Damon decides to go to a lake and relax there. As cool as it seemed to go on adventures right away, Damon wanted to get used to his body and the new surrounding he would have to get used to as a merman instead of a human.
Besides, Damon never relaxed near a lake before. Why not do it and get something off the bucket list already?
Damon smiled at the idea and flicked his tail to swim to the surface. As he broke the surface, he found himself needing to adjust to the bright sun. He forgot that he left his castle and met the witch just as the morning was approaching.
As Damon looked around, he was awed by how vibrant the lake around him looked. The grass was vibrant and filled with life while the lake’s surface seemed to reflect little lovely stars from the sun.
Smiling, Damon let his entire upper body break the surface, grateful that the gills on the sides of his neck, torso, and tail let him breathe air without choking from lack of underwater oxygen. It felt good to know that he could survive on both the land and the sea.
Damon took a deep breath and let out a relaxing sigh. He loved this little lake - It was so peaceful yet so colorful at the same time.
The best part is that the lake seemed to be unfamiliar, meaning no angry servant or castle guard would come and try to take him back to his castle by force. Thank goodness the witch was kind enough to create a clone of a seemingly normal “Prince Damon” to please his royal family on land.
Looking around further, Damon grinned at the sight of rocks nearby. He pulled himself up on a rock and sat on it. Damon was surprised at how surprisingly comfortable the rock felt, it was just like sitting on a comfy chair.
The merman wondered why it felt so good until he remembered - His lower body had scales instead of skin. Damon adjusted his body further onto the rock and let out a satisfied sigh once he found that sweet comfortable spot.
This was the life.
No servants, no rules, and no complaints. Just grass, water, and rocks.
“This is it. This is what heaven feels like.” Damon thought to himself.
After years of staying in a noisy and restrictive kingdom for what felt like forever, being in such a quiet lake was something Damon needed for a long, long, time.
Eventually, Damon closed his eyes and felt fully at rest. As a human, Damon always wondered why illustrations of mythological always showed a mermaid sitting on a rock, but now he knew. For half an hour, Damon lay on the rock uninterrupted.
There was silence, the only noises accompanying Damon was the gentle breaths coming from his body.