Lost in Blue

𝖁𝖎𝖊𝖗𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖟𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖟𝖎𝖌: Trip to the Past

Cutting through the waves, she felt a rush of ecstasy run through her tail to the tip of her fins. No matter how many times she'd speed through her frigid territory, the cold would always send shivers of joy across her scales.

She took a quick look back. Isa, the Bavarian nixie from the Danube, was only a few meters behind. The nixie of the Rhine had challenged the one she acknowledged as a little sister to a race she knew she'd win in a rout. While they were at it, they would simultaneously look out for humans to drown or mess with, depending on their current mood.

Loreley increased the speed. Gushes of water came her way as she swam against the Rhine's icy current, passing few aquatic creatures. She saw the wooden stakes of the pier and declared that the goal line for their race. Really, outswimming Isa was too easy.

All of a sudden, from above, a body crashed into the river, forcing her to come to a halt.

Right in front of her, it sunk, dark, short, blond hair covering the human's face. She licked her lips. If prey presented itself like that, she would be the last nixie to let this opportunity slip.

Apparently, Isa, who had caught up in the meantime, thought the same and began to circle the sinking human, salmon-pink claws ready to attack.

"My territory, my prey!" Loreley hissed at her fellow nixie, baring her fangs. Her friend backed off immediately, yielding to her command.

The Rhine nixie, a grin on her lips, swam closer and firmly grabbed the human by the shoulders. It was a male. To her surprise, he didn't put up any resistance and with her clawed hand, she lifted his chin to take a look at the tallish man. As her azure orbs locked with his dark brown eyes, she gasped.

He was conscious? She had thought he wasn't – why didn't he flail his arms, kick his legs like the other humans usually did when they were confronted with her presence? There was no trace of fear whatsoever. On the contrary, she had never seen eyes so devoid of life before. Confused, she eased her grip.

Had he really intended to drown himself? Didn't prey have the instinct to survive? Usually, it did, as far as her experience went.

From the other side, Isa stared at her impatiently, lurking around the two of them. Loreley focused her attention on the human man again.

Somehow the thought of drowning him was a lot less fun. With that attitude of his, he wouldn't writhe in pain as he'd choke and drown at her hands. Killing him would neither give her the thrill she craved nor satisfy her primal instincts.

With rapid speed, she darted upwards, dragging the man by his white collar behind her. Out of the blue she jumped, crawling onto the shore next to the pier, the stranger in tow. She placed him on his back to drench his soaked self in the warm rays of the summer sun.

As he coughed up water, she banged on his chest with her fist, resisting the temptation to bury her claws deep into his ribcage. The stranger looked back at her, eyes widened.

"You've been spared by Loreley, the Rhine nixie. Remember my name and never come back into my territory, human, or else I might reconsider my decision," she hissed and immediately plunged back into the river without even waiting for his answer.

Coming back to the frigid cold, the Bavarian nixie surrounded her azure-scaled older sister the moment of her return and immediately started the interrogation.

"Loreley, what happened? Why did you save him? Weren't we gonna drown him?"

Her confusion was warranted – they never had spared prey before and this certainly would be an exemption rather than a rule, so she swore to herself.