By The Sea And The Land

Chapter Nine - The Deep Sea And The Cave

      Lys have been swimming for half of a hour in the Deep sea. Trying to find the right direction to the Sea Witch cave. He remembered that he have seen it somewhere when he sneaked from the palace to take a look at the Sea Witch a few months after his grandmother told him about her sister and her ‘ex-friend’ stories. And since he’s pissed that he had to sing in front of the guest from the other kingdoms along with his sisters on the yearly gatherings.

      He comply at first, eagerly even, because he’s been promised the meat of the blowfish by his father. It was his favourite fish, although he wasn’t supposed to eat it before he’s gained a higher resistance to its poison, and his father only letting him eat it on special occasion, watched by the palace healer, of course.

      Lys then performed magnificently with his sisters in front of the guest, singing with their heart and soul, and the sea seemed to quite down when they’re singing out from their hearts. When they finished, they gained an applause and cheers from the crowds that gathered on the court hall.

      Lys and his sisters grinning to the crowds, and their father and grandmother smiling proudly at them. Its too bad that their mother can’t see them. The Mer-Queen has gone years ago, when Lys just turned three because of an illness she can’t win, and turned into sea foam, just like the other Mer-peoples when they dies.

      The Mer-people though, have a very long age compared to a normal human. Their life span ranged from 250 to 300 years before they dies of old ages, but they still could dies because of accidents or illness.

      But even so, Lys never been alone because his sisters and family always be with him, mostly, and spend their free times with him, so he would never sad and dwell to deep in sadness when their mother gone, and Lys feels really grateful for that.

      Lys is a small child, but he have the most beautiful and sweetest voice than any other Mer-people they know can sing, even his sisters lose to him. The gathering goes well. Everyone praising the siblings, and Lys never been so proud with his and his sisters talent this much before.

      But when one of the monarch said that their voice is just plain and boring because they’re jealous, Lys spoke up to the monarch, which later turned to a small scene, and he’s been send out of the gathering and escorted to his room.

      But because Lys just being Lys, he’s running away from his room and goes off to find the Sea Witch, thinking to asked her to turn the monarch into the ugly jellyfish.

      The Sea Witch is the name the Mer-peoples addressed to her when he asked his grandmother what she’s called. No one know her true name, even his grandmother. And the only information he had is that she’s living in a cave around the seaweeds field.

      Little Lys wandered in the Deep sea, searching everywhere before he saw a big enough natural cave that attached in the rocks, hidden by the seaweeds around it. He saw a big snake entering the cave, and remembered that the Sea Witch also have a pet snake, according to his grandmother.

      He’s about to entering the cave before a soldier that have been searching him grab him by the tail and drag him to the palace while he shouted for him to letting go of him.

      Lys grounded for one month after he got a full course of ‘how to behave and listen to an adult' from his father and grandmother for a few hours after he arrived. And he never allowed to eat his favourite blowfish anymore. He never returned to the cave afterwards, because of the horror his sisters give him when they know he’s about to ‘meet’ the Sea Witch alone.

      His sister nodded after he told her he’s going to meet the Sea Witch earlier. She told him to be careful, and if he think that he can’t fulfil the requirement, he should back off and find another way, then said she love him once more and dashes to the palace.

      The Deep sea is darker than their territory where he lives that full with lights and colorful coral reefs, but not as deep as the Great Darkness, the deeper part of the sea where you couldn’t even see anything except your own nose after you entered that place. The only place Lys never dared to explore despite his curious nature.

      After a few more times swimming in circles, trying to remembering the right place, he saw that one cave that seemed unchanged from when he saw it ten years ago. Surrounded by seaweeds, dark and somewhat eerie.

      He doesn’t know if the Sea Witch is still alive or not, or if she’s willing to help him, but he bet everything in her and taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, making a form of bubbles from his mouth, and swimming inside the cave. Hoping that it was the right one.

      The cave is dark, but there’s this small glowing sea creatures that sticking on the cave wall and giving enough light for Lys to see which way he should go, since the cave only have one tunnel and not branched, although he have to move up and then down, goes right and left following the tunnel-cave structure.

      Lys have been swimming for around two hours since he entered this place, and there’s no sign of it to be ending. He doubted that this place is the right one, but dismissed the thought when he felt that the tunnel getting wider and wider and the small creature population lessened, making him struggle to see what in front of him, until finally, he saw a light that become brighter and brighter the closer he go to it, and swimming faster to the light, and when he finally reached the light, he shocked to exhaling the air, and not the sea water.

      He thought that he somehow have reached the surface, and he had gone in the wrong cave where the Sea Witch lives, thinking that it was probably one of the caves that connected to the base of a land, and he have go all the way to the surface.

      He just about to go back down when he realized that the light he saw earlier came from a bright fire that flickering a little on the torches that hanging on cave wall. Lys heard a splash and hissing sound, and he feel alarmed when he saw a black snake with white strips on its body as big as an adult arms swimming slowly on the water toward him, but the snake stopped in arm length and stared at him. Lys stared back, taking a defense stance as it come closer to him, but got confused when the snake hissed and turning around, swimming to the cave entrance where it coming before. Lys still staring at the snake, and sensing that he did not following them, it looked back and hissed again, like it’s telling Lys to come with them.

      Lys shrugged, thinking that this is probably a trap, but if there’s a chance that it was the Sea Witch pet snake, there’s nothing to lose, and swimming slowly to the cave opening, following the snake that have moving quicker out of the cave and to a small lake that surrounded by the land.