To Be Wanted

Sleeping with the Fishes

      I find myself struggling to remain conscious, the intense burning only getting worse and worse as I attempt to keep myself awake by hitting myself with my wings. I reach to take the Snow Pendant off, the chain was only going to aid in my suffering as the swelling became worse, however, when I held onto it, it was as though I had been released from some sort of death grip.
      The sides of my neck scale into a form of gills, they were smooth and seemed to seep into my neck as I run my hand over them, however, I learned quickly that doing so was a bad idea as it almost suffocated me all over again. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I nearly jump out of the water, thinking that it was one of the Veltsen soldiers.
      No, it was simply the jerk of a god who put the stupid mush on me and scared me half to death, almost literally.
     He was grinning with a sort of "I knew you would figure it out eventually" kind of way. He points to a faint light that seemed either rather far away or very close, just simply not a bright light.
      Either way, Jet seemed confident that it might be important and leads me deeper into the lake, which seemed odd as I did not imagine the lake to be that deep.
      An outline of buildings began to form within the lights, and as we swim, I hear a voice echo inside my head, almost as though Jet were projecting his thoughts onto me.
      I could see his mouth moving, I could hear what he was saying, however it all sounded as though I were simply thinking it and not hearing it.
      "This, your majesty, is the kingdom of Corrisea." He admires, a hint of wonder in his voice.
      "Like the lake? They named them the same thing?" I became very confused.
      "The lake was named after the kingdom. The first ruler of the Urriempes was a young Sevitan child who had magical powers. She spent most days by the sea and swam with the many species of fish that she encountered.
      One day, however, the solitude began to get to her head, she had not had any normal contact with anyone aside from the fish she swam with. She began to kill larger fish for their scales before creating small wounds on her body, placing the scales within them then used her powers to heal the wounds, sealing the scales into her skin."
      "She was turning herself into a fish?"
      "Yes, your majesty. It did not please Queen Taima that one of her subjects would willingly harm another creature, so she made the child an offer.
      She gave her the opportunity to do good to the creatures whom she hurt and offered to change her into something new, something that had never been seen before in Iveska.
      She transformed the child into a creature with the features of both a Sevitan and the fishes that she had killed, additionally taking some inspiration from the Marrows to keep her form from falling apart.
      By accepting Queen Taima's proposal, she also gave those she had wronged a second chance. The empress gave the fishes new life before transforming them into creatures much like own new form, they then became her subjects."
      As we grow closer, we could make out what appeared to be carvings in shining coral. No, that can't be right, coral can't shine... It was aquamarines.
      The city was built from them. It was quite a sight to behold, sand and gravel form paths through shops and farms which grow kelp and seaweed. The town lead to a large, glittering castle.
      "Soon after Queen Taima transformed them, she then created the lake and as she did, she discovered a large pocket of aquamarine, from which she created the kingdom.
      The aquamarine could produce water that was pure enough so that any creature who possesses the ability to breathe underwater could survive, which is why we required gills. The water here can support life and environment by itself, let alone with the Uriiempes tending to them.
      It still amazes me, Queen Taima gave them the perfect world to live in, to live in peace in their own kingdom and reconcile, a second chance at life."
      "And it was this kid you played with when you were younger?"
      "No, that was many years beforehand. A new ruler of the kingdom had arisen. She was far friendlier than the previous one had said to have been."
      I feel a rush in the water behind me, as though someone or something had swum by, however, I couldn't see any fish nearby.
      Something felt... off. I pause, causing Jet to jerk back and look at me. He could sense the suspicion growing and begins to look around as well. In the distance, a blur of what appeared to be a half fish half Sevitan swims by. My eyes widen.
      "Jet... Didn't you say that the Uriiempes were dead?"
      "No... I said it was believed they were."
      A large wave sends us barreling back into a boulder nearby and, had we been breathing normally at that point in time, likely would have knocked the wind out of us.
      As we are stumbling back to our feet, four Uriiempes with silver, seemingly handcrafted helmets and breastplates and carrying large, crystal tipped spears. On one hand, they were rather intimidating, however, they were also a sight to behold.
