The single speck of light that shines through the surface from the outworld to yours, attracting you like a baby to its mother's breast. You know you shouldn't approach, you've been warned since childhood of the dangers of entering the warmer waters that lead to the outworld. Tales of evil creatures lurking above the surface abound, of the affect of the warmer waters on your breathing, and of the changes that can occur in your body if you ever break the surface. Yet there are as many romantic tales of wondrous things in the outworld, beautiful creatures that travel without tails and breathe without gills. Tales of the powers obtained by those who dare to venture beyond the cool currents of the Atlantean waters.
As you ascend toward the hypnotic light, you notice the weakening currents, the warming of the waters, the almost blinding brightness. Your nervousness diminishes as you go higher, a feeling of unfamiliar warmth and well being fills your senses. Higher and higher you go, ignoring the strange new sensations you're feeling, the changes you're encountering. All of them overshadowed by the complete and blissful relaxation that is taking over your body. So strong is the sensation, that you no longer feel the need or desire to swim, simply floating limply towards the surface.
Suddenly you realize that the terrible tales were true, as you feel your body begin to change. Your gills begin to close up, your scales floating away, your tail seeming to melt in the warm water. You struggle to turn back, try to swim away from the treacherous warm waters. You are unable to move now, your body is numb and you cannot fight against the changes occurring in your body. You no longer have gills, your tail replaced by legs, you black out as you feel your lungs begin to fill with water.
You begin to shake uncontrollably and hear a voice screaming at you.
"Wake up! What's wrong with you? You're okay, I'm here with you!"
You slowly open your eyes, trying to focus on the figure above you, Namor, your prince.
"Namor...? Oh no, it's happened again, the same dream."
"Dream, what dream? What sort of dream causes you to scream in your sleep?"
"Just a dream... just a bad dream, it's ok."
You look up at the handsome merman above you, Namor, Prince of Atlantis, son of Neptune, the reason for your dream. Namor, like no other merman, faster, stronger, different. Namor, the result of a union between Neptune and the outworlder woman Lena, now Queen Lena of Atlantis. Lena who fell from an outworlder vessel and would have drowned if not for the Atlantean guards of the outpost at the edge of the Atlantean waters.
They were unsure of the beautiful and strange creature they found sinking toward them. Not sure of what to do with such a strange creature, they placed it in a giant clam and took it to Neptune.
Neptune knew what the creature was, he had encountered them before. Neptune was the only Atalantean to have been to the outworld, allegedly the only one with the power to do so. For he is the only Atlantean who can carry the Mystical Trident of Royalty. Neptune was besotted by the beauty of Lena, a Princess of the outworld. He could not let such beauty die before him and made a decision. A single sweeping pass of the Mystical Trident over the body of Lena, and she became a mermaid, the new Queen of Atlantis.
Although now a mermaid, capable of living beneath the vast oceans and seas, Lena still maintains her outworlder form. A form that is alien, strange to all Atlanteans, all but Neptune that is.
Namor has told you the story of the union between Neptune and Lena, just as he was told by Neptune himself. You never tire of the story, asking Namor to tell you again, time after time. Many Atlanteans didn't like or mistrusted the outworlder Queen. They were very wary of her, even scared of her. Lena was aware of this, and could understand the feelings of her new subjects, uncomfortable with a half outworlder (Humans Neptune called them), half mermaid Queen. She had asked Namor to transform her completely, make her wholly mermaid to appease their subjects. Neptune wouldn't have it, he is the King, the wielder of the all powerful Mystical Royal Trident, his word is law. But Neptune had another reason for refusing her request.
Neptune has blood Royal, trustee of the Mystical Royal Trident, for now and as long as he lives, or until he chooses to pass it on to Namor. Neptune is also the only Atlantean with the power of transformation, the ability to transform his body to be compatible to Lena's. Neptune knows that he is the only Atlantean capable of appreciating the soft curves and contours of Lena's human form, the wonderful sensation of her inner warmth.
Namor tells you that Neptune has said, "Mating in the human form is a most pleasant and invigorating experience. It as an performed with the intent of intense and unimaginable pleasure."
"But isn't mating simply the process used to ensure future generations, even for humans?" you ask Namor.
"Yes it is, but in the human form, it is accompanied by intense feelings of pleasure, culminating in an incredible sensation of release."
"So you've experienced this phenomenon Namor?" you ask with the slightest hint of jealousy.
