Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
A few days later, Kent suggested to Mo that he try shifting back into a merman to see if he could retrieve his things from his old grotto home. Not just that, Kent told him that if he had any ties or acquaintances with other merfolk, it was only proper he said his goodbyes. While Mo never was that close to any mer below the sea (aside from Wenta, who he could now visit on land), he could think of a few merfolk he should speak to. He’d never quite called Mahs a ‘friend’, but with how often he saw them and their family in the bazaar, they were the closest to it.
But there was another sea creature that held the most prominence in his mind: Noon. He hadn’t seen her since he climbed the sides of the John Beaut , and desperately wanted reassurance that she was safe. While he didn’t know where she would be, if she swam far off into the middle of the ocean or stayed nearby, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to at least try to call out for her, in case she was near Portica like when he initially found her. Perhaps she nested around here.
It was morning, and Kent walked with Mo through the woods by Fareham House, down to the same beach where they had met for the first time. Memories rushed through Mo’s head, remembering when he first heard Kent’s voice, how he hid behind the rock in the water, and how they talked, sitting on these very shingles for hours on end. The pink and orange colors painting the sky was similar as well, although the chill of the morning air felt different while he was wearing human clothes.
As he removed his clothes and set them in a pile by the trees, he thought of swimming. That was what he had to do, right? Focus on that, his tail, breathing through his gills. It would only be a quick trip, he told Kent, and Kent reassured Mo that he’d wait right here for him. Reading was Kent’s favorite pastime, and he would keep himself busy with a book he’d brought, along with staying sated with some food he’d packed. Mo smiled warmly and gave him a chaste kiss, now fully naked aside from his sea crystal necklace, and ready to enter the water.
Shifting back into a merman surprisingly wasn’t painful at all. His body glowed blindingly white, his legs fused together, and the magic flowed all throughout him, filling him with warmth and comfort. This was the form he was born as, the one he was most familiar with. But while it was familiar, it wasn’t how he longed to stay. The life he wanted to live was as a human. Though, it was relieving to know that if need be, his merman form wasn’t gone completely. It was in his blood, after all.
He waved to Kent, smiling so sweetly, and dove under the waves.
After walking with legs for a bit over a week, it felt odd to swim again. Odd, yes, but not impossible. A few kicks of his tail, a deep breath through his opened gills, and he was able to move along easily like he had before. He could do this. This might be one of the last times he swam down to Portica, so a little bit of peculiarity wouldn’t bother him.
His grotto was exactly as he’d left it, and he figured as such, as robbery wasn’t really a problem when living as far away from the city as he did. Though if he was living with Kent on land now, he didn’t have a use for his grotto at all anymore. He could clear it out, sell his old possessions, and perhaps use the coin he gained in the human realm. While he thought the paintings he kept were very beautiful, they didn’t hold any sentimental value.
He swam to Portica, and he’d left most of the larger items behind, figuring they could stay there, if he ever decided to return (besides also not wishing to take the time and effort to haul everything). At the bazaar, he found Mahs just like he expected at their stall, buying and selling human goods, along with Pazi at her own tapestry stall. The two merfolk were chatting, and startled when Mo approached them.
“Mo, I’d wondered what had happened to you!” chirped Mahs. Their long brown hair fanned over their shoulders as they straightened their back. “It’s been well over a moon since I last saw or heard from you.”
“I know, I know, it’s been a while. But, I’m moving, actually.” That seemed like the best way to put it.
“Moving where?”
“Ah, well… far enough to where I won’t be able to visit much.” He gave a shaky smile. Should he tell them of his transformation? Perhaps he could, despite Mahs’s opinions on humans. “I won’t be living in the water at all anymore.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
“Don’t tell us!” trilled Pazi from her stall next-over, a smile on her face. “You’ve learnt to become human yourself?”
And of course, Pazi said it loud enough for other merfolk in the bazaar to turn their heads.
