Aquata Cove Ch. 27

"Teh sea snake mermaid... Her name Belinda, you know her?" Atarah asked. Adam simply nodded, before Atarah dipper her finger into the ink, and traced a swirly design on her left shoulder, "She have dees mahk on her?" She asked.

"Yes..."

"Teh one who ees Coshiton..." She held up the flower, "Dey take teh trace -- dere connection to teh pod..." She placed the flower onto the floor, with a bowl of other small flowers, "Teh Triton..." She held up the brush with both hands, "Heem destroy dere weapon," The ancient then snapped the brush in half, and tossed it aside, "And teh Noita..." Atarah then picked the bark back up, and showed Adam the symbol he painted, "Brands teh skin wit a seembol of dere crime. And den... Dey are baneeshed."

Adam gasped lightly as he stared at that heart-symbol, "Dis ees teh seembol of Forbidden Love. Eet ees used for when a merfolk fall een loove wit a different kind. Forr instance, eef a whale merman where to fall een loove wit a sea turtle mermaid, and acted upon dat loove, dey be baneeshed."

"But... Merrick told me... He told me his pod was ambushed by Sirens..."

"Would you be willing to face teh trut so soon?" She asked, "Or to repeat it?" Adam put his hand over his eyes as he felt his mouth quiver. He feels so guilty -- forget that Merrick lied to him, but he lost his pod... His family.

"... His sister... Attacked me today..." Adam said in a thick, faltering voice, "It's why I got these injuries, she was holding his trident... It was tied together with fishing line, and she said..." Adam wiped his tears and sniffled, "She said I took her brother away from her... And then she tried to kill me..."

"Adra Savahna..." Atarah said, "Mereek speaks fondly oof her. She would not understand he canno come back..." The ancient looked at the human, crying lightly, "Eet ees no your fault, Adahm. Eet ees loove."

"I know, but... It's..." Adam sniffled, "It's just not fair... He didn't choose to fall in love with me, it just happened when the moon turned red. If merfolk worship this goddess, how can they just banish merfolk who fall in with the wrong kind of person?" He asked, "It's like kicking out a teen for coming out of the closet! It isn't fair!"

"Merfolk ah very traditional," Atarah said, "Dey follow teh Laws, and banish dose who defy."

"Dammit..." Adam then turned to look at her, "Just... Who ARE you, Atarah?!" He asked, just out of random from his anger, "How and why do you know so much about merfolk? Aren't you just a human too?"

Atarah did not answer. She simply stood up, and put her hands onto her old corset. She untied the old lace, bow for bow, until it appeared loosened. Putting her fingers to the crease, she pulled it back, exposing her torso to the human. Adam gasped.

"No... You're..." Upon her stomach, there is circle, with a large X symbol on top of it. The mark is as black as night, but looks as though it was burned into her flesh with a fire poker, as opposed to Merrick's mark, which looks like a real tattoo.

"Tey call me teh Forbidden Ancient, because I have been baneeshed... Long, long, ago..." She said.

"What..." Adam gulped and looked up at her face, "What was YOUR crime?" Atarah's frowned as she closed her corset, and tied it back up.

"I was teh first Noita in teh worlt," Adam's eyes widened at that, "I was teh fift Coshiton to be baneeshed... Dey saw my powa, and came to call me a demon," She said with disdain, "So dey take me to deh hart of a volcano... And dey burned dis mahk onto my stomach..." She said as she looked down onto the injured human, "I hailed from deh kingdom of Lyonesse -- I was what dey call now an Amnien..." Atarah shook her head, "I can barely rememba what I used to be..."

"But... Wait, how can you be the first Noita? That must have been hundreds of years ago!"

"Yes..." Atarah looked up, as if trying to remember a distant memory, "I tink I died..." She said in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"But, you're alive NOW."

"No." Atarah said as she looked at Adam, "I am neiter deat or alive. I rememba I was attacked by humans one day... And I felt mysalf falling into teh dahkness... Or was it just dahker because of teh eclipse..." She pondered, "It was probably teh black sun dat kept me here on teh Eart. And now, I am no human, no mermaid, and still have teh powas I had, and more..."

"I'm... I'm surprised you weren't angry and didn't hold a grudge over merfolk for banishing you..." Adam said.

"I was," Atarah said, "I did." She walked around, and fiddled with a wind chime with shells, "I learnt from teh winds dat odder mermaids had deh powa as I have... But dey were not called demons, and dey were not feared..." The ancient's tone became tense, "I was baneeshed..." She seethed, "And dey revered dem..." Her fingers squeezed down around a shell until it cracked and broke into smaller pieces. She turned around and looked at Adam, who is feeling a little uneasy about this conversation.

"I cursed dem. I cursed dem all. Teh black sun gave me new powa, and sought vengeance from teh land. I was no longa able to return to my home in teh sea because of dere foolish fears!" Adam gulped as she went on, "Since teh black sun, I belong to teh land..."

"So..." Adam spoke nervously, "Merfolk are still cursed?"

"... No," Atarah said, sighing as she calmed down, "Anger fades wit time, as do any curse... After ova 200 years, I had learnt to let go of my hatret -- teh merfolk who baneeshed me have long since pereeshed..." She said.

