Even years later, Pearlina still experienced Daryah’s banishment during her sleep. The memories were more vivid as her own Drywalking ceremony had arrived. It was her turn, yet she wished it were any of the others. Her time had come. She was the eldest of the unbonded females and had no choice.
She woke before Syrene and swam out of their hidden cove, deep below the surface, where the humans rarely ventured. The periphery of the cove was home to plentiful sea life. A school of fish leisurely swam by. Not one part of her wanted to leave this place, but it was her duty. The survival of their kind depended on the strength of the females, and the ability to reproduce. On land, she’d prove her worth and dedication. When she returned, she’d bond to a male and never be faced with another human again.
The ceremony seemed simple enough, but the memories of Daryah clung to her mind like coral to the cove.
In the time since then, Pearlina only left her home for hunting journeys. For prolonged periods, she distanced herself from the land. The rest of the time she waded through life, wishing she could stay under the surface for good. It wasn’t the most ambitious of plans, but she didn’t want to be a burden, like Daryah. Pearlina would live a long life, serving their survival.
Above her, the sky light altered the hue of the water as it started to filter down to the depths of the cove. The ceremony neared.
The announcement of her betrothed worried her as much as going onto land. Who would she spend the rest of her life with? Those who were bonded in the troop never traveled without their partners. When one died, the other went shortly after. The only one Pearlina ever imagined by her side was Syrene. It was hard to believe any of the males could take her sister’s place. But as a member of the troop, she trusted the ceremonies in place.
Syrene’s signature vibration approached. Pearlina fisted her hands by her sides before flicking her fin in her sister’s direction. The last ceremony passed through Pearlina’s mind. The Drywalking ceremony had taken place in less than one cycle of the sky light. The female, Tamami, had brought a human corpse to the cove before any of the troop noticed her arrival. She’d bonded to her betrothed before the second day of her proposed ceremony. It was a feat to rival, but Pearlina didn’t have a competitive spirit.
Syrene’s hand touched Pearlina’s shoulder. Sister, are you ready?
Yes.
Syrene moved in front of Pearlina and took her hands. What is wrong? Today is a celebratory event.
For some. Pearlina removed her hands from Syrene’s and turned away, wanting her mind to be private for once.
With a flick of her fin, Syrene appeared in front of Pearlina again, but this time, Syrene kept her hands at her sides. Her eyes said enough.
There was nothing to say. Pearlina had no choice.
It had taken Daryah’s fateful Drywalking ceremony for Pearlina to finally understand why Syrene preferred the water to the air. Their cove was uncomplicated and straightforward – the way Pearlina now preferred.
The Drywalking ceremony was a disruption to her life, but a necessary movement forward for the future of their troop. There was no going back, and Pearlina would try to return to the water as soon as possible.
In the time before her ceremony, other betrothed females passed down information to help Pearlina to succeed on land. Strange words and customs rolled over in her mind. The most elusive information was how she would capture one of the humans for the sacrifice. All the tales from the females were different. Their choosing depended on how quickly they could gain a human’s trust.
Pearlina always thought humans were like any other food source she had hunted at sea. But the bonded had told her they were a different type of prey. They were cunning and selfish and would do anything to survive. Pearlina didn’t appreciate the challenge. Each Drywalker after Daryah had to prove themselves. Since then, all the females worked hard to show the troop that they were deserving of their roles as Daryah’s memory hovered over them. While Pearlina tried to prove herself in other ways, the Drywalking ceremony mattered most to them.
Vibrations from the members of the troop coursed through her body as she neared the location of the ceremony. It took place near a cliff face at their cove’s edge. It was where they brought the bodies of the humans for sacrifice – a place Pearlina tried to stay away from as much as possible. When she and Syrene were young, they had dared each other to swim as far down as possible. But they each only swam a few yards before gliding up to known territory. Souls of the humans haunted the depths, enough to keep the young ones away.
Pearlina feared her mission more than the souls. She scanned the troop for the unbonded males. One of them would be her other half for the rest of her long life. She couldn’t imagine who had been chosen for her.
Before Sonata became one with the sea again, she’d passed her duties to her daughter. Zimra had completed the ceremony for several cycles. Her obligation to the troop revolved around the Drywalking ceremony, though she would never take part. She held the burden of the secrets of the seas, carving the runes into the chosen pearls to be a part of the ceremony.
For a long time, Pearlina hadn’t cared to know how it all worked, as long as it was over as soon as possible. She wasn’t looking forward to the long and tiresome swim to land, or to drowning a human, though she had imagined it more recently. She tried to think of the humans as large marine creatures. It was the only way for her to think about taking one of them under. Her skills at hunting weren’t all for naught.
Syrene glided next to Pearlina, but she kept her hands to herself. It was Pearlina who reached out. I’m scared.
