15 Years Ago
"Dawn... Daaawwnnnn... DAWN!"
I shout at the top of my lungs, clenching my teeth together with both of my arms aggressively push down at my sides as my voice echoes throughout the room.
"Dawn! Will you please turn around and look at me?!" But no matter how much I call out her name, she refuses to answer me.
"Young lady you better answer me this instant!" My voice increases in volume as each second passes by causing the structural integrity of the castle to quake. My sensitive nerves crawl up my skin in response to my voice bouncing off the newly sculpted walls. However, it appears not even the reflective sound of my voice is any match for my daughter's stubbornness.
Instantaneously my sensors detect fast pace movement emanating from down below. Causing the edges of my hair and the tips of my seductive bangs to levitate. As my eyes follow my light blue hair up, a pair of familiar voices present themselves from behind the wooden door.
"My queen! Hold on! We're coming!" The first voice shouts in a serious and tenacious tone. One might say it is a cry so compelling, it could easily pierce the fragile minds of our enemies.
"Please don't die... your highness! The second voice follows in a flustered and shaky tone. This one however, strikes me as a cry of an infant who's afraid of their own shadow.
My eyelids flashing in bewilderedness, an unexpected thump surfaces and echos throughout the castle's hallways. "Ouch! That really hurt! What'd you do that for?" The timid voice shrieks out in pain.
The first voice grunts in aggravation and scornfully screams, "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO EMBARRASS US BOTH! YA HEAR ME?! WE ARE HERE TO SAVE HER MAJESTY AS WARRIORS, NOT AS WHIMPY FISH! GOT IT?
"Ummm... What's going on out there..." My mind puzzles over as my eyes are drawn to the wooden door. "I've never heard these two fight like this before. I wonder if I should intervene..."
"Hmph. Seems your precious bodyguards could use more discipline." My daughter audaciously inputs. "That little wimp isn't going to get far. Better let him go before he becomes too much of a liability." She insists, turning herself around and leans against the edge.
"That's enough out of you young lady. It isn't your place to judge the competency of the royal guard." I heavily state. "Remember, their duty is to protect you as well. So treat them with respect."
"Ha! Cause they've been doing such a good job at that." She sarcastically responds. But instead of humoring her any further, I simply turn away without a word. "Fine. Whatever." She grunts in irritation.
"Now. Lift yourself off the floor. Find your courage. And help me save our queen!" The first voice cries out in determination with zero hesitation. "Y...es... Ma'am." The second voice hesitantly replies.
"Good. Now CHARRRGGEEE!"
"HIYEEEAAAHHH!!"
"Umm... Ole... sya?... Gar... th?..." I nervously mumble under my breath as my body faces towards the wooden door. "What are you-" Before I could finish my train of thought, the wooden door busts flying open and slams right into the crystalized sand walls. The two royal guards come charging through and are on course to clashing with me.
Apprehensiveness floods throughout my face as I instinctively held out my arms in front of me. My body unwillingly waits in anticipation for the upcoming discomfort and my eyes timidly close in fear. My mermaid-tail quakes in place, itching with anxiety.
After a few moments, absolute silence fills the room like an abandoned warehouse. Questioning why I haven't been flattened as of yet, my left eye curiously peaks open and discovers both Olesya and Garth mere inches away from squashing me.
I slowly unveil my astonished face from hiding and flash my eyelids repeatedly as I shift my head left to right. Gradually shifting my eyes down to my hands, an illumines green light is found emerging from my fingertips. While my eyes gracefully raises back to eye level, a grin carves its way onto my face.
"Heheh, guess my concerns were all for nothing." I whisper in relief, dropping my arms down with one hand gripping the right side of my waist. Taking in a deep breath, my body trembles in giggles as I lift my head back. "Heheh, I keep forgetting I can do that. Silly me."
After regaining complete composure, my inquisitive mind keeps both Olesya and Garth in suspended motion. With a pondering look on my face, I rest my hand upon the side of Olesya's rostrum and close my eyes. With both body and mind relaxed, my telepathic ability energizes.
