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Caedryl Lake
Topic Started: Oct 4 2013, 11:19 PM (625 Views)
Tasha the Gypsy
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With a smile, Harma saw the light reflecting off the gentle waves of the grey blue lake. She quickly shed her cloak, laying it out on the pebbles that covered the ground of the secluded inlet. She then removed her boots and vest and put them on the cloak, leaving her wearing a light cotton shirt and leather leggings along with a small pouch at her side. She tied the cloak bundle and shoved it in a small, hidden opening in some rocks behind her, then stepped into the cold water.

"Retaan could have warned me about the temperature." muttered Harma to herself with a slight shiver as she waded deeper.

With strong strokes she swam further out into the lake.
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The Inkweaver
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Miles under the surface of the water, a creature waited. He watched the changing light with bulbous, amber-colored eyes. Stray locks of his dark-blue hair floated around his head. He turned as another of his kind swam out of the deep murk of the lake bottom.
“Is she there yet, Retaan?” the newcomer asked. This one had aquamarine eyes and fire-red hair piled on her head and tied back with ropy lengths of seaweed. She halted her approach and pulled up, waving the iridescent arm-fins to maintain her position.
Retaan sighed, “No; but she will be!”
“She had better!” The mermaid snapped. “We need that Waterstone! Lady Kish will be furious if you do not bring it to her by sundown!”
Retaan’s gills flapped nervously. “Don’t worry, Chanka,” he replied, “I’ll get it.”
Chanka flipped a lazy somersault, stretching her ten-foot frame to its full capacity. “I’m staying here till you do,” she declared.
Retaan sighed and rolled his eyes upward. A small shape broke the surface of the water.
“There she is!” he cried to his partner.
The two merpeople swam towards the shape. Retaan marveled at how small humans actually were. He saw the small, skinny legs kicking feebly as the rest of the body remained above the surface. Why wouldn’t the pirate dive? Retaan reached up and grabbed the slim ankle, intending only to attract her attention.

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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma stopped when she thought she had come far enough out into the lake. She was about to reach into the pouch at her side when she felt something slimy wrap around her ankle and begin to pull her under the surface. Harma had just enough time to draw a deep breath before her head was submerged in the cool murky water. As soon as Harma opened her eyes, she was confronted with two large... she could hardly call them people. Her instinct made her pull out a long knife she had in her belt, taking as defensive a stance as she could underwater.
Edited by Tasha the Gypsy, Oct 6 2013, 01:53 PM.
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The Inkweaver
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"Now you've done it!" Chanka hissed, watching the diffused sunlight glint off the blade. "She's armed, Retaan--look out!"
The woman took a swing at her partner. Chanka rocketed into action, heading for the hand that held the knife. Spreading her hand over the human's face, Chanka pushed on the woman's head as she grabbed the knife out of her hand.
A hard, small object connected with Chanka's back, between her shoulders. The human was fighting with her fists now, and she kicked at Retaan with her bare foot. Large bubbles erupted from her mouth, and Retaan knew what they meant.
"Air!" he called to Chanka.
"What?" she snarled back, now wrestling with the strong, unyielding woman.
"Humans breathe air!" Retaan explained. "They cannot filter it from the water as we do!"
"I'll hold her," Chanka said, "you get the uandino!"
Retaan swam down to the lake bed, where several tall stalks of uandino grew. The leaves of this plant secreted a mucous-like coating that the merfolk would give to non-marine creatures, because it enabled them to breathe underwater and to understand the merfolk's speech. Retaan picked two leaves and swam back to where Chanka still tussled with the pirate.
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma fought fiercely against her slippery adversary. She couldn't see much in the cloudy water, but she could tell that the fish-like creature she was fighting had the advantage since it was incredibly tall and muscular, and could maneuver well in the water. She continued fighting the losing battle, but suddenly she felt the air escape her body. Knowing she had only seconds to get to the surface, Harma tried to get away from the grasp of the fish person when she felt her arms being pinioned to her sides. Another one appeared from below them, and it quickly smeared a slimy, translucent green substance over her mouth, nose, and ears. Suddenly, Harma felt herself being released from the iron grip of the fish person and she swam upwards a short way, but the need for air instinctively made her open her mouth. Harma expected water to come pouring in, but she was surprised to find herself breathing air. The mucus like substance had stretched to cover her mouth when she opened it, and was obviously a filter of some kind. Surprised that they had helped her, Harma swam cautiously back towards the two fish people that she had been so anxious to get away from a few seconds ago.
Edited by Tasha the Gypsy, Oct 7 2013, 09:56 PM.
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Chanka watched the human explore the uandino on her mouth. The mermaid puffed her cheeks in irritation. All the surface-dwellers did that. Why could they not understand that there was lmportant business to be done?
"Speak, human!" she commanded. "We know you can understand our speech, and breathe as we do. The uandino makes it so. In the name of our ruler, Lady Kish, you must answer: do you bear the Waterstone we have asked you to collect?"
Retaan swam in front of the impatient mermaid. "Please, Lady Harma, we mean no disrespect. My name is Retaan; I am the liaison with whom you have had contact. This is my partner, Chanka. We have instructions to bring you and the Waterstone to our ruler; do you have it with you? If so, please follow us."
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Recognition dawned on Harma's face at what Retaan was saying. The contact who had brought this commission to her.

