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Victor traveled through the lands, and the humans’ hospitality surprised him at every turn. All it took from Victor for them to open their hearts and houses to him, was a smile and a pleasant conversation.
Perhaps I haven’t lost all of my charm, Victor thought wryly. It was a small consolation for the former dark prince of the seas.
Victor would offer to do chores as a small payment for their kindness. Most refused, while some said yes to minor tasks so that Victor wouldn’t feel indebted.
“What’s that?” Victor asked his human hosts one day. “That place over there.”
“You mean the Clear Mountain? Legend has it that whoever climbs it on foot gains wisdom for the path ahead.”
“Interesting,” was all that Victor said in reply.
He thought it was curious how humans had their own personal lores and legends.
Victor had never seen the mountains before. He left his horse in a stable at the foot of the mountain, as he made the journey on foot. Victor wasn’t sure he would have made the journey had he remained immortal and a creature of the ocean. He would have no interest in seeing mountains then.
Every step he took felt like it might be his last. Every breath seemed more fragile than the one before, but Victor made it to the top of the mountain. It wasn’t the highest in the land, but it was a monumental feat for Victor. The view of the land stretched out before him, blending into the ocean. There were no boundaries, just a palette of vibrant browns and greens meeting the jewel blues of the ocean and the skies.
“I can’t believe I am saying this, but I am glad I lived to see this sight,” Victor said to himself. “Being a mortal comes with its own wonders, it seems. Humans don’t have an entirely meaningless existence, brief as it may be.”
Victor felt the fresh breeze of the mountain ruffling his hair. He saw the birds in flight above him.
“You live such short lives, mortals... but you are precious,” Victor said. “It took becoming a mortal to finally understand it.”
Victor had a sudden desire to see Helena’s village. He wanted to see what her life would have been had she stayed on the surface.
“Might as well satisfy my curiosity. I might not get another chance to find out,” Victor thought.
———-
It had been a year since Brutus brought Helena to the underwater kingdom, and even now she felt like she was drowning at any moment. She hadn’t seen a glimpse of the sun for a year. Her lungs craved the air that it didn’t need under water.
Helena desperately wanted to know how her family was. She wanted to know her father was faring with her gone. Brutus didn’t let Helena out of his sight or even out too far from the castle. He said that it was for her own protection. There were dark creatures that would look to harm her as she was the queen. Helena didn’t feel malice in his intent.
When Brutus asked what she wanted for her birthday, Helena only had one request. She wanted to see the surface one last time. Helena had already accepted her fate. She wouldn’t fight it anymore.
“I will give you what you wish, if you promise to return to me,” Brutus said.
“I have nowhere else to go. I will come back to you,” Helena said.
The sea king sent two sentries with her to take her to the surface. She was quiet as she made her way to the surface. Helena took in the sun and the sandy shore, willing herself to look past to where her village had been.
The surface looked serene and unchanged. Helena supposed she was the only one to be altered so completely. She didn’t notice the small boy near the beach who stood transfixed at the sight of a mermaid. Helena said farewell one last time as she returned to the crystal palace under the sea.
There was no point in going back to her family. They would likely consider her dead. The neighbors will not be as kind to her reappearance. They would consider it as witchcraft and they will hunt her down. They will hurt her entire family too.
Helena hoped that her family wasn’t looking for her anymore. For all purpose, she was dead to the surface world. She didn’t know how long she would survive underwater with a broken heart. Helena returned to the sea king and never requested to go back to the surface again.
————
Victor woke up drenched in sweat. For a moment, he didn’t know if he was still in his nightmare. He had fallen asleep in a field with his horse nearby. What was his nightmare about? He only remembered glimpses of it.
He was holding the dead prince’s body. Ariana had turned to stone. A voice was luring him to the caves. He saw his mother’s face as he broke the pearl of his immortality ring. It was not anger on her face, but fear. Why hadn’t Victor noticed that before?
What you saw wasn’t real, Victor. Ursula hasn’t come looking for you at all. Ariana is no longer a stone statue. As for Prince Ivan, it was not you who killed him. Victor mulled over these thoughts, but it didn’t give him any relief.
Why was Victor having these nightmares now? Why hadn’t Ursula come looking for him? She might hate him, but she would still want to punish him for defying her orders. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Victor thought something must have gone very wrong, but he pushed it aside.
The only way to stop thinking about the past was to keep moving, Victor reminded himself.
He recognized the wagon even before he saw the fortune teller. Victor groaned.
He already was having a terrible morning because of the nightmares of last night. Victor didn’t want another thing to add to his annoyance. He contemplated just moving ahead and ignoring the wagon. But something stopped him from going further.
Victor thought about how the fortune teller had been right about his fortune before. Perhaps he could just see what she had to say this time? It couldn’t change what he already knew was in store for him. The fortune wouldn’t change his outcome.
Victor knocked on the wagon door and waited for the fortune teller to open it.
“You have returned as I knew you would,” the fortune teller said.
Victor thought it was likely a rehearsed greeting, but he kept his sarcasm to a minimum when he said, “I would like to have my fortune read again.”
“Come inside, son, let me see what the fates tell me,” the fortune teller said.
Victor moved inside the wagon and saw it was as crowded as before. She had stuffed every corner with odd trinkets. But unlike the last time, the fortune teller didn’t look at her crystal ball. She asked Victor to bring his hand forward.
“What do you want with my hand?” Victor asked. “Are you not going to see into your ball this time?”
“I want to read the lines on your palm,” the fortune teller said. “The crystal ball has been foggy lately and not showing me anything.”
