Chapter 5 : The World Outside

 

Bubbles. Bubbles.

 

Blop. Blop.

 

Reed let her body flow with the current. It's been a while since she wandered around freely like this. Although she was already determined to find her Echo, Reed does not know where to go. She received information from [Inherited Memories] but it said nothing about the places around the ocean.

 

So now, Reed swims round and round while holding her chin thinking deeply about what to do from now on. 

 

Reed does not want to be conceited, and believes everything from those memories– thinking that she was all powerful and strong. Even if her body has a huge connection to the sea, this world is still full of uncovered mysteries and hidden dangers. 

 

'This is a fantasy world. Where everything is possible.' 

 

She ponders deeply as she drifts along the flow of water looking like a flower spirit dancing with the wind.

 

Reed blinked her aquamarine eyes and decided to swim over the surface.

 

She was new to this world, without any specific destination in mind. As a former human, Reed wanted to see the sky and of course the sun. She never saw the sun again after she let herself be imprisoned. And when she arrived, she was at the deepest depths of the sea. 

 

Reed longed for the light.

 

So, Reed proceeds by swimming upwards. She was going to meet her long lost friend– the sun. She let out a dazzling smile as she moved her body gliding towards the top.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

The huge sun is glaring at the endless blue sea below. The blue sky and the sea meet at the center making it seems the sky and the sea was infinitely extending forwards.

 

Beneath the sea waters, a shadow was slowly getting larger as it became nearer and nearer at the surface. And within just a moment, a young girl with ombre hair emerges from underneath the sea.

 

Her bright shining eyes squinted from the intense light coming from the sun. Her eyelashes quivered as she tried to open her eyes to see the majesty of her long lost friend.

 

Reed smiles widely, she opens her mouth to utter a soundless, 'Long time no see.' 

 

And then stared out at the scene in wonder.

 

...

 

Reed ponders where she was as she does not meet anyone on the way. Neither small nor big fish– Reed met no one. This makes her a bit disappointed.

 

It's been a long time since she met someone. She wanted to talk and have a conversation, since this world was something she was not familiar with. She wanted to at least have some companion to travel with.

 

Reed looked around, her eyes shrunk while they sparkled glittering light as she gazed at a certain direction above her. Her mouth opened wide, letting out an "oh~" sound.

 

Islands large and small– float above the sea far away from her. Streams of large bodies of water connected every island and several waterfalls link it to the land.

 

Reed hummed a simple but happy rhythm seemingly wanting to express her own delightful experience. Even though mermaids can't speak they can still utter syllables that they use to create tune to sing. Reed sang along the waves and went through the direction of the floating islands.

 

Humming a beautiful and joyful tune, Reed thought of the miracles she experienced and how she was given a chance to be with Echo again. Her dynamic in melody changes and it becomes solemn with long high pitched and low notes.

 

It echoes throughout the entire sea as if announcing her presence to all sea creatures alive. 

 

Saying that she was still alive, wiggling her butt as she faces this brand new world she just awoke too.

 

This causes great disturbance, alerting all higher ranking creatures of the sea, especially a certain Great Empire at the depths of the ocean floor. The king– the one that sits temporarily on the throne– warrants an all out search order solely for the owner of that voice.

 

Although Reed have some prior knowledge about Merpeople's abilities, and that they were the darlings of the sea. The very creature that sit at the top of the food chain. However she did not know that she can affect the entire ocean since she did not have any memories of the original. She can't guess the original's identity either.

 

So, Reed, unaware of what she was causing, remained unbothered to all of this and thus continued swimming, wagging her beautiful tail up and down while singing her emotions out over the surface of the water.

 

From then on, all populace of the sea will witness with their whole being the might of this sweet sounding voice during which the owner will remain ignorant.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Swoosh~

 

Reed jumped high, spinning once when she reached the highest point and diving down towards the water. Reed then emerges again at the surface looking up at the lowest island in front of her. She wanted to climb up.

 

When Reed reached the location of the floating island the sun was already slowly setting. Reed glanced at the setting sun that already displayed a gentle glow and soft light. 

 

Comparing the sun to her own world, the sun in this world was larger than the sun on Earth. Reed once again marvels at how magical this world is. If this sun were to switch to Earth, the Earth would surely be burnt to crisps. 

 

Reed can't help but chuckle as she glances one more time at the sun that almost occupied half of the sky. Then brought back her attention to the floating island above her. 

 

When she jumped earlier, Reed saw the island is abundant with natural resources. There is a clear lake with a small waterfall connected to the next island above it, where tiny and big fishes swim above and below the surface. Around it were many fruit trees and bushes. Flowers also scattered everywhere making the island fragrant and beautiful. And more importantly, Reed found out that only small furry and harmless animals live on this small island. 

 

Gurgle. Gurgle.

 

Reed stared down at her stomach and caressed it gently. She wanted to go up to the island for this (pointing at her grumpy stomach). She doesn't know what mermaids eat. Though she has those hundreds of tutorials from before in which holds this body's motor memory, intuition, and instinct. It does not say what kind of diet she needed to eat!

 

So all Reed thought of was those fruits from the trees. 

 

'Everyone eats fruits right? Even carnivorous animals sometimes change their tastes and eat something green.' 

 

'Mermaids were not carnivorous, right...?'

 

Reed stared at her hands that were completely harmless. Her nails were actually trimmed and not sharp at all. She opened her mouth and felt her teeth with her pink tongue. Her teeth are not pointy like sharks. Although she has a tiger's teeth, it was not sharp.

 

'See I looked entirely harmless. Just what kind of food am I supposed to eat, if I looked this easy to bully.' 

