Ocean Eyes

The Shore’s of Laguna delle Sirene-

Blue. Green. All around him there are swirls of colors, swirls or water, all mixing to cocoon him on his trek. He’s headed towards the shore, the sand is already gritting in his gills, he’s that close. His tail strokes are to powerful for this shallow water, he begins pulling himself on his arms, careful of the small vial clutched in his hand. Once he’s traveled as far as he can while remaining submerged he sucks in water once more, and then lifts his head above water, quickly uncapping the potion and slurping it through his wide, rubbery mouth.

The pain is instant. His long, elegant flowing fin severs in two and slowly his beautiful shimmering sliver scales flake off and stick to his torso and his new, shaky, thin legs. He hunches forward as his stomach cramps and a flood of warm saltwater erupts from his gullet. The air is cold around him, this is new, strange. He can hear birds around him and instead of the ocean surrounding him and guiding him it’s pushing and pulling at his waist, rejecting him. He pulls himself ashore, the sand scraping his stomach, and when his new legs flex and twitch he realizes exactly what he’s done. He curls in on himself, pulling his knee to his chest. Was this really worth it? Would his prince even want him?

The Garden of Castello del Lambert-

He brushed aside vines heavy with white flowers, their pollen daintly settling on his burgundy and silver brocade tunic. The man had unbuttoned his heavy overcoat and his white, high necked undershirt, revealing tan skin decorated with a heavy smattering of freckles and a dusting of vibrant ginger hair. Tresses of the same color lay coiled on his head, held back from his face with a silver circlet marked with the family crest, a two tailed lion spitting fire. His eyes, clear and blue, flitted from side to side. He halted suddenly, laying a wide hand on the slim tree trunk beside him. He could feel something leading him to the sea that lay just beyond the high walls wrapping the proud castle.

He continued on his journey, reaching a surreptious break in the wall. Once upon a time, when he was just a boy, he had slid through easily. Now however, his chest had broadened, his muscled hardened, and he had to wiggle and work to reach the other side. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then picked his way down a once worn path, now over grown with foliage and weeds, to the glittering bay. He soon enough reached the beach unhappily noting how his leather boots sunk into the sand. He continued to follow the tug in his chest, it was sure to lead him somewhere.