There was a strange ringing sensation inside Mia's ears. The space around her caved in as if around her neck. Her head spun like a falling star from the heavens. Things were to get 'Crystal' clear infront of her eyes. The moment the other mermaid turned around she was being dragged out of the assembly along with the girl right in front of Mia, she could dismiss the striking resemblance with her mother. Things started falling into their places.
She could understand why she was able to see Anjana. She understood why the mer-boy only with her. She understood why she had no difficulty breathing even when she under water without any spell. She could also understand the subtle implications her used to make.
"What's on your mind girl? Huh? Wouldn't you tell? You are all grown up huh? A teenager with . Ahh! If only we were in the ocean I would instantly know what's going on in . '' Mia remembered one of the many conversations her mother had with her when she sat in her house for a week after a fight she had got into on the streets.
She understood how her mother could teach her to channelize and access spirit energy. She why she had kept Mia hidden. She could have enjoyed a lavish life in a palace, with luxury, but she chose to struggle and finally wither away, without any complaint.
Why did she do that? Was it for love? Was it because of her father? She couldn't understand. If had been because of him, why would she spend her life alone?
"What are you Ruby? " A sharp voice from behind pierced the water like a blade.
Mia and Ruby both looked at her, startled. There stood in front of Mia, a woman who she would definitely mistaken for her mother had she not known she was dead. Their resemblance even more surreal upfront.
"Who? Who is it? " She asked.
The one named Ruby rushed to her and held both her hands with hers. They shared a few of silence and then they both swam towards her.
"I am Jade. " She introduced herself and looked Mia up and down.
" I am Mia, " Mia said, trying to look for what Jade was looking for. "If you tell me what you want
I might help you look for it. "
" Didn't you come from the palace? But I don't see any edict. Also your lower limb. There isn't filament joining both your legs. Did anything happen along the way? Did you lose the edict?
Were you hurt? '' Jade went on and on as Mia listened, baffled.
"I don't understand what you are looking for, but no, I didn't come from the palace. And there 't any filaments joining my legs in the first place. You might have mistaken me for else. "Mia tried explaining as simply as she could.
But it quite had the opposite effect. Jade pulled out a whip made with conch and shells and the water right around Mia into a whirlpool.
" Then who are you? How did you come here? Why? " She asked as her whip danced right in of Mia's eyes.
"Well, I am, I am kind of lost. Could you please show me the way outside? I would leave and never disturb you again. " Mia said with a quick bow, trying to diffuse the as fast as she could.
"Outside? You want me to show a way outside? What outside are you even talking about? ''
Jade came close up to Mia's shoulder and smelled her. She took a step back immediately and , " Who are you? What are you? Why do you smell so familiar yet different? "
" I do? Do I smell familiar to you? " Mia could finally relax as she saw Jade soften up. She was after all.
" There goes nothing. Phewww, " Mia breathed fast and said, " Maybe because we are related?
"
The girl Ruby came up to them now.
"Related? " She asked.
" Well, I think my mother Crystal was that sister of yours who ran away. "
Mia had expected them to be shocked but instead they both burst out laughing after giving her a stare.
" What original nonsense is that? " Jade said, putting her whip down.
" You are a fugitive, aren't you? We will let you stay. We don't like rules anyway. " Ruby pulled down with both her hands.
But after they sat, instead of left go, Ruby held tighter to Mia's hand. Her face slowly changed and she yelled, " It's Crystal . It's Crystal no doubt. "
Jade immediately pulled Mia's hand and held them tight.
"Where? Where is Crystal? It's just a fox that I see. " Mia had immediately started thinking about
Lin after Ruby had caught her brooding over her mother's memories.
"I swear I saw her, " Ruby vouched.
"Do you want me to think about her? Mia asked Jade, trying to figure out how the thought worked.
" Yes. Let me see, " Jade ordered.
Mia thought about her mother. Just random thoughts. Still nothing. She then went back to the she spent with her. One incident after another. This had seemed to hit the bulls eye. Jade's started getting redder and smaller. Mia held back tighter onto her.
" Are you really her daughter? You couldn't have been born off her. Did she raise you? Jade , still unbelieving.
" I am her biological daughter. Look, I even have her traits. My hair, my smile. And I can even under water with no difficulty because I am a half mermaid. I didn't know this before. But I do. " Mia said.
" Half mermaid? What is your other half then? " Ruby asked.
" A wolf," Mia claimed proudly.
