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Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Seven


by kristykimmy

--------

Four Years Previous...

"Child seems to be sleeping in," the Middle Drenched sister commented.

     "I'll go get her up. She trained hard yesterday, she may just have been overly tired," the Youngest swam off to get girl.

     The older two sat there and ate their breakfast in silence. The Youngest rushed back into the room. Her eyes were wide and her face white. The other two went rigid, dreading what she was about to say.

     "I can't find Child."

     ***

     Child opened her eyes and looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. She was lying in a strange bedroom in a windowless cave. For a moment she panicked, worried something had happened to her mothers. A moment later a Water Faerie with platinum blonde hair and blue-green eyes swam into the room, carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

     "Good morning, dear," the Faerie greeted her, setting the tray on her lap.

     "Who are you, and where am I? Where are my mothers?" Child asked worriedly.

     "Don't worry; you're going to stay with me for a short while for special training. Your mothers want you to be more adept in the healing arts, so they have sent you to me for a few weeks. However, I had some problems with a former apprentice, so I keep my location a secret. That is why you were not told and I brought you here in your sleep. My name is Amalithia," Amalithia explained.

     "Oh, I see. In that case, I will train hard and do my mothers proud," Child promised.

     "I'm sure you will."

     There was something in Amalithia's tone that disturbed Child slightly, but she could figure out what it was. She simply pushed it out of her mind and ate her breakfast.

     ***

     Child trained hard during the week, Amalithia was truly gifted at the art of healing, and Child considered herself lucky to train under her. She couldn't help but be curious about Amalithia's mention of a student who had caused her to go into hiding. She didn't have to wonder in vain, Amalithia seemed more than willing to share.

     "So, why did you decide to take me on as an apprentice for this week, if you went into hiding because of an apprentice?" Child asked after one session on her sixth day there.

     Amalithia looked over at her, seemingly surprised by the question. Her eyes grew sad. "Penance."

     "Penance?" Child echoed, uncomprehending.

     "You've lived a sheltered life, but if you had lived in Maraqua, or above the waves on the islands, you would surely have heard of the pirate captain, Scarblade. He was my last apprentice. I was careless; I had become so arrogant at my successful students that I no longer took care in my choosing. He had promise, and I took him without taking the time to evaluate his character. I learned too late what a monster he was. By then, he had learned enough magic to make him a terror above and below. I cast him out, but only did more harm in doing so. He became a pirate, and soon a captain, and then he committed atrocity after atrocity. I can't stop him now, but I can make sure I never do anything again to contribute to his wickedness against the people above or below the waves."

     "And how does training me count as penance?" Child asked.

     "By trying to right the wrongs of those with too much power. You'll understand soon," Amalithia said.

     Again, that uneasy feeling crept into Child's mind. Something about Amalithia's motives didn't seem right to her. Again, she pushed the feeling away, as there was nothing she could do about it now.

     ***

     "Come, Child. I have something you need to see," Amalithia said.

     Child looked up from the book she was reading, and nodded. She put the book away and followed Amalithia out of the cave. Together they swam through the ocean for a few hours. Finally, Amalithia began to swim upwards and Child followed.

     They broke the surface and Child looked around. The sun was fast approaching the end of its journey, and color was beginning to creep into the blue sky. Ahead of them was an island, just a small one. A small beach opened before them and a town lay atop a steep hill above it. Child really didn't have time to take these things in, though.

     "Go ashore and tell me what you find there," Amalithia instructed.

     Child obeyed. Once on dry land she looked around. The only thing out of place were two little stone wedges a little ways off. She went over to them and bent down to read what was inscribed on them.

     "They are headstones, I think," Child said uncertainly. "Walter and Miranda, and differing dates."

     "Anything strike you about those names or this place?" Amalithia asked.

     Child got up and looked about the beach and up at the town. "No. I've never been above the waves in my life."

      "That's not true; this is where you were born. Those are your parents," Amalithia told.

     Child looked at the headstones on the beach, then back at Amalithia.

     "No, you're mistaken. The Drenched are my mothers, my home has always been below the surface," Child laughed nervously, feeling very uncomfortable in Amalithia's presence. "I want to go home. I want to go home right now."

     "Everything the Drenched have ever told you is a lie," Amalithia told her. "I have brought you home."

     Anger flared up inside Child.

     "You're lying!" she screamed. "I don't know what sick game this is, or if this is your penance, but I want no part in it. Fix your conscience another way, just take me home!

