Nettlesome Nixies (1)

Rune watched in horror as Midori fell into his outstretched arms, a creature no more than a foot tall covered in glittering azure scales leaped from her shadow holding what looked like a faint wisp of black fabric with it. Midori's shadow.

And he cursed himself internally.

How foolish he’d been to not warn her of the nixies, the threat they had suddenly begun to pose to the village, or to mention the shadow walker posts. Precautions that had become everyday occurrences to him and the village but nothing an outsider would understand, even less if they knew nothing of this world at all.

He tore off after the tiny beast that swam through shadow as if it were water. It was too fast for him as is, but maybe if he…

“Rune!” The shrill, nagging voice of Gilya boomed across the village.

“Do not use the Flame!”

In the moment he hesitated the nixie dove into the lake and disappeared into the darker depths beneath.

“Tch, dammit you old bat!” Rune looked over his shoulder while running, “keep her safe!”

Tearing off the overcoat of bark and dried grass he wore as protection against the sun he tossed it aside with little care before filling his lungs with as much air as he could before diving into the crystal clear waters of the Glass Basin lake.

Swimming had never been his most favourite activity, the deeper parts where light struggled to thrive unsettled him. Others made fun of him for his fears, and he brushed them off; he would never feel comfortable enough to share his real fear with them, the sensation tickling the back of his neck that something in the dark was looking back at him.

He could only just make out the faint outline of the nixie as it swam deeper into the lake and into a small crevice Rune had never before seen; his stomach twisted nervously at the idea of a place of pure darkness.

But he pushed his anxiety aside, squeezing his bulky yet compact frame through the small crack and further into darkness that was equal parts calm and oppressively terrifying.

Devoid of light Rune could only guide himself around the narrow passageway by touch, trying hard to not think of how much oxygen he had used already, how much more he had and how long this passage would be.

His body moved quicker on instinct and he felt his arms scrape against the sides as the passage became so narrow he was almost certain he would not make it through.

But with diligence and pigheadedness he manages to wiggle his way forward, finally breaking the surface.

The air was stale but no less welcome and he filled his burning lungs with it, pulling himself up into some kind of hollow cavern. A potpourri of fish and seaweed each in varying stages of decay hung in the air, contributing to its heavy, stuffy nature; it was a pungent scent that made each breath taste sour.

“This has got to be where that damned nixie went.”

Rune slowly moved further into the cavern. Still unable to see much around him he had taken the approach to feel around with his feet and move forward after finding solid purchase. After a few steps he felt small talons cut into the skin of his foot and he instinctively pressed down, feeling a strange popping sensation under his foot; it was an unsettlingly easy feeling.

For several minutes he continued this way, moving forward inch by inch until finally the smaller hollow cave gave way to an incredible chamber that Rune suspected was underneath the mountain overlooking the village; Gilya had spoken a few times about a “safe chamber” for them in times of crisis, he suspected this was the place she meant.

“All the more reason to clear these nixies out.”

Once again he stamped his foot down but instead of the strange popping sensation he felt purchase again cold, scaly skin. He pressed it hard into the ground keeping it pinned there for a moment before grabbing the nixie by the scruff of the neck.

It looked to be a combination of multiple aquatic creatures, with an upper torso that was almost humanoid but a lower half like that of a seahorse, on its back were a pair of long and elegant wings that stretched out almost like fingers and were protected by colourful spines he’d seen before on lionfish. It’s hands were webbed but with four fingers that allowed for more delicate manipulations.

“Please!” Looking up with inky black eyes Rune noticed the coral crown resting atop the creatures hair of seaweed and other sea grass. “We mean you no harm.”

“Oh yeah? Then why’d you steal my wife’s shadow huh tough guy?” Rune poked at the small creatures chest.

“I…I understand your reticence to trust us. But if one of my kin did so, know it was not of their own will.” The nixie’s voice was gentle, with a strange bubbling quality to it.

