I met Niamh at the palace docks. Such a thing I hadn't realised existed, but it explained how we were able to travel in when we'd arrived. In a wonderful blend of magic and science, the water merged with outcrops of constructed marble. From where I stood, it appeared as though I could swim out a short way and find myself two hundred metres below the surface, passing through a wall made of water.

The mermaid beside me was not so easily impressed. Since my announcement that we'd changed the plan, Niamh looked, if possible, even more tense than before. Her grey eyes darted left and right. She scouted around the few docked vehicles with a clinical eye, looking for the one I'd told her about. Earlier, Morwena and Kirsten had taken a stroll along these docks, and had, with any luck, managed to secure it. 

Sure enough, farthest to the right, a red scarf was tied discretely to the platform. Taking one glance around to check that nobody was looking-- and indeed, all of the guards had, at once, wandered off for a break at this time, as planned-- Niamh nodded the 'all clear' before running and diving into the water.

She cut the water so expertly that she made no splash. The tips of her feet vanished as they became the remainder of a long, silvery tail before disappearing below the water. With her green skin and glinting scales, the mermaid blended well enough that I couldn't make out anything below the surface.

Now-- I waited. 

A full minute passed, and nothing happened. The cavern was silent, and the water was still. Only the reflections, swirling as turquoise colours on the grey stone, moved. 

And then, the surface errupted. 

A great monster arose from the water, towering over me, cascading buckets of water. Blinking through the shower and pulling the wet strands of hair from my eyes, I stared at the great metal beast. Cylindrical and sleek and patterned with scales, the boat travelled underwater. It was hard to believe, but there it was: glass portholes were proof that the machine was meant to be sealed and travelled in below the surface. From its sides, propellers whirred, spraying salt water. Atop its head, a fin that was like a mast twisted, used to turn the boat. 

At the helm-- if it was called a helm with this kind of contraption-- a large, glass observation window releaved a small group, cluttered around one another. Steering and waving at the front was Morwena, taking to the role of captain with ease. 

Beside her, Kirsten folded her arms. Iggy smiled, and Scarlett nodded. Sakura rushed to the window, as if scared I might be attacked without her there.

Niamh, her hair still dripping and her clothes soaked through, surfaced beside the machine and motioned for me to climb up. I frowned; how would I climb aboard? But no sooner had I thought it than a cranking noise started, and a latch opened up besides the tunnel. Next, Fabian clambered out.

'Lumina!' he called, waving me over. At the side of the boat, a ladder was crafted into the metal, designed to enable the passengers to step up onto the roof. But to do so, I first had to step into the water as Niamh had.

Without the magical transformation that followed. 

I took a deep breath, staring into the dark water. Sure, I'd learned how to swim...over a lifetime ago. A doubt in the back of my mind wondered what would happen if my body didn't remember, or if I wasn't strong enough to swim...

But the other half of me trembled in excitement; that, for the first time in a few weeks, I was being bold. I was moving, I was taking action at last. 

And there was a boat full of people who could swim, and a mermaid nearby. Really, what harm could I come to?

Trying not to think too deeply about the roar in my stomach telling me I couldn't swim, I jumped.

Like the leap from the Diamond Palace's tower, there was a moment when time stopped. I could feel the height of my leap, the surge against gravity, the energy pouring through me-- and then the rush as I fell.

My body hit the water in one swoop, and the world turned silent. The temperature of the water that hit me was colder than I'd expected, and rather than keep my eyes shut, they jolted open.

And I opened my eyes to a blurry world.

Far below, the water turned from blue to black. My hair floated around me in tendrils as I drifted for those few seconds, relishing the lightness and the buoyancy of the water. Before me, the boat became round and curved at the bottom half within the water, but with tentacles of bronze slowly shifting in the sway. A propeller, much like an aircraft, was stationary at the bottom. Shoals of tiny, glimmering fish circled nearby, scattering as the shockwaves from my splash disrupted them, breaking their formation. 