“Ah, uh, well, yes…”
“How in all the seas? I don’t believe it!” cried Mahs, flailing their hands in front of themself, red forearm fins waving.
“Well, you see… it is possible,” Mo said in a small voice. More merfolk started to gather round, listening in on their conversation. Oh, no. Mo didn’t think he could deal with all the attention, especially when discussing a topic that was so foreign, almost taboo, to other merfolk. “Listen, I’m sorry, but I don’t have much time to talk about it, and I would like to just sell these items I have here, if I could.” He paired his words with a kind smile.
Mahs rolled their eyes. “Yes, yes, fine. But could you at least tell me how ? I’ll appraise your goods while we talk.”
Pazi got up from her stall and swam closer to them. “Yes, I’d like to know, too.”
There was no way out of it, was there? He sighed, and pulled out the first item from his carry-bag, a spoon, setting it on Mahs’s table. “All right. Well, I met a human, and we fell in love. That connection we share activated the magic within me, and allowed me to transform.”
“Oh, how delightful!” Pazi cheered. “True love… that sounds like it could be a legend itself.” A couple other merfolk behind him gasped in awe. His stomach started to bubble with anxiety from the increased attention, but he persisted still with a smile.
“Being a siren, I suppose you are able to get closer to humans,” Mahs mused, counting coins on the table. Mo was grateful that even with this shocking news, Mahs didn’t chastise him for it, for being as intimate as he was with a human, and Mahs actually seemed quite interested.
It wasn’t long before they exchanged what they needed, and Mo put his coins in his spare carry-bag. He’d left his original one with Noon, to which… he needed to find her still. Perhaps if he ever found a reason to come back to Portica, he’d meet with Mahs and Pazi again. They were always kind to him, Mahs’s snarky comments aside, and it warmed his heart to know they enjoyed his company when he was here. They would always remain in his memory.
“Stay safe out there,” said Mahs, grinning. “It’s a whole other world.”
“I will,” he said. “Thank you for everything, Mahs. And to you too, Pazi.”
“You’re very welcome,” said Pazi with a shy laugh.
Swimming out of the city, he went into the open waters around Portsmouth, morning sunlight gleaming in bright yellow streaks through the blue. He wanted to meet Noon again. If she even was here at all… he could only hope. He knew he must at least try. He was near the underwater mountain that housed his grotto home, far enough away to where it was in sight, but not close enough to encounter other merfolk.
So he cleared his throat, and called out a whale call, low and smooth and steady. He called out Noon’s name in the same way he’d heard other whales sing, hoping that she could hear him. While he didn’t see any other sorts of whales nearby, perhaps they were hiding, away from view behind other distant mountains and cliffs reaching high from the ocean floor.
Despite hearing no response, he tried again. He called Noon’s name a few more times— if she’s not here, perhaps I should just accept the fact she left. She might not even live around here, and I’m just some hopeful fool, thinking such ? —
“Mo, is that you?”
A whale’s voice, rumbling, low and deep.
He knew of no other whale that would remember his name.
“Noon!”
He turned around, and there she was, swimming at him from around the bend of a nearby mountain. His heart beat frantically, his face stretched in a huge grin, and he swam up to her to meet her in the middle. He couldn’t even describe how happy he was to see she was still here, and she was safe. He wrapped his arms around her giant head, giving her a tender embrace.
“You really do live here!” Mo nuzzled his face onto her smooth forehead. “I thought I’d try to call for you, but wasn’t sure if you were even nearby to answer…”
Noon hummed something of a chuckle. “I nest around Portica, around where we first met. It was a good idea to search for me here.”
Mo backed up, and swam by her eye so she could see him. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad to know that, especially when I’ll still be living near here as well, except… Well, I won’t be underwater much at all anymore.”
Noon huffed a low breath, bubbles coming out of her blowhole. “Oh, were you able to achieve your wish? Of how you wished to become human?”
