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「Catharsis」Interlude: Idradel |
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"...Idradel."
"Yes, Mother?"
"Promise me... that no matter what path you choose to live, you will watch over your sister for as long as you are able."
This is a tale of one of Yeulveren's most precious people.
ƸӜƷ "Ah... you're home." Idradel blinked in surprise when he saw his sister sitting in the middle of the underwater grotto--their grotto--that they'd discovered when they were younger.
Yeulveren glanced up from fiddling with her hair, smiling warmly when she saw him. "You sound so excited," she replied, amused.
Idradel was startled into laughing. "No, no, I really am! It feels like you're hardly ever home anymore, that's all. You're always too preoccupied with your little expeditions," he teased as he swam over to her. "You haven't gotten a lover while you've been up there that you're not telling me about, have you?"
She scoffed at him. "No, I haven't, for your information. I'm not like you--I don't flirt with every willing being I see while I'm up there." Her sea-green eyes flicked to him and he watched as they slid from his hands to his arm, one of her eyebrows lifting the higher her gaze got. "Speaking of which, I see you have new accessories."
He grinned, looking down to his hands where the rings on his fingers glittered up at him in the dim light, then to the gold band resting on his upper arm. "Worth every flirtatious word," he boasted.
"Ruthless." She rolled her eyes, but it was easy for him to see how amused she was at her hopeless twin. "So, where have you been? Hunting?"
"Hm? Oh, kind of." Idradel shrugged. "One of Meroko's girls hit the suitable age so we gathered up some clan members with free time on their hands to help teach her the basics. I just happened to be one of those people." He leaned against her, taking a strand of her long, flowing hair to twirl around his fingers. "And what about you? What special occasion has brought you down beneath the waves for once rather than mingling with your beloved land-dwellers?"
Yeulveren shook her head. "It's nothing. I just... needed a familiar place to take a break for a while, that's all."
As happy as it made him to know that out of all of her favorite haunts she would choose the place that was theirs to have her peace of mind, her avoidant nature bothered him. He was used to other mermaids in the clan or even other clans rebuffing him, eluding him to maintain that air of secrecy that was their modus operandi. But not Yeulveren. They had been born together, separated by only a scant few minutes. When they were growing up, they had relied on each other and told each other everything. Gods, he had even been there to comfort her when Tirika died--had been the first one she told about meeting her again and visiting her as often as she could until the fateful day that she and her husband passed away.
But now...
"Do you want to talk about it?" Idradel asked slowly. Cautiously. Because he could never be sure when she would run away again. Disappear off into the unknown like their mother and leave no word if she was all right or even still alive until she popped up again out of the blue, tired and paranoid and broken.
Yeulveren smiled, and it was the smile that Idradel hated because it told him that she was hurting but refused to let him know why. Because she was the elder, she was the clan heiress, and she had to be strong. And he couldn't say a word because he knew how much worse things could become if she ever came to believe herself weak and vulnerable.
It was arguably the worst experience in his entire life, and everything that led up to it had been all his fault.
ƸӜƷ They had been children, and it was around the time that Yeulveren was just getting the hang of the spell that gave her human legs. She practiced it often underwater, with Idradel watching in fascination as she switched between her legs and tail with an ease he would never have. His grasp on his own magic was shaky while Yeulveren learned spells almost as quickly as she received them. He heard from the elders that this was common in twins when they tried reassuring him in the case that his magic was not simply late in blooming. They said it wasn't rare that one twin would inherit most of the magic while developing in the womb while the other would be left with less. This never truly bothered him, though, because he still had magic to use and he did not appreciate it as his sister did anyways.
It made them different, and the twins enjoyed their differences because they believed it allowed them to be able to fit together more. What he lacked she would cover for him, and vice versa. They did not have to share everything and did not necessarily want to, which worked out well for them for the most part.
"Maybe you should try using it on land," Idradel suggested as he watched her form her legs for the umpteenth time. He snickered as he watched her kick them, awkwardly trying to position herself with them in the water.
