Topic: The Caged Queen

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:37 EST
The long lazy afternoon on the island of Yang Terlupa rolled on into night, the sunset casting pinks and reds, oranges and purples across the sky, igniting its own reflection on the gently lapping sea. Overhead, the sea birds swept inland to roost for the night, unseen by the pair tucked safely out of sight within the confines of a tiny cave on the shore. Their little excursion into enemy territory had been set for tonight, the strength and energy expended by their jaunt into the sea that morning slowly regained in slumber as the sun fell beneath the horizon and the moon rose, turning the gold of day into the silver of night.

In the shadows of the little cave, illuminated by the glow of the waxing moon, Leilani stirred in her sleep, curling tighter to the man against whose back she had settled in the depths of slumber. Her arm lay wrapped about his waist, her face pressed between his shoulderblades, her knees tucked snug behind his. Innocent, but strangely intimate, all at once.

Exhausted by the morning's excursion, the afternoon meal had restored some of the strength that had been lost from his misadventure at sea, but once his belly was full, it was rest that was most needed. Cian had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the makeshift pillow made of blankets beneath his head, unaware that she'd curled up beside him sometime after he'd fallen asleep. His mind drifted through dreams, some of which made little sense, others that were full of memories both pleasant and unpleasant.

As the moon slowly rose over the beach and lagoon, his dreams became more troubled, giving way to a mix of memory and nightmare. The lash and agony of a whip, a promise given in grief, betrayal, treachery, blood and tears, a heart broken that wouldn't mend. He groaned in his sleep as he started to wake, dreaming of a kiss that had not yet happened, and a life taken from him far too soon.

The groan was what woke the little mermaid pressed against Cian's back, unused to hearing anything but the sounds of the island and the cadence of her own breath as she slept. Emerald eyes fluttered open, blinking their odd double-eyelid rapidly as her vision adjusted to the moonlight spilling in through the open mouth of the cave. Her fingers stirred against him, her hand shifting higher, startling herself with the sudden change from cloth beneath her touch to the smooth heat of his skin. Pushing herself to sit up, her arm slithered from its place around him to curl over his bicep, squeezing and shaking gently to try and rouse her sleeping friend.

He gasped as he bolted upright, blinking into the darkness, the silver light of the moon illuminating his surroundings and reminding him of the present, the dreams and the past fading away, but clouding his mind and his heart like storm clouds on a bright, summer day. He looked around, in a sudden panic to find her, though she was right there beside him, touching him, shaking him, drawing him out of the darkness of the past and back to the present. He blinked at her a moment, taking a deep breath to slow the pounding of his heart. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

The panic that rolled off him made her jump as he bolted upright, her eyes wide and shining in the moonlight as she watched him blink himself to full wakefulness. At his question, she nodded, though her smile belied any blame attached to her waking at his instigation. "Are your dreams very bad?" she asked, curiosity and concern mingling in her innocent smile as her hand came to rest over his thundering heart.

"No..." he lied, all too aware of the hand that lay against his chest, the close proximity of her body to his, wondering how long she'd been awake, how long she'd been watching him in his sleep, how long she'd been close, almost wishing he'd awoken sooner, before the dreams had come, leaving him feeling agitated and nervous. "I'm fine," he insisted, pulling away from her touch, feeling a restless agitation and needing to walk it off.

He moved over to the mouth of the cave, looking out on the moonlit night, the beauty of the silvery light as it danced off the waves. "It's beautiful here. Peaceful," he found himself saying, for no reason at all, except that it was the truth. But he knew that peace was tempered with danger, and it seemed it was up to him to set things right again. Was there no place that evil did not touch in some way' No place untainted by the greed and lust of men"

Leilani scooted out of his way as he rose to his feet, slower herself to find purchase with her bare toes. The longer she remained on land, the better she became at standing and walking, but if asked to retreat at speed, it was only too clear that she would be as much a liability on land as he would be in the water. Still, she was almost silent on those bare feet, coming up beside him at the cave mouth to look out across the water. "You should wait to see the sunrise," she suggested quietly, her voice perhaps a little too close by his shoulder. "That is true beauty."

Surprised but unstartled by her silent approach, his gaze remained fixed on the ocean's waves as they lapped to and fro across the rocks and onto the beach. This place was so different from any place he'd ever been before, tranquil, quiet, and utterly secluded. He could be himself here, if he wanted. There was no one to impress, no one to tell him what to do, no one but her. Left alone, he thought he could be at peace here, but that meant turning his back on the rest of the world, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

"Maybe I will," he told her quietly, wondering how long he'd be welcome here before the pirates found him out, before her sisters insisted he leave, unless he could free their mother before that and somehow chase the pirates away. "We should go before it gets too late. We haven't much time," he said suddenly, glancing to the sky to judge the hour of night. True beauty, Cian knew, wasn't something you saw with your eyes but felt with your heart, and yet, he was slowly falling in love with this place and with the girl who'd brought him here, though he didn't know it yet.

