《Sea Chosen》


 Fish Out of Water

    By the end of the day, Sidney''s arms were aching. Carrying crates of fish, mussels and small crab shells up and down the pier would do that. They''d push their hat higher up their head against the sun, eyes squinting. Always hot, always uncomfortable.


    "Always complaining!" Their Dad tutted, giving them another large crate to load onto the back of their seafood shop truck. "This is possibly the biggest sale we''re making all season."


    "Why is Duke''s family even having this massive party anyway?" Sidney grumbled.


    Their Dad shrugged. "I can think of plenty of reasons to celebrate when you are that rich."


    Sidney rolled their eyes as they loaded another crate into the back of the truck. "And all this food, too, are they what, inviting the whole island?"


    Fisher, as he always did, popped out of nowhere. "The whole island but us! Once again Mr Igwe, can we please cater with Sidney this time?"


    Mr Igwe tutted. "Once again, no, Fish, this is a big gig, and I need my most experienced with me on this. And if you work for me you can''t pick and choose shifts, it''s all or none. You just want to work this time because you want to get into that big party."


    "But the girls¡ª." Fish whined. Sidney rolled their eyes. "You''re just going to have to sit this one out, Fish. Next time, okay?"


    "Take lots of pictures for us, yeah?" Fisher almost begged. Sidney patted Fisher''s bright blonde head.


    "Sure, mate." Sidney stifled a laugh.


    Eva came breezing up to them, holding long pieces of blue coral fabric, and began tying them decoratively to the van.


    "Ahhh, perfect, Eva." Sidney said. "Just what I asked for."


    Sidney''s Dad raised their eyebrows and then lowered them again. "Well, you''re the artist," He shrugged and left them to it.


    When she had done it, Eva brought Sidney into a squeezing hug. "Pay no mind to whatever they say to you while you''re there, Sids."


    "I won''t," Sidney promised.


    "And call us if anything happens," Eva said sternly.


    "I will."


    "We''ll just bike right over to the other side of the island."


    "Why bike when we can just hop on my brother''s motorcycle¨C." Fisher interjected.


    Eva tusked and took Fisher by the ear. "I don''t wanna have to stop him from killing you again."


    "Well you are my friend and you are dating him so really it is your job¨Cowww." Eva had pulled harder on Fisher''s ear. Sidney smiled quietly to themselves and the two continued bickering as they walked away.


    "Be good Fisher!" Sidney yelled after them, and Fisher gave him a thumbs up from behind as they walked away.


    Their Dad had gotten into the truck and behind the wheel while this had all transpired, and he gave Sidney a wink as they got in on the passenger side. "Ready to go?"


    "Let''s get this over with," Sidney replied.


    Sidney had had a crush on Duke, the party host''s son, for as long as they could remember.


    Even though they were born male, their father had never pressed upon them to have particular masculine qualities. Their father only cared about two things, catching fish and selling fish. Everything else was secondary. All the same, Sidney tried to keep their crush on Duke to themselves.


    On the drive across the island to the estate, Sidney couldn''t help every interaction they had ever had with Duke play through their head. It felt like such an inescapable situation, catering at that party, being around that crowd again. Sidney had never explained to anyone but Fisher and Bianca what had really happened between them and Duke, so their father had no clue, and Duke wanted to keep it that way.


    It didn''t stop their stomach from rolling as they passed the large gates and were buzzed through, the endless stretch of green that was the front grounds, and the white gravel road, the large imposing manor house, hanging off the end of the island on fancy stilts, a beautiful ocean view from here. Sidney wanted to vomit, they did not want to be here. But getting work nowadays was money, and money was what they needed, with the massive fishing industrial ships catching all their local merch, making it harder for local fish businesses to find fish to sell.


    Their father only complained about it every other dinner time. At least they didn''t mind the uniform, they went around the back and parked up, and the extra staff their Dad had hired parked behind them and began unloading the crates. Sidney tugged at the teal waistcoat and the pink pocket square, smoothed their hands on their black trousers, and despite their nerve and their dread, they felt that they looked good.


    They had that at least.


    They were called over to unpack the excess frozen fish into one of the industrial freezers in the ginormous kitchen, their brain melded and hardened into work mode, focusing on every single task with the only goal being, to make Dad proud. For an evening they could do that, even if their heart was rolling around in their chest.


