"Aquema?"
I looked up from my pillow, to see Axarion standing in the doorway.
I brushed the last of my tears away, sitting up. "Come in."
He swam over and sat down next to me. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night.."
His eyes are full of worry and concern. Seeing them make me feel so cruel for how I acted. I think I'm going to be sick.
"No I'm the one that's sorry. You saved me from Jodaun and I was horrible."
"I should've kept a better eye out. He never should've even gotten to see you."
"You couldn't help that. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing more you could've done. You saved me. And I want to thank you so much."
I turn towards him and look deep in his rusty red eyes. He stares back into my own eyes.
Ugh. I can't take this anymore. Without thinking, I lean forward and rap my arms around him in a hug.
He seems stunned for a moment, for he didn't move. But I felt him release his breath, and then he moved his arms up to embrace me.
We stayed like that for what seemed like a long time. This feels so right. Like I belong here. I wish it could stay like this forever.
But all things must come to an end. We released each other. I looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.
Axarion got up abruptly and swam to the door. Before leaving he turned. "Training is in half an hour. Quesia will be in the training hall."
"Ok."
And with that, he left.
Did he not like hugging me...? I know I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't help it.
Oh well. It's not like anyone has ever liked me. This is no different. I'm used to it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*****************^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
About twenty minutes later, I began making my way to the training hall. My merbrain must be better than my human brain. I can actually remember how to get around this place.
I turned into the room, nodding at the guards as they open the doors. Then I stopped.
Woah.
Quesia is in the center of the room, practicing on the pineapple. And she is good. I mean, amazing. She swings a sword at the pineapple's middle, spins away and ducks from an imaginary sword at the same time.
This girl has real skill. Axarion wasn't lying when he said she is the best. It's incredible what she can do with a sword.
She saw me standing there and stopped, panting.
"Hey! I didn't see you there!"
"You. Are. So. Good!!!!!!!!"
Quesia blushed. "Haha! Thanks!"
"Teeeaaach me! Teach me! Teach me!" I whined.
"That's exactly why you're here. Are you ready to start?" She smiled.
"Yep! Where do we begin?"
"With the most important part."
I thought on this for a second. She's testing me. "So... The shield?"
"Yes!" She lit up and jumped around. "You got it!"
She motioned me over to the shield wall and swam up to the very top. On the uppermost row, by itself, was a silver and blue shield. She unhooked it from the wall, and brought it down.
I examined the big, round shield very carefully as she held it out to me. It's tough metal was pure silver, with rings of fancy designs and Greek writing. It's perfect.
I reached out and put it on my left arm. It fits perfectly.
I looked back up at Quesia who is waiting patiently.
"This is your shield. It's your best friend during fights. Never forget that."
I nodded eagerly.
"Now, you need to learn how to use this shield. I will show you how to push things away with it, guard yourself with it, and throw it."
"Sounds great!"
This is so exciting!!
Quesia put on her own pink and silver shield, and we made our way to the center of the room.
"Ok, so if someone were pinning you down. And your shield was between you, what would you do?" She paced back and forth.
"Hmmm.. I could use my shield to push him off of me?"
"Yes! Good job. Now, let me show you, and then you try."
"Ok."
Quesia laid down on the ground and I positioned myself on top of her, holding her shoulders down with my arm.
"Ready?"
Focusing, I nodded.
She shoved her shield up against my stomach and I was forced off of her.
That was simple.
"There we go. Now you try."
I did exactly what she did and made sure not to hurt her when I pushed her off with my shield.
"Great job!" Quesia praised me.
"Thanks!" I felt myself blushing at the attention.
"Ok, now what if someone threw something at you?"
"You could fling it away by smacking it with the shield?"
"Perfect. Let's try it."
Quesia positioned herself with her shield in front of her.
"See those coral sponge balls over there? Get those and those them at me."
I turned around and saw some weird spongy balls. I grabbed a few and made my way back to Quesia.
I pulled my arm back, and flung it forward, releasing the ball straight at Quesia. She raised her shield to it, and hit it perfectly, pushing it away. The orange ball flung off to the side at the impact.
I threw two more, and she hit them all the same.
Quesia raised her hand, motioning for me to stop. I obeyed and listened intently again.
"It can be harder for your enemy to hit you if you are moving. So try to throw the balls at me as I move around."
I did just that. This time, the balls missed Quesia most of the time. One I aimed perfectly in front of her so she swam right into it, but her shield was there to block it.
We did this for about three hours, practicing lots of uses for the shield, until we were worn out. There are a lot more ways to defend with the shield than I thought.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^************************^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sore.
Tired and sore.
Ugh.
Can training get any more tiring?
Quesia and I are outside the kingdom, collapsed on a flat rock.
"Ughh I've never been so tired in my life. Who knew training someone could be so much work." Quesia moaned without even lifting her head.
"Try being the one that's being trained. Not exactly easy."
"Haha I believe you."
"I'm just glad it's over."
"Until tomorrow you mean."
"Dude don't remind me."
"Haha sorry."
We lay there in silence. I remember the amazing happening, when Quesia showed me how to store my shield. She had me focus on my left hand and command for my shield to go. My shield dissolved into my hand like it had never even been there. It could come back when I wanted it to just like my spear had. It's so incredible.
As my mind drifted from thought to thought I found myself wondering what was going on back on land. My friends... Even though they were fake, and didn't really care about me, I still wonder if they miss me. And my mom... Was she ever looking for me? Was there the slightest chance she was upset that I disappeared? I highly doubt that. I can just see my mom saying to the cops that I probably ran off doing drugs or something. I despise her. She never did anything for my good. Everything she did was for her. She wanted me to date a rich guy so she could steal from him. Which is a good reason why I never dated a lot of guys. She never let me leave the house to hangout with some real friends I scarcely made. She wanted me to hangout with the fake ones she would always try to get something out of. I have been used by her all of my life. She wanted me to stay away from my father because he wanted me to make my own choices. It's her fault he's dead... It's her fault I was such an outcast... She made me into what I am.