Leilani sighed softly, regretting the need to move, to curtail the soft, gentle moment of silence. But she understood the urgency, felt it like a spike deep in her heart. The longer they tarried, the worse would her mother's situation become. "Do you feel strong enough?" she asked him quietly, slipping past and onto the pale sand, tugging ineffectually at the laces of her bodice. "You will have to swim through tunnels."

It didn't matter how he felt. He was needed, and he'd have to find the strength from somewhere inside himself to accomplish this, whether he felt ready or not. "So long as you don't let me drown, I'll be fine," he promised, deciding to shuck his boots near the cave, rather than risk them being found near the shore or being washed away by the waves. Should he take the cutlass with him or not was the real question. It could prove bulky at his side as they swam through the tunnels beneath the water, and yet, if they were discovered and attacked, he was defenseless without it.

"I won't." It was spoken in a firm promise, the little Syreni certain that he would not drown while in her care. As the laces on her chemise came free, she turned to him with a slightly hopeless look in her eyes, remembering the disaster she had made of getting into the garment earlier that day. "Help?"

He gestured to her with his hands and arms, indicating that all she had to do was lift the garment from her shoulders and up and over her head. "Over your head, Leilani, like this." And just to ensure she knew what he meant, he tugged his own shirt upwards, sliding it over his head and down his shoulders, demonstrating how it was done. It was a warm night, and the clingy fabric would only slow him down beneath the water.

She watched him studiously, winding her own arms up and over her head, bent back to grasp the back of her chemise and pull it upward. Slowly, her head disappeared into the folds of cloth, the movement inside seemingly awkward and a little wild until finally she popped free, her hair tumbling over her face. Shaking out her hands, she let the rumpled garment fall to the sand, huffing to get her hair out of her eyes with a triumphant smile. "I did it!"

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:40 EST
He mirrored her smile in the moonlight, proud of her, but also a little sad that she no longer needed him to help her accomplish a task mortals took for granted. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, stepping out of the cave, bare feet sinking into the sand as he snatched the gown up from the ground to lay it out with his shirt against a rock for their return, far enough up shore that they would remain dry. He set his boots beside the rock, as well, glancing back at the cave, debating whether or not to go back for the blade.

"I prefer it when you help me," the little woman informed him, stepping out onto the sand. She turned away from the pool they had entered the water through that day, the breeze from the ocean flicking her hair back over her shoulders as her eyes turned to him. "We can walk to the opening," she told him, lifting a hand to point along the shoreline, toward the abrupt cliffs that loomed dark in the moonlight.

He turned back to watch her, deciding he'd risk leaving the cutlass behind. It was only a reconnaissance mission. He wasn't planning on coming face to face with any pirates, and hoped he wouldn't need it, deciding it might only get in the way. It was better to keep it safe for now, as he might need it later. He watched, distracted a moment by her silhouette against the moonlit sky, the gold strands of hair looking silver in the moonlight, smiling briefly at her admission. His gaze followed her hand to the cliffs in the distance, wondering if he should have left his boots on, but if she were going barefoot, then so would he. "Lead the way," he told her, feeling that odd mix of excitement and fear that always accompanied an adventure.

They were only going to be walking over sand; the rocks at the far end of the beach too jagged to climb, much less safely leap from into the water beyond. Pure exhilarated nerves radiating from her tense form, Leilani reached out to take his hand, unsure why she wanted the small contact but hoping he wouldn't deny her. "This way," she said quietly, leading him on feet that only stumbled a little away from the safety of the cave and out into the open glow of the moonlit beach.

"You aren't accustomed to land, are you?" he asked as he reached for her hand, sand sinking between his toes as he fell into step beside her, far surer on his feet than she was. He was still full of questions he'd yet to ask, the answer to this one seeming obvious. She was as unaccustomed to living on land as he was to living under water.

"I can get used to it," she said quietly. "If I spend long enough out of the water. It's strange, to have two legs and to feel my weight on them, especially when I don't know how much I weigh when I'm swimming." She shrugged a little, confusing herself with her explanation. "I've never had to explain it before."

"I felt....heavy when I climbed out of the water today. Like my legs were made of lead," he told her. Though he knew the science of it, coming from a world that was full of both, he had always preferred magic over technology. A dreamer since he was a boy, it was easy for him to forget that science existed and lose himself to a world purely magical, like a child lost in a fairy tale. He quieted as he considered these thoughts, wondering what she'd think of his home and the people who lived there.

"Like that, yes," she nodded, understanding his explanation better than her own. As the cliffs rose higher above them, she turned, moving to lead the way down to the water. This was the awkward part, for her at least. "Mother always says that I should spend more time on land; she said I needed to learn how to be human." As she stepped into the first lap of the waves, her legs ceased to be, fusing together into the smoothness of fish-scaled tail, and naturally, she fell heavily to the surf.