    ***


    Every work shift that wasn''t on the front promenade, tended to blur into one. Customers said the same things to them, gave the same strange looks, same rudeness and dismissal. Sidney was used to it and was numb to it. They walked quickly from room to room, to not focus on the party, and... its inhabitants.


    The party guests had gradually drifted to the outdoor decking, the wooden fancy balcony rails overlooking the ocean from up on the house''s stilts. It was idyllic, the ocean glistened a blue so deep and clear it could have been glass. The sun melted into the sea as it began to set, bouncing off the thin stemmed glasses of the imbued patrons. Alcohol and sunshine were an intoxicating mix, agreeing with everyone beautifully. At first, no one noticed a gentle lurch of the deck, a slight tilting.


    And then it burst through.


    At first, they thought it was a violent wave because that had happened to people''s decking before, in fact, that was pretty common in Port Bastian. Certain warnings were blasted around the island. Warning, storms and violent ocean swells are predicted. Stay inside your homes.


    But no one could have predicted this. A thick tendril slammed into the deck, and the first thought was a giant squid.


    Sharp long teeth, as long as telephone poles came next, and people thought of sharks.


    A massive column of water came up next, and then it was fully in view. It was a thick grey worm, with a slightly sickly navy tint to it, no eyes, just rows and rows of teeth. An ungodly sound came from it, and then people began screaming too. Every glass flute seemed to break at once, cutting through the air in tandem with the screams, as people dropped their drinks and dived out of their chairs.


    Sidney, who was holding a tray of appetisers dropped on the ground with a clang and unfortunately stood in the entranceway to the decking. People swept towards them like seagulls to fries, in a mighty horde of desperation. Sidney was immediately knocked off of their feet in seconds in the scramble. Their first thought was.


    Dad.


    And then their second thought was Duke.


    Then Sidney was getting swept up in the pulsating crowd of fleeing guests and drenched every few seconds by the spray of seawater from the creature''s rampage. Somebody needed to call a service, the animal control, the Coast


    guard.


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    Anyone¡ª


    Not everyone had time to get away¡ª


    Sidney risked a glance behind them as they made to run away, and the sight was something that was always going to be seared into their brain. Bone white teeth pierced flesh, and blood spilt like wine. Limbs of all shapes and sizes were shredded, and blood sprayed across the deck like sea spray. This time, instead of the salty smell of brine that rose with it, it was the coopery tangy smell of blood.


    Sidney skidded slightly to the side as they ran, the force of the claws and the massive weight of a fantastical creature crashing into the deck of the house was bringing it down. And taking them all with it.


    Sidney wanted to find their father, but the infrastructure of the house on stilts over the ocean was cracking and breaking down so there might not be time. Their fight or flight instinct was kicking in and all they knew was that they wanted to escape, they wanted to live. Sidney had never been more grateful for the years of taking track every summer, as they sprinted as fast as their legs could go. Down the steps at the front of the house, onto the small private stretch of beach. Upon reaching the sand, the traction beneath their shoes changed and they fell hard down onto the sand.


    Coughing up sand and grit, Sidney stared up in horror at the massive swells in the ocean the creatures were churning up with their haphazard movements. The waves were going to build up and crash down on them. Sidney didn''t know if they had the energy to swim through the violent swells of the sea if they were caught in it. So they just lay there, staring, their limbs frozen indecision and exhaustion, while the internal screaming in their mind was telling them to get up and go.


    The top of the wave crested a dazzling white, and from there she emerged. The figure seemed to float within the wave, and then it parted, like a biblical story Sidney couldn''t recall. She stepped down onto the sand in front of them, and Sidney had to blink, believing they had truly lost it from the stress and terror of the last twenty minutes.


    She was bedecked in rose gold armour, her chest covered in an elaborate pauldron, pointed spaulders covering her shoulders, gauntlets covering her arms, and a heavy gold circlet with an element pressed upon her black curls. White fabric hung from the armour around her hips, and her tail had transformed into two glowing bronze legs, ancient leather sandals buckled up to her knees. She clutched a heavy-looking staff, ancient wood carved with unrecognisable symbols, with an emerald orb atop it.


    Then she turned and began running towards the monsters.


    Thalia had never fought anything in her life, she had stolen a spare suit of women''s armour and shield from the armoury room. She didn''t know what to do but she knew she had to change something.


    Do something. The one skill she did have was sewing. She could thread the needle in and out in the blink of an eye. Complete a line of stitching like that. Sewing was just repeatedy stabbing fabric wasn''t it? Maybe she could repeatedly stab this monster.


