The Mermaids

Chapter 7 : In The Deep of The Ocean

Captain Norringham smiled looking at Laura, King Arthur's only daughter. He walked closer and kissed her. King Arthur and the rest of the mermaids smiled sadly watching them meet again after ten years apart. Fate does separate them, but the loyalty of love keeps them together.

Captain Norringham is rescued by Laura after his ship sinks after hitting a rocky cliff after dodging The Black Beard. King Arthur at that time vehemently opposed his actions for saving humans. A strong-willed Laura forces her father to save Captain Norringham, then known as the Commondor.

Commondor Norringham's life is on the line. His hope of coming back to life was extremely improbable. His heart was pierced by one of the sharp blades of the ship. While all his men have been lying lifeless.

King Arthur walked into the innermost part of the palace. Facing a stone wall with intricate carvings. Recite an incantation until a green light emerges from between the carvings and opens the stone wall. No one can open it except King Arthur. He went inside and at once the stone wall closed by itself.

King Arthur climbed the stairs one by one to the altar. On the stone altar was a carved bronze chest. He cast the spell again, making the engraving glow and the chest opened. Shows a human heart beating alive. He sighed and closed the box again. Touch and lift it.

When the coffin was lifted, the earth suddenly shook. As if angry and did not want the coffin to leave its place. All the mermaids and the inhabitants of the ocean feel it. They knew that something big was about to happen. The New Ocean Guardian will soon be reborn. With the task of collecting the spirits of humans lost in the ocean. Bringing them into the realm they should be. And only come back once every ten years.

The earthquake that occurred caused the closed cave walls to collapse instantly. King Arthur walked past him quietly carrying a chest. As if nothing had happened at all.

He entered the room where the body of Commondor Norringham was laid along with his crew. There were Laura, Aaron and the other mermaids and merman. King Arthur placed the chest on the stone table and drew Aaron's sword. Stabbed Komondor Norringham in the heart. Laura hugged one of the maid mermaids to hide her face. Didn't want to see what her father was doing.

King Arthur drew the sword as Commodore Norringham's heart slipped from its place. Throwing the heart on the ground and placing the heart in the coffin onto Commondor Norringham's body. King Arthur cast a spell and instantly a green light emerged from the heart in Commondor's body and spread throughout the body. Not only on his body, but also on the bodies of the crew.

Slowly they opened their eyes. King Arthur explained what had happened. Commondor did not regret it at all. Instead, he thanked Laura for saving them.

Realizing that they fell in love with each other, King Arthur married the two of them. Commondor Norringham was also crowned King of the Seas and assumed the duties he had to carry out. Changed his title to Captain Norringham, leader of the Flying Dutchman Ship. Sail the seas with the crew and return to the Mermaid Kingdom once every ten years.

***.

Will slipped between the rocks. Try your best to avoid the guardian mermen. He glanced back at the palace. A shiny object that was at the top of the palace caught his attention.

"Intruder! Stop him!"

One of the guards noticed his whereabouts. Will immediately ran from there. Unlike when he was on land, Will who was currently in the water noticed his slower motion. There was no way he could keep running from the pursuit of those who could swim fast. Thousands of marine plants become the only option at this time. Without thinking he entered it.

They stopped when they realized they had lost track of them.

"Seach in all over the place. I am sure he's not far from here!" said Aaron, the athletic leader of the guard mermen.

He is a trusted member of King Arthur who is crowned the leader of the kingdom's security. His rude and stubborn demeanor, but obedient to the king's orders, made King Arthur trust Aaron so much. Although they do not have a strong sense of smell, their sharp instincts can detect the presence of the enemy. Including Will who was currently hiding in the sea plant bushes.

When he turned around, he was surprised to find a mermaid behind him.

"Ashley?"

"Oh. Hi, Aaron."

"What are you doing here? You should be in the hall of the palace, don't you?" asked Aaron firmly.

"Yes. I'm late. I have things to do."

Aaron looked suspiciously at Ashley. Made her feel awkward. But Aaron did not find anything suspicious about the mermaid girl.

"Hurry up and go to the palace!"

"Okay. See you later." Ashley swam away.

Aaron looked around. Wondering if maybe what he saw earlier was Ashley. But his instincts said otherwise. He felt he saw something that shouldn't be there. A man.

Not wanting to get stuck in bad thoughts, he decided to leave from there.

Will breathed a sigh of relief. Aaron and his troops had left that place. Just as he was about to step outside, he accidentally stepped on one of the vines. He did not realize that the plant was alive and could move. The tendrils wrapped around his arms and legs. Not only that, one of the tendrils was wrapped around his throat. It made it hard for Will to breathe and scream for help. The knot was getting tighter and tighter, making it difficult for him to breathe.

In the midst of pain and almost suffocating to death, suddenly the vines loosened and released their coils. Made Will take a deep breath while coughing. Not enough to be startled by the twisting of the vines, something pulled his hand out of the bushes.

She is a mermaid! But she is not Ashley. She had helped him by cutting the vines.

"You should be more careful. Not every place is safe to hiding. Didn't Ashley warn you not to come out?"

The mermaid swam in front of him, Will followed.

"My apologize."

"Nevermind. If Aaron had known you were here, you might have been beheaded."

"Who's Aaron?"

"The guards who will catch you. Luckily Ashley realized that. She immediately pulled me from the palace line just to help you. Come on, I'll take you back to Ashley's before anyone sees you."

They reached Ashley's place, but the owner wasn't there.

"I hope you don't do that stupid thing again or Ashley will be sentenced to death."

Will immediately remembered that he was being punished, if only Ahley had not helped him.

The mermaid smiled, "It's okay. Everyone has made mistakes. I hope you don't do it again."

She turned and swam out.

"Thank you!" he shouted.

For a moment Will forgot that he didn't ask her name.