#eyrian

Gem

*

It was supposed to have magical properties, according to the stories. Eyrian didn’t care much: he just knew it was going to make him a lot of money. He turned the giant ruby over in his hand, watching the light play on its faceted surface, then tucked it away into a pouch he wore around his neck. Let anyone try and take it from me now, he thought.

The most challenging part had been in locating the wreck, with all captains in the local tavern having their own version of events – including the ones who hadn’t even been around at the time. In the end, the most useful hint had come from the old lighthouse keeper, who had described seeing lights among the waves on that fateful night, a considerable distance west from the reefs the captains named as the culprit.

The wreck lay at a considerable depth – which was no issue for someone who could breathe underwater. It had taken him quite a while to search through the rubble, having to clear doorways of debris and sift around in the sand. Fish and crustaceans had already made the wreck their home, and it had struck him how fast nature reclaimed something as her own.

The box he’d found the ruby in had been defended by a rather aggressive crab, who’d made its home among the scattered crates. As a peace offering, Eyrian had given it the empty box back after removing the gemstone. He imagined the creature sitting on its velvet cushion as if on a throne and smiled as he made his way through the crowded streets.

He needed to be careful with a prize such as this. First, he needed to find someone who could accurately appraise its value, but – more importantly – someone with the delicacy that the situation required, along with none of the moral scruples.

Of course, having been around, he knew exactly who to approach for the job. Plus, the rumoured magical properties might actually bring up the price a little, if he played it right. Now all he needed to do was to find him. And if you needed to find someone in this town, there was really only one place to start looking.

Farewell

*

Eyrian couldn’t remember how many days he’d spent sitting by the side of the trench, simply staring into the distance. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything else, and even if he could, he wouldn’t know what. He had no purpose anymore.

A protector didn’t stray from his sage’s side, and he felt like he was failing her. In his head, he knew that she wasn’t here, but his heart hurt, and this was the closest he could get.

Where he was from, the dead were laid to rest in tombs carved out of the mountainside. It was believed that since the ore of their swords was mined there, being returned to the mountain would bring them closer to their god.

The merfolk had slightly different rituals. Not far from their home sat a deep trench, splitting the ocean floor in two. Light didn’t permeate it, and they weren’t sure how deep it went. Only the dead were supposed to know, as they were lowered into it, given over to the depths. It was a sacred place, and even though he wasn’t religious, it had always given Eyrian chills to swim near it.

Not anymore.

He hadn’t felt much at all, recently. He didn’t eat or sleep much. It was as if he himself had been lowered down into the darkness, and he just kept on sinking deeper and deeper, not knowing when it would end. Much like the years still ahead of him.

A movement in the corner of his eye made him look up. Erin, the new sage, approached; her protector Lina keeping a respectful distance. Seeing them together hurt: the closeness and the mutual understanding without words reminding him of Melenna.

Erin sat down next to him, and they shared the silence for a bit. Having been Melenna’s apprentice, and now her successor, Eyrian knew her well. She was bright and cheerful, a sharp contrast to Lina, who often appeared stoic and serious (but had – just like Eyrian – fallen head over tail for her sage).

“You didn’t let her down, you know,” Erin spoke softly after a while.

Spoken like a true sage, he thought. They always seemed to see right through you and put their finger precisely where it hurt. And gods, did it hurt.

“I know that,” he replied, his voice unstable. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”

A longer silence.

“I knew it was going to end like this,” he sighed. “It was always going to end like this. But I did it anyway.”

“Because you loved her.” Erin put a gentle hand on his arm.

“Because I love her still.”

“And that will always outweigh the pain. You may not believe me now; but trust me.”

Eyrian showed her a fragile smile. “You’re so much like her. She chose well: you’re going to do great.”

She returned his smile. “I had a great teacher.”

Wander

*

Finding out he had a reputation had taken Eyrian by surprise. The Wanderer, they called him. It was an accurate name, he supposed. He had spent the last couple of years aimlessly wandering, after all. Losing Melenna had sent him adrift, literally and figuratively. He'd been the sage's protector, but without a sage to protect, what was his purpose?