    She looked at her spear. It was basically a massive needle. She coud do this,


    Kamaria needed her.


    She swept the spear up and plunged it down. Mimicking the motions up and through, and give it a tug! A beam of light tied around the monster, yanking it towards her, it shrieked horribly.


    She plunged it in again and repeated the motion.


    Streams of black blood spurted everytime she pulled it out and stuck it back down again. She lashed again and again at the monster in a fury. The routine of the action taking over her, gore spurting up and all over her. Finally the shrieks of the monster died away and she pulled back.


    It was done.


    It was dead.


    The person with the dreadlocks from before in the waistcoat was still staring at her was still staring at her, and she unclenched her hands from where she was gripping the dead beast. It vanished in a flash of light, and she sank herself into the waves.


    She could feel herself into the waves. She could feel herself starting to sink, dipping further into the water.


    She felt so tired, and she was so tired of fighting.


    Maybe she should just stop for a bit...


    The person watching her stopped staring for a bit and dived in, starting to to swim towards her. Before long, they were right in front, big brown eyes, dark skin, and dreadlocks small and cute, slightly covering their eyes.


    "Let me help you."


    She let them swim with her to the houses''s decking, where a tall dark skinned boy with a top fade was waiting, watching them.


    "Duke," Her saviour started to say,


    but this Duke spluttered.


    "Holy crap what was that!" He came forth from the slanted closet under the stairs, gawking at the now wrecked ceiling of his house, the roof scattered around the lush carpeted floor, the yawning gap in the house letting in the stiff evening breeze. He was wielding a broom threateningly, and as he took in Thalia in all of her regalia, and Sidney next to her, his jaw dropped even lower. "My house..." He looked around at the apocalyptic mess the monsters had left behind, streaks of blood splattered amongst the carpet like spilt wine, the party guests'' bodies scattered on the floor, along the hallway, and out of what remained the door. He lowered the broom, raising a hand to his mouth, and the rest of his words choked in his throat.


    Sidney moved forward to comfort him, and Thalia lowered her spear, the otherworldly glow from her fading. Duke was so stunned he didn''t notice Sidney approaching him, and gently took his arm.


    Thalia lowered her head grimly, and even though none of this carnage was her fault, she still felt for this boy whose life had just been turned upside down. She had met him once.


    She began muttering, the symbols along the length of her spear glowing. "You will forget what happened here, a freak tsunami wiped out the deck of this house."


    "No¡ª" Duke shrieked, startling both of them. "I saw what happened here! I may have hidden, but¡ª." He turned to Thalia with flashing eyes. "These creatures killed almost all of my party guests! I will not cower and forget!" he crossed his arms, defiant.


    "A strong will." Thalia mused, pleasantly surprised. Guess the spell won''t work on him, a different approach was needed.


    Sidney spoke softly to Duke, trying to calm him down. "Thalia fought them off, she wounded them, they are gone now. They won''t reach the town."


    "The monsters of myth are real," Duke whispered, not listening to Sidney. "The gods are real."


    Thalia stepped forward to him, and Sidney backed up a step, sliding closer to Sidney. He now had a closer look at her (description of Thalia in her battle wear). "I am truly sorry for what happened here today. But this is an ancient matter of the sea, and only those with spiritual power can do something about this. This is not a matter you can deal with. It''s best that you forget."


    "Those beasts¡ª." Duke croaked. "Destroyed my home, my friends, and my family¡ª." He suddenly looked around, distraught. "Where are my parents, did they survive¡ª." His voice was rising higher and higher, to a panicked pitch.


    Sidney turned Duke to him and embraced him, and Duke struggled. What if the monster had got Duke''s parents? Sidney wasn''t sure if he could let him go and find their bodies, not in the state that he was in.


    Thalia spoke again, reluctantly. She didn''t want to deliver this news, but she felt like they both had a right to know. "The entirety of the human race will all be dead if I don''t stop these beasts." She lifted her eyes to them. "And it starts here, in this town, and I''m the only one who can end it because I know who unleashed them."


    Sidney stood a little straighter, trying to seem taller, more intimidating."We need to know what these creatures are¡ª and what you are. What the hell is going on here?"


    "Now, that is a much longer story," Thalia said. "And I will need time to explain it." Thalia slumped against her staff, the vitality and strength she had from the battle that was holding her up, suddenly leaving her all at once.