“Yes, I did.” Mo petted her side. “After I climbed the side of that ship, I used the Siren’s Song and saved Kent’s life. When we landed on shore, I told him the truth. And… he forgave me. Our love caused the magic to stir, and I became human.”
“I am happy for you,” said Noon. “And you are able to switch between forms, I see? As you are a merman, now.”
Mo nodded. “You remember Wenta? She’s become a human as well, and told me more in depth about shifting. I’m so grateful and appreciative of her knowledge. And I’m glad we met again back on land, so we can continue our friendship.”
“I am glad, too. You have a friend from the sea who can also accompany you on land.”
While Noon didn’t sound sad with her words, it evoked a sort of melancholy feeling within himself. One that he knew was not necessarily reasonable, being as he and Noon were safe and healthy, but the reality of how they were to live on pulled at his heartstrings. “I’ll be living on land with Kent from now on. Which means… I probably won’t be coming back underwater much at all anymore.”
“I expected that, if your wish were to be fulfilled. And now it has. You love Kent, and want to be with him. I know.”
Mo gave her a sad smile, pressure pushing behind his eyes. “But that also means… I don’t know the next time I’ll see you again.”
“Do not fret, young Mo.” Noon closed her eyes, humming a warm tune. “You can always visit. Even if you do not come back for many moons, many seasons, or even years, I will remember you.”
“You really will?” His heart pounded. If he was out of the water, he knew he’d feel tears on his cheeks.
“I promise, I will always be your friend. A whale never forgets a promise.”
Mo nuzzled his face against her side. “Thank you, Noon. I promise, I’ll always be your friend, too. I cannot express how much I’ll miss you.”
After exchanging a few more sentimental thoughts, Mo and Noon parted ways, but hopefully not for the last time. He felt in his heart they’d meet again, someday.
Mo swam the route he knew best: the one to that lonesome stretch of beach where his beloved human was waiting. By the placement of the sun in the sky, it was about early afternoon, meaning he’d spent all morning underwater. He hoped Kent wasn’t too bored sitting around, even though Kent assured him otherwise.
When he breached the surface and swam up to the shore, an endearing sight graced his eyes. Kent was slumped over, sleeping with his back against a tree, book open in his lap. He looked so sweet, so adorable sitting there taking a nap, Mo felt a bit guilty for needing to wake him. Well, only a little bit.
“Kent. Kent! Wake up, I’m back!”
Kent stirred, blinking rapidly, book sliding out of his lap as his legs jolted. “Wha—what? Oh, Mo! You’re here! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
Mo crawled through the shallow water, closer to the dry pebbles. “You’re fine. Would you like to help me out? For old time’s sake.”
His human set the book down on the grass and stood up, a smile on his face. “Of course.”
Just like before, Kent put his elbows under Mo’s armpits and hauled him onto the beach. The feeling of this was all too familiar, yet now there was a radiating warmth pumping through his veins from the overwhelming magic presence. It was a feeling like before, only stronger. The love Mo had for Kent kept growing, even now, when their connection was already so great.
After Kent dropped his arms, he walked back up to the trees to grab Mo’s clothes. Mo sat up straight, taking his necklaces and carry-bag off his shoulders and setting it down on the ground, as Kent came back and plopped down next to him. “It’s marvelous seeing you like this again,” said Kent. “It’s as if… reliving our first interactions. The handsome merman who swam up to me, and wanted to talk to me.”
“I heard your beautiful voice… and I knew I had to meet you.” Mo lifted a hand to caress Kent’s cheek. “Perhaps it was fate, how we met, because now here we are. I would swim here every time, time and time again, each and every lifetime, if it meant I were to meet you.”
Kent’s cheeks colored red, and he smiled. Oh , his wonderful smile sparked the magic inside him more, swirling and spinning around. “I’ve never met anyone who said such sweet things as you. I want you to always be mine, Mo.”
