Life Under the Sea Ch. 01

Another hot day in the sun for those sailing on Greece's Aegean Sea, but for those under the water, it can be much nicer. A long shadow is seen gliding across the smooth sandy floor. This shadow belongs to what seems to be a fish from a distance, though a closer look would prove otherwise. The dark blue fishtail is misleading as the rest of the being is not a fish at all. His name is Riley and he is a merman in his nineteenth year. He has tousled black hair that ends in curled arms like an octopus'. He also has rather peculiar eyes: his right eye is a dark blue like a sapphire and his left eye is a dark green like an emerald. In contrast to his dark blue scaly tail, Riley has white skin on his human half which has gotten a slight tan from being in the sun. The human half of his body is rather athletic in appearance due to the life of constant swimming. The muscles in his arms as well as in his chest are large and well developed whereas the muscles in his abdomen and back are smooth and streamlined for speeding through the seawater. Riley's body is human all the way down to just below where his groin would be, where everything suddenly is covered with scales. Just above the point where the merman's human and fish halves meet is his manhood, fully exposed to the world.

Riley is swimming as fast as he can towards his home in the distance. He had just gone to visit his friends off the coast of a far island. The merman is terribly excited to be back since he hasn't been home in several days. As he gets closer and closer to home, he notices a strange and sudden shift in the currents. Despite his best efforts, the strong current pulls him off course quickly. Riley turns his head to see that a giant whirlpool is pulling him in. It does not take long for him to get sucked in. Once inside, Riley loses consciousness.

Meanwhile on the beach of a nearby island, Jesse and her friends are packing up to leave. They received reports that there was a strong current in the sea caused by a storm south of where they are. While they are walking back to the hotel where they are staying, Jesse remembers that she left her purse on the beach. Since it contains all her credit cards and passport, she rushes to get it before anyone spots it. Jesse spots her purse at the beach and sees that there's no one around. Before she sets off, she checks to see that everything is where it's supposed to be. The crash of a large wave startles her as she is doing this. Jesse looks up and sees that the water is definitely becoming more violent. She then pauses when she sees what appears to be a person in the rough waves slowly floating towards the beach. Jesse approaches the water without allowing her feet to get wet. From this distance, she can see that the person is at least unconscious, if not already dead. She waits patiently for the waves to carry the body of the person onto the beach. If the person is still alive, she can at least perform CPR.

Jesse gasps in complete shock when she sees what the wave tosses at her feet, a merman. Looking around once more to make sure that no one else is around, Jesse pulls the merman farther up the beach by his shoulders. When she is sure that the crashing waves won't claim him again, she puts him down and kneels at his side to get a closer look. His black hair, flawless skin, and impressive build give him a mythical beauty that leaves Jesse pinching herself again and again to make sure she isn't dreaming. She looks at his human half up and down and quickly notices the concrete evidence of the merman's maleness where his tail begins. Just like the rest of him, it is tempting enough for her to look. Every part of his body just seems to call for her to touch.

Jesse suddenly remembers that she is supposed to be saving this person but the whole shock of what he really is delayed her response. Thinking about it, she wonders is CPR would even be effective at all on a merman. She cautiously places her hand on his chest. Jesse sighs as she feels both his heart beating as well as the rise and fall of his breathing. Before she realizes what she is doing, Jesse sees the same hand that checked his heart now checking out the rest of his body. By the time she removes it, she had already caressed most of his wonderful torso. Her little inspection led her to realize that the only hair on his body was on the top his head, his eyebrows, and his eyelashes. She was almost jealous at how smooth his skin felt under her hand.

Half an hour later, Riley wakes to find himself lying on some beach. He looks around to see if any humans are around and finds no one. Riley slowly drags himself into the waves and dives into the water. In the distance, Jesse peeks out from behind a rock. Earlier, she wondered if she should let the merman see her, but she realized he might not find her human form all that pleasing.

"We'll meet again, my lovely prince." says Jesse out loud.