    Sidney could suddenly see how battle worn and weary she was. There was no way she would be in fighting shape if they didn''t hide her and prepare her for the next match. If what they had seen was true, the human authorities couldn''t beat this thing.


    But Thalia could.


    In this horrific situation, Sidney realised that they needed to step up. They gathered all of the confidence they could and addressed Thalia, still holding up Duke at that point. "Fine, we need you, to help us, get rid of these beasts, if they come back and attack this city again. And clearly, you need us, because you ¨Cyou''re from the sea, and you don''t know much about the land, and being above water. Let us help each other, we have the same goal."


    All Duke could do was weakly nod in agreement.


    Thalia raised her chin and regarded them both. She considered, knowing that she was the only one apart from the princess who had breached the city walls and arrived at the surface. She knew the last time she had been on land was thousands of years ago, and she was used to how things were now.


    She did need help, and she was a big enough person to admit this. She couldn''t do it on her own. She nodded at them. "Very well."


    Between them, they snuck her into the back of the truck, propped up in and amongst the spare empty wooden crates. Duke turned and hugged Sidney after they slammed the boot lid down, then raced off to find his parents. Sidney felt his heartbeat in their chest and thought about his father, wondered where he was, and the last time he had seen him.


    Sidney ran through the partially destroyed kitchens, yelling for their father. He wasn''t sure if he had run with the rest of the staff, or hidden with the guests. They knew that Thalia had started her spell by now, they had caught her muttering incantations as they helped her into the truck. So their father wouldn''t know what they are running from, but hopefully, survival instincts would just kick in. They yanked the door to the wine cellar and there was their father huddled with a load of the catering staff. Sidney''s father swept Sidney into a bone-crushing hug. Crying and praising the lord that they were okay.


    Their father drove back to town like the devil was on his heels. Knowing it was an emergency just not knowing the right one.


    Massacre.


    Not a tsunami.


    But all that was going through Sidney''s father''s head was tsunami, tsunami, tsunami.


    Port Bastian, an island town in the surface world


    Jamaica- present day - Thalia


    In the back of Sidney''s Dad''s truck, she remembers her final argument with the princess before she unleashed the beasts... to break the curse that kept them underwater.


    "Don''t you want to remember me?"


    Thalia blinked. "What do you mean?"


    "If I don''t do this, we''ll just keep forgetting each other. We will have to keep remembering and falling in love again."


    "Of course, I don''t want this to happen to you, but there''s not just you and me at stake here, the whole city."


    "I''m sick of it," Kamaria screamed, "just remembering things in fragments, only getting snippets of my actual life. I never had freedom above land and I have even less of it now."


    "Kama, please don''t do this, we don''t know what it''ll do."


    Thalia couldn''t remember the exact moment the spell was cast, she can only remember snippets.


    The flash of a tentacle, the groan of the ancient rusted grate to the cage containing the sea monsters, slowly sliding open. Another creak and a flush of water sealed their doom.

 Chapter Two - Who I am

    The ancient underwater city of Niefula


    An unknown year as it always is


    The immortal residents of the underwater city did not need sleep, but they needed rest. The town is situated on the ocean floor, and no source of light creeps through the town during the night.


    But when sunlight shone through the open-roofed shells of their former houses, covered in barnacles and walls trailing seaweed, the city centre was once more flooded with life of all shapes and forms.


    Thalia woke every morning to begin her journey from her home to the palace, continuing with her role as a handmaiden and royal dresser to the princess. Today was the same, she woke up and floated out of her bed, swinging herself between the large gap in the top of the house where the roof used to be.


    Thalia flicked her tail, swaying through the water, catching the rays of the morning light through her hands.


    "Morning,'' Her father called from down below. He was stooped over, picking pieces of seaweed around the front of their house."Are you joining us for breakfast?"


    Thalia shook her head. "I want to set off for the palace early."


    Her father shrugged at her. "Suit yourself, at least come down here so we can give thanks before you go."


    Thalia sighed, turning and swimming back down and through the house. She did not understand why she had to give thanks for a phenomenon she could barely remember, most of them couldn''t remember.


    Her sisters had woken up and floated in a circle in the kitchen room. The diluted sunshine bounced off their shiny wrapper tops and their blue and green tails. Their hair flew up in the water, delicate ripples flying through their braids and curls. Her father stood at the top of their circle, his arms raised in exaltation.


