#sc: mitha

[megarywrites]

find the word tag game

tagged by @writingbyricochet (thanks!) and mine were: brilliant, sparkle, charge, and feather. all of mine will be taken from Seafoam, ofc

I'll tag: @thewriteflame @isherwoodj @caitlinbirenbaum @daisywords and @pinespittinink and your words will be: near, necessary, need, never, and news

brilliant

“You don’t have to use any of the hammocks if you don’t want to,” she said as she smoothly slid into the one woven from frilly, olive-green algae. “Some of the others sleep wherever they want. But I really like having my own designated space to retreat to.” I swam a little further up, to the one strung across the beams just above hers. It was made from what looked like a ship’s sail, only it had been dyed violet. At one point, it had probably been a brilliant shade, but after however long it had been submerged in the saltwater, its vibrancy had been greatly diminished.

sparkle(ing)

The sky was devoid of clouds on a day that it should have been raining. The sky was blue and clear, the sun’s warmth beating down on us, its light sparkling on the sea. Even my downcast gaze was not enough to keep the too-bright light from glaring in my eyes. The bells in the latridom started to chime as we stepped onto the cobblestone lane, the Stoli moving out from behind us, flanking our sides to keep the on-lookers and well-wishers from approaching. My chin quivered as I held my head high, willing myself not to cry. Not quite yet. Ma’s steps faltered and I slowed as the Stoli on her side reached out, holding her up. Stroking her arms and back and veil-covered hair.  “Ma,” I whispered, offering her my hand to hold.  Her trembling fingers slid between mine, and I squeezed her hand tightly before I started us walking again.

charge

Dinner for the captains was already plattered by the time we arrived. The Sorma directed us to our places, and I was in charge of serving the vina tonight—a honey-gold vina to accompany the main course, and a pale violet vina that smelled of ender blossoms for the dessert. I could feel Zeno’s gaze on me for the majority of the night, but I didn’t pay him any mind, until he kept moving his goblet out of reach. If Geros hadn’t had been there, I would have smacked the back of his head and grabbed the goblet myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him grinning at me when I shook my head slightly.  “Am I annoying you?” he asked softly when he finally relented and I started pouring the violet vina into his crystal goblet.  I glanced up the table, finding Geros deep in conversation with one of the other men. Something about Jou’eou refusing to trade with Grea anymore. “Of course,” I whispered back, being careful to barely move my mouth and give my speech away. His chuckle filled my ear as I moved away and onto Omero.

feather(y)

“Please, let’s head to my home. You can ask all the questions you wish along the way.”  She started forward, wriggling her nearly glowing teal tail to propel herself, the spiny, feathery fins waving around with each smooth movement. I tried to kick my feet, but they moved as one. Were my feet still bound? Again, I attempted to move, but when I looked down to inspect what was the matter, my hair bushed fluidly in my face until I frantically pushed it away.  A tail. I had one, too.

[elikamadaan]

LIBEL V. SLANDER

Defamation is not an unheard term for the common people too, as every now and then, news related to such a case is featured and highlighted. Defaming is the act of maligning someone’s reputation through libel or slander.

To establish or prove defamation, these three important essentials factors should be there:

The statement must be defamatory and damaging.

It must be directed to the claimant.

It must be communicated or published to at least one person other than the claimant.

Right to reputation is an inherent right guaranteed by Article 21 and therefore, to safeguard this, the right to freedom and speech bestowed by Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, is not absolute.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIBEL AND SLANDER:

That libel and slander are two different forms of defamation, may not be known to many of us.

Libel: An intransigent form of defamation, one that is permanent in nature, for example, writing, photography, film, statue, printing, picture, effigy, etc. Hence, statements in books, newspapers, articles, letters, etc. that tarnish someone’s reputation are libels. Additionally, anything that can be viewed by people like film or statue, and is denigrating, are also libels.

Slander: This is a transient form of defamation, temporary in nature, generally caused by gestures or spoken words. This includes statements made verbally or gesticulations that vilifies a person’s reputation.

Thus, it is obvious that both of these are features of the tort of defamation and are regulated by similar principles. While libel is a defamation that is addressed to the eye, slander is addressed to the ears.

DEFAMATION & INDIAN LAW:

Both the forms of defamation, libel, and slander, are not distinctly considered different from each other in Indian Law. A person so defamed can seek relief in the form of damages under civil laws and punishments under the criminal law.

The civil law for defamation has not been codified in the form of legislation and therefore, is covered by the law of torts. Under such circumstances, the claimant is required to prove that defamation occurred.

The criminal law clearly defines defamation under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) as:

“Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter expected, to defame that person.”

Furthermore, Section 500, 501 of the IPC enumerates the quantum of punishment in such cases; which could be either fine or simple imprisonment of two years or both.

CASE LAWS WITH A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NEWSPAPER LIBEL:

Freedom of expression and speech is considered a right that is universally accepted. The Supreme Court while hearing the case of Indian Express Newspaper (Bombay) (P) Ltd. v. Union of India,[1] ascertained that freedom of press/media is undoubtedly the strongest pillar of a democratic country like ours. Yet, under no circumstances, it grants the right to defame someone and harm his reputation by false and baseless allegations and by innuendos and insinuations.

Newspaper libel can be said to be defamation caused by publishing a statement that mars a person’s reputation and tends to lower his status in the eyes of right-thinking members of society, so much so that they start avoiding him.

In the case of Vander Zalm v. Times Publishers[2], the Court agreed that a defamed person is regarded with a feeling of disdain, abhorrence, disrespect, loath or horror.

In an interesting case of Radheshyam Tiwari v. Eknath[3] which comes out as a clear-cut example of defamation. The plaintiff accused the defendants of printing false statements regarding allegations that he accepted bribes, issued false certificates, etc. These statements, when investigated, were found to be false, and thus the defendants were charged with defamation.

In other cases, like Jawaharlal Darda v. Manoharrao Ganpatrao Kapiskar[4] and Abdul Wahab Galadari v. Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.[5], the statements published were seen to be hurting the reputation of some but were found to be factual, and hence, did not amount to defamation.

A defamation case can stand further scrutiny only if there is a direct reference to the person in the statement thus made. This was established by the Court in the case of T.V Ramasubha Iyer v. AMA Mohindeen[6].

