Enchanted High Book I
Chapter Twenty-Four: Orthopedius Denialumungus

James woke with a start, his heart racing several beats faster than normal.

He couldn’t get used to the fact that he kept having these nightmares. Running from a vicious monster, falling into a canyon and then escaping on the back of a dragon only to plunge into the ocean. It seemed to be continuing in a sequence, one after the other, and it was making him more restless each day.

James looked at the inflatable bed next to him. June slept there looking as peaceful as ever. He lay in his bed, staring at the vertex of the tent. He closed his eyes in attempt to fall back to sleep. But he kept shifting uncomfortably. Deciding it was useless, he removed his blanket and put on a sweatshirt. He wanted to sit outside for a while; take in the fresh air.

He walked quietly, unzipped the flap of the tent and stepped outside.

All sorts of sounds suddenly burst towards him. The croaking of an orchestra of frogs, the rustling of leaves as the wind blew it, the chirps of the crickets, the soft hooting of an owl, and frightening howls of a wolf.

It sounded like the school gardens on a Friday evening. Only, today was Monday. And today, he had a strong feeling something odd would happen. It was still extremely dark; there were no signs of the sun rising anytime soon; the moonlight provided some light for James to look at his surroundings.

He decided to take a slow, lonely stroll. Yes, that was exactly what he needed.

He walked into the dense forest; dried leaves and twigs crunched underneath his feet. He passed many ordinary flowers, he recognized, that could be found in the ordinary human world. There was a bunch of white rose plants with deadly thorns, a eucalyptus tree, and others he didn’t know the names to.

He walked through a thick copse of trees that blocked out even the moonlight. Crouching, he spotted a shrub of Iridescent; June’s favorite flower. It glowed in the darkness, dim blue, violet, and then an earthy green.

He lifted his head, moving aside some leaves. He could hear the distant rushing sound of flowing water; it was soothing – a hot spring. He followed the sound, tilting a few more enormous leaves – and the next second – he saw a beautiful sight.

Moonlight lit a pool of water that rippled to his feet as more water dropped in the form of a waterfall into it. Steam covered the water which gave it an eerie feel about it, swaying and curling around the rocks, luring him closer.

James immediately had the impression that the water was hot. It was a hot spring, after all. Yet, he couldn’t resist the urge to dip his legs.

He took of a shoe and dipped one toe at the edge. Quite surprisingly, it wasn’t as boiling as he imagined. It was a soothing warmth that flood into his nervous system. So, without hesitation, he removed the other shoe, sat on the rock, which formed some sort of natural wall, and sank his legs into the water.

It was the completely opposite feeling he had in his dream when he dived into the cold ocean. The way he felt as if his blood was being drained; it was horrifying; but now, with the warmth of the water, he shut his eyes, feeling his heartbeat relax, pumping ever so gently –

And then he heard a splashing sound so suddenly it made him jump up in fright. His eyes bolted open.

A head, silhouetted against the moonlight, covered in shadows, was at the far end of the pool. The face was engulfed in darkness, invisible to him; the rest of the body below the water. It was a strange sight; with the moonlight and the glow of Iridescent all around and the steam circling around the person. It stood still as if staring.

James blinked tightly to make sure it wasn’t one of his dreams. But the person remained there, apparently still staring at him. Then the figure began to rise slowly, more of its body was visible.

It was a woman.

James could make out the long hair and small shoulders, all still silhouetted. But in the time it took for him to blink – she was gone, leaving not even a ripple behind.

James swallowed. He raised himself on his hands, searching the spot where she had been, to look where she had gone. Nothing.

His conclusion: it was a figment of his imagination. He had a wild, uncontrollable one indeed. Sighing, he returned to his original position, closing his eyes. He began taking in deep breaths –

Splash! There it was again, loud and clear. He opened his eyes and almost let out a scream. A young woman, upper body out of the water, was leaning on his knee.

‘Shhh,’ she said in a voice that almost sounded as if she was singing. It echoed dreamily; the mist still curling around her.

James stared at her only too shaken to speak.

She had long silver hair which was pinned up at the sides with a braid that was beautifully decorated with glittering shells. She wore a matching silver blouse and the rest of her body was underwater; but instantly, he guessed the rest of her body was a tail. Although she had simple and plain facial features, she was beautiful, there was no denying it.

She stared, her elbow rested on his knee gently, her blue eyes penetrating him.

‘What is your purpose here?’ she said softly. Her voice still echoed. Steam curled around her.

‘I – I – uh ...’ James stuttered, suddenly forgetting what he was doing.

‘I see.’ She replied. ‘You are lost.’

James blinked; maybe he was lost.

‘I am an Agni,’ she pointed her long, wrinkle-free hand, that almost looked plastic, to herself. James didn’t reply; he didn’t know what an Agni was.

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Can you not speak?’

James cleared his throat. ‘I can.’