And then my previous memories began to kick in. The cold water had made me gasp out a lot of my air, and my lungs began to demand. My hands swept out, my legs kicked in perfect co-ordination. I shot to the surface and gasped, wiping away the water in my eyes.

Fabian was hanging from the rails, looking at the water like he wanted to jump in. At my arrival, he visibly relaxed, releasing the breath he'd been holding alongside me. 

'Lu,' he said, as if he simply wanted to say my name. 

'Fabian,' I replied. My hands were treading water without instruction, demonstrating my proficiency. If I hadn't been so darn cold, I'd have continued, grinning at my new skill. Not too far from me, Niamh drifted, watching me with a calm laziness. 

I swam, letting my legs kick and propel me through the water. When I reached the boat, Fabian held out a hand to help me up. The bars of the boat were slippy and worn, and I was grateful that Fabian was there to help haul me in through the top.

I missed the memo on the ladder inside, however. I slid down Fabian and into his arms,  my own wrapping around him perfectly. Our faces inches apart, we stared at one another, his eyes flickering over mine. He had a freckle, right beneath his left eye. It was tiny, and I'd only notice it if I were up close-- very close. Like, now. 

Close enough to feel his breath on my lips. 

Did his arms just hold me tighter? I felt his grip tighten, enveloping my waist. My damp hair shielded us from the outside world.

Until I heard a polite cough and Fabian put me down quickly. 

Morwena assessed us from her station, her face unreadable. Sakura handed me a towel to dry off my clothes with. Kirsten turned away, watching outside the glass as Niamh, now below water again, gestured for us to move. I blinked in awe at the glass on the bottom of the boat, where Niamh was gracefully circling. 

Iggy shuffled towards me. 'Um...Lumina, did you want to borrow my power?'

Still acutely conscious of Fabian nearby, my brain had difficulty replying. 'Borrow? Oh-- oh. Er, no. No that's okay. Thank you. We-- that is, I-- don't need it. We have the boat. Ship. Er.'

Somewhere, I heard Morwena mutter, 'It's called a submarine.'

Fabian touched my arm, and I nearly shivered visibly. I was thankful when he continued, 'Don't worry, Ig, you can go swim and flirt with my half-sister. I don't mind.'

Ah. So that was it. For a moment, I thought Fabian was joking. But there was no sarcasm in his tone; only I caught the twitch of his cheek that told me he was trying not to smirk. The ginger haired Angel shot Fabian a look of admiration and worship, before moving past us. He looked sheepishly nervous as he began to climb the ladder, his feet clanking as he stepped.

'Are you sure about this?' I muttered. 

'Definitely,' Fabian said, 'It's only a matter of time before he makes a fool of himself.'

As Iggy jumped into the water, we watched him transform from the windows. Gawky, lanky Ignacio became a Merman, his legs elongating into a fin of gold. Webbed hands propelled him powerfully past us, and his hair had changed colour in the water. No longer bright orange, it had become a dark blood red.

Kirsten was quiet, watching him showing off to us. He flipped over in the water, demonstrating his tailfin with pride. Then, he flexed his biceps and tensed his stomach, showing us his abdomen. For his cockiness, not a single muscle bulged when he tensed. Scarlett snorted, shaking her head. Sakura shot her a look.

The sea-green-haired mermaid, rolling her eyes, grabbed his arm and pointed. Bubbles as she mimed reminded me that the Mer's main language was signed. Iggy, forgetting this, tried to speak, sending cascades of bubbles into Niamh's face. 

Her expression summed up Fabian's confidence in Iggy to act like an idiot. 

Fabian reached up to slam the hatch shut, and then he turned a wheel to seal it. Morwena hit the engine, and I drooled as I watched the machine flare into life. The panels by Morwena's elbow lit with a dim light, and dials roared with a thumming energy. Without another thought for poor Iggy, I wandered next to Morwena to observe her. Pulling levers, pressing buttons and turning the wheel, Morwena maneouvred us from our docking position, and out of the dock. After she nearly elbowed me the second time moving the gears, she finally banished me from anywhere nearby, and I sulkily stepped away.

