Tales of Origin Chp 6

Tale of Origin

By Arecus. Conberma

Chapter 4: Decisions

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Meanwhile at the Cosium Castle, Kaze was still under the care of the royal physicians, who the hedgehog was ready to blast them off if they kept stuffing those foul tasted medicine into his mouth. Darren visited him the most, of course, but he always asked him the same questions about the event that night. Kaze felt annoyed and he always dismissed him, including his mother who visited him the least as she had works and kingdom to take care of.

Kaze's mind was filled with the heavenly voice of the maiden he heard and her mysterious face that he'd never saw. He would mostly spend his time standing on the balcony and gazed upon the great ocean. Though he knew it was forbidden, going near or attach to the ocean or the creatures in it were a huge crime! Although, Kaze disagreed with those laws, because what was in front of him, was an endless line; another world was out there and it was waiting for him to discover it.

The azure hedgehog listened to the peaceful tunes of the waves and conjured the song of the mysterious maiden who saved his life. Then at the moment, he had decided and made a conclusion; she is the one for him.

On the other hand, Darren was making his way to his room where he could think in peace and did some of his hobbits. Suddenly, he bumped into someone!

BUMP!

Darren groaned a he rubbed his temple, "Ow, watch where you're go--"

He couldn't finish his sentence because the one he bumped, was a blonde hedgehog in maid outfit as she was one of the servants in the castle. When she saw the prince, she startled, "I....I'm sorry, Prince Darren." she nervously said as quickly picked the laundry she was carrying.

Darren sighed at her respond, he didn't say anything as he helped her to pick up the dirty clothes which NOT a prince should do. "Eliza...." he softly said, assuming that was the maid's name that made the female hedgehog stiffen.

The dark prince continued, trying to hide the disgusted face on the dirty laundry, "I thought I told you countless times about this. You don't have to title me as "Prince Darren". Just call me "Darren", ok?"

"You know the laws won't allow the maids or servants to call you so casual!" Eliza warned in a low hiss.

"But YOU are not just any of those maids or servants!" Darren cried back, clutching at the clothes. He lowered his voice and said, "You're my best friend, Eliza. We grew up together. And everything changed since..."

"Excuse my ruthless, Prince Darren. Please remember your position, as I remember mine." Eliza interjected as she snatched the clothes that Darren carried and left.

It was obvious that there was something happened between them. But that was another story.

Although Darren couldn't see her face, he could hear the sadness in her tone before she left. Darren unaware of a single tear that rolled down on Eliza's cheek. Darren sadly sighed and closed his eyes, then silently strode to his room.

---

--City of Atlantis--

No matter how hard Sapphire tried, she couldn't forget the charming face and the attracting voice of the azure hedgehog she 'encountered' last night. She blushed every time she thought about it and HIM!

Was Nenna right about her 'condition'? Was she in love? With a Coizard!? Heaven above and the God of the Sea knew it was forbidden to court with a Coizard! And yet, this feeling...it felt wrong but right. Which one?

Sapphire let out a groan as she was frustrating about her confusing feelings! She buried her head deep in her pillow and thought about the face of Kaze again, she sighed deeply as she couldn't help how dazzling he was. How she wished he could feel the same way as she was.

That summed up, she was in love with a Coizard, and a Prince!

Suddenly, Nenna and Sand came into her room. Both were panting as a sign of emergency or something important. Nenna started, "Sa...p..ire...we...have a problem." she couldn't speak properly because of the exhaustion she was having now.

"What is it?" Sapphire asked, worriedly.

"Is the KING!" Sand cried.

"What about daddy?" Sapphire then asked, frustrated.

"He...he found our secret grotto!!" Nenna shouted, which snapped Sapphire quickly.

"WHAT!!?" Sapphire cried. In a bolt, she swam like lightning to one direction: her grotto.

---

When she got there, even she swam her best to reach there, she figured out it was too late. Everything in the grotto had been destroyed; the collections she found from the sunken ships and the land were all ruined. She fell on the soft, cold sand, her fin trembled as she not only had no strength, but also the sight in front of her had crushed her heart like a dagger stabbed into it.

Soon, she broke into tears. Unaware an older merhog swam toward her. Sapphire recognized the shadow as she gasped and she looked up, it was her father. The king stared down at his daughter, full of disappointment.

"Daddy..." Sapphire muttered, having no mood to argue.

"I am very, very disappointed at you, daughter." King Posiden solemnly said.

Sapphire had had enough of it, she took a stand as she cried, "WHY, DADDY? WHY CAN'T I DO THE THINGS I LOVE? THIS IS SUPPOSE MY LITTLE PRIVACY! AND YOU CAN'T LET ME HAVE IT!"

"You are still young to be independent!"

"I'm 16, daddy! I can take care of myself!!" Sapphire had lost her temper.

King Posiden was surprised at his daughter's outburst as he had never seen her angry like this before, but he needed to set things right. "The world up there is danger, the Coizards are savagers! They killed our own and YOUR mother!" he declared.

"And especially this one!" he shouted as he pitched a picture of Kaze that Sapphire found not so long ago.

"BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM!" Sapphire blurted, but she quickly covered her mouth.

King Posiden was beyond shocked, had the thing he feared so long come true? Didn't he erase the memories between them? Memory he did, but not their feelings. His blood boiled when he heard his daughter's confession.

"Very well then, if this is what you choose. Then you leave me no choice..." with that, his triton glowed as it blasted everything that was last remaining in the grotto.