"We have instructions to bring you and the Waterstone to our ruler; do you have it with you? If so, please follow us." he was saying.

"I have it here with me." Replied Harma, lightly touching the pouch at her side where the large, clear blue stone rested. "Where do we go from here?" she asked, still keeping a watchful eye on Chanka.
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Chanka tilted her chin at Retaan, a familiar gesture that said, This stranger is wise. She knows her place. The smug mermaid dove to a hidden alcove in the rocky crags around them, and withdrew a leather harness. She helped Retaan buckle the straps, and as he turned his back toward Harma, Chanka instructed her,
"You humans cannot swim as fast as we can. You must ride upon Retaan's back, holding these straps, and we will take you to Her Ladyship."
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma looked at the harness for a few seconds, then shook her head.

"No." She looked straight at Chanka, "I want my dagger back first, then I will go meet Lady Kish. Otherwise, you will not get your deal, and your queen will not get her waterstone."
Edited by Tasha the Gypsy, Oct 9 2013, 02:47 PM.
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Chanka stiffened at the pirate's demand. What would Her Ladyship think if her best agent allowed an armed stranger into her presence?

If the human tried anything, Gondu could snap her in half. The vengeful mermaid took grim pleasure in imagining such a scene--even though Gondu would probably let her escape rather than arbitrarily hurt a woman.
Retaan was looking at her. Chanka flexed her foot-fins, pretending not to notice. The pirate woman looked as if she would make good on her threat and swim to the surface then and there.
Finally, Chanka relented. She reached into her mass of hair and withdrew Harma's knife. She floated it back toward the pirate queen.

"Satisfied?" she snarled.
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma nodded curtly as she caught the knife floating up to. She swam down to Retaan and got a firm hold on the harness.

"Ready to go?" she asked with her daredevil smile, "I've always wondered what it was like to fly underwater."
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Chanka twirled toward the open water and took off, holding her arms extended like a bird. Retaan took a bit more care with his takeoff, mindful of his passenger. He spread his arms and swept them forward in a "butterfly" motion; coupled with his kicking legs, he sped through the water as if it was no thicker than air. He felt Harma's grip straining on the straps; obviously she was having difficulty holding on. However, there was not much Retaan could do. They'd wasted precious moments arguing, and now Lady Kish waited expectantly for their prize and its bearer. He took a steep dive through the murk, poised with his arms back and his body straight as a pike. He did not feel the pressure of the water around him, but there was no doubt Harma did. At this velocity, Retaan blasted through the membrane that concealed the mer-kingdom from the rest of the surface world. No outsiders could enter or even conceive of this place without permission from the merfolk. Retaan eased himself into the large "floes" that led to all areas of the kingdom, taking care to leave room above his back for his passenger. She was muttering something, but he couldn't distinguish her words. Retaan made up for the furious speed by taking the floes at a gentle pace. Around him, merfolk stopped and clicked in surprise at the sight of a human clinging to his back.

