SAGE

We had travelled from dusk to dawn, following the directions I had taken from the map that was hidden inside my bag. When someone asked how I knew the direction, I had told him I had been given instructions from Bear’s father back home. In reality, he had told me I was in search of a lost cause and couldn’t possibly lead an army on my own, hence his absence. Apparently, he thought Bear was a lost cause and didn’t care to find him, either. However, the men seemed to believe me nonetheless. 

I was on edge, waiting for Aalton to return. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Bear was all I usually thought of when it came to desire, but Aalton was hastily changing my plans, and I wasn’t sure why. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to grab his brunette curls in my fingers and smash my lips against his. I wanted him to wrap his arms around my body and hold me tight. I wondered what Islanda was like, how much it differed from my own home’s barren land--the moss-covered longhouses placed upon dirt grounds lacked the allure of the ocean’s beauty. I bet it was laced with treasures and stalactites that danced like diamonds from old shipwrecks and blue coral that glowed a majestic tone on the seabed.

He had his grip on my mind so tightly, I couldn’t escape him. I looked at my men and wondered if he had put some kind of spell on me. I could usually control my mind and took pride in the fact that I thought for myself, instead of falling to the expectations of womanhood, but Aalton had me so tempted to vanish into the deep, I would risk abandoning my army and the search for Bear just for the chance to see him again. I looked back at the ones rowing the boat as I contemplated my decision. Would he come back for me or was he sending me a signal to come in search of him in Islanda? 

“Are you okay, girl?” One of my men looked at me with caution. He had made it very clear with his body language for the entirety of the trip so far, that he didn’t think I could do it. 

“Yes. Just thinking about what our next step should be.” I lied, picking up the pace with my rowing to throw off any further questions.

I would wait for the last man to fall asleep, then I would make my move. That was if Aalton actually showed up. It took a few hours but sure enough, the last of my army peacefully fell asleep on the mildly rough waters. 

Impatiently, I waited one thousand seconds, but Aalton still hadn’t appeared. I stood, bag in hand, and jumped off the edge of the boat.

The water consumed me, gulps of it rushing down my throat and into my lungs. I coughed, desperately searching for bouts of air, fighting the water. The burn of the salty liquid was winning the struggle. My gaze darted furiously, looking for salvation until it became too much. I stopped struggling and gave in to the water’s pull, sinking into its briny depth. 

“What are you doing, girl?” The voice played into my subconscious. Was it real? Was it a figment of my imagination? “I told you I would come for you.” Aalton’s voice flurried from ear to ear. I smiled with what strength I had to do so, and surrendered to arms around my body, pulling me deeper into the water.

I awoke feeling well-rested. I looked around, lifting my head. My body ached, yet I felt calm. The water soothed me, rocking me like my mother would when I was an infant. I dug my elbows into the element that was holding me steady, the foamy but firm texture propped me up. There were men, all who resembled Aalton, only with differing hair colours, ranging from red to brown to yellow, and tail colours of shimmering green, pearl, golden, and red. It was as if every race was represented amongst them. They yelled excitedly, throwing around poker chips on a board. Their tails drifted slightly in the almost unmoving current, while their bodies were seated comfortably on the same foaminess that I had been placed upon. 

I groaned, trying to place myself in this unusual scene. Four heads snapped in my direction at once. “Aalton, your human is awake.” Bodies began to drift above me, circling curiously. 

I gazed up at the faces, not too sure whether to be frightened or intrigued when Aalton’s appeared amongst them. “Well, hello.” He neared me, caressing my face. Though his body was upside down, we were face to face. He placed his plump lips against mine with gentle force. Air forced its way down my throat, gently, softly. A kiss--my first kiss. I had come close before, though never this far. I was in front of an audience, but I barely noticed their presence. It was just me and Aalton, floating amongst the slight current. I would be happy if I could stay in this moment forever.

“Come, let me show you Islanda.” He tugged my arm, pulling me away from my former embodiment of lust, love, and everything a girl mesmerised by the perfect man would feel. My body drifted effortlessly behind him through the pearly gates. As far as the eye could see, there were crystal-covered coral surfaces, and where the coral ended, there were abandoned ships, covered in fossilised matter. We swam toward buildings that resembled what I had only seen glimpses of in stolen scrolls from Rome and other faraway places, only with more advanced cities and architecture.

I gawked at them. Never in a million years did I think I would lay my eyes on such breath-taking artifacts, yet here I was amidst all this splendour. The stories I could tell Bear when I finally found him. 

If I found him… 

Could I bring myself to leave this place? To leave Aalton?