"I would not wish to curse merfolk now... Once in a while, a lost merman or mermaid find dere way into my river," The earthly ancient smiled softly, "Dey fear me because of my title, but soon dey realize I am but a lone hermeet in a river. Dey veseet me, and bring me geefs of teh sea..."

"Is... Is that how you met Merrick? Did he get lost in your river?"

"..." Atarah hesitated, "Yes and no. Eet ees how I met his modder. A young, kindly white mermaid, sickened by swimming in deh freshwater. So I geeve her aid," She smiled, "When she can, she come to me to veseet, just like her son..."

"So, how did you meet Merrick?"

"Eet was much, much lata, but I remember eet 5 years ago. When a scaret merman was swimming wit a human. I lata recognize him as teh son of Umiato, a dear frient of mine, and he was being hunted by a pod of Sirens..." Adam widened his eyes at the dark woman, "Dey escaped to a cove of mine, where I had once planted and hahvested fire crystals. I attempted to narrow teh cave to prevent entry of teh Sirens, but I ended up sealing teh entrance by meestake," She said with a smile, "I had to open anodder entrance to let dem out... Into a waterfall..."

"Wait..." Adam said, "That cave, that was you?? That's where Merrick and I first met!"

"So eet was..." She said as her voice trailed off.

"Did you... Did you intend for us to meet? Merrick and me, I mean."

"No," Atarah started to finish meshing a medicinal paste, and adding fresh rainwater to make it into a potion, "I was trying to protect teh son of a frient. It was seex moons lata when I met heem, when he and heem modder came to veseet me, and I could feel teh light of teh ret moon in his soul. I could sense she dit not know, so I neva sait he was -- as I sait, merfolk ah traditional."

The ancient then picked up an old teakettle, and poured the concoction into it. She stood up, and carried it to Adam, before kneeling down to hold the spout to his mouth, "Drink."

"What is it?"

"Healing sleep. Your injuries ah deep, and teh magic is still infecting your blood. Only prolonged sleep can cure eet." Adam sighed and nodded. He opened his mouth, and let Atarah tilt the spout into his lips.

He grunted and winced as the nasty cocktail slipped into his mouth. He sputtered and kept from gagging, and swallowed the potion down. He panted as he looked at her, "Does Merrick know? What you used to be?"

"No," Atarah said as she helped him up to his feet, "He neva ask me." She said with a smile, she then put something into the palm of Adam's hand, "Geeve this to heem lata..." She whispered.

~~~

Adam, Merrick, and Yuri soon made their way out from the swamp. Adam could feel his senses dulling and his eyelids growing heavy. Just when they made it out of the marsh, he moaned as he grabbed onto a tree.

"Adam? Are you ok?" Yuri asked as Merrick went to him.

"I'm..." Adam said, feeling so dizzy and drugged up, "I'm fine... She just gave me some strong sleeping stuff..." Merrick tucked Adam's arm over him, and helped Adam into the backseat of Yuri's car. Once Merrick put the seatbelt on himself, he found Adam curled up on the seat, with his head on his lap.

"Adam? Adam??" Merrick said as he shook him. He smiled and giggled as he stroked his sleeping lover.

~~~

"Mmmm..." Adam stirred as he slowly woke up. It's almost completely dark, and he's in his own bed. He gasped and sat up as he realized someone is crawling into bed with him.

"Hi babe~" Merrick said with a smile in the dark. Adam sighed as he sat on his bed while Merrick cuddled up to him, "... Adam? What's wrong?" Merrick asked. Adam looked at Merrick's face, which is illuminated by the faint moonlight.

"Merrick..." Adam mumbled, he looked into those deep, blue eyes, feeling his heart heavy with emotion, "I'm sorry, sweetie... I'm so, so sorry..." Merrick blinked curiously at him.

"What do you mean? Sorry for what?"

"Merrick..." Adam sighed and shook his head. He looked straight into the merman's eyes, and brought his hand up. He moved it over Merrick's shoulder, and placed gently upon the back of his neck. Merrick's lips opened a little as his eyes glistened as he looked at Adam with light horror, "I'm so sorry, baby..." Adam said again, feeling his eyes water up as he rubbed his fingers on the symbol.

The merman whimpered as shimmering tears washed in his eyes. Adam moved in closer, and Merrick just put his arms around his human. The blonde sniffled and huffed as he sobbed into the Adam's bandaged chest. Adam put his hands on Merrick's smooth back and blonde hair. He hissed and cried as he clung onto Adam. He shook his head as he cried.

"Adam... I..."

"I don't care what you told me," Adam said, still feeling incredibly drowsy, "I love you... I love you..." He mumbled as he laid back, with Merrick still weeping into his bandage.

"They're gone, Adam... I've lost them..."

"You... You still have me..." Adam muttered as his eyes dazed into the darkness of the night and the glow of the moonlight as he fell slowly back into sleep. He wants to console Merrick, but that potion Atarah gave him is really strong stuff. He can't even remember to ask what the Capricorn has anything to do Coshitons...

"I love you... You will always have me..." He mumbled as Merrick snuggled up to him, and slipped into slumber.