"Why..." He frowned, shaking off the question, as they were approaching water and would once again be unable to converse. He was too late to catch her as she fell to the surf, but somehow he knew she'd be fine. This was her natural environment, where she felt most at ease, and that inexplicable fear gripped his heart once again if only briefly at the thought of submerging himself beneath the ocean's waves. He drew a deep breath as if to gather his courage, putting his trust in her completely, as she was putting her trust in him.

The beach was shallow here, a slow slope down into the sea, and Leilani had to pull herself along by her hands and the awkward shift of her tail for quite a distance before the lapping waves were deep enough to let her swim comfortably. She raised her hand to Cian, looking back at him. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him, needing him to be sure before he took the last step and delved beneath the waves once again.

"I'm sure," Cian answered. Seeing her struggle, he pushed his own fears aside and swept her up in his arms, surprised at how light she felt despite the tail that had replaced her legs. He carried her toward the sea, the water swirling around his legs until he was waist deep, submerged enough in water to safely let her go without floundering on land. "Are you?" he countered, as he let her go, the waves reaching to his chest.

She squeaked in surprise as he lifted her up, her arm automatically looping about his neck as she found herself cradled in his arms, her face close to his in the moonlight. His gallant action brought a soft flush to her cheeks, almost invisible in the darkness, her gaze wandering in something close to quiet devotion over his face in the moments it took for him to wade deep enough and release her. Now it was her turn to hold him steady, floating on her side as she looked up at him. "I am," she promised with a nod. "You won't let anything happen to me."

That much was true. He knew without a doubt that he'd sacrifice his life for hers, if necessary, though he hoped it wasn't. He didn't return the statement, instinctively knowing she wouldn't let any harm come to him either. Had she wished him harm, he would have been dead by now. He looked to the water, deep and dark in the moonlight, so different from the day. If he wasn't careful, he could get lost in those dark depths and drown. He stifled a shudder at the thought of that, remembering something someone had told him once a long time ago - that only a fool never felt fear, but it was a brave man who faced those fears and overcame them.

This was the point of no return, for them both. If he went ahead with this, both he and Leilani would be committed to a venture deep into dangerous territory. "Come." Her fingers slid between his to squeeze gently before releasing him, an easy undulation of her body diving her down beneath the waves, turning to wait and watch for him not so far away. She wasn't going to let him get lost.

He had vowed to help her and to protect her, and no matter what happened from this point onward, he would keep that promise. Her touch gave him courage and reassurance, her hand sliding away from his far too soon. He watched as she disappeared beneath the waves, and after a moment, he took a deep breath and dove in behind her, the water stinging his eyes a moment as he looked around to find her and orientate himself in the darkness.

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:42 EST
She swam close enough to take his hand once again, outstretched fingers touching a gentle caress to his cheek as his eyes adjusted to the darkness down here. Then she was moving, pulling him out into the darker, deeper water and toward the tall loom of the cliffs that sank beneath the waves. Some strange natural luminescence glowed down here, illuminating the suggestion of space that led beneath the crushing rock above. Leilani paused, drawing close beside Cian, pointing toward those glowing openings. That was where they were going. Her body brushed his as she came closer, wrapping her tail about his leg as her mouth sealed to his, renewing his breath for the next stage of their journey.

He watched her silently, once more taking in their surroundings as she led him along beneath the ocean's waves. The luminescence lent some light to the space so that it wasn't as pitch dark as he had at first feared, and he was able to follow her lead, looking toward the openings in the rock and realizing that was where they needed to go. Thankfully, he was not afraid of small spaces, possessing a keen sense of adventure and more courage than he gave himself credit for. He took breath from her, just as he was running out, exhaled oxygen bubbling up from his nose, trying to focus on the breath itself and not the fact that her lips were pressed so tightly to his.

For the first time, Leilani was reluctant to draw back from that life-giving moment, confused by the sudden wish to stay in a lip-lock that seemed to have no purpose beyond sharing breath, wondering what was wrong with her. Shaking herself from those thoughts, she took hold of his hand once again and dove down, drawing him into the confined smoothness of a tunnel long since eroded out by the seas all around them. It was not pleasant, even for her, caught up in claustrophic discomfort and trying not to panic that she might not make it to the end before his breath ran out.

There was a solitary moment just before they plunged through that tunnel that he felt his heart seize up with fear, but he had not come this far to turn back now, determined to conquer his fear and see this through to the end. He didn't want to think about the journey back just yet, knowing they'd have to repeat this trip in order to return, focusing his mind on holding that breath for as long as he could as they traversed the darkness of the tunnel, which seemed to go on forever.

Just as her panic began to make itself known, the Syreni felt space opening up ahead of her, drawing herself to a halt beneath the wider overhang at the end of the tunnel. She pulled Cian up beside her, quick to press her lips to his and replenish his breath, worried that she might have made him wait too long, that he might be in discomfort or pain. Ignoring for now the unmistakeable glitter of torchlight above the water overhead, her hands curled to Cian's jaw as she breathed for him, lingering once again to be sure of his safety.

