The Merfolk of the Sulani Seas

Chapter 3: Life's Full of Tough Choices

The next day, Alex snuck off to check out the reefs near Zalia Grottos. When the merboy surfaced, he was greeted by sunshine and calm waters. The reefs in the open ocean had much more turbulent currents. 

'I wonder why so many merfolk left the seas around here?' Alex thought.

Alex started swimming toward the nearby reefs, but to his surprise, humans gathered in the shallows near the shore. He never expected to see so many humans so close to the ocean, much less the Ancestral Home of his kind, Zalia Grottos. As far as Alex knew, Makoa was the only mer that stayed in the grottos after it was abandoned. He recently learned of a merman and mermaid that moved in not long ago. It seemed like his pod wasn't the only pod returning to Sulani, but the bulk of the merfolk remained around open ocean reefs, far away from humans.

While Alex watched the humans, a merman with spine-like dorsal fins slithered through the water toward the merboy. Alex turned his head and saw the merman approaching him. Out of instinct, he wanted to swim away, but his curiosity stayed his fins. Out of all the denizens of the sea, he never encountered a mer that looked like this merman. 

Alex knew of the Deep-Sea Merfolk that lurked in dark caves, and he knew about the Kelpies that dwelled in the deep ocean. While this merman had a similar tail to the Deep-Sea Merfolk, he clearly wasn't one of their kind. His tail was a dead giveaway that he wasn't a Kelpie.

"Might I ask what a young merman such as yourself is doing so close to humans?" the strange merman inquired.

Alex took a closer look at the merman. He had clouded, opaque eyes, green skin with barnacles growing on his shoulder and tail, and his teeth were serrated like a shark's tooth. The merman's ears had a more fish-like appearance. Alex wasn't sure if he should trust him, but he saw no harm in answering his question.

"I was just curious," Alex admitted. "I grew up far away from here, and I've never really had a chance to see humans up close."

"I'm sure you know that humans are dangerous," the merman said.

"My uncle is always telling me that, but from what I've seen, they can't be that dangerous."

"You'd be surprised by what humans are capable of. Although, I must admit that the humans these days aren't the same as they once were."

"What do you mean?"

"Just as I said, they used to be much more violent and destructive. Mua Pel'Am still has its scars from that dark past."

"Dark past? Did that have something to do with merfolk leaving Sulani?"

"Many ages ago, the Merfolk Pods that lived all around Sulani had a terrible conflict with humans. Merchildren were orphaned, and the reefs succumbed to ruin. Are you sure you still want to be this close to those creatures?"

"I won't judge if you still do."

"I still want to learn more about humans," Alex admitted. "Last night, there was such awesome music. I saw this human girl..."

Alex's eyes shifted to the humans in the shallows. His gaze lost in the distance. "There was something about that girl. I never felt like this before."

"Forbidden love," the merman said.

"Maybe. I'm a merboy, and she's a human girl," Alex said, looking back toward the merman. "It's impossible for us to be together."

"I understand your predicament. Believe it or not, there was a mermaid I loved, but she was always beyond my reach. She never noticed me and left for a life on land before I could convince her to stay."

"She... she went to live on land? The Sea Shifter's Charm?"

"She wasn't a mer like you and me. She was a halfling, but that doesn't mean a merman such as yourself wouldn't be able to go on land too."

"I know Sea Witches can make it possible for me to go on land, but it's a temporary spell."

"What if you could change your tail into legs permanently? Why, a merman such as yourself could learn so much about the human world if you went to him."

"Him?"

"My master, he has a way of making the impossible possible. He could give you what you want most."

"Now I know what you are. I should have known." Alex grew angry.

"My friend, I'm just trying to help."

"You're cursed. How can your master help me? Just look at what he did to you. My mom warned me about dark sea sorcery."

"I promise you that he does not curse merfolk. I am cursed, but it was my own fault. I only wish to help other poor and unfortunate merfolk that can't have what they want."

"Help?" Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How could I trust someone like you? Merfolk only end up like you if they fail to pay for a sea witch's spell. If nothing else, you ended up like that because you tried to cheat and lie."

