Chapter 3: Island

Alurel wasn’t kidding about the whole ‘swimming fast’ warning. Ethan had to hold on for his very life as her massive form sped across the surface.

The great mermaid swam with her anterior side mostly beneath the water. To Alurel, Ethan seemed about three-quarters of an inch tall: roughly the size of a game die. His ship, a sturdy though small vessel, rested square in her palm as fragile as an egg to her might. Like an egg, she treasured it carefully in her hold. She kept her right palm as steady as possible, while her left hand curled to the side, further holding Ethan and his sailboat steady while she moved.

It certainly needed that level of care. Ethan couldn’t breath underwater, and that was a human limitation Alurel knew quite well. So, she had to swim across the surface. This meant noise and a lot of it. Her tail-fin slapped up and down hard, splashing up great waves which put the ones formed by her shimmying body to shame.

The constant sound of splashing and roaring of water filled Ethan’s ears. Droplets of the sea came up to wet him now and then too. It was too loud to chat, even if he could likely hear her booming voice over the commotion.

Still, he felt oddly safe. Alurel kept her eyes on him much of the time, knowing via experience and the alignment of the afternoon sun which direction to swim. Her soft, light-emerald gaze and warm ruby smile conveyed a sort of gentleness to him. He found it harder to believe he had just witnessed her utterly devour scores of men after single handedly cracking apart an entire pirate ship.

Part of him wondered how the navy of the Afflelands would fair against her.

The journey was fast at her speed. She spotted the island before he even had a chance to see it. Only once it was a brief swim away, to her, did she move from her speed-swimming posture.

The prince’s stomach lurched as she rose higher out of the depths. A bit dizzy from the journey, he managed to steady his self against the sailboat’s mast and gaze out towards the island.

He let out a sigh of awe.

The entire circular landmass hovered out in the sea with no other land in sight. Lush green grass and colorful flowers coated all but its beach. As Alurel had said, there were plenty of broad-leafed, tropical-like trees with sturdy brown trunks and sturdy-looking fruits dangling from the branches.

There was also the cliff she had mentioned. Though it sloped gently to the interior of the island itself, from the exterior of it was a sheer rocky face, stretching hundreds of feet high. Yet, even on the cliff itself the grass and flowers still grew.

She leisurely swam towards it, able to navigate the waters even while mostly upright. Her control of her body for swimming impressed Ethan, and watching her massive form move caught his sight between glances at the destination island.

Alurel swam towards the clifftop. She set the entire sailboat down atop the flat land there, which teemed with short grasses and pretty pink and white flowers.

“There you go.”, she said. “Sorry for not setting you down by the beach. I know a beach might make more sense for a boat to be, but it’d be trickier for us to chat there. I can bring you back to the water after you fix the boat, don’t worry.”

“U-uh yes of course, thank you Alurel.”

He stepped off the boat and looked up at her. The cliff came up about chest-height to the massive mermaid, which meant her bare breasts were very much level with his gaze. Being a proper gentleman, he tried not to look too hard, but there was no training which could take the blush from his cheeks.

She noticed.

“Oh!”

A giggle left her mouth.

“I’m sorry, I had forgot: human women often cover their chests right? Believe it or not, that’s very rare among us mermaids. In fact, I’m the only one I know to do it. I like the style of a covering, you know? Humans can be so creative with their clothes and garments and such. Is it bothering you?”

He scrambled in both posture and words.

“Oh uh, um no, not at all! I mean, it just takes a bit of adjusting I suppose. Ahem.”

Ethan moved over towards the nearest tree. It stood about 12ft tall, with some nice, broad, pliable leaves at the top that sheltered its hefty looking fruit. He grabbed the trunk of it, and started to climb it. He had trouble though, slipping from the wetness of his boots and a general ineptness at the athletic feat itself.

“Do you need some help?”, she asked. It was a formality really, as she was already leaning over towards him.

“O-oh no, I’m fine, really.”

He slipped, falling on his butt before the tree.

“Don’t be silly, silly. Let me help.”, she said.

Her upper body leaned in another for her bosom to loom right overhead. Her firm and--comparatively--petite mammaries bumped into him from above, knocking him down just as he began to stand. With a curl of her arm and just a press of her finger, she bent the tree down low, where he could easily yank one of those leaves right off the tree top.

She waited for him to do so.

“Go on, silly!”

Red as a beet from the boobs over ahead, he manage to snag a leaf. It took some effort to tug it off, but he managed it. The effort jostled one of those sturdy fruits off the tree to bonk him on the head.

Alurel gasped, letting go of the trunk so the tree sapped back and jostled its other fruits down as well.

“Are you ok?”, she said. She quickly leaned in even closer to be sure, her tits touching down at the cliff now. He stumbled from the blow from the fruit, and briefly pressed against the soft pillowy boob-flesh nearby.