"No, not yet, the opportunity hasn't presented itself, and I'd like it to be with someone special, not just for an experience."
You wish, you hope, you pray that you could be that someone special, but alas you know it could never be. Unless... unless the stories are true, the stories that nobody dares to explain. They say that if you can safely reach the surface of the outworld, you will transform into human form, possessing powers unimaginable. But they also say that it's impossible to reach the surface, as you shall surely perish in the warm water before you reach the surface. Your dream is to reach the surface, to make the transformation to human form, to share with your handsome Prince Namor, to be the "special" person to share the "special" experience.
"So are you feeling better now?" you suddenly hear Namor say. "I need to go now, as long as you are okay." he continues.
"Huh? What? Going? Where? Sorry Namor, I was daydreaming."
"If you are alright now, I have an outworld mission to execute now, so I have to go."
"An outworld mission? What...no, I'm fine now. Good luck and I'll see you when you get back."
"Thank you, take care now."
You watch him leave, then think quickly. "What should I take? He'll check in with Neptune first, so I can follow him from the Palace. No, I'll need nothing, I'll just get into position."
You swim to a good vantage point near the Palace and wait patiently for Namor to leave. Then you see him leave, fast, you remember racing as children, he always won. Fortunately you were a better tracker, so you were never far behind. Hopefully these skills will be of benefit now you think, as you take off as far behind him as you can without losing him.
You can tell he's heading for the Gallery outpost, the furthermost outpost from Atlantis. You've never been this way or this far before, you hope you can catch him before he checks in there so you can sneak past as he talks to the guards.
You reach the outpost just moments before he finishes with the guards, enabling you to sneak past and hide before anyone notices you. He swims past you, within metres of your hiding spot, heads straight out and ascending towards the warm waters. You can't ascend from your position, you'll be seen in the open.
You stay low, thankful that the current is in your favour, enabling you to keep up with Namor. You remain deeper than Namor, yet still notice the water slowly becoming warmer, which reminds you of the stories and causes you to keep reaching for your gills. Gills are fine, tail is fine, everything is fine and you feel fine, you press on. Could the terrible tales just have been made up to stop people from venturing outside of Atlantean waters? Well it's looking that way now.
The water becomes brighter, clearer, warmer still, almost hot. You've never swum this shallow before and the land mass is getting higher. It's so bright above the surface of the water and you see Namor who looks like he's almost on top of the water.
You almost swim into some rocks, feeling a little disoriented, you instinctively feel for your gills. NO! OH NO! THEY'RE CLOSING UP, WHAT DO YOU DO??!!
"Cough splutter, choke, reach, GAAAA UHNNNNNG, NAMOR!!"
"Namor? Who the hell is Namor?" You hear someone say.
"He's the SubMariner, Prince of Atlantis, see here, in my comic, here he is..." a child's voice.
"Cough cough, spit, PTAWW! What, where am I? Where's Namor? Who are you?" You can't see properly yet, everything is still blurry. Images becoming clearer, faces, lots of them, one right above you. You focus on the face until it becomes clearer, "Namor!!" you yell in recognition, grabbing his face and kissing him passionately.
"I made it Namor!! I made it!!"
"If it's my day you're talking about lady," he says, "then you're right, cos you've made my day."
You reach for your neck, "My gills, they've gone, I'm, I'm human! It really works, come Namor, let us go somewhere to execute the human mating process!" You sit up, reaching for the man. "Namo..."
You fall back, he catches you before you hit the ground, you hear everything, but you can see nothing.
"Woohoo lifesaver man you're in! Find out what she's on, I need some of that!" a young voice. "My name's Garry, she's delirious" you hear him shout, "Now move, give me space, give her air to breath!" You feel yourself being lifted, then you black out..."Ooooh my head..."
"Miss, Miss, can you hear me Miss, what's her name?"
"Don't know, no id, no nothing, not even any clothes, thanks Julie, I'll take care of her now, you watch the beach for me please."
You recognize the voice, it's Garry, or is it Namor?? You try to remember what's happened in the last few hours, but you're actually a bit confused about who you are yourself, a mermaid? Atlantis? Name? You think back and see images of Atlantis, merpeople, Namor, Neptune, Lana, but never your name used... Before that the beach, the lifeguard, the rocks...
"Miss? Miss? Can you hear me? Do you know your name?" You hear the man's voice calling quietly, your name?