For a case to stand a chance of action against the publishers, it must be conclusively proved that the statements published were defamatory in nature, as the Court stated in the cases of Mitha Rustomji Murzban v. Nusserwanji Engineer[7] and DP Chaudhary v. Kumari Manjulata[8].

Furthermore, as was determined by the Court in the case of Gurbachan Singh v. Babu Ram[9], the publishing of incorrect information in a newspaper makes the editor liable too, unless there is a contract of that effect.

Proving the falsity of a statement that has been published has to be the basis of any defamatory case. Thus, if a statement is true and factual, fair and bona fide, then it shall not be treated as defamatory in nature. This fact was highlighted by the Court in the case of Dainik Bhaskar v. Madhusudan Bhaskar.

THE LAST WORD!

The dominant outcome of all cases of defamation is that an individual’s right to reputation should be upheld if the statement is not correct

There is an obvious conflict that arises between the freedom of expression, the essence of a democratic society; and the right to reputation, which is a constitutional right bestowed on every individual.

The remedy lies in the hands of publications to be ethical at all times and promote, what is known as ‘responsible journalism’. Freedom of expression is a right that is not ‘absolute’ but comes with riders as it impacts other individuals too. In finding a balance between the freedom that the press enjoys and the responsibility that lies on its shoulder to be truthful, lies the key to protecting themselves from defamation cases.

[1] (1985) 1 SCC 641

[2] (1980) 109 D.L.R. (3d) 531, 353, 541

[3] AIR 1985 Bom 285.

[4] AIR 1998 SC 2117.

[5] AIR 1994 Bom 69.

[6] AIR 1972 Mad 398.

[7] (1941) 43 Bom LR 631

[8] AIR 1997 Raj 170

[9] AIR 1969 Punjab 201

visit: https://www.schooloflegaleducation.com/blog-post/libel-v-slander/

[megarywrites]

10 lines challenge

I was tagged by @thewriteflame and I think the rules are 10 first lines from 10 chapters but I wanna change it up a it and do 10 lines of the different character introductions (aka the initial times when Thala interacts directly with them)? let's go

All from Seafoam, and yes i'm aware that none of them are single lines, sue me (pls don't)

I'll tag (no pressure): @aninkwellofnectar @isherwoodj @pinespittinink @daisywords

1 - Mitapi

“Thala! Where—” But her question was answered before she could ask it as I burst out of the thick hedge surrounding our home, clutching at my sides as I slowed to a staggering walk. “What took you so long?” She asked, her stern tone belied by the smile in her dark eyes.  “Watching...for Pa,” I managed to say between great gulps of breath. “Almost home.”

2 - Zeno

Someone was waving, and I perked up, only to realize that it was Zeno, not Pa. Still, I waved back, smiling at my best friend.

3 - Omero

Omero cleared his throat. “Is Mitapi with you?”  Ma? Why would she be here? I shook my head. “Just me.”  He sighed, then clapped his hand roughly on my shoulder, nearly making me drop one of the kretse. “I don’t know how else to say this, but…” The pause was long enough for my gaze to flick between Zeno and his father again. “Your father is dead.”

4 - Sosta

I stopped in my tracks, eyes widening slightly, as I stepped around the wall to find Ma sitting at the hearth with none other than Sosta Diakos, the Droma of Psari’s latridom. They both looked up at me, Ma’s expression barely visible behind the sheer black mourning veil. The Droma inspected me with a small smile visible through his beard, his gaze lingering on my chest until I crossed my arms over myself and started to back away.  “Kolette and Rodi lent us their mourning garments, and I put yours in your bedroom,” she said, taking my attention away from the Droma.

5 - Kolette

Kolette glanced my way as I approached, her voice faltering as she looked again, eyes wide. The baker’s wife looked at me, too, but I only had eyes for Kolette, now. “Mitapi?” she asked, her voice softly sad. “What are you doing out—” I shook my head hard enough that my veil shifted back and forth. “It’s Thala. I was wondering…” I gulped, glancing at the baker’s wife as I tried to catch my breath. “I was wondering if you could stay with Ma? Just for a little while. Just until the funeral.”

6 - Geros

I pried Zeno’s hand off my arm and threw the mourning veil off my face as I stood, redirecting my gaze to meet the Diamo’s. We stared at each other for several agonizingly long seconds. Then, he lifted his hand, beckoning to me. “Come here, my child.” I lightly kicked at Zeno’s shin until he moved, and I slipped past him into the aisle.  I had no idea I could walk this well, when I was trembling this much.

7 - Solera

Ma begrudgingly sat, and the Diamo did as well as the Stoli moved between us all, passing around the warm clay mugs. I clutched mine, looking up and meeting the honeyed gaze of the one with short-cropped curly hair. Faint freckles dotted her dark russet cheeks, and she blinked a little harder when a lock of hair fell into her lashes. I smiled my thanks, my gaze trailing after her for a second until the Diamo leaned forward, his attention trained on Ma.

8 - Cilia

The double doors boomed open, the soot-grey lady—Cilia, if I remembered her name correctly—met my gaze before looking down, watching her step as she made her way to us.  Her robes were a dark, royal blue today and unadorned with embroidery. They rippled around her ankles as she hurried, then stopped a few steps above the cobblestone. Her night-dark eyes locked with mine, her expression carved as if from granite. “Thala.” I nodded, lost for words. “A pleasure to meet again.”  “Yeah,” I muttered lamely, and Ma unlatched the back of the cart, letting it down so we could slip out.

9 - Calio

Calio set the plate on the tiny table, then hobbled over to where the chair sat, dragging it back over to it.  “Hungry?”  I shook my head.  “Don’t worry, child. I ain’t gonna touch you.” I gulped, watching him sit in the chair. “What’s yer name?”  “Th-thala.”  “Arteras’ girl?” I nodded, and he pursed his lips, nodding too. “Sorry for yer loss. Good man, that.” He inspected me for a moment, without the hunger in his eyes that the other men had. Rather, with concern. Fatherly concern. “You should eat, you know. Long journey ahead.” 

10 - Mitha

But…wait…something accompanied the monster. A human. No, a fish? Both?  It—no, she, I could see that now—swam up to me, her hair like mine, swirling around her face and shoulders. There was something familiar in her air, something I could not place. Not until she brushed her hair back to look at me properly.  Ma. Relief; pure, sweet, and unadulterated. Relief as I had never known. It flooded me, filled me, warmed me. She was here, she was really here, after days, weeks…ages, it felt like, of wishing I could see her. But…how? Her hands cupped my face, her golden-brown eyes searching mine, my expression. “You are safe now. You have nothing to fear here.” The lines of concern etched in her brow and around her eyes and mouth soon sketched a smile. “What is your name, my child?” Ah. Not Ma.

