An Ode to My Sea God

I look out the window, the sun filtering through the glass with a soft glow. It’s early morning, and I’m restless. It’s been an hour, and I can’t fall asleep again. With a sigh, I stand up. It’s no use, right?

I put on some clothes and make my way out the door. My feet sink in the sand as I raise my eyes to the landscape in front of me. The air is fresh, the sun rising lazily in the distance, skimming over the water’s surface, casting a blue and pinkish hue across the rippling waves. I take in the salty scent of the ocean that comes to ruffle against my nose, like a comforting presence when I start treading forward, my feet sinking in the sand deeper. Even the sand is fresh, the sun’s warmth hasn’t reached it yet. I stroll down the coastline, my eyes wandering on the calm water that slides up to my feet with easing grace. It’s a beautiful sight, one I have seen a thousand times, and yet, it never ceases to amaze me. After all this time, I still find a strange comfort in this sight. I’m not sure if it’s the smell, the feelings of the smooth sand under my feet, the sight of the waves pulsing toward my body with staggering tenderness and power, making feel like I’m nothing face to vastness of it all, or the sounds of the water, that feel like they’ll just carry me away…But it still does.

I tread forward for some time, deeply lost in thought, when I hear a sound. It’s almost like a voice, even though it resembles more a groan. I look up, and my eyes flicker with surprise face to the sight before me. I still, my body coming to a halt as I notice a figure in the shallow water. He has the appearance of a man, expect he has a fish tail. A mermen. My eyes fall on him, both stunned and oddly captivated. Like a Siren out of a fairytale, he has an ethereal appearance. Skin as crystal clear as the moonlight. Blue eyes with specks of pink, as complex and intense as the gradients of the sky. Their colors, both reminiscent of the intricacy of the sky and the devastating power of the ocean’s depths. His face is adorned with an array of little bright blue scales that range from his cheekbones to his body. He grunts, visibly frustrated as I realize he’s tangled in a net keeping him pinned in place, one he seems to be enable to get himself out.

I step forward. As he notices my presence, his face tilts up, his steely gaze colliding with mine, like a storm crashing through me. My breath catches, and I look away, almost unable to hold the force of his stare. His dark purple hair shift in front of his eyes as he growls. “Well, are you just going to stand there? Or are you planning to gloat?” he asks, his voice incredibly melodious, and yet sharp, his tone unmistakably accusatory.

I gasp, trying to gather my bearing as he lets out a: “Humans. You’re all the same. Shallow, greedy, always exploiting other creatures.”

“No…I…It’s not what…you think.” I muster.

“Isn’t it?” He snorts. “Are you going to pretend you’re not leaving your nets around, hoping to catch a Lemurian?” My eyes widen as the word Lemurian passes his lips. So he’s a Lemurian. I’ve heard many rumors about the Lemurians among the townsfolks, but I had never seen one before. But I’m well acquainted with what is said about them, unsure of how much is really true. Tough, I can hardly blame him for his anger. After all, I can’t argue that many fishers have been leaving nets in the hope of catching a Lemurian, hoping to utilize what makes them special. But upon seeing him now, his appearance more human than I expected, I can’t bear to let him fall into wicked hands that would see him as nothing but a tool to be manipulated.

I move silently, approaching him carefully as his powerful tail beats around, trying to free himself from the net. The strings have woven themselves tightly around his scales, restraining him completely, and in his frustration, he is only making things worse. As I lean down, he stops moving, his eyes narrowing with an almost threatening look. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Helping you” I declare as I kneel beside him. “Now, stop moving please, you’re only making it worse.”

I see a hint of surprise pass through his eyes, as though he wasn’t expecting such a response from me. I can tell by his wariness that he mustn’t have had very agreeable encounters with humans in the past. “You’re going to tell me what to do now?” he snarls. “How impertinent.”

I smile. “Well, if you want to get out of here, I suggest you do.”

He snorts, but still listens and stills. His tail drops down as I pull my hand over his scales and start to untangle the many knots carefully. I work with skilled precision, patiently untangling the mess under his watchful eye. “Will you hurry up? How long is this going to take?” he rumbles, frustrated.

“Why? Do you have anywhere to go?” I tease him, trying to lighten up the mood.

He scoffs and doesn’t reply as I keep working. He shifts slightly, his body sagging. That’s when I realize he actually seems exhausted. His skin looks a little dull and dry. Even his lips are chapped. “Have you been stuck here long?” I ask.