*******
Mia with the mer-witches
"Indeed he had it. " The wolf king finally answered Nana, " When the mer-witch tied me with her and thrust me inside a cell-like space in that structure where brother Jin was, she gave only twenty breaths worth of time."
Nana slowly came walking inside listening to the story deeply.
" I immediately, selfishly asked him straight away about the Spirit Conjurer the moment he came front of me. I neither asked him how he was doing nor did I enquire about how pale he . He himself must have been too shocked to see me there, but he only smiled at my . " The wolf king continued, " He smiled and said ' Oh! So that is why you came here? '
But instead of answering I yet again pushed him with my demand, letting him know how little i had. My brother wasted no more time in letting me know where he had it hidden in the beyond the fountains. Our time was wrapped up no sooner after this. As the mer-witch me je chain, Jin hurriedly pressed that pendant on my chest. He had said, ' Keep this in our family. It will help me remember who I am when I completely lose myself to this . Keep it safe. '. I hadn't paid much attention to it back then. Even after returning home. I in fact completely forgotten about it. Until... "
" Until what? " Nana asked, her eyes moist, and her voice quivered.
" Until I met Crystal, Mia's mother. I clearly remember seeing the same dazzling white light my brother had placed it inside my chest, on the day Crystal and myself were in the . We had been underwater quite a long time when she was trying to save me from being away by the current. I had taken in quite a large amount of water inside. She had worked to take it out of me. I clearly remember it now, I had seen the light then. Now that i think it all, it was strange because Crystal was underwater longer than myself, yet she was fine. "
"Just like Mia, " Roe commented.
" Hhhmmm, just like Mia. I had given her up for dead after she had jumped in the river that day.
How wrong I was. The water was her lifeline. How could I have missed that. It healed her like other. "The king lamented.
" Like the mer-witches? I heard they self heal when under water. " Xie put in.
" Mer-witches self heal under water. " Lin repeated the statement in his head as he remembered Mia had tripped and fallen as they walked. Her leg was badly cut.She wasn't able to walk . But after they had spent some time, dangling their legs in the water by the shore, she able to run again just fine. " Then Mia... was her mother... " Lin's head was made up but he 't articulate the words.
" Then Crystal seems like a mer-witch and that makes half a mermaid. " Nana finally said .
" But she died, living a completely human life. We all know mer-witches cannot survive for long land. Why do you think she would do something like that? Was she a fugitive? Mer-witches never known to turn on their own kind. " The queen too finally broke her silence and gave opinion on the matter. " She even hid her identity from you even when you claim to have in love. What might have been her reasons for that? "
" That is not important at the moment, " Nana retorted, sending her jealousy. " What is important how can you be sure the pendant is with Mia? And you just said you saw the light. Do you it got transferred to her? " Nana asked urgently.
The wolf king looked around and then said, " I would like to have a few words with you, privately you don't mind. "
Nana nodded as the others left the room on the King's instruction.
"Tell me what had happened? When exactly did you see the light? '' Nana asked.
" It was when Crystal and I were making love. " The king answers, quite embarrassed.
" I see why you couldn't have said that in front of the others. Anyways, does it mean that Mia the pendant all along? Ever since her birth? " Nana sat down beside him to discuss.
" Possibly. The pendant has power to project images. Real and fake. Mia told me about seeing when she was young. She told me she even remembered spending time with me when I not even known about her existence. I think it was the power of the pendant that had those thoughts. "the king concluded.
" Mer-witches too can communicate through visual telepathy. It could have been Mia's mother implanted those images. But since Crystal is dead and I can sense the pendant 's presence Royal from your clan, it has to be Mia who has it. " Nana reasoned.
" You can sense the pendant? How? " The wolf king asked, a little baffled.
" It has my child's blood on it. How could I not? "Nana answered him with such simplicity filled that he looked down with awe.
" I am sorry to have asked you about that. " The king apologized. Just then, Xie came barging , grasping heavily for breath.
"What behavior is this, Xie? " The king stood up in anger.
" Father Mia. They have Mia. They sent us a letter with a mortal just now. " Xie was still huffing.
" Mia! Who has her? " The king came out hurriedly.
" The mer-witches. They have her. "Xie informed me.
" Where is Lin? " Nanako jumped out of her seat at the mention.
"We couldn't make him wait. He crossed the gates as soon as the message was delivered. "
Nanako and the wolf king both looked at each other as Xie gave them the news.