We each woke on our own, I being the first as usual. Alice walked up next to me as I watched the sunrise.
"I meant to ask you last night, but Sarah's chatter got in the way. Who or what was that turtle woman?"
I, lightly, chuckled, "I don't know the name she uses, but she is Katanokami, aquatic helpers. Not Faerie, but immortal just the same. She and other Katanokami will be the ones who 'cleanse and purify' Sarah of her 'land life'. Their other duties include guiding migrating water creatures to new feeding areas."
Alice giggled, "Perfect, just the one to proclaim Sarah's fitness for everyone to hear. That explains all the people I saw around her. She has been doing this for ages."
"Did they seem happy?" Sarah asked as she joined us, "I am not questioning whether or not to do this. I would just like to know if others were happy they made the choice."
Alice pulled Sarah between us, "I only saw tears of joy. They do not transform the unsure."
We stood there, joined by each Sister as they woke. At our leisure, we all went to breakfast. The atmosphere had the taste of anticipation. They were waiting along with us. While the majority were familiar with this ritual, they recognized the uniqueness of our situation.
While exiting the eating area, we met Fabian and Aoushlunia. They were both carrying bundles.
"Dear, it is time. We will get you dressed. Sisters, Merroc has a vessel to carry you to the ritual site. We will be along shortly."
Sarah parted with the pair. The rest of us went outside and found Merroc, standing near the water equivalent of a horse-drawn carriage. In place of wheels, a boat hull supported the enclosed seating compartment. A ramp cut into the side of the hull took the place of the steps. The harnesses trailed into the water, twitching occasionally as whatever was down there moved restlessly.
"Ladies, let us be on our way. Another is en route to carry Sarah and the others," Merroc told us as he helped us enter.
Inside was comfortable and spacious. Set took up a lot of the floor between the two seating areas. Bo curled in Lisa's lap. Dawn, likewise, nested in Alice's lap. Echo was too nervous and could not settle into any one place or position. She didn't like not knowing where we were headed or what was pulling this "contraption". Fortunately, the trip was over quickly and we exited onto a small island, the only land in sight. A group of Katanokami greeted us and escorted us to a small pool. Here, they washed our feet and legs. Our companions were given full baths. From there, we were taken to an open-sided hut to sit and wait.
We were not alone for long. Soon, merfolk bearing Aoushlunia's broach arrived. Some changed into land form while others chose to remain in the water. Those in land form also went through the foot washing process.
Sarah's carriage was announced by horns sounding from large shells. Aoushlunia and Fabian helped Sarah out of the carriage. She looked as if she was getting married. Her gown was long, very pale green, and wrapped loosely around her body. She was led to the foot washing pool. Her gown was held up as her feet and legs were cleaned. She was led between a deeper pool and our hut. Lust floated at her shoulder, slightly behind her. Across the pool, a stage-like area lay empty. The Katanokami, after carefully arranging Sarah's gown, ambled over to face the stage. They began singing in ancient aquatic.
Upon the stage, beings materialized. As she looked like Scotvla, we guessed the largest being to be the Goddess Ocean. The others I could only guess their names and stations. Apparently, divine beings can block their natures and pasts, as Alice and Anna were struggling to read them. Where merfolk are human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, one of the smaller beings, a male, was human-like on the right side of his body and fish-like on the left. We found him hard to look at without emotion. A female stood next to him. She looked like Rheana, the neriad seer in Arvocan. Her dress looked like fresh, living sea plants sewn together. The last was an ancient looking woman dressed in a garment that shifted like waves and, if you were watching, various sea creatures appeared and disappeared among the "waves". It was this ancient that spoke to Sarah.
"Child, state your name, home village, and family line for us."
"My name is Sarah. I have lived most of my life at the Lady of Heart Convent as both my parents died when I was young. My mother was named Rain who was the half-blood daughter of Orraia who was the full-blood daughter of Chief Cleric Merroc and Aoushlunia, Matriarch of River Mouth Clan."
"I see. How long have you known of your bloodline?" she asked sincerely.
"Less than a year have I known I had mermaid blood. Only a couple of weeks ago, I met Matriarch Aoushlunia and confirmed our blood tie, Ma'am."
"You have not spent years pining for the life of a mermaid?" she asked, truly puzzled.
"I didn't know it was possible, until a couple of days ago, to be a mermaid. At the Convent, my life was strictly regimented. Any daydreaming was punished. 'Keep your mind in your body' was a daily chastise from the Mother Superior," Sarah answered.
The deities looked at each other, exchanging information and opinions. I could "hear" them, almost understand them, but they were finished too quick for me to grasp.
The lady in the sea plant dress stepped forward as the ancient stepped back.
"What skills do you bring to your clan? How does your clan benefit from adding you to its membership?"