I can tell he’s reluctant to answer, but after a few moments, he answers me. “Since yesterday evening.” I nod silently, understand what he isn’t saying. He has been trapped there, trying to break free frantically for long hours. He was actually anxious, wasn’t he? Maybe because he was unwell. Maybe…He didn’t even have enough strength to just swim away at that point and he was worried about getting caught on the shore, unable to leave, ensnared by human greed.

It’s another twenty minutes when the net starts to loosen. “Almost done”.

He nods and I can tell he’s growing impatient. “Ouch, will you be careful!” he grunts, annoyed.

“I’m being careful!” I retort, my eyes lingering on him for a moment, when I catch the faint sound of voices in the back. I tilt my head back when I notice a group of fishermen approaching. My heart nearly stops as a wave of panic washes over me. Oh no, this can’t be happening, not now. My movements become erratic as I try to disentangle the remaining net, but the voices grow closer and closer, and I know it’s a matter of minutes before they arrive. I start fidgeting with panic, as his head tilts back, his eyes falling onto the horizon. I know he has noticed the fishers too, but to my surprise, he remains eerily calm. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s just exhausted at that point, or if there’s another reason but he barely even reacts. His eyes turn dark, as he observes the approaching figure with silent bitterness.

I manage to strip away the remaining net, but just as I do, I hear a voice in my back. “You’re here, kiddo” says one of the fishermen. “What are you doing here this early?”

I look up as one of the men bends down, as if to see what I’m doing. I stiffen with dread, crippled at the mere thought they’ll catch him when I suddenly feel a strong hand enclosing over my shoulder.My gaze drops onto him as he pushes himself up, nearly making me lose balance in the process. I sink my feet in the sand, trying to regain my footing as I see him standing up on two human legs. My eyes stretch open as he rises to his feet. He seems weary, and his grip on me is tight, but…He’s…human. My eyes dwell on him for a moment, as though I can’t quite believe this sight, when the fisher asks: “So…?”

“Oh… I was taking a walk with my friend and we saw the net and wanted to see if there was anything in it.”

The fisherman frowns. “I already told you, you shouldn’t be doing that.”

“I know. But curiosity took the best of us, but we won’t do it again, promise.”

He nods before adding “Go home, now.”

“Yes.” I take a step forward, slowly, as the Lemurian follows in next to me. I can feel his stance, wobbly, his moves shaky. It’s clear that he isn’t used to walking on human legs, and it seems like it’s quite the struggle. As soon as the fishers are out of our hair, I tighten my grasp around his waist to grant him some support. “Are you alright?” I ask.

“What do you think? I have to walk on human legs. This is very uncomfortable.”

I look around and see groups of fishers left and right, getting their boats prepared to go out to sea. “There will be lots of fishers around for the rest of the day. I’m not sure staying here would be safe for you.”

“I normally wouldn’t care, but…I’m actually quite tired right now. So, I guess I’ll have to agree with you.”

“How about this? I’ll take you to my place and you can rest there for a few days, and when you’re feeling better, you can leave then?”

He agrees, complying without even arguing, which almost surprises me. I thought he’d only agree after much squabbling, but he doesn’t, perhaps because he knows he has no other choices at that point. I can easily tell he’s not thrilled about having to depend on a human, but despite everything, I can tell he seems to trust me in some ways. And for now, that’s enough.

I hold him firmly as he leans on me for support as we start the way back to my house. After a few minutes, I notice he seems to be getting even more tired. Walking seems to be putting quite a strain on him. “Is it very tiring for you? To walk on human legs?”

“It is. It’s not something that’s natural to me, you know. It requires efforts, like you humans with swimming. After a while, you get tired. It’s no different.”

“I guess it makes sense. But don’t worry, we’re almost there. Only one more minute and we’ll arrive.”

He just shakes his head, but I can feel the slight relief in his stance. He’s growing increasingly weary, and I can tell he’s drained from all the walking. “So…”I start, my tone growing curious. “What’s your name?”

“My name? Why do you want to know?”

“Well, I can’t go around calling you the Lemurian now, can I?”

He suddenly lifts piercing eyes onto me as he replies: “Rafayel.”

“Rafayel” I try the name on my lips before a small smile presses against my lips. “It’s nice to meet you, Rafayel”. I notice his eyes flaring in surprise, when a blush creeps up his cheeks, and he looks away, flustered.

The sight elicits a grin from me, one I can’t really help. “We’re here.” I help in inside as he looks around my simple, cozy house. I point to a chair as he sits down. I can instantly tell how depleted he seems.“How can I help? Do you want to sleep?” I ask, trying to figure out what I can do so he’ll feel better.

“You’re an odd one” he then says after a moment of contemplative silence.

“How am I odd?” I ask, confused.

