The ancient underwater city of Niefula

  An unknown year as it always is

  The immortal residents of the underwater city did not need sleep, but they needed rest. The town is situated on the ocean floor, and no source of light creeps through the town during the night.

  But when sunlight shone through the open-roofed shells of their former houses, covered in barnacles and walls trailing seaweed, the city centre was once more flooded with life of all shapes and forms.

  Thalia woke every morning to begin her journey from her home to the palace, continuing with her role as a handmaiden and royal dresser to the princess. Today was the same, she woke up and floated out of her bed, swinging herself between the large gap in the top of the house where the roof used to be.

  Thalia flicked her tail, swaying through the water, catching the rays of the morning light through her hands.

  "Morning,' Her father called from down below. He was stooped over, picking pieces of seaweed around the front of their house."Are you joining us for breakfast?"

  Thalia shook her head. "I want to set off for the palace early."

  Her father shrugged at her. "Suit yourself, at least come down here so we can give thanks before you go."

  Thalia sighed, turning and swimming back down and through the house. She did not understand why she had to give thanks for a phenomenon she could barely remember, most of them couldn't remember.

  Her sisters had woken up and floated in a circle in the kitchen room. The diluted sunshine bounced off their shiny wrapper tops and their blue and green tails. Their hair flew up in the water, delicate ripples flying through their braids and curls. Her father stood at the top of their circle, his arms raised in exaltation.

  "Thank you O' great Mami Wata, for granting us sanctuary under your waves all these years. Protecting our civilization from the plundering invaders that could have taken all we have. We were blessed to live on land but now we have a second, better life, free of the memories and burdens of being human."

  "Amen." Her sisters chorused. "Praise be to Mami Wata who saved us from the raid."

  Alora, the oldest, turned and smiled at her, pressing a satchel into her hands and a kiss on her cheek. "Do not forget the materials you need to take to the palace, and your meals for the day sister."

  "Thank you, Alora." Thalia nodded, Alora saw it as her duty to look after them all, her father and herself worked for a living to support them, and Alora tended to all of their needs.

  "Bye father–bye sisters—." Thalia made to swim away and Siyanda, the youngest stopped her, "Say hello to the princess for me!"

  Thalia rolled her eyes. "I only dress and wait on the princess, we do not converse." Thalia sighed. "When you get a job in the palace too, when you're older, then we can talk."

  Siyanda's face immediately fell. For a moment, just one, Thalia had forgotten that they did not age. They were fixed at the ages they would have died in the raid above land. Siyanda would never grow up or fall in love. Thalia did not know if she had previously upset her youngest sister like this the day, a few weeks, or years before.

  It was so easy to slip up, to forget this delicate balance of life and death they lived in. The gods' power kept their memories precious and fresh, so it wouldn't feel like they were living one endless day. This fact made her heart beat fast, with terror or relief, she also did not know. A blessing and a curse, to live like this, now. Their culture would be preserved, never threatened, and they would live forever in a blissful state. But time would never pass, not in a way that meant a legacy could be planted. Even though they were safe, in a way their way of life was still lost forever, drifting unknown at the bottom of the sea.

  Natine, the middle child, swam forward and pushed her towards the doorway.

  "Goodbye sister," She said, rather forcefully with a tight smile. Thalia swam quicker, clutching her satchel over her shoulder and swam towards town.

  She did not mind the journey between her home and the palace. The central streets of Nieufe were beautiful in the morning. There were many ways to enter the centre of the city, gliding in from above on the current, swimming close to the ocean floor, and buildings in a particular half-frozen state of beautiful decay on either side. Through every barnacled rock and crevice, co-ordinated schools of fish swam, tiny and bright, a multitude of colours glimmering on their fins.

  A winding sandstone path led up to the palace, and as the great walls rose in front of her, Thalia felt her pulse quicken and her fingers tingle. The King had summoned the gods to him, right in his throne room, and though they were long gone, the walls and spires hummed quietly with their power. As they had imprinted on every stone, their energies filled up every space and corridor. Like the rest of the buildings in the city, the palace too held echoes of damage from the raid. But no one could be fooled. If she thought her memory was dim when she was at home, the pounding headache and fuzzy edges around the early parts of her life increased twofold in the palace's presence, the magic of the spell pressing into her mind to forget.

  She always had to steel herself to swim through the palace gates. Just going over the threshold made the magic in her head thrum louder. Just as she was about to do this, she spotted long swishing white robes and a golden tail. The princess.

  Thalia slunk down by the wall, hoping not to be spotted, and made to swim quietly over to the servants' entrance.

