24The water was pitch black and frigidly cold and even though Keeley preferred the warmer currents of the tropics, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.
A group of bio-luminescent jellyfish surrounded him as he swam, having been enchanted to keep him company on his journey. While he could see okay in the pitch black of the ocean, it never hurt to have backup. Especially when visiting these areas. They weren't safe.
On his way, he had tried to collect rare seaweed for Zach but it was hard knowing what was valuable for humans so he decided to pick based on his colour preference. He'd forgotten to ask Zach for any information during their last encounter. It was hardly hi fault though, the boy had chosen to run off with his evil human harpy.
"Oooh, maybe Zach will like this!" He said to the jellyfish as he moved towards a giant sea star. They silently bounced in agreement. It was bigger than many he'd seen in this area in a long time. There must have been thirty long, thin arms on it.
"Magnificent!" Zach would surely be impressed. He stuffed it into his bag before continuing. It was time to focus on more serious matters now.
An unfamiliar sensation twisted in his gut as he thought of what lay ahead. He was nervous, maybe even afraid. This is what Zach must feel like most of his life. It felt super gross.
Entering the land of the Graiai was dangerous. It was easy to tell where their affect began because the lush seaweed and reef grew less and less until there was nothing but desolate sand and no life could be seen.
He stopped to run his hands over a damaged coral and watched as it slowly came back to life. The Graiai destroyed everything they touched and had no concern for caring for living things. They were unnatural in their quest for power, exploring dark magic that had been long lost to their people for good reason.
His father had told him terrible stories when he was young. The Graiai were said to be three sisters, horribly conjoined and deformed at birth that between the three of them, they shared only one eye and tooth. They ate the tails of young Naiads and left them to slowly suffocate since they couldn't swim anymore.
He was pretty sure the last part meant to scare young, vulnerable Naiads. A birth in their species was pretty rare, and when one happened, news travelled throughout the worlds oceans, so likewise, news of a death would be pretty widespread as well.
Keeley saw a soft glow appear in the distance and pushed those thoughts from his head. This was it. As he approached, he discovered the glow turned out to be a row of huge orbs configured into a straight row and was hit with a sickening realization. They were jellyfish. Grossly bigger than normal, their enchanted bodies were stretched out to the limit and bordered on bursting. They were chained to the ground and forced to light this path for their whole lives.
A shiver of disgust ran through him at the torture even for such simple creatures.
"It's time for you to go." He released his enchanted jellyfish from their spell and they slowly ebbed away.
Suddenly the lights went out and he felt movement behind him. Two pairs of hands grabbed his arms and he struggled to break free. Two Naiads shouldn't normally be strong enough to hold him, something must be boosting their strength.
Keeley twisted sharply, managing to shake one of his captors off for a moment but then two more sets of hands latched onto him. They were dragging him down to an opening in the ocean floor. The last thing he saw was the small lights of his jellyfish before everything went completely dark again, and he was pushed and tugged through a narrow stone tunnel.
Moments later he emerged in an underground cavern and face to face with the Graiai herself.
"You didn't have to attack me to get me here, witch." He sneered and shook off the hands that bound him. His attempts at being polite momentarily forgotten.
She did not reply and simply studied him.
This was not off to a good start and he had to find a way to make things better. "You are nothing like the stories make you out to be…" He trailed off.
It was partially true. She wasn't as horribly deformed as the stories went. She had both of her eyes and all of her teeth and no dead sisters were conjoined to her body.
She only cackled. "And what do those stories say about me?"
"Haha, Oh, you know. You might have been missing one tooth or so…I can't really remember…nothing too extreme." He trailed off nervously. This couldn't have gone worse if he wanted it to.
Even though she wasn't completely like the stories, she was still a disturbing sight. She was far older than any Naiad he'd ever seen. Her white hair trailed down past her tail which Keeley stared at in horror. It was not the usual green, blue or red but instead black, and the fins at the bottom were shredded like it was beginning to rot.
Her unnerving pure white eyes bored into his. "And What has brought the young Prince down to our little stretch of the ocean?"
That was when Keeley noticed they were not alone. The Graiai had projected her voice, prompting hundreds of Naiads to emerge from their hiding places and stare. Many had some type of abnormality and were missing parts of their arms or had disfigured tails that did not allow them to swim properly.
He gasped in shock. "What happened to all of them?"
