The Soul of Muir Éireann

Premonition

(Written by SinpaiCasanova and Enterthetadpole)

Gentle waves of salty sea are lapping against pale feet, the sun shining on this unusually warm and sunny day. This island is mostly known for its 'cloudy with a chance of rain' weather that often leads to a day long downpour, but the sun is brightly shining, bathing the area in much needed warmth. It calls to the life under the water, pulling them towards the surface to bask in its healing glow.  The pale figure lying on the chunk of rock jutting out of the sea is soaking up the heat of the sun like a sponge. It's not often that he gets a chance to sun bathe, letting his long tail split into two round thighs and skinny legs.

He sighs, his blue eyes closed as he replays the dream he's been having for the past few nights. He doesn't yet understand it's meaning, but he feels as if it's a message of some kind. It always starts out the same, with the merrow walking across the grass covered land of Ireland. It's raining yet again, but he doesn't seem to mind. His attention is drawn to a bird he's never seen before. Its black and red feathers are soaked with rain, causing it to fall from its nest. The merrow scoops the baby bird into his hands, examining it with wonder and concern. The bird is not native to this side of the earth, it's origins pointing to a place where rain is seldom seen. Soft clicking passes his lips as the merrow tries to communicate with it. But the feeling of being mistaken for a predator floods his body, and he can see the panic in its deep brown eyes. From that point on he knows that this bird isn't actually a bird at all. It's a visitor from a land he's unfamiliar with.

The dream fades after that, leaving him confused and frightened. What does it mean? Are the stars trying to tell him something? The merrow sits up, supporting himself on his arms as he glances down at his legs. It still feels odd to be able to flex his toes like this, feeling the sea lap against the soles of his feet. But his choice to come above water has caused this shift in his appearance. Where gills once were now only faint pink scars remain. It's been some time since he's used his lungs for this long, and the subsequent dizziness forces him to dive back into the sea. His lungs close almost immediately, the gills on his neck and below his ribs opening seamlessly. The merrow's legs and feet fuze together, forming his long and beautiful turquoise scaled tail. It feels natural to him, and the dizziness is all but forgotten.

The cool water passes over his skin and scales as he moves through the blueness of the sea. His eyes look left and right at passing fish and plants, all various shapes and dazzling colors. He smiles as he sees a shark approaching him, her huge mouth opening wide as it passes the young merrow.

With only a flick of his tail he clicks out a greeting and the shark gives a loud bellow back. The merrow giggles, small bubbles surrounding his soft, handsome face as he continues along the sea floor. Slender fingers touch the loose sand of the ground as he continues his way towards the small cave he calls home.

He is alone in this patch of the water, but it's something his heart is getting more used to nowadays. Merrow are already getting harder to find, and his own breed is almost extinct outside of the ocean.

Humans were the main reason for this. He remembers the last time they came, brandishing nets and cold underwater cages. The screams that the others made, so frightened as they were pulled up from the sea. Only to be turned into shiny pets and servants to the highest bidder.

It didn't help that he was the last merrow that had the type of scales used to make precious jewelry. The scales from his turquoise tail would sell for a quarter of a million dollars, and his ink would be used for various luxury items that only the most wealthy people could afford.
What was intended to keep him safe was now the very thing risking his life.

When the sun finally set and the moon rose up to take its place, the young merrow settled down to sleep on his bed of sand and stone. The water was calm and tranquil, lulling him into a deep sleep as soon as his tired eyes closed. The merrow dreamt about the baby bird once again, but this time things were different. He could hear voices coming from behind him, speaking a language that he's long since forgotten. These voices sound greedy, shouting as they drew closer. The merrow clutched the bird close to his chest, turning to face whatever was coming his way. His heart was crawling up his throat, filling him with fear and dread from what was to come.

Hands were suddenly gripping him tightly, knocking the bird from his trembling hands as they dragged him further inland. The merrow tried to speak, his frantic sounds of distress met with laughter and crude remarks about how pretty he'd be under them. He tried to force himself to wake up, his blue eyes opening to realize that his dream was now a cruel reality. A thick net was wrapped around him, preventing him from swimming away or trying to escape. Somehow, the humans had found him, and were now dragging his struggling body to the surface of the sea. A thick cloud of ink ejected from the gland just under his tail, his body desperate for escape. But the divers had already returned to the surface, taking the terrified merrow with them.

The creature gasped as he broke through the surface of the water, his gills closing and forcing his lungs to expand again. The merrow began to send out a slew of panicked cries for help, each click of his tounge met with mocking laughter from the crew aboard the ship he was being brought to. His body hit the deck with a loud thud, filling him with pain as his tail began to cramp up and split. The fear and anxiety he felt was taking it's toll, making his head spin and his chest ache like hell. The corners of his vision started to blacken, and he could just barely make out the blurry shapes of the crew that surrounded him. Hands were on him, holding him down while a sharp needle was jammed into the side of his neck. The world went dark after that, dragging him down into an unwanted slumber. As his eyes shut and his body went slack, the image of that baby bird was behind his eyelids, warning him of his impending doom.