Nearly out of breath, his lungs burning for need of it, just barely making it through the dark confines of the tunnel before gulping a deadly breathful of seawater, his hands found her waist as her mouth covered his, desperate for air. Once his lungs were full of the life giving oxygen once again, he nodded his head to her and glanced upwards, eyes drawn to the torchlight that shone overhead. He instinctively knew they had arrived and would have to be cautious.

She followed his gaze upward, one arm sweeping her hair back out of her line of sight, hoping to tame the floating cloud just as little, just enough that she and Cian could see through the shuffling water's surface high above them. It was evident, from the uneven line of rock that hung over some of this cavernous pool, that the sea had been at work to erode this place away for many, many centuries. The torchlight that flickered down through the water was unmoving, apparently set in brackets around the edge of the rock that passed for dry land in here. Below the surface of the water, space stretched out, often beneath the overhanging rock islands, blue lit and ominous in the darkness.

Leilani took Cian's hand, drawing him along beneath the protection of those rocky overhangs, into a patch of shadow close against a wall. Slowly, she brought him to the surface, pausing before his head broke clean of the water to replenish his breath, to ensure that he would not gasp aloud and alert any of the shadowy figures who lounged among piles of stolen riches to his presence.

It was tempting to pluge his head above the surface of the water and gasp for breath, but he instinctively knew that would not be wise. Following Leilani's lead, he surfaced slowly and quietly beneath the shadow of the wall, taking a slow breath as he held fast to her hand and pressed his back against the wall, pushing wet hair away from his eyes to survey their surroundings.

It seemed that perhaps half the pirate crew were here within this cave, that this was their base, their home for the time being. Certainly it was where their treasures were being stored, in great heaps of gold and jewels, precious fabrics and beautifully crafted weapons. The drink was flowing freely, the rough men dark and rowdy as they sat around, sharing stories and songs, enjoying their accumulated wealth. In the brightest lit part of the water hung a cage, uncomfortably small for its inhabitant curled tight against the bars. Leilani gasped very softly as her eyes found those of her mother, her body lurching forward without thought or wisdom.

It took a moment for Cian's eyes to adjust to the change in lighting now that their heads were above water. His gaze slowly took in their surroundings, noting the various treasures, looking past the drunken pirates, his eyes drawn to the cage that hung in their midst and the prisoner who was trapped within its bars. Cian curled one hand into a fist, his face flushing with rage when he saw her so cruelly trapped there, looking helpless and without hope.

"Mother ..." The word was nothing more than a soft squeak of pain, Leilani's voice trembling with renewed guilt at knowing that she was the reason her mother was caged like an animal. She wanted to go to her, to open the cage and free her right this moment, only the firm grip of Cian's hand about her own keeping her in place.

A vicious laugh echoed about the cavern, and the little Syreni beside him shrank back against the rock wall as a tall man came to the edge of the stone, leaning a foot onto the cage itself. He spat down on the caged queen of the Syreni, laughing once again, and Leilani suddenly felt anger coursing through her. She lunged away from the rock, forgetting the danger, close to plunging into the light in untamed fury.

For just a moment, Cian clenched his jaw in anger, before pushing the anger back down in order to clear his head and think straight. He took a harder look at the cage, his eyes traveling upwards to see how it was being held aloft, then to the cage itself to look for an opening. If there was a lock, there was a key, and one of the pirates must have it. His gaze shifted to search the group of pirates for one who might be carrying a set of keys, his attention torn away by the sound of Leilani's voice beside him before he could accomplish the task. He shot a look at her, lifting a finger to his lips to quiet her, the sudden echo of laughter sending a tremor of recognition through him. He knew that laugh; he'd heard it one too many times before. He narrowed his eyes in silent rage as he watched the pirate come closer.

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:44 EST
Cian felt sudden rage and hatred course through him as he watched the pirate, wishing he'd brought the cutlass along with him so that he could make him pay for his cruelty, both past and present. But before he could give it much thought, he felt Leilani pulling away from him to lunge away from the wall. Cian yanked her back toward him, pushing her against the wall and pressing a hand against her mouth to keep her quiet, eyes flashing a silent warning in the torchlight.

The splash that resounded as she was pulled back was loud enough to catch the attention of the pirate they both harbored anger for, his head snapping up to peer into the darkness where Leilani huddled back against Cian, gagged by his hand over her mouth. "Sounds like we have a visitor, boys," the cruel voice rang out, a hand rising to point into the shadows. "Mama's girls came back for her."

Panic flared in the green eyes that glinted above Cian's hand as other men came to the edge of their enclosed island, moving toward the shadow where man and mermaid were concealed. She didn't think, ducking down beneath the water abruptly and pulling Cian with her, hustling him back into the confines of a snug alcove. Her lips sealed to his all over again, and this time did not retreat, her eyes fixed on the torches that now moved above the surface so near.