"Be quiet. It's harder than it looks." She pouted at him as he laughed, her small body sinking down until her feet rested on the sand. "They aren't as flexible as a tail. You can only bend them so far..."
"So it makes sense that you test your limitations with them on actual land!" Idradel exclaimed. "I mean, what happens if you use them and then fall over because you don't know how to support yourself? Mama said that walking on land is a lot different than swimming through water."
"Yeah..." Yeulveren frowned at her legs as she started floating up sideways when she tried shifting her weight. She peeked up at Idradel almost shyly. "Come with me?"
He grinned. "You have to ask?"
ƸӜƷ The beach that they eventually chose after surfacing had looked to be relatively clear and safe for Yeulveren to practice walking on. They dragged themselves onto the soft, dry sand with the tide, with Idradel remaining partially in the water so as to not let his tail get too dry. Yeulveren, on the other hand, pulled herself as far up as she could before looking to Idradel, who nodded to her.
With a deep breath, Yeulveren cast the spell to form her legs, and Idradel watched as she stared at them with no small amount of trepidation as they replaced her tail. Another shaky breath later, and he straightened as she drew them up until her feet were relatively flat against the sand and she braced her hands on either side of herself. Vaguely, Idradel wondered how hard her heart was beating considering his own was pounding at the tension of the moment, but he decided not to ask when he saw the intense look of concentration on her face as she gathered her courage.
When she finally stood up, he held his breath, watching as her legs trembled as she struggled to keep herself upright. She held herself up for a few seconds before falling back down to the sand, but the overjoyed expression on her face was enough to tell him of how she felt about her minor success.
"I stood up," she said in a wondrous tone. Idradel watched as she laughed breathlessly, staring at her knees in amazement before looking up to where he was in the water. "I stood up! Did you see that, Idra!?"
"I saw!" he called. Her laughter and excitement was contagious and he found himself echoing her laugh. "Good job, Yeul!"
"I can't believe it! Oh! But it really is difficult!" Yeulveren exclaimed. "It's so much more different than being in water! The weight, how to hold yourself... But it feels wonderful, too, like it's natural! Oh, Idra, you should definitely learn as soon as you can. It's--"
She stopped suddenly and whirled around to face the woods lying just beyond the edge of the beach. Confused, Idradel looked behind her to try and see what had made her so alert. For a moment, he couldn't tell what she was staring at so intently, but when he saw the flickering of fire through the darkness of the trees he froze.
Humans?
"But how?" he wondered aloud before gasping, gaze snapping back to Yeulveren who still sat, tense and unmoving, on the beach. "Yeul! Yeul...! Come back to the water!" She didn't respond, still fixated on the growing light in the distance. "Yeul!"
"I'm telling you, I heard voices coming from this way," an unfamiliar voice came into hearing range, and Idradel instinctively flattened himself to try and keep from sight. Yeulveren didn't move, and three human men came wandering into view carrying torches. The man leading caught sight of them easily in the empty beach, and he turned to his companions triumphantly. "See? I told you!"
"Congratulations, you found two kids playing in the dark," one deadpanned.
The other, however, stepped forward several paces, raising his torch higher into the air. "No, Sven, look. That one... that one has a tail...!"
"What!?" The first one yelped. "You mean they're--"
Idradel tuned them out as he realized what was happening. It was only a matter of time before they got it into their heads to come closer, and from what he heard from his mother most humans still held very sore feelings towards mermaids. Frantically, he tried to drag himself closer to Yeulveren without losing the sea. "Yeul! Yeul, please, please move!"
Thankfully, his voice seemed to jolt her out of whatever reverie she was having, and she moved.
Unfortunately, the three humans heard him as well and didn't seem to want to let their discovery get away so easily.
In a flash, the first man was across the beach and after Yeulveren, who was crawling back to the water as quickly as she could. He grasped her arm and pulled her up, making her cry out. Idradel snarled, but the man wasn't paying attention.
"This one has legs," called the man to his companions. Yeulveren thrashed in his grip. "Whoa, whoa, easy!"