Sapphire pleaded her father to stop but ended up a futile. When she opened her eyes again, her grotto was no more. It was nothing but a flattened place. Sapphire swam on a rock nearby and cried herself out. King Posiden was heartbroken when he saw the downfall of his daughter, but it was for the best.

The less she attached to the land, the better.

"Daughter..." Posiden tried to comfort her and took her home.

Instead, "Leave me, father." the last word stabbed the king's heart. The voice was harsh and cold, it was piercing his heart. He felt incredibly guilt inside him, but he left her in peace and swam back to the palace.

Sapphire continued sobbing, crying, and the hatred against her father, as she had never felt so terrible before. Why would her father do this to her? She only collected the useless things from the sunken ships from above as collections, just have something fun in her life. Was that too much to ask for?

Nenna and Sand both watched their dear friend crying her heart out and they could do nothing to help her but watching her in sorrow. The little poor merhog continued sobbing, until she heard mysterious voices.

"What a poor child..."

Another voice rang, "A poor child indeed..."

Sapphire's head snapped as she looked around, but saw no one but Nenna and Sand. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"Do not fear us, child...." the voice calmly comforted Sapphire.

"For we are here to help you..." the other added.

"Help me. Why?" Sapphire stated, still alert of the strangers.

"Because our master..." the two voices joined together, "concerned about you, and she wants to help you."

Suddenly, black smoke surrounded Sapphire's area, as darkness consumed her. But it was only an entrance of the new stranger. Another female merhog, only her lower part was black octopus. Her long tentacles twisted and moved in disgusting way, for Sapphire, Nenna and Sand. Slowly, the 'merhog' swam herself to Sapphire.  

"Who are you?" Sapphire asked, though it was unnecessary.

"Why...I have so many names....But you can call me 'Nymph'."

"So you are a sea witch." Sapphire snapped, knowing something about the evil force outside the field of Atlantis.

"I'm trying to help you, to relieve you, my child." the sea witch said with concern.

"Again, why?"

Nymph darkly chuckled, and then she said, "Your father would not want you to contact with the Coizards on the surface, am I not correct? He's treating you like a little girl."

Sapphire's heart ached a bit when she mentioned about her father. While Sapphire was making her decision, Nymph was taking her time as she put some make-up on her face, she started with her shells lipstick.

Nymph smacked her lips to see the crimson colour that reflected on her lips, then she said, "The only way to get what you want... is to become a Coizard yourself."

Sapphire gasped of what the sea witch just said, "Can you do that?" she asked, shocked yet surprised.

The merhog didn't notice the smirk that wore on Nymph's face. She slowly swam toward her, with 'sympathy' on her face. She said in a sincere tone, or that's what Sapphire thought so, "My dear sweet child, that's what I do. It's what I live for; to help unfortunate merfolk, like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

Nymph: I admit that in the past I've been a nasty
They weren't kidding when they called me
Well, a witch

But you'll find that nowadays
I've mended all my ways
Repented, seen the light
And made a switch

And I fortunately know a little magic
It's a talent that I always have possesed
And here lately, please don't laugh
I use it on behalf


Of the miserable, lonely, and depressed-- Pathetic!

Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner


That want wants to get the girl
And do I help them?


Yes, indeed!

Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true


They come flocking to my cauldron


Crying spells, Nymph, please!
And I help them, yes I do

Now it's happened once or twice
Someone couldn't pay the price


And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em
'Cross the coals

Yes, I've had the odd complaint
But on the whole I've been a saint


To those poor unfortunate souls

Nymph gently cupped Sapphire's chin and asked seductively, "Have we got a deal?"

But Sapphire was hesitating, "If I become a Coizard...I'll never be with my father or friends again." she softly said, there was missing in her tone.

Nymph added, trying to be persuasive, "But you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, inn'nt it?" she snickered. Then she quickly added, "Oh, and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment!"

Sapphire immediately stated, "But I don't have any..."

Her sentence was stopped by Nymph's tentacles, the sea witch interjected, "I'm not asking much, just a token, really, a trifle. What I want from you is..." she lowered her tone solemnly, "...your voice."

The merhog gently touched her throat, skeptically asked, "But without my voice, how can I..."

Again, Nymph interrupted her, "You'll have your looks, your pretty face. And don't underestimate the importance of body language, Ha!" Soon, the sea witch was back her works of magic.

Nymph: The men up there don't like a lot of blabber


They thing a girl who gossips is a bore


Yes, on land it's much preferred


For ladies not to say a word


And after all, dear


What is idle prattle for?

Come on


They're not all that impressed with conversation


True gentlemen avoid it when they can


But they dote and swoon and fawn


On a lady who's withdrawn
It's she who holds her tongue


Who gets her man

Come on, you poor unfortunate soul


Go ahead, make your choice


I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day


It won't cost much, just your voice

You poor unfortunate soul
It's sad, but true


If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet


You've got to pay the toll


Take a gulp and take a breath


And go ahead and sign the scroll


Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her, boys


The boss is on a roll


This poor unfortunate soul!!

Sapphire didn't give herself a time to think because she conjured the memory what her mean father did to her and her life. She didn't need him to make up a choice! Because SHE WOULD!!

She picked up the shell pen and signed the contract, then it flew back into Nymph's hands as it vanished. They had made a deal. Nymph smirked at the little merhog, and then she started to chant her magic.

Beluga, sevruga, come winds


Of the Caspian Sea
Larynxes, glacydis, ad max


Laryngitis la voce to me

Now sing.

Sapphire began to sing, starting in a gentle tone.

Keep singing!

The merhog obeyed as she raised her voice more, suddenly she felt an invisible claws went into her throat and stole her voice!

The deal has been sealed.

--

To be continued...