     "They were your parents. They loved you more than anything in the world. They died looking for you. The Drenched took you away from them years ago. This is the world you belong in, the world above the waters. Your name is Delia; you still have family here, waiting for you. You have a future here; you don't have one with them. The Drenched aren't your mothers," Amalithia insisted.

     "I don't care!" Child screamed at the top of her lungs. "I was happy where I was, I was loved. I don't care what they did! They love me. I want to go home!"

     "The Drenched aren't capable of love. You're a puppet, that's all you'll ever be!" Amalithia shouted back at her.

     "You don't know anything, you weren't there. You don't know anything!" Child denied it. She kicked the sand and surf in her rage. "Take me home!"

     "I have." Amalithia's voice was grim.

     "Don't you dare. Don't you dare! Take me home!" Child screamed as Amalithia shook her head.

     Amalithia turned and dived into the water, but couldn't escape Child's parting words.

     "You're no better, Amalithia! You've done as much wrong as they. You took me from loving parents, too! At least they had the decency not to try to destroy me while doing it!"

     Amalithia tried to not hear those words, but she did. She had been so convinced of the rightness of her actions until then. Now, she worried, had she just done wrong again? There was one quick way to solve it, she would go to the Drenched. She would find proof for Child that the Drenched never cared and weren't sorry she was gone.

     ***

     Amalithia arrived at the Drenched's undersea caves. She used the same spell to become as water that she had used when she took Child away. She swam up to Child's bedroom window, a spell ready to record for Child how heartless her foster mothers really were towards her. What she saw shook her.

     The Youngest Drenched sat on the bed, clutching a childish drawing and Child's pillow. Her eyes were red, the only sign she was shedding tears underwater, and her body was wracked with sobs. The other two entered the room, their eyes were red too. The Middle sister swam over and hugged her younger sister close, while the Eldest took the picture and gently stroked it with her fingertips.

     She placed her hand on the Youngest's head. "Don't despair, sisters. We will find her, no matter how long it takes. Whoever took her can't hide her forever. She may even find her way home on her own."

     "It's just so hard not knowing where she is! My little Child!" the Youngest sobbed.

     Amalithia couldn't watch anymore. She turned and swam away.

     ***

     Child sat on the beach, her head on her knees, her tail curled around her. She was afraid to go up into the town, worried that they would recognize her and send her to whatever relative Amalithia had said was still around. She also wasn't confident about just diving back into the ocean, as she had no clue where she was or which way home was.

     She felt something swimming through the water towards her, it was Amalithia. She raised her head defiantly, ready to tell her that she wasn't going up into the town, and demand to be taken home. Amalithia's head broke the surface of the water, and she spoke before Child could.

     "I was wrong," Amalithia said immediately.

     Child nodded.

     "I'm going to take you home now. Come here."

     Child rose and looked out over the horizon, noticing for the first time the dark sky and the millions of stars, and the motion of the waves coming in from the sea. A part of her desperately wanted to stay here and be a part of the world above the waves. Still, as much as she wanted this world, she wanted her mothers more. If she stayed now, she could only have the one. Without her beloved mothers, this world wasn't worth it. She vowed she would be back someday.

     She walked into the surf, to Amalithia. Amalithia took Child's head in her hands and whispered, "Sleep now, dear."

     Child's eyes closed, and she collapsed into Amalithia's arms. Amalithia prepared to wipe the last week of Child's life from her mind, making it as though it never happened. She didn't as a sudden thought struck her. Child might need to know someday. Instead, she simply sealed the memories away. She pulled the sleeping girl close and swam deep into the ocean, bringing her home to mothers who truly loved her.

     ***

     The Youngest swam into Child's room after another sleepless night. Being surrounded by Child's things helped to ease the pain a little. She looked at the bed and her breath caught in her throat. She called to her sisters, unable to trust her own eyes. They came swimming in and saw Child there, both as shocked as their younger sister.

     Child awoke and looked over at them. "Good morning, Mothers! Is something wrong?"

     They looked at each other for a moment, then back at her.

     "She doesn't know," the Middle sister whispered.

     "Then we shan't tell her," the Eldest decided.

     The Youngest swam over, as calmly as she could, and held Child tight. "Nothing is wrong, darling. We were just talking about you, and how lucky we are to have such a wonderful daughter. I love you, Child."

     "I'm the lucky one, to have such wonderful and loving mothers," Child said as she returned the embrace.

     The other two swam over and joined in the hug, simply grateful their daughter was home safe.

To be continued...

 
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Other Episodes


» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part One
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Two
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Three
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Four
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Five
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Six
» Child of the Drenched: Return to the Depths - Part Eight



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