"Idradel!" Yeulveren cried, and a spike of anger rose in the young merman.
"You fool, haven't you heard the legends? Mermaids use magick to lure sailors out to sea. That's an illusion!" one of the others yelled back. Idradel whipped around in his direction when he noticed how close he was getting to him. The man slowed in his approach, but did not seem to be deterred. "Probably practicing for when they're older..."
"You think those voices I heard earlier were them trying to lure people in?" the first asked, ignoring Yeulveren's cries over their conversation.
The man near Idradel shrugged. "Probably."
"Hey," said the third, "I wonder if those rumors from the east are true?"
"What rumors?"
"That eating mermaid flesh can make you immortal."
Idradel felt a cold chill rush up his back when the other two men looked over them with new consideration. Even Yeulveren stopped, new terror dawning on her face. She looked back to him, unadulterated fear in her eyes. "Idradel..."
"No..." Idradel whispered. What could he do? He was still small and nowhere near as strong as the other mermen in their clan. He didn't have the magic capacity that Yeulveren had, and even she was still just learning how to control it. How could he be expected to do anything?
What could he do?
Yeulveren cried out for him again, voice weak and helpless, and he felt that earlier anger burn through his chest. "Idradel, please..."
Please what?
"But they look human..."
"Then eat from the tail, idiot."
The man holding Yeulveren tugged her up again when she began to slump, losing the strength to keep herself upright. A careless yank, as though he were pulling up a piece of merchandise and not Idradel's sister. They didn't even care, conversing as though the two children couldn't hear them.
Fury flashed, white-hot; Idradel screamed.
The sound of rushing water filled his ears right after, followed by the sound of tearing flesh.
ƸӜƷ "I suppose I should congratulate you."
Idradel lifted his head to see his mother before him, arms crossed over her chest. He let his head droop back down, muttering, "What for?"
Peralei sighed and settled herself beside him, lifting a hand to run through his short white hair. "The elders said they examined you earlier and discovered that you unlocked the rest of your magic. Apparently you really were just a late bloomer."
Idradel snorted, curling in on himself. "I don't want it."
"It helped you save your sister."
"And it made her hate me, too."
There was silence, and then Idradel felt his mother hook her fingers under his chin to make him look up at her. She looked surprised and somewhat concerned. "She told you this?"
Idradel shook his head, pushing away her hand. "No. But she couldn't even look at me on the dive back down, and she left the moment the elders finished examining her after hearing about what happened. She didn't even wait for me."
"She just needs space--"
"Not from me!" Idradel protested. "Never from me... Yeul always waits for me..."
Peralei sighed. "Your sister... She's under a lot of pressure as the clan heiress. She won't always say it, if she ever does, but she is. It's likely that she's just... scared."
"Of what?" Idradel asked. "Scared that I might steal her place?"
"No," Peralei answered. Then, after a brief second, recanted and said, "Well, yes and no. I don't think either of you would ever fight over that, but it might be a small worry at the back of her mind." She shook her head. "But I think she's scared that... that because of this, because she had to rely on you to save her, she won't make an adequate leader."
Her words gave him pause, and Idradel slowly lifted his head to look at his mother. "Did she tell you that?"
Peralei chuckled. "No, but I know the feeling very well." She smoothed her hand over his hair again. "Yeulveren's been taught to be strong all her life, so to so suddenly become aware of how vulnerable she can be must be shocking."
Idradel nodded even though he didn't quite fully understand. Then, "Will she be okay?"
"I'm sure she will be, in time. I'll teach her how to work through the fear and clear her mind in case something similar happens in the future. I'll make sure that even if she's taken captive like that, she'll know how to cope and get away." Peralei smiled at him, and he returned it. Her smile soon faded, however, as she addressed him. "But Idradel."
He blinked up at her. "Yes, Mother?"
"Promise me... that no matter what path you choose to live, you will watch over your sister for as long as you are able."
"I will..." he agreed slowly, but then sent her a troubled look. "But when she becomes clan head, will she really need it still?"
