Metior_Ice's Merfolk Story Thread

"So what can Mortimer do? He's lost his son, and owes the mean sea witch a debt." Zeph said.

"Well, thanks to a bit of luck, he met someone that could help his son." Alex explained. "That mean sea witch wouldn't let Mortimer go, but Max never signed a contract. He wasn't bound by the same magic, and there was something Mortimer could do for him."

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"As you know from our mom, there are spirits that watch over Sulani. Spirits that are there to protect humans and merfolk alike. Even though Max wasn't a true islander, the spirits sympathized with his fate." Alex held his hands to his heart.

As he told the story, he felt strangely close to the story. However, he knew that he just had a good imagination and a talent for telling stories. All his life, he was a merman, and he knew it without any doubts.

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"So Mortimer is going to another sea witch?" Dylan said as he lowered his head in the water. "Didn't he learn from his mistakes?"

Alex turned to Dylan. "He did, and that's why he went to the other sea witch."

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"What could another Sea Witch do for someone that's lost to Davey Jone's Locker?" Kylen asked.

"That's the thing right?" Alex turned to Kylen. "Mortimer knew that the other sea witch might be able to save his son. He didn't really know how or why he knew. He just knew."

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"So, let's continue where we left off. Mortimer woke up the next morning to an unusually quite beach house...."


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Mortimer left the bedroom and had a feeling of immense loss. He almost shrugged it off until he remembered his fight with Max. Max was going off the deep end, and he made sure that he got home safe. So, why wasn't he around this morning?

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Mortimer went out to the patio to see if his son just went for a morning swim. But, he didn't see anyone around. Eventually, he spotted an Urn silently floating in the middle of the lagoon.

'It can't be. He's a strong swimmer.'

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Mortimer swam up to the Urn. Somehow, he knew something only a parent could sense, but he didn't want to believe it all the same.

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"What are the odds? I thought Poseidon's Luck was only good luck. I'm such a fool."

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Mortimer left the beach house with the urn and used his luck to guide him. He must've met the other sea witch because of the magic spell he was under. Nothing else could explain the chance meeting. When Mortimer arrived at a secluded beach, most of the home looked like a normal island home. The only odd thing was the rock formation in deeper water. It made it impossible for him see what could be hidden near the shore.

He walked up to the young woman he met before and explained the situation. The young woman rubbed her temples.

"I'm not surprised by this." The woman was almost at a loss for words. "Poseidon's Luck is powerful magic, and depending on your point of view it was good luck that you found the urn. Honestly, I'm not even surprised about that either. I'm certain you would have been handed a soul for payment while under the spell one way or another."

"But, why did it have to be my son?"

"That sea witch can be cruel, but he knows what he's doing. I think he set your son up knowing that he would fall victim to the magic he cast on you."

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"Can you save my son?"

"He's lost to the darkest depths of the sea, body and soul..." Arihi started to say.

"Can you save my son?!" Mortimer interrupted as he raised his voice.

"I can, but there's a cost to that magic."

"I'll pay the price! I can't lose my son like this."

"It's not that simple. It's not a price you can pay for him."

"I don't understand."

"Your son is dead, and not just dead in a simple way. He's lost to a very dark place in the deepest depths of the ocean. The only way to bring him back to life will also forever change him in an irreversible way. He will live again, but he will never be the same."

"Even if I never see him again, I will be happy knowing that he's alive."

"Then, I'll need his urn to perform the magic. But, this will also seal your fate. You know that, right?"

"That sea witch wants a human soul in exchange for payment, any human soul."

"That includes yours."

"I know. I think I finally understand the mistake I made and there is nothing I can do to save myself. That monster can't have my son."

"So, you will give your life to save him?"

"I will."

"Then I'll help save your son."

"Thank you. Now, I need to pay for what I've done. I only have myself to blame."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but that's outside my power."

"Why did I sign that contract? How could I be so foolish?"

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Mortimer left his son's soul with the benevolent sea witch before returning to the one that he made a deal with. He traveled to the remote island and ventured into his lair. He found the merman sitting on the island, as if he was waiting for him.

