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But I have to do this. It’s the only way out.
I sit at the edge, knees to my chest, watching its undulating mirrored surface. It beckons me, teasing me with its shallow appearance. But I know by the way Laiken disappeared below that it is much deeper than it looks.
I take a steadying breath, maybe the last I’ll ever get before dipping my feet in and finding only water. I slide in slowly to my waist, then my chest, and exhale as the water engulfs me fully. I expect it to be a struggle with the new organs, so when they flare open and a different sort of satiation fills me, I can’t help but grin.
An endless stream of oxygen flows in and out as I delve deeper. I don’t even think the dark elves could have imagined such beauty under the water’s surface. Little shells light the way towards the winding exit, and when I come into open water, I have to stifle a gasp to not disrupt the gills in their efforts.
It is a world beneath the world, with mountains and valleys teeming with life. There’s a seaweed forest to the right and great dunes to the left, glittering with diffused moonlight as far as the eye can see.
An albae and its pups swim close, their maws opening to catch the little schools of fish that flee in every direction.This is Laiken’s world, I think, amazed and enchanted by the simplicity of his kingdom.
It is a mercy that no dark elf has claimed it yet, or it would be a graveyard.
I pedal hard, my movements slow but steady in the viscous brine. I keep a keen eye out for Laiken. I don’t know him well enough to speak on the fickleness of his character, but I do not want to face his wrath when he finds me gone.
He was very clear that I should stay in the cave.
Normally, I’d be happy to do what I’m told if it means security and shelter, but I still don’t know what to expect from him. He is an enigma in a strange environment, one that doesn’t adhere to the rules of propriety.
I still burn, recalling his face between my legs, and push forward.
The great mountains peak above the water. I expect they are land masses, maybe even the Yaccarres Isles if I’m lucky. I don’t want to go back to Malachi or his cruel servants, but I need to find allies. Friends that will keep me safe from whatever comes from my elopement from Laiken. There has to be a free settlement of humans somewhere in the world, right?
With my new skill of breathing water, I could swim there. It doesn’t matter how far.
First, though, I need to get my bearings. Findpeopleand maybe a map. There are at least a couple of friends who could spare me rations or lead me in the right direction. I circle one of the islands, taking it in from the underside of the water’s surface, then popping my head up.
It’s lush and untainted by progress.
Maybe it would provide shelter for an evening, but the carcass of an albae would do similar at this rate. And the water doesn’t give off the same scents as the open air, I’m coming to learn. There are many other senses to use in the water, and every one is a delight.
I almost wish Laiken were here to give me a tour. My heart aches at the thought, but I have to keep moving. My survival should be my first and only priority.
I shake the thought from my mind and push towards the next island. Broken wood planks jut out from the bottom of the sea here, whole ships, fishing boats, and their supplies. I spy a sail, weathered and whipping in the current as if the ocean breeze still claims it. It’s a ship graveyard, but it’s more lively than any graveyard I’ve ever seen.
Countless species of fish dart into the holds and out again, zipping around in all manner of play. I pass over the wreckage solemnly before the sea floor opens up again.
Skirting the next island, I see lights burning on its surface.
From here, I can’t tell if it’s Malachi’s island or not. I break the water and paddle to shore, letting my heavy body rest on the sand and staring up at the vast expanse of stars. My gills close up, and my regular breathing takes over effortlessly.
I’m amazed by all of it.
Beyond the tree line of the island, I see flickering flames filtering through the darkness. Luckily, there is no residual sound of human or elven life. Perhaps the slaves are all put away for the evening, and the lights are there to ward off any sea creatures that drag themselves out of the water.
Like me.
I can’t help but laugh softly, my body burning with exertion from the swim. The world is more beautiful than I ever thought it could be. I once thought the ocean was an oppressive cage that wrapped around my island, but now I see that it is all part of the same system, that life and death hold hands. There cannot be one without the other, and Laiken is just a necessary part of that process. I remember how he dispatched the fishermen, but how much fauna and flora grow from those deaths which feed countless organic life? One can only imagine.
I sigh, letting my lungs deflate completely.
I think this is contentment.
There are no baskets to weave, no master to appease. Nothing but the sea, the land, and the sky to keep me company. Even as I relax against the soft white sand, my thoughts drift to Laiken again, and guilt creeps in.
I cannot go back, comes the thought, but it’s not my mind doing the thinking. It’s my heart, and my heart is conflicted. I know what he is capable of, and he did not try to hurt me when he had me pinned to the sand, struggling beneath his grip.
I remember his tentacles lashing me, lashing my limbs together, and an unsteady breath finds me.It is better to be free, right?“Yes,” I reason, nodding my head vigorously at no one. “I don’t need Laiken. I don’t need anyone.”
