Naida's Record [ Deadre ] The Fish

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-Table of Contents-{

-Staff Post-
-Navigation Post-
-Notes and News-
-Profiles-
-Heartstrings-
-Memories-
-Once Upon a Time-

 

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-Notes and Info-{

10/16/08 - The first ever flatsale ends, bringing Naida into existance.  

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-Profiles-{

- Naida -




- Muse -  

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-Heartstrings-{

 

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-Memories-{

Images of Naida's World  

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-When Air Met Sea-{

With long wings, sleek feathers, and a slender neck that could arch forward as gracefully as any dancer, the elegant creature knew herself to be the epitome of cranes. Like many who roam wild and free, she had no name in which to distinguish herself from, though it didn't bother her in the least. Afterall, when cranes thought of a regal creature, she knew they would give one another a look that would say "her" and all would know exactly who it was. Not, of course, that she often bothered with the opinions of others.

She loved flying higher into the sky, a world of her own in which bliss roamed in fluffs of white and a breeze would caress each feather with a gentle brush. It was always a chore to return to that garish, mundane world below, but even she had to eat sometime or other. The other day she had simply snacked on a few cranberries discovered nearby a pond, but today she aimed for the lake below that was simply brimming with edible delicacies.

Slim legs gingerly dipped into the lake, the water playfully kissing her claws. It was at that moment that her sharp eyes caught sight of a fish unlike any other. She gave the lovely blue shimmer a second look, wondering if she had laid eyes upon the reincarnation of the lake itself. That, she firmly decided, would be a meal worthy of no other but herself.


Within silken water a fish a color of brightest azure danced with the wind. She leapt from the water in an attempt to fly. The other fish had long since retreated to darker, deeper areas of the lake but this blue fish preferred to stay near the surface. She liked how the sun skipped off the water and created those dancing shadows on the sandy bottom of the lake. Besides, she was as close to the sky as she could get when she was in the warm shallows.

Other fish had warned her, "Birds eat us if we stay so close to the surface!" She never paid them any mind; after all, they were content with skimming sandy bottoms and eating lake bugs… The blue fish scoffed slightly and a silvery bubble issued from her mouth. The other fish had no imagination; they saw the sky as a threat.

How could they not see the glorious colors that spread out from the sun? How could they deny the beauty of a starry night? How could they not stand in awe of the waxing and waning of the moon?

She sighed softly, spinning around through silken water. The lake was always the same… always boring. But the sky… the sky moved and breathed and was different from one day to the next; the sky was beautiful.


As the arrogant crane watched the blue fish swim closer to where she silently stood, she came to the conclusion that this particular fish must be a foolish fish indeed. It was as if the lake was handing this jewel right to her.

"Little gem," The bird cooed, spreading her wings as if to illustrate her own glory, "Shall I tell you a tale?"

Without waiting for a reply, she bowed her head close to the water, her beak just a flutter away, "It is a tale of three worlds. There was a world of blue, high above. Another of earth, solid in the middle, and another world of blue, but this one deeper. The sky knew of the earth, and the sea knew of the earth, but the sky and the sea are so far apart that they are worlds destined to be forever seperated." A moments pause for a tantalizing effect, "Would you care to see the world of the sky?"


The fish gasped in surprise when the grand creature first spoke. She started to dart away into the deeper water but then berated herself; had she not just been admiring the sky? And here was one of the sky creatures that bowed to nothing as low and simple as gravity. The little blue fish swam back, hesitant and cautious but curious nonetheless.

"The sky…" she whispered, her golden eyes wide with wonder then she danced away; true the bird was magnificent but that beak looked sharp and birds did, after all, eat fish.

"And… what would the price for this journey be, sky queen?" the fish asked. She was torn; her instincts were urging her to flee into deeper, safer water but the bird was glorious and the prize she offered was better still.


The price would be a full course meal of a certain blue fish, of course, but the crane would never admit such, "Perhaps you can tell me a tale of the sea. A fair trade, is it not?" She gently parted her beak, her breath warm, her eyes inviting, "You have but to lay here, and I shall be able to carry you to the sky. Once you tell me your tale, I shall return you to your own world once more."


The fish swam closer, tempted despite everything. Though the other fish thought her foolish the little blue fish was not stupid; she knew that to leap into that waiting beak would mean her death.

But, she thought, wouldn't it be worth it? To be apart of the sky… just once?

She swam in a circle uncertain. She looked at the crane and said, "If I tell you a story that you enjoy… will you swear on your feathers that you will return me to the water? Swear on their glossiness and beauty."

It was a shaky bargain and she knew it; the little blue fish knew many stories of the sea but how could they interest this creature.

But the sky… she thought longingly. To be apart of such a beautiful thing would surely be bliss.


At least the fish knew a good thing when she saw it. Slightly puffing her chest, the bird gave a solemn nod. So long as she drank some of the sea water before hand, then eating her would technically return her to the water. Still, the bird came to hold an appreciation for the fish. Foolish, but brave. She decided to humor her and listen to the tale, then finish the feast, "I swear upon the wings that bear me."