[megarywrites]

roy g biv tag game

I was tagged by @thewriteflame (thanks, this was really fun!) everything is from Seafoam, and as always, it got long lol

I'll tag: @flowerprose @the-orangeauthor @aninkwellofnectar @pinespittinink @ashen-crest @daisywords @surroundedbypearls (no pressure ofc!)

red

The light of the dying sun bled into the raging sea, and still Pa’s ship had not yet come into port. Its silhouette was etched on the horizon with perhaps an hour or two of sailing before the Pontus would return to shore. Then, he would be home and warming himself at the hearth, regaling Ma and I with tall tales about the pirates and sea serpents he encountered with his crewmates. Each time, his stories became more elaborate, more far-fetched. All to make her laugh, if I had to guess, because Ma’s laughter filled our home for days following his homecoming.  I twirled the thin stem of an othima blossom between my fingers, then tore my gaze away from the outline of the Pontus to look at the tiny flower. It blended just so with the light of the setting sun, a mottle of bright red and orange with the tips of its five petals dipped in gold. “Thala!” Absently, I looked up at the sound of Ma’s voice. The fact that she had called my name did not quite register until she did it again. Louder, this time, her voice floating up to where I was perched on the bluff.  “Thala! Come home! Supper is getting cold!”

orange

“It was just a dream,” she said, softly now. I shook my head, my breaths coming quick and short as my eyes darted behind her, scanning each of the unfamiliar faces. All of them, witnesses to my shame. “It wasn’t real.”  Ma—no, Mitha—swam up behind the crowd, flanked by another stranger. She wove effortlessly through the scattered throng, making her way toward me. I pressed myself closer to the wall, despite the discomfort in my fin, watching her warily as she approached. She reached into the satchel at her hip, removing a little pouch made of folded dark red algae. From within it, she extracted a few translucent orange orbs, letting them collect on her palm as she stopped before me.  My gaze flicked between the orbs and the face I knew so well.  “If you take these, you’ll be able to rest peacefully until you naturally wake.”  I eyed the orbs, then her again. “No nightmares?”  “No dreams at all.”  Cautiously, I held out my hand, waiting for her to pour them into my palm. Once she did, I swirled them around, watching them bump together before I popped them into my mouth. I bit down, the juice of the orbs exploding in my mouth. They tasted of unripe tomatoes, the acidity dripping a harsh line down my throat as the world grew numb around me. I floated forward, slumping into Mitha’s waiting arms, and knew no more.

yellow

Once I pulled my hair out from the back of my kapta and slipped my sioti on, I opened the door, and Solera pushed off the wall, glancing up at me. She reached out, tucking a loose curl behind my ear before she turned and led me up and out of our room, through the common room, and up the stairs to the corridor. We raced into the latridom with the other stragglers, slowing to a brisk walk when Sorma Rimal pointedly cleared her throat.  All of us fell into lines flanking the aisle, the Smara churning below us. I tried to stand beside Solera, but Rinni had already taken the spot, so I took the place across from her. She signed something, but the opening of the double doors took my attention away before I could read her hands.  People streamed into Katania, the chatter muted as they walked between us. We all pressed our hands to our chests, inclining our heads respectively. Everyone was dressed in their best garments, white and ivory predominant, but pale yellows, and bright reds were scattered amidst them. Gold accents flashed in the sunlight streaming through the many windows of the latridom. When everyone was through, Sorma Rimal walked down the aisle, her chin held high, her gold-filigreed ivory robes swishing on the glass floor behind her. The Stoli filed in two lines behind her, Solera’s fingers brushing against mine when we were back beside each other again.

green

Laughter from inside was carried out on the breeze. Ma’s laughter. I grabbed the handle of the bucket and hurried back in to find Solera sitting with Ma, who was now all wrapped up in our biggest, warmest blanket, on the sooty edge of the hearth. Both of them looked up at me, then at each other conspiratorially, Solera breaking into a grin.  “What?” I asked, my gaze darting between the pair of them as I placed the bucket down by Ma.  “Oh, nothing.” Solera, taking the cue from Ma, tried to school her expression. Unsuccessfully. “I think I might be a little hungry.”  “Oh?”  “Something light, I think,” Ma added as I started to clear the counter so I could start preparing a meal.  Solera hopped up to help, but I shook my head, gesturing back to the hearth. “Just relax. You two can keep making jokes about me if you want.”  Ma chuckled as I slid my hands through the handles of the mugs littering the counters. “Whatever made you think we were doing that?”  I rolled my eyes, which only made her laugh again. There was that green bottle that Solera had noticed earlier. Bulbous at the base, narrow at the spout. No cork. It was empty. “Do you want to reuse this?” I asked her, holding it up and glancing over at Ma. She shook her head without even looking my way, wrapped up in her whispers with Solera. Huffing a sigh, I tossed the bottle into the bin, both of them looking up when it shattered.  “What, sweetheart?”  “What are you in the mood to eat?”

blue

I kept staring at Olena, waiting for her to look back at me before I raised my shaking hands to ask Can you look after her for me? When she gets back?  She nodded and I braced myself against the table as I stood. Faced Cilia. “I’m ready.” She pushed the door open further, holding it in place as I walked out the door. Panic speared my heart as the door fell heavily closed, draping the stairwell in darkness. Against my wishes, I scurried toward the promise of light on the ground floor. Sorma Rimal emerged from the shadows seconds after I did, her robes so blue they were almost black. Her eyes were on me, pity clearly swimming in the depths of her gaze. Her attention darted away, toward the inner hall of the latridom, before she fished in her pocket and produced a small, thin vial of translucent sage-green liquid.  My brow furrowed as I looked at it, then up to her when she held it out to me. “Take it.”  “What is it?”  “A potion to keep you from getting pregnant.” Dread frosted over me, sending a shiver down my spine, and my mouth popped open in a response that never came. She grabbed my hand by the wrist, setting it on my palm and closing my fingers around it. “It’s quite potent so just be sure to take a few drops every day.”  “Yes, Sorma.”  She released my hand and continued walking, so I tucked the vial in the pocket by my side and trudged after her.

