Dark Waters Rising

Scales

"So how does this work exactly?" Wesley asked nervously as he stood waist deep in the water.

"Well, first we need some magic," Valentine said from where he stood a few feet in front of him. "I might as well show you how to do that."

Wesley nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Close your eyes." Valentine instructed. Wesley did. "Magic exists in everything around us. Especially in things that hold life, like plants and animals. But other things hold magic as well. Everything from the wind blowing through the trees to the sand beneath our feet. I want you to concentrate on the feeling of the waves as they push and pull the water past your body."

Wesley poured all of his focus into the feel of the current.

"Feel how the water caresses your skin. Feel how it parts around you but never stops flowing. There's energy in it. Magic that you can pull from. Focus on the movement itself instead of the water. Imagine that energy flowing into you instead of around you."

Wesley tried. It was difficult though: abstract and complicated. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right and that worry led him on a downward spiral of distracted thoughts.

Then he felt a faint tingling sensation in his skin. It was like it finally clicked. He recalled that he could feel the magic pulsating in the air around the ancient skeleton key he'd delivered to Andromeda. This feeling wasn't dissimilar. It was definitely weaker though, and took extra effort to pick apart from the actual current.

"Good," Valentine said. "I can feel it being drawn to you."

It was no fault of Valentine's, but Wesley's concentration broke after that. It was like trying to hold water in cupped hands, powerless to stop it from escaping the slightest cracks.

Wesley opened his eyes, meeting a pair of lavender ones. Valentine's lips pulled up in a small, encouraging smile.

"It's a good start," he said, stepping closer to slide his arms around Wesley's waist, "but you'll need a little more to use it."

"What'd you have in mind?" Wesley asked, mirroring the stance by hugging Val closer to his chest.

Valentine rested his forehead against Wesley's, closing his eyes as he gathered energy in the same way he had instructed Wesley to. Then, he moved closer and pressed their lips together gently, pushing some of the magic into Wesley.

"There," he said after pulling away a moment later, "that should be plenty."

Wesley felt like he was buzzing. It was an odd but pleasant sensation.

"Surface magic is harmful in that it takes magic and keeps it, but subsurface, we learn to borrow energies and return them to the world when we're finished. At this moment, you are holding magic in reserve. Magic wielders typically draw magic into their reserves before performing magic and release the excess when they're finished. However, it's important that you draw in enough magic for what you intend to use it for. If you don't have enough magic in reserve for something, it'll start siphoning from your trace," Valentine touched the middle of Wesley's chest as he said it. "That kind of practice is dangerous and unsustainable."

"Your mother underestimated her reserves when she resurrected you. She turned weak and old."

Valentine frowned slightly at the news.

"Well, she knows what to do to fix it, I'm sure," Valentine said before looking back into Wesley's eyes. "You understand though, right? The risks?"

Wesley nodded.

"Okay," Valentine released a slow breath. "I've given you more than enough magic to try this, so you should have nothing to worry about."

Wesley smiled softly, hoping to assure the siren that everything would be fine.

"All right," Val said. "Subsurface magic is all about feelings and intent rather than of specific incantations. I want you to imagine a pair of gills sprouting from your neck. Feel the skin splitting and the water filtering through."

Wesley did as Valentine light cupped his neck to feel the change. Part of the reason he did so was to keep the gills flattened when they arrived so Wesley wouldn't have them flare and start choking on air again. When he felt the subtle movement beneath his fingertips, he guided Wesley down so his neck was submerged but his face was not. That way he could effectively breathe either way, or even both ways, without problems.

"Good," Valentine said. "Now another important thing to know is that sirens typically use their lungs like an air bladder. We usually don't breathe in the water through that because it tends to burn the lungs. Instead just keep in mind that the amount of air you hold in your lungs when you go under will affect your buoyancy. Too much and you'll float up to the surface all the time and too little and you'll sink to the bottom. For now, I'd recommend that you take a big breath every time you go under and release it as needed to achieve neutral buoyancy."

Wesley nodded.

"Okay, now for the tail," Valentine announced. "Remove your trousers."

After the article in question was slung over Valentine's shoulder, the siren continued.

"Hold your legs together: knee to knee, ankle to ankle. If the waves knock you over, let them. You already have the gills to breathe underwater. Just don't inhale with your lungs and you'll be fine. Imagine the skin on your legs getting tougher. Imagine that you're sprouting scales and that your feet are flattening into fins."

Despite the warning Valentine had just given, the siren elected to hold Wesley like a bride to keep his head above water for him. That way the merchant could concentrate on what he was doing instead of worrying about going under.

As he held him, Valentine could once again feel the change beginning. A few scales slid up from the skin. It was a slow and itchy process for Wesley, but Valentine wasn't surprised. It was only his first time after all.

"You're doing great," he encouraged. "Try not to move your legs so they can fuse."

The sensation wasn't exactly pleasant from Wesley's perspective but it also wasn't horrible. Mostly just uncomfortable. He kept his eyes closed and focused though, hoping that would somehow speed things up.

Wesley wasn't sure how long it had been when Valentine prompted him to open his eyes.

"You did it," he breathed.

Wesley looked down to try to get a view of his apparent tail, but his view was blocked by the surface of the water.

"Go under," Valentine encouraged. "You'll be able to see it better there."

Wesley nodded. Filling his lungs with air before Valentine gently released him and allowed him to slip beneath the surface.

Then, after discarding both Wesley's and his trousers onto the shore, Valentine changed himself and dove under to join his mate for a swim in the ocean.

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A/N

I had my first kiss after writing this chapter the first time around. It was on a beach in Florida, standing calf deep in the ocean. I'm feeling a little nostalgic.

Anyway, where and what would your dream vacation entail? I think I'm going to Ireland this summer. If anyone has recommendations for things to do there, I'm all ears!

See you Sunday,
-Mora Montgomery