"But..."

"Am I supposed to believe that you are trying to help me? What's your real motivation?"

"It's just as I said. I only want to help."

"I've been in your fins. Trust me, I do not wish you any harm," the merman said. "The way I see it, you can continue to watch the human world from a far, forever beyond your reach."

"Or?"

"Or you could take a chance and go to my master for help. He can do exactly what I said he can. He can grant you the power to go on land and return to the sea."

"But, his magic clearly doesn't come without a price."

"Few things that are worth having are free."

"You aren't wrong."

"Life can be unfair. A merman like you would never be able to see the human world as you are. The alternative comes with many risks and dangers. It's temporary and you won't be able to return to the sea."

"My uncle would never allow it. Contact with humans and the human world is forbidden." Alex closed his eyes and thought about his options. "I know I can't trust you..."

"But, there's no one else that can give you what you want. No one will give you the power to see the human world. The girl you saw will always be beyond your reach. You'll live your life wondering about what could have been, and for a merman like you, an eternity is a very long time."

"I can learn to accept that."

"I guess I'm wasting my time. If you are willing to give up so easily, it probably isn't worth it."

"You said your master can help..."

"For a price, he can grant you the ability to change your tail into legs. You'll be able to return to the sea whenever you like. He can make it permanent. With that power, you could see the human world up close, maybe even get to know the human girl that caught your eye."

"Every part of my being is telling me to swim away, but if your master really can do that..."

"He can do so much to help you. He lives to help the poor unfortunate merfolk swept up in unfair tides."

The merman continued.

"Imagine seeing the human world up close and meeting the girl you fancy. Instead of thinking about what can't be, you should think about what can be. It won't be free, but can you accept things as they are knowing that an alternative exists."

"And your master can really do what you say he can?"

"Of course!"

"Then, I'll go to him." Alex didn't trust this merman, but if this was possible, he wanted to know more.

The merman smiled. "I'll lead the way."

With that, the merman escorted the merboy to a grotto in deeper water. The sun began to set, and Alex knew that he would need to return home soon. But, that could wait. 

After a fairly long swim, the merman brought Alex to his master.

"Let me introduce you to my master," the merman said. "This is Damion Vatore."

"Your friend said that you can give me the ability to change my tail into legs, permanently. How is that possible?"

"Ukupanipo often has a colorful way with words. The Sea Shifters Charm is often used as a temporary spell, but it can be permanent."

"I'll explain the details, but first things first."

Damion's hands glowed as he flicked his wrists. A blue light flowed around Ukupanipo and the merman vanished in a swirl of currents and bubbles.

"What happened to him?"

"I sent him away. I hope that won't be a problem."

"No, it doesn't bother me."

"Follow me, we can sit and talk."

"I still don't understand how you can make that spell permanent. My mom is a Sea Witch, and she can't do what you said you can."

"The Sea Shifters Charm is known for its limitations. Sea Sorcery can accomplish many things, but mermen like you and me, well it simply isn't possible to shapeshift like the Kelpies or Half-Bloods."

"My mom told me stories about this as a merling. The Stories about the Original Merfolk that came before us. Kelpies and Halflings came to be after merfolk mastered Sea Sorcery. They are the product of magic."

"I see you know your history. No force, no magic in existence, can change what we are. We can neither become a human nor walk among them. The Kelpies and Half-Bloods can defy what is natural because they didn't come to be naturally."

"Is that why the Sea Shifter's Charm was created?"

"Sea Witches created the spell after the first Kelpies and before the first Half-Bloods. They saw the power of the Kelpies and created a spell that allowed merfolk to take their first steps on land. I'm sure you know that the spell has many limitations and dangers."

"It only grants the power for three days. A mer is without their tail and we can't breathe underwater until the spell wears off. When the spell wears off, a mer can get stranded on land or worse."

"It's unfortunate, but all magic comes with a price. Some have tried to find a way around that, but no one can make the magic completely free. The Sea Shifter's Charm is one of those spells. A spell to achieve what is impossible."

