The creature floating in front of Milo was hard for him to make sense of. Its upper body was about three feet and its tail about ten. The distinct line of scales surrounding its midriff tapered down to a semicircle, separating the fishy lower half of the Dragon King’s Envoy from the rest of its body. This much was fine. He had read about mermaids before and heard the tales of sailors lost to sea who were sometimes rescued, sometimes ruined by the half-human half-fish sirens. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that this creature was definitely not a mermaid. At least not the kind of mermaid Milo knew of.
Its tail did resemble a fish’s, but it was a lot less fishy than the ones normally described. Scales, yes. Thinning from top to bottom, yes. Large fin at the end, yes. But this creature’s fin was much too large. It was easily twice as long as the fins in any mermaid painting. And compared to the hard filaments in the fins of most fish Milo had seen, the Envoy’s flowed like gauze – always moving even when the creature was still. The gentlest ocean current was enough to make the delicate fins dance.
Lining both sides of the tail was another row of fins that looked more rubbery. Slippery. They rippled like an eel’s and kept the Envoy floating in place. The undulation of these fins was so perfectly symmetrical in flow that it was hypnotic. They were clearly moving at all times, but the waves travelling along their length seemed frozen in place with the peaks and troughs passing through the same points in each cycle without fail.
But the most confusing thing of all was the Envoy’s upper body. Milo had always heard of mermaids being beautiful maidens with fishtails who sang their siren’s songs. He didn’t know if this creature could sing, but it didn’t look like a beautiful maiden. It didn’t even look like an ugly maiden. In fact, it just didn’t look like anything at all. It was like a vague suggestion of shape attached to a breathtakingly beautiful tail. The creature’s body blended in with the water and Milo was too out of breath to keep trying to make heads or tails of it. Well actually, he could make the tail out just fine but he couldn’t make heads nor bodies of it. In any case, he was very much out of air.
Milo started swimming up. He knew he had just enough time to make it to the surface if he left now. Heart racing and lungs burning, the boy started to ascend. The Envoy followed him up and circled him curiously. The currents from its passing caressed his skin with the lightest touch. When Milo was about thirty feet from the surface, he felt a pressure on his shoulder that stopped him from rising any further. The Envoy was holding him back with their hand? – fin? – blob? – he couldn’t tell. With their probably-arm-equivalent. Milo tried to swim up again but he couldn’t move an inch. He was starting to panic.
The Envoy’s other hand swirled through the water, glowing with cyan light. Countless tiny bubbles converged on its path and gathered together into a single dome of air that continued to grow as it rested on the creature’s upturned palm. It brought the air bubble towards Milo. With its other hand, the Envoy spread the air bubble out and encased the boy’s head. It followed the contour of Milo’s face and filled in a two-inch buffer around him like a second layer of blubbery skin. Everything in sight turned wobbly and distorted; being separated from the water by this cushion of air made him nearly go cross-eyed. Then the Envoy tapped on the surface of the bubble and everything was right. Cyan light passed from (what was probably) its hand over to the airy barrier. The light spread across the entire surface and Milo felt his sight return to normal. Better than normal, actually. Although he couldn’t explain the difference, everything seemed clearer than usual. He was seeing an entire spectrum of colours that didn’t exist before and with this extra layer of intricacy, the ocean had never been more beautiful.
“Wow.” Milo sighed.
Glug. Glug. Glug.
His sigh fell down into the water and then bubbled back up once it left his dome of air. Startled, Milo inhaled sharply. Oops. He closed his eyes tight and braced himself for the pain of drowning – of water flooding into both nose and mouth – of the burning that would follow.
And he waited.
But nothing happened. Milo opened his eyes and saw the rings of air that he exhaled pulsing their way up to the surface. The tiny little bubbles that always dotted the water gradually made their way towards his head to replace that which was lost. He tried breathing again. The bubbles were quickly drawn into the dome like it was a locus – a gathering point for them to converge on. They merged into one without fuss. Then with his exhale, he felt the air tickle his chin before entering the water and rising just like it had the last time. Milo took one last breath and then thanked the formless creature in front of him.
“Thank you very m— mom?” Milo shook himself free of the Envoy’s grasp and scrambled away. He gauged it warily from a distance. The formless creature wasn’t formless any more. Its upper body was now visible in aquamarine hues and it looked exactly how he remembered his mom. The same kindly eyes and half-smile that she always wore. The same wavy hair that fell like waterfalls, splitting on her shoulders to front and back. The same mix of love, pity, and helplessness that always crossed her face when they met. Milo closed his eyes. Mixed feelings surged through him and filled his heart with pain. Then he felt a brush of water. A hand on his shoulder.