The fish swam in an excited circle, the water parting around her like silk. She drifted closer to the crane and leapt from the water and into her waiting beak. Her instincts screeched at her but the fish dismissed them. Her little heart was fluttering rapidly within her and her nerves were afire but the sky beckoned.

"I will tell you a tale of the sky and the sea," the little fish murmured. The fish took a deep breath and started. She spoke slowly and haltingly at first but then with growing courage as the story blossomed.

"When the world was new-born the moon was born from the suns tears," she started, "The moon was the distilled perfection of the sun and she was the queen of the sky. She glowed with cool radiance and looked down from her throne in the sky and watched the world grow and live and die only to be reborn again and again.

"She was the queen of all of the birds and she watched over them like they were her children. Her favorite bird was, of course, the crane, for what creature was more elegant? What animal more graceful? Well, none, of course.

"One day the moon watched the crane fly over trees and hills with beautiful, graceful wings and the moon marveled at the perfection of her favored bird. Then the crane flew towards the ground to land. The moon gazed down and was horrified to see how hard and rocky the earth was; how could the beautiful crane land on such an ugly ground.

"In her desperation the moon did something forbidden; she called out to the sea.

"The sea was a ferocious queen and answered neither to the pleas of earth or the whispers of the wind. The sea was wild and cruel and beautiful and she would not be tamed… But when she heard the bell-soft voice of the moon she turned, curious and looked up to the sky.

"The moon glowed with radiantly pale skin and tear-filled eyes like starlight and the sea was still; she had never seen such beauty before and when the moon called out for help, the sea answered.

"As the crane stretched out long, lovely legs to land the sea surged over the earth and created cool, silky water to cradle each blessed claw and offered up soft, delectable creatures for the crane to feed upon.

"The moon reached out and thanked the sea and the sea turned and looked only to the moon and, forever more, answered only to the moons call."

The fish paused and hoped her story had pleased the crane; they were very high now and the world spread out below them like a tapestry. It was terrifying but the wind was cool and soft and the little fish thought she would never trade the moment for anything in the world.


The bird had become so enraptured with the tale that she quite forgot to have swallowed some of the water before having taken off. She was a creature of her word (albeit sometimes twisted words), and as she returned to the ground below she dipped her beak into the water and released the blue fish. Still, she was a patient bird, and could always return tomorrow to have her meal. "'Tis late, little gem. I shall return for another tale tomorrow."

For now, she sated her hunger on berries once more. Tomorrow she would dine on fish. The sun rose and fell, the cycle of nature continued. The crane returned to the lake once again, famished for a meal. The blue fish looked even more delicious than she had yesterday. Like before, she parted her beak with promises of the sky, and like before, the fish told her of a tale so deep that the bird couldn't imagine the sky itself could match. So she returned each day, hearing tales of pearl granting fish and stars that would drift to the sea, of wonderous fish and creatures unheard of. Having to feed on other fish to keep her own hunger at bay, the crane repeated to herself that this blue fish was a meal only for her. No other may eat her, no other was worthy.

Soon the crane no longer stayed to the skies, but spent more time on the earth that connected the sea and the sky. Her eyes followed the blue fish, hungrily, lovingly. It had come as an unexpected revolution that the arrogant crane had fallen in love with a foolish fish.  

[Alchemist Archetype]

