The boy and the fish [Lady Nira]

[Markus Andres]

24th of Summer 501. The greedy streets of Zeltiva, Markus spent most of his time whiling away time on those very streets. Doing everything and nothing. But it was better than spending time at home. He disliked being at home with his annoying siblings and workaholic and thus absent father. Markus hands were deep in his pockets and he was kicking a stone down the street. It skipped and bounced against walls and the road. Maybe he would go down and look at the amazing big ships in harbour. He soon found himself watching the grand ships, their great masts. He shielded his eyes from the rays of Syna and turned to observe the ships again. That was when he saw her, the strange girl. She looked weird. Very weird. So unnaturally pale. It was summer, she ought to have a tan! Her hair, so white. Weird scales? What was she? He walked to try and get in behind her. See what she was going to do. Markus quickened his pace after the strange girl. His young mischievous mind occupied with solving the mystery of the fish-lady. What was she? Why was she so pale? Was she sick? She must be a weird experiment unleashed by the mages in the tower. As his very rational mind made this connection, he grew wary of the strange lady. She must be dangerous. Naturally. He found it best if he tried to stay hidden as he shadowed her. He would try and stay behind her, not to get noticed. For a less than bright 8-year old Markus, that entailed walking right behind her looking straight at the back of her head. Trying to look directly into her brain to see what she was. Such a strange creature.

[Nira'lia]

Nira’lia liked the docks, she liked staring at the ships, and she liked being close to the sea. That day, she was walking to nowhere in particular. It was just a habit to explore the docks. While she was doing so, she suddenly felt the eerie feeling of being watched. There had been a shadow in the corner of her eye, but she had dismissed that—it resembled the shadow of a human boy’s, nobody important.

But then he didn’t go away, and she soon heard the sound of his footsteps getting closer. The Konti gave an involuntary shiver, her paranoia getting the best of her. This is Zeltiva, she reminded herself. It was safe. It wasn’t Sunberth where nobody could be trusted. But then again, why was she being followed!?

Turning around, she saw the suspect. He really was just a human boy! Even if she was thrice his age, it was not evident. They looked only years apart since her race aged very slowly, and were light-boned to begin with. At twenty-two years of age, she looked like a human who had just entered her teens.

“What do you want?” she called out, trying to sound as menacing as possible. The Konti sounded as menacing as a frail looking girl, which she was. “If you come any nearer, I’ll push you into the water!”

Humans couldn’t breathe underwater. That would scare him.

[Markus Andres]

Markus felt like the greatest spy that had ever been. The weird creature had not a snowballs chance on Syna to find out he was shadowing her. Imagine his horror as the weird thing turned around and looked right at him. She had to be a monster! Magical detection of some sort or a supernatural sixth sense from being experimented upon. It could be nothing else! But for an experiment they had done a good job of hiding her monstrosities, for Markus was looking at a rather attractive young girl. It made him want to pull her hair and have her chase after him. He looked into the ground with a shy red colour making its appearance on his cheeks. "No no, don't!" He shrieked But her words did not match her appearance. They were cruel and hostile and Markus instinctively took a step away from the weird creature as he spoke and looked up at her. Up close her paleness was ever more evident and odd skin. Almost fish like. Weird scales, ordinary people didn't have such a strange thing as scales on their skin. His little immature mind worked like a clockwork, finding the truest of the possible answers. She was a mutated fish! Come into being by magic and experimenting on fish. He was very pleased with his own amazing deductive abilities and he smiled despite the frightening fish before him. "I know what you are!" He overjoyed and proud of himself as he raised a finger to point at the fish lady as he stepped closer to her, looking at her like she was an animal in an exhibition. He raised a finger and pointed at her. "You're a mutated fish!" He finally exclaimed, monumentally proud! The fish would have no choice but to acknowledge his brilliance!

[Nira'lia]

Staring at him momentarily, she easily realized that she had been paranoid for no reason. He was simply another Zeltivan boy, one who had never seen a Konti before. She had been rather taken aback by his initial reaction. Judging from how seriously he took her threat and how he seemed embarrassed for being caught following her around, it was clear that he meant no real harm.

She was just about to turn around and dismiss him entirely when he called her a… a mutated fish. Nira’lia’s cheeks went crimson and she balled her hands into fists. Her race was not in any way as abundant in number as the humans, and she knew that. However, it wasn’t often she met such an outspoken and rude child.

“That is… that is quite rude. Did your mother not teach you any better?”

She paused for a while and looked at him from head to toe, and let the situation sink in. In a way, it was rather cute. It was insulting, but it was also cute—and because she naturally looked at the positive, she delved on the latter.