  Just then, Thalia spotted her, and it was like the first time she had ever seen Princess Kamaria all over again. One of the memories that sat bold and bright in her mind, and no matter how much time had passed, never faded. Her father and herself were riding on their horse past the castle, and she was younger than she is now. Hoisted on the threadbare saddle, and rested against her father, she was able to see over the palace wall, which she usually didn't see. There in the palace gardens, hopping from flat stone to stone, was the princess. Gorgeous curls framed her face, and it scrunched up in concentration as she focused on her task. To Thalia, seeing a royal just have fun and run about like any other kid was unheard of. Every little girl that Thalia knew of was taught to sit properly and sew, or watch the elder women with the washing or carrying in the fish from the stream.

  It was the boys who ran about in the streets, jumped on rocks, and played in the dirt. Thalia was only taught what her father knew because she didn't have a mother to show her what girls did. But the princess had a mother, and she was allowed to do this. Thalia was jealous, and in awe.

  Ten years older and even more beautiful, the princess strode across Thalia's line of sight,walking by the wall in the palace gardens. Her long frame was swathed in light turquoise pagne with a beautifully embroidered tunic, and a light beige shawl thrown over her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back into intricate braids, beads and jewels hanging from her hair, dark kohl lined her eyes.

  Their eyes had met, and nothing had ever been the same again.

  Port Bastian, present day

  As Thalia wakes, the image of her love fades, and her eyes adjust to the reality. Thick trees with sweet hanging fruits, marshy green grass and the rumble of the dusty road under the tires of the truck. She feels herself being jolted about, and remembers that Sidney carried her into the back, into the truck bed. Her head rests against the window that separates the inside of the truck and its bed, wrapped in a thick grey blanket, she stares through tapping on the glass.

  Sidney looks up from where they are sat in front and gives her a small smile.

  Her nerves are still thundering in her chest, her hands still caked with gore and the monster's emerald blood, but the smile calms the tidal waves of her thoughts, for a moment.

  ***

  Sidney had explained that Thalia had been hurt during the chaos of the tsunami, and couldn’t find her parents. Sidney’s father had just looked at her grimly, assuming the worst, and allowed her to come into their house to rest. She must be so shocked, and Sidney could tend to any of her injuries. Parts of the city were on lock down, and it made more sense to tend to her at the house, then brave the winding tiny roads to the medical centre no doubt congested with all the cars on the island now going to and coming from the site of the most damage. Sidney couldn’t stop staring at her. Her armour had shifted into a casual white blouse with pink beading, and a turquoise skirt with strappy sandals.

  The truck had now stopped, and after the brief conversation with their Dad about Thalia’s circumstances, Sidney and Thalia were left alone.

  “Thank you again for saving us all,” Sidney said. “I still understand why you did. Or where you came from.”

  Thalia winced in response, as if she could only concentrate on keeping herself upright or talking. She turned herself to properly look at them. “I promise I will explain everything, could we get inside first?”

  “Yes, yes of course.” Sidney lowered the back flap of the truck. Thalia attempted to slide herself down from the truck bed with little success, realising how vulnerable she must be, Sidney hopped up to the truck bed with her, ready to help her down.

  Now they’d moved away from the action, and she was in human clothes, Sidney felt less intimidated and awestruck and more just connected to her. She was just trying and struggling like Sidney was, maybe fighting actual monsters instead of the metaphorical monsters that Sidney was. But they were both still fighting. Sidney didn’t know how or why she was here, but they were so grateful that she was. They held out their arms, “Let me help you.”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Thalia looked up at them, her eyes lighting up like little kids’. Sidney held out their arms, and Thalia held onto them, and they carried her down from the truck, a surge of protectiveness washing over them as they carried her in their arms.

  Thalia had known the world had moved on, carried on without the city of Niefula, while her and her people were buried underneath the sea. She had no idea how much time had passed, how much the world had changed since they’d been gone. But as she’d risen out of the sea, nothing could have prepared her for what had greeted her.

  Sights and sounds she couldn’t comprehend. Bright and blinking unnatural lights. The full glare and fury of the sun, not diluted from miles and miles underwater. Roaring from machines of the shiniest metals.

  Swimming up from the sea, she had just followed the monster and its wake of destruction. But what she didn’t expect on the other side of the sea was Sidney. Big brown eyes, a wide toothed grin. Running towards her and the monster. Wanting to help her now all the fighting had been done. All she knew how to do in her life was to serve other people, help them herself. Looking after her sisters and her father, making dresses and helping the princess. But Sidney was on the other side of this all, helping her up the stairs into the house.

