Epic Tail

[Lawshenk]

for lawshenk and Lord bane

Mermaids are the centre of Mandis world these " mythical" creatures always fascinated her it took her till her 15th birthday to realise that they are not real (sorry if that's a spoiler) not long after her 16th birthday she was given a school assignment (and camcorder) to make a youtube video

After 3 drafts she had her script ready and now the teacher wants her to find locations. This was a surprise the others in her class had to use green screens

Our story begins when our land locked heroine enters a cave near a dried out river bed.

[Lawshenk]

As she carefully walked through the damp caves enterance Mandy sighed and took out her note book she wrote the first words that came to mind

" Good lighting but overpoweringly damp smell and moist air she took out her smart phone and turned on it's flash light as she went further in to the cave.

After what felt like an age Mandi, made it to an under ground lake, as she did her phone cut out. " Hey dam thing I had 50% battery left she said before tripping over something large and scaley

[Lady Jenn]

Nyran was considered small by most Mer, not that he would've appreciated anyone pointing that out to him, long curly hair half obscuring his silver eyes. At that moment he had been taking a momentary nap, which went some way to explaining his irritability at what had just occurred.

"Why don't you watch where you're-" he trailed off as he spotted Mandy. "Wait, you're not...how did you get here?"

[Lawshenk]

Mandy was searching for her glasses on the floor near area in which she fell. She was on her hands and knees with her rear in the air. She found them split in two and cursed under breath as she heard another voice
" I am very very sorry" she said worriedly " it is just so dark in here that I could not see any thing or any one"

She was clear distort but want had happened " I am not a what? And erm I am mentally to be finding locations for a school project. Do you know how hard that is 2 weeks I've been looking, this cave seems perfect but it is way to dark in fact the only light source seems to be in the pool?" She questioned a little surprised by her out pooring.

She looked toward the voice but couldn't make out it's source " are you hurt I can't see you, I would call for help however my phone has run out off juice sorry"

[Lady Jenn]

"Of course a human finds this place by accident," he muttered under his breath. "All the magical protection in the world and we can't hide ourselves from clumsy nitwits, if my dad was here..." he stopped, suddenly remembering who he was talking to. "It's probably not safe for you to be here," he said. "This place's usual occupants are...not big fans of company. I can help you find a way out of here though."

He breathed a sigh of relief when he discovered the short knife he had to defend himself was safely nearby to him, not that he had any intention of using it, but he felt far safer knowing he had it to hand if the worst should happen.

[Lawshenk]

" I'm sorry?" She stumbled toward him I really can not see without my spectles " she said getting closer " or light"

She stopped " once I have them I'm sure. I will find my own way back home"
She was now on top of him feeling her way around she stopped and gulped when she touched his flesh

" Sorry"

[Lady Jenn]

"Maybe we should start this again," he said, an orb of light appearing above his left light, illuminating their faces slightly. "I'm sorry if I was a bit...grumpy before, but like I said, this cave isn't safe for you. Hell, it's barely safe for me, I need to stop taking naps around here. Are you hurt at all?"

He was so busy concentrating on her he hadn't noticed a second illumination source visible below the water, although what was causing it was unclear at that moment.

[Lawshenk]

Once the room was illuminated mandi rushed over to her glasses putting them on she looked at the source of the light " oh my gosh" she said smiling.

A little unsure of what she was seeing " ok so this a prank right your not real where did you buy that tail"

[Lady Jenn]

"Do I look like I bought this in a shop?" he asked, a note of irritability in his voice as he nodded towards the tail. "I promise that tail is as real as my light spell." He had a sudden, growing sense of unease. "Listen...I don't know your name, but this place is not safe. I will answer whatever questions you have to the best of my abilities, but you will need to trust me."