Instantaneously kinetic currents run through my veins and enters her skull, connecting our minds. "Hmmm, I see. It seems your attributes have increased quite a bit since our settlement here. Such a fine warrior indeed.
Spirit and Mind: 3,000
Weapon Skill: 800
Ancient Ability: 215
Physical Strength: 600
Average Power Level: 1154
You've grown strong Olesya, stronger than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you for everything you've done for all of us throughout the years. Without your support, we would have never been able to survive the 6 years we spent wandering the South Blue. Your devotion to the creatures of Gala, my daughter and myself knows no bounds."
Steadily removing my hand, the green light emanating from within fades away. With an appreciative smile, I lean in and kiss Olesya's forehead and whisper, "You've done well. Now rest." Placing two fingers on top of her rostrum, I close my eyes and send her mind into a deep sleep. Her body then falls to the floor along with her weapon.
"Heheheh, now it's your turn." I giggly whisper, throwing myself onto Garth's body. Sliding my finger down the side of his body, a drop of sweat gets caught onto me. "Awww, I don't even have to read your mind to know what you're thinking about." I teasingly giggle, climbing onto his backside.
"I suppose we should get a close look at your current stats too, huh?" I seductively whisper, pressing my breasts downwards. "I just hope my big strong Garth hasn't gone too soft on me. I'd hate to punish my favorite little royal guard." I continue, swaying my chest left and right.
"Oh please. We both know his stats are going to be mediocre at best. Why bother?" My daughter rudely comments yet again, crossing her arms over her chest and staring off to the side. Without retaliating her unnecessary comments, I gently rub around Garth's blowhole.
"Don't listen to her, my little brave soul. I know you've gotten stronger too." I kindly insist, lightly kissing the side of his blowhole. "Now, let's get a good look at you, shall we?" Without further a due, my hand rests upon Garth's forehead as my telekinesis ignites once again. Our minds connect, my spirit sneaks into his mind and explores his thoughts and memories.
Once inside, I instantly notice a love shrine dedicated to me. Touched by his devotion, the palm of my hands overlap each other on top of my chest. "This is so adorable! I can't believe you have this much of a crush on me!" I cheerfully squeal as my body twirls around with my soft long hair wrapping around my body.
While my mind has been distracted, a wave of exotic tension collides with my astral projection and kicks me out of his mind. "Wait, what?!... Nooooo! Please don't do this to me!" I plea, tumbling backwards.
After being thrown back into my body, an electrical sensation shocks my hand and throws me off his backside. "Ooouuuwwee, that hurt." I passively screech as I hold my wrist and shake my hand. With an innocent sad face, I cry out "Why did you-"
"Mother, will you please stop with this absurd charade already?!" My daughter irritatedly lashes out, laying her head back onto the soft edge of her room's aperture.
Immediately, I face the other way with my eyes closed and innocently reply, "I have no idea what you're talking about. My hand is clearly in pain. So if you could keep your comments to yourself, I'll deal with you in a moment. Hmph."
"Uuuurrrggg. I understand that. Mother. However you're a medical expert, are you not?" She patronizingly responds, rolling her eyes. "A little electric shock shouldn't be difficult for you to heal."
Putting some strut into my swim, I pay no mind to my daughter as I gently massage Garth's peduncle. "There, there, sweetie. No one's hurting you so no need to hurt me." I whisper innocently with my breasts softly pressing against his moist skin.
"Ugh. You're so unbelievable. I can't believe you're my mother sometimes." She mockingly interjects, rolling onto her stomach. Her head resting onto the palm of her left hand, she continues. "You're such an unstable bipolar bisnatch. No wonder you're-"
"You better hold that tongue of yours young lady." I swiftly interrupt while analyzing Garth's stats. "Finish that sentence and you'll once again feel my undying wrath. We wouldn't want that to happen now, do we?"
