| 1897 — 𝙟𝙚𝙟𝙪 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙ㅤㅤㅤ
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The Sea is but a mollified Beast. Aeons before the birth of Lady Earth, the Sea moved with its seigneur, the Moon. The Beast does not stir without the Goddess' hand. The Beast does not crash without the Goddess' cries. He, the Sea, is obedient to only Her.
"Will you not come out of the water, my lady?"
Calm, like the Sea. Her first vassal spoke with such still fluidity — every word measured upon before spoken. He rested his palms against the rocky surface of the coast and patiently tarried for his demi-goddess to arise. He did not call twice. In lieu, he quietly observed her large flukes shimmering against the ripple of the waves, swimming closer to him. Once a hairsbreadth away, his eyes wandered along the curve of her body — the light of the rising Moon reflected on her crystal-white scales.
"Nabi," he softly uttered.
"You're early," the mermaid spoke. Nabi rested herself atop the rocks where her vassal settled before leaning close to slip a gentle kiss upon his temple. The kiss lingered for moments longer than intended — a gasp of desire between goddess and hierodule.
"My mistress, they are hunting for you."
It was no surprise to our demi-goddess. Nabi had committed a crime albeit, however, justified. She presented no response to her vassal's words — only staring into his dark brown orbs that echoed the Full Moon's glow. Time was so much simpler during the days of their first castaway. There were no debts to be collected, no body of authority to run from, no family to cater for — it was only the Moon and her Sea.
"I suppose it is time to leave home again, my dear companion."
Nabi searched his eyes — knowing deep within that this time, it was different. "Without you, my lovely vassal."
Lady Fate was oh so ever heartless. Cruelly parted with her true love upon death, and now — unconditionally incapable of reciprocating a love so pure offered by her loyal mortal companion. Contemporarily, her Sea is now bound to his earthly duties. At present, a father of two.
"What would I do without you, my friend?" Nabi whispered tenderly, lovingly.
"I will find you again, my lady, my goddess. My blood will always be in your favour, Nabi. We will never cease to be of service to you. I will not fail you, my mistress."
And it was a vow held till the last breath.
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| 1956 — 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨ㅤㅤㅤ
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The sea breeze howled with sorrow and despair. Despite the bright light of night, the moment of the hour bid company to only unsettled emotions and fleeting promises. The waves seem to pull — as though calling for their own to return home. It was time- was it not? Nabi could feel it rushing across her whole vessel, her vassal. It was a second farewell — no, the final goodbye.
"Was it truly impossible to return my love, Nabi?"
The demi-goddess could only smile. Her vassal had asked her the same question 60 years ago in his youth — when his hair was lusciously black, and his built was strong like a sailor's. And now the mermaid found her vassal proposing to her once more — with winter-white locks, milky brown eyes, and time ravaged skin.
"Maybe in your next life, I will be meant for you, my old friend." Nabi flashed him a soft grin, eyes pooling with warm tears. If she could only love him, she would have loved him with all her immortality. But he was not made for her — at least, not in his current life. Lady Fate — will invariably be so ever wicked.
"Take me home, my lady."
Nabi held her dear companion's hand and interlaced their fingers together. Her heart pounded against her chest — she had never done this before. The demi-goddess had never led a loved one into the depths of the ocean — especially for the affair of welcoming death.
"For a mermaid, you seem to be very afraid of the water," he spoke with a chuckle. Even with the ticking minute hand to death, her vassal aided her. He knew his lineage would ensure her protection upon his eternal bidding, but they could never offer the same affection he once stowed for her. "It is time, Nabi."
For the few moments up to her vassal's awaiting demise, the Sea and the Moon embraced the everlasting distance between them. All they could ever be was a servant to a master. The Sea welcomed the two unbecoming lovers with gentle waves and quiet gurgles weaved by the pull of the Moon. Serenity was what the Sea and the Moon bestowed upon the pair. A last hushed goodbye.
Nabi led her old friend down to the seabed and felt the weight of the whole ocean pressing upon their countenance. She gazed at the smile in his eyes despite the pressure knocking his lungs and squeezing his heart. The demi-goddess could only tighten her hold on her vassal — the gentle squeeze reassuring him that the pain would soon end.
To drown him — was what her vassal had asked of her. For to him, the one sin he earmarked was renouncing the love he swore was undying. The one promise he could not keep was due to his mortal fate — death was simply something no human could evade.
"I'll see you soon," Nabi gave her lasting companion one last kiss upon his temple for old time's sake. She watched his eyes flutter closed as his body grew heavier and lifeless in her arms. She knew all too well the clasp of death, and with it, her dear vassal accompanied her no more.
Before Nabi could release her embrace on her passing vassal, she sealed his death with a token she knew all too well he would have loved — a pearl in between his lips. And with that, our demi-goddess bid her never-to-be-lover her last farewell and released him back to the Sea.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛. 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚊 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢.