With map and brand, Cormac set out from Ireland with Melusine and by doing left the only home he had ever known behind. Out from the Celtic Sea did they swim, out into the North Atlantic, never dreaming of what they could have possibly encountered on their long journey to Pacifica, down in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific. Merrows, People of the Mer, Profound Ones, never could Cormac or Melusine have imagined so much lived beneath the waves, besides the Dread Lord of the Deep that was Ronemun the Sea King.
As they set out from the Land of Eire, where the Descendants of Goidel Glas had come to after four hundred and forty years of wandering, the Young Egan and the Surface-Born Merrow saw an abode, farmland and an avenue, all there on the seafloor. Curious to see who could have lived in the dwelling, the swam closer, but alas, they discovered it to have been destroyed by an attack… Had Urefenkebos and her companions done this? That Takeo whom Orlaith had mentioned? Or someone else?
In the hearts of Cormac and Melusine, both dejection and choler mixed together, but ultimately, they carried on westward into the eminences. Upon reaching the eminences, Melusine paused and asked: "Do you hear that?"
Cormac could not hear anything. Was it possible that the hearing of a merrow or mermaid was greater than that of a mere human? He could not even see anything or anyone near them save for a basking shark above them doing its filter feeding.
"No, what?" asked Cormac.
"It sounds like someone muttering to themselves!" Melusine answered. Upon noticing the basking shark, she pointed at the wonderful fish and cried: "There! He is the mutterer!"
The basking shark… But how could that be? Sharks had no vocal cords how could the basking shark have possibly been muttering? That merrows and their many counterparts throughout the Deep could understand the language of sea beasts Cormac had no problem comprehending, but how could a creature with no vocal cords have possibly have been muttering? It was perfectly impossible!
But then again, so were he and Melusine. He could breathe underwater, but could not be outside of it for more than five minutes, while she had been transformed into a merrow-maiden, mermaid, whatever one wished to call her.
"What is he saying?" asked Cormac, curious as to what Melusine was hearing.
"He just keeps repeating 'Must resist.'" Answered Melusine, more than a little bit confused.
"'Must resist?' Must resist…" Cormac got no further with his question, for he saw something that also seemed impossible in the distance. Floating at the surface looked to be a huge whale, but the head was that of a sea turtle. "What on earth?"
Noticing the strange creature as well, Melusine's large reddish-brown eyes widened. Just what exactly was that thing? An expert of the Physiologus and medieval bestiaries the Helena of the Deep was not, nor was her companion. Thus, the concept of the aspidochelone was completely alien to them. Swimming closer, the Young Egan and Surface-Born Merrow-Maiden found a sweet smell greeting their nostrils and it was coming from the strange sea beast.
Narrowing her eyes, Melusine began to ask: "Are those…" before going to the surface completely. Cormac followed after her and upon seeing what was on the creature's back, his mismatched eyes widened with surprise. The back of this huge sea beast looked more like an island that that of a whale, being rocky with crevices and having valleys with trees, greenery and sand dunes upon it.
What manner of sea monster was this?
Stepping onto the island that was the back of this strange sea beast, Cormac wondered if what he and Melusine saw was truly real or if this was some strange and dangerous illusion of the ocean. Looking to the Helena of the Deep as she crawled onto the shore, he asked: "Does this seem a little bit strange to you, Melusine?"
"It seems like a sailor's nightmare!" Melusine answered and she correct, for that was indeed what this killer of sailors was.
Rubbing his chin with his right hand, Cormac began to think before he realized this was not the place for such things. Out in the air was not the place for getting lost in thought and so, back in the water he went, yet not once did he stop wondering what this sea beast was. Could it have been the Devil Whale… with the head of a sea turtle? Everyone from Ireland's coastal towns knew about the Devil Whale, an enormous whale that could swallow entire ships and resembled an island when sleeping, but never had Cormac ever heard it described as having the head of a sea turtle?
Looking at Melusine, he inquired: "Want to continue on?"
Nodding, Melusine answered: "Yes, right away!"
Thus did the Young Egan and the Surface-Born Merrow-Maiden dive beneath the waves, leaving behind the strange and somehow evil sea beast. Even as they did swim away from it, Cormac could not help but pause and look behind him. Preparing to draw his brand from its case and face this somehow terrible monster, the Young Egan felt a hand upon his shoulder.
Turning his head, Cormac looked upon Melusine, a pleading look in her large, reddish-brown eyes. Looking back at the sea monster for a moment, Cormac returned his gaze to Melusine and nodded. There would be no return from fighting something such as that. They had to get to Pacifica as quickly as possible.