39

Meanwhile, Peter was having a mental breakdown. Who knew his big brother would come to find him and beat him up? His handsome face was gone. How would he face Riri like this? How could he muster the courage to go get his scepter back now? That Lavana was still in possession of it. Can he go back with this face and weakened body, and dare to ask for it? How much mockery he'd receive. Will Phoenix even let him go?


"Big bro, why are you suddenly like this? Didn't you say you had an emergency, that you wanted to settle it and then come back?"

"I have settled it long ago. I returned in time to see you insulting my mate. With those rotten eyes of yours, how dare you call her ugly? How dare you put her below the level of servants?"

Hearing Phoenix's reply, Peter felt like the earth should just open up and swallow him. Let him be saved from this angry wizard in front of him. But the earth beneath him would not do as he wished. No wonder Phoenix was pissed. He heard everything! How much self-control and patience this Phoenix had to wait until he scurried out of the ladies' room and headed into the woods, before taking out his anger on him. How scary.


"Big... Big brother..." he immediately got on his knees, his trembling palms pressed together.

"Big brother... I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I was wrong. I was stupid, a dummy. I was blind to mistake a pearl for the fish eye. I'm sorry," he begged. If his scepter was with him, maybe he wouldn't be beaten this badly. He would have been able to fight back a bit. But in terms of physical combat, he was weaker than Phoenix. So he fared badly upon encountering him.

"You're apologising to me. I don't need it. You should go apologize to the one whose feelings you hurt."

"Okay. I'll go back. I'll go back and apologize." Peter quickly rose from the ground and turned around, intending to rush back the way he'd come, only for Phoenix to hold his rope.

"They are having a good sleep. I don't allow you to disturb them."

"i..."

"Lavana must be dreaming of me. How can you go and disrupt her dreams with your miserable apology?"

"Eh?"

"Don't mope. Follow me. We'll pay a visit tomorrow evening." he slapped Peter's back.

"Are you mad at me?"

"..."

Could he dare to say yes? This scary brother of his. He was terrifying. Once he was sent out on missions to capture offenders and nuisances, he comes back quickly because they just surrendered themselves. Those who tried to resist got beaten up till they saw only stars for days.


Even the ones who said they'd rather die than confess did so the moment he made his presence known in the dungeon. If the imperial guards in charge of torturing were considered cruel in their tactics, then Phoenix was savage!

He knew that Phoenix had been lenient with him tonight because he was family. Besides, he committed a wrong. What right did he have to lament about being beaten up? If his father even heard of what he did from Phoenix, he'd sleep in the dungeon for a few days.

So he quickly shook his head and beamed a smile. This action caused the cut on his lower lip to stretch, causing him pain and the smile faltered.

"Let's go treat your injuries. And I'm sorry for beating you up, Peter, but you indeed deserved it. You had it coming, you know." Phoenix put his hand around Peter, smiling. This smile did not in the least comfort Peter at all.

'Phoenix, it's better you don't smile. How can I trust that you're not cooking up schemes against me?' he thought in his heart.

"Big brother,"

"Yes?"

"Can... Can you not tell father?"

"Why would I? Do I look like I would do such a thing?"

'Then why are you smiling so brightly?' Peter thought.

"Besides, I've already beaten you up. You've paid half price for your error. Tomorrow, you'll complete the other part." Phoenix added.

Light covered the both of them and soon they vanished.

*****


Lavana in question stared at the huge black and red-scaled fish. Its eyes were almost invisible but its yellow teeth like its head were big and sharp!

"Hello, fish." she waved but the fish started swimming towards her in ire.

"Might as well practice with you." She quickly launched several ice chains at the fish with both hands.

Since she was in the water, her chains were much stronger and bigger. The fish struggled to get out of the chains but couldn't.

"What a big for nothing," she commented.

She launched a chain around a rock and then connected it to the chains around the fish's body. Now her hands had no chains launching from them.


The fish kept struggling but still couldn't get out. It suddenly let out a screech.

Though she didn't know what it meant, she knew it was better to leave that place. So she swam to the plants that had the fruits she wanted to eat and started plucking as many as her hands could hold.

She heard louder screeches close by and knew the backup had come.

"I just wanted a one or two but you wouldn't let me. Now, this take this.

She threw the ones she'd plucked from the plants at the chained fish.