"Then, what does your spell cost?"

"My magic is never free, but that's not the problem here."

"So, there's a rule or something. Maybe, a condition?"

"Any mer can make the required sacrifice for this spell without much trouble, but the price is not something I ask for on a whim. It is a requirement for the spell to work."

"If the spell is so easy to use, then why don't more sea witches use the spell?"

"The reason other sea witches don't perform this spell is because few are willing to pay the price, and if the spell is done incorrectly, there are severe, irreversible consequences."

"I'll be honest, this almost sounds too good to be true. Are you sure you can actually do this?"

"You aren't the first that's come to me for this spell. There aren't many that will pay the price, but that doesn't mean no one will. I am one of the few that can cast this spell correctly."

"Then what is the price for your spell?"

"You have two options. If you want to permanently gain a human form and be able to return to the sea, you must sacrifice the ability to love or your voice. Your eternal youth is an option, but I wouldn't recommend it."

Damion Continued

"I can settle for a mer's voice or the love in their heart. Both are powerful things. The problem is your willingness to make the necessary sacrifice."

"I can't give up the love in my heart. The human girl I saw, what if I want something more?"

"Then you know what I require."

Alex gasped and held his hands over his mouth. "But, without my voice..."

"That's right handsome. No more talking, singing, zip. If you want this, that is the price you must pay."

"Still, why worry about such a small thing? You won't even miss it. Why a handsome merman like you probably doesn't need to say a word to win the heart of a human girl."

Damion continued.

"All the merfolk that come to me have their own problems. A mermaid wants fame and fortune. A merman wants to escape heartbreak. For them, their price was something I'm certain you won't pay. Because what you want is something different."

Alex frowned.

"Your voice, why that's but a trifle. You'll have the ability to walk, run, stand, and explore the human world. When you get tired of being on land, you get to return to the sea. You'll get the best of both worlds. All it will cost is your pretty voice."

"If I give up my voice, I won't be able to ask humans questions. I won't be able to talk to her. I'll never be able to tell my little brothers stories again..." Alex sobbed in his hands. 

"I guess you'll swim along then. I won't twist your fins over this."

"It really is hopeless." The merboy continued to sob.

"I can only imagine how hard it will be to watch the human world from a distance. I mean, I could just give you three days to see the human world, but I never cast a spell for free. Other than your voice, what else could you possibly offer to pay for my help?"

"I don't have anything else to give."

"Then why not get the best of everything?"

"I'll do it." Alex sat up straight.

"Are you sure? Once the deal has been struck, there will be no going back."

"I said, I'll do it."

"Well then, let's get things started."

Damion smiled and escorted the merboy to his cauldron.

Damion conjured a contract and spun it through the water toward the merboy. "Now, you're probably new to this so let me explain a few things. First, we need to make our deal official. Once you sign this contract, we can proceed. You should know that this contract is binding for all eternity."

"When you sign this contract, your voice will belong to me. In exchange, you will gain the ability to change your tail into legs. Regaining your voice will be a breach of the contract."

"So, no going back after I sign." Alex said.

"Correct. Breaching the contract will invoke the Sea Shifter's Curse and I will take you as collateral. No one will be able to use the Sea Shifter Charm on you again and you will belong to me. I retain the right to dispel the contract without invoking the curse or further consequences."

Alex looked down at the contract. 'Can I go through with this?'

"Additionally, If the contract is breached, dispelled, or destroyed. If something happens to me, the contract will be null and void. My magic will be undone, and you will return to your mermadic form wherever you may be."

"I guess you might consider my terms rather strict," Damion said. "But, a deal is a deal. I always honor my end of a bargain, and I expect the same of those I make deals with. Consider the consequences a bit of insurance for both of us to uphold our end of the deal."

Damion saw the merboy hesitating.

"You can always back out if you want to. However, if you want to make this permanent, you will have to make a choice. For my help, what I want from you will be your pretty voice no matter what."

"If I sign, I lose my voice forever, but I gain the power to take a human form permanently. If I don't sign, I can keep my voice, but I'll never see the human world up close."