indigo

Dusk was settling in, the indigo clouds stretching across the sea barely brushed with gold on the edges. I caught glimpses of it as we ran past the windows. But then the wall opened up to another, lantern-lit corridor and I stopped running to look all around. A loud snap sounded behind me, and I whirled around, finding Solera, bathed in a warm, yellow glow stretching out from an opening in the wall before her. She waved me to join her, and I hiked up my skirt even higher, sprinting so fast that she reached out to grab me to slow me down. Laughter was sparking in her eyes as she nodded into the kitchens.  A vast room, probably the size of the house Pa had built for us, filled with counters and scullery maids and baskets fit to burst with vegetables of such variety that I hardly recognized some of them. There were so many smells, it was hard to keep track of them all, but it made my stomach grumble. If only I could stay in here and taste everything rather than go up and serve the Diamo and his guests… Bottles of vina rested in holes drilled into the wall, waiting to be used. Curled glass pitchers were lined up beneath them, one of the scullery maids carefully pouring a golden vina into several of them. All of the Stoli were getting platters and plates and serving utensils down, directed by a rather red-faced, rotund woman with kind features and her wispy silver hair tied up into a bun.

violet

“Are you ready to head home?”  I gulped, then shook my head and reached out to brace myself as I swam up to the edge of the upper deck, leading to [the captain]'s room. The site of many of my nightmares. Would his corpse be lying within, still tangled in the violet sheets where I had left him? Or had they disposed of him, too?  “Is that the captain’s quarters?”  I nodded.  “We don’t have to go in there.”  “I know.”  Closing my eyes tightly, I sighed, then started forward toward the ajar door. It pushed open much more easily than mine did, but it was equally as wrecked. Only, there were more things to be tossed about. Bedding, lanterns, maps, instruments to chart the seas, collected trinkets from years of travel, and all the furniture.  Thankfully, though, no [captain].  The thought returned in the pressing silence as I cast about the haunted room—the thought that they should all pay for what they did.

[megarywrites]

find the word game

tagged by @thewriteflame and my words were: murder, monster, mirror, and mark (to absolutely no one's surprise, Seafoam has all of these lol)

I'll tag: @daisywords @pinespittinink @caitlinbirenbaum @aninkwellofnectar @isherwoodj and anyone else who wants to! your words are: stale, stiff, stagnant, strip, and start

murder(s)

The smile fell from my face as I spotted what was left of [redacted] bobbing away from me on the crimson waves.  I had done it. Gotten my revenge. Wholly and completely. So what was wrong with me? Why wasn’t I— My breathing quickened, my heart stuttering in my rapidly tightening chest. The pressure within me built, tautening until I thought it would break me on its own.  So I screamed.  It was like it was being ripped from my throat, from my very soul. I put everything I could think of into it. My lingering rage that not even the murders could have quenched. The grief over the girl I had been before all this. The hatred I could never fully name.  Until I was empty.  Spent.

monster

My vision blurred as I squinted through the blueness surrounding me, suffocating me. Where was I? Had I not died?  Water filled my mouth as I opened it, spurring a coughing fit. Bubbles erupted before my face, and I pushed away from them, floating, drifting away. My hair bushed and billowed around me as I held…my breath? Could I do that now? Something dark and long and sinister writhed before me, snaking its way toward me in the darkening blueness. Had I survived the plunge only to be killed again? By this? One of the monsters from Pa’s old stories? But…wait…something accompanied the monster. A human. No, a fish? Both, somehow?  It—no, she, I could see that now—swam up to me, her hair like mine, swirling around her face and shoulders. There was something familiar in her air, something I could not place. Not until she brushed her hair back to look at me properly.  Ma.

mirror

When I stepped away, [the Diamo] cocked his head to the side, inspecting himself thoroughly.  “The belt?”  Oh right, of course.  Ducking my head in a nod, I hurried back to the wardrobe, grabbing the first coiled belt I could lay my hand on. [Geros] let out a long, clearly impatient sigh as I wrapped it around his waist and came around the front to tie it off in a limp bow. He reached up to preen his wavy hair into place as I returned to the wardrobe to grab a pair of his sandals. When I turned back, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, foot extended expectantly. So I knelt before him, slipping the first sandal on before weaving the straps around his calf.  “We’ll head straight to the inner courtyard today. I have quite a few criminals to judge today,” he said in a droll voice. He stood just as I finished tying off his second sandal, and I stuck close to him as he returned, inspecting himself in the mirror. He leaned closer, smoothing the mustache of his gray-peppered beard, then turned away, heading for the innermost door.  I followed two steps behind, closing the door to his chambers behind us before quickening my steps to catch up to him.

mark

How long had it been since we had set off from Aspyra? I had tried to keep track, but I didn’t always sleep when darkness fell, so I had lost count. I crawled across the room, splinters pricking my bare knees, to a little indent in the walls. There, if I hunkered down on the floor and tucked myself out of sight of the door, were clusters of marks scratched into the wall. Did they mark the days of the other Stoli’s torments? I placed my hand over them, fingertips feeling for the scars.  Even if they weren’t here, I wasn’t alone.  My head rested against the wall, the rolling waves and rocking ship lulling me half to sleep. A shiver wracked my body, though, reviving me and reminding me that I was still naked.

[megarywrites]

Dino ask! :3 Deinonychus and I have to send my favorite dino: Ankylosaurus

thank you!!! under the cut because as usual, it got long lol

Deinonychus | share a scene with banter

She shifted, sitting now instead of squatting beside me, her arm braced somewhere behind me, our shoulders barely touching. I picked a few more othima. “I wish we had gotten to look around some more. It seems like a really charming place.” Smiling, I arranged the blossoms between my fingers, pinching the stems to hold them in place. “What were you and Ma laughing about? When I was outside?”  “Oh, that.” She chuckled, and I looked up, slightly startled to find her face so close to mine. But she wasn’t looking at me. “She mentioned something about how you were never that eager to clean before, and I said that that hasn’t changed since you came to Katania.”  “Hey, I keep my side of our room clean.” “If you want to call it that, sure.”  The corner of her lips twitched up, her dimple appearing for a split second before her gaze flicked up to meet mine.  We were already close. So close. Yet I wanted to be closer still. To let myself get lost in the depths of her eyes. Her attention lowered for a second, the very tip of her tongue poking out to wet her lips. My heart stuttered as her eyes captured mine again.  What were we talking about?  She looked away with a small smile, making to stand. “We should hurry if we want to make it back before supper.”  I leaned toward her, missing the close proximity already. “Here,” I said, holding out the measly bundle of flowers to her.  Solera brushed the seat of her kapta off before she collected the othima from me, her fingers brushing against mine. “Thank you, Thala.”  Warmth washed over me that had nothing to do with the heat of the day.