At last, Retaan arrived at the gate into Lady Kish's chamber. Chanka waited for him.

"What took you so long?" she sneered.
Retaan didn't dignify her derision with an answer. Chanka pushed the gate open and they entered the wide space. Openings in the roof allowed the space to be illuminated by the sun, which, in the clearer water down below, shone brightly for most of the day. He swam to the platform upon the massive coral structure that served as the dais for Kish's throne, an enormous scallop shell. Other merfolk could hover in the water, but the platform was for the surface dwellers, who did not possess such capacity to stay in one place in the water, always insisting on having something under their feet. So Lady Kish provided one: a circular surface no more than four feet in diameter, supported by a thin column of coral, a good ten feet from the edge of her throne. It accommodated the other species while keeping enemies at a safe distance.
Retaan allowed Harma to disembark upon this. He swam a bit in front of her; he saw she was staring at the mammoth Gondu hovering next to Her Ladyship's throne. Chanka noticed too, and smirked.

"I'll bet you've never seen a being that size, eh, human?" The mermaid teased.

Retaan crossed his arms in front of his chest and bowed his head in respect to Lady Kish.

"Milady, I have brought before you the human you commissioned through me to collect the Waterstone. She humbly begs leave to negotiate the terms of acquisition."
Retaan hoped his words would diffuse any rash comments from the pirate.
Lady Kish gazed at the woman keenly.

"You have the Waterstone, as we have asked? Very well; we shall negotiate.

"In return for the Waterstone, Lady Harma, you will receive payment of sixteen frydls of coral and a strand of Gythian pearls, known only to us Deep Merfolk. Does this satisfy you?"
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma landed on the platform while Retaan was introducing her.

"You have the Waterstone, as we have asked? Very well; we shall negotiate. In return for the Waterstone, Lady Harma, you will receive payment of sixteen frydls of coral and a strand of Gythian pearls, known only to us Deep Merfolk. Does this satisfy you?" The merqueen said when Retaan had finished.

"Two strands of Gythian pearls and fifteen frydls of coral." Harma countered, "This gem wasn't easy to find or retrieve."
Edited by Tasha the Gypsy, Oct 10 2013, 08:26 PM.
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Lady Kish did not react to this remark much beyond some small agitation of her gill-slits. She fixed the brazen woman with her bright violet gaze. She saw the set jaw, the hard expression--and, as the silence wore on, a slight hesitation in the brow, but even this was suppressed as soon as it became evident. Here was a human not to be taken lightly, nor coerced into a particular decision. She knew her mind, and the Mer-queen concluded, by the way Harma treated both Chanka and Retaan, that there was not yet cause for any real alarm from this quarter. Any mistrust would not be idly assigned by such a one.
Lady Kish nodded,
"It was because of your renown that I selected you specifically for this operation. No other pirate we have heard of could accomplish this task. Therefore, I will grant what you have asked." She nodded to Gondu, who swam forward and produced the bag containing the amount Harma designated (it was a bag almost too big for Harma to carry herself, yet it appeared only the size of a small pouch in the hands of the gigantic merman), which he opened and showed Harma the cherry-sized pearls and the six-inch-long prongs of coral it contained.

Lady Kish continued,
"Please relinquish the Waterstone to Gondu, and once it is in my possession, he will bring you and your reward to the surface, and you may depart about your own business."
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Tasha the Gypsy
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"Thank you Lady Kish. However, you'll forgive me I'm sure, if I count my payment first. In my line of business you can never be too careful." Replied Harma with a slight bow.
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Every merperson in the royal court froze. Had the human really demanded a count of her booty? Chanka reached up and felt the coral handle of her bone-knife within her hair. No one insulted the wise and judicious Lady Kish in this manner and got away with it!

Lady Kish, for her part, frowned but said nothing. She had overestimated the greedy pirate, and she regretted it now. Did the human really expect to double-cross her? in her own domain? Kish knew that the woman would not be able to leave without a merperson. Therefore it didn't matter what she did.
Imperiously, Lady Kish nodded to Gondu. The giant merman placed the huge bag at Harma's feet.