Syrene squeezed back. I know. You will do well. You don’t need to be as quick as Tamami.
Pearlina wanted to hold on to Syrene and swim off, forever delaying her duty. She didn’t care about being the best. She hated the humans for creating the need for this tradition. If they weren’t so horrible, Daryah wouldn’t have had to die on her own. But rather than reaching for her sister, Pearlina’s hands floated by her sides.
Use it, Syrene said, stretching beyond their abilities, and speaking without touching. Only the strongest bonds allowed it. It also opened Pearlina’s mind to her sister, which Syrene tried never to do. Usually it was an unwelcome intrusion, but today, Pearlina didn’t mind. She’d take her sister’s advice and use their bond to communicate.
The rest of the troop had gathered. Their eyes were on Pearlina.
With her shoulders pushed back and Syrene’s words in her head, she flicked her tail and swam to Zimra.
Thick runes cut across her arms, shapes unreadable by anyone who didn’t understand the human language. Markings dotted Zimra’s face, and Pearlina barely recognized the female she had trained to hunt. As with others with her destiny, Zimra cut her light hair when her mother had died, and her duties were passed on. Runes marred the top of her head, reaching down her back, offering a full view of her transformation.
Zimra opened her arms wide, and Pearlina looked at her troop, several yards away. They were to witness the ceremony, but the intricate details of the transformation were an intimate affair. Zimra’s lips moved, curving around the strange and silent language. She held the corded necklace above Pearlina’s head before tying it around her neck. A pulse shifted within Pearlina’s chest as Zimra gripped her shoulders as tight as a shark’s jaws.
Pearlina’s mouth fell open, and a ripping sensation split her body. Her head fell back, and the surface called to her. The sharp pain moved to the lower half of her body. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. Daryah’s screams from long ago echoed in her mind. Zimra’s grip loosened and Pearlina started to sink. She kicked out her tail – no – she no longer had one. The two legs under her were useless in moving her toward the surface. She tried to take hold of two limbs instead of one, but the legs didn’t give the same movement as her tail. She clawed against the water with her hands and tried to breathe. Instead, water flooded her mouth.
Pearlina pressed her lips together and touched her neck. The slits of her gills were no longer there. Instead, her fingers dragged against smooth skin.
Syrene appeared in front of her and nodded. I have you. Her voice was no longer as clear in Pearlina’s mind. It was as if water filled her mind as much as it had her mouth.
Another set of hands touched her. She turned to face Kaito, her betrothed. She hadn’t expected him. His dark eyes were always soft, and he was a keen hunter.
Once again, her surroundings blackened. She tried to push her thoughts to Syrene, but she couldn’t do much other than flail helplessly.
Holding her against them, Kaito and Syrene helped Pearlina to the surface. Her legs dragged under her, and she could barely hold on. They had strong grips as if they were both determined to keep her alive. None of the other females had mentioned the suffocating feeling of the inability to breathe. With all the advice they’d given, Pearlina wished she had known what to expect about the unpleasant experience of becoming human.
The moment her face touched reached the surface, she inhaled. Air filled her mouth and lungs as she drew in a breath. She choked and gagged on the water she’d swallowed, but she’d made it to the surface alive.
Syrene trailed her fingers along Pearlina’s face. Usually, only the betrothed pair raced to the surface together after the physical traditions of the ceremony were performed – this moment. The temporary farewell between betrothed was sacred.
Without any more words, Syrene disappeared under the surface. Pearlina stared at the water where her sister had gone.
Greetings, Kaito sent to her. His voice wasn’t as strong in her head either. Their communication wasn’t as crisp as it had been under water – just as it had been more difficult to understand Syrene. It was possible the human form couldn’t interpret their ways of speaking, or it was another aspect of the ceremony.
‘It’s you,’ she said. Her voice rang in her ears, and it sounded wrong and almost too loud. Pearlina tried to speak to him through their minds, but it was difficult.
He winced and brushed his fingers over her arm.
The sound of her clanking teeth filled her ears. Kaito’s arms wrapped around her. Warmth radiated from his skin and she sunk into his touch.
Among all the males, Kaito’s calm behavior most matched the racing energy within Pearlina. The choice was a good one. Pearlina wanted to return to a life with this male. She had noticed him in the past, but her preoccupation with the ceremony had prevented her from bothering to think about her own betrothal.
Another male might have tried to push Syrene away from helping Pearlina to the surface, but Kaito understood the bond between Pearlina and Syrene.
Yes, he was a favorable choice for her. Her arms wrapped around him, absorbing his warmth.
I was hoping for you, he sent. I believe in you. In us. Come back to me.
Pearlina arched her back and searched his eyes. She would come back to him. She had no intention of staying on land any longer than necessary.
‘I will,’ Pearlina said in a stronger voice.