The Mermaid's Key: A Novella

Chapter 4: Part 1

Men were forbidden here. The land was not land at all but vast oceans and seas separated by tumultuous peaks and scant forested land for as long as the eye could see. It wasn't forbidden to go to the surface but most of the merfolk kept away any- way knowing that dangers and struggles lie beyond the waves, and now even be- yond that to those huge crashing barrels of wood pummeling the waves that were used to carry them through the sea - our seas. That's what Ariana was told day in and day out by everyone; her father, her mother, her sisters, her teachers, her vocal coaches and on and on. But to be able to take a deep breath of that fresh salty air and inflate her lungs to their full potential was amazing. Something she had been deprived of for so long, and something she was now hopelessly addicted to. It was like a pull deep down inside of her that had caught and wouldn't let go no matter what she did or how hard she tried to get loose.
Curiosity, the need to know, the need to dream was what kept Ariana going; es- pecially on tedious mornings such as this one. Another day in court with her fam- ily, another day of forced smiling and politeness. She would have to get back soon, the sun had just come up on the horizon and the water sparkled and shimmered as the waves rolled across the surface for as far as Ariana could see. One last inhale, and then, quick as an instant, she would have to disappear under the waves as if she had never been there, Ariana didn't need magic anymore to hide herself from the humans, she was smart enough to use her head and not get caught or be seen. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, her mother and father would kill her. Up here though she felt more alive, as if she got the best of both worlds. Being a witch and being connected to all living things she spent her entire life under the sea exploring life and living things, up above water it was like a whole new world that she had never explored. A forbidden world, one closed off to her. Unlike eve- ryone else she wanted more; to see more, to feel more, to experience more. She knew though that as a daughter of the clan's leader there was a certain decorum expected of her. The few days court was held she was expected to be there the en- tire time, and besides that being who she was it was expected that she follow the rules and be a good example for others. Her father ruled over six mermaid fami- lies, their clan was pretty big, but by and large not the only one and by far not the largest. There were clans all over the world, in every sea and every ocean. Every current and each tide carried the different jurisdictions of the clans, something held sacred and imposed upon all those involved by a council made up of the lead clan member from each clan. These leaders came together only in times of strife and conflict, whether major or minor; the merfolk had long believed that what happened in one part of the ocean had rippling effects that the tide carried out to other parts of the sea. If the council were to be called upon it would be her fa- ther's duty to attend and stand for his people. It was a long lasting system dating back to the first merfolk, one that had proven to be effective and strengthening over time. It also had a downfall, that most marriages or pairings between merfolk were arranged by the leaders of each clan. She dreaded that conversation between her and her mother and father; it was a conversation she would put off for as long as she could.
So it had been told to her like this, there once long ago was a woman who, like any other woman, fell in love with a man. This woman just so happened to also be a witch. Atargaris practiced the ancient arts as many have done and many will do, but as anyone who knows one will discover that a witch's morality differs on a scale rivaling that of humans. Atargaris was a good witch, who practiced the an- cient light, but nonetheless it did not matter to the townspeople of her once loving and accepting home. After being caught casting spells with her ancient runes, books written in the ancient tongue and mixing potions the townspeople came af- ter her as wolves after prey. The man she loved struggled to come to her defense, to save her somehow. He barred himself in the doorway but was dragged away by manic tearing hands. They clawed and scratched at the door. Inside Atargaris was speechless and stunned, the people she had grown up knowing her whole life were turning against her and trying to kill her. Not just her, she held a hand to her belly as if to protect the life she knew was growing inside of her. She and Philip were go- ing to have a beautiful daughter, she had already foreseen it in the stones and it somehow made her feel more at peace. Not being in control, but willingly accept- ing your futility is the hard part. After Atargtis transformed into the first mermaid there were others that followed suit. For one reason or the other they too felt them- selves drawn to the sea. Some say they carried it in their blood, it was in their bones; that magic that comes from the ocean. Other's say instinct. The one thing that is for sure is that there were more than one. Each one had to sacrifice a life in order to gain their mermaid abilities and become a part of the undersea world for- ever. Each one had to snuff out the flame of an individual forever to make their dreams come true. Most were selfish, some were done knowingly and very few were done voluntarily. Although, it has been said that the less one fights it, the more one embraces and gives in to their sacrifice for the formation of the mer- maid and the stronger they become, both magically and physically, but that was long ago and much time has passed since those days.
