Nordlys Island

Forbitrelse is an archipelago out of the governance of Aether. Residing here are the vikings of the North West. Nomads in search for places now and then, trading stocks from their neighbor kingdom and in excursion to discover more lands to harness its supply and expand their territory. Despite being secluded from the kingdom, their traditional symbol for themselves is the Kraken with the color of blue and gray for the stormy skies and open seas.

The region's third island is the Nordlys. It is an island most famous for the northern seasonal lights, once in every year. It is a place that has been thought to where mythical creatures such as mermaids and fairies resides. Nordlys serves as a religious sanction for the resident Vikings.

Michelle

It took her a number of days before she finally broke free of the raging waters. Michelle narrowly escaped a whirpool or two along the way, and the inconsistent thunderstorms were another thing. She took on a slow journey as soon as she escaped the cursed sea, healing her wounds and regaining enough energy. She was grateful to Ursula, the Sea Goddess, that she managed to live and that her possessions were still with her.

She didn't know where she was headed. From up ahead, she could see an island-- and for some odd reason, it attracted her. The mermaid has passed by a few islands, but there was nothing like this before. It looked peaceful. A sacred haven, even.

Maybe she should stop by here first. And maybe test out the bracelet? It seems there isn't any human around, it would be perfect.

Michelle quickly plunged in the water and glided through the currents gracefully, appearing at the shore of the island in a short amount of time. "Ugh..." She pushed herself off the salty seawater and onto the sand, her blue tail glimmering under the soft rays of the sun. "Let's see..." The brunette murmured to herself, rummaging through the contents of her satchel.

Lukas

In a distance, Lukas' ship had just landed ashore, the ramp being thrown harshly to meet the ground. In an obvious hurry, the blonde started walking down the ramp till his boots met the sand, his dull blue eyes glazing around the forest that was in front of him. It'd been a while since he'd visited his birthplace and he was sure that all the friends he'd left here had missed him. And so without further delays, Lukas started walking into the forest (at his own pace). His excitement was overflowing from the inside but his face simply remained as it's own emotional barrier. He started for the river, where he would usually meet his 'friends' to watch the seasonal lights. But the lights wouldn't show for..a few days? Weeks? Months perhaps? Lukas seemed to forget. His little friends probably wouldn't show up.

Reaching the local spot, Lukas sat on the tall rock that was seated conveniently beside the river as he started looking around and expecting the mythical creatures to come out and greet him as they usually would. But, as he thought, none had come by right now, probably because they also weren't informed of his visit. He didn't mind though;at least it was peaceful on this side of their world. And that was what he wanted right now. "Where could they be.." he muttered, mostly to himself as he looked up at the sky.

Michelle

After taking out a few items (forks, broken compasses and other useless trinkets), the belle finally pulled out the bracelet. It was a rather heavy item, silver, thick and carved with intricate lines. Michelle sighed, her thoughts going back to the time she had rebelled against her family, took this magical item and fled the kingdom. It wasn't a very easy ride to reach this point. Hunted down, wounded, starved and washed away to unknown waters... Maybe the other sea gods were punishing her, maybe Ursula was trying to prove her worth.

A smile graced her lips. She was proud of herself to have achieved this! Imagine, to have legs and walk... Mingle with the humans and experience their lives. And slip back to being a mermaid whenever she pleases. Was it such a selfish wish to know more what the earth could offer? To not be restrained by rules that hinders new knowledge and experience?

Before she could slip it on, Michelle looked around to see if the coast is clear. But much to her horror, a male figure was seated atop a rock from afar. She wouldn't risk it. What if that man is an evil human? Quickly, the mermaid began putting back all the trinkets in her satchel, creating unnecessary noise with her haste.

Lukas

The peaceful silence that seemed to engulf the area when Lukas had first arrived, was suddenly  interrupted by a series of jingling sounds that seemed to be resounding from a distance. Although he seemed hesitant, Lukas was far more curious than he looked, and he had fairly decided upon himself that he would take a look at whatever was happening. So with a quick motion of hopping off the, rather high rock, Lukas landed on his feet and started walking to the direction where he'd heard the sounds, thinking that it were merely his little 'friends' bundling up on some treasury or fiddling with some weird ornaments they'd found from the island.

Michelle


"Dear Ursula, don't let the person see me...!" Michelle muttered breathlessly, her heart pounding as she chucked in every last bit of item in her bag. She peered over her shoulder every now and then, eyes wide with horror the closer the man got to her location. Finally, the mermaid zipped her satchel close and tried to squirm away from the shore back to the sea.

A debate was going on in her head, though. This could be a chance to know how humans react with seeing an actual mermaid. The man could be nice, the man could help her. Then again, she was all too familiar with tales from her elders that some humans are greedy and cruel. This man could kill her, or maybe imprison and torture her. There were all sorts of possibilities, both good and bad.