“I’d have it no other way, my dear Kent, as long as you’ll be mine as well.”
“Certainly.” Kent leant forward, pressing their lips together.
Magic surged through him, pulsing with their shared heartbeats, and Mo knew he must become human again. He could , too, now that he had the knowledge of what to do. As their lips parted, he said, “Keep kissing me, please, and I will transform again.”
“All right.” And Kent claimed his lips once more, desperate, needy, and extraordinarily passionate.
The magic circled through his body, taking hold, making it known. This time he was prepared for what was to come, so the sudden pressure wasn’t quite as shocking. Yes, he was expecting it. He could endure it. He thought of walking with his legs, feeling grass between his toes, and most importantly, being at Kent’s side. His tail glowed bright white, same with his arms, his gills, and his teeth. Mo cried out and rested his head on Kent’s lap as pain ripped through his tail, but this time, thankfully, it was not nearly as intense as before. It felt like it happened shorter, and sooner than he expected, the pain waned, and the glowing ceased. He panted, breath after breath. He could feel his legs. He curled his toes. The tip of his tongue touched his flatter teeth.
“Mo, you did it! You’re human again!”
He looked up, feeling warmth override any lingering pain as Kent smiled down at him. “I am. I knew I could. It was like an instinct, I could just feel it… Oh, Kent…”
Mo sat up, wincing as a bolt of pain shot up his right leg. Kent held him steady, making sure he didn’t fall over, and Mo held onto his shoulder. Despite the hurting, it was much easier to manage. Nothing would ever be as bad as the first time, and he was glad Wenta spoke the truth when she said it would get easier. Each moment that passed he felt the pain lessen and lessen, slowly but surely returning to how he felt earlier today, before his shift into a merman.
“How are you feeling?” asked Kent, rubbing comforting circles on his back.
“Better… not my best, but better.” Mo nodded. “Yes, I think I will be fine. That wasn’t so bad.”
Kent smiled, so sweet, so true. “That’s good. Here, let’s get your clothes back on. Did you eat anything whilst down there?”
His question was answered with the growling of Mo’s stomach. “No, actually.” He chuckled as he reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head. “I didn’t even think to hunt… I’m so smitten with the squid you serve on land, it never piqued my interest to think about buying any in Portica.”
“Then the first thing we’ll do once home is cook you a belated lunch.” Kent laughed, then looked down to the ground by Mo’s hips. “What did you bring with you from your old home?”
“Various coins from the human realm, that’s all.” Mo shrugged, grabbing his breeches and slipping his feet through the holes.
“The human realm?”
“Yes, merfolk use it as their own currency, too. Small, easy to carry around. I believe it’s what we’ve always used over the generations.”
Kent dug his hand inside the carry-bag. With the coin purse from it now in his grasp, he opened it, then pulled out a coin— “What the devil, Mo?! Do you realize what this is?”
Mo blinked. “A coin?”
“It’s a guinea! You don’t know how much this is worth, do you?” He dug more into the coin purse. “There’s several in here! Why, at least a few dozen from what I can see!” He pulled out a different coin. “Are these French livres?” He gasped. “I believe so. There’s even more in here. Mo, you don’t realize how rich you actually are just from this little bit I have in my hand!”
Mo couldn’t help but chuckle at how excited Kent was. “I suppose I don’t need to ask for money from you for quite some time.”
“How much do your squid tentacles cost then, in Portica?”
“One of those gold coins.”
Kent’s jaw dropped. “One whole guinea for simply a bite to eat. I’m speechless!”
They both continued to laugh, talking about what they would do with the money, such as keeping it in a safe and how Mo would be wise not to spend it unless he needed to. Mo had no idea it was worth so much, and was delighted that it had great use for him, keeping him financially secure in the human realm. After finishing getting his clothing on and his skin dried off, Mo stood up, carry-bag and necklaces in hand, Kent keeping him steady, and he walked through the woods with his beloved back to their shared home.