As with any species the mermaids slowly began to procreate so that families
and clans formed underwater, a whole new way of living emerged. A new magical world exploded under the water after the heartbreaking sacrifice and it's uninten- tional consequences that Atargatis set off. Mermen and Merwomen came together underwater and kept their magical bloodlines continuing on, though always in a purposefully controlled number. As with all magical creatures or entities the mer- folk were smart enough to keep their number controlled enough to stay out of sight but strong enough to be an undeterminable force. The sea undoubtedly be- longed to the merfolk, that the witches and wizards of the land knew and what the seafaring men came to find out most of the time at their expense. The vast planet was taken up mostly of deep oceans, seas, water, and that water belonged to the merfolk. Atargatis opened up a new world while creating a new magical race and re-writing history to save herself. What she thought she saw in the stones she her- self changed with her sacrifice, forever leaving ripples of consequence in the fab- ric of time. It is because of that un-bounding love that so many things, so many living things, exist today. Going back most species with sentient thought have a creation myth of some sort or other, for the mermaids it was more of legend around fact. There was no arguing what Atargatis had done or what she had created. They knew where they had come from, and in turn it held the merpeople together; not so much proud as strong.
Ariana knew it was time to get going, she had one more stop to make before making it back to the sea-cavern her family occupied and held court in. Taking one last deep breath she filled her lungs and with an arch of her back flipped her- self over and used her strong tail to propel her downwards, away from the surface. She wanted to stop by the ruins again before heading home, it was early anyway, no one would notice her absence for another few hours. She had found the ruins a few weeks earlier while exploring the sea caverns extending outward throughout the undersea mountains where she and her clan lived. A castle, once standing on a tall cliff, had been built up with stone and stood there for centuries until the ocean came and reclaimed what was once its own, the land upon which the castle stood. The embankment eroded away and the castle came crashing down, the indomita- ble fortress tumbling down the cliffs and coming to rest half-submerged in the sea; it lie there half-sunken and resting on the soft sand at the bottom of the water. At least three quarters of the castle, or what was left of it, was underwater and the rest of the few crumbling stones found themselves resting at the inner part of a sea cave on the coast down from the town that had formed a mile or so from where the old fortress used to lie.
The fortress had once stood strong and mighty on its perches, for centuries it stood as an imposing embattlement and camp for many different occupants until that dreadful day the sea took its toll. It's said that hundreds and hundreds of soldiers and workers and court attendants all went down with the fortress, now making it a sort of tomb for the unclaimed bodies. Rooms upon rooms were submerged and treasures untold were lost forever to the ruins, but there was nothing anyone could do but helplessly watch. Once the sea has decided to exact it's toll there is no standing in it's way. You can't even escape the sea on land, a tsunami happens when the sea fights back so hard to reclaim the land that was once it's own that we often lose many of our own precious lives in the process. Eventually everything wears down, physically anyway; over time, hundred and hundreds of years of erosion, water washes away stone as it did here and the fortress fell to its final resting place.
Ariana loved being here, the dark caverns, the hidden rooms, the long passage- ways. It was like her own private maze. The best part, it was from the world above, the world she so desperately longed for. It was different being up there, she didn't see why she had to give up her life underwater just to be able to have a life above one as well. Where was the harm in that? The topic alone though would bring an- ger into her father's eyes, an anger she no longer tempted after their last battle- worthy encounter. Whenever she had a chance she stole away from her family and her duties and spent time exploring the sunken rooms and chambers. Swimming down through the first few sunken levels she could feel Tritons gentle suckles and caresses from his tentacles as he slid easily down through the darkened maze. The more the light faded the more he seemed to disappear, the albino octopus was al- most translucent at the best of times and here in the dark he was almost invisible. About the size of her head he followed her everywhere and most of the time was hiding in her beautiful auburn hair around the back left side of her neck, tentacles wrapped around and clung tight. He was like an invisible friend, one she had grown accustomed to since birth. Being a gift from a neighboring clan upon her birth she and her friend had been together since they were both only a few days old. Now, today, they were more inseparable than the salt and the water of the ocean. Her father didn't mind, he preferred it this way. Even if he didn't have any control over Triton at least he knew there was a trusted servant next to his daugh- ter at all times. If something happened to Ariana, Gods forbid, Triton would make sure that her mother and father found out.