She gave him a knowing smile. "Nothing except for being born like this. The kingdom rejects those that doesn't meet their level of perfection. I, on the other hand, help them."
He watched as a young girl tentatively swam close to them before quickly darting away. Her original arm ended just below her shoulder joint but she had been fitted with another arm. It was slightly larger than was proper for her size and was a grayish tinge. Keeley quickly looked away, uncomfortable with wondering where and how she had obtained the arm.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." He felt ill. Could his father really have abandoned them?
She shrugged. "Centuries ago it was really rare, but now as pollution increases and our magic weakens, it has become almost commonplace. Your father might want to be careful of his viewpoints in the future."
Keeley was too stunned to react to the thinly veiled threat.
"So why are you here? Or did you simply come to stare at us?"
He turned his back on the group to face her square on. He wasn't about to be intimidated. "I have heard stories about your powers. I want to know if it is true, that you can turn our kind into human, give us legs to walk on Earth."
"I have been known to do that, yes. Why do you ask?"
Keeley paused before he said quietly, "I wish to become human."
Her eyes widened slightly before her face became a mask again. She was silent for a long moment then finally asked. "I can give you legs. What shall you give me in return?"
His answer was quick. "Part of my father's fortune."
She laughed. "How will you bring it to me, boy?"
"I will steal it."
"I have no want for gold or riches." She said, shaking her head like it was the most useless thing in the world.
He had thought as much and was prepared. "We have rare relics, including human items from long ago. Some still contain powerful enchantments."
That made her snort. "I have just as much, if not more than your father's sad collection of human trinkets."
Keeley blanched. That was unexpected. Was she bluffing? His family had been collecting for centuries.
"This magic will take much of my power and leave me weakened for days." She paused dramatically and Keeley resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You know how our people have been under threat from the Kelpies. I will be susceptible to that."
Susceptible my tail you crafty witch Keeley thought.
She slowly swam towards him, the various lines and creases on her face made her look ancient. "I require something intrinsic to perform such a feat, your ability to heal, perhaps."
"What? No way! That's my only ability" Most Naiads were born with two or more magical affinities. It was very rare to only be born with one, which was just his luck.
"Than you will never be human. I thought you said you would do anything. Besides," she smirked," healing is the most common ability, it's not like you're giving up something rare."
He bared his fangs at her before pulling himself together. She wasn't wrong. However, humans didn't have the ability to heal and they were usually fine.
After a long moment, he spoke. "Okay. You can have it. However, I want a way to become Naiad again if I tire of being human."
She nodded and held out her hand. "Done"
He reached out to clasp her hand in agreement but once he did, she would not let go. She began chanting in a language that Keeley has never heard before.
He tried to tug his arm away but she was too strong. "Wait! We have not figured out the details of our arrangement!"
Water started to swirl viciously around him.
"Too late you fool!" She cackled.
He screamed half out of anger and half in pain. An incredible aching begun the thrum through his tail. He could feel bone beginning to stretch as his legs formed. His tail developed the slightest tight feeling.
Keeley's hands went up to his neck in horror. "No!" He gasped.
"You never bargained for your safety to land. Goodbye little Prince." She slowly swam away.
Panic seized him as he felt the gills on his neck slowly begin the process of closing.
He began to swim as fast as he could upwards out of the cave, racing against the changes in his body. He would need air soon and part of him knew he would never get to the surface in time to breath.
XX
XX
"Hey there." Zach looked up to see a handsome face full of freckles smiling down at him.
He felt his face begin to redden as he stood up and dusted his hands on his cargo shorts. "Um hi. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Red eyebrows flashed and the man looked like he wanted to say something funny but was holding back. "You don't recognize me? We had biology last year together. I sat in the back, some classes I couldn't take my eyes off of you." He grinned wide.
"Oh." Zach's eyes widened and his pulse sped up. "That's very forward thing to say to someone you don't know." He had certainly never noticed the other.
The redhead's confident grin morphed into a smirk. "Well I guess I know you even though you don't know me then. Besides, I see what I like and I go for it, what can I say? That's an interesting tattoo by the way." He glanced down to Zach's middle finger where two thin black lines began after his cuticle and became a mass of artistic scribbles that ended just past his knuckle. "Does it mean anything?"
"Nope not really. It kind of reminds me of growing roots though I guess." He shrugged.
The strangers face was serious know. "Really, you sure?"
