Note: This is High Fantasy story set in a different 'universe' than my normal stories. I originally wrote this in 2009. I cleaned a bit of it up, but it unfortunately it still has much of my old writing style/habits. I'm posting this now, because I haven't had much time to write new things lately. I've been working on a different project. But I do have an hour here and there to dust off some things from my shelf so to speak and put them out there.
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Eilya and her mother sat on a small boat in beautiful summer dresses with their servant rowing across the mirror like surface of Tacano Lake. Eilya's white dress had a scooped front that barely touched the top of her breasts. The fabric along the hem of her dress was patterned with many colored spring flowers and she wore white gloves with pink ribbons around the wrists. The back of the dress was covered in many folds. Her mother's dress was baby blue, darker on the back and hemmed with bows. They each carried an umbrella with a color that matched their dresses.
The wind blew ever so gently through the young woman's black hair. The sun was very hot, but the shade from the umbrella covered their faces. Eilya set down the umbrella at her side and closed her eyes while her face was bathed in sunlight.
"Cover thy face mine darling, thou shalt get a dark complexion for certain."
The sun felt so good against her skin. Although it made her sweat, she loved the feeling against the top of her chest and her face. Even so, she complied with her mother's wishes.
"Mother when are we leaving?" the young woman asked.
"Whenever thy father hath finished speaking with Duke Uiewega I assume." She said, fanning herself with a thick leaf shaped parchment fastened with a wooden handle. "Thou wish to leave already?"
"Nay mother, I would wish to stay here for long into the eve. It may be hot today, but the lake doth seem so full of peace in contrast to our abode in Kirsgar."
"Take care young lady that you do not take for granted the innumerable amenities which are offered to thee by thy father and I in said home."
"Yes mother," Eilya said meekly.
"Take us ashore," Lady Farney ordered the servant, who faced away from them, with oars barely grazing the calm lake.
"Yes Mistress," he said with a short bow of the head. He took the oars and rowed the boat to the side of the lake.
"Mother, may I stay on the boat a bit longer?"
"Dear are you sure? It is getting quite sweltering. We should return to the gazebo."
"Please mother," Eilya said with eager eyes.
"Oh very well my spoiled child," Lady Farney replied. "Let her tarry for not more than half of an hour," she told the servant.
"Yes Mistress."
Eilya's mother held her legs together tightly and the servant carried Lady Farney over the shallow water to the shore. After returning to the boat through the short rushes he began rowing across the shore towards an area of ducks.
"Gerbin lets go that way," Eilya said, pointing towards the center of the lake with a smile.
"Yes Mistress Eilya." He rowed farther from the shore, into deeper waters. The lake bed had a great deal of vegetation near the shore, but farther out it got clearer. Eilya peered over the edge, her eyes darting across the water.
"Do you think there are any fish in there?" Eilya asked.
"Yes I'm sure there are," he said.
"The teachers have told me so, but I've never seen any," Eilya replied.
"The water is quite dark near the bottom Mistress, but thou can see the fish as they near the surface."
Eilya looked even more intently. "I don't see anything," she said.
Eilya set down the umbrella and pushed down her dress a bit showing a bit of her cleavage as she closed her eyes to rest. The servant looked at her from the corner of his eye. Then there was a splash and Eilya sat up quickly in surprise.
"What was that?"
"A fish perhaps," he answered. Eilya looked down again leaning over the side.
"Careful Mistress the boat could tip," he said leaning to the opposite side.
The alabaster cleavage of Eilya's breasts poked up over the rim of the boat as she looked down. She drew in a breath sharply. On the surface of the water, a corked bottle floated towards the boat. A large brilliant emerald ring rested inside. Eilya reached forward, the boat tipping as she struggled to grasp the floating treasure.
"Mistress Eilya, not so far!" Gerbin warned as she plucked the bottle up into the boat.
"What's this?" she asked, noticing a thin rope wrapped around a finger hole on the neck of the bottle.
Suddenly the rope was pulled forward and Eilya went along with it as she let out a scream. A man's head popped out of the water and he roughly grabbed her by the arms.
Another head rose to the surface as well. Both men had long brown hair. One was tied back with a piece of twine and the other's fell loosely against his neck.
"Mistress!" Gerbin shouted as Eilya screamed again, but before he could do anything she felt the point of a spear press against her throat.
"Oh Karadael!" the servant cried in fear. On the beach several men noticed the commotion.
The man holding the spear to Eilya's neck gurgled and water spat from his lips. Then he spoke in low tones.
"Guh dfh," he began at first, but then his voice rose in a yell that carried over the water in a strange gutteral accent.
"Bring the Duke of Dukaut to the lake at this spot at the time when the sun is highest tomorrow or the girl dies! Ha! Tomorrow, bring the Duke!"
Then the men pulled Eilya underwater. Her skirts billowed and slowed her decent down. She struggled against them to no avail. One of the men tore at her skirt with a spear, ripping it to shreds. The other grabbed her head and put a thick chain around her neck.
Eilya was panicked and struggled as she finally took in a breath, not being able to resist any longer. The water stung her lungs at first, but then she felt the pain subside. As the men towed her down she realized she was breathing. She could breathe underwater! Then she looked to her captors. They were no ordinary men. They were some of the monstrous fish-men of which she had only heard stories. They had a large scaly fish tail where there legs should be, but their appearance from the waist up was that of handsome men. One of the men turned his face to her and gazed into her eyes.
Calm thyself beautiful sun-haired maiden of the surface, we wish only to take you to our realm and introduce you to our general
she heard in her head with slow thoughts in an unusual cadence.
Eilya tried to speak but nothing came out of her mouth but water.
Speak with your mind
the other Merman said telepathically.
What?
Eilya thought. The Mermen stopped swimming down and hovered a bit above the muddy floor that continued to slope deeper into the lake towards the center.
Yes like that
the merman replied.
Like what?
Eilya thought with confusion.
Just think out loud to us and we will hear it
he said.
Why are you taking me underwater? And why am I not drowning?
Well you are not drowning because of the enchanted necklace we put on you
he explained pointing to right below her chin. There was a fish head set at the center of the chain.
Disgusting
she thought, trying to pull the loose chain off.
No you dullard, keep that on
he ordered, shoving the fish to her ample breast.
The fish skull had a quartz gem in each eye socket and some runes carved into the cheekbone. The chain was covered in rust but didn't feel that uncomfortable.
We are taking you to see our leader. Beneath this lake, which you call Tacano, is a small city where we have been watching you air breathers for decades. General Golling has grown enraged by the trash you humans have been dumping into the lake and has decided to start taking hostages until your people stop.
I didn't know any fish people lived under the lake
Eilya responded.
Your kind is guilty of many crimes but this one cannot continue
he said.
Eilya was quiet. She adjusted her dress but the skirts flew up, showing her nether regions.
Look,
one of her kidnappers thought, pointing at the area between her legs.
Yes, she is quite pretty. And those nice breasts
the other said with a grin. At that, an area on his tail unfolded from his scales, something she noticed immediately.
Oh Erakman!
she exclaimed. A pink organ with a bluish base had grown from his scales at his pelvis.
We are not as impotent as you might think.
It was a large smooth cock. The scales split around it to expose the fleshy piece of meat.
It's so big
she thought.