“Well, most humans would jump at the occasion to catch a Lemurian, and they’d be thinking about how to utilize me by now, but not you. You helped me break free. And now, you seem oddly concerned about my well-being. These aren’t things I’d have ever expected to see from a human.”

“Well, maybe I’m not like every human.”

He smiles. “Yeah, maybe not, cutie.”

I find myself rooted in place, the softness in his voice and the endearing pet name catching me off guard. I guess he must have noticed I was a little unsettled, because he said: “I think I’d like to be in water. Yesterday, I was under the scorching sun for a few hours, so it would do me some good.”

“I’ll draw you a bath.” I proclaim, as he acquiesces, my eyes dwelling on his compelling features, captivated for a few moments, before I walk up to the bathroom and start filling the bathtub with water.

After I draw him a bath, he sinks down the water, his mermen form replacing his human legs. He lets out a content sigh as he tilts his head back against the bathtub’s edge. My eyes wander on his ethereal features for a moment, as the droplet of water ripple against his crystal-like skin. It’s like watching a live painting, of a beauty that one can barely even begin to capture, and for a moment, I’m so mesmerized I cannot even force my eyes away. Perhaps noticing my insistent stare, he opens his eyes and raises his face to mine. “If you have questions about the Lemurians, just ask.” He states, as if sensing my curiosity.

I sit by the bathtub, holding my hands together. “I was just thinking that…I didn’t know Lemurians could shift to human legs.”

He withholds an almost mocking snort. “There’s a lot you do not know about the Lemurians. That’s the problem with rumors and legends. They aren’t that accurate.”

“So tell me…About the Lemurians.” I ask, my desire to know more overpowering me.

His seething eyes go right through me, his expression turning almost serious. “Alright then.” He shifts slightly, the water rolling around his skin as though it obeys him. “The scales on my skin are the sharpest weapons in the world. I can kill anyone with just a song. When I cry, my tears turn to pearls. And my blood, can grant immortality. It’s that just the surface” I jerk slightly, taking in his words with surprise as he grins. “Scared of me, yet?” he asks, his voice dropping lower.

I suck in a quiet breath, his electric eyes thundering through me with the might of a storm crashing across the sea. This man carries the beauty of the world within him, yet wears a silence laced with tenderness and a darkness so deep, it threatens to swallow me whole. But, even though he does, there isn’t even a part of me who fears me, and almost out of pure instinct, I reply: “No”. His eyes flick toward me, a spark of astonishment mixing with his pupils. He seems surprised by my answer, but then a content smile curls up his lips.

A few instants pass by, moments in which we seem to be trapped in an almost comforting silence. Everything seems to still around us, as our gaze are locked. A moment…lost in time.

After a few moments, I stand up. “I’ll let you enjoy your bath. I’ll get you a change of clothes.” He nods, closing his eyes once more as I make my way out of the room. I fetch some clothes my brother left the last time he was here. They’re of similar build, so I tell myself it should fit him.

I decide to head out and get to the grocery store to buy some food. After all, I didn’t expect to have a guest today. I get ready and leave my home before I make my way to the local supermarket, before returning with fresh food an hour and a half later. As I pass the door, he’s changed into the clean clothes I left for him. He’s sitting on a chair, his eyes instantly flashing on me. “You’re back.”

“I was at the grocery store, buying some food.”

“Did you get anything good?”

I open the fridge and start stacking the food inside. “I got quite a lot of fish and sea food. I assumed you’d like that the best.” He gives me an acknowledging nod. “I also bought some cakes.”

“Cakes?” he asks, unsure of what I’m talking about.

“It’s sugary and sweet food. You’d have it as a desert, or a snack. It’s really good. Do you want to try it?”

“Hum…sure” He declares as he stands up and walks up to me. I open the box and hand him a little cake with strawberry topping.

“Here. It’s got strawberry in it. See if you like it.” I lift my hand, expecting him to grab the cake when his fingers settle over mine and he lowers his head toward my hand. I jump in surprise as he bites into the cake, his lips brushing against my skin, causing a soft shudder through my body.

“Hum…It’s tasty.” He says, as he takes another bite.

I pull my hand back, feeling the warmth of his lips lingering against my skin. “You’re supposed to hold it, you know,” I mutter, hoping he doesn’t notice the slight tremor in my voice.

He chews down the cake, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I like this way better,” he teases, licking a stray crumb from his lip.

I roll my eyes, but my pulse still flutters. “Well, next time, use your hands.”

“Next time?” he whispers. “So, you’re already planning to feed me again?”

“Just eat your cake,” I say, but as our gaze meet, I can’t help but smile.

He smiles, unapologetically. “I’ll make dinner.”