The moment he touched it, he jolted off it, apologizing profusely.

“Ah, I’m sorry my lady Alurel, I just got clumsy from the shock of the blow. I-”

“Hey.”, she said. “Are you ok?”

“I-, uh, yes. I’m fine. It didn’t hurt all that much, it was just... unexpected.”

“Good, that’s all I was worried about.”

He picked up the fruit in one hand, board leaf in the other, then carted it over towards his sailboat. Alurel had since leaned back up and away from him. Her body once more loomed by the cliff. Although, her hands did rest at the very edge of the bluff. Ethan quietly marveled at how each digit was thicker than the trunk of that tree he just tried to climb.

“Thank you again, Miss Alurel.”

“Alurel is fine; you’re too nice Ethan. Or, should I say ‘mister Ethan’?”

She laughed, then spoke again.

“No no, sorry, prince. That’s right, you didn’t exactly tell me why you were out at sea on your own. That’s rare for a human royal, isn’t it?”

He had since tugged some tall grasses and pliable sticks from a nearby bush. He brought them over to his vessel, chatting as he worked.

“Well, like I said I had an argument with the king. He is my adoptive father, you see. Due to poor fishing yields this year, we had to rely more on our grown crops to feed our country.”

“The Afflelands, right?”, asked Alurel. “The closest coast is said to be theirs I think I’ve heard.”

“Yes, that is correct.”, said Ethan. He was tying the sticks and long grasses together. “The Afflelands is what we call our home, though not all humans are from there. The world is a big place.”

“Of course.”, said Alurel. “Go on.”

“Well, despite that, he still raised taxes on the peasants. Taxes are the money people pay to a king to live in their domain. A hike might not mean a lot to a noble, but to the less fortunate people, who we call peasants, that can be the difference between full bellies and hungry tummies. They need money to buy food, after all, so the more the kingdom takes the less they have.”

“Oh? I think I understand.”, said Alurel.

“Yes, my attempts to convince him for leeway went on deaf ears. He wouldn’t listen, seldom does. He says I am too young to be giving advice, but I’m over 20 years of age. That is well and away an adult.”

“So you sailed away?”

“Well, yes, but not to run away or anything. I’m no fool, nor am I some spoiled child. I just wanted to take to the seas, clear my head. Alas, I picked a poor time to sail. I ran into those pirates by chance, and they saw me as easy prey. Thankfully, you were there to make prey of them! Why, without you Alurel, I’m not sure I’d still be around.”

The giant mermaid smiled down at the man. “It was no trouble.”, she said.

“Ha, I’ll say. You kind of... really made short work of them there.”

“It was my pleasure! To help you, that is.”

She giggled.

“Well, I am sorry about your king.”

He waved a hand.

“It’s alright, just human business really.”

There was a pause till he spoke again.

“Say, you found this island all by yourself.”

“That I did.”

“Well, it’s beautiful.”

She giggled.

“I’m sure the island would appreciate your compliment if it could hear it. It’s my own private spot. I come here sometimes to think, just me and the flowers.”

“No one else comes here?”

“Oh no. There’s no animals to hunt, and the soil is too short for farming. I’m sure someone may have washed up here once or twice, but it’s not that useful for you humans I’m sure.”

Ethan smiled. There was something so sweet about Alurel. Her smile was warm, and her manner of speaking had a unique charm. Her voice was so sweet, even as it boomed around him. Though intimidated at first, he gradually felt himself growing ever more at ease in her looming presence.

“Well, like I said. It’s a fantastic spot, truly beautiful although, perhaps, not as beautiful as yourself.”

Alurel burst into a giggle fit. She covered her mouth and cheeks.

“Oh you are too kind, you silly little prince. Thank you.”, she said, smiling.

“Uh, say, you mentioned knowing about farming. I’m surprised to see you know that much about us humans!”

Alurel’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh of course, of course. Like I said, I like parts of your culture. Your fashion, your dances. I’ve picked up lots of details in my travels over the waters.”

“Ah, from sunken ships and the like?”

“Yes, stuff like that.”, she replied.

“Ah, on that note, I’m sorry about that, umm, shell bra of yours.”

“Oh it’s alright, I know where to get another one.”, said Alurel.

“Ah, good good.”

Ethan scratched the back of his neck a moment.

“So, umm, it’s kind of obvious but-”

“Yes?”, said Alurel.

“Well, you really are a mermaid right. This isn’t just some dream, is it? I’m not dehydrated at sea, adrift and delirious am I?”

“Oh no. Didn’t you feel that fruit conk you on the head silly? This is real. I’m real.”

“Of course, forgive me. It’s just, mermaids are considered mere myths where I am from. Are all of you actually this... big? I mean, you’re giant! Our legends usually have them depicted smaller, like, our size.”

Alurel laughed as she was wont to do.