    "Thank you O'' great Mami Wata, for granting us sanctuary under your waves all these years. Protecting our civilization from the plundering invaders that could have taken all we have. We were blessed to live on land but now we have a second, better life, free of the memories and burdens of being human."


    "Amen." Her sisters chorused. "Praise be to Mami Wata who saved us from the raid."


    Alora, the oldest, turned and smiled at her, pressing a satchel into her hands and a kiss on her cheek. "Do not forget the materials you need to take to the palace, and your meals for the day sister."


    "Thank you, Alora." Thalia nodded, Alora saw it as her duty to look after them all, her father and herself worked for a living to support them, and Alora tended to all of their needs.


    "Bye father¨Cbye sisters¡ª." Thalia made to swim away and Siyanda, the youngest stopped her, "Say hello to the princess for me!"


    Thalia rolled her eyes. "I only dress and wait on the princess, we do not converse." Thalia sighed. "When you get a job in the palace too, when you''re older, then we can talk."


    Siyanda''s face immediately fell. For a moment, just one, Thalia had forgotten that they did not age. They were fixed at the ages they would have died in the raid above land. Siyanda would never grow up or fall in love. Thalia did not know if she had previously upset her youngest sister like this the day, a few weeks, or years before.


    It was so easy to slip up, to forget this delicate balance of life and death they lived in. The gods'' power kept their memories precious and fresh, so it wouldn''t feel like they were living one endless day. This fact made her heart beat fast, with terror or relief, she also did not know. A blessing and a curse, to live like this, now. Their culture would be preserved, never threatened, and they would live forever in a blissful state. But time would never pass, not in a way that meant a legacy could be planted. Even though they were safe, in a way their way of life was still lost forever, drifting unknown at the bottom of the sea.


    Natine, the middle child, swam forward and pushed her towards the doorway.


    "Goodbye sister," She said, rather forcefully with a tight smile. Thalia swam quicker, clutching her satchel over her shoulder and swam towards town.


    She did not mind the journey between her home and the palace. The central streets of Nieufe were beautiful in the morning. There were many ways to enter the centre of the city, gliding in from above on the current, swimming close to the ocean floor, and buildings in a particular half-frozen state of beautiful decay on either side. Through every barnacled rock and crevice, co-ordinated schools of fish swam, tiny and bright, a multitude of colours glimmering on their fins.


    A winding sandstone path led up to the palace, and as the great walls rose in front of her, Thalia felt her pulse quicken and her fingers tingle. The King had summoned the gods to him, right in his throne room, and though they were long gone, the walls and spires hummed quietly with their power. As they had imprinted on every stone, their energies filled up every space and corridor. Like the rest of the buildings in the city, the palace too held echoes of damage from the raid. But no one could be fooled. If she thought her memory was dim when she was at home, the pounding headache and fuzzy edges around the early parts of her life increased twofold in the palace''s presence, the magic of the spell pressing into her mind to forget.


    She always had to steel herself to swim through the palace gates. Just going over the threshold made the magic in her head thrum louder. Just as she was about to do this, she spotted long swishing white robes and a golden tail. The princess.


    Thalia slunk down by the wall, hoping not to be spotted, and made to swim quietly over to the servants'' entrance.


    Just then, Thalia spotted her, and it was like the first time she had ever seen Princess Kamaria all over again. One of the memories that sat bold and bright in her mind, and no matter how much time had passed, never faded. Her father and herself were riding on their horse past the castle, and she was younger than she is now. Hoisted on the threadbare saddle, and rested against her father, she was able to see over the palace wall, which she usually didn''t see. There in the palace gardens, hopping from flat stone to stone, was the princess. Gorgeous curls framed her face, and it scrunched up in concentration as she focused on her task. To Thalia, seeing a royal just have fun and run about like any other kid was unheard of. Every little girl that Thalia knew of was taught to sit properly and sew, or watch the elder women with the washing or carrying in the fish from the stream.


    It was the boys who ran about in the streets, jumped on rocks, and played in the dirt. Thalia was only taught what her father knew because she didn''t have a mother to show her what girls did. But the princess had a mother, and she was allowed to do this. Thalia was jealous, and in awe.


    Ten years older and even more beautiful, the princess strode across Thalia''s line of sight,walking by the wall in the palace gardens. Her long frame was swathed in light turquoise pagne with a beautifully embroidered tunic, and a light beige shawl thrown over her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back into intricate braids, beads and jewels hanging from her hair, dark kohl lined her eyes.


