"Onyx"
"Ha...." I let out an exhausted sigh. Finally resting my back into bed. Staring at the lights of ocean waves projection on my ceiling.
I wanted to be home. Everything was so tiring since I was forced to return here. The itch to swim was starting to wear on me. My body felt heavy. On land it always did.
I looked down at the Rudraksha I was holding in my palm, clenching it tighter. It was starting to crack. "Just like me" I mumbled. I layed there zoning out. I need to get up soon. I could smell the food the chef was cooking a floor below mine. I was ravishingly hungry. More than that, tired.
Today was full of meetings back to back and not to mention auditions didn't go as well as the company had hoped. Internationally we're quite acclaimed. Here however, people are still skeptical about us. All the more reason I did not wish to return to this place.
"I should go take a shower" I thought to myself. I walked by my cutie pink axolotls in their large tanks and my fluffy brightly colored Macaw. Heading then into the bathroom grabbing my towels and clothes from the wardrobe. Turning on the water as it started to pour down my face was like relieving a weight off my shoulders.
I had to concentrate to not turn into my geniune form. It's merely a control of magic but it had been too long since I was in any natural body of water, so the sounds of the ocean called out to me even where I was. My skin started to ripple in waves, patterns of my distinctive squid-octopi circles started etching into my skin like tattoos. "Concentrate Onyx" I thoight to myself. I can push it at bay.
I was much too old for this I thought. I focused as shadows swirled around my hand mixing with the smoke. My eyes probably already glazing over with a glow. The stream of water on my shower got harder as I was now trying to control my breathing. In my hand a red substance started to drip, it's touch melting away the tiles on my floor "dang it, I didn't want to corrode yet another room" I sighed.
I heard a knock on my door, a tiny voice speaking up "Papa?" The girl called out. "Come in" I responded. I grabbed the bathrob towel wrapping it around myself before walking out the bathroom into my room toward the small girl. She walked up to me shy but trusting in her stance. "The Nanny said that dinner was ready and asked if I wanted to come get you" she said in her cute voice.
I knelt down a bit patting her head "I'll be down in just a minute Pixie. Let me just get myself dressed and fix my hair first okay?"
She giggled before reaching her small hand up and tugging on my hair "yeah do or you'll be scolded for looking like a wet rat again phi!" I chuckled a bit as she skipped out the door with an impish grin on her face.
It made me happy to see her adjusting so well and trusting people now.
My steps lightly walked down the marble staircase. My eyes resting on Pixie and my Aunt. I bowed to my aunt slightly at the base of the stairs while Pixie's eyes lit up seeing my presence. "Great aunt said I can't meet with other great aunt again if I throw a fit" she pouted. "See? Onyx you've spoiled the girl. I truly do not understand why you even took her in" my aunt said.
I winced slightly at the mention. "Everyone deserves a chance Aunt Hana. Just as you and I did after father's passing." I sat down to the right of her as she looked at me with a stern expression. As I continued to say, "she is just barely graduated Kindergarten. She loves your wife, just let them play together what harm could come of it" I said respectfully.
Pixie looking between us sensing a small tension she spoke up "It's okay...I can just play with aunt Myst!" She said trying to ease the tension. I looked at her moving to try to assure her she doesn't need to appease us and make her feel confident when Aunt Hana said "now how would you do that? She's half a globe away right now"
Pixie grinned kicking her feet forward on her chair slightly. "We can Video Call! My Spanish has gotten better and my English and Thai too! We can have digital tea parties!" She looked at us proudly. I smiled at her pinching her cheek "you've grown up well I see. Be careful not to disturb her too much okay? Her and Akasha are quite busy I'm sure"
She picked at her food before saying "very busy. I wish we hadn't moved away" she said glummly. I felt sympathy for her. Her attachment was deeper than I remember. "Do you miss Myst and Akasha or do you just miss your best friend my little sprite?" I looked at her teasing her little crumpled face, Her grinning sheepishly.
"Alright enough of that" aunt Hana said. "How did business go?" In response I puased to sip some water before saying "As I expected. The trade partners here are not so trusting in us to manage things and we don't have strong enough standing to get enough talents I am afraid" I finally replied.
She shook her head at me launching into another lecture. I started to zone out, my thoughts tracing back to that boy and his friend. Abyss and Sarit was it? The latter's responses sounded as if he hadn't spend long on land and his voice reminded me of Myst. The only other Siren I know. Nonetheless it didn't matter to me if he got the job done.
Abyss however had this cute look to him that I haven't seen anywhere before. I liked his edgy style and longer wavy hair, if only he'd had enough talent because by looks alone I would hire that talent right away. I crumpled my brows again reaching my hand to massage them. The black and red mist gathering around me again.
Aunt Hana leaving her lecture to ask me, "have you not been in the water since our arrival?" I sighed a bit from her tone, her eyes shooting daggers back at me. "I took a shower" I replied. "A shower hardly suffices! You need to get into the Coast. You know better truly" she said in an exasperated annoyed manner.
I put down my utensils "The coastal lines here are not my own. They are not meant for me" I retorted in a calm voice with a hint of irritation edging on it. "Pixie can you go play outside if you're finished with your meal, I will come out right after my aunt and I have a little talk" she looked at us slightly concerned then hopped off her chair and scampered off to play or talk to the trees.
Aunt Hana now staring me down quietly with her disappointed face. "Your father did not put so much into raising you and your power to have you not take over. What was all those times we made these waters our own for? Do you wish to throw it all down the drain over the past?" She said.
"Well father is not here any longer!" I said emotionally before apologizing for my manners. She looked at me before putting her glass down saying, "that may be so, but I am. While I am here you will listen to me. Eldest heirs of this family are volatile and you know that. You know you can't be trusted." Silence filled the air. I felt like I was reminded of something I had wished to forget again. I am but a tool, and a dangerous one. I was tuaght this before by many. How could I forget.
I missed the sunny days running around the streets with Myst, barely having to pay any mind to whom I was to be or the business I was to inherit. With them, my status need not matter. Our species even less so. For they had not paid any to mine.
The cold walls around me glittered. "May it be we are more suited to be dragons" I thought to myself. My aunt broke the silence before telling me slowly "I will remind you again, you live because of me. If I had not convinced your father to not kill you as all firstborns of the high lineage. Do not make me regret it" enunciating the last part coldly as she left her cup down, wine trailing the lip of it from the force of her exit leaving the room.
I sat there staring at the food I had no desire to finish. The meal reminiscent of one I had with my father where layed a slain Octopi in the middle as some sick centerpiece. Feeling a bad energy that I felt may have been a Phi Tai Hong in the area. Getting up to go play with Pixie hoping to calm down.