      They had big dark brown eyes with large pupils, almost as that of a fish, on the face of a Sevitan, feathers sprouting out of their heads like hair and long white and brown spotted tails.
      Strangely no armor on their tails, leaving them unprotected, however, it probably would make swimming very difficult if they were to wear some there.
      "Who are you and what are you here for?" One guard pointed his spear directly towards me.
      I am not sure whether it was the fact that he stuck that thing right in my face or because they decided to be hostile right from the get-go but I did actually jump.
      Jet tosses an arm out, pushing me behind him and away from any harm before giving the four a death glare.
      "You will not threaten her. Not while I am around." He hisses at them. The other three were now standing to attention as well, likely assuming we were enemies.
      "Who are you to speak to the empress's guards as such?" One of them defends. Jet falls silent, his jaw dropping, knowing full well that they more than likely would not believe him if he were to tell them who he was, after all, like the Uriiempes, the gods and goddesses of Iveska were all presumed dead.
      "Fine, if you do not wish to comply with questioning, then perhaps you will be more willing to defend yourselves towards the empress as she decides your fate." The first guard says.
      More Uriiempes like them swim over and surround us before escorting to the castle. It was quite similar to how I picture the High Grounds to have previously looked, which would make sense seeing as Taima created it for them, however, this castle was not a pile of rubble.
      There was a large courtyard out front, gardens surrounding it and a large fountain in the middle. Do not ask me how a fountain underwater works, I think it is just for aesthetic.
      The walls of the castle were glittering, much like the rest of the kingdom, and had intricate details carved into them. Pillars and beams line the long halls which lead us to the throne room where, surrounded by many of her subjects and even more guards, sat the queen who seemed particularly angry having been disturbed by unwanted visitors.
      "Leave us." She spoke. Her voice echoes around the room, much like Jet's had done in my head. It was strange, it was almost as though the room had the same sound reverberation mechanics one would above ground. I suppose it may just be one of her powers as empress that it can do that. "What business do you have in my kingdom?"
      She was by far the most unique out of everyone in the room. While most of the Uriiempes appeared to have brown, black or orange spots on their tails, she had blue and her eyes were a very similar color.
      Well, one was, I am not quite sure about the other one though I'd assume, she has a strand or two of her feather hair covering her right eye. Most unusual of all, and this makes me wonder if from the moment she was born they knew she was going to be empress, was a large fin across what would be her hairline that forms a crown.
      I would suggest that it was something artificial that all empresses receive on coronation day, however, this appeared to be fused to her head so she'd have to have been born with it.
      "I am Jetimel Fierlen, your highness. And this is-" Jet begins to speak, however, he gets cut off by the royal Uriiempe.
      "Oh yes, I know of you. The last remaining god of Iveska. I'd have thought you long dead from rotting in that cell. How exactly did you escape?" She was both a bit bored and intrigued, not paying much attention to him until I turn just enough that she could see my wings. She blinks with wide eyes. "By all the fish in the sea."
      I look at her, then at Jet, and then to my wings. Her expression was full of surprise and perhaps a hint of joy. She swims forward and kneels in front of me, or perhaps as well as she could with a tail, much to my discomfort, and many of the other Uriiempes who understood the situation follow suit.
      Admittedly, it was a pretty big shock to see this, I mean she the empress of her kind, she has a freaking fin shaped like a crown on her head for stars sake and she is bowing to me? I mean I feel like I should do the same for her.
      "Your majesty." She says before standing back up.
      "No, no need, Empress...?" I inquire.
      "Just call me Caliama. Next to you, your majesty, my title means nothing. Yes, while I do rule over Corrisea, it is you who is the one to rule over us all."
      I reach out and shake her little hand, the Uriiempes were about an eighth of mine and Jet's size, only about as tall as our knees, so I had to be pretty careful with her.
     "What can we do for you, your majesty?" She smiles at the pair of us.