    Their eyes had met, and nothing had ever been the same again.


    Port Bastian, present day


    As Thalia wakes, the image of her love fades, and her eyes adjust to the reality. Thick trees with sweet hanging fruits, marshy green grass and the rumble of the dusty road under the tires of the truck. She feels herself being jolted about, and remembers that Sidney carried her into the back, into the truck bed. Her head rests against the window that separates the inside of the truck and its bed, wrapped in a thick grey blanket, she stares through tapping on the glass.


    Sidney looks up from where they are sat in front and gives her a small smile.


    Her nerves are still thundering in her chest, her hands still caked with gore and the monster''s emerald blood, but the smile calms the tidal waves of her thoughts, for a moment.


    ***


    Sidney had explained that Thalia had been hurt during the chaos of the tsunami, and couldn¡¯t find her parents. Sidney¡¯s father had just looked at her grimly, assuming the worst, and allowed her to come into their house to rest. She must be so shocked, and Sidney could tend to any of her injuries. Parts of the city were on lock down, and it made more sense to tend to her at the house, then brave the winding tiny roads to the medical centre no doubt congested with all the cars on the island now going to and coming from the site of the most damage. Sidney couldn¡¯t stop staring at her. Her armour had shifted into a casual white blouse with pink beading, and a turquoise skirt with strappy sandals.


    The truck had now stopped, and after the brief conversation with their Dad about Thalia¡¯s circumstances, Sidney and Thalia were left alone.


    ¡°Thank you again for saving us all,¡± Sidney said. ¡°I still understand why you did. Or where you came from.¡±


    Thalia winced in response, as if she could only concentrate on keeping herself upright or talking. She turned herself to properly look at them. ¡°I promise I will explain everything, could we get inside first?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes of course.¡± Sidney lowered the back flap of the truck. Thalia attempted to slide herself down from the truck bed with little success, realising how vulnerable she must be, Sidney hopped up to the truck bed with her, ready to help her down.


    Now they¡¯d moved away from the action, and she was in human clothes, Sidney felt less intimidated and awestruck and more just connected to her. She was just trying and struggling like Sidney was, maybe fighting actual monsters instead of the metaphorical monsters that Sidney was. But they were both still fighting. Sidney didn¡¯t know how or why she was here, but they were so grateful that she was. They held out their arms, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


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    Thalia looked up at them, her eyes lighting up like little kids¡¯. Sidney held out their arms, and Thalia held onto them, and they carried her down from the truck, a surge of protectiveness washing over them as they carried her in their arms.


    Thalia had known the world had moved on, carried on without the city of Niefula, while her and her people were buried underneath the sea. She had no idea how much time had passed, how much the world had changed since they¡¯d been gone. But as she¡¯d risen out of the sea, nothing could have prepared her for what had greeted her.


    Sights and sounds she couldn¡¯t comprehend. Bright and blinking unnatural lights. The full glare and fury of the sun, not diluted from miles and miles underwater. Roaring from machines of the shiniest metals.


    Swimming up from the sea, she had just followed the monster and its wake of destruction. But what she didn¡¯t expect on the other side of the sea was Sidney. Big brown eyes, a wide toothed grin. Running towards her and the monster. Wanting to help her now all the fighting had been done. All she knew how to do in her life was to serve other people, help them herself. Looking after her sisters and her father, making dresses and helping the princess. But Sidney was on the other side of this all, helping her up the stairs into the house.


    A house made of plaster and concrete, soft carpet under her feet, pictures that hurt to look at on the walls, windows that let in light. Sidney led her up soft stairs and into their bedroom. Letting her rest on their soft bed while they ran her a bath in the adjourning bathroom. Sidney respectfully closed the door as she got in.


    Her legs and clothes changed immediately within a second of touching the water. In a flash, she was in her brown blouse tunic and her tail was back. ¡°Sidney.¡± She called. ¡°I¡¯m decent, you can come in here with me and we can talk.¡±


    Sidney opened the door and their eyes widened at the tail and another change of clothes. Sidney collapsed on the bathmat, so they were facing each other while Thalia was in the bath. ¡°What--why--.¡± They spluttered, staring at the tail.


    ¡°You will get used to it.¡± Thalia chuckled. Sidney shook their head at them with disbelief.