The tiny octopus was swimming slightly forward of Ariana, just in front of her as she swam down and through and around until she finally found the room she was looking for. She had swum down one corridor of the wreckage and up an- other until she was in a cavernous room that was nearly a quarter submerged in water, with an indoor beach formed where the water level met the dirt, sand and silt that had built up over the years. She was back up to the level of the surface, just now she was right in the middle of the ruins themselves instead of on the out- side looking in. She could see two small windows carved into the rough stone hundred of feet above her, and through them the sunlight was starting to leak. How beautiful, she thought. A whole new world, created from the ruins of something old; the birth of something beautiful didn't have to always come from the greatest of intentions or the best of situations.
All along the walls going up she had created shelves, both under the water and above, by placing old planks from sunken ships or even small door or window frames across outcroppings of rock in the wall. This was her spot, her only spot. The only place she could come to truly be herself. She came here to paint, she came here to be free. Here she was free of the clan rules and obligations and the nagging of her mother and father. She was away from the prying and spying eyes of her sisters and she finally had a chance to let go. Her favorite perch was a wooden doorframe mounted just under the water level in about three feet deep wa- ter just along the wall where the water met the sand. Ariana loved stretching out here, letting her tail splash in and out of the water while Triton swam around in the water just below her, tickling her finger with his tentacles as she reached a hand down to caress him. They never liked being physically separated for long; of course, after being together for so long it just felt natural to always be together. Ari- ana understood Triton unlike any other sea creature the mermaids could talk to and he could read her better than probably even the ancient sea witch of legend.
Leaving the ruins behind she swam back out to sea and towards her clan's un- dersea village with the light of dawn chasing behind her. Triton had wrapped most of his legs around her neck and nestled into her hair while she swam so that he didn't have to expend too much energy on the way back home. Hiding back there he was almost invisible, and he preferred it that way - both he and Ariana knew that. She stroked his side while she swam and after a few minutes the under- sea columns leading into the valley of her clan came into view. They were massive, and could be seen from miles off. By the time she got to them she would have been winded had she not been so used to sneaking off by now and stealing these little moments of alone time.
The symbol of her clan, the simple turtle design, warned the on comers that they were entering land belonging to the Tortuga Clan. A clan claiming its descent all the way back to the Original Twelve. When Atargatis sent shockwaves through the flow of energy that is the universe with her combusting sacrifice other witches and wizards felt compelled to follow their sister into the sea, forever trapped with her under the waves. They each had their own reason and their own story, but these original twelve were the ancestors of all mermaids and Ariana was a direct descendent of the great wizarding family of Tortuga. When the witches and wiz- ards fell into the seas they all chose new names for their new identities and new- found powers. Their insight and strength felt limitless compared to what it had been before. Atargatis had stuck out the longest, keeping her true identity with her as long as she could. She held on to her past until she could no longer bear the pain and suffering that came with the burden of carrying around that key with her everywhere she went. For years she wore it around her neck as a symbol to the oth- ers of her power and status and what she was capable of, and also to remind her- self of her own strength in times of doubt. When it finally came time to cast it off, she shed with it the identity that had bound her to the land for so long. With that she changed her name and assumed the magic that came along with the transfor- mation that had started so many years before.
Overlooking the valley, around the perimeter that met with the opening of the two humongous columns, were giant statues of the Twelve Originals. The first twelve merfolk, the first twelve witches and wizards who cast themselves into the sea. If you looked just close enough you could see the key carved around Atargatis' neck. Every clan lived in a safe valley in one of the many great seas around the world, and each valley had the same twelve statues surrounding them - an ancient magical form of protection unlike anything humans could perceive or understand. The twelve were the the ancient ones they prayed to and sacrificed to, the first of their kind, of whom which without them they would have never come to be. Ariana swam through the columns near the bottom and swung around to the right toward the statues of Polaris and Neptune, two of the great witches and wizards. Her family had a deep and hollow cavern on the far end of the undersea valley between the statues of Ariel and Poseidon. Three times a week court was held; today just happened to be one of those days. Most of the valley was beginning to stir and life was coming with the rays of light that penetrated the darkness. She knew she must hurry or she would be missed, and today she didn't feel like undergoing the headmistress' wrath.
