The Legend of Arcaladia

Cedric

I think I regret throwing my shield at the girl.

'You're a fish boy...' she murmurs loud enough for me to hear her with a roll of her eyes. And that's what she thinks of me? Nauticalians? As fish boys?

'I'm Nauticalian. And before you threaten to snap my neck with an arrow again, you should know that I saved your life, bh-uas.' Hopefully she'll trust me more...? Hopefully...

Or maybe I should quit calling her 'miss' in Gaelic. She glares her death stare every time I do it.

Her gaze softens, slightly. 'After they smacked me in the head, let me guess, you dragged me to shore?' I nod and look toward Symmarilian. Immediately, she gets the message and pulls some golden berries and a leaf out of her pocket. 

'Have a knife?' she asks. With a nod, I toss mine to her then regret it. She could kill me with that.

But instead, the girl crushes the berries and the leaf, spits in it, and uses the knife to crush and mix it into a paste. Without warning, she walks too close to Symmarilian and tends to his wound, smearing the paste around the opening and in the cut itself. When she emerges, her hands are as red as her hair. With Symmarilian's blood.

That's when the kelpie's tail thrashes violently and the girl retreats back to the forest. 'Beathach ceilpe gòrach,' she curses. 'Teach your kelpie some manners. That paste will repel any infections and heal it in an hour at most.'

'Symmarilian is not a stupid kelp animal; he saved your life, too,' I add. 'Bh-uas, do you have a name?'

'Yes, and it's not 'bh-uas', gille iasg.' The girl gathers her bow and quiver, brushing past me with a glare.

Gille iasg, she wants to call me? Fish boy? Honestly, Nauticalians have mages, the some of the most powerful 'warriors', or should I say mages, known to us.

'Are you chucking water at me, gille iasg?' the girl growls, turning her head sharply. I notice her tunic, which had dried, was now waterlogged once again.

'No, I'm not-' I feel the water too. Not a good, refreshing sort, but a suffocating type that would drown me if I let it. Turning around, I find myself face to face with an elemental. A water elemental.

Shit.

'Do you know what that is, gille?' the girl yells, nocking an arrow in her bow.

'One of the King's elemental minions, controlled by him and only him,' I answer.

The girl nods and releases her feather-tipped arrow with deadly aim. It pierces the elemental's watery eye, but goes straight through the minion. Which it shouldn't. But it was water.

'WHAT?!' she shouts as the phoenix who was following us lands on her arm. Feeding it a golden berry, she gestures for me to attack the minion.

I pick up my trident and swiftly launch it at the elemental minion, watching as it sprays saltwater in all directions like splatters of blood. With the press of a button on my leather strap with the shield, Coralaes, the trident, returns to me.

'Maybe only you can kill it? I have nothing to do with the seas, so...' the girl trails off, stepping to the side and allowing me to use my trident and shield to fend of the elemental. But, she drags Symmarilian away from the minion with strength I wasn't sure she had. I'm grateful he's out of danger now.

Still, I attack what seems to be uselessly at the elemental. Nothing happens apart from it spraying stinging saltwater everywhere.

After a few minutes, I grit my teeth and look over to the girl, who is aiming a stone at the elemental minion. She throws the stone and it strikes it's stomach, but passes through, drawing its attention to her.

Ah, a distraction. My favourite thing.

Summoning enough strength to launch Coralaes, I focus on my aim, copying the how the girl directed her weapon earlier. When I'm sure it will land by the elemental's neck, I decide to say something.

'Ullaich gu bàs, leanabh uisge!' I yell, releasing my trident.

The elemental minion roars in frustration as a reply.

Apparently water elementals don't appreciate being told to prepare for death. Or being called water kids.

I watch as Coralaes sinks into the elemental's neck. 

Satisfying.

The elemental falls backwards and dives messily below the waves. It doesn't return, so I take that as a good sign and turn my eyes over to the girl, who is sitting next to Symmarilian. The moment she notices my eyes are on her, which is immediately, she stands up and returns the gaze. With a phoenix on her arm, a bow and quiver attached to her back, she looks very dangerous.

'Well done, gille iasg,' she breathes, exhaling. 

'So, bh-uas, care to tell me your name?' I try once again, waving a golden strand out from my eyes. 'It means 'miss' in Gaelic if you didn't know.'

'I can speak Gaelic very well, gille iasg. And call me 'bh-uas' if you really want to,' is her answer. 'Look behind you, gille.'

'I'm not sure if you're going to, like, shoot me down while my back is turned-' I start.

'Just look behind you,' she interrupts, her furious amber eyes glowing like embers.

Not wanting to anger the girl, I turn around to see a sword. A beautiful sword, which could do a lot of damage.

The blade was, crafted from pure, gleaming lapiz-gold, reflects the sunlight with a dazzling brilliance. Its edges are sharp and finely honed, capable of slicing through obstacles with precision and ease. The hilt is adorned with intricately engraved designs, delicate patterns and swirling motifs  which dance across the surface, reminiscent of the ebb and flow of Arcaladian ocean currents. Expertly cut aquamarines, with pale blue hues that blend with the seas, add a touch of natural beauty to the sword. Their sparkling facts catch the light, casting a mesmerizing glow that complements the radiant lapiz-gold. I saw beautiful scenes, schools of fishes, hordes of dolphins, legions of sharks, armies of whales and cohorts of kelpies.

Dazed by its beauty, I pick it up, feeling the light yet wonderfully sturdy blade in my hands. The hilt's grip is secure and firm; when I swing the sword with ease I can imagine delivering the killing blow to Smidvarg with precision.

'Pretty, eh?' I hear the girl ask. 

I nod in reply, walking toward her. 'Do you want it?'

'That's a very surprising question, you do realise I could behead you with that?' she answers. 'Keep it, gille iasg.'

'It's Cedric,' I tell her. 'You are...?'

The girl looks down, trying to decide whether to give in or not. She flicks a red curl from her face as her amber eyes finally meet mine. 'Mallory. The bird is called Ash.' She looks away to stare at the phoenix intently. 'Here to end the tyranny of, His Royal Majesty, High King Smidvarg IV?' she asks with a mocking tone. She stands up straighter, and I can tell even from over there that Mallory is taller than me.

I nod and she continues. 'Thanks for making sure I didn't die earlier-' Mallory tenderly touches the back of her head '-so pax?'

'Pax,' I confirm.