T H A L E I A Despite the miles separating the land mermaid from the ocean blue, Thaleia found herself exploring the kingdom that she now called her temporary home. As ocean fae, she could still hear the soft lapping of waves as if the sea itself churning through her veins instead of blood; the fathoms singing to her in the sounds of sea gulls and crashing water against stone cliffs and beaches. But instead, she could not answer.. not in the way she needed. For when she returned to the sea, and the sea returned to her.. Thaleia had no plans to come back to this land. This kingdom, this country, this continent. She would love nothing more than to reclaim the Unknown Sea that surrounded the large island for taking the lives of her crew — her lover, her king, among them — before she could regain even a shred of happiness. For all she knew, their bodies were bone fragments buried on the ocean floor, their souls drowned and lost and unable to cross over to the Heavenly Sea and Sky. Calypso, her patron goddess, now holding their celestial bodies hostage until they could at last rest in peace. She had never been more angry, more determined. Not even when her Queen Mother had banned her from the ocean itself. Thaleia found herself wandering the new lands; educating herself in the unfamiliar stars and world that she had never heard of, let alone traversed. Her ocean-born hooves padded along a beaten path, until the land rolled out in hills and greenery as far as her eyes could see. A sea of grass, still holding on, desperately, to the warmth of summer, as the blades were muted beneath a rising sun. The expanse was wide and beautiful, the sky above her a soft blue; the color of a tropical cove in a far away paradise. At the edges of the grass sea, trees were burnished in deep gold and crimson, a fire of colors that burned through the leaves as summer had given away to fall completely. This land was beautiful, she could not deny it. Peaceful, and... not as empty as she had once thought. Silver orbs caught sight of another, a painted girl in the distance. She had half a thought to hide, to disappear into the shadows. But Thaleia was not afraid; if anything, she was lonely. At least a week now had passed since she had washed ashore in this strange world, unaware of who and what ruled these lands. Her curiosity pushed her legs into a trot, salt-white tresses flowing in the cool breeze as she gingerly approached the other girl. "I do hope I am not intruding while you look to be at peace, miss." |
