Did you spend your misspent youth watching too much t.v.? If so, perhaps you were impressed with the 1981 anime film "the Sea Prince and the Fire Child." I was. Here's a little story I wrote when I was ADD-ing one day (and should have been studying for midterms.)
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Paradiso Mer
by Ssal Nogard
In a fire,
by a kingdom in a
sea, there lived a fire child.
This kingdom was set apart from land, so that dignitaries,
wayfarers and
merchants, had to come to this kingdom by water. And come they did,
by boat, by ship and by mermen, passed the green waters of
the sea, past the roaring,
incessant fires,
--to the kingdom. In
this kingdom
held the
treasures of the water world.
The castles were built with delicate shell fragments,
iridescent
insides facing out, and the streets
cobbled with rainbow-colored corals.
The people prospered, for the king and queen
had been living
happily ever after: this was paradiso mer, a heaven
in the sea,
dropped down from the sky.
Every day the fires roared and every night
they subdued to a
pacific blue, submerging partially –
into the sea. And
every day
a little Merboy would swim from the mainland to the paradise
in the sea,
pulling on his shoulders
a little
watercraft, or guiding a larger vessel,
or sometimes carrying a more stouthearted seafarer.
On his
shoulders. His passenger would stand
on the boy’s
rippled back, rippled like the scales of a fish,
holding on to
two ropes for balance
That were in turn held by the Merboy.
Sometimes, he
would fiendishly dive
his head under,
pulling his rider down
to his knees,
until
the rider trembled with feelings of unlimited dread,
for those found floating in the seas
around paradiso
mer were ever salvaged from watery destruction
By the fire sirens of paradiso.
Now it was more than rumored, it was known
that when a luckless sea voyager
had slipped from
the shoulders of a merman
and floundered
until no help could be found,
except for the approaching sirens, he would submerse
himself forever
under the waters of paradiso mer,
rather
than be caught by
those sirens. For traveling mishaps
were like tiny cretins to these sirens,
Abundant and
lawful forfeiture
to the fires of paradiso.
Even a miraculously handsome princess
had fallen
--from the
shoulders once, of this particular
Merboy. Her stalwart
manner
and comely looks were unparalleled
in the lands
known. Yet the Merboy
had dipped and bobbed until she
had junketed and
jaunted into the waters,
Pale hair floating on the lapping waves,
bravely watching the advancing naiads
encircling her, closing in
On her gracefully treading figure
with the folds of
her dress
Transparently soaked
by the green sea, looking up
to the sky one last time,
until the sirens
took their captive,
and waved in a
long golden procession back to the fires.
This, our water child had seen,
with a queer sort
of delight, and he keenly
picked the flames for the little fire child,
who he daily passed, for she was
always at the edge of the fire. He had purposely dropped
many a sailor into
the sea
right beside her,
so that she
could easily
snatch him
before her sisters did.
Yet she scarcely glanced at the fallen
hapless
souls; when
she did, it was
with a shudder in
her eyes, and she would continue
combing her long
golden hair. The
Merboy had never seen hair
as the fire
child’s. It was long and shone
brighter than
the fires in which she bathed.
She would take her fiery locks, dip them in the sea
beside her,
and run them over her body.
The water would roll down
her body in
gleaming drops until -- they fell below
the fires, into the sea, where
they would sizzle in a golden haze. . . Sometimes,
the Merboy would
swim under the place
where the fire child sat bathing and try
to catch those
drops of water that ran off her body.
So far,
he had caught hundreds of them
and had played with
them in his cavern
by the shores
of paradiso mer.
He had
dipped them under and had watched
joyfully as they
vaporized like
mist in the
water, throwing up a faintly
strangling scent
that made him go
weak, and
make his fervor for more drops
double when his
passion flooded into him again.
He had decided
to take the fire child
away from the flames; she always looked
away into the
watery extents, and Merboy
had begun
decorating his little cave
for the time when he would bring
her back to his grotto.
The collected drops
were faithfully
placed in dark niches
for light and
scattered
around
the rough ceiling which
gave the effect of a golden night. He had strewn them
into a blanket of seaweed,
which was to
cover them in sleep,
and had strung
them into slivers
of string,
Then
braided the golden
threads together into
two sturdy ropes.
With these,
he assured his
passengers that they, the ropes,
were made of the fires
of paradiso.
And if his rider merely did not let go,
--he would be
secure. This the land people believed,
ingenuous to the
pitiless delight
our Merboy had in grazing the depths
of the sea until
his screaming rider
was neck deep,
holding on to the
golden cords even
as they sank into the sea, the cords popping
into a hazy mist, all around the rider, who now
abandoned by carrier and rope, looked
with white stricken eyes towards the flames
that would carry
him away.