"How could you do this to me? Did you actually think I would give you my son's soul."

"By Poseidon! Did you actually come here without it?!"

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"You are probably the luckiest man alive. Thanks to the spell I cast on you, everything you could ever want or need will come straight to you. You needed a human soul to pay for the magic, and you got it."

"But the soul I got was my son's?"

"Do you think the soul of a complete stranger would be better? Sure, maybe another human's son would be fine. Listen to yourself!"

"You humans make me sick sometimes. I explained everything before you signed the contract. You knew what the price was in advance. I did my part."

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"You never told me that my son would be the price I pay."

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"That wasn't part of the deal. You still owe me my payment, and you only have one more day to make good on it."

"I have the Luck of Poseidon. With that magic, everything I could need or want will be handed to me. And, I want out of this contract.

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Blue lights began to float around the island as it began to overflow with magic.

"Well, I guess I do kind of feel bad about your loss. I might be willing to revise the contract."

The merman shapeshifted into his human form and the two of them gathered around the Cauldron.

The sea witch waved his hands and pulled up the contract Mortimer signed.

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Mortimer felt empowered by the sea witch's magic and over-confident. With the Poseidon's Luck, he would get out of this contract, and then, he'd get his son from the other sea witch. It didn't matter if he would be the same person. He was determined to have everything he wanted and more.

"So, if I sign this, I'll just have to pay a few hundred simolians for the magic you cast."

"I guess it's your lucky day because I'm feeling rather generous all of a sudden."

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Mortimer grabbed the magic pin and began to sign the contract. But just before he could write his name, Damian waved his hands and the contract disappeared. In its place, a dark conch shell from the deep sea appeared.

"For a human, you are quite foolish. All it took was a simple illusion and you actually thought you had a chance."

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"You made a deal. And trust me, not even Poseidon himself will save you after what you tried to pull. This deal is a fair deal whether you like the results or not."

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"The merfolk often think of me as an evil sea witch, malevolent and malicious. But, man, you have greed deeper than the abyss."

"I'm empowered by your magic. You said..."

"That's right, my magic empowers you, and my magic comes with a price. You signed out of your own free will and knew exactly what you were getting yourself into."

"But, I still have Poseidon's Luck?"

"Do you still feel lucky?"

Mortimer had a feeling of immense dread wash over him. His words were true. He didn't feel lucky at all."

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"What do you humans say? If you want to cross the bridge, you've got to pay the toll? My dear Mortimer, you've long since crossed the bridge."

The blue magic swirled around them as Damian raised the potion in the air.

"Say hello to your son for me."

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"You humans are all the same. Greedy beyond belief."

Mortimer shuddered as a wind swiftly howled around him. He felt a sudden pool to the water that he couldn't resist.

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As Mortimer slipped into the water, Damian summoned the contract he signed. It seems I won't be needing this anymore.

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Damian dispersed the magic of the contract in a flash of light. "After all, dead men can't pay debts."

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A merman that Mortimer never met surfaced in the flooded cave and sang a song he couldn't resist. Every fiber of his being tried to fight back, but the ocean magic was too strong. He helplessly swam straight to his end.

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After Mortimer vanished beneath the water. Ukupanipo brought his urn to Damian.

"Thank you." Damian laughed. "I can't believe Caleb would give me such a wonderful anniversary gift. I need to make sure I repay the favor."

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Damian held up the shell as Mortimer's Soul was pulled into it.

"I will definitely treasure this gift. I hope Mortimer enjoys his new home. He won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

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Damian dismissed his servant and stretched his tail out on his basking rock. He felt particularly flirty now.

"Now, what would be a proper gift for my lovely boyfriend. I do hope I can think of something worthy of this present."

Next to Damian, a purple shell glowed with Mortimer's Soul trapped inside.

"Oh that's right, I need to get ready for our anniversary date. I'll give him his gift then. I think I have the perfect spell for him."

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Back at Zalia shore, the benevolent sea witch held the book Mortimer gave her. She read from its pages and summoned forth Max's spirit.

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Clouds cast shadows over the beach as Max appeared from the depths of the sea.