Yanked suddenly down into the water, Cian had no time to take a breath, no time to argue, no time to take a closer look at the place where Leilani's mother was being held. He glared at her, even as she pressed her mouth to his to share life-giving breath, annoyed that he hadn't been able to get as good a look at the cave as he'd hoped. He didn't blame her for reacting the way she had, but he needed more time. He followed her glance to the surface, trying to remain as quiet and still as possible so that they wouldn't be seen. Whether he wanted a better look or not, if they were discovered too soon, all would be lost.

Leilani could feel the tension in her companion, see in the cast of his expression that he was unhappy with her for giving them away so soon. She was not particularly happy with herself for the same reason. As the pirates left off their peering into the water, the light of the torches moving away once again, she very slowly raised them both to the surface once more, no more than eyes and noses above the water in case they were watched for.

As they moved back up through the water, Cian peered into the darkness, looking for any sign of the pirates, listening for voices or movement. He knew they weren't stupid, and he knew they wouldn't just abandon the water if they suspected they weren't alone. He looked to Leilani and pressed a finger against his lips again to warn her to be quiet. "Stay here," he whispered, as quietly as he could, pulling away from her and moving slowly through the water to get a better look at the cage.

Fear flashed in the golden-haired mermaid's eyes as Cian drew himself away from her, her hand reaching out in a silent plea for him not to go. Wide eyes watched him move along the edge of the rock island, hoping against hope that he could somehow stay out of sight.

In the cage, the mother of mermaids stirred just a little. She shared many characteristics with Leilani, yet there were a few differences. Her skin was green, her scalp covered with tentacles like those of an octopus, her eyes blue from pupil to whites. Clearly, the making of mermaids would require a little explanation, if the mother could differ so dramatically from the daughter.

He moved his way slowly around the edge, trying to stay in the shadows as much as possible, warily watching for any pirates who might have remained nearby. Satisfied they were alone for the moment, he lifted his gaze to the cage again and its captive. She was certainly not what he expected, and he had to stifle another shudder at the sight of her. As far as he could tell, she was nothing like Leilani, but he also knew that her daughter was only half-mermaid. He peered up at the mother of the mermaids, wishing he could tell her he meant her no harm, that he was there to help, but he couldn't risk it. Instead, he shifted his focus again to the cage itself, looking for a means of rescue. It annoyed him that they were so close and yet so far. She was right there, if only he could figure out a way to release her.

The queen focused her dulled eyes onto him, raising a webbed hand to hook about the bars of the cage above her. It seemed to be an absent gesture, one designed to keep her from growing too stiff, and yet a closer look would find a lock beside the curled green digits of her hand. The door to the cage was on its upper line, above the level of the water, locked against her escape. The queen waited until she had Cian's attention once again, before pointedly turning those dulled eyes toward the pirates. One of them had the key, it seemed, one of those gathered in the midst of the heaped treasures.

Cian's gaze followed the queen's toward the drunken pirates, unable to read her thoughts, but knowing one of them had to have the key. The problem was finding which one without waking them or alerting the others. They seemed to have given up their search for any rescuers and gone back to drinking. He could only hope they were drunk enough not to notice him. He nodded his head up at the queen to indicate he understood, slowly lifting a hand from the water to point toward where Leilani was hiding in the shadows, letting her know he was there to help.

The queen's alien face seemed to crease in a worried smile as she followed the direction of his hand to where little Leilani lingered in the darkness, lowering her tentacle-crowned head beneath the water to speak with her daughter in the strange clicks and squeaks that just barely made themselves known above the surface. Across the cavern lake, Leilani ducked beneath the water herself to answer, telling her mother all about the man she had brought with her and his intention to make the island safe again. For some reason, the thought of Leilani's involvement in this distressed the queen, and she thrashed her tail in agitation, putting up a wild spray of water as the cage rattled, drawing the attention of her drunken guards back to herself in her distress.

Cian took a breath and ducked beneath the water to glide silently toward the edge of the pool, his head slowly emerging to find the mermaid queen rattling her cage and drawing the attention of the pirates who seemed to be on guard duty. He frowned thoughtfully, annoyed at first that she'd awoken them before realizing the distraction might just give him enough time to find the key. He watched for a moment to make sure they weren't looking his way before turning to climb up and scramble over the edge of the pool onto land.

"Hey!" There was a resounding clang as the butt of a flintlock musket was brought down hard on the cage, one of the more sober pirates close enough to rattle the queen more than her daughter had managed. "Keep it quiet, fishy!" Blue-on-blue-on-blue eyes rose to stare back at the rough human who addressed her with a horrible sense of foreboding, the silence of the green head rising above the level of the water once more promising a world of pain and retribution when she was freed.

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:46 EST
Cian tossed a quick glance over his shoulder as he climbed out of the water, scowling as he noticed something metallic glinting in the torchlight on the belt of the man who was harrassing the queen, realizing too late that he was in possession of the keys. Well, there was more than one way to skin a cat, and Cian hadn't come this far and this close to leave empty-handed. There had to be another way.