At night, the inferno
of paradiso mer
blazed in on itself,
high into the
heavens, singeing the nightbirds
and stars, which
fell like ashes to the sea.
The fires would settle into their pacific blue, bubbling
and purring
little tongues
out into the
ocean,
the sky, and the sirens’ skins would be tinged
with blue--deep,
beautiful. It was then
that the fire child reached out her hand
almost the color
of the sea, and placed it in the water.
She would convulse and, after a moment, snatch her hand
out of the
water. One night,
when Merboy had just thrown another rider
into the night
sea, and the indigo lights
of the sirens
could be seen fluttering
in a single line to the human game and back
to the fires, he
gently approached his fire child.
Does it hurt? He asked.
Yes. Very much, for it is very hot. She answered. The Merboy laughed.
The sea, hot!
Yes, sometimes I touch it for warmth,
but it burns me
instead. I have asked
that it not hurt
me so, but it only replies
that I should
not touch it. The fire child sighed.
Try it again. Merboy urged.
Fire child slipped her hand
from the licking
flames and sank her hand into the sea.
She wailed in pain as her hand
caught for a
moment
in the water
then ripped
open
as she seized her hand back into the salving flames.
What is it that holds you? Merboy,
anxiously. How would
he bring her to their home?
She: It is a compelling scorch, that peels
my skin from
itself and bleeds me back
into the
sea. Oohh . . . she moaned . . . The
fire child’s
face bled into a chilly blue steel.
Merboy dove
and thrust himself into the fire, only burning
himself against a wall of flame
and wet
heat.
He was knocked backwards, burnt,
and calling for
his fire child. She lay back,
quiet, eyes closed.
Merboy swam
around
her until the flames had lapped themselves
around her, cocooning her hand
until she
fell into sleep.
At home in his cave, Merboy thought furiously how
he would save his
fire child
from the water
so that she could come
live with him. He
corded his golden ropes
through
the night, and woke
to a white morning,
with the sun bleached
of color and warmth, and the winds
whipping the seas
in gray discord. The
fires of Paradiso Mer
Were sullen and low,
--and on the
horizon came a goliath
Seafaring vessel, that held an uncountable number
of men and
animals. At its stern
were a man, iron gray,
and his two children.
The boy was a small,
placid boy,
with ruddy locks and pale complexion. The girl
was a vivid ebon-haired girl one year
younger than her
brother. She stood stout
as her father and scanned
the waves for the legendary
merman that
sank the ships
of the wealthy and baptized
the monarchs of
the dryer realms.
The bright pennons flapped loudly in the wind.
Father, do you see our merman? Black one asked.
From his watery cave, Merboy stared,
Fantasizing the
great wreck of history. How would he do
it?
with showmanship, élan,
and lots of
victims for his fire child.
He pulled the heavy golden
cords in his
fists and swam to the irresistible
progress of the ship.
Black one waited, the sweat
rolling down her
neck, the chills
sending tingles down her body. She had waited
since childhood,
when she had read of the
great Paradiso Mer
and the perils
innocent folk faced when crossing the sea.
There was a fantastic merman
guarding the
gates to Paradiso, and Black one
wanted him for herself.
She had plotted it
long ago and had found a witch,
which she gave all
her desires to,
all save the merman.
The hag in turn had
given her an
unction, so oily
that it would
never mix with a sea
of water, and so
greaseless it would never
burn in the hottest of flames.
Black one held the vial that held
the unguent in her
hand. Her eyes
pierced single
waves in every direction
for miles. Then he
came. Swimming up
with a briny
smile, his skin
faintly tinged a light olive. Black one
. . .smiled back
down.
Ahoy! My
merman! What say
you we go for a
ride? Black one asked jauntily.
Merboy freely and easily turned to offer
her his back and
the skiff lowered Black one
to the
water. Merboy lifted her
onto his back,
handed her the cords,
and cautioned
her to hold tight.
Red one, Black one’s brother,
watched them speed
off, and begged his father
to steer
directly to the fires, and Red one
also readied to be lowered in a boat,
as the immense
sailer hastened to the
flames of Paradiso Mer.
On his back, Black one whooped
and screamed with
joy. Her skirt
whipped tightly against her legs,
like breeches, and
the water spayed
onto her bosom,
soaked with water, and taut
with fervency.
Merboy swam in circles,
enjoying himself, delighting
the beautiful black girl on his shoulders, so that her end
would be more of
a delight. Yet, Merboy
did not see as Black one uncorked her vial
and spread some of the unguent along the golden cords.
As Merboy began
his descent, the cords
remained braided.
Merboy sped to
his Fire child,
to show her the
beautiful sacrifice
he was giving her.
The great vessel
came from the opposite direction, raising the heads
of a thousand sirens.