"Count it, human," Lady Kish insisted, letting her know by her tone that the pirate's impropriety had been noted and disapproved. "We have nothing to hide. It is a just payment for services rendered."
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Tasha the Gypsy
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Harma was quite aware of Lady Kish's displeasure, but being double-crossed so much in the past still made her wary of the merpeople. Her face remained impassive as she bowed her head gracefully in thanks to Kish, then carefully counted the payment. After she was satisfied, she again looked up at the merqueen.

"My thanks again, Lady Kish." She said at last. "You have dealt with me honestly and graciously, which most people don't."

She reached into the pouch at her side and pulled forth a velvet bag, which she handed to Gondu.
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Lady Kish watched the human leave, clinging like a remora to the harness on Gondu's back. Only when they were gone did she open the small pouch. The blue stone within glittered brightly within. She drew it out. A beam of sunlight streaking down through the water seemed to strike the gem at a specific point, causing the whole thing to glow and emit a beam of its own. Quickly, Lady Kish swam from her throne and into the deep caverns that were her treasure trove, far too deep for any other creature to survive.

There, upon a pedestal, stood a gold setting, just waiting for the Waterstone to be mounted. Lady Kish placed it there, and it glittered brightly for another second, then dimmed.

Lady Kish watched it for a few moments more, then returned to her throne.

There were changes coming to the surface of Terrarum. Would the humans survive? And if not--could this mean the end of the Merfolk?
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Harma held tightly to the harness on Gondu. She had to keep her eyes shut against the pressure as water surged past her. Soon she felt Gondu slowing down, and chanced opening her eyes. Looking up she could see the sun glinting off the surface of the water only a few feet above her.

"My thanks." she said as she let go of the harness, "Perhaps we will meet again sometime."
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Chanka followed Lady Kish down to the Vault. The Waterstone glimmered brightly, sending waves of blue light dancing over the ceiling of the underwater cave. Chanka noticed streaks of green and white as well--yet none of the emeralds or crystals reflected enough light to be the source. Chanka noticed Kish studing the dancing lights as if she could read them like words.


"What do you see, Milady?" Chanka asked.

Kish fluttered her gills softly.
"There are two more Stones on Terrarum--the Treestone and the Moonstone."
Chanka toyed with a loose strand of seaweed pensively. She had heard of Trees, but she had never seen them.
"I thought there was only the Waterstone," Chanka mused. "How many Stones are there?"
Lady Kish continued through the Vault and motioned for Chanka to follow her.
"There are eight Stones in all, for all the Elements of the world: Fire, Water, Tree, Sky, Sun, Moon, Earth, and Blood. They originated on Terrarum, yet they separated from their source, and were lost to knowledge--until now." Kish swam upward till they could see the glittering surface of the water. The dancing blue, green, and white lights followed them.
"What does it mean?" Chanka asked. "Do the Stones belong to us? Must we collect them all?" She didn't relish dealing with Harma the Pirate-queen again; she had no doubt that the pirate would do anything in her power to bankrupt the merkingdom, if she knew it was possible.
Kish faced her mermaid agent; her green hair splayed around her head as she hovered.
"I cannot say whether the Merfolk ought to be the ones to hold all the Stones; it will be clear once all the Stones are revealed on Terrarum. Who knows but the one who first held them might try to take them back; I cannot even know if those who hold the other two Stones know of their significance. We must wait, Chanka. Wait, and watch."

Chanka looked for Lady Kish's dismissal, so the Merqueen gave it. The young mermaid swam into the middle of Caedryl Lake to think over all that she had just learned from her ruler.

Till now she believed the Merfolk would be perfectly content to remain distinct from the surface world, except in cases of trade and transaction. Yet with the introduction of the Stones, she foresaw more dealings with the surface world. What would come of this? She put aside her worry and turned her thoughts to the mysterious others who held stones; were they royalty? Did they have any idea of the significance of the Stones? Were they looking for the Waterstone?
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