Zara liked to think they were a troop of adventurers, scouring the seas and exploring life beyond their reef.

Of course, it wasn't that far from their coves; not for her, anyway. But still quite an expedition for the merlings by her tail.

She heard the water through her scales, the light flow like a released burden from the heavy force of home--where the currents were asleep, stirring from fear of her father's wrath. As dense as the darkness that enveloped them always.

Here, the water sang and the light grew.

"Zara," a small voice called, swimming up to her with struggle. She flicked her tail, floating a little slower, and glanced over her shoulder to see the others catching up. "Where are we?"

She grinned, gliding in a little twirl. "We're near the surface of the sea."

"The surface?" The merling gasped. "My brother said it's dangerous--"

"You'll be fine." She dismissed. With a hum, she sent the merlings twirling to the light pull. "I'm an adventurer. I'm used to it."

She let them giggled and laughed among themselves, floating up to the source of light. Where shadows draped and fishes gathered. A quick breeze zapped past her scales and threatened to pull her towards their way. She snorted, taking over it with a hum by the back of her throat. The higher she went, the wilder the sea.

She could still recall her first time out here like it was yesterday--which was rare, considering her sister's claim of her goldfish memory--gasping at the gushing waves. Struggling to get a grip, tail flailing as blood rushed to her chest and set her ablaze.

Back then, the danger and threat were enough to send a grin up her face.

But years passed, and she yearned for more. For beyond, all to satisfy this hunger in her hollow heart. Higher. Closer.

"Zara!"

The merlings tried following her, but retreated quickly after, tails flinging in agitation. A snicker broke out from her, showing off her casual swimming at such high altitude. "How tame."

"Why is the tide so strong?"

"What if we get pulled?"

"This is too far from home."

"You bet it is!" she chirped, laughing at their aghast expressions. "That's what explorers do. You want to explore, right?"

"Yes!"

"But that's so far away..."

So, so tame. She almost couldn't believe it. Almost.

"That's right!" Zara swam down to them, easily parting the water to her desired path. She thought young blood would have more fire than that. "Don't get your fins in a jumble. I'll show you."

They stared at her and visibly paled, tail swishing to their worry as if she was some form of a  monster about to clean their insides. She almost chuckled at it, but as dumb as her sister claimed, she could guess where it came from.

Zara, the lunatic. The crazy sea witch. The sound and whispers carried by waves like poison, into her ears and ingrained in her being. The girl who talks about the surface, and yearns for it.

She got over it over time. Only these merlings were yet to be fed with the sentiment, and she figured it would be nice to have companions once in a while.

Zara touched their tails and tickled the water against their gills. "The water is louder here, but if you hum loud enough, they're sure to comply."

Water was a force, an energy much like everything else in life. Here they were far from order, brimmed with chaos. But so was her--her heart, her stupid daring, her magic. Wild as the storm, her father used to say, before he became what he was today. Before her eldest sister died.

Her voice was meant to do more than grow seabeds and make pearls--she knew that. She knew she was meant for something more. She was meant for an adventure, a challenge fitting for her power, yet that wasn't a thought shared by her father, her siblings, or anyone else of the merfolk.

Zara never regretted it. This was what she had left.

Zara reached her fingertips across the surface to feel the atmosphere above, feeling a strange emptiness without water all around. The merlings played among themselves around her, yet none so close to her distance.

She gazed at the casted shadows lain above and felt a tug at her chest. None of the big, burly silhouettes she saw, just a draping meshwork of threads. Something was wrong. She recognized the object. She had a past with it. Her limbs had frozen at the sight of it.

But despite these odd vibrations, the expedition was going well. Too well.

Hold it. She squinted. That's a net. 

"Help!"

Oh, dear.

Zara rushed over to the net, giving out a loud, piercing shriek that caused the water to snap. Fishes swarmed out of their way as liquid broke through the threads like a sharp sword, tearing it apart.

With a whistle, the water pushed the merling into her arms.

She swam in front of them, waiting for the looming shadow to pass by, and glimmering light to stare back.

The child shook in her embrace, gills closed and opened in short, dense jerking. Zara made a headcount of her little crew and thanked the sea that she lost no one. That would've been too much.

None of them said anything.

There was music in the sea. There always was. But the only tune playing was quick, rapid breathing.

Zara swallowed, hands twitching at the small back of the child. She watched their faces of horror and fear, shook to the fins.

She couldn't blame them.

"I..." she started, unsure of what to do with these traumatized merlings. She wasn't there, in their place. She had been lucky then, but they were not. Damn. "Who wants to go on a treasure hunt?"

Her cheeks strained as her lips pulled at the corners. She moved her hand to move the merling by the shoulder, back straightened. "It should be fun."

The look on the merlings' faces told her otherwise.

"Zara-" one of them cried. "What was that?"

"A net." She held their gazes, trying to put up a sure front in the hope it worked well. "Humans use that to capture..." She swallowed. She knew where this was going. She was about to lose them. "Sea creatures."

"I hate humans." The one in her arms sobbed. "I hate the surface world.

"What? Because of a little scratch?" She pulled back, checking the crying child's limbs. "See? Not even a scratch."

The merlings bawled even more.

She was about to lose them.

Sea witch, echoed in her mind. Zara, the lunatic. Her sister died and she did not cry.

"Come on, you said you want to be adventurers." Don't croak, Zara. "Adventurers get hurt sometimes."

"Zara!"

She drew back, watching as the children glanced among themselves. She could see the darkened features on their eyes, as one by one seemed to come to an agreement.

"My brother's right," one muttered. "You're not a very good influence to be around."

She scoffed. "That's rich, coming from a coward like him."

She knew it was the wrong answer. Her mind practically screamed at her while her heart ached in her chest. She was seeing it again; the process as they slowly slipped from her grasp. Like her eldest sister. Like her father. And her damn mouth lashed out.

"Go home."

They all stared at her with widened eyes.

"Just go home." She swam away. At the end of the day, it was easier for an adventure alone. "Be safe."

Perhaps that was the cost of her curiosity. Difference scared her kind. Her burning passion made her a taboo. A figure close to that of an outlaw--the rebellious Princess.

Loneliness bubbled from her tail since that day she went up the surface, witnessed death and met a tiny human girl. 

Hi, guys! Like I said, everything I write is basically barfed out from my brain so I apologize if they seem to be garbage. It's a first draft, and I hope to edit it one day soon, when I do finish the story.

We meet our next main protagonist, Zara! What do you think about this mermaid? Why does she like humans so much?

She's a little difficult to write, compared to Mas, because I'm not some daring adventurous person. I hope I'll get a grasp of her soon though.

Thanks again and please vote if you like it! Next, we see a closer look at the Hag of Mas's village.

Word count (chapter): 1359

Word count (overall): 2832

2,000 word count passed! Yay!