"Life's full of tough choices. One door opens while another one closes."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, there is one thing you should know. Once I cast the spell, stay away from water. Get too wet and your legs will change back into a tail. Just because you look like a human doesn't mean you are being turned into a human. Don't get too carried away on land."

"Good to know."

"I'm a very busy merman." Damion tilted his head to the side of the contract. "Have you made your decision?"

Alex still wasn't sure about this, but it would give him everything he wanted. With this spell, he could see a world beyond the sea. He wouldn't be limited to a life in the ocean. 

'Uncle Kemps would be furious if he knew, but when did that ever stop me,' Alex thought.

"All I need to do is sign?"

"Of course," Damion said. "Nothing more to it."

A fish bone pin appeared in the water next to Alex. He grabbed it and held it above the contract.

Damion made a sinister grin. The merman was so close to getting something he was denied so long ago, a precious addition to his growing collection.

'There's no going back now,' the merboy thought.

The merboy took a deep breath, feeling the sea in his lungs. As he signed, he felt a sudden surge of magic.

"It's been such a pleasure doing business with you."

"And now."

"We."

"Have."

"A Deal."

A nautilus shell materialized above the cauldron, and Alex tensed up. Damion's Magic swirled around them. The merboy fell under its influence, unable to fight what was about to happen.

"Now sing."

Alex couldn't resist the sea witch's command. His being screamed to not do it, but there was no going back.

The merboy started his song with a hum and it grew into a perfect harmony. As Alex began to sing, a light shined from within his throat.

Damion began his chant, and Alex felt the magic's pull grow stronger. 

"Aeolus, Notus, Zephyrus, Come Anemoi and Answer Me!"

The merboy fell completely under the influence of Damion's magic, singing away his voice.

As Alex continued to sing, he felt a force caress his chin.

"Sting of the Corallia Severus Larnyxes. Max Laryngitis onto thee."

Under the force of Damion's Magic, Alex threw his head back, and a current surged into the merboy's throat.

"Keep singing." Damion broke his chant.

Alex closed his eyes and focused on maintaining his perfect pitch. The force of Damion's magic slipped deeper into Alex's throat and tightened around the merboy's voice.

The current flowing into Alex's throat surged in reverse, ripping out the merboy's voice. Above his head, Alex saw a singing light.

"Antillas Cortan La Voz. La Voce to Me!"

Released from Damion's magic, Alex slumped forward and watched his voice float through the water, dancing and singing in the currents.

Alex grasped his neck. 'What have I done?'

"This will be an excellent addition to my collection." With a wave of his hands, Damion guided the light through the water. "Your voice, it's truly a wonder from the sea. The melody is absolutely beautiful."

"Do enjoy your time on land. I'll make sure to keep this safe." Damion grinned and guided the singing light into the nautilus shell.

'Did I make the right choice?' Alex thought. 

The merboy knew there was no going back. Either he would release Alex from the contract, or the merboy would belong to him. His fate and the fate of his voice was sealed.

As soon as Alex's Voice disappeared in the nautilus shell, a surge of magic flowed around the merboy. Alex could feel the magic empower him. It lifted him up and he felt the ability to change his tail into legs. He knew that he could shapeshift now.

Alex didn't waste time swimming out of the Sea Witch's Lair. He wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

After the merboy left his lair, Damion placed Alex's Voice in his collection. On one side, he had a merman's love. On the other side, he had a fragment of Alexander Goth's Human Soul. Adding Alex's Voice to his collection made Damion giddy with joy.

"Such a wonderful addition to my collection. Wouldn't you think it's nearly complete."

The faint echoes of Alex's Song could be heard from within the shell.

"I couldn't keep your voice, but I know what your nephew means to you. My collection is still missing many things."

Damion looked over his collection.

"The complete soul of a human, a mermaid's love, a merman's love, the scale of a cursed human, a fragment of a human soul, and a merman's voice. Now that I have that merboy's voice, how will I acquire a mer's soul? "

Alex flicked his tail as he swam toward the surface. The moonlight shined above the ocean. Regret slipped away, replaced by inspiration and curiosity. As Alex looked up, the stars that could be seen flickered in the sky.