Ankylosaurus | share some of your favorite descriptive text

The gap between the rock faces started to widen, an ever-brightening blue light welcoming us as we swam out into the open. My eyes widened and my mouth fell slightly open.  A courtyard of a spiraling mosaic of green, yellow, and gray splayed out before us, clumps of bright green algae clinging to the faded stones like moss. Gardens of swaying red and yellow-green sea flora stretched out around the sprawling, airy palace up ahead. Deteriorating statues of once-noble dragons flanked the curved staircase leading up into the palace, the one on the left holding my attention until Mitha called out a greeting and waved to a cluster of mermaids within the garden.  She didn’t stop to talk, however. Instead, she led me up into the dilapidated palace itself.  The walls, where they still remained, possessed some of the grandeur of the former hall. Faded murals depicting an age long past adorned them. The pointed, arched ceiling was so vast that I had to squint to make out even the slender beams stretching between the patchy roof. Time and water had eroded the faces, wings, and tails of the stately columns that had been carved to appear like the dragons of legend.  Broad arched windows sat between each of these, looking out over another courtyard, where deep reds and blues joined in the dizzyingly swirled mosaic. Another garden spilled out onto the courtyard, which was populated with many more mermaids, most of which were fawning over Kama. Her head was resting on the jagged edge of the courtyard, which dropped off abruptly into the deep sea. Her long dark body swayed lazily in the current until she rolled over on her side to let some of the mermaids pick off the barnacles stuck to her underbelly.  “Thala.” I started at the sound of my mother’s voice, so taken with the bewildering, wonderful sight before me that I had forgotten about Mitha sharing her face and voice. I tore my attention away from the spectacle, looking over at her. “Come. I’ll show you where we rest.”  She had to keep reminding me to follow her, as I constantly got distracted by the surrounding murals. Faded as they were, it was hard to make out the depictions. But, from what I could tell, it told the story of the dragons and their friendship with the humans—a story that barely persisted with the passage of time in Grea. I knew of it from tales Pa had brought back from other lands, but even then, my memory was fleeting.  I was about to ask Mitha about it when I turned to find that we had reached the doorway that dwarfed both Mitha and I, and she chuckled as I looked up at it in awe. “It had to be this large so the dragons would walk beside their humans.”  The courtyard filled with other mermaids and Kama laid to the right of us, and to the left, the garden. And beyond the garden, the thick strips of the algae forest danced in the current.

send me dinosaur asks?

[megarywrites]

the writeblr garden spooky season prompts

day 3: creature(s)

— What animals/beings/entities exist in your wip?

other than your average dogs and cats (one of which is a cameo from my own dog) that appear in this story in particular, the only real creature that comes up is Kama, who is a sea serpent. As I'm in the middle of rewriting the first book, I haven't quite reached her again yet, because she gets introduced in the first chapter of book 2, snippet from the first draft below.

The sunlight, so dim and cold this far beneath the ocean's surface, winked out. I immediately withdrew from Mitha's minstrations, making myself as small as possible as I recoiled away from the impenetrable darkness rapidly coiling around us. Mith looked up, then around, her mild interest morphing into exasperation as she slapped at the shadow made solid. "Stop—" was all I was able to make out before her speech slipped into a language I had never heard before. Not the old tongue that Geros and even Sosta would use when the occasion called for it, but something...something even more foreign. The void relaxed, the coil loosening, the light returning to reveal a midnight-blue sea serpent. Looking as though it had been dropped right out of one of Pa's outlandish tales. My mouth fell open involuntarily as it swam around us, its pale blue eyes glowing slightly as it inspected me. Three translucent tendrils floated out before its gargantuan face, with bulbs emanating the same blue light as its eyes attached to the ends of them. I couldn't even begin to fathom how long its body was, but if I had to guess, the serpent could have ringed around the hedges that fenced in my home. Twice. It was covered in dark blue, barbed scales, though as it slithered closer to me, the color variation became more apparent. Throughout its face and along its spine, the scales were as dark as night, but the color transposed to the same shade as the surrounding water once they covered its barnacle-dotted underbelly. There were some patches of scales that shone on their own, matching its eyes and the bulbs. Several layers of spiny fins ringed its terrible face like a mane, with another lining its back, the spikes running through it coming to varied peaks. There were more fins along its sides and belly, undulating as it swam around me. It paused before me, staring down its bumpy snout with its huge, fish-like eyes. I barely resisted the urge to back up when the needle-like teeth jutting out of its mouth threatened to scrape my chin.

— Are they more lore or plot related?

Kama is unique in that she is both lore and plot related.

So, book one ends with Thala being thrown overboard and drowning, and book two opens with her being remade as a mermaid and given a second chance at life (atm, Second Chance is literally the title of the first chapter for book 2). Kama is the one who has the magical capabilities to do that (because of lore related things that i'll get into in a second), and she and Mitha work together to save women like Thala who die at sea. When Thala makes the decision that she wants to return to the shore and have her revenge on the people who brought about her and so many other women's demise, Kama is also the one facilitate her return to a fully human form.

Lore-wise...like I said above, Kama is a sea serpent, which are also called wyrms, and she is one of the four variations of dragons in Dracrie, which is my storyworld. Now, wyrms are the oldest creatures ever created in Dracrie, and they keep to the recesses of the ocean more often than not, so they have avoided the petty disputes between the dragons and the humans that brought about the breaking of the world. When the world was first formed, and the dragons being the first creatures that the gods (the Locsi) made, they were gifted some of the Locsi's powers of creation so that they could shape the realm to their liking once the Locsi grew bored and decided to retreat from Dracrie. The dragons shared their gift with the humans they eventually bonded with, but after the war and their exile, they stranded humans with their now unstable magic, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Kama, however, is different, but i'll get into why in the following question.

— Do any have a special connection to the human/mortal characters?

