The Ocean's Maiden.

[AyraCalaenlen]

Please feel free to change the title if this ends up getting picked or something xD I'm terrible at naming things. Either way, here's to hoping this turned out okay! =3

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The ocean: a never ending tide of life and wealth. Such was a place of such natural beauty, a place that was filled with the heart of nature herself. Fish of every shade and hue could be seen dancing, their slender bodies whirling in tight, rainbow schools just for the pleasures of those who watched. It was a place of pure magic; a magic of a natural variety, that didn't require the Magi to weave their intricate incantations and symbols. It was a magic even those who could not touch the realms of the Magi could gaze upon with wonder.

Here, amongst the voices of the ocean and the songs of the deep, was where an elderly fisherman had chosen to make his home. He was a self-sustaining man; early in his life, he had lost his beloved, and was left to raise a daughter all his own. He was mother, father, and provider, but he has very little part to play. Rather, his daughter, Johanna, is who this tale follows.

Johanna was a maiden of natural beauty. Her raven hair was kept short, just long enough so that it could be perched behind her ears, and her eyes were the colour of the sea on a stormy day. She had none of the pleasures of higher-class: her clothes were hand-made, and more often ripped than not, and it was rare for her to have anything covering her dainty feet. She would run along the sandy shores, laughing and singing as she danced among the waves. She was entranced by the sea. Her every waking moment was spend near it, be it in the water or the tide pools that formed upon the shore.

Everyday, her father would set off on his small boat to take in the bounties of the sea, and Johanna would remain behind, alone, yet not truly. She would talk to the waves. She sang to them many stories of the inland forests and the creatures that dominated oceans that were made of wheat and grass rather than water, and the waves, they would listen, and even respond.

In turn, the waves would crash upon the sands, leaving upon them beautiful shells of the deeper waters and other such treasures. These treasures Johanna would keep and hold dear, all in return for her stories and songs. The ocean was her friend, her constant companion over the years that she lived alongside it upon the shore. It was with the ocean that Johanna grew from her younger years into maiden of slim build and soft voice. She had remained in the house by the ocean, even after her father grew older and passed, and always, the ocean spoke to her in its own way. Even though she no longer had a human for company, she was never alone, and she was happy.

Like she always had, Johanna had gone down to the shore to talk to the sea. However, it was this day that there was something there that had never been present. As she approached the water, she could make out a long shape on the shore. It shone brightly in the sunlight, almost as if it had been created from the surface of an oyster's pearl, except its colouration was of many shades of dark blue, like the ocean's abyss.

Johanna hesitated. She had never seen such a thing, never in all her years. She had seen many creatures washed upon the sands after the fury of the ocean's storms, but never anything of such great size! She found herself backing away, almost fearful, and yet, for some reason, strangely drawn to the creature on the shore.

"Why do you hesitate?" the voice that called to her was deep, and almost seemed to echo like a whale's song in the depths. In its own way, it was almost familiar to her. "Come. Come and sing to me as you always have, of the oceans with no water and the creatures that live there!"

As the voice called to her, the great beast raised itself so its entire length could be seen. It was a beautiful creature, its head adorned with numerous frills, and its entire body alight with the glow of the reflected sun upon its smooth skin. For a moment, the creature gazed at her, its eyes filled with tenderness and warmth, and Johanna felt herself move towards the great beast upon the sands.

She alighted herself beside it, her voice rising with her tales as she spoke of the many creatures that lived beyond the waters. The beast, the leviathan of the deep, seemed to thrum as it heard her voice. Its head rested in her lap, one of its great eyes always fixed upon the seaside maiden as she sang and told the tales of land. They remained as such until the moon rose overhead, casting its cool light over the pair, and the sound of Johanna's voice faded so that only the crashing of the waves could be heard.

"Why do you stop?" the beast asked, its body unmoving from its position wrapped around the woman.

"It is night. I'll have to leave soon, so I can rest," she replied, looking down at the creature. "But I will return in the morning."

The leviathan remained silent, though it raised its head so that its great eyes could be fixed level with hers. Slowly, it spoke, its voice filled with meaning. "No... come with me. Come with me and be a part of my world. You have showed me so much of your's, let me show you mine."

Johanna looked back, completely shocked by the beast's offer. She turned to look at the hut on the shore which had, for so long, been her home. Yet, she couldn't help but feel the pull of the waves. Its voice called her. It enchanted her with promises of the great beauty it held, and she knew she could never stay away from it. She had loved it always, yet, it had been a love that could never be realized as long as she stayed a part of the land.

She raised her hand and laid it against the beast's cheek, a small smile on her lips as she gave a gentle nod. The beast, in return, gently lifted her so that she could lay upon its back. Johanna wrapped her arms around the creature's throat, her eyes widening in wonder as it dove into the waves, and began to swim downward. Never, in all her life, had she seen so many wonders. Fish flitted about her, their scales glimmering like stars in the moonlight that filtered through the surface. A brilliant garden of underwater plants gestured toward her, almost as if beckoning her onward.

She smiled once more, and resting her cheek against the beast's neck as it continued to dive downward, its long tail lashing back and forth, and she closed her eyes, the last of her breath from the lands above streaming from her lips in beautiful bubbles that courted each other as they drifted back towards their place of origin.

This world, this sanctuary... this had always been where her true home had been.

And now, she sings of the sea. She winds tales of its beauty and majesty, of the mysteries that lie below. All of it can be heard... if one would only listen to the waves as they crash upon the shore.

[SolarCat]

...that is such a beautiful story, it almost made me cry...

Lovely, simply lovely...

Thank you.

[AyraCalaenlen]

No, thank you! =3 I'm glad it was liked and succeeded in bringing out some emotion like I hoped it would!

Few minor edits. Took out the father's name so that his mention flows a bit better. I figure seeing he's not a big part of the story at all, leaving him a bit in mystery would work better, and edited a small grammar mistake at the end~

[FeatheredCanine]

I can't resist stories of the sea. This is excellent!

[AyraCalaenlen]

Thank you~ =3

Another small update. I just read that the creatures shouldn't be able to talk, so I had to edit that a bit xD Luckily there wasn't a whole lot in there with the leviathan speaking, so it wasn't that hard to edit =3

Changed it back xD I read that it was taken out. I really should read the entire conversation on these things rather than jump as soon as I see a quote D=

Lol, hopefully I won't get disqualified for these little edits D=