"Pfft. Yeah, okay." She reluctantly responds, resting her head down onto her arms. "I can't believe you'd go to those lengths. Even to your own daughter." She mumbles under her sighing breath. "I thought you loved me, hmph."
"I do love you sweetie but sometimes you can be such a handful." I whisper, steadily laying Garth's body onto the floor. "If you'd just cooperate, I wouldn't have to go to extreme measures. It's not all your fault I suppose. You're just at that age. Maybe in a few decades counting by human years, you'll be grateful."
"Human years? What are you talking about?" She questions puzzlingly. "I thought we age the same as them. Am I not 7???" She anxiously persists, peaking over her shoulder.
"Don't worry sweetie, I'll explain in a moment. Just give me a second." I assure her, moving the two royal guards to a more comfortable spot. "Hmph, fine." She pouts as she turns her head back, gazing over the small town.
After cozying both Olesya and Garth's bodies on the other side of the room, I take a deep breath and swiftly swim over to my daughter. Wrapping one arm reaching around her, I sneakingly scoop her up and sit her down onto my mermaid lap.
"H-hey!" She poutingly squeals, crossing her arms. Thinking nothing of it, I graciously smile down at my daughter and happily whisper, "Don't you want to know how old you really are, sweetie?" She looks up with excitement and wraps her hands around me. "Yes, mommy! Please tell me!"
Her precious eyes full of curiosity brings joy to my heart as I happily giggle. "Well you see sweetie, a mermaid's lifetime can potentially be 1,000 human years. In mermaid years, that's 50. So yes, you are 7 years old in mermaid years. In human years, however, you're 140..."
I pause for a moment due to being interrupted by my daughter's heavy breathing. Tilting my head down, I realize she's fast asleep. With a genuine smile I gently brush her hair, uncovering her face and whisper, "Aww, my little Dawn has fallen asleep on me. To think all this bickering was just because you didn't want to go to school." 19Please respect copyright.PENANAyr9C8Clu19
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Releasing a slight sigh, I adjust her head's position a little and rest it upon my chest. "Since you're asleep, I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you a true bedtime story..."
"It's a story about how we use to live in harsh times. A time where our small ecosystem didn't even exist. You were just two years old too. So I don't expect you to remember any of this and... and I hope you never do."
Tears begin to drip from my eyes as I mutter, "I fear... I fear if these memories were to ever surface... they'd haunt you for the rest of your life. After all... you suffered a great loss... we... we all did." Unable to continue, I quickly drown in tears as I hold my daughter close. With no more words to spare, I wallowed in sorrow wishing I'd be free of these memories.
After all, who would want to remember something so tragic. Brothers, sisters, friends, the love of my life, all stripped away. The worst part is that I know exactly what those vile creatures populating the surface world has done to them. I know because... I saw it with my very own eyes.
Sigh. Back in those days, we didn't have a place to call home. At least, not a permanent one. We spent decades of human years wandering the south blue with great caution. We had no choice but to fend for our lives by any means necessary.
Sea creatures from all over were lost in turmoil. However, some took it upon themselves to behave likes those on the surface and began to raid others of their belongings. I couldn't believe it myself that any sea creature would stoop to the surface world's level. But it's the sad truth.
Gala at the time was nothing more than a farfetched fantasy. A safe haven. One that'd bring all sea creatures together and live in peace. It was the paradise we all were desperately searching for but didn't have the resources to make it ourselves. All we had was each other and unfortunately that wasn't enough to keep us safe.
During our travels, we finally came across a secluded location in which we could settle into. The place appeared to be an abandoned outpost of some kind. However, no one in our community has seen anything like it. The structure was way too advance to be made by sea creatures. But it was also too freeform to be made by the humans.
In the end, however, whether we liked it or not, we needed a place to stay for a while and this was the best solution we'd be able to find for a while. Once everyone was settled, all of our brave warriors sent out to retrieve some food and most of the royal guards scattered to secure the area. Two of which, however, were personally appointed to protect the three of us. Which doesn't seem so weird to me now as it did then.