He'd been trying to find out, by travelling between pods and some other contacts they'd visited together, seeing if any of them would need his help. Aside from an errand here and there, he hadn't found anything substantial yet, nothing that would make him stay. The merfolk were doing fine without him, as they had always done.

Stories about him seemed to have reached merfolk all over the place, as there was quite a crowd gathered to meet him, even though he was unfamiliar with this particular pod. He smiled politely as they greeted him, and winked at the group of children admiring his sword from a distance. People grasped his hands and touched the tattoo wrapped around his upper arm with reverence. All of it made him feel a little awkward, and he was glad when the crowd parted for two women in their fifties, one covered in scars and bearing the same tattoo he did, the other wearing pearls in her hair and a smile on her face. The sage and her protector.

“Come,” she gestured. “We need to talk.”

Eyrian nodded and followed the two of them to the sage’s home.

The crowd respectfully parted for the protector who cleared the way for them. It reminded him of the time when this had been his job, and he’d never felt further from home.

The merfolk were his people, this was true - but ultimately, they were Melenna’s people. It hadn’t been the people or the location that had made him feel like home, she had been his home, and without her he just felt like a stranger in a place he didn’t belong.

“Why are you here?” the sage asked once they were inside.

Straight to the point. Alright.

“I came to ask whether you need help with anything.”

“It seems to me like you are the one in need of help.”

“I’m…”

“You’re adrift, without purpose. Letting the current drag you along. If you let it have its way, it will drag you down.”

Eyrian stayed quiet. The sage was right, of course. They usually were – he’d experienced it often enough to know.

“She wouldn’t want you to chase a ghost.”

“Then what would she have me do, huh? What would you have me do?”

The sage cast her eyes downward.

“I’m afraid only you will have the answer to that. I can offer Danala’s guidance, but ultimately this is a road you will need to walk on your own.”

“…How do I do that?”

“Stay a while. Sit and listen. Allow the sands to settle down, and the water ahead will be clearer.”

Eyrian sighed.

“Why do you all have to be so damn cryptic?”

A small smile played at the corner of the sage’s mouth.

“The truth is never straightforward or easy. If it were, we wouldn’t need sages, now, would we?”

She reminded him so much of Melenna it hurt.

He realised he was tired. Really, really tired.

Secret / Veil

*

Melenna reached out her hand and pulled Eyrian upright. Most of the pain had subsided by now, but his legs felt a little shaky. He took a moment to stretch them a little, while holding on to his wife for support.

“You good?” she asked him.

He nodded, letting go of her to brush away some of the sand he was coated in. Perhaps it would be quicker to rinse it off and dry in the sun before they moved further inland. Melenna must have done so earlier, since she was already dressed and ready to go. Having been born merfolk, she generally had an easier time transforming, being able to do so more smoothly and painlessly.

Eyrian had gotten better at transforming, but it wasn’t something he enjoyed doing. But if he wanted to stay by his sage’s side, like he was supposed to, he’d have to. She had places to be, and she needed his protection. And it wasn’t as if he hated being on the surface. On the contrary: he still regarded the coast as his home, and being among his people and the bustle of a market or tavern always felt like a breath of fresh air, no matter the risk.

Eyrian kept his eyes peeled and a hand on the hilt of his sword as they entered the small harbour town. Their clothing obscured their merfolk features, but they could never be careful enough. They hadn’t visited this town before, and some places weren’t very keen on strangers, even if they were human. And although Eyrian would probably be fine on his own, he had a responsibility now, to his sage and to his wife.

Still, the sight of ships docked in the harbour, the creaking of planks and canvas flapping in the wind was a welcome and familiar sight, which put his mind at ease slightly. It also filled him with longing, but he pushed that feeling away, very deep down. This was not his life anymore. Besides, what good would a ship do him if he wouldn’t have Melenna by his side? When given the choice, he would choose her, always.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” he asked when Melenna led them into a suspicious-looking alley between some warehouses that had seen better days. “Why can’t your contacts ever run a cosy little shop with flower boxes in the windows, or something?”

