Zander turned the key in the ignition with a temper near its boil. “Why won’t the bloody thing start!?” He snarled. As poor a day as it was, few would be down at the beach, but you could never be too careful, nor too hasty, what with his fishy prize asleep in the back!
With an angered sigh, he stepped out to assess the problem, and it was then he saw the crystallised seaweed bolting his tyres to the ground. Astonished, he looked up to see Ms. Maisar looking at him, not quite as agreeably as she’d been before.
“I thought I demanded that you didn’t hurt the boy, yet you treat him like a typical catch for market!” She said testily. “It wouldn’t be the first time my concoctions land me in trouble, Mr. Zander. Morally or consciously. I think our agreement could use a few last-minute tune ups.”
“You got yer price, I got mine. What I do with my purchases is my bloody business! Now do away with whatever witchcraft ye’ve pulled here, and – ”
His voice froze, as stiffly as his body had. Maisar new many mystifying tricks indeed.
“I once made a centaur of a young girl, and sold her off. Later, I learnt she’d made an unwilling mate for a lord’s group of stallions. I’m not damning another in any such way again.”
“I-It’s not as if I’m gonna h-have him d-dork with dolphins, wumman!’ The binds that froze him tightened. “Alright! Alright! We can come to some agreement!”
“Let him into the sea.” She demanded. “What with all the ruins and relics of Antalia down there, the boy will surely provide you many an interesting prize more than exotic tricks in a freakshow would.”
Zander pondered this. His eye gleamed. There was gold and all sorts down there, he knew. Everyone knew! The sunken city that the island sat on had enthralled folk for eons.
“We’ll be keepin’ in touch, then. . . I won’t have you playing tricks with me!” He said, agreeing. He’d apparently forgot who was ‘strongest’ of the two.
David awoke in a quiet little bay by the emptiest spot of the island. He was naked, he realised, and waste deep in water. Drowsily, he tried to pick himself up, but flopped down as though his legs were jelly! He looked down. . .
What he saw was enough to wake him fully. Beneath his waste flowed a long, thick shimmering scaly tail of yellowish gold! Shocked, his tail gave an instinctive swish, revealing two massive gleaming tailfins where his feet once were. . .well, would’ve been had his legs been twice as long. The tail was huge!
Only when he touched it and felt his golden scales did he believe what stretched before him was real. He chuckled. This was great! All his life, he’d adored merfolk and now he was one of them. Somehow he was.
“Happy?” Asked a woman’s voice beside him. “I ought to explain. . . My name’s Maria Maisar, a witch who dapples in transformational potions. It. . . was me who left that mixture for you by the beach.”
She explained all that had happened, and why David was now likely to be alone for some time. Well, unless he found other merfolk down in the ocean. Many sightings had been rumoured.
“So, I’m going to have to go treasure hunting for a while before you can try to straighten things out?” David asked, slowly swishing his tail. He wasn’t upset. Not at all!
“I’m afraid so. You could always try escaping the isles, maybe you’ll get away. But Zander’s ships have a fair speed on them. I’m. . . I’m sorry.”
“I’m grateful!” David laughed. He wasn’t thinking about some newfound workload he’d suddenly been landed with. He was overjoyed at the idea of swimming with the colourful limb he’d always dreamed of!
David dove down into the sea. It only made sense to try and learn to use this new body of his, and maybe he could find a little something to satisfy this “Zander” for a while. He’d check out the Antalia ruins. Or maybe he’d just swim out to enjoy the ocean. Or maybe he’d tease a few beach-goers, or look for mermaids, or. . .
Pumping his tail, he calmed himself. Just what would he do?