Zach balked at the question. Of course he knew, it was his tattoo after all. "No, now that you mention it, I'm not sure." He said snootily. "I just have no clue at all about these tattoos that I paid for on my own body. Weird." He rolled his eyes.
The sarcasm was not lost on the other boy as he narrowed his eyes. "I was just asking because I've seen the exact tattoo somewhere else.
Zach narrowed his eyes at that. He felt his phone vibrate and was grateful for the diversion. "Sorry I have to take this."
The redhead was all smiles again. "Sure. I'll see you around."
Zach nodded. His eyes lingering on the redheads retreating form. Why are the hot ones always the biggest weirdos?
"Zach?" His mom yelled into the phone. "Your aunt has taken a turn for the worse. We are going to extend our stay for the rest of the month."
XX
XX
Zach's leg jittered as he sat on the sofa. Maybe meeting at his work hadn't been the best idea but he knew it was empty on Sundays and he was dying for a latte to make him feel better. The only customer around was Grumpy Earl and his wife and he doubted they would be able to hear each other talk let alone the conversation he was about to have.
Emily saw him through the glass window and rushed in. She looked at him worriedly as she sat down across the table. "What's wrong? Why did you want to meet me here?"
He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants. "I have to tell you something."
"Okay. Go ahead." She said as her face became unreadable.
"I've known this for a while." He ran a hand through his hair. "I love you, but not the way I am supposed to because…I'm gay." He whispered the last part.
Her face was a mask of confusion. "Wait, gay?" She fell backwards onto the couch. "Holy shit your gay!? How did I not know this?"
"I've worked very hard to hide it. My whole life I just wanted to be normal. But I'm not. I hate sports, I like romantic comedies and arranging flowers for gods sake." Emily snorted at that but tearfully nodded her head as if it was all making sense now. "And I wish I wasn't. I don't want my family or friends to know me as that 'gay guy' and the stereotypes that come with it but I'm too tired of hiding, and if I'm already this tired, I can't image how bad it will be 10 years from now."
Emily just staring at him with tears in her eyes.
"And you deserve better." He was crying now too. "You don't deserve to be strung along for my fake life so I can feel validated by society. I'm sorry for taking this long to accept myself."
"Oh Zach." Emily ran around the table to gather him in her arms. Then she slapped his head. "That's for lying to me" Then she slapped him again. "I can't believe I didn't notice!"
"Ow! Ok I get the point Em!"
Her arms wrapped around his neck suddenly she had him in a headlock. "Well…if you want a last chance at normalcy I have an option for you. You actually can't refuse, especially now. You owe me."
"I just revealed my deepest, darkest secret to you and now your blackmailing me?" Zach asked as he tried pulling his head away.
Emily laughed. "God, you couldn't have had better timing. I'm attending that family reunion next week. Will you still come so I don't have to announce to the whole family we broke up…I think my grandma would literally die."
"Yeah sure. Not like I have a choice." He laughed and they both wiped away their remaining tears.
"Can you two calm the theatrics? Me and my wife are trying to have a goddamned lunch over here!" Grumpy Earl yelled from a few seats away as his wife sipped some soup.
XX
XX
Zach tugged up another fern, careful to keep the root intact. He was attending a botany conference in a few days and he was in charge of facilitating a workshop on how to preserve plants for high school students.
After his talk with Emily, he'd needed a calming walk in the forest which was quickly becoming less so as he came across a man crouched in the dirt.
Zach frowned at his odd choice of clothing. They seemed almost medieval in style. Who wore leather pants into a hiking path in a forest? He wondered if the man was a part of a LARPing team that had gone horribly wrong. He was also sporting a crossbow with a giant cross etched onto it.
Today kept on getting weirder and he just wanted to quietly sneak away, go home, get in bed and cry while watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy.
The man looked his way and he froze, inwardly cursing. Now he couldn't leave.
"Hey, are you okay? Are you um… dehydrated?" The man did not move. Zach ran over and lightly placed his hand on the mans shoulder.
"I said I was okay!" he yelled making Zach back off.
He held his hands up. "Okay. Sorry I didn't hear you." That was when he noticed fresh blood on the man's hand where he had been holding his shoulder.
"Are you sure? You're hurt. Do you want me to call someone?"
"No, its just a minor injury." Zach scrunched up his face. The man had a small knife lodged into his shoulder.
"Yeah sure." To each his own, he guessed.
The man didn't respond and got up and walked back the way he had come from.