Even faster then ever, Riley swims as fast as he can home. He hopes that everyone else is fine since there aren't usually whirlpools in this section of the sea. As he swims, his shadow disappears into a deep hole in the sea floor. Riley quickly follows after as he has found home. He can see and hear the other merpeople going about their usual business, but this is not his concern right now, though it is a sign that no one here was severely affected by the strong currents earlier. They might not even have noticed anything strange since the chasm is well-protected. Riley smiles as he sees a familiar hole in the side of the chasm, through which he quickly passes.

On the inside, Riley sees that everything is as he left it a few days. Still, he sighs as he didn't find what he is looking for. Riley slowly swims towards the exit but finds that it is blocked by a dark silhouette. Before Riley can say or do anything, the form tackles him to the floor of his home.

"Riley!" screams a female voice.

Riley feels a heavy form pressed against most of the length of his body. Inches from his face, Riley can see the gleeful face of his twin sister. She gives him a peck on the cheek before getting off.

"You surprised me there, Lily." sighs Riley as he sets himself upright in the water.

Lily just smiles back before sticking her tongue out at him teasingly. Despite being his twin older sister, Lily looks different from Riley. Instead of black, her long,luxurious hair comes in shades of brown. Her eyes share the same color as her twin's dark sapphire blue right eye. The two of them share the same tanned skin and dark blue fish tails. Her muscles are toned, giving her a trim, athletic look. One of her most notable assets is her conspicuously lush bosom, however, a lowered glance will present an even more splendid sight in the form of Lily's tender feminine center. Unlike a human female's, Lily's femininity is brazenly exposed without the protection of any legs.

"What have you been doing since I've been gone, Lily? Where's Brynn?" asks Riley curiously.

"Right now, Brynn is with her current boyfriend, Miek. I've been doing the usual: going up to the surface to distract the humans every now and then. Watching them fall of their boats or hitting sandbars after they see me in the water still hasn't gotten old. So how have you been these past few days?" muses Lily.

"I've been great. I just got back from the other side of the sea." says Riley.

Back at the surface, Jesse can't stop thinking about the merman she saw earlier in the day. His gorgeous looks seem to be unable to escaping her mind and each lingering thought makes her increasingly excited. She cannot help but ponder what it would have been like to have her way with him. Jesse's hands reach every intimate part of her body as she explores her feelings about what she should do. Suddenly, Jesse sees herself in the mirror. One of her hands is reaching down into her jeans with the other reaching up under her shirt and bra to clutch at a breast. It is then that she considers her appearance.

She does not share the same unearthly beauty as her newfound obsession but she still considers herself above average in terms of looks. She has straight blonde hair that flows down her back and brilliant amber eyes. Her skin is a little pale since she hardly got any of the tanning she wanted to do earlier. Jesse is rather tall which has caused a few problems in the past when her past boyfriends did not like having a girlfriend was taller than they were. She has gentle curves and a nice body without being too thin. At twenty, Jesse is at the peak of her life and has the time and the money to do almost anything she wants. Now she is stuck wanting the impossible, a merman. No amount of money and no span of time can land him in her arms. Still, she finds herself uncontrollably compelled to find a way.

Jesse finds herself going into the local village to ask around for any information on anything strange that happens in the surrounding area. She wanders around clueless for several hours as she cannot speak the local language. Eventually, she finds a sympathetic person who can speak English as well as Greek who is willing to help her in her cause. The two of them go to the town center and eventually hear a story about one of the more eccentric villagers. Apparently this man is one of the last people on the planet who still cling to the beliefs in the old gods on Olympus. The two set off for the home of that man.

Being on a small island, it does not take long for them to reach the hut on the beach where the man supposedly lives. Jesse takes a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door. No more than a second after the first knock does the door swing wide open.

"I knew you were coming. Now come in." says a voice from within in clear English.

Nervously, Jesse takes a step into the hut. She turns to thank the translator for his help but finds that he has already headed back to the village. Jesse turns forward and continues entering the hut. Inside she finds that it's rather humble in appearance. It is only a small hut, the size of a bedroom, so she quickly encounters the strange man. He is not the kind of person she expected to see considering what she heard from the villagers. This man looked like he was in his mid-twenties, definitely not the person who would believe in Zeus or Poseidon in this day and age. His hair is rough and messy, what can be expected of someone who lives a rustic life far from others. His brown eyes casually glance at her up and down. His skin is heavily tanned from being outside all the time. Jesse finds herself slightly attracted to this guy but she has a bigger prize in mind. The man stands up and walks over to Jesse.

