Part 1 of the Alaskanta Mermaid Saga can be found in my blog feed.
The Queen tore at her snow-white hair and screamed and cried in despair. First her merpeople believed she would die of sadness but then her purple eyes filled with rage and wrath, a sight more terrible than the greatest storm in the North. They turned cold like the ice itself and she screamed one word only into the darkness below: ‘Revenge!’
But it would be a long time until the Queen would get what she desired. Every night, the monster would appear, break into the palace and after a short fight it would snatch away a mermaid warrior or a merman soldier and devour them in the dark, deep down in the abyss of the North Sea. Whatever the courageous Queen and her fierce warriors tried to do, no weapon, no magic was able to pierce the black skin of this ancient demon.
The days grew shorter, and with every night the monster attacked, the merpeople harnessed more power from the Northern Lights, the starlight and the moon light. However, none of the celestial magic could defeat the black threat of the deep.
One night, after the monster had attacked and snatched another mermaid away, the Queen rose to the surface and gazed into the night sky. Far to the North she could see the cool ice immobile, still frozen strong. Everywhere on the calm surface of the sea, starlight was reflected. Her long white hair appeared like a snowflake, crystal clear on the black water. It was a moonless night, but the stars shone so brilliantly the Queen has not seen this kind of light in over two hundred years. Suddenly, she spotted a shooting star. Just for a moment it glimmered in the dark and then it was gone forever. She shed a tear which froze on her cheek. The shooting star reminded her of her late husband. Just like the falling star he had gone out, vanished into the darkness never to return.
She was about to swim back to her ice blue palace where she would linger another night alone when she suddenly spotted another shooting star, and then another and another until hundreds of lights moved in the night sky as if glittering tears fell from the heavens. But they were not shooting stars but starlight itself came raining down. And the Mermaid Queen knew what to do. She commenced a beautiful song and sung about her sorrows and her sadness. It was a slow and heart-breaking melody, not of hope but of despair and darkness, yet as beautiful as the falling snow.
Around her the starlight began to take form. First, it formed a great fin, then a long body and finally the Queen recognised the form of a blue whale made of starlight floating within the night sky above. In circles, the starlight whale moved around the Queen. She shed a tear for its beauty and elegance. This one was hot and steaming and did not freeze. The moment the tear fell into the ocean, made the water ripple, the whale began to sing. It was a deep and ancient music, wise and all powerful: ‘My beloved Queen do not despair. I am the spirit of the starlight and I came to aid you. The Northern Lights, the moonlight and I have witnessed your troubles and we think there is a way to break this darkness. At the centre of the eternal ice, there rests a sword all powerful with a deep spell engraved within its blade. It has the ability to pierce through the black demon’s skin and can restore the melting ice. But first, you must choose three of your highest skilled warriors. They must find the sword for you, and bring it to you, and the beast can be slain and the balance of nature can be restored. However, two words of warning. First, the sword might restore the magic of the Alaskanta Kingdom, but there are other more dangerous forces at work far to the South who have brought this imbalance to the North. The sword might restore the Mermaid Kingdom, but the rest of the world will remain imbalanced. And second, choose your fighters wisely, for I fear, should they fail, the Alaskanta Kingdom will be lost forever.’
And with the spirit’s final words the starlight whale lost its form, scattered and disappeared in the darkness of the night. The Queen looked up at the stars and whispered: ‘Thank you.’
She knew what had to be done.
For a whole day and a whole night, the Queen sat on her throne and thought about the words of the spirit. Her gaze rested on her husband’s empty throne and waves of sadness, despair and anger washed over her like the waves continued to consume the melting ice. Her husband would have known whom to choose and so she tried to imagine what he would tell her. It would have been a balanced choice, like an iceberg floating in the water, perfectly in tune with the waves.
The night passed and the monster had devoured another one of her citizens. The Queen rose from her throne, called all her able warriors into the royal hall and told them about the spirit’s words. Then she said: ‘I have made my decision. I have chosen three warriors most fit for the task.’
She looked at her subjects who all looked with hope up to her. They trusted her. She was their Queen. So, she made her choices: ‘Vitoria, come forward please.’
A mermaid, with skin as white as snow, purple hair, high cheekbones and full lips swam forward. Her turquoise fin moved elegantly through the water, but her delicate features were not to be mistaken. She was the strongest and most skilled swimmer the North has ever seen and one of the finest fighters of the Alaskanta Kingdom.
‘Vitoria, I choose you to be the first of the three warriors to save this kingdom. Do you accept?’
Vitoria looked at her Queen with her turquoise eyes and nodded immediately: ‘I accept. My fin, my skills, my sword is yours.’
She bowed to her Queen who nodded and then she called out the second chosen one: ‘Galeya, I choose you as Vitoria’s comrade for this most urgent task.’
A mermaid with brown skin, fair golden hair and a beautiful round face came forward. Her fin was midnight blue and shimmered like starlight. She was a good warrior and the smartest mermaid this kingdom had ever seen.
‘Do you accept?’
‘Of course, my Queen, knowing that this task might claim my life.’
Galeya bowed to her Queen and swam over to Vitoria who smiled at her.
‘The third and final warrior I choose will be Amara.’
A mermaid with dark brown skin, bright green hair and purple mysterious eyes swam to the Queen. Her fin was white as snow and glittered like the purple light within the Northern Lights.
‘Will you accept and join your sister warriors on this journey to save the Alaskanta Kingdom?’
‘I will.’ She simply said and swam over to her companions.
As mysterious as Amara looked, so were her skills. She was the most powerful magician within the kingdom. Her magic was as deep as the sea and as high as the starlight.
The Queen turned around and looked at the mermaids she picked. Strong, wise and magical they radiated power in front of her.
‘Take your weapons of choice with you and then you must leave. The monster must not know what our plan will be. Follow the coldest current coming from the far North. It will lead you to the eternal ice and to the sword. But be careful. There lies danger on your path. Maybe even worse than the black demon of the deep.’
‘We will try everything in our power to claim the sword.’ Galeya said.
‘As long as our fins are carried by the current of the sea we will not rest.’ Vitoria said.
‘We will find the sword and bring it to you.’ Amara said with certainty.
One last time the three bowed to their Queen and then chose their weapons. Vitoria decided to take her own purple sword with her. She had forged it when she had just started training and it had never failed her since. It was a part of her. Galeya chose to take an ice spear with her. It was the standard weapon for every Alaskanta warrior. She had always fought with one and her companions knew how to use it as well. Amara took one of her own forged weapons with her. It was a magical black dagger that glowed purple and would enhance her magical powers greatly.
The three mermaids were ready. They said their goodbyes to their loved ones not knowing if they would ever see them again. They could all be devoured by the monster until they return, or the three mermaids could find their death on the path to find the sword. It was a despairing goodbye.
The sun was setting, and the monster would attack the city and the palace within hours. They had to leave. Amara guided her two friends on this perilous journey. She held up her dagger that pulsated purple light. Together they swam into the darkness of the coming night following the stream of ice-cold water to the North.
To be continued…
Fabian's Writing 