}-When Sea Met Land-{

The cerulean fish twirled through the water, her large golden eyes fixed on the light that danced over the glassy surface of her lake. It was the wind that made those delicate patterns ripple over the water’s face and it was the light that made silver shadows dance on the bottom of the lake.
She dove deeper to skim the soft, sandy bottom. The silver shadows fell over her jewel-bright scales and turned her into a creature of myth. The fish laughed and spun, her gossamer fin trailing after her like a veil of the finest silk. Small, silver bubbles trailed after her, created by her dance. They drifted lazily through the dark water and towards the bright surface. The blue fish watched them with an almost tangible longing.
If she were a bubble she would be able to fly… she would become part of the sky.
The fish flurried her tail and sped towards the surface, the water parted like silk around her and she broke the rippled surface of her lake with a loud splash. It was so bright! The air was so much clearer than the murky water but it was so cold! It bit against her fins like razors.
She tried to gasp in a breath of air, to taste the world she so desperately wanted to be apart of, but it did no good with her gills. She plummeted back into the water.
Within the stifling darkness again the little fish swallowed deeply, the water passing smoothly through the slits in her neck and feeding her oxygen. If only she had lungs, then she wouldn’t be left breathless and gasping when she leapt towards the sky.
Frustrated she swam deep again only to turn and shoot upwards, towards the sky that wavered like a dream through her liquid prison. She broke through the surface and her long tail trailed after her, water shone and glittered against her scales. She reached for the blue expanse above her… but as always, simply plummeted back into her dark world below.
“Whoa!”
Safe and imprisoned once more, the little blue fish turned towards the voice and saw two humans staring at the ripples she had created. She could never tell the humans apart –they all looked too much the same to her – but she thought that these two might be males.
They carried long poles with strings trailing from them.
Curious, the little blue fish swam towards them.
Both had long fins coming out of their heads, reminiscent of the whiskers catfish had around their lips, and one had another fin sprouting from its face, just under the flapping hole where the sounds where coming from.
“Did you see how high it jumped?” the one with the face-fin asked.
“Like it was trying to fly! Look, there it is!”
The one that had no face-fins was pointing one of its long, skeletal fins at her. The little blue fish spun around, her fin trailing after. The two humans started making strange noises; their mouths open and their throats bobbing.
“Not very smart, is it?” the one with the bald face said with a smile. The fish became nervous; when animals bared their teeth they were angry… or hungry.
“It’ll be a nice treat to bring home, Kelly will think that I’ve caught a sapphire,” the one with the face-fins said also baring its teeth.
The fish was very nervous now and wondered if she should retreat to the darker parts of the lake… But she had met her crane by being brave… perhaps she would be surprised by the humans as well.
Cautiously she swam closer.
“Maybe it wants to be caught,” the man without face-fins said and then he pulled out a long stick. At the end there was a strange spider-web looking device.
“A suicidal fish?” the other asked and they made those strange noises again. The little fish watched and opened and closed her mouth, trying to imitate them.
The stick was slipped into the water and the fish watched curiously as it sped towards her. She was suddenly pulled forward, pushed by the barely-seen thread of the fishing net. She cried out and swam against the unstoppable force but it was in vain. She was soon pulled into the air and dumped unceremoniously on the ground.
“Would you look at that tail!” one of the humans murmured admiringly.
“What a color!” the other agreed.
The fish cried out desperately in a little voice that went unheard. She pled with them, begged them to let her go, to put her back in the water. Didn’t they know that she couldn’t breathe?
The man with the face-fins slipped two fingers inside a gill and pulled her up. The fish screamed in agony, flapping around in an attempt to get free. Why were they doing this to her?
“I think it will make a fantastic dinner,” the other, bald-faced man said, “Maybe you should invite your boss to impress him with such a feast.”
“Maybe I should… it’s big enough to feed us all,” the other man said.
The fish under stood that sentiment and thrashed more ferociously, screaming at the humans. They were obviously deaf.
“Hey!”
The world spun and the fish squealed with fear as the men turned to face the speaker. Held sideways as she was, the fish could see the intruder with perfect clarity.
It had longer head-fins than the first two humans and strange, rounded protrusions on its chest… it also seemed smaller and had no face-fins. Its eyes were covered by small squares of flashing black stones.
“Hey, what?” one of the men asked.
“Can’t you read?” the new comer snapped and pointed at a sign half-hidden by weeds. She swore under her breath and pushed the grass aside so that the sign was visible.
Declared in black ink were thick lines that must have formed words.
“This is private property,” the new comer said coldly, “No fishing.”
The two men looked at each other, scowling and then the one holding her shrugged and slipped his fingers out from her gill. The little fish dropped onto the grass and threw herself towards the water, gasping to try and catch her breath.
“Whatever you say, ma’am,” the face-finned man said and then led the other human off.
The new comer growled and hurried forward, picking the fish up in warm, gentle hands and slipping her back in the water. The fish swallowed gratefully and the spots that had been forming across her vision cleared.
She turned and looked up at the new human.
“What are you waiting for little fishy? Go on,” the human said waving her hand. The fish waved a fin back and the human gaped. “Well, that’s different.”
The human settled on the waters edge and dipped her fingers into the cool water, the fish danced around them, rubbing her smooth back against the soft fingertips.
“You’re a strange little thing, aren’t you?” the woman said softly and then pulled off the strange dark stones. They stayed together, secured to a metal frame. Beneath them the woman’s eyes were like gold coins, the pupils shaped like tiny diamonds.
“But we’re both strange,” she whispered, “so it’s okay. Are you some goddess trapped in this form?”
The fish didn’t understand how she knew but she knew that the human was mistaken about that. She moved her body side-to-side in an attempt to mimic the head-shake that humans sometimes seemed to do when negating something. The human smiled without showing her teeth.
“No. Alright… Then… A nymph! A water spirit!”
The fish didn’t quite understand that; she was of the water… and she was spirited, her mother had always told her so. Was that what the human meant? The human was watching curiously so the fish swam in a circle and looked up at her.
“Aha! A water nymph,” the human said and then nodded, “Lucky I saved those poor men from eating you then. Well… My name is Muse and you are a little Naida. Water nymph.”
The fish stared up at the human and repeated in her soft voice; Naida.
She was Naida.
She slapped her tail happily against the water and then darted away, the human looked after, bemused but smiling.
Naida dove deep; to where the silver shadows danced and then sped to the surface so she could leap into the air. Muse gasped, delighted and made those strange noises that the men had made, but her voice was different. The little blue fish named Naida swam towards Muse and flipped one fin happily.
Muse grinned and waved a hand in return then took off her shoes and socks and slipped her feet into the cool water. Naida danced closer and swirled around her ankles, her tail trailing after her.
The other fish are such cowards, Naida thought happily, Nothing bad can happen when I can see the sky.