Slipping into her chamber through an opening in the stone loosely covered with a beautiful drapery of flowers, she exhaled and exhausted herself back onto her bed just as the headmistress tapped on her door summoning her to start the day. She stretched her achingly tired muscles and yawned as the doors were swung open. Mathilda was an older mermaid who had been with the girls at the castle since the first birth and feeding. She kept order in the house of Tortuga while their father held the peace and kept order of his charges and dominion. "Wake up my dear, it's well past sunrise and time to get up; today is court and you musn't be late. Not again, and for heaven's sake can you look presentable this time.
After swinging open Ariana's curtains she went to her sisters' rooms next to hers and did the same. Trisele & Diana, her two older sisters, each had their own room adjacent to Ariana's. Pearl and her younger sister Coral shared a bigger room across the palace hallway with a beautiful view of the landscape and city sur- rounding them. Pearl and Coral were the sisters who actually got along, the ones who became closer probably due to the fact that they were both stepped on by their older sisters. It wasn't as if they always did it on purpose, but they always made sure they got their way at all costs. They were always the ones on top. Ariana dreaded the day her mother and father named their successor, heaven forbid it be one over the other. That was going to be a battle for the centuries to be sure, but that was something for the future and not today.
Today was court; again. She dreaded going to court, the last few times she had gone it had taken all of her strength to stay able-minded and not distracted. Being connected to everything is the same as being alive, being more sensitive to those connections and individuals makes life overwhelming at times. Whether it was hearing the intermittent thoughts of frantic prisoners or predicting the resolution before the outcome, there were times that she could feel her insides telling her more than her body. It was exhausting, not only was she still learning, but she had to hide it all. If her father and mother knew, if anyone knew...they couldn't. The one good thing about court days was the use of the Pearl. Their window to the world all around. Ariana was mystified by it, she couldn't wait until she was old enough to apply to work as a Priestess of the Pearl. It was a great honor, to dedi- cate ones life to magic and keeping the lives and ways of the mermaids alive. Ari- ana had dreamed about it since she was a child, she could think of nothing so thrilling. The Priestesses used their Pearl vassal to not only communicate with other tribes and hold council meetings but to perform delicate spells and powerful magic. It was not a duty to be taken lightly.
When Clan Tortuga was assembled it was a formidable sight, the six families that made up the clan were strong and brave and as many knew, a lethal force to deal with. The Tortue, The Cascara, The Tararugas, the Galopagos, the Tor- tugaris and of course the Tortuga families made up a clan that stood for some- thing more than just strength and magic. They stood together with integrity and they help up the old ways and kept with the old laws and traditions as should be. During court any member of the clan could bring before the leader any problem or conflict they were having for resolution. It seems like on the surface this would be a good thing, but that of course depends on which side of your grace's graces you are on at any point in time.
Ariana's father Tortuga was fair though, he carried on his name well and stayed true to the Ancient Twelve and their ways and traditions. He heard every- one out no matter their station in the clan or reputation. No matter what hap- pened he heard both sides of the story if possible and aways ruled as he believed the Gods would deem right. He was truly a man of integrity and honor. Hopefully today would be a normal day and court would be out soon after lunch time, that way Ariana would have the rest of the day to herself to explore and play some more. Triton was still tucked away at the nape of her neck, nearly invisible to eve- ryone else. As Ariana took her spot she noticed the many pair of eyes on her as she sat and the glances every so often from other clan members. She knew she needed to be on her best behavior. She just wanted to get this over with, and soon.