'I'm sorry, Lumina, you may be a princess but for today, I'm captain of this submarine,' she said, her mouth a grim line of concentration. She was checking a pressure gauge and then scurrying across to the other side, before scuttling back to readjust our direction. She spoke in between each task. 'I wouldn't say I'm wholly confident in my new role, so I can't teach you today. You'll have to observe from somewhere else, please.'

At first, there wasn't much to see. Fabian and I took our stance in the corner of the ship, our fingers touching where our hands nearly met. Mirroring us on the opposite side was Scarlett and Sakura. 

Morwena barked orders, and we'd hasten to obey. But when we weren't needed, we resumed our positions watching in awe as we left the docks, Niamh and Iggy already waiting for us in the dark waters beyond, their tails luminous. 

Leaving the entrance behind, the submarine came at once into deep water, with underwater lanterns bobbing in the current, decorating the route to the docks. The palace was built within the rock, and lit like a magnificent beacon; the town was made up of individual lights that circled the palace like fireflies. We descended into deeper water, curling around the rocks as we reached the low trench that held the underwater city. 

My mouth slowly fell open.

When I'd pictured Sirena's kingdom, it had been something small, like the ruined houses of the Opal district. I couldn't have pictured something more different; entering the city was like entering a parade of artworks posing as buildings. 

The route, designed for Mer and machines, was marked at either side by dense underwater coral in fantastical colours. Each building was made from a dull grey stone, but was ran through with veins of reds and browns and blues, like webs across their homes. Marble carvings of archways passed overhead, decorated with more floating lanterns. I peered at them, reasoning; they had to be made with some kind of magic...

Before I could figure out their secret, there was another wonder to behold. 

I'd been amazed at seeing fish. When a large creature shaped like a floating blanket swam beneath us, I cried out. Particularly as the creature decided to swim upwards, blocking Morwena's view with its white underbody, a pair of slit-like eyes and a slashed mouth watching us. But after my initial fright, I rather liked the odd thing, despite the fact it could probably smother me. 

A silver fin swished into view as Niamh circled the creature. 

Isn't she scared? I thought. It looked dangerous. It moved gracefully, its body rippling to swim, and an elongated spine for a tail looked deadly. 

But the creature turned to Niamh in an almost friendly way, flapping towards her. We watched in awe as Niamh was playfully chased around the submarine as we glided alongside. 

'A stingray,' Morwena said to the room. All of us were silent, eyes wide. 'Is this going to be like a school lesson? Look, there's an eel. See that odd, ribbon-like creature?'

In unison, our heads snapped to the next area, where she waved a hand at what really did look like a ribbon, swimming along. What looked like a grey, long thin body actually had a face at the front, and the eel turned its head, as if sensing our stares. 

'Well, thank goodness you didn't see the megalodon!' Morwena chuckled, sparing us all a quick look before going back to navigating. 'You all look in shock. Before all of this lockdown and that ruthless King took hold, my education included trips down here.'

'Megalodon?' Kirsten asked weakly, taking a visible step away from the observation window.

Morwena grinned. 'A creature of the deep, said to lurk in the shadows and to eat naughty Mer children...'

Scarlett rolled her eyes. 'Stop scaring her, Mo. Look; we're almost at the temple.'

And we all turned once more, this time to the winding path that led to where my sister pointed. A rockface leaned out over a deep canyon-- a canyon which circled the temple.

The holy building was as large as the palace, and unlike the other buildings, made of a white stone. Plinths around it were made of the same reddish and blue material that had been thin veins in the houses. The gates were open; two huge double doors of green metal beckoned us inside.

'Will the submarine fit?' Fabian asked. 

I folded my arms, scanning the contours. The submarine was roughly eight metres long and three metres tall-- I didn't think the doors were that big that they'd fit the ship through. 

Morwena had come to the same conclusion. 'Of course not. This is the part where we get out and swim. The Mer don't think angels are going to be coming through this way, so they haven't accommodated for us. But, the princess has no other choice. There is an air section within the temple, much like the palace. We have to make it.'