She launched a chain at the plant with the most fruits and uprooted it. She flung it backwards, far away from her.

At this time, the backup were already here. She found a place to hide and transform into her merself. The moment she was done with her shifting, one of the backup fishes that was twice bigger than the chained one found her. It let out a screech.

"Bastard!" she cussed and launched an ice chain at its mouth before using the moment of surprise to swim away in the direction she threw that plant earlier.


Now three fishes minus the chained ones were going after her. Though she felt unease, a part of her thought it was fun. She increased her swimming speed but the fish still did not lose out.

"Wow, despite their enormous size, they are incredibly fast. Wow!" she thought as she increased her speed again, this time swimming in a zigzag manner. She soon found the plant that she uprooted and headed downwards. The fishes did the same. They just didn't expect her to head up suddenly. By the time they could turn, she was swimming towards the surface fast. Unwilling to give up, they started their chase.

Lavana turned her head and saw they were coming at her.

She just had to get to the surface, then she would be free from these annoying sea monsters. She didn't expect that she'd meet a big fish with several spikes on its body heading toward her. Behind her were those pissed fish, above her was a hungry-looking fish.

"Only one way then." She closed her eyes and her pink gemstone lit up along with the tattoos on her body.

"Teleport!" she yelled and immediately, pink light covered her and she vanished.

The fishes who were swimming so fast to get her stopped. The thief/prey had just vanished before their very eyes. They stared around there for a while before returning to their domain.


The fish whose mouth was chained earlier, along with the one chained to a boulder, were now free as the ice chains had disappeared. So many fruits lay scattered on the riverbed. Some were ripe, others unripe. The plants with fruits were just two and they were still small and yet to ripen.

Lavana appeared in an underwater cave. It was dark but her gemstone shone like a torch lighting her path. She swam to the entrance and looked around carefully before swimming out. She headed towards the surface. Unlike where she was before, it was bright underwater. So she concluded that this area was another part of the world that was in the daytime. Her gemstone stopped glowing, as there was no need for it.

Now that her upper body was above water, she sighed. There was this cool breeze. She looked at the sunny sky and also around her. She saw a rock that protruded out of the water. She swam to it and climbed it. Then she sat. Half of her tail was in the water.

She didn't know where she was. This is her first time using her gemstone. Oceana had told her one time that the gemstone was used to teleport. Now she'd ended up in a place she didn't know. How would she get back now? So much for wanting to vent out her anger and pissing off those fish!

She sighed again and closed her eyes, trying to awaken any of her slumbering spirits, only to suddenly hear a faint cry. This made her open her eyes in alarm.


"Am I just hearing things or is someone really out here?" she turned her head and saw nothing. Whether there was a cry or not, she must find out. She closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint where the cry was from. Soon she opened her eyes and dived back into the water with the plant still in hand. She headed northward with speed.

She soon found the source of the cry. A family was in the water, all tied at their hands and feet to one enormous millstone. She was dismayed. Who would do this? There was even a little girl amongst them, plus the mom was pregnant. What wickedness!

She quickly disposed of the plant and headed toward the drowning family. She launched several ice chains from her left hand, and these chains caught hold of the millstone. Then she used a large chain with spikes launched from her right to cut the chains used to trap the family. Now that it was cut, she let the chains on the millstone vanish so it sank down into the seabed.


Then she launched chains that were smaller and thin at the family of 7. The dad and his oldest son were conscious the whole time. When they saw her coming earlier, they were afraid that she must be some monster wanting to eat them. They thought they all were indeed doomed. Who knew this thing turned out to be part human, part fish? A mermaid only seen in those fairytales read to children.

Here was one, alive and kicking. And she was not here to harm nor eat them but saving them. She had this cool power! She could launch ice chains from her bare hands! Incredible.

Lavana having coiled the chains around the family swam towards the surface.

Upon surfacing out of the water with them, she let the chains vanish.

She caught hold of the little girl. The man grabbed his wife. The other children manages to stay afloat.

Lavana closed her eyes and reopened them after a shortwhile. She pointed her free left hand at the water behind them and a wide platform of ice was formed. She placed the shivering girl on it and beckoned on the others to get on. When they did, she started pushing the platform towards the nearest shore that was still some miles away. By the time they got to shore, she was super exhausted. The family got out of the platform and sat on the sand.