As I said above, the wyrms do not interact with humans if they can help it, aside from, you know, destroying ships for the enrichment of it all. Kama is the only wyrm in existence to have ever bonded with a human—Mitha. Their origin story is one that I'd eventually like to write a book about, but that won't be for many years. Mitha, which is not her true name but the one we know her by in the Seafoam books, originally hails from would become the island nation of Jou'eou, and she helped to nurse a beached young Kama back to health, and their unbreakable bond was formed.

When everything went to shit, Kama returned to save Mitha from certain death, taking her with her into the sea. They quickly realized that this wouldn't be sustainable with Mitha being in human form, so Kama used some of her magic to change her into the first mermaid, so that she could stay with her always.

To this day, they are the only remaining bonded pair of human and dragon.

[megarywrites]

Dragon Ask Game: Wing ❣️

thank you!

wing | share a snippet of a scene that you were daydreaming about before writing it

I was definitely daydreaming about this one, because i was imagining the history behind this specific place as well as how it would look after centuries of being underwater. This is Thala's first glimpse of Chitrenikos, the haven for mermaids created by Mitha and Kama

The gap between the rock faces started to widen, an ever-brightening blue light welcoming us as we swam out into the open. My eyes widened and my mouth fell slightly open. 

A courtyard of a spiraling mosaic of green, yellow, and gray splayed out before us, clumps of bright green algae clinging to the faded stones like moss. Gardens of swaying red and yellow-green sea flora stretched out around the sprawling, airy palace up ahead. Deteriorating statues of once-noble dragons flanked the curved staircase leading up into the palace, the one on the left holding my attention until Mitha called out a greeting and waved to a cluster of mermaids within the garden. 

She didn’t stop to chat, however. Instead, she led me up into the dilapidated palace itself. 

The walls, where they still remained, possessed some of the grandeur of the former hall. Faded murals depicting an age long past adorned them. The pointed, arched ceiling was so vast that I had to squint to make out even the slender beams stretching between the patchy roof. Time and water had eroded the faces, wings, and tails of the stately columns that had been carved to appear like the dragons of legend. 

Broad arched windows sat between each of these, looking out over another courtyard, where deep reds and blues joined in the dizzyingly swirled mosaic. Another garden spilled out onto the courtyard, which was populated with many more mermaids, most of which were fawning over Kama. Her head was resting on the jagged edge of the courtyard, which dropped off abruptly into the deep sea. Her long dark body swayed lazily in the current until she rolled over on her side to let some of the mermaids pick off the barnacles stuck to her underbelly. 

“Thala.” I started at the sound of my mother’s voice, so taken with the bewildering wonderful sight before me that I had forgotten about Mitha sharing her face and voice. I tore my attention away from the spectacle, looking over at her. “Come. I’ll show you where we rest.”

send me dragon asks?

[megarywrites]

Head’s Up, Seven Up tag game

I was tagged by @pinespittinink ! And i haven’t been able to write much for Seafoam lately, but i think i was able to write a few new paragraphs the other day, and this is from that (also it’s technically nine lines, but the extra two are short so i’m deciding it’s okay lol)

I’ll tag (no pressure!): @thewriteflame @isherwoodj @the-orangeauthor @bebewrites @muddshadow 

Another hand, not Solera’s, reached out for me. Touching me. I flinched away, looking wildly about at Mitha. “Do you want to follow me?” she asked, withdrawing her hand from my arm. My heart was beating a violent tempo in my ears, my head. My throat was too taut to speak, so I simply nodded. “Can Solera come with?”

My arms involuntarily wrapped tightly around me, but I nodded. So, Mitha swam on, the pair of us—if we could even be called a pair any longer—trailing behind her, an arm's-distance apart.

[megarywrites]

find the word/phrase tag game

got tagged in one of each (find the word: @isherwoodj and find the phrase: @mariahwritesstuff) and decided to combine the two!

my words were: ground, nerve, process, smart, and personal and the phrase was: "Please stay with me"

All the excerpts are taken from Seafoam (this got long, so it's under the cut)

ground

I held my hair back, watching how gracefully our shadows glided over the rocks and fish and…

My hand jerked out of Mitha’s grip and I stopped swimming, staring frozen at the ground. 

Skulls were nestled between the algae and the anemones and the twisted rocks. A small teal fish darted out of one of the skull’s eye sockets.

nerve(s)

It was still early enough for the mists from off the sea to creep over the bluff as we rattled along the edge of it. Sosta’s whistling was nearly drowned out by the roar of the waves far below. After a few moments, the cheery, breathy notes were starting to grate against my nerves. Good thing Aspyra was not a long way off.

process(ion) this one is a bit long, sorry (but you can't use "procession" without describing said procession can you)

Ma leaned closer to me as we rounded the bend leading into the latridom, but whatever she was going to say died in the air as we were met with another procession. 

It was led by a woman, lithe and dark, her black hair loosely puffed and pulled back at the ears, yet draped over her shoulders. She wore soot-grey robes embroidered with black thread, but I could not make out the pattern at this distance. Her dark brown eyes bore into us, and after a second, she smiled. A fleeting smile. A thin scar split her painted-red lips, and it was then that I realized she did not wear the mouth covering that the women surrounding us did. Ten Stoli flanked her, five on either side, and as they hurried up the stairs behind her, I caught a glimpse of the man in the midst of them. 

He was tall, or perhaps it was just his headdress that made him appear so. I could not tell if his robes were ivory or burgundy or gold, as the colours of the threads shifted as he moved. They were ornately woven, shimmering in the daylight like dying embers in a hearth. He looked our way, my mouth going dry. 

He was handsome—even I could admit that—with his golden olive skin and his dark hair and beard peppered with silver. His eyes...there was a kindness there that I had not expected from one so grand. And now, having seen the Diamo for myself, I could believe that he had supped with the gods and accepted their gifts of wisdom, beauty, and compassion for all his subjects. I fell to my knees with the others in the throng, bowing until my forehead nearly pressed against the cobblestone.

smart

“But...what if he’ll be upset?” 

“He will be. Of that I have no doubt. But I can bear it.” She cupped my cheek with her hand, her thumb stroking my face gently. “As long as I know that you won’t have to.” 

“Ma…”  “Men will always try to ruin us in some way. They’re not necessarily creative about it, but they will be successful if we don’t stand up for ourselves. As long as we’re brave enough to do so and smart in our tactics, there’s no way they can overcome us. Never give up, that’s how they claim victory. Remember that.” I nodded, and she patted my cheek before she moved away, heading into the kitchen. “Would you like some kappe?”

personal(ly) this feels like too big of a spoiler but it's okay alsdkjf

“You only gave it to her about a drop a day, right?” He didn’t respond, bowed over as he was. Dry heaving. I raised my voice so he could still hear me. “How many bottles did you end up going through to finally kill her? Because I personally made three and used them all. So at least you won’t have to suffer like she did.” 