  A house made of plaster and concrete, soft carpet under her feet, pictures that hurt to look at on the walls, windows that let in light. Sidney led her up soft stairs and into their bedroom. Letting her rest on their soft bed while they ran her a bath in the adjourning bathroom. Sidney respectfully closed the door as she got in.

  Her legs and clothes changed immediately within a second of touching the water. In a flash, she was in her brown blouse tunic and her tail was back. “Sidney.” She called. “I’m decent, you can come in here with me and we can talk.”

  Sidney opened the door and their eyes widened at the tail and another change of clothes. Sidney collapsed on the bathmat, so they were facing each other while Thalia was in the bath. “What--why--.” They spluttered, staring at the tail.

  “You will get used to it.” Thalia chuckled. Sidney shook their head at them with disbelief.

  “So what was that back there?” Sidney asked. The fighting, the monsters, where did it all come from? Why is it happening? Sidney had a few half-baked theories sitting in their head but wanted to hear from Thalia about it.

  “I’ve never seen anyone move like that.” Sidney said. Thalia lay in the tub, her shift top visible but the rest of her submerged under the water. Only the top of her tail fin peeked out at the end of the other side of the bathtub. “Your fighting style, it looked like art, like you were moving to music no one else could hear.”

  Thalia smiled wanly, sedated slightly from the human medicine Sidney had given her.

  “What are you,” Sidney stared up at the woman as she rose out of the water.

  “I’m an African water spirit, saved by the raid by Mami Wata,”

  Sidney blinked, trying to comprehend what she was telling them. A water spirit? If Sidney was going to be honest, Sidney thought she was going to say she was a mermaid... But if a mermaid was a human term, a real life mermaid wouldn’t call themselves a mermaid right? There was a water spirit in their bathtub. This was real. It wasn’t a day-long hallucination Sidney had been having.

  Thalia was real. She had a tail.

  Sidney had felt how real Thalia was when they had held her in their arms, feeling her heartbeat close to theirs. She was alive.

  “So, you're a water spirit.” Sidney clarified. “But you have a heartbeat? What's a Mami Wata?”

  Thalia looked down at the water. “I guess I was a water spirit. The spell was broken recently. I guess I can come on land, I guess I live again..”

  “Live again?”

  “I was dead, I died in a raid on my city. But myself and my people were saved by Mami Wata, an African spiritual power. We were given abilities, and protected under the sea. As long as my people kept my deal with her, we’re safe.”

  “But you aren’t underwater anymore. You’re on land, you’re up here.” Sidney continued.

  “The deal was broken.” Thalia took a breath. “By our princess, and now both our city and your land is in danger.”

  Sidney took a deep breath.

  “I’m trying to process everything you’re telling me. So you’re a water spirit, and that thing is a sea monster?”

  “Yes the Mami Wata is a powerful spiritual being has the power to pull people who almost die in the sea down below with her to live eternally as water spirits”

  “The Mami Wata gets angry when she gets disobeyed, and she saved my entire city from being destroyed and being turned into water spirits, but our princess, she, hates being a water spirit. Living eternally, she wants to live and die, and be free.”

  “Okay.”

  “So she asked another god, the great serpent, to break the hold on the city Mami Wata put to make us all immortal water spirits. And that creature, was the sea creature Mami Wata sent after the princess

  “So the princess is here, on land?” Sidney gasped.

  Thalia nodded. “We have to find her. She is in grave danger. If Mami Wata finds her... Well, lets just say there are some things worse than death.”

  “Yes.” Sidney says. “I’ll help you of course I’ll help you. How do you know the princess, are you her royal guard?”

  “Yes,” Thalia lied. “I am her friend. Her good friend. I tried to stop her from making a deal with the great serpent but she wouldn’t listen to me. I’m the only one who can bring her back, I’m afraid.”

  “What about her family? Mother, Father? Surely other people would want to come with you to bring her back?”

  “No one else wants to leave the city and anger Mami Wata more, they still want her protection from death. The only person who she wants right now is the princess, that’s who she’s after. So she’s sending all the creatures of the deep after her.”

  Sidney winced. “My town is just...collateral damage.”

  Thalia sighed and looked away, guiltily. “Yes.”

  Sidney stood up and began pacing around the bathroom, back and forth. They turned suddenly and pointed at her. “Why would you go after the princess? Don’t you have family and friends you’d want to stay with?”

  Thalia suddenly couldn’t meet their eyes. “I have a father, and three sisters. They need me.”

  “So why would you leave them to go after the princess, to come up to the surface and stop the monsters? I get duty to the crown, but it seems to me that this princess caused her own stupid doom, I don’t see any one single guard going this far--.”