“I guess I do look like a mutated fish!” she said with a laugh, her previous inhibitions immediately disappearing. Momentarily, she looked at the back of her hands and arms, where pale scales could be visibly seen. “But I can breathe in the water, and you can’t… and that makes me better!”

[Markus Andres]

Her pale cheeks turned a different colour. If she had been human, Markus would not haven taken any particular notice to it, just thinking it embarrassed or angered. But this wasn't human. He was afraid it was about to do something supernatural, so he backed away and raised his arms to shield himself from an attack. But rather than hell-fire spewing from the mouth of the fish, only words came. Rude words, but words nonetheless. He lowered his hands back to his sides. His own cheeks getting colour from embarrassment. "Is rude to tell the truth?" Markus tilted his head and observed the strange fish. Found it dumb she carried such a ridiculous habit of believing the truth to be rude. The smile returned to his lips when she inadvertently admitted that she was indeed a mutated fish. The embarrassment left his cheeks and they became full of joy and full of himself. The fish dared say she was superior to him? No. That wouldn't fly. "No you're not! Breathing in water is dumb anyhow. For I can swim and run faster than you! You're just a fish out of water!" Markus retorted with a smug smile on his lips and pounding his chest. "For I am better than you, for I am a boy!"

[Nira'lia]

For a while, she kept quiet, her lips pursed in frustration. He threw such childish insults at her, and just a while back she had thrown back her own share. For a moment she heard herself, heard the immaturity and the way she was stooping down to a young boy’s mindset.

“It’s not dumb!” she said quickly, her cheeks still flaring up. How dare this child say that it was dumb to be able to breathe in the water? The sea was her home! This boy clearly could not understand the importance of the sea. Nira’lia was disappointed. He was young and at such a young age, he had already been brainwashed that to dismiss the sea as such.

She was annoyed, yes. Nira’lia didn’t enjoy being spoken to in this way, especially by someone who had no reason to.

But then… being stuck in such a childish argument would bring them nowhere. She recomposed herself and forced herself to calm down.

“It’s not dumb,” she repeated in a friendlier voice. “I doubt you can swim faster than me though… that just wouldn’t be believable. If you don’t believe me, we can race… but that would be just a silly waste of time. Perhaps you can run faster, and that’s fantastic. You look like a strong boy.”

She grinned widely at him – and she was patronizing him, hoping that he would take it as a compliment instead.

[Markus Andres]

"Is too!" Markus retorted almost immediately when the fish doubted his inherent superiority. Her response was much kinder than Markus anticipated. Why was this fish being nice to him all of a sudden? But she still doubted he could swim faster than her, of course he could! He was a boy and human, to boot! But she did relent on the fact that he could run faster than her, of course she did, it was only natural! It brought a wide natural smile to his lips as she praised him. He stood tall, back straight and laughed loudly as she called him strong. "Of course I am strong! And much faster than you, because you're slow! And it is not silly to swim! You should enjoy swimming, you're a fish after all! But I don't want my clothes to get wet." He said gloatingly! But he had to prove himself faster than her, without a doubt! His right hand suddenly shot out to grab her right hand by the wrist. "Come with me, I know where we can race!" He would, assumed he grabbed a hold of her, pull her towards a place in the ground where there was a natural formed line. A good place they could start their race. For of course she would race! Running was fun! Konti Vision : If Markus touches her skin and her powers get activated. She will see the following: Markus is 6 years old and he is holding a woman closely. Markus share some facial features with the woman and their eyes have the same dark green colour. She in turn is holding him close and consoling him. One of his knees has a light injury on it, but in his memory, this doesn't hurt at all. There are male children scattered around the room, some look a lot like Markus, just older.

[Nira'lia]

“Wait—”

She saw his hand shoot forward and made a feeble attempt to back away, but it was too late. Before she knew it, the visions flooded before her. For an instant she was sent to another time and place. There was a woman holding a younger version of him, and there was a group of other children whom Nira’lia assumed were his brothers. It was a sweet memory.

Then she was sent back to the present, where she was being dragged along by the boy. As she always did, she said nothing about the vision that she saw. She couldn’t really do anything but walk forward, and she dreaded the idea of a race. As much as it seemed like an enjoyable game, she knew she would much rather be in the water right now.

With an odd expression, Nira’lia stared at the makeshift starting line on the ground. Where did that come from?

‘I guess there’s no harm in this…’ she thought to herself.

“Fine! Let’s go!” she said with a laugh. “You need to get me something if I win… like fruits! How does that sound?”

The Konti beamed at him, her expression clearly excited.