Mystia

Chapter 2: Deep Ocean

Chapter 2
Deep in the cold blue ocean in the kingdom of Mystia there was a golden palace filled with sea nymphs. They dwelt with their father Nereus and their mother Doris. They were called the nereids which simply means the children of Nereus. Nerine was the youngest nereid. She was a very anti-social creature. Nerine was very beautiful and her skin was as blue as the sky and covered in shiny, iridescent scales from head to toe. Her shiny hair was long, wavy and a beautiful sea green color. She wore a flowy blue dress covered with pearls and scales. She was a lot shorter than her sisters and often was left behind and forgotten. She didn't mind though. She likes spending time above the water. Her father preferred that she didn't but she never listened to him. She liked to sit under her favorite willow tree in a deep dark forest and listen to the spirits and ghosts that roamed the woods. Nerine often heard the whispers of one specific ghost-like creature. This voice seemed to follow her everywhere she went ever since she was born. At first she was sure she was just hearing things or maybe it was a different creature every time and it was just the same one following her but the voice sounded the same every time she heard it. She sat under a willow tree and there was a puddle near it so she was using her hydrokinesis to move the water. She created shapes in the air with the water droplets. Nerine heard that familiar soft voice again and then all of a sudden she saw a dark, demonic looking creature that appeared to be floating and draped in tattered dark rags. It was a dark shadowy creature with skeleton looking hands. She immediately knew which kind of monster this was. It was a wraith. Nerine Knew that these dark soulless creatures were known for stealing the souls of others. With one touch wraiths can drain the life out of a person and steal their soul. When they steal a soul from someone that person is cursed to wander around with them forever unless somehow the wraith is killed. Nerine stood up and stood face to face with the wraith. She had nowhere to run. She was ready to give up when the wraith spoke in his surprisingly gentle voice. "Do not be scared dear child I'm a vǫrðr." Nerine sighed in relief. A vǫrðr is the only type of wraith that is not considered malevolent. "I've been watching you since you were born and I will until you die. It is what I have to do. I'll protect you." Said the Wraith. "Oh well do you have a name sir?" Nerine asked him. "No- you can call me Wraith I guess or whatever you'd like." He answered in his calming voice. At first Nerine was terrified of him but Wraith seemed to be quite friendly. "It's nice to meet you Nerine." Wraith said as he floated around the trees. "It's nice to meet you too." She said with a warm smile on her face. He flew next to Nerine and grabbed her hand. Wraith's cold skeleton fingers wrapped around one of Nerine's webbed hands. She continued smiling and the two magical beings wandered through the dark forest. In this magical kingdom Wraiths were able to be seen as their normal skeletal, shadowy form even by the humans but when wraiths went outside of the kingdom of Mystia they were often seen as just a small light. It was perfectly safe for wraiths to be seen by anyone, even people they weren't protecting inside the magical kingdom but outside Mystia if other people looked at another person's wraith they would get an uncomfortable sensation. Nerine and Wraith continued walking through the forest and the deeper they went the darker it got. The forest was thickened with fog and they could barely see anything anymore. Wraith guided Nerine to a spot in the forest with fewer trees that they could relax by. There was a small pond near this area. No one else was nearby and it was extremely quiet. "I never thought we would get a chance to speak to each other. I haven't spoken to anyone in a while." Said the wraith with a sad tone in his voice. "What happened?" Asked Nerine as they sat down next to each other on a damp log covered in moss. "What do you mean?" Asked wraith, unsure about what the girl meant. "I mean how did you become a wraith? I mean you don't have to tell me but if you want to you can." Said Nerine. "Well I did some things I regret and now I have to pay the price. It's not so bad though since I get to watch over someone as nice as you." Wraith whispered. Nerine smiled softly at the ghost and they sat there in comforting silence for a while. Neither of the two creatures were used to this comforting feeling. Like something warm and fuzzy was wrapping around them gently. Both of them were used to a feeling that was like being internally suffocated. They were both overwhelmed by the pressure of being perfect and exactly who people say they're supposed to be. They both wanted something more. Following the rules wasn't something either of them wanted to do but they did anyway most of the time. This feeling they felt was electric. As soon as they met there was a spark. It's like they were meant to be. This feeling they felt was magnetic. Perhaps it was love but not in the way you might think. It wasn't romantic. Which is a good thing because Wraith was much older than Nerine and also he was dead. It was something different. I guess I would describe it as philia. Affectionate love. Love that strong friends have towards each other. Or emotional, alterous love. However you want to describe it. Of course they haven't really been friends for that long yet but Nerine could always sense someone and Wraith had always been around her and knew everything he could possibly know. Which may sound creepy but he didn't have a choice it was his job. Both of them had always felt lonely and hopeless but now with the company of each other they don't feel that way anymore. Who knew someone who floats in the air and someone who floats in the water could be friends.