She came to slowly, surprised to find the pain that had pushed her into the arms of oblivion was not waiting for her again. Her eyes were still closed, and she felt only a small cloth covering her. Odd, she felt no embarrassment in her current state. Then again, the only other person nearby had just saved her life. Maybe that was it. She slowly opened her eyes and look up at the blue sky. It felt wrong, she reflected, as a bird flew overhead. Her parents were gone, burned up in the fire that had nearly claimed her life along with theirs. The world shouldn’t have been sunny and cheerful. She started to sit up, only to have a hand carefully but firmly push her back down by the shoulder.

“Not yet, lass.” The voice of Negmed came to her. She turned to look at him and he had a worried look on his face. “You sit up too quickly, and you might do yourself a mischief. Lay there a spell. I’ll get you a drink.”

She nodded and opened her mouth to reply only to find her voice cracking and inaudible. Perhaps that drink was a good idea. Something caught her attention. She really looked at her hands and saw they were now a deep shade of green, far darker than Nagmed himself. She lifted the cloak and saw her entire body was the exact same shade of dark green. She carefully reached up touched her hair, to find it was still too short for her to get a glimpse of the color without an aid. She would need the help of a mirror or perhaps the river.

Her savior came back with a flask and helped her sit up. He was careful to keep the cloak from falling off, but she again found herself unable to care if it did or not. Memories came back of her fighting tooth and nail not to wear clothing when she was little. Even today, she had a dislike of being constrained. Her parents had told her that was a characteristic of her aquatic heritage, and it was something she would struggle with her whole life.

“You have to wear something on land.” Negmed said firmly, as if detecting her thoughts. “It will nag at you even worse than it did before. I was like you, a very long time ago. I transformed into an Undine, I was not born into it. I had forgotten my birth name, even as you have done now.”

He was right, she realized with a shock. She took the flask and drank, letting the cool water soothe her parched throat. Her name was gone. Her sense of self was still there, she did not have a label to put on it. Did she need one? Yes, her mind decided, but she did not know it.

While it is no longer your true name, I give it back to you, to use among the land dwellers. Marina Petraki, is the name you were born to. Even as my birth name was Erotas Petraki.”

Her name flowed into her again, though she did not connect it fully to herself, she recognized it as a part of her. However, the other name that Negmed had spoken was one she knew.

“Erotas… Petraki…” She said, her voice sounding different. It was like the sound of flowing water now. “That was the name of my grandfather. He died when my father was a boy.”

Negmed shook his head. “No, little one. I did not die, not really. I had forgotten myself for so long, that by the time I learned I was your father’s father, he was a man grown and knew me only as a friend. That was enough for me, so I contented myself in that role.”

She felt tears sting her eyes. Her Grandfather, the man her father had spoken of with such respect, was right her in front of her. She grabbed him in a hug, the cloak falling as she clung to this man, crying. He was crying as well, hugging her tight.

“My son… my daughter-in-law… both gone.” He said to her. “But we still have each other. I am your blood, and I will not let anything happen to you, I swear. If you don’t mind coming with an old man getting his vengeance.”

She stepped back, nodding firmly. “Please, I want to help.”

He nodded and picked up the trident that was leaning against the rock. “Then first order of business is teaching you to use this. Well, actually no. First order of business is to get you some clothing that won’t drive you mad. I got just the thing.”

She saw him remove from a bag a simple pair of undergarments, made from blue silk. She took them and slipped them on. They were skintight and would not hamper her if she feels into the water.

“They are based on the design that some use for swimming. No one should be seeing it so it should not be an issue.”

Next, he handed her a couple of different options. They were various scant clothing that she had seen on the girls from Slice of Paradiso just up the river. She selected a very short dress made from the same blue silk that had one strap that wrapped around her neck and exposed her back and arms. It stopped just above her thighs. She would look very cheap indeed, but she would be comfortable in it. He put the rest of the clothes away for now and inspected her.

“Not bad. We Undine would prefer to be water-clad, as we usually live below the water were clothing is nothing but a burden unless its enchanted and being used for defense. However, the humanoid creatures of the surface have their rules of being clothed so we must respect them.”

She nodded, this made sense even if she did not like it. “Where did you get the clothing, Grandfather?”