"Ah, not today...!" The brunette finally decided. She did not expect this. She wasn't prepared and had no clue what to do. She may not even be able to defend herself given her weak powers.

Michelle pushed herself more until her tail touched the water. With one last look behind her, she could almost see his features of pale blond hair and dull blue eyes. And he probably could see her figure now too.

Lukas

Looking for answers and remembering which direction a certain sound came from wasn't really Lukas'd thing. The sound didn't even repeat, so by this time he was sure that it wasn't any of his mythical friends playing with new things they'v found, and luckily, the direction he'd followed seemed to be leading him to the beach and in some sort of distance away into another direction, he was sure that that was where his ship could be found.

He was quiet for most of his little journey toward the beach and even more quiet when he saw a figure seated by the beach, just in front of the water. A figure with long brown hair, fiddling with what seemed to be a satchel and placing things inside which, by now, Lukas guessed was what made those sounds earlier. Quickening his steps, the blonde squinted his eyes to see more and upon coming closer, and to his surprise. He saw a tail.

Lukas stopped where he stood, some meters away from the figure as he was silent. A mermaid.

Michelle

She continued pushing herself towards the deeper parts of the water, where she could comfortably move and be able to swim freely. Her tail rubbed against the fine sand of the island, and sooner into the mushier part. When the seawater had managed to reach her waist, Michelle took one last look behind her, just to check how close the human was to her.

Her golden eyes met his blue ones, and she gasped. The man wasn't saying anything, yet she felt that she knew what ran through his mind. A mermaid, on the shore of this island.

She could've swam away or took any form of escape, but the belle was just left there, staring at the human. She stared at him curiously and warily, from head to... Are those legs? Yes! Those legs that she had longed to have. And the person who had them was alive, too. Not like those dead bodies she had encountered in her life as a mermaid; most of them were skeletons already if not decomposing under the sea and on abandoned ships.

Slowly, Michelle turned around, although not attempting to go closer to the shore again. The water was waist-deep and she readied a fist behind her, morphing a small ball of water in case he tries to harm her.

Lukas

He was frozen in place. A lot of things were going on through his mind and that was somewhat unusual. Lukas never liked over thinking things,, or keeping thoughts inside his mind for too long, or any of those other relatable habits some people had. But this time, one thought seemed to run through his mind.

'There's a mermaid in my island.'

Although he'd sailed the seas for most of his life, he hadn't exactly seen a mermaid up close, or in this case, some meters away from him. Moreover his people thought very highly of her kind and even though his demeanor looked like he felt nothing, he was actually excited inside.

He didn't know if he wanted to speak (he didn't do that very often after all), but his mind told his legs to take a slow, reluctant step closer to the water, and that's just what they did.

Michelle

'He's coming over here,' The brunette thought, watching the human moving closer to the shore, to her. He was rather slow, and actually Michelle preferred it that way; at least it would give her more than enough time to complete one water ball and to make a proper reaction as well.

There was a silent exchange of stares. Michelle's wary, golden hues watched him closely, mostly because he was.... Oh, what did they call it, walking? Yes, walking. With his legs. On those... Feet. She felt envious that he could move so easily on land. Then again, humans like him wouldn't match up to her own speed and elegance under water; she was proud of her swimming skills very much. It was the only thing she could boast about, to be honest.

And then it came to the point that Michelle and the man were only just a meter or two away from each other. "Ah..." She stuttered, eyes vividly panicking until she raised her free hand from her side. "H-Halt, human!"

Lukas

The blonde hadn't realized how close he was already getting, and only did when he came to a sudden stop at hearing the mermaid's voice. And the tales that were passed on for generations were true. Her voice was amazing. His feet had almost touched the water, and instead of taking another step forward, he took one back as he cautiously held out his hands a bit, just enough so it would leave the confines of his cloak and just so the other could see that he was holding nothing that he could use to hurt her.

"I..I'm not going to hurt you." Lukas' voice came out low but soft. So sincere but still slightly hesitant. He took another step back, evening his feet so he was standing up properly this time.

Michelle

The man raised his hands, and Michelle raised a curious brow. So he wasn't carrying any weapon or any thingamabob. He kept a wary distance, and so did she. The belle slowly moved backwards, other hand holding on to the water ball she kept ready.

This was her first encounter with a live human. She did not participate in those other activities her kind did, such as luring those humans who journey in the ocean and pull them down underwater. Nor has she tried using her voice to attract any human and lure them in. No, she did not believe that in order to gain knowledge of the other kind or take things from them, they must use force. It wasn't in her heart to bring fatal harm to anyone. This is why she has offered her own self to learn more, instead of taking other's lives.