Lifting his eyes, he noticed the cage was precariously secured to by nothing more than a rope. If he couldn't get his hands on the key to get the cage open, maybe he could at least cut the cage free and then pick the lock. He thought it was worth a try, but in order to do that, he'd need a blade. Cian cast another look around, his eyes wandering to the various piles of treasure that were laying in heaps around the cave.

He knew he didn't have much time before the pirates grew tired of their game and returned. He crept along as quietly as he could toward the piled up treasure, the cave floor cold against his bare feet. There was so much treasure piled there, Cian wondered what more the pirates could possibly want. Gold, gems, jewels, every kind of treasure one could possibly think of was there for the taking, and still the pirates were not satisfied, but Cian wasn't interested in those kinds of riches. He was looking for one thing and one thing only and that was a blade, once more regretting his decision not to bring the cutlass along with him on this excursion.

If he'd had the time and leisure to look back, Cian might well have been surprised by what he saw. Despite the close quarters of her cage, the suffocating dryness of the air above the waterline, the queen had twisted to face her tormentors. Her mouth was open, viciously sharp teeth on display as she hissed and spat back at the pirates who jeered at her, purposely keeping their focus on her, protecting the man her daughter had brought into this place of pain and danger. Leilani swam back and forth beneath the overhang of rock, beneath the pirates' feet, anxious and unaware of what was happening above her, terrified that something awful was about to happen to Cian and she would not be able to help him.

Cian heard more than saw what was going on near the cage and knew he didn't have much time. He just hoped Leilani would stay put as he'd asked, trusting him to free her mother without putting herself in any danger. He almost wished he'd come alone, but he would have never found this place without her and he needed her to guide them back. Just as he was about to give up on Plan B, he found what he was looking for, gleaming in the torchlight - not a sword, but a dagger with a silver blade and a brass handle. He wasted no time in snatching the blade up from the pile, which caused the treasure to shift a little, gold and gems sliding against the pile in an avalanche of treasure.

The unexpected sound brought the attention of the group still huddled by the fire, bodies jerking to their feet, weapons whistling from sheaths and belts. The captain, the meanest of them, stalked toward the tinkling shift of gold and gems, his cutlass raised in readiness for a fight. Even the guards set by the water's edge turned, the cave suddenly filled with the taut twang of suspicious men on alert to danger. The queen dropped back beneath the water, her mouth open to call to her daughter, and Leilani, urged on by her mother's order, struck.

She rose from the water, too swift to see clearly, her hands reaching up toward the two pirates who now stood with their backs to her mother's cage. With a fleshly snap, spines jabbed out from her inner wrists to stab into unprotected legs. As the men cried out in shock and pain, she fell back into the water, hidden once again from the eyes of the group who spun about at the sound of attack. Just a single prick from the spine of a mermaid, and poison coursed through the flesh, decaying all in its path. With barely another sound, the two guards fell lifeless. One went into the water, weighed down by weapons and the jangle of keys at his belt.

Cian didn't even have time to wince as the trickling of treasure turned the dozing pirates' attention toward him. With only a dagger to defend himself, he wasted no time. Turning back toward the pool as Leilani rose up from the water to attack the two unsuspecting pirates, he leaped toward the cage, just barely catching hold of it with one hand and reaching upwards to hack at the ropes that held the cage with the other. He knew he had to be quick now or all their lives would be at stake.

To say all hell broke loose might be something of an overstatement, but there was no time anymore to dwell on quiet and stillness. As the queen thrashed in her now swaying cage, twisting to shoot smaller spines from her own outstretched wrists toward the startled, angry pirates that were even now charging toward the water, Leilani circled beneath, her green eyes intent on the scene above the water, ignoring the slow downward drift of the dead man beside her. When arms came into view, reaching toward the cage, intent on dragging Cian from his perch, she propelled herself with violent speed from the blue depths, catching hold of the rope below where her friend was cutting. Between the pirates and their intended victim, she hissed, lashing out with the strong flash of her tail. One man screamed as hidden barbs raked through his arm, others drawing back to raise their flintlocks.

Cian wasn't sure what Leilani had done to the pirates, and for the moment, he didn't want to know. If they were lucky, he'd have time to ask later. Several shots rang out in the confines of the cave as the pirates rushed forward, one shouting orders at the others to stop them from escaping. Cian felt a searing pain at his shoulder, but had no time to consider that either as he severed the final threads of the rope, dropping the cage holding the mermaid queen into the water. He let go of the cage as it fell, both he and the cage dropping simultaneously into the pool with a splash of dark water.

The cage plunged down, iron bars thick and heavy enough to drag the queen safely beyond the range of the shots that pierced the water, bullets slowing several feet down. Leilani fell with them, landing with a shock back in the water, already tasting blood on the salt that flooded her mouth. She swept about, catching holding of Cian tightly to drag him down to the deep bed of the rocky pool, close to where her mother still lay trapped within the cage, scrambling to fill his lungs with breath as the low shudder of bodies dropping into the water with them rippled through the easy current.

