Fake Princess
CCCXXV Chapter
Ebe swam softly by pulling one of my hands to follow him. Both of my legs paddled the water while my head was still staring straight, looking at the old man Ebe called his grandfather.
My eyes moved around, the rock cliffs that surrounded us looked faint due to the lack of light. I glanced, at the male mermaid sitting in one of the holes on the cliff with the baby mermaid in her sling.
"He's taking care of his son, I told you, right? If the men take care of the children after the women give birth to them," said Ebe, I glanced at him who was staring at the mermaid.
"Are you, too, going to do it?"
"I won't, I'll take care of my son later. Because I understand, what it's like not to get complete affection."
"What are you talking about?" A male voice suddenly rang out, me and Ebe stopped moving followed by a look at each other between us.
"none. My friend, just amazed to see your domain, Grandpa," said Ebe, letting go of his hold, I felt a little clap on my back that he did.
"Ebe is right, I admire him," I said with a slight smile towards the old man.
The old man turned back, wagging his tail swimming further away from us with a few male mermaids behind him. Ebe pulled my arm back, we both swam after them looking more and more distant.
I glanced towards the jellyfish-like animal whose entire body was filled with light, that light from the jellyfish... It was like a torch lighting the entire way. The same jellyfish, too, which I saw next to the male mermaid carrying the baby earlier.
Ebe pulled back my hand tightly, I followed him diving deeper and deeper following the old man along with a few male mermaids swimming behind him. The more we dive, the more my body freezes. Was this? It is often meant by the deepest part of the ocean.
A light, again visible from a distance. I scrunched my forehead, trying to see that distant light before us...
"Hurry up" Ebe's voice came from my right, only her voice could be heard without me seeing her face because of the darkness.
My legs were getting faster and faster swimming, the fatigue in my legs before felt a little lost as we got closer to the light.
I stared in amazement as the darkness we were through ended. Some of the sea animals I had never seen before were seen swimming downstream in front of us. My eyes widened as I felt something wafting in my ears...
My head turned, I stared at a pitch-black seahorse that was still trying to approach his face towards me. And more to my surprise, his body almost matched the height of one of the male mermaids who swam near him.
My body swam downward as the horse raised both its legs leaning on both of my shoulders. I turned towards Ebe who had released his hand on my arm...
"Sachi, I think he likes you" said Ebe slowly as he swam slowly away.
I glanced around, some mermaids... They had swum closer, with both their eyes all directed at me. I looked back at the seahorse, her fiery red eyes looking unkempt at me.
"Ebe," I said, turning back to look at him.
"That horse, the least domesticated horse. No mermaid has been able to tame it all along" Ebe said returning my gaze.
"Old man, you promised you'd help me, didn't you?" I took my eyes off the old man who was swimming beside Ebe.
"I only promised to help you with the ceremony. It's none of my business if you die at the horse's hands" he said, turning and swimming away.
Damn it, I would like to order Kou to eat it.
The horse was still looking at me, I returned the stare of his fiery red eyes. My eyes fell back, looking at my feet that had touched the sand around us.
"Take off" I said, moving my index finger towards him, the horse's head moved closer to my finger with the occasional nose touching it.
"Ebe, I don't have time for this kind of thing" I said, turning to look at him.
"What if you give him a name by holding his head," he said, returning my gaze.
"Will it work?"
"Why don't you try it yourself" he said back to me.
I turned back to look at the horse, I raised my hand to touch his head which was still moving sniffing my fingers earlier...
"Kuro," I looked at him, the horse raised its head to look at me.
I put my hand back in his head, I don't know why... However, my wrist suddenly felt like it was being crushed. I held up my other hand to my right arm which still hurt a lot...
Black patches, suddenly appearing on my sore wrist. That black patch, the longer it goes... It grew bigger and then extended around my wrist.
I turned to look around, they all looked at me with deep gazes... Aahh, I really hate that look of pity. Even Ebe, came to look at me with the same gaze as the other mermaids.
I looked back at the horse, the place I touched before had appeared a golden crown emblem. The horse suddenly fell down, its body motionless lying on a stretch of sand.
What the hell's going on?
Did I kill him?
I swam over to him, the pain in my wrist, I didn't even notice. I slowly touched the head of the horse, his eyes were still closed even though I tried to wake him several times.
"Sachi," said Ebe, again, I turned to look at him who had pointed one hand at me.
"Ebe, what exactly is going on?" I asked, with the occasional look of my eyes pointing towards the other mermaids who were still looking.
"We don't have much time Sachi. Hurry up, my grandfather must have been waiting for us at the temple," he said back with his palm still pointed at me.
"But, but he," I said, turning to the horse which was still motionless.
"Your sister, or that horse," he said again, I was bitten by my lips with my eyes staring intently at him.
I turned to look at the horse, one hand raised rubbing his head. He's still closed, he's still not moving... In fact, the crown emblem on his head had disappeared somewhere.
"I'm sorry, but my sister's life. I had to save her," I said, again rubbing the horse's head, I turned and grabbed Ebe's hand who had been by my side for some time.