Chapter 564: Servant Of The Sea

(Music Recommendation: This Quiet Violence by David Chappell)

Before Viola could react to the scales growing on the back of her hand and creeping all the way up her arm, she began to feel light in her own body, almost like she was floating in and out of water, losing her senses until her eyes closed and then opened almost instantly. But this time, she was back in the past, as Azmira.

Azmira was in a chamber underwater. Its entire surrounding was blue in color, with a large tree-like thing in the center that grew all the way up, its vines and leaves emitting blue light. One of the many vine-like roots was attached to a floating mermaid, pouring its light into the creature, and Azmira floated in the water with her hands held up, controlling the life energy.

Her eyes had been closed, and once she opened them, the mermaid gasped awake and the Life Root immediately detached itself from her, her glow beginning to subside.

"How are you feeling now?" Azmira asked the young mermaid, who had just experienced death and a resurrection at the same time and looked confused.

"I...I believe I just died." Said the young mermaid, looking at the life tree.

"Yes, you did, and I hope next time you will take care to avoid the poisonous plants in the north sea." Azmira said as she swam towards the mermaid, offering her a kind hug, since she still looked dazed from the experience.

The mermaid recovered and then immediately became aware that she was hugging someone regarded as great as the Sea Goddess, and she moved back, bowing her head in respect. "Y-you are too kind, Azmira. Thank you for giving me back my life."

To Azmira, kindness was instilled deep within her, and giving it to her people came so naturally that she waved the thanks off and escorted the mermaid out of the Life Root cave. When she swam back, her smile fell and the void returned inside her, and she stared at the Life Root tree until her twin came in saying,

"It was good you came back on time, Azmira, or that poor mermaid would have lost her life. I don’t know why the merfolk don’t listen when they are told not to eat the leaves growing in the northern part of the sea." Nerrisa said, swimming around with the jellyfish like she was one of them.

"How could they listen when the plants there are the most delicious in Aquaville? Not everything there is poisonous, it’s just that one can’t tell them apart, and eating the wrong one could cost one their life." Azmira said without taking her eyes off the tree she was bound to for life as the Child Of The Sea, gifted to the merfolk by the Sea Goddess.

"Just like you are treading on a thin thread on land." Nerrisa said offhandedly to her twin. "I don’t know how long I have to keep telling you that we both belong to the sea. We were not born like other mermaids, the Life Root gave us life and birthed us for the merfolk." Nerrisa reminded her sister, who had been away from home for a month now.

"I know," Azmira said, still not tearing her eyes from the tree. "But sometimes I can’t help but think we are servants to the sea, prisoners held in the clutches of responsibility."

Nerrisa frowned at her sister’s profile. "How are we servants to the sea? You have the power to bring back the dead, and I have the power to heal. To me, I see that as a gift and nothing else, and I know you liked it before. What has changed in you to see it as a burden?" She asked, sensing the changes in the Child Of The Sea, who should have been proud.

"I want to give up my tail. I...I don’t want to be The Child Of The Sea anymore." Azmira said finally to her twin, whose eyes went wide as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, because everyone wanted that power. Nerrisa jumped up from where she was playing around with the jellyfish.

"You can’t be serious, are you? Why in the name of the sea would you do that?" Nerrisa asked, and Azmira swam around looking distressed.

"You won’t understand even if I tell you, just help me find a way to become fully human or something that doesn’t have a tail. Being the Child Of The Sea means I can’t get what I desire." Azmira said with clear resolve. "There has to be another to take my place, because I can’t do this anymore."

Nerrisa, on the other hand, believed she must be joking or out of her mind, because her sister had always loved being what she was and had always loved helping everyone. "Is it because of that man you have been with? You want to give up yourself for him?"

Azmira looked guilty at the accusation, but she denied it. "It’s not because of him, I find more life out there, don’t you understand? So will you help me?"

Nerrisa stared at her twin. "You do know the only way to give up what you have is by giving birth to another Child Of The Sea, and that can only happen if you give yourself to the Sea powers to have a baby with the powers. We were brought forth by that root, and the root can give you another seed to carry and pass your powers on to."

Azmira gulped. "I know, but I don’t want to do it that way...I can’t join with another, he won’t like it. It would be like cheating on him."

"Who won’t like it?" Nerrisa questioned with narrowed eyes. "Your lover on land? You can’t be serious, are you? Why would you even love someone who I saw shoving you and almost hitting you just a few days ago? You are willing to give everything up for that strange creature on land?" Nerrisa grabbed her sister’s hand to make her look at her.

"Azmira, I thought your coming back here today was for good and that we could go back to our normal life, but you come here telling me you are giving it up. Why would you do that for that person?"

Azmira looked guiltily away, avoiding her sister’s eyes as she said, "You won’t understand. Whatever happened between us was—"

"I think it’s time I let everyone know what you have been up to, to talk some sense into you." Came Nerrisa’s angry words to her sister, who was clearly losing her mind. Azmira pleaded for her not to let anyone hear about this.

"Don’t, they will be disappointed. I am not supposed to love even an ordinary merman, not to mention one who isn’t our kind. I want to do this without announcing it to the world, and I can’t do this without you, Nerrisa. Help me put this misery out—"

"What misery?" Nerrisa asked, looking worried. "Is there something wrong you are not telling me?" She cupped her sister’s cheek, but Azmira tried to hide away, saying,

"Nothing. Just help me please."