Grandfather smiled. “I like the sound of that, I never thought any of my grandchildren would even call me that. I went down to the Slice of Paradiso, actually. The Madam always has spare clothing she sells to young ladies trying to make their way. When I explained about your transformation, she insisted I take a selection. She wants to see you before we leave, I believe she was the towns teacher as well?”

She nodded. “Yes, she took all the kids under her tutelage, but especially the girls. She didn’t want any of us getting grabbed by a slave barge and sold at market. She believes sex should be willingly given, not taken by force and chains.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Her Grandfather grunted. “I see. Well, that elevates her in my opinion and no mistake. I’ve seen the results of just that. Saved as many as a I could. Several, well they were beyond my ability to save.”

She could sense the sadness in his words. “Are you really as strong as my Pa said?” She asked him then.

He smiled. “I’m sure some of the tales you have heard were greatly modified as your father would have heard them as a child. But yes, I am proficient in the Flowing Current style of marital arts, that mixes the master of the trident with using your body as a weapon as well. I taught your father the basics, which he has passed on to you from what you told me. Tell me what you can do.”

She nodded. “I can kick and punch without hurting myself and know where to do so to do the most damage to an attacker. I know how to move my body to avoid attacks and when to roll with the punches to easy the harm. I’m faster than most girls my age as well.”

He smiled, satisfied. “You’re ready for the next step, though not the trident just yet. There is something else you will need to learn first before you can start using it.”

She looked at the weapon again and then back at her grandfather. “Wait, that’s your trident! I can’t take it.”

He shook his head firmly. “No, it was my trident. You risked your life to save it from the first because it had sentimental value to you. It’s yours now, as I left it to my son, it has passed to his daughter now. If your siblings wish to contest the inheritance, we can worry about it then. Besides, I have my own trident. Got it from a mermaid I saved in the Lord’s Sea some years ago. I’ll show you tomorrow, I would rather not dig it out just now.

She pondered this. So much was running through her head. She wanted to be up and doing things, but she could not rise with her brain trying to make sense of everything that had happened to her.

“What about my siblings? They should be told what happened.”

Grandfather looked out over the river. “I heard the village Elder saying a message would be sent to them, but it will be faster if we take the news to them directly. Not sure how they will react to your transformation and the sudden reveal that of who I really am. But I don’t want any of you to think you have no one else to fall back on. Why don’t you go to the river and wonder on what your new name should be? You will feel better once your sense of self has a label to it again.”

She got up obediently. “How do I pick a name?”

“You have two options. I can give you an Undine name, like mine in Negmed. As I am the elder of our blood, I have that right if you desire. Or you can pick a name related to water to be your name. This is your right. Whatever you decide, I’ll support.”

She smiled and hugged her grandfather again. “Thank you, Grandfather. I’ll be back soon.”

***

She walked down to the river and dipped her feet in as she sat on some grass on the bank. She had come to this exact spot before and knew it was usually safe to do so. She looked down in the water and found her hair was a lighter shade of green than her skin, though not by much. It was very short as well, likely from the fire. Her eyes, however, were a puzzle. Her grandfather’s eyes were still green, a very pretty shade her Ma had called Sea Green. But they had no glow to them. Hers however still glowed the same bright Emerald as ever. She recalled the chant her grandfather had used to change her into an Undine. About release the spark of elemental power within her. Did this mean she had more than just her eyes held? Or did her glowing eyes mean something else now? She had no way of knowing.

It was not long into her musings she decided she would have her grandfather name her. He had saved her life and for one reason or another, he had little connection to his family since his transformation into an Undine. In a way, it was like being reborn which their religion told them happen to their souls after death. Just they had the luck to retain most of who they were as well. She could remember being Marina but could no longer truly claim that name as her. That dark haired girl had died in the fire with her parents, in a fashion. The girl she was now had risen from the charred and painful mess that had been left after the fire had done its work.

She got up and approached her grandfather. “Grandfather, I wish you to name me. It just feels right that I carry the name your choose for me.”

He smiled and patted the ground beside him. She came and sat next to him.