Today, luckily, there were only three cases. The first involved two merman and a dispute between payment over services rendered. One was what we would know as the equivalent of a contractor or architect and he was bringing charges against a high ranking member of the clan for services that he claimed he had been commissioned for and completed but not then reimbursed. When asked if the piece or pieces in question were being used by the business owner he admitted that they were in fact being used; there was no way to deny that. Because of this, and this alone, father decided in favor of the worker. He said that if the businessman was using and benefiting from something that the worker had made then he owed that merman or merwoman proper compensation. See, fair but still stern if needed. A rock, she thought; our rock.
The second case went from fair compensation to property abduction, better known as thievery. This she knew her father would not be lenient on. It was a long-standing tradition that because of the magical powers of the mermaid there was no need to abuse each other under the guise of thievery. Anything one needed could be gotten and under the sea currency meant nothing. A Clan takes care of their own and mermaids all take care of each other. Mermaids, as we all know, are special. They are unique magical beings that have the ability to not just breath un- derwater but also to speak and communicate with all of the sea creatures, the abil- ity to live underwater and of course the ability to speak to each other underwater. Through centuries of spells they had come up with ways of keeping makeshift books in order to keep the ancient spells alive. The merfolk were just simply witches and wizards who used their talents to create a new life for themselves in a world that seemed intent on attacking their way of life and even very existence. Of course there were certain merfolk who were born with greater magical power or abilities than others, a fact true of the earth-bound witches and wizards as well. Certain magic could be taught, simple magic; most of the ancient magic had either been lost or banned for centuries. There wasn't a singly copy of any book left in any sea on the planet that spoke of the ancient ways, her father had seen to that decades ago.
The thief had been caught stealing potions and ingredients from a local shop, most likely for home magic use. Her father had been very clear in the past, stealing was not acceptable. She knew that his punishment would be harsh. After hearing both sides and debating and weighing his options her father sided against the thief and decided that the punishment would fit the crime. Under the water, just as above land two hands are almost essential to all tasks. This especially applies to the use of magic and the casting of spells, and with one hand it leaves one at a slight disadvantage to those with both hands to manipulate and control everything from time to space to fear and pain. This man would soon know what it was like to be at that disadvantage, by nightfall he would be but a shadow of his former self.
The third case was quite a bit more complicated and took a little bit more time; this case involved more than just mere property or labor disputes. A young merman had been caught away from the valley, but that wasn't the worst of it. One of the patrol mermen had caught him coming back down from the surface. It was forbidden for them to go to the surface. Long ago the law was laid down that mermaids and humans would no longer mix; there were just too many reasons to keep them apart. All mermen and mermaids were magical, at the very least to an ex- tent, and were at risk from not only those that were fearful above shore but those that were spiteful and malicious. There were some witches and wizards that lived on the water that the mermaid clans knew they could trust, but even then just to a certain extent and their access was limited to clan leaders only. This boy was going to feel her father's wrath, she could just feel it coming, and it made a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. His sentence fell over a hushed and muted silence in the court as no one moved and everyone waited for the verdict to be delivered.
Her father had found lenience, she was not sure why or from where it came, but he had decided that instead of executing this merboy he was going to cast him out. He must leave the valley immediately and never return. He could try to make it on his own, try to find a witch or wizard near the water to take him in or even seek shelter with another clan but one thing was sure - he was no longer welcome in the Tortuga family clan valley. The idea didn't seem too bad to Ariana, I mean no one want's to be forced out, but to be forced out of normalcy into an adventure of the unknown - it was exactly the thing she was craving, but it didn't sound half- bad either.
After the judgements the Pearl that had been sitting in the center of the room on its raised platform that was used to report to the other clans what was happen- ing around the world, was taken away to be stored once more under the watchful eye of the priestesses. They came forward, cloaks obscuring their faces, to con- verge around the column. The Pearl startled to swirl and eventually became a milky black under the waves and hand movement of the priestesses as they closed off the vessel and covered it to be taken back to the temple. When other clans held meetings or communications were sent they came by way of the priestesses, they were essential in the running of the Clan. They were the backbone while Tortuga was the heart and head. Ariana looked longingly, her palms twitched and she could feel the weird sensations that had begun deep in her hands whenever she was around the Pearl. She could feel it calling to her, that was why she knew that once she applied it was just a matter of time before she was chosen as a priestess. It was calling to her, she knew it. Trying to keep it hidden was like tearing her soul in two, trying to hide a very piece of who she was. There were just some people born who were extra sensitive to magic. Most of these became Priests or Priest- esses, what Ariana felt called to do. There were times that she almost slipped up and let her powers show, like the time she had knocked down a huge column dur- ing an orchestral concert with nothing more than the bored thoughts of her mind and their accidental wonderings.