She sighed as she crawled out of the water at a place away from their sight.


Lavana soon stood after turning human. She looked ahead and saw that they were on an island. She walked to where the famuly sat on the sand. The pregnant lady was seated on a small rock, rubbing her belly gently.

The family members were shivering but they managed to thank her for helping them. They saw that blur covered certain parts of her body. The adults thought that it's because she was a mermaid that's why it was so.


Lavana smiled and told them to wait there. They nodded and she headed deeper into the woods in the island. From her experience, she could not go too deep. Last time she was alone. If she got chased back by wildlife, she can't guarantee the safety of the helpless family.

She gathered some wood and soon returned to them.

The 4 sons of the family helped arrange the wood. One of them also accompanied her to go get some dry leaves and anything lightable they could find. Then they returned with a heap each. Now all that's left is setting fire to it.

"Miss mermaid..." the man asked nervously.

"I have a name." she corrected him.

"S-Sorry. I don't mean to offend you."

"I know that. Call me Anna."

"Okay. Miss Anna, thank you once again for rescuing us. Without you, we're truly goners! You brought us here and helped us find these. How will a fire be made? I'll go deeper to see if I can find...."

He was rendered speechless when Lavana launched a fireball at the pile of wood and dried leaves. It immediately started burning.

They all thanked her for her generosity and moved closer to get some warmth.

Lavana left them and returned after a while with some fruits. She gave it to the man who shared them with his family. Then she turned to face the water. It was already evening.

"What's your name, sir?" she asked.

"I'm Nelson... Nelson Grey." he replied.

"Why were you all in the water? What happened?"

"I... We got kidnapped and blacked out. When we woke up, we were already chained to that millstone. They forced us to get into a boat and pushed us off it when they saw it was far enough." Nelson replied with a sigh.

"Thankfully, I was there on time." Lavana also sighed in relief.

"There's fire, I should get something better. You guys wait here and watch out for each other. I won't be going too far from here."

After saying this, she walked into the water. When it reached her waist, she dived in.

*****


Minutes later, she returned with four big fish, holding them by their tails. None was alive.

She threw them at the family and asked them to roast and eat.

She walked into the woods of the island and let her wings sprout out from her back.

Swimming would not get her and these people to civilization. Flying could help her know the place with people and from there, she can return home. She prayed she would make it in time or else there'd be a ruckus in Bloodstar.

She flew out of the island heading towards the east. 30 minutes later, she found a place with people. It was a village. If she could bring these people here...

She immediately turned around in mid-air and flew back to the island, reaching there in 15 minutes.

She landed back in the woods and walked out.

She saw that the mother and father of this family were worried about her.

"I've found a village not too far from here. Of course, I can swim there but you guys can't. And with the ice platform thingy I used in bringing you here, e will not get there in time.

The only way if flying." she explained.

"But how can we fly? Plus, miss Anna, you've done a lot for us. Please, we'll build a raft and paddle to get there. Just show us which way we should go." Mr Grey said in concern.

"Can you guys keep a secret?"

"Of course. We can."

"I'll keep a secret about our encounter." the first son of the Greys said loudly.

"Me too."

"Me three!"

"I'm good at keeping secrets."

The four boys swore. The cute little girl named Amanda just giggled.

"Miss Anna, your secret is safe with us."

"It'd better be or else your eend will be worse than how I met you in the water. Am I clear!"

They nodded.

"So I'm leaving. I've summoned my ride. She'll be here soon. You guys wait for her, alright?"

"You're going back?" Mrs Grey asked.

"Of course, I'm a mermaid."

"Sorry for my silly question, miss."

"No, I understand your fear. Don't worry, I've saved you. I won't let any of you die." Lavana said with a smile before running into the water.

The family stood, looking expectantly at the water. 

Half an hour later, a gigantic sight was what they witnessed!

Out of the water, a dragon flew out. A huge and majestic one. It roared and spat out lightning in mid-air before flying down to land at the island's shore.

The human family just stared at it in shock. The mermaid miss did say she'd summon her ride, right? Why wasn't it a big fish or other aquatic creature that they'd expected but rather a real-life dragon?


A/n:
You might have a look at the book I am the child of a monster to kill time. Also leave comments so I know where to improve on. I can't update as fast as I wanted. I'm on medication.