Page 15 of Fionn
A small path meandered through low bushes and strange flowers until it got to the beach. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the salty ocean air. It was nothing like the sea breeze on Finfolkaheem, but it was still better than the recycled air on board the spaceship. I took off my loin cloth while walking. Sand squished beneath my webbed feet, first dry, then wet as I approached the water. My greenskin was tingling as it soaked up the humidity of the air. It had been too dry in that Peritan building.
When the first wave pooled around my feet, I sighed in relief. This was what I'd been craving. There'd been a pool on board the Tidebound, but it was always busy and the water had become stale after the first few sunpasses. I'd gone there several times a day to lubricate my skin, since most of our tasks had been in air-rooms, but I hadn't enjoyed the experience. I'd craved the sea.
And now I was here, about to swim in an alien ocean for the very first time. A smile curved my lips as I relaxed into the moment. The Peritan sun hung low above the horizon, painting the ocean in a spectacular display of colour. I walked a few more steps until the water reached my hips, then I let myself fall into the sea's embrace.
Cool water enveloped me. The salt tingled on my tongue as I took a deep breath, my gills filtering the strange-tasting water. It wasn't bad, just not what I was used to.
I swam further away from the shore endless sand gave way to kelp growing among large rocks. I took in everything, exploring leisurely while always listening for other animals in the water. There had been little information on Peritan creatures on land and even less about those living beneath the surface. I didn't want to be surprised by a predator large enough to harm me.
There were few left on Finfolkaheem; most had been hunted to extinction by my ancestors. But Peritans didn't live underwater. They might not even have explored their oceans fully.
A shoal of bright green fish swam past me. Little intelligence shimmered in their eyes and they did not seem interested in me. I went deeper, where the water was cold and dark, and tiny organisms danced in the water like stars. A large semi-translucent creature floated beneath me, its movements mirroring the currents perfectly. I swam alongside it for a while, watching and learning. It showed no reaction to my presence and I could not make out eyes or even a mouth among the pale jelly. Yet the creature was beautiful and I enjoyed its silent company.
After Kelon's endless speeches, the silence of the ocean was soothing. It wasn't completely quiet, no. Creatures called in the distance, short deep sounds that travelled far. Bubbles rose from the deep, bumping against my skin, making the smallest of noises. There was an alien beauty to it all, to the strange fish, the delicate jelly-creatures, the song of faraway travellers. I could have stayed here for hours. My gills had adapted to the alien water instantly and my greenskin was adjusting to the Peritan currents, reading them with increasing accuracy.
Maybe I'd sleep down here tonight. I had no desire to return to land. A pang of guilt hit me for leaving my clutch-brothers alone with Kelon, but they were grown finmen. They could handle him. And if they couldn't, they could join me in the sea.
I circled the island to familiarise myself with our surroundings. The land the Peritans had built on was just the top of a very large rock column that rose from the seabed, mottled with caves and crevasses. It was clearly volcanic in origin, if geology here was the same as back home. Small lights twinkled within one of the caves. I swam closer. The glow came from tiny bioluminescent blobs that looked not dissimilar to the giant jelly-creature from earlier. They clung to the walls and floated through the water, illuminating the space around them. I watched them for a small eternity. They were so simple, yet stunning all the same.
Some days, I thought life would be so much simpler as a sea creature like these. I bet they didn't have complicated rules and mating laws and rituals. They had it easy.
The current carried a new sound. I looked up, but the rocks blocked my view of the water's surface. With one last look at the glowing specks, I swam upwards with strong strokes, intrigued and curious. I would have recognised my clutch-brothers' movements; this was someone or something else.
When she came into view, I stilled. It was her. Elise. She was swimming at the surface, her body an elegant arrow drawing through the waves. Her arms and legs were bare, but a black fabric covered her torso and her hair. The sea made her skin seem greenish, almost like my own, but I knew that was impossible for a Peritan. Her movements were alien, nothing like the way finfolk swam, but they were smooth and strong. It seemed effective for someone without gills or greenskin.
Her head dipped occasionally, but not enough to give me a view of her face. Yet I was happy enough to simply watch her body. She kept her fast rhythm despite the waves, never faltering or stopping. Was she enjoying it?
Her words earlier had touched me. If I'd understood her correctly, she was an athlete who swam professionally. We had those in Finfolkaheem as well, although I had never been fast enough to be on the clutch-school team. But it had sounded like she'd lost all joy in swimming. I'd wanted to hug her when she'd said that, followed by carrying her to the beach and inviting her to swim together.
I hadn't expected to meet her now, here, just before darkness fell. But she was above me, unaware of my presence. I wanted to appear in front of her, talk to her, hear her beautiful voice again, finally see her face - but it would break the magic of the moment. She would see that I was not Peritan. I didn't want to imagine her reaction, but my brain tortured me with a selection of scenarios where she screamed in fear, turned away in disgust, cried at the sight of me. I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I couldn't surprise her like this. Cleo had been very clear that it was best if the females got to know us first.
And we were still waiting for the results of that genetic test. Maybe Elise belonged to someone else. Someone more eligible than me, someone who had a better job than guarding an Archive, more savings, a larger home - or maybe her fated mate was a Peritan. The agency had chosen Elise because they thought she might be a match - and now that I had seen her swim, I could see why - but that didn't mean she really was.
I hugged myself as I watched her swim back to the shore, away from me.
I stayed beneath the waves until darkness had crept over the land, mirroring my mood.
8
Elise
No other women joined me for breakfast. They must still have been on their way, travelling from far away. When I'd finished my pancakes, Paul appeared, looking bright and chipper.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?"
I nodded. "Like a baby. It's so quiet here at night, all I could hear was the sea."
"That's why there are no cars allowed on the island. We value peace and quiet here. Although I dare say that your schedule for today is looking rather busy."
He handed me a piece of paper and I studied it with slight trepidation. I'd hoped to go for a swim again this morning, followed by some time in the hammock with a good book. But the first item on the schedule made me look at Paul with excitement.
"Scuba diving? Are there any reefs around the island?"
"Yes, we have some beautiful corals. There will be an introductory lesson and there is the option of snorkelling instead-"
"I've been diving before," I interrupted, unable to contain my enthusiasm. It had been a long time. I'd had the chance to take some lessons during a training camp and had thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Excellent. Maelis, our activity organiser, will be pleased. She'll be able to take you to one of the deeper parts of the reef, maybe even one of the sea caves. She loves a challenge."