"Welcome. My name is Nikos. And you are?" asks the man.

"I... I'm Jesse. Before we start, I'd like to know how you know English." asks Jesse.

"Just because I believe an old religion doesn't mean everything I do is old. I still learn from the new. Besides, I used to have a friend who spoke English so I picked it up quickly. What are you here for anyway? I don't get many visitors." says Nikos.

"I would like to learn about merpeople. Those beings who live under the sea." says Jesse.

"Ah. And what brought this up? Surely you just didn't come all this way just to hear about them." asks the man skeptically.

Jesse takes a deep breath before suspending her disbelief and opening her mouth. She tells Nikos about how she found the merman on the beach, how she let him go, and her current feelings and obsession with him. Nikos listens to her with an unreadable expression on his face. When Jesse finishes her explanation, he poses one question to her.

"What would you like to do with the obsession, Jesse?" he asks.

"Fulfill it." says Jesse resolutely.

Nikos studies the look in her face, looking for any shred of doubt in her. He smiles a bit seeing that she is absolutely serious about her decision. Nikos turns and opens up a trunk and pulls out a book. He skims it for a few minutes while Jesse nervously waits for a response. SLAM! Jesse shudders when Nikos throws the book back in the trunk.

"The only way I see you fulfilling your wish is to become a mermaid yourself. If that's what you want, then I need for you to come back here just after sunset." says Nikos.

"What? Is that all I have to do?" gasps Jesse.

"That's only the beginning. I'll explain everything then. Go and prepare. When you come back I'll tell you all the risks and catches. It will be your last chance to back out. Now go." says Nikos solemnly.

As Riley is about to leave his home, he collides head-on with another merperson. Rubbing his forehead to ease the pain, he hears a pair of familiar voices.

"Ah. That hurt." says a male voice.

"Miek! Are you alright?" says a female voice.

Riley looks up to see his little sister along with the boyfriend of hers that he accidentally just rammed.

"Hey. I'm back. It looks like the two of you have been enjoying yourselves while I've been gone." smirks Riley.

"Riley!" yells Brynn swimming up for a hug.

"Well, Miek?" says Riley, grinning mischievously.

"Don't worry. I've been good." says Miek.

Brynn releases her brother from her embrace to plant a kiss on Miek's cheek before giggling at something. Brynn looks like the real twin of Lily, though she is a bit shorter and her eyes are a brilliant green rather than Lily's dark blue. She's younger than her brother and sister by about a year but her looks would argue otherwise. Miek, Brynn's boyfriend, has the same tanned skin and athletic build as all merpeople. His hair is a sandy yellow and his eyes match his girlfriend. His green tail slowly wraps around Brynn's as he kisses her back on the cheek.

"How have you been, Riley? And where were you headed in such a hurry?" asks Brynn.

"I was going to look for you guys since Lily said you two were out. It's been a few days, so I've missed you." says Riley.

"Even me?" jokes Miek.

"Yeah. Even you, Miek." says Riley with a smirk. "Let's go inside, I have some stories to tell you from over the past few days."

It's sunset and Jesse is at Nikos' door. Before she even knocks, Nikos swings back the door to let her in and immediately fills her in.

"We're going to go somewhere nearby to turn you into a mermaid. Before we leave this hut, there are a few things that you need to know. One, this process is irreversible. Once you become a mermaid, you will not return to your human life or world. Two, as you continue your life underwater, memories of your old life on land will fade away. Finally, this transformation is done through a binding contract with Poseidon. It is through his power that you will be transformed. When you accept, he adopts you as his daughter, a daughter of the sea. Any questions? Objections? Is this really what you want?"

Jesse thinks back on her life. As great as it seemed at the time, it looked dull in retrospect. She wondered if she was in a selfish pursuit and tried to convince herself that life on land was not as great as she tried to make it be. This whole trip to Greece with her friends was supposed to be a temporary escape from the troubles and turmoil back home. Now she has the chance to permanently escape. It is with these thoughts that Jesse forges her decision.

