Chapter 2 (Present time)

Nazima was busy in the backyard of yet another rented house busy training with her trident with the help of her trainer. They had been moving around for years not staying in one place for long especially after Zane accidentally saw one of Caleb’s guards on land. He knew he was after them and since then they had been on the run. Moving from one place to the other.

Zane found the middle-aged Chinese man who helped them in one of the small towns they had ran to when the princess was fourteen. Zane trusted the man and told him their story. The man decided to help train Nazima and had been moving around with them since they met. Zane never forgot to remind the princess of the past and her home.

He always reminded her that she didn’t belong on land, because of that Nazima never made friends on land. What was the point when she never stayed in one place long enough to make friends and she was going to leave this place anyway and go back to her home?

Zane came running to the backyard. “It's time.” He said and ran back to the house to take their already packed bags. They never unpack anyway since they had to be on the move at a moment’s notice. He ran back down with the bags; he saw that the princess was not there. He ran back to the backyard.

“Nazima, Chan, we have to leave!” said Zane feeling anxious, they were wasting time, and that guard was close. Zane saw him by chance when he went to the grocery store to get a few things. He caught his scent first before he saw him, and Zane disappeared from that show and ran back to get the princess.

Nazima ignored him and continued training. “Nazima!” Zane shouted making Nazima turn to look at him. “There is no time for this, we have to leave,” Zane said walking toward them with a worried look on his face. Nazima sighed; she knew Zane was only trying to protect her. “I am not running this time Zane, am going back.” the Naga princess declared, and Zane kept quiet just looking at her.

His insides were cold, and he was rendered speechless by fear. Zane’s heart trembled with fear. He promised to keep the princess safe and her going back to the water will put her life in danger.

“You can’t go back princess, it’s not safe yet, king Caleb…” The princess cut him short by glaring at him. “Is the Mer king now your king? I thought you were a Naga Zane” Zane bowed to his princess taking a step back.

“I can’t even remember how my form looks like Zane, it’s time to remember who I am and claim what they stole from me.” Zane sighed feeling defeat creeping into his heart before the battle even started

“How do we get there?” asked Zane, it has been twelve years, and they did not know how things were in the water now. “Our people are slaves in there, we sneak in and kill every Mer person we come across.” The Naga princess has changed and was no longer the little girl Zane left with water with many years ago. Now she was ready for war, for what belonged to her, and to be queen.

“We have been running for many years now, it’s time we stop running and fight. I am ready” she told him, and Zane’s insides turned cold. He knew this day will come, and he thought that when it comes. He will be ready, but now that it has, he didn’t know how to feel. It has been years since he was last in the water let alone being home.

“Alright then princess, if that is your decision then I accept it, but we can’t go into the water now, it's too dangerous during the day. We must keep ourselves safe until nightfall then we can go.” They have been on land long enough for all of them to know that during the day the water is crawling with humans. They might have two legs now but the moment they come in contact with sea water their true forms will be revealed, and humans are known to fear what they don’t understand and seek to destroy it.

They could not risk that, being found out by humans was more dangerous than facing the lunatic king Caleb. They all agreed to lay low for the rest of the day, Nazima trained hard that day, harder than she did all these years. She was thinking of the day she left her home, her father’s last words to her, and him telling her about her brother’s death. Those thoughts made her train like a crazy person swinging that trident like it was a feather.

She has been preparing to go back home for years and now that the time has come. The princess had fear in her heart, fear of letting her father, brother, and clan down. she knew that taking on Caleb was not going to be a walk in the park. As humans say.

Zane and Chan watched from the side. “Do you think she is ready?” asked Zane with a worried tone. “She has been ready for years now, my friend. I think you are the one who was not ready for this yet.” Chan was right, Zane feared going back only to get the princess their last hope killed by the Mer. King.

“Worry not, she has grown now and knows what needs to be done. Go home my friend and fight by your queen’s side to claim what is yours. Your clan has been waiting for this for many years now, the queen is right. It’s time to go back.” Chan was wise and Zane always listened to his advice. Zane nodded in understanding.

“Come with me.” Chan followed him inside the house and sat on the couch while Zane went inside his room and came back with the chest. He placed it in front of Chan and Chan looked at him confused. “It’s time you go home as well my friend, you told me you crossed the salt when you were only seventeen coming to look for a better life for your family this side. We will have no need for this now that we are going back home. Take it and go home as well.”

Chan came from the countryside in his country, his family was poor, and he wanted to change the situation, but he knew that will not happen if he stayed in his country. When he got an opportunity to come to this country by boat, he took it and left home. But when he got here things didn’t work out as he had hoped.

He lived in a commune with many of his countrymen and only got a job as a gardener eight months later and that was the only job, he ever managed to get all these years. The garden boy until he met Zane who offered him a job training the princess. He and Zane met at the underground fighting arena and his fighting skills impressed Zane.

Chan was a gardener by day and a fighter by night. That is how he managed to send money home all these years, but it was never enough. He knew the cents he kept sending home were never going to be enough to take his family out of poverty. Chan’s eyes were moist when he saw what was in the chest.

“Brother are you sure?” asked Chan, “You know in the water we don’t live like humans, and we have no need for this. You have done a lot for us and as a thank you, we are giving you this, take it and go home.” Chan bowed his head to him in gratitude. “I will never forget you, mine and your story is something I will tell my grandchildren one day.” Zane laughed.

Nazima walked in and sat in front of Chan. “Don’t stay here after we leave because that guard will kill you just for being associated with us. Go home and thank you for all that you have done for us.” Chan bowed to her. “You must also be safe where you are going, I would like to see you again one day.” Nazima felt sad hearing that.

She didn’t know if she will be safe in the water or if she will die that very night, but she nodded anyway. She didn’t want to worry the old man. “I will be.” She stood and left the two men to talk. She went to her room and lay down.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but Zane woke her up telling her it was time. Chan had already gone to check if it was safe for them to leave. “We are only waiting for Chan’s signal, and we go.” Nazima only nodded she didn’t trust her voice to speak. She had a huge lump in her throat that refused to go away.

Chan sent the signal, and they left the house in a hurry leaving everything behind. Heading to their home where they didn’t know if they were going to live or die that very night.