As court ended and the priestesses filed out after her father the crowd began to disperse and Ariana knew now was her time. She whispered to Triton to hold on, and she could feel his tentacles suckle against her neck, arm and back. She ducked behind a column, swam down, through an opening in the castle wall and made a quick left down a dark corridor that looked like it ended in blackness but actually opened up at the bottom of the sea. Ariana had used this passage many times to escape the palace, she didn't need a torch anymore, she knew the way by heart. And bedsides that, Triton had a slight glow to his iridescent color in the darkness. Coming to the end of the tunnel she wriggled her way through the stones and eventually emerged about a mile from where her family lived. She kept low to the floor of the sea, near the beds of seaweed and coral before leaving the valley be- hind her and heading back toward the spot that seemed to always be calling to her these days. She had a lot to think about today too, she had seen some things hap- pen in court, things that she hadn't necessarily seen before and she wasn't sure how she really felt about it. One day her mother and father would name a succes- sor and with daughters Ariana knew that she at least held a tiny amount of a chance of someday leading her clan. The idea alone frightened her, but it also made her realize that she had to be prepared for the idea that someday that may happen. She couldn't make up her mind about her future, let alone anyone else's.
What would she do if other's lives were put into her hands she wondered as she reached her cavernous beach and sprawled out on one of her outcroppings with the tips of her majestic blue tail going in and out out of water as she pondered. Her heart ached at the torture in her soul and ached even more for the duties she might be called on to perform. It was almost too much to bear; it was too much to bear. Ariana didn't think she had it in her to go back to the palace. Triton swam in small circles in the water next to where her hand rested and she played with him as she lie there thinking. At least there was one constant friend in her life, Triton. Her invisible witness, her private bodyguard. What most people didn't know about these special albino octopus' is that they can emit two types of ink when they feel threatened. One ink acts as any other octopus ink, while the other, which comes from a smaller gland and sac, is filled with venomous ink that could kill any mer- person or human being in an instant. As for other sea creatures, well let's just say size plays an issue on how much you are affected. Ariana never went anywhere without her best friend and therefore was protected at all times. It provided a sense of security, sometimes almost too false of one, but today she sighed and let herself just lie back and dream while she twirled her fingers around two of Triton's tenta- cles.
Ariana liked being here, it made her feel at peace. Like her, it was a mixture of both worlds, the one above and the one below. Humans used to lie here, walk here, dance here, eat here and on and on. Her room was extra special though, it was her escape from everything; her escape from the palace, from the headmistress, from her sisters, from her duties, from the merworld as a whole. Here she could express herself, she could feel free. Her and Triton both loved being here. For Triton, he got to swim through and around the endless tunnels and passageways, but he never strayed too far from Ariana - his main reason for being anywhere to begin with. He loved her, loved her with all three of his little beating hearts.
Whenever she got a chance to escape she came here to paint. Painting was her passion, it helped her clear her mind and release her thoughts. At home she could paint, but she was limited as to her subject material and therefore found it difficult to use her true talent and ability to work through her real-world problems. On top of that there was another advantage to being here, she could paint both on the walls under the water and above the water level as well. She could paint on dry sur- faces, a whole new art-form in a way for her. For her art under the sea she was so much more limited when she was drawing on the stone. Using different corals and stone she could get a range of brown, reddish-brown, black and white while above water she could bring some of her undersea supplies and make murals of such color and depth that it at times took her breath away. The bright red from the sea sponges, the yellows from the seaweed, the purple from the octopus ink, the blue from the coral - the list went on and on.
She would wash the walls clean some days just so she could start over. You can only stare at the same four scenes for so long before you get stir crazy and restless. Besides that, her life was constantly changing and her mood changed faster and more often than the tide. Washing it all clean was a good thing, it gave her a chance to live out her dreams over and over again. Even if they were just dreams.