He tumbled out of his chair, his temple knocking against the side of the table before he fell to the floor with a heavy clump! Rolling my eyes, I stood and walked over to where he lay writhing, yellow sick frothing at his mouth, a trail of blood dribbling down from his temple and into his beard.

"Please stay with me" don't have this exact phrase, but this is the part the fits the vibe of it the best

“Long day?” 

“Not as long as yours.” It’d be hard to beat, I had to admit. “But it was really warm and there was a lot of walking.” 

“You do look tired.” Her face scrunched up, as if I had offended her. “No! I didn’t mean—” She snorted, reaching out to shove my shoulder lightly, and I slumped down on the bed, still watching her. “I just meant, if you want to go to sleep now, I think I’m alright.” 

“But it’s such a long walk to my bed,” she said, pouting slightly as she cast a forlorn glance to the bed that lay a mere two steps away. 

I rolled over to inspect the distance. “That is true…I guess you’ll have to stay in mine.” 

When she didn’t respond right away, I turned back over, finding her watching me. “Do you not mind? Because I was kidding, but—” 

“But?” 

“But my legs are pretty sore, and I don’t really want to get up if I don’t have to.” 

Every thought fizzled out of my head. Everything except “I guess…I don’t really want to be alone tonight, if I don’t have to be.”

okay since i combined the two, whoever I tag will have three options: you can either do the words (blur, bellow, bite, bitter, and burnt) or the phrase ("Be careful") or both!

tagging: @thewriteflame @nectargrapes @the-orangeauthor @flowerprose @daisywords @faelanvance (no pressure, ofc!)

[megarywrites]

find the word tag game!

I was tagged my @zmwrites (thank you!! <3)

my words were: cold, short, tight, and cruel 

cold

“May the gods light your way!” she called after me, but the arched door slammed behind me before I could respond. 

The night greeted me, cold and dank, the humidity in the air clinging to my skin, my clothes, my hair as I darted out past the hedgerows. I clutched the kretse to my chest, checking this way and that for any fellow night wanderers before I stepped out onto the lane. 

Gusts of wind from the sea tore through the branches of the olive orchard, carrying with it the ever-thickening mist. Tendrils of it snaked between the trunks, reaching out for me as I stepped in patches of the moons’ light. There was not a sound save for the crashing of the waves on the distant sand. The roar faded to the back of my mind as I let the mist swallow me once I reached the well-worn shortcut through the orchard.

short (aka Solera’s official intro 😌)

“Mitapi, calm yourself, and”—The door opened, bringing with it the comforting smell of spiced kappe and the return of the Stoli—“Sit. Have some kappe. I hope we can discuss the matter without voices being raised?” 

Ma begrudgingly sat, and the Diamo did as well as the Stoli moved between us all, passing around the warm clay mugs. I clutched mine, looking up and meeting the honeyed gaze of the one with short-cropped curly hair. Faint freckles dotted her dark russet-brown cheeks, and she blinked a little harder when a lock of hair fell into her lashes. I smiled my thanks, my gaze trailing after her for a second until the Diamo leaned forward, his attention trained on Ma. 

“I would advise that you restrain yourself from lashing out against either Sosta or I,” the Diamo said after he took a few sips of his kappe and set it aside. The Stoli melted into the shadows, blending in with them in their black kaptas.

tight

The door to our room opened as I was cinching the waist of Solera’s robes tight, both of us looking up at Olena. Her gaze shifted from Solera, to me, and back again, a lopsided smile forming. 

“Have a nice morning?” Heat engulfed my cheeks, but Solera picked up her sandal, tossing it at Olena. She dodged it with a clipped laugh and it landed with a flop in the hall. “You’re lucky, I told Cilia you two were taking a bath. But, here.” She held out a scroll to Solera, her eyes flicking over to meet mine again. “You’re paired together.” 

“Thanks,” she said, snatching the scroll from Olena.

“Don’t have too much fun, you two. We do have a job to do, remember?” Laughing again, she pushed off the door jamb and turned, calling for Astri to wait for her. 

Solera unrolled the scroll, scanning its contents. “Not bad.” 

“How did she know?” I whispered.

cruel

“I do not know your story, nor will I unless you wish to tell me, but only a ship would bring you out this far from any shore. And, unless I am mistaken, you are from Grea, which leads me to the conclusion that you are—or were—a Stoli.” 

“How did you know that?” 

“You are not the only one here.” 

Here? In Chitrenikos? I looked around again, but besides us, there were no other mermaids around. “Where are the others?” 

Her smile grew, and she nodded toward the edifice. “Just beyond the coral.” She started leaning toward it, and after a few seconds of concentration, I wriggled my tail, slowly following her.

“How many others are there?” 

She did not answer right away. At first, I thought she had not heard me, but then she sighed heavily. “Too many.” She looked over her shoulder at me as she reached the coral-covered edifice, her hair billowing around her face. “But then, this realm can be quite cruel.” I closed the distance between us, only for her to move aside, revealing a tall and narrow crevice carved into the wall. “Guard your fins.” 

And then she turned, slipping effortlessly into the crack, the bright teal of her tail melding into the shadow.

i swear i try to keep the excerpts short alskdfaj

but anyways, tagging: @aninkwellofnectar @isherwoodj @thewriteflame (but no pressure!) and your words are: horizon, perfume, spicy, rough, and ringing

[megarywrites]

find the word tag 🔍

@nectargrapes tagged me <3 my words were: only, good, forever, pain & memory

only

Ma’s rage had always been quietly seething. Not that she ever got that angry with me, but even so, I had seen her like this only twice before this moment. The first when I was very small. It was directed at Pa after he had gotten back from a voyage on the Pontus. To this day, I still don’t know why. The second instance was at Rodi after she let it slip to someone in the village that she still brewed potions for choice people in Psari, despite the blanket ban of them from Katania. 

But those times paled in comparison to this.

good

“I still don’t get why you get up so early when you could sleep more.” 

“I like to watch the sunrises.” I blinked. She chuckled again. “What? They’re pretty!”

“Pretty enough to forgo sleep?” 