"No doubt. This is what I really want."

Nikos stares her in the eyes for several seconds before he sighs in apparent defeat.

"Alright. Follow me." he says.

Nikos leads Jesse out his hut and along the beach. Jesse looks out over the sea and wonders what life will really be like there. That merman was the only merperson she has seen so she wonders about how many others like him are there. It does not take long for Jesse and Nikos to reach a bunch of marble ruins on a cliff overlooking Aegean.

"Thousands of years ago this was a temple of Poseidon. This is where you will be adopted as a daughter of the sea." says Nikos.

"What do I do now?" asks Jesse.

"Strip. Mermaids don't need clothes in the sea. Remove your clothes before setting your foot on the ruins."says Nikos.

Jesse gulps. She silently prays to herself that Nikos hasn't been leading her on just to take advantage of her. Slowly she slips of the blouse that she had been wearing. Nikos barely seems to care as she sheds her sandals and jeans. With only her underwear left, Jesse becomes increasingly self-conscious with what she is doing. She undoes her bra strap and exposes her breasts. Jesse's eyes quickly shift to look at Nikos who only stares at her back seemingly impatient with how much time she is taking. Careful not to make Nikos wait, she slips out of her panties quickly. Being completely naked in front of an acquaintance, forces her to try to cover up with an arm over her breasts and a hand over her nether region.

"Good. Follow me up the temple." says Nikos.

The second that Jesse steps on the marble stair entrance to the temple, the ruins disappear before her eyes and transform into the original temple. Jesse follows Nikos through the doorway and is surprised to find attendants and priests inside. Before Jesse opens her mouth to ask about what she is seeing, Nikos speaks up.

"This isn't actually real. The temple is only being temporarily recreated for the sake of your transformation. If Poseidon is to adopt a child as his own, he wouldn't let it be done in a fading ruin. This is the temple in its peak as it was in ancient times. The people you see are just images of the people who used to serve here at the time."

Nikos takes her to the main part of the temple and tells her to stand tall then bow before the marble statue of Poseidon in his throne. Jesse does as she is told. After she bows, Nikos walks beside her and gets on all fours in a bow.

"Poseidon! Please take Jesse as your daughter. She wishes a life in the sea to pursue her love. She has no where else to turn so please accept her into your realm as a daughter of the sea, a mermaid." pleads Nikos.

Jesse stares back up at the marble statue of Poseidon before her. For some strange reason she can feel it is watching her. Before she can ask Nikos about what she just felt, a new feeling comes over her. Jesse falls over as her legs begin to merge together. She watches with a mix of joy and horror as her two long legs combine and form scales on her skin. She can feel various other internal and external changes but the tail right now is her primary concern. It takes a few minutes but all the strange changes to her body suddenly stop. Jesse tries to get up but falls flat on her face due to the lack of legs. Using her arms for support, Jesse looks around for Nikos. She does see him standing right next to her, but the temple is gone. All she can see are the ruins from before.

"What happened to everything?" she asks.

"Poseidon's not here. What you saw before your transformation was brought about by his presence alone." replies Nikos. "How do you feel?"

Jesse looks down to where her legs once were. In their place she can see a shimmering green fish tail. All of the changes are pretty conspicuous because of her nudity. The mermaid looks down to where her human half and fish half meet. She can see a delicate slit there. She traces the slit to discover that it really is what she thinks it is. Her hands reach up to cup her breasts which have suspiciously grown larger from the transformation. It is then that Jesse remembers that Nikos asked her a question.

"I... I'm fine. Just getting used to everything. Enjoying the view?" asks Jesse nervously.

"Mermaids are indeed beautiful, but I'm not here to stare." says Nikos. "I live far from others because I believe in the old gods; not for being a pervert. Anyway, I stuck around because I thought you'd need help getting into the ocean from here. Besides, there are a few things about your new form that you need to know before setting off on your own."

"I guess I could use your help in getting into the water." says Jesse.