[Lawshenk]

"I am Amanda " she smiled " I like to called Mandi and there is only one question my lips" she sat next to him " may I get a tail?,_

[Lady Jenn]

"I suppose it could be done," he said after thinking it over for a moment. "Although if it is possible I can't just magic it out of thin air." He offered her his left hand. "The name is Nyran, as you probably guessed by now I'm a merman."

[Lawshenk]

Mandi looked at him, you think I should go I will but if it is unsafe here how do I find you?'

[Lady Jenn]

"I can get you somewhere safe," he replied. "After that...well, once you're somewhere safe I'll figure something out, I've never tried communicating with a human before so I don't know the procedure."

[Lawshenk]

" ok " she smiled and awaited instruction

[Lady Jenn]

"I can get you-" he stopped, suddenly seeing the light under the water. "Well...that would be a seriously bad idea." He thought for a moment, before handing her the orb of light. "There's a passage behind me, if you follow it you'll get out of this cave. I'll be right behind you, but there's something I need to do first."

[Lawshenk]

" ok" she said confused by the fact he had a tail and would follow on to a. Dried river bed but rather than question him she just followed his orders

[Lady Jenn]

He followed her soon after, legs having appeared where his tail was previously, trying to hide a cut on his left arm. "So...we should probably find somewhere to sit down before I start answering questions really."

[Lawshenk]

Recognizing the area she had an idea where they can sleep almost instantly " follow me" she leads him through the town keeping low and quiet, until they got to disused factory she showed him the way in and went to a small fire " so here we are Mr?"

[Lady Jenn]

"Nyran," he replied. "Or at least that's the English version, my Mer name...hell, I can barely pronounce it, so I won't force you to try." He winced suddenly. "I don't suppose you have any medicine around?"

[Lawshenk]

" yeah in the medicine cupboard in the bathroom up stairs mythical creatures section " she said in happy but scarcaetic way

[Lady Jenn]

"Y'know, ordinarily I'd love a bit of dry humour," he said, letting out a strained laugh. "But right now...not so much." He moved his hand enough that the cut on his arm was more obvious. The blood wasn't flowing freely but it certainly hadn't healed.

[Lawshenk]

" this is my life it's not a joke" she looked at the arm and ripped her shirt with the torn off part in hand she soon wrapped it around the cut
" There hoped that feel "

[Lady Jenn]

"It'll do...for now," he said, wincing, but trying to take his mind off the pain. "See, this is why I told you to get out of there, if you'd still been in the cave this...might not have ended so well."

[Lawshenk]

" ok " she said a little unsure of what to say or to do to him now so she just say there staring

[Lady Jenn]

"You can ask me questions if you want," he said, sitting down as comfortably as he could. "I'm not convinced it's a good idea for me to back into the water just yet."

[Lawshenk]

" why on earth can't I be in that cave" she had plenty of other questions but that was the one that made it out first

[Lady Jenn]

"Mer aren't the only creatures under the sea that humans are...unaware of," he replied. "What I hadn't realised was that cave's occupant was a creature that wasn't a big fan of sharing its cave with...well, anyone."

[Lawshenk]

She slowly took in what he said " what are you talking about?"

[Lady Jenn]

"They're called Lar'zae," he replied. "Imagine something like a crocodile...if it could swim in the ocean and had razor sharp claws. There aren't many of them in the world but they are EXTREMELY territorial. I should've realised that before it came back."

[Lawshenk]

" is that what got your arm?" She was a little concerned " let's start at the beginning your a?"

[Lady Jenn]

"Yeah, that'll teach me to be more careful about what I do," he said, letting out a wry chuckle. "What I am is...well, you humans would probably call us mermaids, but that's quite a simplistic representation of us."

[Lawshenk]

" simplistic how?" She looked at him what " I'm a little lost "

[Lady Jenn]

"Most humans don't know this...well, maybe even none do," he said, chuckling. "My kind once lived on the land, but by the time humans were writing we'd been forced into the water by...events I'm not comfortable discussing, so most humans decided because we resembled their myths that that was what we were."