float down the river. He'd swam furiously, knocking mermen and enemies alike out of his way, just to retrieve him, to bring Okello back.

But it was too late. Okello was gone, and although Jed held his body, his soul had gone on floating down that river.

Jed was so preoccupied, his face dark as he thought back to that terrible day, that he almost swam straight into the mast of a rotting ship. He flipped agilely away just in time, his eyes taking in the huge wooden skeleton of a 18th century ship. Jed stared in wonder and excitement; he was used to the metal cargo ships and cruise liners of modern human technology, but it was extremely rare to come across such an ancient relic, and in such good condition too!

He swam slowly around the bulk of the ship, looking for the name that was usually painted on the side. The paint there was almost completely corroded, but he tilted his head anyways to try to make out the human alphabet employed there.

"T... the... Jev? Jeu?" He murmured aloud, his fingers brushing the aging wood gently. He couldn't make out the rest, but he didn't know any human words that sounded like what he had read.

"The Jeweled Empress."

Jed flinched and looked up, following the source of the voice. There, leaning against the rail of the ship above him, was a merwoman. She smiled down at him, her silvery blonde hair floating around her pretty face like a cloud in the dark. He could see that her dark blue eyes, like his, were somewhat larger than was accustomed for merpeople, and that instead of baring her chest like was custom of merwomen, her torso was covered with some strange blue jacket with a row of white buttons. Her tail was obstructed from view by the rail, but Jed knew she had to be mer. No other being could live down this deep without the assistance of a mer.