Although, for as long as I can remember, Mermaids and Mermen were always appointed to be leaders by our community and were to be treated as royalty. It was a concept that I didn't fully understand at the time. No, it wasn't until I lost the love of my life that I knew what must be done.
However, there was one thing that was made clear to me. If anything were to happen to us, our community would fight through hell and back just to retrieve us. No matter the cost, no matter the circumstance, we were always their top priority. If only 97 percent of the community wasn't taken or killed in the process...
While the warriors went out hunting, I carried my baby girl in my arms, wrapped around her favorite seaweed, into a secret compartment beneath the outpost. I laid her down onto the soft sand and quietly hummed to her. It was a melody I've always sung to her every night until she went to sleep.
Once she finally slept, I laid down beside her and watched over her until I couldn't keep myself awake. Meanwhile, my betroth went out of his way to dig through the sand, making a circular bed around our child. After which, he took our daughter's favorite collection of seashells and spread them out within the circle.
"What do you think?" He whispered, laying close behind with one arm around my waist. "Do you think she'll like it?" He continues, staring at me with such an un-resistible smile. I couldn't help but blush while nodding my head. How could I say no? After all, It was a very sweet gesture and it still warms my heart to this day.
My heart starting to feel relaxed for the first time in forever, I drifted off to sleep within the comforts of his arms. It was the most luxurious slumber I've had in a long time. But little did I know that sense of peace wouldn't last long.
When my eyes opened once again, immediately my senses detected something was wrong. Even though my little Dawn was safely within my arms, we weren't in the circle my betroth sculpted. Nor was he even in the vicinity. All that was surrounding us were harden barricade walls with a rusted door.
Within moments I was panting uncontrollably, trying to catch my breath. I thought my head was going to explode from all the blood coursing through my veins. All the anxiety, fear, and paranoia I thought would be gone for good returned instantaneously. Unable to withstand another second in there, I immediately grabbed hold of my daughter and rushed to the door.
I tried pulling onto the handle as hard as I could but it wouldn't budge. Immediately, I turned around and pushed my back against the door with all my might. However, it was still no use and any shred of hope I had of escaping vanished.
Soon enough, my face was dripping with tears as my body slowly dropped to the floor onto my tail. Wanting, hoping, wishing someone would come to our rescue. I honestly thought my last breaths were going to be spent in a sealed-off wooden prison with no escape. But then, I heard it. I heard the scared cries coming from my daughter.
The second her cries entered my ears, something inside of me snapped. My heart began pacing incredibly fast but not out of fear, out of determination. At this moment, my mind was clear as a whistle but yet the blood running through my veins was overwhelmingly rapid.
Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and held my baby girl close to me. Shortly after, the edges of my hair had begun to rise as well as the tips of my bangs. It felt like a submerged energy within was bubbling to the surface, waiting to be awakened. I opened my eyes and used every ounce of strength within to release the pouring energy out of me.
Next thing I knew, the barriers surrounding us were obliterated into nothing and we were in front of the supposedly abandoned outpost. But, I just couldn't believe what I saw. It's still traumatizing to this day and I will never forget it.
All the mermen slaughtered with their corpses scattered around the vicinity along with the royal guards and no mermaids to be seen for miles. But what really broke my heart was seeing my betroth... well, half of him to be specific. His tail was sliced right off and only his upper body parts remained.
So many emotions were building inside me, I thought I was going to go insane. Without thinking, I roared out into the night sky, releasing this new power. But I didn't cry. I refused to. Instead, I did everything I could to make sure my daughter was protected and fed. As of that moment, she was the only reason I kept on living. The reason I didn't give up. Otherwise, I would've... never mind.
Two weeks passed in human time. We had traveled for miles in the shadows, hoping and looking for anyone who'd be willing to help us. But no matter where we went, our temporary homes would be discovered within days by predators.