“Oh no, we’re very much real. You’re right though, most mermaids are your size. I’m what is known as a ‘great mermaid.’ We’re the largest and rarest of our kind. In fact, we’re the largest creatures of the sea far as I know.”

“Ah, well that is very fascinating. Well, marvelous really. I’m, I’m still quite a bit awestruck I admit.”

Alurel smiled. “Well, I’m the one who’s a bit awestruck. A real human prince, and a handsome one at that~”

She laughed, then her smile began to fade.

“But, I know we are only myths to you humans. In fact, I’m not even supposed to be so brazenly near the surface, let alone showing myself to a human.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”, asked Ethan.

“Well, in truth, we actually have a lot in common. I’m having some troubles with my king as well. You see, we’re forbidden from interacting with humans and any creature that’s not of the sea, really. It’s by his edict. It’s also by his decrees that your fishing yields are so low.”

“What?”, said Ethan.

“It’s true. Whenever King Poseidon feels humans are fishing too much, he tries to stop it. He and the foul sea-hags team up to conjure storms. These are what sink your ships and keep them away from fishing. I tried to tell him that we can just talk to the humans, but he refuses to even consider it.”

“Conjure storms?”, said Ethan. “You mean... magic?”

“Yes.”, said Alurel. “Magic. The sea-hags are powerful witches, and King Poseidon wields the Trident. It is a mighty artifact which grants him mastery over storm and sea. Whoever wields it has access to magical powers far, far more vast than the oceans. They could move entire seas and turn the whole sky to a storm.”

“Wow.”

Alurel nodded.

“He says we can’t reveal ourselves to the humans, as he fears what will happen if they learn any of our secrets. But, I think humans can handle us! I think there’s value in your fashions, your stories, and your culture. He does not see it though, no matter how much I’ve tried to get him too. So, we seafolk are forbidden to show ourselves to your kind, let alone trade or talk with you humans. And, as long as he holds the Trident, there’s nothing I or anyone else can do to change things.”

Ethan paused his work on the ship a moment, frowning.

“That’s... that’s awful.”

“It is.”, said Alurel. She frowned too, though it faded fast.

“But,”, she said. “You might be able to help me. And then, we could help each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a flower, but it grows only on land. Deep on land, that is. Its petals are red, green, and blue. It grows only in the shade of thick trees. It’s rare, but I imagine it grows somewhere in the Afflelands. If you find some of those flowers, I can use them to put Poseidon to sleep, then take the Trident. With the artifact in my hands, I can become the new queen of Atlantis and the seas, and usher in an an era of contact and cooperation with your kind! It would be beautiful.”

“Atlantis? That’s real too?”

“Oh yes.”, she said. “It is an underwater city. It’s a beautiful place Ethan. Perhaps I can show it to you, once this is all figured out. Imagine, humans being able to see Atlantis? A grand idea. But, as queen, I could make it so you never need to worry about terrible storms keeping your people away from fishing again; that’s for sure.”

“Red, green, and blue petals.” said Ethan. “I, I actually think I know the flower you’re talking about. I can probably get it for you!”

Alurel leaned in. She smiled wide. He had known her for such a short time, but he already loved to see her smile. Her pretty face, long light-purple locks flowing so neatly down her neck. Yes, she deserved to smile and much more in Ethan’s mind.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes I think I can Alurel!”

“Oh joy!”

The cliff rumbled as she slid her arms across it. With one hand, she reached out to pinch up Ethan. The prince flailed, yelping with surprise.

She brought him up to her red-ish lips and gave him a kiss, then another and again.

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much Ethan! It’ll be great. I can finally make human culture a part of my world.”

“I-it’s no trouble, really.”

Ethan was flushed red again. Her lips were so soft, he wanted to ask for yet another kiss, but that’d be rude. He just laid limp in her hands till she sent him back down near his sailboat.

“We can meet here again, tomorrow morning.”

“Of course”, said Ethan. “But, how will I get here?”

“It’s easy.”, she said. “I know the location of your Afflelands’ shores. Just swim straight from that direction, then turn East once you no longer see the shore. That should take you to this island again. From here, you can simply sail straight south-west to return to your home again. Based on how fast your tiny boat can go, I’d say the trip would only be about an hour and a half for you each way. That’s not so bad, right?”

Ethan nodded. “Not so bad at all. Alright then, it’s a date!”

Alurel giggled.

“Sure, but, ah, we still have to fix your sailboat, don’t we?”

Ethan nodded again.

“Yes but, I’ve got the leave all stitched up, all I need to do is hook it into the sail. Umm, would you mind lifting me up towards it?”

“Not, at, all~” said Alurel. Once more, she picked him up. What was out of reach for him was but the most minor movement of her hand. She brought him to the hole in the sail, and he patched it up with the leaf by running his makeshift grass-twig rope through smaller punctures in the fabric.

