How to Catch a Fish (ManxMan)

Chapter Twelve: Swimming with the Fishes - Part One

~Chapter Twelve: Swimming with the Fishes~

The sound of splashing water reaches my ears as we near what I have dubbed as an 'entry room'. The two soldiers stationed outside the room make no move to stop us as we pass by them to enter it, but since I am supposed to be here, that is hardly a surprise. Still, it is a bit disconcerting that all the guards know me by face after only a week, though I suspect Nero might have circulated my picture or general description at some point to ensure I am not attacked on sight or allowed to sneak out.

Not that I really could sneak out without the ability to breathe underwater.

The room, despite being mostly empty, does not have a lot of space to stand in, as most of the floor is taken up by a pool of clear water, which is nothing like the pool of murky water I had to swim through to escape the witch prison. I am still hesitant to approach it, though, as I have not had many pleasant experiences with water lately. Or even in general, since I am a fire demon. Still, the room is well-lit and not unwelcoming, and the lights travel all the way down to the floor of the pool, which is – by my estimate – ten or so feet below where I am standing now. There are a few stairs leading down at the front of the pool, which are no doubt there to make it easier to climb out of the pool when returning. And along the small walkway leading along the left side of the pool, there is also a ladder, also likely for ease of access.

The best part, though, is that, in every corner of the room, there are small tables stacked with white towels, though whether it is for modesty or drying off, I am not sure. Maybe both, since it is not like Mer can change shapes with their pants on. However, I am pretty sure Mer have almost complete control of water, so I am not even sure if they really need to dry off or if they just prefer to use the towels instead of their magic.

Clasping my hands behind my back, I cautiously glance over the edge, looking down at the slightly-blurred shape of my soulmate in the water. I could probably jump in there with him, as it is not like I cannot swim, but he has not given me permission to join him yet, and I am content to wait until he surfaces. Also, I would likely hit Nero on my way down, which would be a bad start to our date.

And there's still the breathing issue.

After another minute or two, Nero's head finally breaks through the surface, and he regards me quietly with his head tilted to the side. He was probably watching me from below as I surveyed the only entry room since this is my first time in here. I am not really sure why he does not want me to enter these rooms, though, since it is not like I can actually go anywhere. It would be one thing if they had, like, an elevator to the surface or something, but I doubt we are actually close enough to the surface for me to swim there before drowning again.

Nero must have some way to keep me from drowning, though, since we are not just going to be swimming to the surface but to the nearest beach, which is probably really far away. Of course, I could not ask Nero how this was going to work, as he told me about our date plans through a letter rather than in person. Maybe I could have asked him a breakfast, but I was too tired to actually remember our plans at that point, another nightmare having kept me up through the night.

Of course, though we will be visiting the beach, we will not be going onland, which he specified in the letter. I am assuming it is because I will be stronger on land than he will be, and he does not trust me enough yet to not leave should I have the chance. However, he will still be taking me close enough that I will be able to see land and maybe even stand in the shallows of a hidden cover for a while.

Hopefully, we will be close enough to land for my plan to work.

Staring apprehensively at the water for a moment, I cautiously dip my foot in so that I am half-standing on the first step. My nose wrinkles a little. It is not cold, per say, but it is not warm either. Still, Nero seems to be waiting, and I am not sure how patient he will be if I start complaining about the water, so taking a deep breath, I jump, hitting the water only a couple of feet from Nero.