    ¡°So what was that back there?¡± Sidney asked. The fighting, the monsters, where did it all come from? Why is it happening? Sidney had a few half-baked theories sitting in their head but wanted to hear from Thalia about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone move like that.¡± Sidney said. Thalia lay in the tub, her shift top visible but the rest of her submerged under the water. Only the top of her tail fin peeked out at the end of the other side of the bathtub. ¡°Your fighting style, it looked like art, like you were moving to music no one else could hear.¡±


    Thalia smiled wanly, sedated slightly from the human medicine Sidney had given her.


    ¡°What are you,¡± Sidney stared up at the woman as she rose out of the water.


    ¡°I¡¯m an African water spirit, saved by the raid by Mami Wata,¡±


    Sidney blinked, trying to comprehend what she was telling them. A water spirit? If Sidney was going to be honest, Sidney thought she was going to say she was a mermaid... But if a mermaid was a human term, a real life mermaid wouldn¡¯t call themselves a mermaid right? There was a water spirit in their bathtub. This was real. It wasn¡¯t a day-long hallucination Sidney had been having.


    Thalia was real. She had a tail.


    Sidney had felt how real Thalia was when they had held her in their arms, feeling her heartbeat close to theirs. She was alive.


    ¡°So, you''re a water spirit.¡± Sidney clarified. ¡°But you have a heartbeat? What''s a Mami Wata?¡±


    Thalia looked down at the water. ¡°I guess I was a water spirit. The spell was broken recently. I guess I can come on land, I guess I live again..¡±


    ¡°Live again?¡±


    ¡°I was dead, I died in a raid on my city. But myself and my people were saved by Mami Wata, an African spiritual power. We were given abilities, and protected under the sea. As long as my people kept my deal with her, we¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°But you aren¡¯t underwater anymore. You¡¯re on land, you¡¯re up here.¡± Sidney continued.


    ¡°The deal was broken.¡± Thalia took a breath. ¡°By our princess, and now both our city and your land is in danger.¡±


    Sidney took a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to process everything you¡¯re telling me. So you¡¯re a water spirit, and that thing is a sea monster?¡±


    ¡°Yes the Mami Wata is a powerful spiritual being has the power to pull people who almost die in the sea down below with her to live eternally as water spirits¡±


    ¡°The Mami Wata gets angry when she gets disobeyed, and she saved my entire city from being destroyed and being turned into water spirits, but our princess, she, hates being a water spirit. Living eternally, she wants to live and die, and be free.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°So she asked another god, the great serpent, to break the hold on the city Mami Wata put to make us all immortal water spirits. And that creature, was the sea creature Mami Wata sent after the princess


    ¡°So the princess is here, on land?¡± Sidney gasped.


    Thalia nodded. ¡°We have to find her. She is in grave danger. If Mami Wata finds her... Well, lets just say there are some things worse than death.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sidney says. ¡°I¡¯ll help you of course I¡¯ll help you. How do you know the princess, are you her royal guard?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thalia lied. ¡°I am her friend. Her good friend. I tried to stop her from making a deal with the great serpent but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯m the only one who can bring her back, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°What about her family? Mother, Father? Surely other people would want to come with you to bring her back?¡±


    ¡°No one else wants to leave the city and anger Mami Wata more, they still want her protection from death. The only person who she wants right now is the princess, that¡¯s who she¡¯s after. So she¡¯s sending all the creatures of the deep after her.¡±


    Sidney winced. ¡°My town is just...collateral damage.¡±


    Thalia sighed and looked away, guiltily. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sidney stood up and began pacing around the bathroom, back and forth. They turned suddenly and pointed at her. ¡°Why would you go after the princess? Don¡¯t you have family and friends you¡¯d want to stay with?¡±


    Thalia suddenly couldn¡¯t meet their eyes. ¡°I have a father, and three sisters. They need me.¡±


    ¡°So why would you leave them to go after the princess, to come up to the surface and stop the monsters? I get duty to the crown, but it seems to me that this princess caused her own stupid doom, I don¡¯t see any one single guard going this far--.¡±


    They stopped pacing. And looked at her.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Was all Sidney said.


    Thalia looked up at them, then, suddenly able and defiantly looking them in the eyes.


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°You love her.¡± Sidney said softly.