"Bonding with Lust has granted me the powers of a healer. I can diagnose, treat, and cure nearly all maladies, injuries, and diseases. This works for people, animals, plants, bodies of water, and areas of land. This healing can also put undead to rest."
"If you and Lust separated, this power would disappear?"
"We are bound. Only by my death can we part," Sarah replied, voice cracking with emotion. Lust vibrated in sympathy.
The deities conferred again. This time, I began to catch sounds and short words. Still, they spoke so fast, they were done before I could grasp the subject of their conversation.
"Lust was aquatic?" the sea plant woman asked.
"Yes, Ma'am. She was merfolk as well."
"Full-blooded?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Was she of the same clan?"
"No, Ma'am, she was Black Water Clan."
Gasps sounded from all the aquatics, Katanokami included. The deities did not converse, but nodded to each other. This seemed to conclude the questioning.
From somewhere, the Katanokami produced a chalice of sea-green stone and one of them took it to Sarah, but did not hand it to her. The rest of the Katanokami surrounded Sarah and guided her to the steps that led down into the large pool. As she descended, the Katanokami held her gown out of the water. The one with the chalice preceded her but stopped at the next-to-last step and stood to one side to allow Sarah to continue unimpeded. We noticed, as Sarah continued, that they were actually lifting her gown off of her letting her enter the pool completely nude. Fortunately, the water was at the right level to cover her nudity. Lust floated in the air by her side, right above the water. When she reached the one with the chalice, she was almost shoulder-deep and the gown was being taken away by the other Katanokami. The deities went to the four sides of the pool. Ocean stood at the far end. The fish man was on the side opposite our shed. The sea plant woman was directly in front of us. The ancient was behind Sarah, at the top of the steps. It was she who spoke.
"Sarah, daughter of Rain, granddaughter of Orraia, great-granddaughter of Aoushlunia, by drinking this elixir, you step away from the land and into open water. This is your last chance to change your mind. If you are ready, take the chalice and drink it all."
Sarah took the chalice, which allowed the Katanokami to climb out of the pool. Lust floated over and dipped the tip of her blade as deep into the chalice as she could go. Upon rising, Lust rotated to let the elixir run the length of her bland and over her handle. As Lust did this, Sarah drank the chalice dry. She made to hand it back, but it dissolved and joined the water in the pool.
"This pool will cleans you of all taint from the lands you have walked upon. At the other end, you will receive Ocean's kiss, imparting all the blessings and banes of life as a mermaid," the ancient instructed.
Sarah and Lust descended the last step, submerging completely under the clear water. We six could feel her change. When she would have had to surface to take a breath, we felt her joy at realizing she could breathe underwater. In spite of her elation, she continued at a steady pace. Lust kept pace with her easily, also underwater. By halfway, Sarah found that she was more buoyant and, though still upright and "walking", she had to force herself to stay on the bottom of the pool. The last half of the pool was far deeper than the first half. This allowed Sarah to experience pressure changes and her response to them. While she did not sprout a tail, her legs were moving like one when she reached the other end of the pool. Ocean bent and lifted Sarah out of the water. Lust hung in the air at her side.
"Sarah of the River Mouth Clan, I claim you as a citizen of the sea and welcome yo into this great family."
Ocean pressed her lips to the top of Sarah's head. For a brief moment, I "saw" Sarah in her final mermaid form. Setting Sarah down, Ocean looked at Lust.
"Lust, who in the flesh was Teraia of the Black Water Clan, I reclaim you and re-welcome you to this great family. As your clan is no more, I have no doubt the River Mouth Clan will accept you as a wise elder into their number."
Ocean then clasped Lust and kissed her as well.
The Katanokami brought Sarah's gown back, but it was now a rich blue-green. They covered her up and re-draped her as before. The four deities returned to the stage and faded away just as they had appeared.
As if a signal had been sounded, the aquatics who were in land form rushed upon Sarah, hugging her, praising her, and introducing themselves properly. We waited until the majority had finished before we approached her. She was speechless with joy. We told her to enjoy her new life and that we were happy that she had found her place at last.
The aquatics filed into the water. The Katanokami walked us back to the water carriages. Sarah rode with us as Merroc, Aoushlunia, and Fabian took the other carriage "back", wherever that was. We told Sarah how we felt her change and the joy she experienced. She told us how worried she had been during Fabian's tutoring over the whole process and how glad she was for his instruction.
It was afternoon when we returned to Arvocan. Now, the aquatics who had been indifferent-to-hostile were open and friendly. In the outpost, Sarah found she had a "craving" for some of the stranger food that they served. Still not up to eating the living selections, she did scarf down some of the raw choices.
In our room, a different bed was left for Sarah. This one was a large bladder filled with water. She settled upon it quickly and was soon fast asleep. The rest of us were not far behind.
