Short Stories:

SHORT STORY 3: Into Your Realm

Her bright red hair floats as she goes deeper into his realm.
The comfortable pressure of the water suffocates the unfamiliar beauty that is submerging towards him.
He had a glimpse of the emerald eyes before they started to flutter and closed. Bubbles of breath escaped and her wriggling form become still as it was lightly craddled by the water.

With a swift movement of his tail he encircled her, totally captivated.
The water pasted the fabric to her body, ray of sunlight gave her glassy skin a sparkle that went in contrast with the glitters of his scales.
They were dancing in an orb of beautiful reflective lights.
She's a nymph, probably a Dryad, suspecting the beautiful and colorful leaves secured by braided tree vines.

Then it caught his attention. The jewel in her neck.

He tighten his grip on his trident, the golden ornament highlighted the darkness of the depth, made of two golden serpent with wide open mouths met to a clasp, engraved with precious tiny stones. He have seen this before, he knows the curse it bring.

He grab her hand, but her lifeless form just flail helplessly that he had to grasp her tight around the waist. What a soft being, so fragile, light, fragrant even.

He blew a small bubble of air and as he touch it lightly with his trident it quickly grew into a huge blob of air big enough to engulf the two of them.

He can feel his gills closed as he breath into his nose. The sweet minty smell of the nymph grew stronger and he can't help but to breath it all in. The smell is intoxicating, then there's the supple lips that slowly regaining its crimson color with the touch of air, send a shiver he never felt before underwater.

He blew into her face and in matter of seconds she let out a loud gasp, frantic, desperate.

She push him away as she grab her neck, not sure if to protect it or snatched it off.

He felt empty after letting her go, it worries him, this nymph is a spell waiting to happen. It never occurred to him to test his immunity to spells by minor deities. The mighty Trite just never had to worry about anything, being the prince of the deep, too confident of his power.

"What have you brought to our world Nymph?"

"Are you a God?" Instead of answering, dazed, she pointed at his trident.

"No just a mere merman."

She looked at him confused as she float in his bubble of air, prettier as her hair gets brighter with air, drifting like they have life of their own, her thin robe is like wings around her.

"You're beautiful." She breath.

He chuckled, she doesn't have an idea how much he thought the same about her.

She reached out to touch the translucent glittery scales he has on his forearm. But as much as he wanted her touch, the heavy energy radiating from her necklace is overbearing.

He raised his trident to touch the jewel but she cowered away.

He scoffed.

"Exquisite beauty and eternal youth, is that what you sought?"

She smiled, a bitter smile, her eyes clouded with sorrow that he wanted to take back his word.

Would he tell her that he's a son of a God, and could bestow her what she want, without the misfortune from a forsaken jewel.

"Give it to me."

"I can't." Her eyes are pleading.

"If you wanted it for beauty, then why you're dying here? Why have you brought it here?"