Ignoring the pain, he'd had the sense to gulp a breath before the cage had plunged into the water, blood tainting the water, both his and that of the dead pirates. Lost for a moment in the confusion, he found himself dragged downward, pausing only as long as it took Leilani to fill his lungs with life-giving air before he was breaking away to search for the keys that had been hanging from the dead pirate's belt.

Trusting Cian to free her mother, the little Syreni spun back about, lifting her eyes to find the four pirates who had jumped into the water in pursuit. Just four, but too many for her to fight alone. All it would take would be one to take hold of her, and she would be useless. Still, her speed might at least keep them occupied for a while. Abandoning Cian and the cage he sought to open, she darted toward their pursuers, daring the danger of the water just beneath the surface to twist and snap about them, drawing blood with the flick of her fins as they slashed at her.

Cian shot an alarmed look toward Leilani as she darted toward the pirates, opening his mouth to shout a warning at her before realizing it was useless, losing some of the air from his lungs in the wasted effort. Trusting she knew what she was doing, he turned his attention to the cage. If he couldn't free her mother, all their efforts would have been for naught. He grabbed hold of the sinking pirate's body and snatched the keys from his belt, darting back toward the cage to fit the key in the lock, but first he had to figure out which key and he was running short on breath.

Leilani

Date: 2012-08-17 18:49 EST
The queen's unnatural eyes were on him, studying his movements, barely even seeming aware that her daughter - the precious child she had forced to stay hidden for so long - was attempting to hold off four men who would think nothing of gutting her if they had the chance. Seeing that her human rescuer was struggling, she snapped out an order that reverberated through the water. Seconds later, Leilani was there, darting close to force air between Cian's lips before pushing away once again. She was alone and frightened, and failing to keep all the pirates away. Slowly but surely, those cruel pursuers were getting closer each time they dropped through the water.

Cian grabbed hold of her arm before she could push away from him, shaking his head at her to keep her from pursuing the pirates and handing her the keys. If anyone was going to defend them, it was going to be him. He pointed at the lock, indicating what he wanted her to do, and swam past her to engage the pirates himself.

Leilani's eyes opened wide with understanding. She didn't want him to fight; she didn't want him anywhere near the dangerous men that were beginning to crowd around them. His blood already tainted the water around them, and his breath would not last forever. How could she renew his breath if he were fighting" But he'd given her a task. Drifting to curl protectively over the cage, her fingers fumbled through the keyring under the queen's watchful eyes, trying to match the lock that held her mother captive.

Cian flitted away toward the pirates, knife in hand. Though there were more of them, they all had the same weakness - none of them could stay beneath the water for long. Cian drew first blood, slashing with the dagger through the water at the first pirate he encountered. The pirate turned toward him as Cian emerged from the dark depths, and the two men grappled beneath the water, knives flashing in the torchlight as they fought to wound or drown the other. Another came at Cian's back, and he just barely pulled himself away from the first to slash at the other, darting away from them both toward the surface to swallow a gulp of air.

More blood drifted through the salt of the seawater, distracting Leilani from her frantic fumble with the keys, green eyes seeking out Cian, fearful for his life. She should never have brought him here. From the cage below her, a tentacle from her mother's crown unfolded, stretching to catch hold of one of the pirates' feet, holding him down as his breath ran out. He slashed toward the cloud of gold hair that obscured Leilani from view, forcing the little mermaid to duck and twist away, clutching at the precious keyring.

One of the pirates followed Cian to the surface to take a breath of air, pushing Cian downward before he could catch his breath. Vision turning hazy, Cian plunged the dagger into the pirate's chest in a desperate effort to escape, the pirate's blood turning the water crimson. Cian pulled the dagger from the pirate's chest and pushed away, swimming to the relative safety of the shadows before surfacing to gasp for breath. He watched for a moment while the pirates scurried about in a panic. He clutched at his shoulder while he watched, his gaze falling upon one in particular, shuddering as he recognized and remembered that face.

In the deeps below, Leilani pushed the now dead body of her mother's drowned victim away from the cage door, a key inserted in the lock, struggling to turn it. The queen snapped out orders in her dolphin-like language, and obedient to her, her half-blood daughter obeyed, trying a second key, and a third. As the fourth key snicked into the lock, a hand fisted in her hair, dragging her back in a flail of arms and tail, pain erupting in her scalp at the unaccustomed roughness of the snatch.

Tearing his eyes away from that face - a face he hadn't seen in years but that still haunted his nights, the face of a man he detested - Cian took a deep breath and dove back under the water, back toward Leilani and her mother, just in time to see one of the pirates grab her by the hair and drag her away. He wasn't sure if she'd managed to open the cage or not, his first thoughts for her safety. He felt a surge of adrenaline as anger rose, scurrying back to come to her defense whether she needed him to or not. Coming up behind the man, he drove the dagger into his back and twisted the blade.