Nahla floated in the water in front of him, eyes were filled with concern. Her cyan hand was patting him in comfort while her tail fins undulated to keep them both afloat. Milo was startled once again, but he didn’t flee this time. He was starting to understand what was happening. He closed his eyes and imagined Little Spirit. The fun that they had playing. The damage and mending of their friendship. The calmness she always had. And the mischievous streak that always took him by surprise. Milo smiled. His heart felt much more at ease after thinking about his watery friend. And when he opened his eyes, Little Spirit was in front of him. Except it wasn’t Little Spirit. She had a tail. Her blue was tinged with a hint of green. She was twice her usual size. And she looked older – more like an auntie than a playmate.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Ow!” Milo flinched.
The big Little Spirit held her arms crossed and looked at him with disapproval after flicking him in the forehead. She flapped her tail in the ocean waters and looked at him.
“A very beautiful auntie?” the boy tried again.
Swish. Swish. Arms remained crossed. Tail continued flipping back and forth.
“A very beautiful and generous maiden from the ocean who saved a Milo from drowning and will also forgive him for thinking the wrong things?”
The Envoy tilted her head. She weighed the scales to see if this level of flattery was enough to pardon his other comments.
“Um.” Milo tried to think of what else he could say. “Your colours are very nice. They look just like water. I thought you were invisible like a jellyfish at first because I couldn’t even see you.”
After another swish of her tail, the Envoy nodded. It seemed like he said enough of the right words this time. With a laugh, she uncrossed her arms and gave Milo three pats on the head. Then she waved her hand to the waters below. The sea life, granted imperial pardon, resumed their casual but chaotic waltz.
Milo sighed in wonder. “Wow, the fish all listen to you?”
The Envoy nodded and shook her head.
“Yes and no? That’s still really amazing though. I bet it must be nice to live down here all the time. I always wanted to visit the sea.” Milo laughed. “I don’t know if it’s lucky or unlucky to see it from this close, though.”
The Envoy smiled. She looked quite pleased with the boy’s attitude.
“Am I allowed to play here for a while? There’s so many things I want to see, and I’m afraid to go upstairs right now.”
“The Child Who is Balanced has earned open passage of oceans and seas in the Dragon King’s Realm. The serpent you named has made plea in your honour and none will deny you with her at the helm.”
“Naia did? That’s very nice! Where is she? I haven’t seen her.”
“She lurketh below in the deepest of waters until there is call from the contract above.”
“Oh, okay. Tell her I said ‘thank you’ the next time you see her!”
“The words from your heart will be passed to our friend.”
“Thank you to you too!” Milo beamed. “It’s so nice to finally speak to one of y–YOU CAN SPEAK?”
“!” The boy’s sudden shout startled the Envoy. She jumped in fright.
“Sorry,” he said and tried again more quietly. “You can speak? I didn’t think that any of the fey could speak.”
“Hundreds of years we have spent in the making of magic that speaks to the root of the soul,” the Envoy said, holding up the crystalline teardrop adorning her neck. It was the same colour as her scales and fastened by chains of water. “Only with those who are Balanced and Open can equal exchange of this magic take hold.”
“Wow. The ocean really is the most amazing place. You have everything…”
The two floated in place while Milo took the time to digest this new revelation. He had so many questions.
“Does this mean that everyone will be able to speak again?” he asked.
The Envoy shook her head. “Each of the tears takes the passage of dozens of years to be formed.”
“Can all of your friends have a name now if you just go around naming them?”
With a bitter smile the Envoy replied, “Long in the past has the culture of names been erased from our lives. The method exists with the tear in my hand, but I seldom receive such uncommon demand.”
“Oh. Can I give you a name then?” Milo asked. “I like to give all of my friends names so I can have something to call them.”
Nodding slightly, the Envoy agreed. Her tail coursed gently through the water as she waited for the boy’s deliberation.
He copied Senan’s mannerisms and stroked his chin while he thought. ‘A name for a mermaid that was more than just a mermaid. Some kind of royalty. Magic powers. Very pretty tail. Gemlike scales. Floaty. Flowy. Magical Teardrop. A body the colour of water…invisible. But also reflective.’ Milo stopped. He had the answer.
“I’ve thought of a name. Are you ready?”
Swish. The Envoy flipped her tail curiously.
“Miri,” Milo announced happily. “What do you think about Miri?”
The Envoy smiled. “The name that is granted by Child Who is Balanced is gratefully taken by Miri with care.”
Milo was happy that his friend was happy. And also because most of his problems were solved now. Breathing wasn’t an issue any more thanks to Miri’s gift so he could wait down here for as long as he needed. And thanks to Naia, the Dragon King’s Treaty didn’t stop him from exploring around any more either. Both of the gifts he received were Balanced with gifts in return, so everything was good in the world. Except that he almost died. That was less good. But since he was already here, and since he needed to hide in the water until it was safe to go back, Milo really wanted to take this chance to see everything there was to see in the ocean.
“Would the Child Who is Balanced have interest in seeing the ocean below?” Miri offered.
Milo smiled a great big smile and nodded. It was great having a friend who could read your mind. He took Miri’s outstretched hand and together they swam through the watery realm, experiencing all of its mysteries and delights.