Chapter One

Aluride stared upward, head tilted back, at the boat rocking above them upon the waves. "Another chance presents itself, Thera. Are you prepared?"

"This is against the teachings of our Masters. We must not." Thera tried to dissuade her friend and companion from this thing he seemed determined to do.

"Then be gone with you. Go back to the depths to lurk forever among the ancient ruins and the seaweed. But I will have my chance. Pheno and Cariases must have succeeded. They never returned from their attempt."

As they watched, a human tumbled backward from the side of the boat and splashed into the water above their heads. The odd breathing tank the humans must rely on below the water appeared heavy and awkward to the Atlanteans.

Aluride and Thera needed no such equipment to breathe within the ocean waters they called home. Since the sinking of their homeland, the continent of Atlantis, it had been so. Those not destroyed by the great explosion traveled the sea floor at will, ate from the plants and shellfish, and survived with no thought of how they managed the feat. But something felt wrong. An essential part of being was forever lost to them, unless...

Aluride intended to find the missing element. He believed Pheno and Cariases accomplished the deed and he also would determine if the oft told legend of walking above held any truth. If true, he would return and lead any who would follow to rise with him and recover their homeland.

Thera interrupted his internal reflections with a gasp as another human hit the water. This one a female, her long, red strands like silk streamed behind her and drew the female Atlantean's attention and admiration. "Oh Aluride, if I may truly take her form, then I will go with you. Her tresses are as the very liquid heat pouring from the craters of Neptune."

"Come then, we dare not tarry." Aluride led the way as the divers flipped over and began their descent. "Do as I do. It should be simple according to the legend."

"Will there... Will there be pain, do you think?" Thera asked hesitantly. She had not accompanied Aluride with the intent to do this, but the long, fiery tresses drew her. She must touch them, own them if there was any way possible.

"I do not know. But we are strong. Have we not survived for thousands of years? Our race is chosen. If we are to take them, we must do it now," Aluride insisted.

Before she could think to change her mind, Thera watched Aluride remove the breathing device from the mouth of the male human. Quickly, she reached for the apparatus on the face of the female and copied his actions.

The male struggled at first then stopped abruptly when he turned toward Aluride. His eyes grew wide behind the see-through shield. Aluride pulled the mask from the human face and pressed his mouth to the male's jaw.

Glorious warmth filled Aluride's every cell. He felt the human's blood fill his pores, a heart began to pound in his chest, his skin warmed, and he felt different—alive—so alive! Aluride glanced over to see how Thera fared.

Thera wrapped her limbs in the long, silky, red waves flowing from the female's head to hold her in place. She could not go on a second longer without touching the brilliant mass. Mimicking Aluride, Thera pressed her mouth to the female's cheek. She almost retreated from the flood of sensations spreading through her.

Warmth like hot springs, only more heated, filled her. The sudden drumming in her chest frightened her. Becoming aware of her body parts thrilled her as sensation after sensation ran the length of her limbs and back. She became the female with the flowing red tresses just as Aluride took the male human's form. Thera watched her own discarded shell of a body fall deeper into the waters along with Aluride's. There would be no going back.

"The legend is true. We have merged with the humans. We can now walk above as we did before. Come, Thera. We must take in oxygen soon or lose these bodies." Aluride motioned to her and kicked awkwardly for the surface.

"Wait, Aluride. I cannot function. This is too strange." Thera felt too much. Even the flow of the currents around her stirred an awareness she did not understand. Her extended limbs felt awkward, uncontrollable.

Aluride came near and reached for her hand. Knowledge of countless things filled him. He shared memories as well as emotions with the human. An unsettling occurrence, yet exciting at the same time.

Thera drew away immediately when his new flesh touched hers. Such an odd sensation. Shared warmth, pressure, tingles in the nerve endings, stimuli running all the way to a synaptic center somewhere in her new head.

"We must go, Thera. Come with me, now." Impatiently, Aluride clasped her hand and drew her to the surface with him.