And each time they showed up, my internal instincts took over and launched them far away.
I didn't care for anyone else's well being other than my daughter. She needed to survive, at all cost. It seemed impossible for us to live in peace and it was very difficult to find food for either of us to eat. To be honest, hadn't eaten in about a month in human time. But I didn't care. For as long as she was fed, I was happy.
On a cold wintery night, I was panting in tiredness and hunger with my baby girl in my arms. She was still wrapped up in her favorite seaweed. Something I forever refuse to dispose of. It's the only thing left to remember her father by.
Exhausted from lack of nutrition, my body gradually falls to the floor and my mind falls unconscious. In mere moments I was subjected to a deep slumber and the last thing I saw was my child crying within my arms. I wish I could've done more to save her but I just didn't have enough energy to push forward.
When I came to, I found myself lying in a bed crafted out of stone and seaweed but my daughter was nowhere to be found. I tried to lift myself out of bed but my body was too exhausted to move. So I just laid there, staring at the top of the dome-like structure, watering my eyes out. It felt like I was being punished for not trying hard enough to keep everyone safe.
"Aaaaaahaahhhh! Aaaaaaahhh! Waaaahh!" For a moment my heart stopped. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. Never did I think I'd be able to hear those cries from my little baby ever again. That's when I remembered why we agreed upon naming her Dawn. Cause to us, she represented the beginning of a new. And from that moment on, I wouldn't let myself ever forget it.
And that's the end of the story I guess. When my body regained enough strength, I forced myself out of bed and found 2 of the royal guards were still alive. The two who were personally appointed to us, Olesya and her little son Garth. They found us lost in the middle of nowhere, a little over two human weeks after the genocide of our own.
My daughter was happily safe and sound. And for the first time ever, I watched her flicker her adorable little mermaid tail and slowly swim into my arms. I was so overwhelmed with joy, I fell back onto my tail and bursted into tears. My heart wouldn't stop pounding inside of me as I held my little Dawn close.
After a year had passed in mermaid time, we stumbled onto a little place known to its inhabitants as Gala; the light bringer. It wasn't much at the time but with some work put into it and determination driving us, Gala become what we always dreamt of. A place that we could finally call home and where we could begin our new lives. A safe haven.
Present Day
"Not a day goes by where I don't think about those times. My sole reason for making sure no one in this city feels they're in danger. The reason I'll do everything in my power to protect my most sacred treasure." I firmly stated, putting down my cup of jelly extract onto the floor.
"Forgive me for rambling on like that. Sometimes when sharing stories of past times, memories of the worst time in my life come rushing to the surface." I graciously apologize, tilting my head to the side and firmly cupping the side of my cheek. "I hope I didn't depress you too much."
"Oh, not at all your highness!" He assures me, waving his claw in front of his eyes. "Don't you worry about a thing my lady. It's my absolute pleasure to hear the history of our Queen, good or bad." He happily insists.
"I'm so happy to hear you say that!" I cheerfully squeal, wiggling my body back and forth. "I have more stories if you'd like-" Before I could finish, my cheerful mood is rudely interrupted by a whining scream from outside the castle.
My head sighingly drops as whisper, "Sigh. Guess it'll have to wait..." Pouting underneath my breath, my old friend crawls up onto my tail and wraps his claws around my waist and smiles at me. "Don't weep your majesty. We can continue this another time. I promise." He assuringly whispers, comforting me.
Smiling back, I lean down and lightly kiss the side of his cheek. "Thanks for listening Vladimir! I truly appreciate it!" I cheerfully state, scooping him up onto the palm of my hands. "Of course my lady! Of course!" He shouts blushingly, shying away.
Dropping him off onto the secure zip-line, I reluctantly wave goodbye to my friend as he departs into the city. Once fully out of sight, I briefly close my eyes and take in a deep breath.
"Now, let's see what all the commotion is about this time."
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