The pirate stiffened, his own blade still perilously close to the golden-haired Syreni's throat even as the twisting metal ended his life. His hand loosened in Leilani's hair, letting her pull herself away without a care for that exposed edge, releasing a soft cry of pain into the muffling silence of the water as the blade drew a thin line along her collarbone. As Leilani's blood mingled with the water, the queen howled, the sound a sonic boom that sent a shockwave before it, more felt than heard. The cage door burst open, the key turned in the lock by one webbed hand, and the Queen of Yang Terlupa swam free, impossibly huge to have ever fitted within the confines of the cage to begin with.

Cian's heart froze at seeing her blood, worrying he'd made a mistake, that he'd been too late. He pulled his blade from the pirate, pushing the man's body aside and pulling Leilani around to face him, his expression betraying his fear that she might be hurt, forgetting his own wounds in concern for her. He winced as he both heard and felt that boom, which reverberated through the water, sending a shudder of fear up his spine.

Leilani's hands clutched at Cian's arms, clinging to him as he pulled her about, the salt sea stinging in the first wound she had ever received. The cut was clean; a long thin line that would heal given time, but for now oozed with the fresh red of her blood. As the queen surged from the cage, erupting from the water to cause a little devastation of her own to the pirates above, Leilani drew Cian further down into the darkening water. Her lips found his, and for a moment no air passed between them, instinct holding her in what could only be a kiss before she found the seal of her mouth over his.

Weary, confused, and in pain, Cian tucked the dagger into the back of his pants before letting her draw him down into the shadowy depths. He pushed her hair back from her face as her lips found his, his heart swelling with conflicted emotions, most of which he had no name for. His eyes drifted closed as he lost himself to her kiss, before realizing she was only giving him air, nothing more.

Gently drawing back from him, she glanced up as the terrifying form of her mother plunged back down into the water, trailing the blood of her victims from above as she darted into the blackness of the tunnels that led from the cavern. Leilani was quick to do the same. She darted about Cian, wrapping her arms around his chest from behind, guiding him into the glowing darkness. She didn't follow her mother, but swam back the way they had come, trusting that the queen would find them when it was safe. Plunging into the claustrophobic confines of the sea-cut passages, her tail flicked with powerful strokes, man and mermaid moving at speed through the grasping black water.

He put up no fight, no resistance, letting her pull him through the water that was her natural habitat, where she was stronger and faster than him, unlike on land where he had the advantage. He tried to concentrate on holding his breath as long as he could, but his mind kept wandering back to that hated face he thought he'd never see again. What was he doing here" Cian wondered, and that's when all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place. No wonder this place seemed familiar, though he'd never been here. It was the place on the map he had memorized in his head. The treasure he'd been looking for was here.

The cut on her shoulder burned, unaccustomed to the pain of any injury, slowing her down as she heaved him through the water. She knew he didn't have breath enough for her to waste much time in these close quarters, deeply relieved when she felt the change in the water, the renewed current of the tidal sea opening out above her head. Moonlight lanced down through the water to illuminate the sleeping coral as Leilani released Cian, swimming about to face him, to replenish his dwindling air.

His face betrayed an array of conflicting emotions, the most apparent being that of pain and weariness. As her lips locked to his for what seemed like the umpteenth time, he looked into her eyes, searching for some shred of emotion, some hint of what she might be feeling, if she was feeling anything at all. Though their mission had been successful and her mother was free, he felt no glory or even relief at their conquest, only a weariness and heaviness at heart that Leilani had been hurt in the fight.

A world of emotion coiled deep in the little mermaid's eyes, the deep inhuman green that had made such an impression on his barely conscious mind the first time he had seen her seemingly darkened in hue. There was pain there, yes, and the same weariness he felt, but wrapped all around it was fear and concern and hope ....all for him. And somewhere within all that, permeating each level until it seemed to radiate from the sweet female who had her tail curled so tightly about his legs, was the unmistakeable, undeniable warmth of growing fondness, of longing, of unfamiliar desire. A wealth of feeling contained in a single look.

Reluctant to break the gaze, but knowing they would both be easier on land, Leilani drew back once again, gathering Cian into her arms to make the last leg of their journey, finally releasing him into the surf that broke against the gentle slope of sandy beach, dragging herself along beside him.

He thought he recognized something in her eyes, some depth of feeling, but was unsure if he was right or if it was only wishful thinking. His own dark eyes betrayed his feelings, soft and full of longing, worry and concern for her safety, all of it mingled with fear. Too afraid to let himself feel anything for her and yet, unable to deny his growing feelings, despite his fears. Surrendering himself to her once again, he let her tug him through the water toward shore, but instead of letting go when they reached land, he returned the favor. Lacking the strength to carry her in his arms as he had on the way out to sea, he slid an arm around her to drag her alongside him up onto shore, collapsing finally onto the sand, exhausted and out of breath.

((This scene will continue in the next series of posts, but it's turning into a huge log, so I thought I'd get the action up here first. As always, phantasmagorical thank yous to Cian's player!))