    Thalia didn¡¯t say anything. She couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Are you even a guard?¡± Sidney asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m a seamstress.¡± Thalia said quietly. ¡°I make her clothes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Sidney said again. They didn¡¯t know what else to say. Their heart was clenching, because they knew if Fisher had broken the world like the princess had, they¡¯d go after them too. Because they couldn¡¯t imagine the kind of love that would compel them to do what Thalia was doing, except for how they felt about Fisher. But being with Fisher was impossible. It was easier to think about Duke¡¯s hug earlier, how strong and secure it felt.


    ¡°I stole the armour.¡±


    Sidney got up and grabbed a towel, and held it out to Thalia.


    ¡°How about we tend to your scratches and bruises, and you can tell me how it all happened.¡±


    Thalia stepped out of the bath, took the towel and whispered. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ***


    She didn¡¯t know if she was going to hate her forever or miss her forever. Thalia remembered how Kamaria terrified her and electrified her all at once. And the first time she¡¯d really saw Thalia.


    ¡°Send her in,¡± a voice called from the princess¡¯s chambers. The princess stood in her long white robes, almost lording over one of the dresses Thalia had sewn, spread out on the table before her.


    ¡°You made this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady, we were all given your measurements, your preferences...¡±


    ***


    Sidney went back through their collection of African mythology books and children¡¯s novels. Their father used to read them a lot when they were little, who knew these old stories would actually come in handy?


    Water spirits.


    Mami Wata.


    Sea creatures.


    Now they were facing real world stakes with actual mythical monsters, it was imperative they prepared. Every creature Thalia fought, Sidney would have the knowledge to back them up. They would be a team. They would defeat this thing together. Plus it was Sidney¡¯s home, they would help defend it anyway they could, and for Sidney, that meant READING.


    ***


    ¡°This is going to be one long project¡±. Sidney said. They put their hands on their hips as they surveyed the shed. ¡°It¡¯s an overflow shed for our excess stock that we don¡¯t sell. Dad¡¯s already got a storage container in town so this is kinda where all the extra fish goes to rot.¡± They wrinkled their nose. It really smells here.¡±


    They turned to look at Thalia, who was clasping her hands together and beaming. ¡°It smells like home.Sidney this is perfect.¡±


    Sidney sighed, shaking their head at her, but a rueful smile tugged the corners of their mouth. They reached into their pocket and took out a small blue notebook. ¡°Alright, we are going to need a massive tank for you, reconnect the hose so we can fill it with water...¡±


    They bent their head down as they properly began to focus. But Thalia¡¯s attention had drifted, and was drawn to the echoing dark of the dank shed.


    Sidney had gotten so lost in their planning that they hadn¡¯t even realised that Thalia had been gone for at least twenty minutes. Their head was full of thinking up meals they could get that were fish free that Thalia could eat, how they were going to explain/ hide her prolonged presence to their Dad. How nice it was to have another person here that wasn¡¯t them or their Dad since their Mum had left...


    Sidney looked up. ¡°Thalia?¡±


    A slow panicky heartbeat started to thud hard in their chest, what if she had fallen down somewhere, or was in danger? How was Sidney supposed to defeat the monsters themselves....


    ¡°Here!¡± Piped up Thalia from inside the shed.


    Sidney sighed in relief, tucking the notebook back into their pocket and following her inside.


    ¡°What have you been doing?¡± Sidney chuckled.


    Thalia gestured to a large piece of canvas on an old art easel. Their art easel. The one their Dad threw in the shed because ¡®art wasn¡¯t a real skill that made money¡¯ and it was cluttering up the house anyway.¡±


    Sidney gasped, it wasn¡¯t blank anymore. In a short amount of time,Thalia had unpacked some of their paints and painted...A gorgeous ocean vista. under the ocean vista, with coral and fish and sunlight streaming in through the ripples of the water.


    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Sidney said. ¡°You¡¯re really good!¡±


    Thalia shrugged, sheepish, but a proud blush creeping along her cheeks. ¡°Dyeing and staining clothes in colours is similar to this.¡± She explained. ¡°I always wanted to try it but my father said it was a waste of my time and my talents and my hands were better with fast mending and sewing of the princess¡¯s clothes.¡±


    She looked away from them.


    Sidney grabbed her hand and made her look at them, ¡°Your father is wrong. This is amazing, this could actually sell on the sea front to tourists, this could be...¡±


    They grinned. ¡°We could set up a stall! sell your paintings, we¡¯ll have enough money to buy you a tank and all the things you need in here.¡±


    It was entrepreneurial, it was a brilliant idea. It was just what Sidney needed to convince their Dad to let Thalia stay here.