  They stopped pacing. And looked at her.

  “Oh,” Was all Sidney said.

  Thalia looked up at them, then, suddenly able and defiantly looking them in the eyes.

  “What.”

  “You love her.” Sidney said softly.

  Thalia didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

  “Are you even a guard?” Sidney asked in a low voice.

  “I’m a seamstress.” Thalia said quietly. “I make her clothes.”

  “Oh,” Sidney said again. They didn’t know what else to say. Their heart was clenching, because they knew if Fisher had broken the world like the princess had, they’d go after them too. Because they couldn’t imagine the kind of love that would compel them to do what Thalia was doing, except for how they felt about Fisher. But being with Fisher was impossible. It was easier to think about Duke’s hug earlier, how strong and secure it felt.

  “I stole the armour.”

  Sidney got up and grabbed a towel, and held it out to Thalia.

  “How about we tend to your scratches and bruises, and you can tell me how it all happened.”

  Thalia stepped out of the bath, took the towel and whispered. “Thank you.”

  ***

  She didn’t know if she was going to hate her forever or miss her forever. Thalia remembered how Kamaria terrified her and electrified her all at once. And the first time she’d really saw Thalia.

  “Send her in,” a voice called from the princess’s chambers. The princess stood in her long white robes, almost lording over one of the dresses Thalia had sewn, spread out on the table before her.

  “You made this?”

  “Yes, my lady, we were all given your measurements, your preferences...”

  ***

  Sidney went back through their collection of African mythology books and children’s novels. Their father used to read them a lot when they were little, who knew these old stories would actually come in handy?

  Water spirits.

  Mami Wata.

  Sea creatures.

  Now they were facing real world stakes with actual mythical monsters, it was imperative they prepared. Every creature Thalia fought, Sidney would have the knowledge to back them up. They would be a team. They would defeat this thing together. Plus it was Sidney’s home, they would help defend it anyway they could, and for Sidney, that meant READING.

  ***

  “This is going to be one long project”. Sidney said. They put their hands on their hips as they surveyed the shed. “It’s an overflow shed for our excess stock that we don’t sell. Dad’s already got a storage container in town so this is kinda where all the extra fish goes to rot.” They wrinkled their nose. It really smells here.”

  They turned to look at Thalia, who was clasping her hands together and beaming. “It smells like home.Sidney this is perfect.”

  Sidney sighed, shaking their head at her, but a rueful smile tugged the corners of their mouth. They reached into their pocket and took out a small blue notebook. “Alright, we are going to need a massive tank for you, reconnect the hose so we can fill it with water...”

  They bent their head down as they properly began to focus. But Thalia’s attention had drifted, and was drawn to the echoing dark of the dank shed.

  Sidney had gotten so lost in their planning that they hadn’t even realised that Thalia had been gone for at least twenty minutes. Their head was full of thinking up meals they could get that were fish free that Thalia could eat, how they were going to explain/ hide her prolonged presence to their Dad. How nice it was to have another person here that wasn’t them or their Dad since their Mum had left...

  Sidney looked up. “Thalia?”

  A slow panicky heartbeat started to thud hard in their chest, what if she had fallen down somewhere, or was in danger? How was Sidney supposed to defeat the monsters themselves....

  “Here!” Piped up Thalia from inside the shed.

  Sidney sighed in relief, tucking the notebook back into their pocket and following her inside.

  “What have you been doing?” Sidney chuckled.

  Thalia gestured to a large piece of canvas on an old art easel. Their art easel. The one their Dad threw in the shed because ‘art wasn’t a real skill that made money’ and it was cluttering up the house anyway.”

  Sidney gasped, it wasn’t blank anymore. In a short amount of time,Thalia had unpacked some of their paints and painted...A gorgeous ocean vista. under the ocean vista, with coral and fish and sunlight streaming in through the ripples of the water.

  “Oh my god.” Sidney said. “You’re really good!”

  Thalia shrugged, sheepish, but a proud blush creeping along her cheeks. “Dyeing and staining clothes in colours is similar to this.” She explained. “I always wanted to try it but my father said it was a waste of my time and my talents and my hands were better with fast mending and sewing of the princess’s clothes.”

  She looked away from them.

  Sidney grabbed her hand and made her look at them, “Your father is wrong. This is amazing, this could actually sell on the sea front to tourists, this could be...”

  They grinned. “We could set up a stall! sell your paintings, we’ll have enough money to buy you a tank and all the things you need in here.”

  It was entrepreneurial, it was a brilliant idea. It was just what Sidney needed to convince their Dad to let Thalia stay here.