Chapter 2
When Regulus Black, second born of the noble house Black, turned 15 years old, he too was allowed to have a glimpse of the upper world. His brother had warned him even more urgently than his parents had, that humans were cruel, dangerous and reckless creatures. Regulus had nodded and promised over and over again that he would not swim too close to ships or the land.
The thing is, Regulus had always been obsessed with humans. His grandmother had told him the most fantastic stories and his sisters too only brought back tales of their wonderful experiences.
The humans were so interesting to him and he wanted to learn everything about them. So, while the vows to keep away left his mouth he knew that he was going to break them.
He finally wanted to see the sun, he wanted to breath a different kind of air, to feel it on his skin. He wanted to hear the sounds that left his body differently. And what he‘d give to walk among humans on the land. But that was impossible.
Only a few metres were between him and the surface. Regulus could already see the sunlight, refracted through the water. He closed his eyes and did the last kick of his fin and his head reached this completely other world. Before he opened his eyes he could hear the waves break on the shore and gulls screaming, far away he could hear people shouting. The water licked on face that was no longer covered with it and his skin slowly dried through the heat of the sun he could feel.
Then he opened his eyes. Despite his brother‘s advice he stared directly into the sun. It was like a big beautiful ball of light. Regulus felt drawn to the sun and couldn‘t look away. He felt his eyes sting but still. He didn‘t know how long he looked at it, it could’ve been seconds or minutes when he suddenly noticed that the sky became darker. Not the big black nightsky, more grey through the clouds that covered the blue. One big cloud hid the sun from his gaze. Regulus blinked a few times. There were blinking dots flying around his vision. When they finally vanished he heard a loud growling like thunder. The waves were louder and bigger and began to throw him around.
The shouting of people he heard earlier came closer and now he could see a ship in not far distance. He had promised his parents, and more importantly he had promised his brother.
But still he swam closer. It was a huge ship with golden ornaments everywhere. Regulus ducked back into the water and moved even closer to the bottom of the ship where he could look through a bulls-eye. He tried to be careful not to be seen. In the room he looked sat people talking with each other. Most of them looked like experienced sea men but one boy was the centre of their conversation. He looked as old as him or Sirius and had brown curly hair. His brown eyes were framed by golden glasses.
Regulus could not think other than this boy was the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his life.
Then a jolt went through the boat. The storm had become worse. The men and the boy ran up on deck to see what was going on and Regulus also rose again.
The sea was angry, as if someone had angered the gods. The waves were high and dangerous, the sky completely dark, heavy rain poured down on them and the wind threw the boat around like a toy. The boat was shaking and the waves broke down on it.
Regulus could just watch. He didn‘t know how he could help, if he could help. He was a mer being, drowning wouldn‘t kill him. But these were humans, if their ship sunk and they would drown they would die.
For a second Regulus wished they would. They would drown in the depths so he could take the beautiful boy and keep him for himself for all the centuries he still had to live.
But in the next second he scolded himself for it. How could he even think such selfish thoughts.
A loud cracking sound ripped him out of his thoughts. The shouts and screams became louder. Regulus could feel the sheer panic radiating from the people.
He saw the people running around on deck, trying to save what could be saved.
And another crack.
Then Regulus saw it: On the side of the ship a crack was ripping apart the wooden blanks.
He desperately wanted to do something, help somehow. But he had no idea what in the seven seas he could do. So he just watched the catastrophe evolve.
The crack became bigger and bigger everytime the ship moved, what was thanks to the water, always. The humans had noticed it finally too.
And suddenly they all became very quiet. The shouts and screams stopped. Only the storm raged on.
They will die, Regulus realized, and they know that too.
He had to do something. Literally anything. But he didn’t want to raise attention to himself, he was too scared of what they might do.
But then it was too late: The ship broke into two halves. The humans screamed in unity while the fractures of the ship were thrown around. Some tried to hold onto wooden pieces while others had no chance and sunk down into the dark blue.