But that didn't mean this man in front of her shared her beliefs. Michelle flinched when he spoke, the fright becoming evident in her eyes. His voice was quiet and soft; gentle, even. Enough to convince her that he meant no harm... But she would not let her guard down! What if this was a trick humans usually do? 'What did I get myself into dear Ursula..?' She thought, swallowing hard as her raised hand trembled. "H-How can I be sure y-you will not try something against me?" Michelle spat out, scrunching her brows together and frowning. "I warn you-- my goddess Ursula will bring disaster t-to this land if you harm m-me!"

Lukas

His mind was not at all hazy, and Lukas was able to think straight like how he usually would. This was actually one of the skills he had developed, being out in the seas for so long, it gave him a lot of time to think and a lot of peaceful hours of just sailing that made his mind clear up and actually be more calm than he would actually want himself to be.

Lukas dropped his hands to his sides, eyes still glued on the somewhat panicking and flustered sound mermaid in front of him. He was slightly confused. Why was she so afraid? Did Lukas look threatening to to her? But he was holding nothing, and she knew that. But he knew that mermaids were one for secrecy and were not very fond of meeting humans, and so Lukas understood that much.

"Which is why I wouldn't harm you." he replied with the same voice. It took a lot of effort for his voice to not just sound so monotone like how it usually would. "I'm not one for harming mythical creatures." he said.

Michelle

It took a minute or so before her features softened, and then a sigh escaped her lips. "I will trust your words, then." The belle dropped her free hand and instead presented the other, revealing the ball of water she made and with a second, the ball fell to her palm and was destroyed, the water flowing through the spaces between her fingers. "G-Good." She said, trying hard to keep a stern voice to keep her bluff.

Truth be told, there was something about this man-- magical, sort of, and his aura seemed to be the same thing attracting her to this island. Which is why she just showed him what she was capable of doing and destroyed her weapon, and she's just hoping that she will not regret making such a careless decision.

"Do... Do you live here?" Michelle inquired, her golden eyes examining his body still, especially his clothing and... well, again, legs. She moved closer to the shore once more, although keeping herself alert for any sudden attack this human might do.

Lukas

Lukas took a step back the moment he saw the mermaid edge closer to him. He felt that he, too should take a little distance away. But his mind was still clear and he was well aware that that ball of water that disassembled earlier was supposed to be one of this mermaid's weapons in case Lukas was too attack. It didn't look all too painful, but come to think of it, he didn't like getting wet.

When he heard the other speak, Lukas was delighted to know that she was nice enough to trust words from a complete stranger, let alone a Viking such as himself. But Lukas did not know if it was obvious in his clothing that he was a Viking since a lot of people had told him that his own voice sounded nothing like the loud and barbaric ones that most Vikings had.

Shaking his head lightly, the blonde kept his eyes on the other, a light breeze pulling on his clothes and hair as some got into his face and he'd needed to brush it off. "I've simply come to visit, although I was born here."

Michelle

She tilted her head to the side, eyes seemingly interested in him. If he was born here, then that might explain the similar aura he shared with the land? She could conclude that this island possessed magic, a very light one that attracted her so.

Michelle was reluctant and moreover shy to fully show her tail once more, so she stopped advancing to the shore as soon as her tail rested against the softer, muddy part of the bay. She was close enough to examine his whole body-- from his pale blond hair down to the boots he wore. He seemed to have a resemblance with the other humans-- well, the dead ones of several huge ships, with his clothing. Or is it just that humans just wore the same type of clothes?

"But you must have enough knowledge of this land," The brunette said once more, her hands grasping the strap of her satchel as her curious golden eyes wandered from his figure to the greenery behind him. "Is this place magical? Is there something special embedded deep within this land?"

Lukas

"Indeed there is." Lukas replied with a nod as his eyes remained on the mermaid. She was a curious one, so it seemed. "This island is inhabited by different magical creatures, some of which would only come out at night or would only show themselves to a chosen number of people. This is also a rather special place for my people; the center of our religion. And I consider this island as my home." Lukas voice did not change. It was sincere and calm and in a tone that was willing to explain every detail of his beloved island.

He was fairly amused at how curious this mermaid was being, considering that this was mostly a foreign area to her (or so Lukas observed). And at this time, Lukas had seemed to grow more relaxed, his hands simply at his sides as his composure was still straight and rather formal, but he was mostly glad that some of the tension had gone.

Michelle

At this point, her eyes had vividly shown great interest in this new information. "Magical... creatures." That would include her, maybe. She at least knows that all mermaids, unlike humans, possesses magical powers. But this man was probably gifted in the same sense too, given that he was born here. More than possessing a special element, this island was a center for their religion, he says. "What island is this?" Michelle inquired again, this time looking at Lukas with a rather friendly smile now that he's got her interest.