Silently, the merboy swam close to the surface and toward the shore. Alex knew that he probably should return home, but now that he could walk on land, he really wanted to give his new ability a try. It was irresponsible and went against all of his uncle's rules. However, the merboy didn't care.

Alex dragged himself to the edge of the waves. Once he got into fairly shallow water, he slid his heavy tail across the sand and in front of him. He held his hand over it and concentrated. 

He felt the power that flowed into him. He just needed to concentrate on that feeling. Alex lifted his tail and focused his energy. He willed the change. 

Before long, he felt his tail begin to change. He braced himself against the sand and watched his tail transform. 

A white light flashed over his tail, and it was soon replaced with a pair of legs. Unsure of how to use these new limbs, Alex used his arms to push himself up. He slid one leg below him as he tried to use it to lift himself up.

After some trial and error, he managed to stand. His back was sore from the effort. The merboy still smiled. He was doing it. He was standing for the first time in his life!

As soon as Alex thought he had standing figured out, he suddenly felt his legs begin to buckle. The merboy lurched forward, swinging his arms to counterbalance himself. As he began to stumble, Alex moved one leg across from the other and caught himself. Legs, they felt strange. He was so used to having one powerful tail propel him through the water. Now, he was trying to steady himself with two legs. 

The merboy prepared to catch himself with his arms outstretched. But as he swung his arms, he began to steady himself.

Alex lifted his arms and took a deep breathe. 'I almost landed on my face. That was close.'

Alex leaned back. His arms at each side trying to balance.

'That was a little embarrassing,' Alex thought.

Alex looked around and listened. He heard the sound of waves against the rocks and shore. He heard the calm breeze.

'No one saw that, right?' He thought.

When he didn't hear anyone, he closed his eyes and breathed. 'Pull yourself together. You can do this.'

The last thing the merboy wanted was to be seen stumbling in front of a human.

Alex lifted one foot and moved it forward. He used that leg to pull himself forward. He then lifted his other foot and used that leg to pull himself a little more forward. Each step started out awkward and took a lot of concentration. Before long, his steps got shorter, his speed increased. His walking picked up pace, progressing to running.

Swimming around the island was very different from running across it. As he ascended the dunes, he saw the place he visited when he first arrived in Sulani. The lights shined in the distance. The land was small. If there weren't volcanic rocks and cliffs along the shore, he could have seen everything here from the ocean. Traveling across land, Zalia Grottos was much closer to the place he heard that music and saw that girl. He didn't know how humans lived in such a small place.

At his current pace, it didn't take him long to get a good look at the human structure. He could hear someone calling out at a stand, like the halflings and merfolk in the markets under the sea. His curiosity soared and he wanted to see more.

'I'll go home soon. I just want to see a little more. Just a little longer.' Alex thought.

If Uncle Kemps learned about this, Alex knew he would be in boiling water. It wasn't like he could explain anything to him now. In the back of his mind, the merboy just didn't want to listen to another lecture.

Alex climbed the stairs and stood in the warm light. He grinned, his confidence building. 'I'm here. I'm actually here, walking among the humans!'

He heard the music that caught his ears and saw the lights flashing. Humans were dancing to the music.

Alex walked toward the music. Humans were coming and going. This strange place was so alive, almost chaotic. There was so much to see and do. He didn't know where to begin.

He saw the girl from the other night and walked up to say hello. Nothing came out of his mouth, not a single sound. The girl continued dancing, oblivious to his presence.

'Right, I forgot.' Alex held his hand up to his neck. 'This won't be easy.'

The music flowed around the pier. The girl danced on the stage.

'How will I get her attention?'

Alex slumped over and looked down. 'Without my voice, this is hopeless.'

He looked at his feet. 'The spirits can be so cruel.'

Alex's gaze shifted toward the human girl. She wasn't like the humans he watched from afar. Being this close to her, he could feel it. She was different, but he couldn't tell what was different. 

'How will I introduce myself? I can't even get her attention.'