“And what would these lines on my palm tell you?” Victor asked again.
“Your destiny,” the fortune teller replied. “It will tell me what is in store in your future.”
Victor gave his hand to the fortune teller and watched as she poured over the lines. He saw her expression change multiple times from horror to deep contemplation. When she was quiet for a long time, Victor asked her what she had seen.
“Your life will end soon,” the fortune teller said. “I didn’t know how to tell you that.”
It impressed Victor. The fortune teller had no way of telling what he already knew. To her, he must look like a young mortal in the prime of youth. There wasn’t any way she would know about his condition or what plagued him, unless she was gifted with foresight.
“You might be right,” Victor replied. “In fact, I am not surprised to hear that at all.”
“I don’t see beyond your time here, but there is something else you must know,” the fortune teller said.
Victor was surprised. “What should I know?”
“The winds of change are in the air and around you. You can change the lines of your fate,” the fortune teller said. She pointed to the lines of his hands, "You can change the lines of your destiny."
“I could change the lines of my destiny?” Victor said.
“Yes, for you, your destiny is not set in stone,” the fortune teller said.
Victor thought it was an interesting choice of word but said nothing to her. He didn’t know what the fortune teller meant, but he thanked her. Victor wanted to give her the last remaining bag of coin he had, but the fortune teller refused.
“I don’t want money,” the fortune teller told him.
“Then how can I repay you? I don’t like being indebted to anyone,” Victor said.
“I want a promise from you, son,” the fortune teller said.
“What kind of promise?”
“When the fates of the worlds are in your hand, I want you to remember all that is good,” the fortune teller said. “I want you to save my world. That is all I want as payment.”
Victor was perplexed, but he nodded. He left the wagon, mulling over the fortune she gave him.
If he were to die soon, what was the point of changing his destiny?
The fortune teller also said something about the wind of change in the air. Victor felt it too, without her saying it. Something was changing in the world. Something big.
The fortune teller had been right before. We will have to see if she will be right again, Victor thought. For now, I can’t do anything except keep moving. Perhaps I will find the answer before my death arrives.
—
The marshes stretched before Victor. The humans had warned him not to take the path at night. It was midday, but the area still had an ominous feeling. There was a wide stretch of road, surrounded both sides by the marshes.
For immortal Victor, this area, where the land and water were as one, would have felt familiar. But now, every instinct of Victor told him to get away as fast as possible.
His horse was skittish too. It took Victor a long time to make it move.
“We need to cross this area as soon as possible. We can’t wait for nightfall. Do you understand, my friend?” Victor said to his horse.
The horse nodded in return and finally took the first step. As long as Victor stayed in the middle of the road and didn’t look at the marshes, he would be ok.
Victor swore as a thick mist rolled onto the road ahead. He could barely see a few feet ahead of him. The horse stopped again and refused to move through the fog. Victor had to dismount and walk beside the horse.
It was so quiet. There were no birds around here. The entire area was dead to sound or to life.
Victor heard a voice coming from the marshes. His horse moved nervously, but Victor patted it to calm down. Victor heard the voice again.
“Victor.. Victor..”
He couldn’t ignore the sound anymore. Victor left his horse and followed that sweet voice. He ignored the neighs coming from the horse. Victor walked to the edge of the marsh where she was standing.
“Ariana.” Victor said, breathless.
Ariana looked beautiful. She looked sadly at him and started walking in the marsh.
“Wait, Ariana..” Victor said.
Ariana shook her head and walked deeper into the marsh. Victor followed her, his steps faltering on the muddy ground.
Victor kept walking. Ariana was moving deeper and deeper in the marsh. Victor’s instincts were warning him to stop. His horse neighs finally reached Victor’s ears.
“I shouldn’t be here,” Victor realized.
Ariana stopped. She walked closer to him and Victor froze. She finally spoke.
“Why have you been hiding from me, Victor?” Ariana asked, sadly.
“Ariana..” Victor said.
“Come back to me,” Ariana said. She was standing next to him now. Her breath was so cold.
“I can’t come back..” Victor said.
“We can make it work. Come back to me, Victor,” Ariana said.
“You know I can’t...” Victor said.
Ariana came closer and reached out her hand to Victor’s face. She stroked her fingers gently along his chin. Her fingers were so cold. She leaned closer, her lips inches away from his.
“Kiss me,” Ariana whispered.
Victor stood still. All he wanted to do was lean in and kiss her.
“I love you, Victor,” Ariana whispered again.
Victor wanted to believe her. He did. But instead, he took out his hunting knife and plunged it in Ariana’s heart. Her scream echoed in the empty marsh.
Victor scrambled his way onto the path again, away from the marsh. He watched as the dark creature that pretended to be Ariana transformed back to its hideous self.
Victor was shaking. The creature was from the dark sea army. What was it doing in the mortal lands in the middle of the day? There must be something wrong going on in the oceans, Victor thought, but as a mortal he couldn’t do anything about it now.
Victor missed the creature’s heart by inches. The wound he gave it would heal soon enough. He could kill the creature by beheading it, but Victor couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not when it had Ariana’s face.
Victor would have been the dark creature’s victim if it hadn’t said those last words. It most likely would have eaten Victor after drowning him. It would have eaten his flesh and then sucked on his bones.
“Ariana never loved me,” Victor spat. “Go find yourself another victim to torture. I won’t be your meal.”
The creature made a terrible sound, but stayed where it was. It lurked in the marshes as Victor scrambled back to his horse. Victor kept walking until he left the marshes far behind, never once looking back.
——-