"Wow that was super weird."
Well, he couldn't turn back now. Might as well take the long route. Besides, it passed by the water. It couldn't hurt to wade in and see if Keeley would show up. He wished he'd had waited longer before rushing off to Emily the other night but he'd panicked.
As he made his way to the same secluded beach, he came across a familiar shade of blond.
Keeley. His lithe body strewn in the sand at an awkward angle. He was completely naked and … had legs?
Zach sprinted over and rolled Keeley's body on his back and straddled him for CPR. "Keeley wake up! Oh God what happened to you?"
He tilted his head and was prepared to give mouth to mouth as the blond boy's eyes slowly flickered.
"Zach?" He groaned. "Relax. You're too high strung." Then Keeley reached around to touch his thighs, "I did it," he smiled. "I'm human"
Zach sat back. "Relax? Really? You're gonna tell me that after I find you like this?! And what? You're human? How?"
Keeley ran his rand up and down Zach's forearms to sooth him. "Yes. I will tell you everything but right now I want to rest."
"Yeah okay." Zach looked at him worriedly. Could Naiads become human? Well obviously they could but how? He froze as he felt the body underneath him begin to gyrate. He looked down at a devious face.
He realized he was sitting directly on top of Keeley's groin and rolled off into the sand in embarrassment.
"That's not resting Keeley!" He hissed.
Keeley instantly pounced on top of him and pinned his wrists to the ground. "You're mine now Zach!"
"Get off!" Zach hissed as the other reluctantly obliged. He couldn't help but feel they were being watched. His encounter with that man had put him on edge.
"Ah human males have much larger penises." Keeley mused while groping himself.
Zach shyly glanced at the blond's member. He hadn't seen his before but the after was very appealing.
He quickly pulled his eyes away. Although his body didn't want to believe it, his mind knew that the other boy's nakedness in the middle of the day, on a semi-frequented beach was a problem. And was it his imagination or did he see something move in the bushes behind them?
He quickly shucked off his pants while staring at the bushes. "Here stand up, you can wear my shorts home."
Keeley struggled to balance as he put them on and face planted. "Argh! What a horrible feeling! Give me these," He tugged on Zach's boxers. "I can't bear this cloth against my skin any minute longer."
"Ok, ok calm down!" Zach said as he began to make the switch. "And you say I'm high strung?"
XX
XX
They decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on beach, with Zach teaching Keeley how to walk before he suggested they head out.
"Oh, wait Zach! I got you something!" Zach smiled as Keeley stumbled around trying to run on the sand before he found what he was looking for.
He came running back with a bag made from thick old rope. "I got you some plants."
Zach looked at the torn mass of seaweeds and died a bit inside at their improper handling. "Oh," He forced himself to smile, "thank you."
"I don't now how rare they are, but they are from the frozen waters of the far south where there are no humans. Oh, I also got you this." He pulled out the sea star and held it up.
Zach gaped at him in horror. "What in the fuck is that thing!?"
Keeley looked at him as if he was dumb. "A starfish. Clearly."
It had a round raised middle and too many legs to count. They were long and curled at the end. Zach thought he might be sick. "That's not a sea star. I don't know what the hell it is. A sea spider maybe."
"What? I thought humans loved sea stars." Keeley frowned as he brought it closer for Zach to see.
"Normal ones! Ugh that thing will haunt me for the rest of my life, get it away!" Zach collapsed in the sand dramatically. "Why does it have so many legs?!"
Keeley laughed and took a bite out of a leg.
Zach dry heaved. "Argghh Stop! Keeley, humans do not eat starfish."
Keeley simply rolled his eyes. "My human. No braver than a lone guppy." He said, earning him a death glare.
He walked over, slid his hand into Zach's and slowly smiled up at the taller boy. "Well, I think It's time you show me where you live."
XX
AN: Hey Guys! I'm not feeling good about this chapter I'm sorry if it sucks. I kept on reading and rereading wondering what could make it better hopefully the next one will be better. Please tell me what you think! Updates might be slower now I've got a new job and my injury has healed pretty fast. If anyone has any suggestions on places I can improve please tell! I'm having a lot of fun writing this though. Hope you guys are having a good time reading.
Anyway, I want to say that the Graiai is actually a Greek legend not something I made up (Same goes for the word Naiad). Also the starfish Keeley found was called Labidiaster annulatus if you want to look at the pictures lol it's pretty gross :D