"I heard you're willing to help merpeople out for a price?"

The seawizard slowly raised his head to look at the young girl floating in his doorway. Her meters long tail was twitching anxiously. But even without that he already knew he was her last hope.

It was quite ironic, he had giving his life and dignity in many a war for the king. But after so many years of peace he was all but forgotten. Only every so often a desperate mer would come in search of his magic artifact that could better their lives. He had become a legend a monster in a fairytale. Someone you had to sell your soul or voice for to get the thing you so anxiously needed.

It wasn't true. At least not always. He tried, he really did. To make sure no one had to unnecessarily make big sacrifices. But it was not always possible.

All magic comes at a price.

That was what his mentor had said when they would make he deal. A deal that more often than not destroyed the buyers life.

It was still the best choice in his life he ever made, to run away from that kingdom and find a new life here. Ten thousand miles under the sea.

But to every good decision there was a downside. Life was lonely. With from time to time a customer like this young princess standing in front of him, hoping for a better life. She didn't need to say more. He already knew what she wanted. He had heard the rumors just like everyone else had. That she had fallen in love with a man from above the surface.

And with her upcoming engagement and marriage to a foreign prince. One she didn't loved, she would want to run away.

"Yes, I'm the wizard. What can I help you with, miss?" He finally completely turned her way while wiping his hands clean with an old rag.

She was fidgeting with her hands while her tail and hair were both completely over the place. She was more than nervous. Princesses like her usually had very good control over their animal part and hair that had both a life of their own.

"I would, I would like to, to be able to walk on the surface." Even though she had to start her sentence again. She looked confident, she knew what she wanted and was going to get it no matter what.

"What do you mean with the surface? Do you want to walk on water or land? Though I can't recommend either of them." The surprised look on her face told him she hadn't thought her question through. Which wasn't surprising, no one ever did. But with magic you needed to be precise. Especially to one that would alter your body. Changes were high you would face some nasty surprises.

"I want to be able to walk on land to get to know the prince I fall in love with." This time no stutter could be heard in her speech this time. She was absolutely certain about her decision.

"Are you willing to pay the price than, darling? Because getting legs isn't cheap magic. There will be conditions for that ability, so think well about what things that are most important." The price for her legs would be one of her most prominent senses. Speak, smell, touch, hear or see. For legs she would need to give one of them up, maybe they could make it a temporary condition. That could work with her whole 'being in love with a prince' thing. If they could make the condition that she would get her sense back she gave up, when the prince would marry her out of love for her. Than the magic would be satisfied, but it was risky business. He had seen the prince wandering the streets and flirting with every creature he encountered. He had heard from other magic users that he had already become father several times. And that was his problem together with those girls. But he sure was not good enough for this princess.

The princess didn't seem to see the full severity of that question. But what could he expect of her. She thought she was in love and didn't want to get stuck in a loveless marriage. She just wanted to escape reality, and getting legs seemed her best bet.

It wasn't. It would never be.

But who was he to convince a child that love was a fiddle thing. That could be blown away with a gust of wind. That she wouldn't find love and life with a prince that would never truly care for her. She was a special person, even he knew that though he almost never left his cave. Neither prince could ever be good enough for her. Only the sky and sunburned land could. But that was something she could only find out herself through trial and error.

"I want to be able to walk on land." She didn't change her request, so now they only needed to negotiate the price.

"Legs will cost you one of your senses." When she looked at him with glassy eyes, he understood he needed to elaborate the term senses. "Your ability to speak, smell, see, hear or feel with your skin." With a nod of her head she showed that she understood the price.

"Personally I would give up the ability to speak. And because you want something with that prince you can make it part of the deal." This was again to difficult to understand for the young girl. He once again questioned why he was going to help her while she didn't understood the price she had to pay. "Do you want to marry the prince when he falls in love with you?" Again a nod was all the response he got. "Then you could make the condition, that when the prince has married you out of love you could get your sense back."

That sparked her interest, sure to a young person like her it sounded like a sure way to get what they wanted without a price. But it wasn't, magic would always cost you more than you anticipated. It surprised everyone, every time it was used.

"Can I think about it for a while? That I come back tomorrow with my answer." That was fine with him, this was a big step it was good she wanted to think about it. So with a small nod of his head he turned away from her and went back to his work. She would leave sooner or later and he had work to do. "Alright, she you tomorrow then." With her signature cheery, at least so he had heard, voice she wished him goodbye.

•••

It was already late afternoon when the princess entered the cave again. The only way to tell the time by the changing tides in the ocean. She wasn't late, he had honestly half expected her to not even turn up after hearing the price yesterday. It showed she had a stubborn character, that would help her in the upper world when the prince had crushed her hopes of getting her sense back. Being different could create a lonely life, something he still experienced everyday.

"You made a decision?" He didn't turn around while asking his question. He only needed to hear her answer, the rest wasn't his problem.

"Yes." He turned around to look her in the eyes, they had a nice green colour, to see what else she had to say. "I want humanlegs to be able to walk on land. As payment I will give up my voice which will be returned to me when the prince marries me."

"Out of love?" That addition was crucial, and the only way the magic could be satisfied. It loved the figgle feelings humanoid creatures called love.

"Out of love." That confirmative answer was all that was needed to start the magic.

No warning was giving when the magic surged out of his hands and towards the princess. It circled her and became a tornado with her as the center. Though she seemed scared she stayed perfectly still. Then in one fluent moment the magic soared towards her throath and entered her body. After little seconds the magic exited again. Only know it had a sick purple colour. Something that indicated it had taken something from her body.

Her ability to speak or make any sound at all.

She looked so scared at that moment. She lost the most important thing in her life and just had to hope she would get something in return.

Luckily she didn't need to wait long, when once again the magic left his body to swirl around her. This time it went to twirl around her legs and after several excruciating minutes there were two legs in the place she once had a tail. But that wasn't the only alteration of her body. Without her tail she lost her ability to live on the bottom of the sea.

She couldn't breathe any more. Fortunately for her his magic wasn't that sadistic. So it quickly brought her and him along to the sea surface and laid her down on the sand.

With a quick flick of his wrist she got clothed in a brown dress, so she wasn't naked anymore. Because, as he had learned from experience, humans looked down and even avoided people who didn't wear any clothes.

He knew the prince would come to walk here in around fifteen minutes. So someone would find and help her. With one last look behind him he dived down back to the depth of the ocean. Without her tail and flowing hair the princess didn't looked that princess-like anymore. And that was good, now she was just a young human girl, without any knowledge of that world.

She thought everything would be alright, but it wouldn't. Not in this cruel world, there were too many what-if's. She hadn't listened. She would only get her voice back IF the prince, and no one else, would marry her out of love. Yes, there were loopholes, but less than people thought there were. And usually they were used against them.

He and many others had learned that the hard way, and so would she when the prince would let her down. Hopefully she would understand she never got her legs for him. She got them to see the world outside the ocean.

January 9, 2022

Picture on top is from paint by number

[ unedited ]