But then again, she remembered, she wasn't still completely safe from harm. "Is there anyone here on this island at the moment?" The brunette added, trying to get a good glimpse behind him, and then around the place. If there was anyone else aside from this man, she'll make sure to swim away. One human seeing her form was enough of a risk.

Lukas

"Nordlys Island." the blonde replied as he shifted his weight a bit, dull blue eyes starting to wander off into the ocean that was present around the area. He sighed. "And no. No one is currently present in the island. Only me. And you.

Lukas sighed, his gaze returning to the other, liking the small kind smile he was given. A little while ago, Lukas thought he could never see such a lovely smile come out of this mermaid, but somehow he was proven wrong. He thought about the other creatures that had resided in this island, and the others that might have tried exploring the seas around it, if they had met this mermaid. Perhaps he would go ask later? Surely they wouldn't ind a new friend.

Michelle

"Nordlys Island," Michelle repeated, nodding, and then said it again. "Nordlys..." She actually liked the name, hearing and saying it made her laugh. "Nordlys is a lovely land. Truth be told, this island lured me in, even when I was still so far and it was just a speck in my sight." The brunette admitted. When said that it was only the two of them on the island, she give a small nod, and then decided to finally sit on the shore. She made her way through the shallow waters and onto the coastline, her blue tail glimmering under the sunlight. The morning was becoming brighter as the sun rays made the ocean's surface glitter.

As soon as the mermaid settled on the shore, she set down her satchel beside her and looked up at Lukas. "What is your name, human? If I were to stay here, I at least need to know your name." Yes, a quick decision of staying on the island, of which you know completely nothing about, Michelle. Where else would she stay, anyway? The island seemed nice and quiet, and seemed isolated from the other regions. Less humans, as of now, would be preferable.

Lukas

The blonde's mouth gaped just a bit when he saw the marvelous blue tail. He'd never seen an actual mermaid before, only on those old books their elders had that he was supposed to study on, so he was pretty excited at finally seeing something so mythical and rare.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the question, and only then that he realized that he was staring at the glimmering tail too much. He snapped his head back, dull blue eyes meeting golden ones as he answered the question. "Lukas." he said, a small hint of a smile starting to curl on his lips although he didnt notice it.

Michelle

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lukas." The belle smiled, slightly bowing her head before introducing herself. "My name is Michelle. I come from the southern waters." She didn't miss the fact that Lukas was actually staring at her tail, but it was just fair, as she was staring at him while he walked, earlier. She tried so hard to suppress her questions on how those legs and feet function, and about the items she's discovered underwater that belonged to their kind. Those will have to wait; she must establish a friendly relationship first so things would run smoothly.

She took advantage of this, and playfully lifted her fin, as if showing it off to the man. "Ah, curious about this?" Michelle chuckled. She felt a bit safer now, for some reason, and was more relaxed than earlier. "It's not as beautiful as the other mermaids', but at least it's powerful enough!"

Lukas

He perked up a bit, seeing the tail getting lifted and then falling back onto the sand, some water splashing around it. Was he really that obvious? Lukas tilted his head lightly, his eyes again landing curiously on the tail. Not as beautiful as the other's, eh? Well this was certainly the most beautiful one Lukas had seen. But yet again, he hadn't really seen that much.

"I see. It looks powerful indeed. But don't worry, it's just as beautiful." Lukas mused. He moved a bit, shifting his weight again and sighing. It was getting a bit hot out here, he thought. "Don't you live in a kingdom?" he asked, finally asking a question and not answering one for once.

Michelle

"A-Ah, thank you," Michelle bowed, mostly because she was embarrassed of the compliment. Well, it's not like there's a human there to tell her she has a lovely tail. All the other mermaids in her kingdom had lustrous shades of wonderful colors; her blue didn't stand out as much when she was with them. "But that's because you haven't seen the mermaids from my place. B-But thank you, still, Lukas."

His next question, though, made her look up at him with a startled expression painted on her face. "I... um..." Well, there's no harm in admitting it, right? After all, what would this human do? Throw her back in the ocean and let King Neptune's guards take her away? With a sigh, Michelle answered rather quietly. "Yes, I once lived in a kingdom. But I left on a journey, and I do not wish to go back there. As do my kind do not wish to see me."

Lukas

"Oh? They do not wish to see you?" the blonde questioned as he tilted his head a little while looking at Michelle. She seemed rather uncomfortable when touching this subject, maybe it would be safer if they avoided it? But alas, Lukas was a very curious young Viking, and in this subject, he wanted to know more.

"Why would they wish to not see such a lovely mermaid like yourself? After all, a simply journey would not hurt. Everyone craves adventure as far as I can see." Lukas stated, and it was true. He once met a voyager that told him that no man could live without craving the world of the unknown, and none can sleep peacefully at night without receiving the answer to his unanswered question. And so it was normal. Why would people shun someone who was normal?