They looked
to Merboy,
where was he? Fire child,
not wanting to see
the giant ship die,
looked away, and
saw Merboy
carrying a black-haired beauty, her face
intense, her lips
howling, the sea
spraying salty crystal drops through her dark mane. Merboy
had a look of
fantastic desire,
and Fire
child looked away.
The ship anchored
by the fires, but
stayed
at a distance away from the elongating flames
that seemed to
stretch out
to the vessel. Red
one, lowered himself
and rowed to the
edge
of the wall of flame.
He scanned the faces, the most rare
and fastidiously
lined faces he had ever seen. The eyes
sent out the souls of a thousand. The cheeks
quivered in countless emotions, on the brink
of many movements,
but muted
by the many laughs
and cries
and groans. The lips
were lined
at the corners,
exquisite,
turning, full in one, stretching madly
in another.
The brows were creased and smooth
all in the same
colliding passion. Their tresses
waved with urgency,
never calming,
always flowing
in one direction
or another.
Their figures were gaunt
and their
bellies full.
Their legs were sublime and Red one
looked
away.
Their tongues wagged
precious promises,
and their hands
meshed through the fires, cool, singular, enticing, and
encircling
Red one in their grasp.
He twisted
himself away and
rowed at a distance. At one edge,
he saw Fire child combing, with
her fingertips,
her long hair that hung
heavily
down her
body. He approached and moved
close to her.
Will you save my sister?
She: The one riding Merboy. It was not a question.
Yes. Yes! Yes!
He will drown her
into the hands of
your sisters. Fire child
continued running her fingers through
her heavy
locks. They grew
a deep red. Seeing
her
implacable, Red one offered
a way into the sea where it will cool
you and you can finish your serenity. The Red one,
--desperately.
She: How so? As Merboy came
skimming into Red one’s boat, thinking
of a double
offering.
of Red one and Black one.
Merboy, Fire child said, Sink the girl.
I cannot, he gasped, She will not fall!
Fire child, with drops of fire
streaming from her
eyes.
Give her up to the sea!
Black one laughed, He cannot, will not. You see
how I ride him though he would sink me.
It is his desire
that I hold onto him.
Red one: Sister, let him go! Red one commanded,
begged, but what
use? So Red one seized
the vial from
his sister and tore
Fire child
from the flames. She gasped
in the air for breath while Red one
frenziedly
covered her with the unguent. Fire
child collapsed.
What have you done?
Merboy shrieked and sobbed:
his Fire child had lost her radiant lustre, and lay
there, like a
beached animal, oily, greasy,
slimy. Her tresses
had been immolated, her eyes
had washed a deep blue.
Fire child looked
up at Merboy, the
light flooded from her skin.
Will you still take me to your home, Merboy?
He choked,
strangled, whipped Black one from off his back
and clutched his
Fire child in his arms
and carried
her back to their watery grotto.
Inside,
the lights of her water beads cast a sickly glow on Fire
child.
Oh, put them out,
Merboy she moaned.
Quietly, he
snuffed out the lights and covered them
with the blanket of seaweed, less the lights.
It had been a while, and they were not happy.
Merboy was not
happy because Fire child was sad.
She was sad for
her lost brilliance and she was sad
because Merboy
could not love her.
He: Why is it so needed?
I have never
stepped into
Paradiso Mer. I cannot.
It is a haven of
dry things.
She: Yet I am here, out of the fires. Fire child
said
earnestly. I have become like those
in Paradiso Mer for you.
And thus discontented,
Merboy, sighed, kept their grotto
beautiful, and set out to know
the land of
Paradiso Mer.
It had been another while,
and Fire child was
sick
with longing for
her Merboy and she combed
her golden tresses,
a pale gold, mute
in comparison to
their former dazzle.
She climbed out of the grotto, up the sides,
and to the top,
to see her Merboy.
Nothing.
She sat on the roof of the grotto, her legs
to one side, her
hair
to the other, as she often
sat in the fires,
and ran her fingers
through her long hair, singing lightly, and dipping
her hair into the seashell
filled with water at her side. She rubbed herself
with her hair and
the water
beads rolled off her oiled skin.
Then she thought, Now I can swim and she rose
from the roof of
the grotto and dove
into
the sea, where she swam, torpedoed
to the bottom and dove up, high out
of the water, in
a long beautiful arc and cut
the water like a
knife again. Thus she swam for days
and became like her Merboy.
One night,
he came back.
His eyes were black
and deeply carved
out in hollows,
his skin was a
golden hue. The watery smile,
the saline must was not about him.
His hair was
dusty.
He came back,
ready to love Fire child.
And where
was she?
Merboy climbed
to the roof
of their grotto and saw his fire child dancing in the
waves.