She smiled at him over her shoulder.

“Have some trust in Danala’s guidance.”

“You know I don’t,” he shrugged, “…but I trust you.”

Being the colony’s sage, Melenna stood in close contact with the ocean goddess, Danala. Eyrian, having seen his fair share of gods – or rather, hadn’t seen – had always been wary of this connection, but even he couldn’t deny that she could do things others would think impossible. She possessed a form of magic, much like his sword granted him certain powers. But just because it was real didn’t mean the gods were, or that he had to like them.

Melenna was well aware of his opinions, but had never pushed him about it, unlike his family back home. Being the sage’s protector, he would still be by her side during whatever ceremony she performed, since it was expected of him. He usually kept his opinions to himself and would never speak ill of the goddess, as long as she’d leave him alone. He liked to think they had an understanding in that department, simply tolerating each other – if she were even real, that was. Something he still wasn’t convinced about.

Melenna lead them to a shack – it definitely couldn’t be called a house, in Eyrian’s opinion – which was strangely covered in moss. Makeshift curtains made out of fishnets and sailcloth obscured the windows.

The inside was dark and smelled musty and swampy. A couple of crooked shelves lined the wall, filled with knick-knacks and things in jars that Eyrian decided to not give a closer look. Whatever was in there, he figured he’d be better of not knowing.

On the other side of the singular room stood a bed and dresser, hidden by a tattered curtain. Remains of a fire smouldered in the hearth in the corner; accompanied by an oil lamp, it provided the only light in the interior.

At a glance, Eyrian assumed the shack to be empty, until movement behind a desk in the opposite corner startled him. The shape behind it turned out to be a person, mostly hidden from view by a hooded cloak and a veil in front of their face.

“Welcome, travellers from the sea,” a voice croaked, leading Eyrian to believe the person must be an older woman. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“Good day to you,” Melenna nodded her head. “We’ve come to trade. I’ve been told I could find what I needed here.”

“You’ve come to the right place, child. Please, come in.”

Eyrian glanced at his wife, raising an eyebrow. Weren’t they already inside? Had this old crone lost her marbles?

The old woman got up from behind the desk with visible difficulty and pulled aside a curtain hanging on the wall behind her. To Eyrian’s surprise, there wasn’t a blank wall behind it, but a shimmering, water-like surface. She gestured for them to follow, then stepped through it, sending ripples across the surface.

“Are we sure about this?” Eyrian whispered.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before,” Melenna reassured him.

Eyrian wasn’t so sure.

“This looks fae…”

“We’re technically fae, remember?”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“It will be okay, I promise.”

They stepped through the portal together. Eyrian felt a wave of vertigo, followed by tiny needles stinging him all over. Then they stepped out on the other side.

They were in a coastal landscape, surrounded by thorny bushes and low trees, beach grass brushing against their legs. At a short distance, Eyrian could see the coastline, which was an exact copy of the one they’d just seen, except without the town on it. The sun shone down on them and there was a gentle breeze. Even though it looked the same, Eyrian knew this wasn’t the world they knew. This was the fae world.

They were at a small clearing surrounded by bushes that provided some cover. There were more shelves with strange objects here, along with some strange devices. One of them resembled a spinning wheel, Eyrian noticed. In a circle stood a couple of chairs that looked like they had sprouted from the ground and grown into that shape. The old woman hobbled towards one of them and sat down, then gestured for them to do the same.

Once they’d done so, she removed the veil from her face. Whatever Eyrian had expected, this wasn’t it. What they were seeing wasn’t an old woman at all: her face appeared young, with dark, wavy hair; smooth, olive-hued skin and emerald-green eyes. Well – half of it, that was. The other half was darker and rough-textured, like tree bark. There was no hair on this side of her head: instead, twigs and leaves sprouted from it. Eyrian now noticed that one of her hands was gnarled like tree branches as well, and moved more slowly than the other. She only wore one boot, her other leg ended in roots that had started to dig into the soil once she’d sat down.