"Oh, darling..." Peralei wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "When she becomes clan head, she'll need it more than ever."
Idradel wriggled in her grip until she loosened it enough for him to scoot back a bit. "Then will you help me with something? I think I know how I might be able to help her even more."
ƸӜƷ "Yeul!" Idradel called when he finally spotted his sister perched on a rock, watching a nearby school of fish twist and dance under the light of the sun filtering into the water. She glanced back at him and sent him a half-smile, which he figured was better than no smile at all. "I finally found you."
"Sorry," she said. "I just needed to think." She fell silent as he situated himself beside her. Just as the silence reached awkward levels, she added, "Congratulations, by the way."
"For what?"
"Your magic. I heard from the elders that you unlocked the rest of it."
"Oh." Idradel let out a nervous laugh. "Turns out that was just a fluke!"
Yeulveren's head snapped towards him. "What?"
Idradel nodded. "Yeah. Apparently that was just a rush of power thanks to the heat of the moment. All my magic flooded out with my emotions and exploded into something powerful, but that was essentially the extent of it. I burned it out."
"But... the elders... their examination...?" Yeulveren stammered.
"Just leftover traces," Idradel explained. "It faded a few hours ago, so now I'm as useless in magic as ever!" When he saw her worried expression, he rushed on, "Oh, but don't worry. I'll recover it if I rest, but I don't think I'll be able to use that much again. Mother said it would be too dangerous."
"I-I see..."
"But before she put the ban on my using magic, I managed to make you this!" Idradel proclaimed, producing a soft, purple-hued flower and holding it out to her. "It's not the best, but I thought it'd suit you... and, y'know, cheer you up some."
Yeulveren took the flower gently into her hands, marveling at it. "It's beautiful, Idra...! You made this with your magic?"
Idradel nodded excitedly. "Yep! See that stone in the center? Mother said you can make magic energy harden like that if you concentrate enough. It's not very big since I don't really have a lot, but I thought it'd be pretty."
"It is," Yeulveren agreed. Then, reaching up, she tucked the flower into her hair above her ear before lowering her hands and looking to her brother expectantly. "How does it look?"
Idradel smiled softly. "It looks great."
"Thank--"
ƸӜƷ "--you."
Idradel blinked, torn out of his thoughts and back to the grotto. "What?"
Yeulveren huffed. "I said, 'thank you'."
He frowned. "For what?"
His sister shrugged. "Many things, I suppose. I can't really pick just one."
"...You're confusing."
"And you're incorrigible."
Idradel laughed. "Incorrigible, huh? Yeah, probably." He shook his head as he swam out, beckoning his sister to join him. "C'mon. I came straight here from hunting so I'm positively famished. Let's go get some food."
"What makes you think I'm hungry, too?"
"You're Yeul. You're always hungry."
"I am not!"
"Oh? And what about that time with the whale?"
"I was in a growing phase--and I didn't actually eat any of it!"
"But you thought about it!"
"You...!"
Idradel chortled as she chased him, peeking back over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the jeweled flower she still wore in her hair.
ƸӜƷ "If you do this, you won't be able to use or recover any of the magic you plan to seal away, especially if you command the seal to break only for her use."
"It's okay, Mother. Like I said, I don't want it anyway."
"Are you absolutely sure? The process of converting magic energy into a physical form--especially one as compact and refined as what you have in mind--is very taxing and can take days if you're untrained, as you are now. Backing out in the middle may have unforeseen consequences."
"I'm sure. Yeul... I don't know if she'll ever need it and I kind of hope she won't, but I want her to have this. I want her to have my magic with her in some way, even if she can't actually take it as her own. That way... if she's ever in any real, actual danger... it can protect her."
ƸӜƷ Sometimes, it really hurt and bothered him that she no longer told him about everything that troubled her.
"Idradel!"
"Yes, dear sister of mine~?"
But with that gift, perhaps he could still hope to protect her in some way regardless.
Nymeia · Sun Apr 27, 2014 @ 07:48am · 0 Comments |
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