Regulus looked after the boy. But he couldn’t see him. Panic arose in him. He couldn’t let him die. So, he sunk down again. And there the beautiful boy was, his curly brown hair swimming around his head like a crown while he slowly descended down in the sea. He didn’t move.
Regulud cursed to himself and then started swimming towards him. He didn’t really care about anyone else, but this boy had to live. He had no idea what made him come to that conclusion, but it just felt right.
He reached the boy, who had fallen unconscious. Behind them the huge pieces of the broken ship sank slowly to the ground.
Regulus grabbed him under the shoulders and started swimming to the surface again. Together with the boy he reached the air again. But the stranger in his arms didn’t open his eyes.
The rest of the people seemed farther away than before and so did the wooden planks.
But the beach was closer. No single person was there anymore due to the storm.
Regulus made a decision.
He held tight and began to swim. It was harder with the heavy body in his arms but he managed.
The farther he got the harder it was to kick his fin. Regulus was exhausted. Breathing seemed not so easy anymore.
Relief flooded his body when he noticed that the water became less deep and when he finally felt the sand under his body he could relax. Regulus still managed to hold the boy over water but now pushed him before him on the beach. That the boy was drenched made it only harder for him but he succeeded. The other lay there motionless and due to exhaustion Regulus just laid next to him.
He sighed heavily and looked up to the sky. It became brighter again, the clouds began to vanish and revealed the blue sky. But the sun was still hidden. Nevertheless, Regulus was fascinated by the beauty of the firmament. This bright blue might even become his new favourite colour.
Regulus felt at peace. The sand was sticking on his drying skin, the sun shone at him and he could hear the seagulls scream. His tail was still wet from the waves that broke on the beach.
With his fingers, Regulus played with the sand, the grains running through his hand. The boy beneath him still wasn’t awake but his chest rose and fell evenly so Regulus didn’t worry about him too much.
He didn’t know how long they were laying there but he didn’t want this moment to ever end.
He began humming the melody of a song his grandmother used to sing to him and his brother when they were little. Then Regulus opened his mouth and began to sing quietly, about the water, the whales and sharks, the waves, the stars.
He got interrupted when he heard another singing voice come near. It sounded female and absolutely beautiful.
Abruptly, he stopped singing and began crawling back into the water.
Just in time he was fully back in the water he heard a surprised shout, probably from the girl to see the boy lying on the beach unconsciously. But he didn’t see her, he had already turned his back to the land.
Regulus didn’t want to leave. He wanted to rise again, show himself to the humans, to the boy specifically, and admit that it was him who had saved him. But he didn’t. Because as much as he had been reckless before by swimming too close to the boat and the humans, he still was too scared to show himself fully, too frightened by the stories his kin had told him.
Instead he retreated and swam back so his family wouldn’t be worried about where he was. If he was human Regulus would cry now. But he wasn’t. He was under water and it was impossible for him to cry. If he was human he would run as fast as he could, not sure if away or towards the brown curled boy. But he didn’t have legs. Regulus couldn’t run,
Regulus had been a quiet person before. Never as loud and outgoing as his brother. But now he barely said a word. Sirius tried to cheer him up, not knowing what was going on with his little brother. But it didn’t work.
Regulus had seen a glimpse of the world he had been obsessing over since he was little. But it hadn’t been enough. He wanted to see more, to experience more, to feel more. There was nothing more he desired than to run with bare feet on the solid ground.
He loved the ocean, yes, it was where he had been born and all he had ever known. And it was beautiful. But it didn’t feel like home, it didn’t feel as if he belonged there. All he wanted was to be able to live on land. Maybe meet the boy again.
Before the incident when Sirius got hurt, the mer people had been allowed to swim to the surface whenever they wanted after they turned 15 but now they rules were stricter. Visits were limited to once a year and then no longer than the sun was on the sky.
Regulus kind of hated his brother for that.