With that, the sail was fixed.

Alurel set her palm to the ground. He sat on the soft surface, wiping his brow.

“There. I wouldn’t say it’s good as new, but it should work.”

He moved back to the sailboat, but almost tripped over that big green fruit he left on the ground.

“Oh yes,” said Alurel. “You should eat that before you go.”

“Are you sure? I mean, this is your island after all.”

“Ah there you go being silly again, prince Ethan~”. She laughed. “The fruit has already fallen from the tree. It’ll rot if we leave it alone. We might as well have it.”

Her enormous hand raked over the grass towards the other fruits, near the tree from earlier. She scooped them up.

“Have you ever tried this fruit?”

Ethan took out knife from his pocket and started peeling the rind.

“I can’t say I have.”

“It’s a little tart, but also sweet. I think you’ll like it.”

He took a nibble.

“Mmm, it’s not bad.”

Alurel smiled.

“I’m glad you think so!”

She opened her mouth and tossed the few fruits she had into her mouth. For Ethan, the fruit was something he could only comfortably hold with two hands. Meanwhile, his great mermaid companion simply tossed three in her mouth where they looked like mere crumbs. A chomp of her teeth and he could hear the fruits burst. She swallowed, and he heard it. Even her most minor movements carried such weight and volume at times.

After that, she started pushing her tongue around her teeth.

“Oh, Ethan, I’m sorry to do this but, I have another request.”

“Yes, what it is?”

“I think there’s something stuck in my teeth, some ship matter from earlier. This is really embarrassing to ask but, would you mind helping me get it out?”

“Oh, uh, well I can try!”

Eager to please, he didn’t fuss as she pinched him up. Then, he was brought to her lips, which opened wide to show off her mouth.

He felt nervous, seeing her maw this close. Her teeth were rather human, not jutting fangs or anything, but the sheer scale of things frightened him. He knew it was a mouth that could swallow men whole.

She let go of him, so he could fall on her palm and walk in on his own accord. He stood frozen still, though.

“Is, something the mater Ethan?”

“Oh, it’s just. A bit intimidating.”

She laughed.

“Don’t be so silly, silly. If I wanted to eat you, you’d be swallowed by now. We’re friends, and you can trust me.”

“O-of course.”, he said. “Forgive me.”

He walked in. The soft ground of her palm gave way to the softer, squishier ground of her tongue. A dollop of saliva dropped from her palate in front of him, splashing his front.

“’ed yew hind it yet?”, she muttered, trying not to move her tongue or lips all that much.

He looked around and saw the culprit. A piece of that pirate ship was stuck near her molars. It was deep in her gob, but he carefully walked over towards it. He logged his hands around the wet chunk of wood, and pulled with all his might. After a bit of exertion, he popped it free, though tumbled near her throat.

“A-alurel!!!”, he shouted.

She tilted her entire head forward, letting Ethan fall down her tongue as though it were a slope. He landed safely on her palm. The spit-soaked wood-chunk rested by his side till she sent it flying with a flick of her finger.

“You got it!”, she beamed. “Oh thank you. It would've taken me awhile to get that out by myself.”

At the sight of her smiling face, his fear had faded. Making her happy filled him with such warmth. He wondered if he was feeling fond for the merwoman on a deeper level. Could such a thing be possible?

Perhaps if their kind could intermingle, like she had suggested.

“I did? Fantastic, I’m happy to help.”

“Oh you’re the best thing to happen to me all day Ethan.”

She gave him another kiss, and his body was alight with a loving warmth. Yes, he feared he was falling for her already.

She moved him back to the sailboat, then picked it up and started swimming out a little ways from the island. Slowly, she lowered her body back into the water, lowering the sailboat with it.

On the way down, Ethan thought of a few more questions. He thought to ask more about her kind. How many mermaids and mermen where there? What was Atlantis like? He also thought of a more personal question. It was clear she had the chest of a woman, but the fish parts of her body she had seemed smooth. There was no butt, or, well, no genitalia. Perhaps it was stowed away behind her scales?

He figured it’d be rude to ask about that sort of thing. No, he was content to simply take in the view of her as his boat was gently lowered down to the water.

“Remember, meet me here tomorrow, in the morning. Bring that flower please. Then, I can make my dream come true. It’ll be a most important step on that path.”

“Oh course Alurel, it’d be the least I can do. Thank you again for saving me.”

His sails blew out, the wind catching them as he moved south-west.

Waving, he shouted back to her head, which poked out of the water to watch him depart.

“Goodbye Alurel, see you soon.”

She waved back, mimicking the gesture and splashing water through the air.

“Goodbye Ethan, till tomorrow!”, she shouted back.

“Till tomorrow!”, he shouted in reply.

Alurel watched him sail off into the distance. A sigh left her lips.

“Perfect.”, she then said.