Eyrian had seen some things in his days, but never anything like this. He wondered if this could be a curse, but didn’t dare to ask. He couldn’t be disrespectful when Melenna still had trading to do. Besides, if he insulted her, how were they ever going to get out of here again?

She smiled while observing their reactions, then extended a gnarled hand towards the other chairs.

Echo

*

Eyrian followed Melenna down the long tunnel, staying close on her tail. The only light came from the lantern she was holding. It was filled with bioluminescent creatures she'd fished up from the trench a day before. Eyrian wasn't very keen on entering a dark and creepy place like this, but she seemed very excited to show him. And he would do anything to make her happy. Besides, it was his duty to protect her now. As her protector, he should be beside his sage at all times.

The tunnel was long and winding, with sharp rocks that could leave some nasty cuts if they weren't careful. Eyrian had already gathered some on his arms and tail when trying to follow Melenna as well as he could with the limited light. He caught a glimpse of a fish every now and then, or small crustaceans that had made their home here in the darkness.

To his surprise, the tunnel led almost straight up now, until the walls gave way to a bigger space. After a while they breached the surface — there was air in here!

"We're here," Melenna smiled, holding up her lantern. Her voice echoed off of the walls, reverberating in the space.

"Where is "here", exactly?" Eyrian asked.

She set the lantern on a rock outcropping, then pulled herself up onto it, her scales shimmering in the low light.

Characters: Eyrian, Dai, Ralek

Words: 3363

(previous)

The darkness was starting to set in, and the people of Themiya Ariz had gathered in their homes or around one of the many fires that were lit throughout the village. After reuniting with his mother, Eyrian had ventured out again, looking for Ralek. He wasn’t sure how to go about acquiring the information he was looking for, or who to even talk to, but an Arynu seemed like a good place to start. He’d at least be able to point him in the right direction. Besides, Ralek was one of the few people who didn’t appear to hate him – or at least that’s how he interpreted the disapproving looks his other former teachers always shot him whenever he was here.

Eyrian did not find him at home – even though Ralek had said to swing by his place – but it hadn’t taken him long to locate both him and Dai around one of the fires, accompanied by a handful of others. He recognised Dat and Tan, twin brothers who were practically inseparable. They were also Ralek’s best friends, having grown up together. The three of them were a force to be reckoned with. When he arrived, they were playing some kind of game along with some others. Dai observed them from a distance, a bottle in his hand. Considering the majority of the village did not drink, Eyrian noticed it immediately as he approached.

“Brought your own?” he grinned.

“I’ve learned from experience that there isn’t any decent liquor to be found here,” Dai shrugged.

Home

Eyrian hesitated, not sure whether he wanted to do this. Was he just going to walk back into town like he’d never left? What was he going to say? Would anyone still recognise him? Or would he be met by complete strangers, everyone he’d known already gone?

He assumed not – after all, he was still around too – but you never knew what happened. Perhaps they had fought battles, close to home or otherwise. The town’s hidden nature meant that no news of it reached the world at large, unless it was sent out to him specifically. This was also how he had heard of his father’s passing: his mother had asked one of their swordsman to look out for him, knowing his general location from his last visit. Even so, it had taken almost a year for the news to reach him, and he had decided not to act on it. It wasn’t like the man would have cared.

That had been decades ago now, and he hadn’t visited here since. He was used to making his own way in the world, and even though there was no place like Themiya Ariz, he had discovered that many places held their own secrets, and magic could be found anywhere.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was without secrets himself. He wasn’t keen on disclosing his secret here, knowing that they wouldn’t understand it. The sea was his home, and even though his town of origin was coastal, they’d never had that same connection that he had felt for all his life, even before he had come across the merfolk.

But even among them, his position was a difficult one. The merfolk aged and he didn’t, so he never stayed in one place for long. He had found that in most schools he was known as somewhat of a legend, a role that brought with it certain expectations. They often told him of their problems, but most of the times he had no idea what to do about them.