 

Reed really wanted to thank her very good memory theater. If not then, even if this body still maintains its instinct, without prior knowledge then it will truly be a disaster. If Reed uses it unconsciously, with how much power this small body contains. Reed will surely kill herself off, again. 

 

As if urging her to think and move quickly, her stomach growls loudly in protest. Reed shakes her head off and focuses her attention again to the island above her.

 

She closed her eyes and felt the power inside of her. The warm and cold current of energy remains in her stomach, like a ying-yang still rotating slowly as it provides Reed strength she needed, especially her body was already exhausted. She just woke up, she was still weak. For her to travel so far away, it was already a miracle that she can still remain floating with a clear head.

 

Reed heard the sea calling out to her again, as the warm and cold current began to quicken its pace and it rotated incredibly faster and faster.

 

Reed opens her eyes, her pupils shrink as her turquoise iris shows ripples like water turning into a wave surging like a dangerous tide. She raised her hand and the water followed. Whenever she moves her hands, that's where the water goes. Reed waves her hand in an arch, and a stream of water rises from the sea towards the lake, connecting it together. 

 

And of course, being a considerate mermaid. Reed did not casually mix the salt water of the sea to the freshwater of the lake. 

 

A cylinder tube made up of water, like a road or a bridge for her to go to the island, Reed stared at her creation, satisfied at the result of her first time controlling the water.

 

Reed dived down the sea, after a certain distance, she stopped. Gathering momentum for a jump, Reed swims at high speed.

 

She launched herself up to the air. She wiggled her body and waved her tail like she was still swimming. She turn her body and spin in the air then dive towards the cylindrical water bridge. With a splash, she went in and continue to propel her body forward.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

It was already night time when Reed managed to settle herself into the island. Reed floats at the surface of the lake weakly gazing at the night sky. Earlier, after she finished filling her grumpy stomach, Reed was about to take a rest when she caught a glimpse of a peculiarity in the night sky. She looked at it immediately and was surprised. Reed let out an 'Oh~' sound with her mouth agape. 

 

'This world has three moons!' Reed exclaimed inside. She looked at the moons nodding her head in satisfaction. 'As expected of a fantasy world...'

 

In the sky, there was a big yellow crescent moon to the left. Beside it, at the middle, was another crescent moon that was colored red. It was smaller than the moon below it and it was located slightly far away from the bigger moon. The third moon was really huge, but it was still smaller compared to the sun that almost occupied the whole sky, however it was still large.

 

'It is beautiful'

 

Although Reed felt happy this past hour, she still misses her Echo. 

 

'...It was really beautiful. And I'm sure there's many more beautiful places here in this world.'

 

'...if you're with me, I'm sure it would look more beautiful.'

 

'...Echo... Where on Earth are you...'

 

And just like that, Reed fell asleep under the three moons watching her from above.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Since getting inside the island, Reed never thought of coming back to the sea again. The sea is full of wonder and uncertainty. Having a secure place with food and water is better than betting on exploring that endless waters. 

 

'Nope, of course not!' 

 

Reed needed time to plan. She expects that finding Echo will be a hard task to do, since she literally knows nothing. At first she thought she needed someone to ask about certain things about this world that she needs to know about. 

 

However, as time went by, even though she went back and forth from the island to the sea multiple times, she never met anyone. Not even one. 

 

So, when she was about to give up...

 

Reed found them.

 

Reed peered down the waters of the lake, she reached out her hand below the water and a small regal tang went over rubbing it's whole body to her thumb like a cat greeting its owner.

 

Reed let out a smile and rub the small regal tang back. Then closed her eyes, and opened her mouth slightly to sing. Reed felt like singing right now. 

 

It was a miracle to find a companion when Reed did not meet anyone for a few weeks. This was her third week staying on this island. She did not know that what she was looking for was always with her the entire time.

 

That's why she was really happy.

 

"♪♪...haaa...aaahhh~♪♪", Reed let out a soft and delightful tune of short melody. Her voice was mild and gentle, like a calm gentle water that ripples with a slight touch shivering with excitement. 

 

Her glossy pink lips arched up, and her sea colored eyes shone. Stripes of sunlight touch her skin making it glow and glimmer. Her fin ears fluttered joyfully as Reed expressed her heightened feelings.

 

Reed hums her short tune in rhythm, occasionally stressing some notes or putting a rest in between. She also intensifies some tone, sometimes lowering it.

 

Reed keeps going and she sings more excited notes. The air vibrates with the sounds and with the wind it carries off this gleeful song and delivers it to the sea below.

 

Reed, who was so focused merrily making another joyful song, failed to notice the peculiarity of the ocean below her. She does not know that causally singing can unleash her own powers.

 

The waters tremble as the song echoes deep within the sea, reverberating throughout the ocean waters. Then, a large expanse of sea water gathers, producing a long body of water curling into an arched form, surging like a storm sweeping away anyone or anything it goes its way.

 

This phenomenon happened to every part of the seas. The creatures living near the shores were alarmed and frightened witnessing the sudden outbursts of massive waves rushing out from the sea. They did not know what was going on underneath.

 

Contrary to all land dwellers, who experienced nothing but panic and terror. Sea creatures in all shapes and sizes felt something resonating within their souls. They heard the voice again, this time they all heard it loud and clear. This kind of occurrence, everyone knows it all. They feel it within their souls, their blood boil and their heart thumped excitedly. Even if they did not witness it themselves before, the ancestral genes that reside within their body were very familiar with it. 

 

The creatures within the lake where Reed was staying were the most affected. They were very close to the source of power. They can see her with their own eyes, hear her own singing voice from her own mouth, and revere her beautiful, majestic image to the very bottom of their hearts.

 

It was their sovereignty.

 

The ruler that entirely holds the power of the sea. 

 

The one they have been waiting for thousands of years.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

She has returned.