“You are so close to our precious water. Marina means heart of the sea, you know. Maybe that name helped shape you. You are a free spirit, loathe to be contained or controlled. You will go wherever the current flows. That is your name. Your name is Current.”

The name settled into her mind, and she had to agree it was correct. The current went where it liked, and nothing could truly stop it. Even in the ocean, ships made use of currents to travel. Current smiled as she revealed in her new name.

“It’s good to meet you, Grandfather. I’m your granddaughter, Current.”

He pulled her into a hug. “it’s good to meet you too, my grandchild. I’m your grandfather, Negmed.”

***

Current was still recovering, so Grandfather had instructed her to stay seated while he prepared some dinner for the two of them. She had not noticed the day slipping away, because she was unconscious of course, but the sun was indeed sinking below the tree line. She looked around nervously, it would be dangerous for them to be out and about in this area at night. Negmed chucked as he returned with two fish he had cleaned. He handed one to Current and sat with the other. She was so hungry the meat was gone before she realized it. Only when she was licking the juice from her fingers did she realize the fish was raw.

“You don’t cook your food?” She asked. She knew she ought to feel disturbed and revolted that she had just eaten a fish without cooking it first, but she stomach did not even twinge. Grandfather laughed as he took a bite of his.

“I could, but you would not like it as much. One of the blessings of being one of Limu’s children is the ability to consume the bounty of the ocean raw. No matter what it is or what it might have eaten, it will nourish you. Now if you eat food from the land, it will still need to be prepared as always. Don’t go trying to eat pig or chicken without cooking it. You’ll still like that just fine, but cooked fish just won’t taste the same.”

She could tell he was right as she licked her lips. The fish was way juicier and more tasteful than any carefully prepared dish from Ma’s oven.

“If you’re still hungry, take off you’re clothing and jump in the river. Your faster than most fish now, so you can even catch one in your hand. I’ll teach you to hunt with the trident tomorrow as well. River is plenty deep enough around here that you won’t need to worry about anything scrapping you up.”

She got up and started for the river before she stopped. “Grandfather, can we breathe underwater?”

He looked up from his meal. “Oh, yes. Though I recommend you wait to try it. I would rather be with you the first time. Overriding the mind and allowing water into your lungs is hard, Current. Your body can do a lot by instinct, like with no longer being embarrassed about being undressed in company and eating raw fish, but the survival instincts are way stronger. I nearly thrashed myself to death the first time. I would hate to see that happened to you, little wave.”

She smiled, liking the little wave part. She kissed his cheek and walked down to the river again. Her mind was racing as she removed the dress and the undergarment and laid them neatly from the water’s edge. She looked at her face in the water again and now she was also an Undine, she could see the family resemblance between her and Grandfather. Current rose and waded into the Traveler’s River. Some folk called it the Silver Serpent, on account of the way it slithered over the land. That was where her parents had gotten the name for their inn.

Three steps in, and the water was kissing her thighs. She knew another step would bring her into water over her head. She dropped into the water, and it covered her completely. She had expected the water to kiss her skin and feel welcoming to her. She had expected that sensation after learning she was now an Undine. But she had not expected to be able to see through the murky water as if it was the cleanest stream. She could make out every fish as they went about their business and ever plant growing on the riverbed. She amused herself for a moment counting the rocks along the bottom of the river and then swam onward. She spotted a water snake going for a fish until it spotted her in return. The snake stopped dead and then turned and swam away.

Current laughed at the sight and realized with a panic what she had done. No fear came. The water was easier to breathe than the air had been. In fact, until that moment she had not realized she wasn’t breathing as freely as she had done before the transformation. She took a deep breathe of the water and it felt right as the liquid entered her lungs. She drank it in as well, not worried about needing to boil it. If it was fit to breathe, surely it could be drunk for her as well. She revealed in her new freedom, able to swim anywhere she liked. She had swum before, always in a swimsuit that had been shipped from the coast and near the surface. She had never been allowed to swim in water above her head. She laughed aloud as she caught a fish. She felt like this was the world she was born to live in, she was just late to arrive in it. She kicked up to the surface with regret, sad to return to the land of air and earth. She cast a longing look back at the River, wishing she could go down there among the plants and look for treasures. She forced herself up, promising herself she would do that next time she could.