She nodded, a hint of her dimples appearing on her cheeks. “Maybe I could show you, sometime.” 

“Good luck in waking me up.”

forever

We meet at last, young one, how do you fare?

“I—“ I said with a squeak. “I’m well, I think?” 

Though it sorrows me to have found you as I did, I wish to welcome you into the fold. Fold? Were there more girls who shared my fate? Some of my question must have been visible in my expression, because what was clearly amusement colored Kama’s resounding voice as she said, Fear not, young one, you are safe now and forever more, if you so wish.

And with that, her presence receded from my mind, leaving me empty and profoundly lightheaded.

pain

“Does it get worse?” 

Solera didn’t answer for several seconds. Her face was cast in shadow, the firelight flickering around her silhouette, but in the shadow, there was a smile. Not one of amusement. Nor happiness. She turned my way, her gaze snatching mine. Resentment. That was it. She nodded, and I nibbled my lip, averting my eyes. “Do you really want to know?” 

I gulped, staring at our shadows stretching across the room to the opposite wall. Did I? Wouldn’t it be better to know what to expect?

“I’d understand if you didn’t want to. I don’t want to know, myself.” 

“Just tell me.” 

Once again, there was a pregnant pause. Solera cleared her throat. “We...get selected. By men. Like the ones who were here tonight. Ship captains, usually, for their long voyages, you know. For entertainment.” She faltered at that, her voice thick with anger. With pain. Despair. 

memory

I reached around, feeling my back for the dorsal fin I knew would be there. 

A shark. That’s what my bottom half was now, for whatever reason. 

I jerked my hands away as soon as they slid up over my scales, impossibly bright crimson blood clouding around me as I inspected the wounds. Then I looked down, to where the scales continued up over my belly, covering my breasts and my shoulders…

No one could touch me, now, without hurting themselves. 

A burgeoning sense of satisfaction twitched at the corners of my mouth. Only to flatten to nothing at the memory of their hands ghosting over me. Their gripping, bruising, wandering hands. I froze, paralyzed in the water, staring blankly at the blurred shadow writhing closer. Would their touch ever forsake me? Would I ever truly be free of that ship? 

“Thala?” Mitha’s face floated before mine, and it took considerable effort to focus on her. “Are you alright?”

I’ll tag: @thewriteflame @isherwoodj @dgwriteblr @mr-writes and @zmwrites 

you words are: silver, rain, disdain, merry, forest

[megarywrites]

OC Superlatives tag game

tagged by @aninkwellofnectar <3 

Rules: Which of your characters best fit the following descriptions?

Most arrogant - Geros

Most humble - Mitapi

Most charming - Solera

Most aggressive - Sosta

Most talkative - Sunhi (haven’t really interacted with her much so i’m not sure, but she seems like the type lol)

Least talkative - the Stoli, collectively lol when they’re not by themselves lol

Most relatable - Thala (for me personally, but all the women in here have been relatable to some degree so far)

Least relatable - Geros (absolute piece of shit lmao...any of the antagonists tho lbr) 

Most ambitious - Thala and Zeno

Most easy-going - Aziri (haven’t interacted with him at all yet, but he’ll arrive soon enough and i’m looking forward to getting to know him better)

Most high-strung - Cilia

Most pretentious - Sosta

Most cheerful - Solera

Most patient - Mitha

Most diligent - Samra

open tag for anyone who wants to participate!

[megarywrites]

I Can Fix Her

tagged by @thewriteflame <3 Doing this for my main girl, Thala, ofc ^^

template here

Mitapi and Mitha - I can fix her

Alessia - "I can fix her" Yeah? Well I could accept her as she is. You don't like the murder? Grow up. The atrocities are part of her and I've decided they're funny

Sosta - I can fix her by making her worse

Damya - I could fix her, but whatever's going on with her is much more amusing

Cilia - "I can fix her" Okay Bob the Builder, relax

Olena - "I can fix her" You can't even fix your sleep schedule bestie

Solera - I love her, no matter how many men, women and children she's killed

Geros - "I can fix her" That's cute. I can break her. I can leave her a shell of a woman

Samra - I can stick around and see how much she can fuck up. Kinda like watching a trainwreck

open tag for anyone who wants to do this!

[megarywrites]

Day 7 - 30 Line Challenge

Thalera reunion, but make it tragic 

She was swimming closer, her arm linked with another mermaid, a bag like Mitha had slung around her…hips? Tail? Regardless, I barely registered the other mermaid—my eyes were only for her. 

Everything within me wanted to call out to her, to let her know I was here. But my voice wouldn’t come. The other mermaid waved to Mitha, and as Solera moved to do the same, her gaze flicked to meet mine. 

She stopped swimming, too, as she held my gaze. The other mermaid swam on, looking back when Solera’s arm slipped away from hers. Solera’s eyebrows lifted in questioning disbelief, and I shook my head with a slight shrug. And then, without warning, she burst forward, her arms opening to wrap me in a tight embrace the second she reached me. 

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered in my ear before tucking her face in my neck. 

My hands shook as they rested around her, my heartbeat shifting to an erratic staccato. It was her, I knew that. But…being touched…being held… Her hands shifted on my back, and I was back in that room, in that bed… Tears instantly started welling up, and my stomach churned so violently that I might have been sick if I had eaten anything lately. As much as it pained me to do so, I leaned away and out of her arms, holding my hand out to maintain the distance between us, eyes wide as I avoided her gaze. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice coming out choked. “I—” 

“It’s alright. I…I should have thought…” 

“No.” I immediately held her gaze. “It’s not your fault.”

[megarywrites]

Day 6 - 30 Line Challenge

we’re finally underwater (Alexa, play “Atlantis” by SHINee)! I have my sketch of the Chitrenikos map lined and hopefully i can get to painting it soon so i can have a better idea of what colors I’m picturing, but here’s our first glimpse at the mermaids’ haven

A courtyard of a spiraling mosaic of green, yellow, and gray splayed out before us, clumps of bright green algae clinging to the faded stones like moss. Gardens of swaying red and yellow-green sea flora stretched out around the sprawling, airy palace up ahead. Deteriorating statues of once-noble dragons flanked the curved staircase leading up into the palace, the one on the left holding my attention until Mitha called out a greeting and waved to a cluster of mermaids within the garden. 

She didn’t stop to chat, however. Instead, she led me up into the palace itself.