Sakura visibly tensed. 'The princess might drown. Can we not go in ahead of her? Ask for help?'

Morwena turned to me. 'If that is what she wants.'

There was something of a challenge in her voice. I shook my head. 'No; I'm trying to win their support, so I'm going to have to enter like they do.'

'Then take Iggy's power,' Sakura pleaded. 

'I can't,' I said, 'If I just take Iggy's powers, they won't understand why I need my own. Besides...I feel like it will make a better impression than being the only one not in danger.'

Sakura sighed. 'I don't like it, but I will stay with you.'

'Same here,' my sister said, and Fabian nodded along. Even Kirsten, white as a sheet, murmured that she'd follow. 

I had one more question though. 'How do we get out of the ship? We're, er, already underwater.'

'One of us has to stay on board,' Morwena replied, pulling the submarine to a stop in front of the temple. Up close, the stone was carved with runes and markings that were both beautiful and ominous at once.

There was no sign of life, and only the dark drop into the depths of the cavern below to look at otherwise.

'And that will be you, right?' Kirsten looked even paler, like she desperately wished to stay aboard.

'Unless you're confident you can let the princess and the rest of the crew back on board safely once this is over, in case they send you all packing...' Morwena trailed off. Her voice was flat, and I realised that she didn't actually want to be staying aboard. The lines of her face were twitching, irritated.

'No, ma'am,' Kirsten said.

'Thought so,' Morwena answered. 'Right, line up in the corner. I have to seal you all out to let the water in, and then I can use the pressure to seal it back up again. If you take a look in the trunks, I've procured you some things called wetsuits; thankfully, some Mer get as bloody cold as we do in that water. And with them are things you put on your feet to swim faster. We don't want anyone to drown because they're too slow. Oh, and don't forget the goggles. They'll help you see clearly.'

She shot a pointed look at Kirsten, and the girl looked ready to faint.

Sakura began pulling at the trunks in the corner of the submarine; they were built into the wall, and I'd completely overlooked them. As she pulled out strange, rubbery suits, she disguised a laugh as a cough.

Scarlett, at her side, was eying up a strange shoe-shaped object. 'A...fin?'

Understanding flooded me; the fins were clever. 

'Why would Mer need them?' Fabian asked, pulling off his own shoes. I followed suit as Morwena answered his question.

'The Shaman, despite being the most powerful Mer, are ironically the worst swimmers. They do not take typical Mer form, and I believe the wetsuits and flippers are for them when they need to...commute. That is also why there are places for Steppers, even in a holy temple; the Shamans are more comfortable in air.'

My head was literally swimming. Keeping my questions until later, I stuffed myself into a wetsuit that clung like an adhesive skin, before waddling around in fins. Scarlett started laughing as she saw me, shuffling towards the very end of the submarine. But then she, too, had to move-- and looked increasingly frustrated trying to step without tripping. As she stumbled, Sakura grabbed her elbow, and the two giggled at each other.

'I hope these are better at swimming than walking,' Fabian muttered, taking a place beside me. Within a few minutes, the five of us were crammed against the side of the submarine, and Morwena was ordering us about.

'I'm sealing you in, so don't panic!' I heard her yell as the machinery began to whirr. A wall of metal was rising from both ceiling and floor, like two eyelids slowly shutting. The last thing we saw before the darkness hit us was Morwena, waving goodbye. As the metal stopped moving, a thunk and a hiss signalled that we were being sealed out.

Five seconds later, and something unlocked. Coldness began to spread up my shins and and then, up to my knees. 

The final clunk flew open and light, of a sorts, hit us. I remembered to draw in a big, deep breath as a wall of water washed in. 

----

Sorry for the really overdue update!

My exams are 50% done, and this chapter has been a long time in the works! I was straightening a few things out so hopefully things will run a bit more quickly...

That being said, I'm also going travelling for a little while! I should still have access to internet to post updates, however. 

What did you think? Did you like the sting ray (manta ray is the American term I believe?) and the eels? I love underwater creatures, so hopefully there'll be a few more...

Comment and say hi!

Lots of love

Larissa

xxxx