Page 51 of Moist!

chapter six

SERAFINA

My map leads us to the only opening we can see, a small half-moon crevice in the rockface. It’s almost completely submerged so we swim right through and are immediately enveloped in darkness. It’s a nice change from the bright midday sun we’ve endured above water while trying to find a way inside.

The cavern is narrow, with just enough space for us to swim single file, and a small air pocket above.

My heartbeat matches the pip, pip, pip of water dripping from the top of the upper surface.

We reach a shore of small pebbles and the ceiling opens up into a wide cavern.We switch to our walking forms and take in our surroundings, turning slowly.

But then my eyes land on Cantis and I shut my mouth quickly to keep from hitting on her and making things awkward.

With ears that curve out into fins, her talons shortened to long fingers, and her breasts, belly, and thighs just as wide as they are in her natural form, she looks like a dream. It’s a shame her body is covered by a human shirt and pants; I want to ask her if I can rip them off her later.

But then, she starts walking. She’s still a dream, just.. a more relatable one. Her stride is stilted, her knees barely bending. I rush over and grab her arm to help support her .

“Do you need a moment?” I ask, careful to keep my tone neutral.

“I’m sure you can tell,” Cantis looks up at me with a smile before looking back down at her toes like she’s trying to will them to move the way she wants, “but I usually only need my legs for a short while to check a boat..” She trails off as she starts walking again, this time over-bending her knee like she’s walking through tall grass.

“It’s different on solid land, but I’m sure I’ll get back in the groove the farther we go. Ready?”

I nod and grab her hand. I didn’t notice how stumpy she was walking when we first met on the boat; I was so focused on convincing her to bring me here.

So now I emphasize my walking movements when I catch Cantis watching my legs.

I stretch my toes up, showing that I put my heel down then roll my weight through the rest of my foot, trying to discreetly remind her to put her ankles to use.

It works and we’re walking casually in no time.

We continue silently for a while, until we come across a whale skeleton hiding in a large crevice of the rock wall.

We stop in our tracks and stare, taking time to pay our respects.

After appropriate deference, I move closer to see that each bone is covered in hash marks.

Who would do such a thing? And what could’ve brought the whale this far into the rock in the first place?

“Fee?” Cantis’ eyes give away what the relaxed features of her face and even tone try to hide. “Do you know anything else about this place besides the map?”

I shake my head and walk back to her to grab her hand. “I don’t often ask questions when shiny things are involved.”

“I hate to say this, Fee,” I can feel her talons lowering from her nails, “but if we don’t find that treasure soon, we should turn around.”

For all my bravado, I agree. I’m just as put off by that sight as she is, and I can’t tell anyone about my adventures if I’m not alive to do so. I huff but nod in agreement. “Okay.”

Just around the corner though, golden light shimmers across the wall and we track the source to an archway along the wall’s curved edge.

I do nothing to contain the joy in my smile as we take in the wide room from the doorway.

Bright light reflects from piles of gold and gems in the wide room.

The opening in the ceiling allows the sunlight to capture every shade and magnify it.

I don’t know what to look at first, and take off running through the room, pointing out objects I’ve only heard about in human stories.

“This is a telescope, it lets you see the glow fish in the sky!”

“And this chair is from the Baroque era, look at the filigree.”

“This is a piece of plate armor, humans use it to protect their bodies in fights.”

Cantis just watches as I nerd out over items in the cavern. My brain is swimming a mile a minute at all the tools, weapons, and rocks humans and mermaids alike would kill for. Once I’ve made my way around the room, albeit haphazardly, I fling myself at Cantis and hug her close.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for getting me here.” Cantis holds on to my elbows for a moment before returning the hug.

“It’s been my pleasure, Serafina.” I smile and turn back to the room, going over everything slower this time.

The room is packed with furniture and rugs, and several chests scattered about.

And not to mention the gold . Gold rings, gold medallions, golden hilted daggers–you name it, it seems like it’s in here.

I could spend years cataloging all of this.

It takes a while for Cantis to move from the entrance, but once she does, I grab silk fabrics and crowns and rope her into a game of humans.

We hold a mock-court and sentence our trespassers to eight months of kelp and rhubarb.

We dance to the sound of the waves crashing outside and host a feast fit for two sea creatures, three swords, and a lamp.

I have to direct Cantis, and let her know when she’s breaking the rules, but she’s a good sport about it, laughing at my antics.

We sing songs: dolphin arias, bawdy tunes, and lullabies.

What starts as me sneaking a peak at Cantis’ peaceful face turns into me full on staring at her, eyes closed, head resting on a velvet pillow, arms relaxing criss crossed over her middle as she lets out her siren song to echo across the stone.

Her voice is magnificent; I’ve never heard anything like it.

Later, we relax in a pile of furs and I eye a gravy dish full of jewels next to me.

I pluck a green one from the bunch and tuck it into Cantis’s hair.

She turns to look at me, a lazy smile gracing her face, but says nothing.

I grab a blue one for me, lick the bottom, and place it on my head.

I grab another from the dish without looking, keeping my eyes on Cantis and the intoxicating way she’s looking at me.

“One for you,” I say, grabbing another and offering it to her. She licks it and I stick it to the other side of my head, “one for me.” We continue taking turns until her hair shimmers and chimes when she moves.

“You are stunning, Cantis.” I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but now that I have, I wouldn’t take it back for anything. Cantis reaches up to my neck, wrapping her fingers around it and resting her thumb on my jaw.

“You, Serafina, are exquisite.”

That hits me square in the chest.

I manage to smile at her before lying back down, breaking our connection. I usually love frenetic energy, and if I’m honest, I’m almost always the cause of it. But I’ve never before felt it squirming around my lungs threatening to choke me like it is now.

For all her stoic silence, Cantis is honest and dedicated. She has an odd way of saying so much with so few words. I don’t know how to meet her in this moment, so I do what any coward would do.

Nothing.