"The land?" "I would rather rot in here for eternity than spending even one minute on the surface!"
"Well, it isn't a choice, brother."
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The peaceful sunset was disturbed by a loud crash of waves. Orm fell onto the sand with a loud thud as he coughed out a mouthful of seawater. He tried desperately to go back into the ocean, but the currents were too strong, almost killing him in the process as he was forced back onto the shore.
He looked around. The sun was hanging just beyond the horizon. Its last ray of golden light danced across the white-tipped waves, glinting and sparkling. Within minutes, it disappeared into the waters, leaving the sky a mixture of light pink trails.
And then, someone caught his eyes:
Orm had never seen this girl before because if he had, he'd remember. Her blonde hair that framed her oval face perfectly were tied up loosely into a fishtail braid. She had blue eyes like him. Full lips and a fine, straight nose that would be the envy of most people. A sudden feeling surged through his body, hot and consuming. And for a second, He forgot his name.
It must be an illusion. He thought, believing such beauty would be so unreal in a filthy world like this. He continued to stare at the girl from a distance, realized he was staring, told himself to stop staring, and then keep staring. A sudden gush of wind whipped a strand of her long hair from her face and he caught her scent. It was something that he could not identify of. Something sweet like fruits, honey, and sugar.
"Well, that was quite a landing," He heard Arthur's chuckles as he scowled at his half-brother who was landing on the dock gracefully. It was the first time Orm was so far from home and he missed Atlantis already. His father had always warned him about the dangers lurking on the upper world ever since he was a child. "Remember, son. There're only two worlds: the Atlantis and the surface." King Orvax always claimed, bringing up his son to have just as much as hatred towards the land as he did.
"Come on, it's getting dark," Arthur spoke, snapping him back to reality. He watched as he started to walk off the pier and headed towards a lighthouse that stood proudly on the edge of the cliff. Casting one last glance to the spot where the girl had stood earlier, he realized she was already gone. He then turned towards the land and followed his half-brother.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
It was a five minutes' walk from the beach before the two men stopped in front of a white lighthouse.
"This dump?" Orm eyed the building skeptically. "Even the prison is better than this shack."
It was when he got whacked on the side of his head for the first time. Back in Atlantis, whoever dared to touch the prince would be sentenced to death with an immediate effect.
"Hey, don't be an ass. This is my father's lighthouse." Arthur defended, ignoring the angry glare from his brother. Taking a set of keys out from his back pocket and shoving it into the lock, the two brothers made their way into the cozy living room.
Woof!
A loud bark caught Orm's attention, and before he could prepare himself, he was tackled to the ground by a strange-looking creature that was sniffing him up and down with its big, black nose. It then wagged its tail happily at Arthur as if to welcome his master back home.
"This is Bailey, the family dog," He introduced, giving the canine a light scratch behind the ears. "My father is on a fishing trip right now. You can stay here for the time being. There should be plenty of food inside the fridge, a TV to watch when you're bored, oh and please walk Bailey every morning," He said, looking at his brother who still had a cold expression on his face. Arthur sighed. "Look, I know you hate this idea but it's a great opportunity for you to get to know more about the land, and I truly hope you won't blow away the chance."
Orm did not reply, making Arthur sighed again.
"Alright then, just try not to kill anyone on the surface. I'll see you tomorrow." He gave him a light pat on his shoulder before walking back to the shore and diving into the waters. Closing his eyes, Orm tried to comprehend the fact that he now had to spend days, weeks or even months on this foreign land he despised so much as a punishment. He missed Atlantis.
He did not realize how tired he was until he laid down on his half-brother's bed. The sun had already disappeared from the sky by now, and it was replaced by the moon and the stars. Orm never noticed how beautiful the night sky was since he had never been that close to the surface before. Thousands of stars sparkling in the dark like diamonds, making the whiteness of the moon stood out even more. He turned to his side, wanting to share it with his fiancée, Mera, before realizing he was alone.
The relationship between Orm and Mera was complicated after all Atlanteans married out of responsibility not love. Not that Orm did not like Mera, surely she was one of the most beautiful women in Atlantis, but behind closed doors, Orm hoped that he could sometimes be freed from the traditional constraints. Secretly, he adored children, and he wished to start a family of his own. He would tell his children about all the great tales and myths of the Atlanteans history and would spend every possible minute with them, unlike King Orvax, who shut himself away and drowned in anger and jealousy upon discovering his wife's love affair with a surface dweller.
Rolling over to his other side, Orm tried to get some sleep when his thought drifted back to the girl he met earlier on the beach. He felt drawn to her especially her eyes. Although they were not as blue as his, the paleness reminded him of the storm clouds right before the lightning hit, and the rain that could drown him.