“Your people?”

“Yes,” she bowed her head. “I am Princess Kalleira of the Glass Basin...though with my mother’s passing I suppose I am now queen. We have lived here in peace with your village."

"How have I never heard about this before?" He asked, narrowing his wine coloured eyes skeptically.

"My mother spoke often with one called Gilya, she said that the people of the village would not accept us yet. That she needed to," the young fish woman seemed almost reticent to continue but proceeded with a flushed face. "Reign in a rambunctious young ass first."

“What!?” Rune clenched a fist in anger. “I’m going to kill that old bat.”

Shaking his head he sighed and let out a breath.

“Okay then. I’m Rune, and as future Khan of these lands your problems are my problems. What is the trouble?”

The small fishy creature beamed with delight and started immediately hugging Rune’s forearm.

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you so much! What a kind leader you shall be.”

Rune’s face flushed slightly at the compliment before gently shaking free the tiny creature. Clearing his throat he glanced around at the cave and finally took notice that the rotting fish smell was from multiple small nixie corpses scattered around, like some horrid battlefield.

“By the Spirits…it was a massacre. What happened?”

Kalleira wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head, as if even the memory was too much.

“It was terrible. One day several weeks past there was a storm, one of awesome power that caused a wave of sea water to crash upon the shore.”

“Yeah I remember that. That was right before Gilya had us put up the shadow walkers.”

“Yes…I’m afraid the storm brought with it more than just sea water, it brought a true terror of the deep to our small and peaceful home. I was only able to escape her wrath due to the protection of my most loyal guard.”

As if on cue another nixie leaped from the water into Rune’s hand, kneeling at the feet of the princess. This nixie was bulkier than the princess, adorned with vibrant carapace armour that blended shades of teal and turquoise; Rune suspected in the water it was far harder to see them. The knightly figure bore no weapon, but their forearms were enormous and he suspected possessed quite a punch.

“It is my duty to serve, princess…I mean, my queen.”

“Oh Juri, you are too kind. Please rise. How fare the others?”

“Not well my queen. They have been unable to resist the hag’s magic.”

“I’m sorry, hag?” Rune interrupted, feeling strange and slightly annoyed having to interrupt a conversation taking place in his own hands.

“Yes. The terror that came with the storm.”

The nixie knight leaped to his feet and wheeled on Rune as if he'd just noticed them, brandishing fists covered with a thick and spiked carapace. His intention to fight clear from his stance alone if not the affronted look in his multiple eyes.

“Who is this impertinent ape!?”

“Ape!? Watch who you’re talking to buddy I could flick you and send you flying!”

“Oho an ape with delusions of grandeur? A jester you must be!”

“Juri!” Kalleira’s voice was stern, clearly this was not the first time she’d had to reign him in. “This is our new friend Rune. He has offered help in dealing with the hag.”

“Hm,” the knight man looked Rune both up and down in an appraising manner before nodding. “I suppose this ruffian is better than nothing.”

Gritting his teeth Rune let out a slow breath remembering that he was doing this for Midori.

“Tell me about this hag.”

“She wields a staff which allows her control over our bodies by manipulating shadows, but-”

Rune set the pair down and cracked his knuckles, he had grown tired of all the talking and wanted to hit something. 

"Break the staff, easy enough."

Rolling his shoulders he walked confidently toward the centre of the chamber taking a deep breath and shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Hey hag! If you’re tired of bullying a bunch of tadpoles why not take on something more full grown!?”

The cavern rumbled in response and a swell of water flooded through churning in the centre until a figure rose from the top of a typhoon of water. Her skin was greyed and wrinkled, pallid and bloated like that of a drowned corpse, hair which was braided with thick strands of seaweed hung in her face. The maw hidden behind that curtain of hair was like that of a leech, with small but sharp and serrated rows of teeth.

“Ooho? A fool wishes to challenge me? Come then little bug, let me squash you!”