      "Well, uh, you see, we'd like to take refuge here, at least for the night. We are being targeted by a man named Altridem-" I begin to explain when she, and the other Uriiempes, jump back.
      "That name is forbidden amongst our people!" She exclaims.
      "Why's that?"
      "I suppose you figured the way I keep my feathers was a style choice?" She sighs sadly.
      Most of her feathers were spiked up into an almost flowy cone shape except for the ones that were covering her eye. Wait, if it is not a style she liked, why would she cover her eye...?
      "What do you mean?" I ask, puzzled.
      She lifts the feathers out of her face and underneath was a long scar over her face, and you could vaguely tell, though her eyelids were mostly closed from whatever injury did this, that she was, in fact, missing her eye.
      She had it ripped out, the poor dear. I gasp, covering my mouth in shock, as you do, I would be crying if we weren't underwater, however, any tears I shed are quickly mixed into the water around me. Even Jet was in complete disbelief.
      "What happened?" Jet asks in a stutter.
      "A few years back, near the beginning as my time as empress, he came to our kingdom to find out all he could about..." She turns to me."Well, you, your majesty. When we explained that we did not know anything, he took it as though we were holding back on him, so he took my eye."
      Caliama's subjects lower their heads. How could he just hurt her like that? It is really unfair. No wonder he wants me dead, he takes things too far too quickly, and he wants power?
      That is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. I pull the saddened Uriiempe into a hug, I think, or at least rather hope, that she was appreciative of it.
      "I am so sorry, Caliama." I say sadly. I feel so bad for her.
      "It is of no trouble any longer. You wish to take refuge here, you said?"
      "If it is no bother."
      "But of course, stay as long as you'd like. I suppose it has piqued your interest as to how you are able to fit within our glittering walls?"
      "A little bit, I suppose." I laugh.
      "When Queen Taima created the kingdom for us, she built the castle to fit a Sevitan, perhaps a thing of habit, so there is much more space than we could ever need. My guards shall escort you both to your rooms unless you'd both like to explore?"
      "I think we have had a little more adventure than we would have hoped for today, but thank you. I myself would very much like to get some sleep." I laugh, Jet nodding in agreement.
      "As you wish." She smiles in amusement before nodding toward the guards who then move to escort us off, however before we have the chance to even leave the room, she quickly stops me. "Your majesty?"
      "Yes?"
      "Take good care of that egg. There is a reason that we have protected them for all these years."
      I almost forgot about the egg, even though I was still carrying it in the bend of my arm. I laugh and smile as the Marrows inside toss and turn, as though it were their own way of saying Yeah, you better take care of us!.
      "Of course."
      I return to Jet's side and we are led off through the halls and into a tower with a spiral staircase leading up many floors, each having eight rooms, and we went up 6 floors.
      I don't know why I even really did this, I just had a gut feeling that something was off. Jet and I were placed in rooms right next to each other, the first two on the left, right in front of the stairs. It all felt like important information at the time.
      I wave goodnight to Jet before heading into my own room. It was nice, had a canopy bed where the mattress and blankets were kelp with what seemed to be mosquito netting for drapes.
      It was surprising that there were blankets, in my opinion, I mean I doubt the Uriiempes needed them, maybe they were put here for us unless the water temperature just gets cold enough at night that they cannot adjust, either way.
      There was a large window seat on the far wall and the window looks out onto the kingdom below. It was a marvelous sight. I couldn't help but wonder if I could have a view like this in the High Grounds if we ever repair the castle, perhaps we'd lower the place down a little so that you could see the skyline?
      That'd be nice. I swim to the bed and try and get as comfortable as possible, it is not that easy given I am used to sleeping on dry land, however, once you get used to it, it is fine. I am just glad I don't have to sleep on aquamarines...
      Unless it is a royal thing to do that. I sure hope not. I drift to sleep after a little tossing and turning, something wasn't sitting right with me which is why I decided to leave the egg with Jet for the night. If it wasn't for that, I probably wouldn't have cared, I was too tired to.
      Maybe I should have.