"Haven't you had enough...honestly, I'm tired" Kai said panting. They had done a swimming race and she had defeated him. Who knew that the girl would be so fast in this? They have been playing for almost an hour but she didn't seem tired at all.
"Just make one more wave storm again...then we will stop?" she said holding both of his hands in a pleading way, giving that beautiful smile that she had lost before.
"Now if I knew you'd ask for that almost ten times I wouldn't have done it....." He said pouting.
"Please..." She pleaded and he gave in. This time round he made a very huge wave that would sink a boat above the water. He was surprised when she managed to stim through it. He had done it so that she would stop pestering him to make a magical wave. How could she do that? She even seemed to enjoy playing it the waves.
"I have a moon face chant to do tonight... So if you wanna keep playing do it... I have to leave" He finally spoke after resting a little bit and seeing that she wasn't stopping playing anytime soon. By the word chant, she stopped what she was doing immediately. Like a switch, her face got sullen again.
"Oh well well, don't make me get inside your head again... What is it?" He asked when he noticed that she was sad now.
"The chants... It's been a long since I last did them... Do you know that my dad taught me all of them?... He was the one who taught me and mom would always help me recite them anytime I forgot... Now I haven't been doing them because I've never done it alone...." she said
" How about we do this together huh? That way you don't have to be worried about doing it alone..." He said with a sincere smile. He then magically had two beautiful shells in his hands. He handed her one. She knew what to do. They swam towards the surface and then raised their hand with the shell above the water, but their other body still immersed in water, with their faces facing the full moon which was shining luminously.
"By the power of the moon that sways the tide
And the ancient stars a thousand times amplified
Infuse this shell with energies of light
As sparkling and brilliant as this very night"
They wanted the chant together, slowly word by word rhythmically. As they were chanting she felt like she was doing it with her father. Her mind drifted back to how she used to do it with him. Who knew the night he taught her this chant was the last night she was seeing him alive? Who knew that this was the last can't he was teaching her and it was the last that he was going with her? She still remembered how her mother had joined them and then they did the chant together as a whole family. How they both embraced her in a very warm hug once they were done. How could she forget those moments? It was time for the next chant of the mermaids and she rubbed off the thoughts that were occupying her head.
"I am a creature of the Fey
Prepare to give your soul away
My spell is passion and it is art
My song can bind a human heart
And if you chance to know my face
My hold shall be your last embrace"
This one they repeated it three times and then stopped. There was no other chant that she was supposed to make tonight. She turned to look at Kai who seemed like he wanted to do one more because his eyes were still fixed on the moon.
" Can we go now?" She asked him. He loomed and her and then shook his head in disagreement.
"We have to do one more chant." she looked at him unquestioningly. Maybe there was one she was forgetting.
"The moon phase chant" This one wasn't done frequently. But she understood why he had to make her do it. Because from the first two lines, it's like she would be asking help from the moon to guide her.
"Maiden moon young and new, show me where the path leads to
I see my goal now from afar, just beside the Polaris Star
Mother Moon, so full and true
Abundance around, prosperity too
Right inside you, I can ride
Great full mother of the night, eldest mother silver and grey
Wisdom learned from many nights and days
Great scope and love both come from you
Start over now dark to new."
Done with the chants and having played enough and at least enjoyed the last moments in the sea, it was time for her to leave. She went to her cave and took the magical necklace pendant from her mermaid's chest. Even if she could live on the dry land, she couldn't acquire the human form without the pendant. It was very beautiful and shone like a star, she had been yearning to wear it and now was the perfect time for the occasion. There was nothing else she needed to carry, apart from the tiny little dress that she have always kept, she found it in a bag that fell on the sea and had some other things but she just took the dress. Maybe it was there for a reason.
" I guess I have a new home now..." Kai said after the long silence. He was the one going to stay in that cave when she was not around. It looked so spacious and he didn't want to miss the chance to live in such a beautiful place.
" You ready?" He asked once she was done returning the mermaid chest to its place and after wearing the necklace. She nodded and he smiled. He knew what she needed right now was encouragement and he had to smile and not show a sad face even though in the real sense he was mad that she was leaving.
They swam together for almost thirty minutes until they were near the beach. Kai couldn't go any further because he wouldn't be able to breathe properly. She understood that it was time to say goodbye when she saw him stop and hesitate. He had been holding her hand the whole time they were swimming, and he didn't let go, he knew how tensed she was and he had to support her. He embraced her in a warm press and whispered goodbye and take care in her ears and she nodded. When he let her go, she smiled, at least he was sure that she wasn't that tense right now. She waved her hands and then swam closer and closer to the beach. When she was almost on land she looked back and saw him at the same spot still watching. There were no people on the beach, she guessed it because it was dark. She got out of the water, then put on the white dress immediately because she was now bare, with no scales covering her. She looked back and Kai waved his hand and then she saw him disappear into the water.