The Agni’s spotless face squeezed at her eyes as her deep red lips curled into a warm smile. She placed her palm on James’s hand, her skin was wet and cool. ‘Come with me.’

‘Un-underwater?’ he said, unable to pull his eyes away from her.

She nodded and gently pulled him into the water. She paused, allowing him to take in a gulp of air, before they submerged.

The next moment his entire body was swallowed into the liquid substance, flowing over his clothes, his face, his feet. It was lukewarm; just the way he liked it. He opened his eyes; the image was blurry, smudged at some places, darker at others. On one side, he saw the wall where he sat, already quite a distance away. She was guiding him through the water, her tail a collage of scales, flowing effortlessly behind. He could hear a distant tinkling sound, sort of like millions and millions of tiny bells being shaken in slow motion; it was a very pleasing sound.

The Agni looked even more beautiful underwater. Her skin seemed to emit a luminous glow. Her hair was flowing with the soft current all around her. She still held James’s hand softly, pulling him towards what he thought were rocks that were behind the waterfall.

James, still holding his breath, looked around as she took him deeper. The water was at its darkest now, and there wasn’t any other sign of life besides the tangle of seaweeds that tickled his ankles as they swam past.

The Agni led James into a small cave. Her tail swished as she swam carelessly, but quicker now, more as if in a hurry to get somewhere. But then, in James’s vision, he could make out a ball of light directly ahead.

A golden light that she swam towards hurriedly.

James felt himself running out of breath. He shut his eyes and struggled, not knowing what to do. But the mermaid kept a firm grip on his hand and pulled him even faster towards the brightening glow.

James had the impression that she was going to drown him based on the way her hands felt no longer gentle on his wrist, but rather tight and fierce. His suspicions rose when she slowed down to stare at him struggle for breath.

But he didn’t need to, because his lungs found air suddenly; he wasn’t underwater anymore. James released his breath and coughed several times.

‘I’m sorry,’ the mermaid said, her head hung slightly.

James’s coughs were loudly echoed. After he wiped his face with his hands, he blinked, looking at his new surroundings. They were in a cave, the rock was domed over them. It would’ve been completely dark if it weren’t for the horde of Iridescent flowers, bunching through small crevices. The air was cool and moist; the cave had a perfumed scent; he guessed it came from the enchanted moss.

‘This is my home,’ the fire mermaid said, sliding her cheeks on her bare shoulder. James gazed around again, this time his attention landing on a flower that seemed bigger compared to others, grew alone, but made the others look dull in comparison.

The mermaid saw that James was looking at it intently. She swam towards the flower and picked it out of its place, stem and all. James thought it was the wrong thing to do; but in the same instant, another identical flower grew back in its place.

‘This is for you,’ she said softly. ‘Perhaps you will need light in the darkest of times.’ She beamed, placing the flower into James’s open palm. He stared at it. It glowed brighter than a million light bulbs – like a moon in his very hands.

‘Come,’ she said and took his hand gently again, dragging him underwater. James was led back to the surface moments later, returned to the spot where he sat at previously.

The mermaid leaned on his knee again, watching him examining the flower in his hands. Her head was slightly tilted which put James in the mind of some kind of animal.

‘It’s beautiful.’ James said and looked up at her face which was lit by the glow of the petal. ‘You’re beautiful.’ he said absentmindedly. The mermaid touched her cheek with her shoulder again and smiled.

‘James?’

The mermaid’s head snapped to the call.

‘James, what are you doing?’ It was Nicole; she stood at the edge of the pool, arms crossed, looking at him questioningly.

James looked at the water, the spot where the mermaid had been – but she was gone; he hadn’t even felt her weight lift off his knee. He felt his clothing; but he was completely dry.

Thinking how he must look to Nicole, and realizing that the mermaid wanted her existence to be kept a secret, he said the first thing that came to his mind. ‘I – Uh – I got ... lost ...’

Nicole raised an eyebrow. ‘You got lost?’ she didn’t seem to believe him. ‘And what’s that?’ she pointed at the white flower James was holding. It no longer glowed like it did; it was as dim as he felt.

‘It – it must have fallen ...’ James said, looking up at the trees and then noticed that none of them bared a white petaled flower. Nicole seemed to have notice this too.

‘Uh-huh,’ she said suspiciously.

James nodded weakly and stood up. Nicole traced her way back into the forest. Before James could follow her, he turned back, hoping to see the mermaid – the Agni – again. But she wasn’t there.

My boss said it’s okay to give you a little Botany lesson. The glowing plant - Orthopedius Denialumungus (pronounced ortho - pee - dee - yes denial - uh - mungus) - is a very special plant. The Agni’s - a very dangerous breed of mermaids - are the protectors of it.

I’ve never met an Agni. But I’ve read about them. They’re even more dangerous than the anything I’ve encountered. I tempted to tell you why the one in this chapter is different - but I can’t.

Wanna hear a fun fact, though? My boss has an Orthopedius Denialumungus growing in her room. I wonder - am I working for an Agni?

--THUG.