Was. Not am. Was. I am my own person now. I will never go back to letting someone else run my life. I'm almost 20 and definitely old enough to make my own decisions. I have realized how much I have changed since I have become a mermaid. I have confidence. My life is no longer torn. And I am never going to be used by another person. I will give it my all to help my friends down here. My most real friends I have ever had.
"Aquema!" The strange voice inside my head called out to me.
I sat up quickly. All sort of soreness and exhaustion wiped away.
"What's wrong?" Quesia asked, looking up at me confused.
"Aquema! Look out!" The voice screamed out at me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glimmer of something shiny.
"Watch out!" I yelled to Quesia as I grabbed her arm and yanked her off the rock. We flung into a patch of seaweed. I looked back and saw a silver spear land in the rock, right where we had been laying only seconds before.
"What the crap!?" Quesia squeaked when she saw the spear digging right into the now cracked rock.
I looked to the left at who had thrown the familiar spear.
And what do you know. It's Sespin.
"Sespin! What are you doing!?"
His eyes seemed to be bulging and swirling in his head. He looks like he's in pain.... A bright blue bruise covering most of his right forearm would confirm that.
"You must be destroyed! You will ruin us all!"
Maybe if I try to get him to understand my purpose.. Maybe then he will stop trying to kill me.
Somehow I doubt that will work with this nutcase.
"Sespin, I'm here to help you. Not ruin you. I will defeat the demcis. You have nothing to worry about."
His eyes darkened with rage. "No! They cannot be defeated! The only way to survive is to surrender!"
His middle name must be coward.
"Get your sword and shield." Quesia whispers next to me as she bring out her own shield and sword.
"You want me to fight him?! I can't I barely have any training!" I begin to hyperventilate.
"Aquema." She glances at me with a calming expression. "I will back you up. You're not alone in this."
This girl is perfect.
I nod and focus back on Sespin. He had recovered his spear and is now coming near the seaweed patch. The seaweed is at least three feet taller than me, and we are pretty deep in it, so he must not be able to spot us.
I signal to Quesia for us to go further into the seaweed.
She gets my plan, and we stealthily swim further in. I hear Sespin trampling through the greenery, clumsily looking for us.
A stone calmness is beginning to flow through my veins. A power I am not yet used to. My mind is on full battle mode, and every one of my senses are alert.
Quesia looks like she is the same way as me. She points to the right of me, and then to her left.
She wants us to split up and attack him from both sides. I turn off towards my right and she goes the opposite way. Sespin is making his way directly between us. He is falling right into our trap.
Simultaneously, Quesia and I both leapt from the seaweed and attacked. She slashed her spear at his shoulder, and I slammed my shield against his spear to keep him from stabbing Quesia.
He tuned his full attention towards me. Quesia took this chance to cut his back open with her sword.
Sespin screamed and spun on her. I banged my shield against the back of his head then swam like a snake around his tail, slashing it open as I went. He howled out in pain before jabbing his spear at me. Looking up at him from my low position, practically laying on the ground, I lifted my shield and blocked his blow. Metal hit metal.
Our eyes met. I gave him an evil smirk of confidence and I saw his eyes flicker in fear.
Pushing up, I thrush his spear away and dragged my sword along his vulnerable, unguarded stomach as I swam out of his reach.
Sespin clutched his gut, wincing at the pain as blood started tricking out of the wounds I had made. Including the spirals I had made all the way around his tail.
Where's Quesia? I look around, but can't find her anywhere.
Has she been hurt? Is there another person attacking us that I haven't seen? Has he taken her?
My worries are seized as I see Quesia dart out of the weeds in front of Sespin and plunge into him. Her shield pounded into his chest as she toppled him backwards. I heard the wind being knocked out of him.
Yikes,
As Quesia was pinning him down, I rush to them, and hold my sword to his neck. He immediately stops struggling and his expression becomes horrified.
I keep my voice low and threatening as I speak. "You are wrong. I WILL defeat the demcis. No one will stand in my way. And we will never surrender."
I move back slowly and lower my sword. Quesia loosens her grip, and Sespin flees, his wounds still bleeding. He swims off as fast as he can, without ever looking back.
"Next time, he won't get off so easy." I growl as I watch his retreating silhouette.
"It might not be him next time..."
"What?" I turn to Quesia, confused.
She looks at me with worry deep in her eyes. "He might not be the only one who feels like that. Next time, it might be someone who really knows how to use a sword."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAYLO :D
Sorry for taking so long to update. This is harder to write than you'd think.
Btw, the voice in Aquema's head, is not the same as the voice that was in Sespin's head.
So I'm kinda happy but also not, at the same time..
BUT MY BESTIE GOT ASKED BY HER CRUSH TO HOMECOMING!! I SO HAPPY FOR HER!!! <3333
Hehe. I like food. Food is nice to me.
Randomness from me right there. ^^^
Anyvayss...
VOOOOOTTTEEEE
FANNN
FOLLLLOOOOOWWW
AND COMMENT!!
(Let's see who can comment the most!)
Thanks for reading! I luh y'aaaall!
<333333333333333
-Go4girl
YOU ARE READING
Aquaris
FantasyEmma Newfound had always grown up near the ocean. She loved the crystal clear water of Florida's coast. Emma's life had not been the best. She was always bullied in school, her mom was still recovering from a heartbreaking divorce, and she was self...