"You, you're the one that said I would be okay."

"I have a gift for you."

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"I don't understand. This is the book dad wrote."

"He wrote a book with the power to pull your spirit from the depths of the sea. Unfortunately, the book alone can't bring you back to life."

"So I'm dead. He told me..."

"The one you speak of is better left forgotten. Let him go."

"But, what about dad? He owes him a debt."

"He's paying the price for his actions, but he wanted me to save you."

"Can I see him?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Then, what do I do now?"

"We start with a contract, a formality to enact powerful magic."

"Can I trust you?"

"I promise, I'm not like him."

While Max read the book his father wrote, the sea witch conjured the contract that would help him.

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The moon emerged from the clouds, and the sea witch presented the contract to her husband. He signed the contract without hesitation.

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"So, here's the deal, I need to purify the corruption plaguing his soul. He's been exposed to the darkness of the deep. In exchange for his urn, I'll use my magic to change him."

The merman looked as his wife a bit confused.

"I need a mer to give me the urn for the magic to work."

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The merman gave the sea witch the urn.

"Thank you, with this ritual complete. I can help our friend Max here."

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"As I understand it, you want to become a merman. I can make that happen."

"What will it cost me?"

"It will cost you a great deal. To bring you back to life and make you a merman, you will forget your life as a human. You will never get those memories back. You will no longer know the humans you knew as a human. You will be reborn as a natural-born merman, and there is no way for a natural-born merman to become human. Your life will be forever changed."

"If it's what my father wanted, I'll do it."

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Max signed the sea witch's contract. The contract rolled up and the deal was done.

"Dear, leave me to do my magic. I'll get you when I'm done."

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Arihi sang a song to Max. The melody filled his being with the power of the sea.

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Max felt the magic swirl around him and his memories of his old life washed away like the tides.

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When the change was complete, Max felt hollow, like a blank slate. The sea witch comforted him. max didn't know what to feel or if he should feel anything. He couldn't remember anyone or anything. As she comforted him, he began to remember things as if they were a dream. His parents died at sea, and he was found by a family of merfolk. Nothing else came to him with much clarity.

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Eventually, Max was happy he found a home and stretched out his fins on a basking rock. He finally had a home after so many years of being alone at sea.

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When Max left to go for a swim, Arihi looked into her cauldron, searching for Mortimer. As she feared, Mortimer became another poor unfortunate soul. His spirit was twisted by dark desires and corrupted by the power he was given. Fortunately, Mortimer would never see the light of day and would be forever sealed within Damian's Lair, ensnared by his magic. Near the sea witch, a similar purple shell glowed in the night. This shell contained the corruption from Davey Jone's Locker that plagued Max's soul.

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The sea witch swam up to her husband. "It's done. It seems we have another son to look after now."

"Can't he return to his human family?"

"Unfortunately, no. He wouldn't even remember who they are anyways, and he never will. His old life ended when he died."

"So, he's here to stay then."

"Yes, it would be cruel to send him out into the world alone. He doesn't know anyone. As time goes on, he might dream of what was, but the dots will never connect. In his heart, he'll start to remember new memories, memories of a life in the sea he never lived. He's been reborn, not revived."

"The twins will love having an older brother around. But, I hope we can be a good family for him."

"As I understand it, we might be all he has left now."

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"And that's the story of the poor unfortunate soul."

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"That was an awesome story!" Lir smiled.

"I couldn't agree more!" Kylen added.

"I told you he could tell some awesome stories!" Dylan exclaimed.

"It was pretty cool." Zeph said.

"I know. I know. I'm pretty awesome."

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"I have another surprise. Dad said we are going to visit Wayfarer's Atoll!"

"No way!" The merboys exclaimed together.

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"He's on the beach preparing for the swim. We are going as a pod."

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"Just do me a favor and don't tell him I told you. He wanted it to be a surprise."

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Calum surfaced shortly after. "You know, I wanted to tell them!"

"Sorry dad."

"I'll let it go this time. We have a big day ahead of us! There's no use in getting upset and ruin a day of fun."

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