Most of the merfolk’s problems centred on secrecy and fear of being discovered. And, while they might not share his love for the sea, his former home could certainly relate to those things. So Eyrian figured that perhaps it was time to return once again – and hopefully be able to get some more useful advice than the last times he’d done so.

Emerging from between the trees, things were exactly as he remembered. The fields stretched out on his right, with farms dotted between them. Alongside him murmured a creek, which he had been following here from the seaside. On his other side started the first row of houses as he’d come upon the outskirts of town. The ground was flat here, but after the town’s central plaza it would start to slope, eventually turning into the mountainside where their mines and temples were located. He could see the massive rock face from here, looming over the town. Crossing a small bridge, there were now more houses surrounding him, and he saw people out on the streets, going about their daily business. He could smell freshly baked bread, and suddenly realised how long he had gone without a meal, having swum here all this way.

The central plaza was bustling with people at this time of day, frequenting market stalls or on their way to one of the temples or shrines to make an offering. The road to the left lead to the training grounds, where it seemed like some sort of commotion was going on. Curiosity getting the better of him, Eyrian approached. Quite a crowd had gathered around the field, and as he came closer he immediately understood why. Out on the sand, two swordsmen were facing each other. This in itself wasn’t a rare occurrence, as the training fields were rarely empty, but this particular face-off was sure to draw a crowd. Two Arynus danced around each other, dealing lightning-quick strikes with incredible precision, almost too quick for the eye to follow. Every once in a while their swords lit up with magic, sending sparks into the air as they collided.

Ralek was one of them, Eyrian noticed. The other one he did not recognise, she must have advanced after he had left. She was in her early thirties, only marginally taller than Ralek, and seemed to be evenly matched. As they continued, the air around them shimmered with energy, both of them seemingly pushing their limits. A bolt of lightning crackled, met a sword and was parried off to the side, where it kicked up the sand, leaving a deep mark. The people gasped at this spectacle.

Eyrian let his eyes go over the crowd, looking for anyone he’d recognise. A couple of times he thought to see something familiar, but he was never sure. It might as well have been a relative of someone he’d once known. He focused his attention back on the fight, just in time to see Ralek spin around, his sword white-hot with energy, and before anyone could blink or shield their eyes the other Arynu’s sword sailed through the air before landing onto the sand with a muffled thud.

The crowd held their breath for a moment, then erupted into cheers. The two of them were swarmed on all sides, with congratulations, praises and enthusiastic remarks. A group of children ran up to the marks that were left by the magic, daring each other to touch them. Eyrian stayed back, scanning the crowd again now that it thinned a little, the spectacle being over. He then noticed another man doing the same, leaning against a tree trunk a little bit away from everyone. He wasn’t dressed like a local – but then again, neither was Eyrian. Subtly, he moved a little closer, curious about this stranger.

After a while, when Ralek had finally managed to escape the crowd, Eyrian noticed he made his way over to the other man, who was still patiently waiting.

“Sorry about that,” he grinned. “Took a little longer than planned.”

“At least you gave us a show,” the man shrugged.

Eyrian noticed they were speaking in Arabic, not Themiyan, now that he had moved up to under a nearby tree, trying to look inconspicuous.

Ralek wiped his brow, then brushed some soot off of his blade.

“Well, I’m ready to go now, so… Eyrian?”

So much for being inconspicuous.

“Uh, hey,” he stuttered, cursing himself for being caught this easily.

“You’re home!”

“I’m here,” Eyrian confirmed, still hesitant to call this place his home. “That was quite a show.”

“It sure was,” Ralek grinned.

“Is… my mother still around?” he asked, scared to hear the answer.

“She is. She’ll be so happy to see you. Tell her I said hi.”

“Could we… talk later?”

“Sure. Come by my place tonight. Me and Dai have some business to take care of now.”

“Nice to meet you,” said the stranger, whose name was apparently Dai.

He spoke in Themiyan this time, but in the thickest accent Eyrian had ever heard. But then again, he hadn’t heard many outsiders speak their language in general.

“You as well,” he replied, as he watched them walk off, curious to find out who this was.