With horror and a
strangled
hold on his throat, he climbed
down from the
roof.
He called to
his Fire child.
She came swimming
up to him, a briny smile
and seaweed in her hair.
Look, I have come back to love you. He said dully.
She: Oh, come in,
swim with me But
Merboy would not.
He: I have gone to Paradiso Mer,
to become for you
a love that you wished, and washed
myself of the
sea, with dirt, soil,
and treasures
ravaged from the sea.
I have asked the lowliest to the grandest sage,
`How do I love my love?
How
do I bring back
her beautiful flames?
Why is there no fire in Paradiso mer?’
And they
laughed at me, saying that I
was of the sea and Paradiso
was of the land and that to win you
was like bringing hell into heaven. Would I have that?
So I must go
back to you.
We are stricken
from Paradiso Mer,
my love, we are stricken,
and I am
dry.
He slumped into
the shallow
depths of the
water. Fire child
laughed, all abandon.
She: Come, swim with me!
and she raised
herself
up to kiss him
with her wet lips
and led him
into the sea,
into deeper waters, where they swam
for a while,
close to the fires
of Paradiso Mer,
For many days and more nights,
until exhausted,
the sea closed in
on Merboy and
the fingers
of the sirens came, relentlessly,
gloating in their
countless faces
the fate of their sister, carrying away
the limp body of
Merboy. Some sang,
some cried for
the boy
who gave them so many, and finally, himself.
Another while
and the great
vessel came sailing
from Paradiso Mer back to the mainlands.
Fire child swam
up to the stern.
Red one, oh how you have killed us!
Merboy is in the
hands of the sirens.
Red one looked strickenly at his sister. Black one, hardened, said,
You would not let
me have him, so now
he rightly
belongs to your sisters, all of them!
She turned
from the edge, and left
her brother
standing there, sadly down at Fire child.
Red one, sadly down,
Wait here. He came
back with darkened hands,
and sadder still
and the vial.
Instructed: Break it in the fires. And threw
down the vial to
Fire child.
She clutched it tightly in her fist. And swam
to the fires of
Paradiso Mer.
As she approached, she made out the faces
of her sisters,
every detail
was kept in
her mind.
She knew, she felt
and yet a
vague unfamiliarity, a gory sense
invaded her wet
body as she stepped
from the waters, into the fires
and felt the
crushing force
of all the
screams, skins, and joys
that had come into the fires. They licked
at her tender
feet, they lapped
at her briny hair
and it caught fire, gleaming like the sun, whiter
than the stars.
She stepped deeper into the fires,
past her sisters,
sisters with potency in them,
cursing their
desires, so many did they have.
Fire child saw him, in the face of one
of her eldest
sisters, peering out, fighting
to be seen,
struggling against the lineaments
of a thousand others,
contorting her
sister into a gruesome image.
You always did look into the sea, little sister.
Merboy tried calling out, his voice lifted in a lilting
soprano—of fire child’s sister.
Fire child! Your hair!
And Fire child lifted her hands
towards the casement of her sister,
sunk her hands
into a morass of heat unbearable,
and let her mind
go insensible
as she lifted Merboy from the body of her sister.
He collapsed on his knees, his face,
against Fire
child’s belly, his skin
wavering in a
thousand ways. Fire child lifted
Merboy,
staggering
under the weight,
struggling
against the blinding fires.
As she walked past the laughing tearing faces of her
sisters. They howled
and spit fire at
her,
goring her with
flames,
through her
breasts, her arms,
her hands,
her feet. She stumbled,
she staggered, almost to the edge.
She fell, and began pushing, feebly,
Merboy to the
water. The waters
licked the fire and they tussled
and danced, loved for a moment before vaporizing.
Fire child
looked
upon the still
body of Merboy. His eyes
fluttered.
He saw Fire child,
enveloped in flames inside and out, her skin
peeling away like ice popping in water. Fire child
felt the tremor of
faces build up in her,
and then, almost
with as many faces, looked once more,
sank herself
into Merboy’s bosom, and with a strangled tearing push,
sank him into the water.
Fire child’s skin burnt like a husk,
her body
shriveling against the flames,
falling onto and crushing the vial,
while her sisters drew in on her. Of a sudden,
her flames leapt high
into the air and
shuddered
into a myriad of
golden ashes, suspended,
hardly falling,
drifting
with the winds, until Merboy
wakened in the sea and swam up to the night sky
clouded with
golden dust. They fell,
gently, rained down
one by one, while below
Merboy swam to catch each falling dust before
it hit the water
and broke
into a thousand more pieces
and hazed
the waters for many days.
He collected the ashes,
incessantly,
until he could one day have them all,
and reshape his
love again into a figure
of cool gold,
melded
by the wetness of his hands.
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