Wilson opened his eyes to find himself lying on a beach. The sand was silver, unlike any he had ever seen before. He sat up and looked out at the ocean. There was no sign of the ship. Where was he? He wondered as he got to his feet. “Captain Harv!” He called out, but there was no answer. He headed further up the beach, and stopped when he saw a woman with raven black hair dressed in a black dress. The dress billowed around her in the gentle breeze. Happy to see someone, Wilson started running towards her.
“Help me! Please.” He begged. “I am lost and I can’t find my captain.”
“Do not be afraid.” The woman said. “I am Destiny. I have brought you here.”
“Where is Captain Harv?”
“I could not save him.” She said almost apologetically.
“Why have you brought me here?”
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“My sister stole something from me, but because of her magic barrier, no one can cross over to get it back.”
“What did she steal?”
“A book. A very special book. If you cross the lake, and retrieve it for me, I will be very grateful and can grant you any wish.”
“Any wish?”
“I am very powerful, so yes. Any wish.”
“I am Wilson Thornburg, I am searching for my father’s kingdom.”
“Bring me the book, my sister stole, and I will help you find your father’s kingdom.”
“Alright. What does the book look like?”
“It’s a magical book. It’s made of black dragon skin, it has a black iron castle on the front. It’s very old, and it belongs to my father, and he wants it back.”
“Why did she take it?”
“That doesn’t matter. Fetch me the book, boy, and I will grant your wish.”
“How do I get there?”
“The werewolf will show you to the dock. There is a boat you can take across. Don’t touch the water, whatever you do. It’s been cursed and you will drown. My sister is evil. Trust no one when you get to the other side.”
“How will I know where to look for the book?”
“She will have it safely guarded. Inside the castle. I didn’t say it would be easy. Don’t come back without it.”
“What if she catches me? What will happen then?”
“You’re a child, she’ll probably eat you, or feed you to her monstrous beasts.”
“I’m not a child.” Wilson protested. “I’m thirteen, I’m almost a man.”
Destiny put a cold clammy hand to his cheek. Her long red nails scraped against his flesh. She studied his face for a moment. “You look like a child. Just don’t get caught.” She released him. “Well go on.” She pushed him towards the werewolf. Wilson followed it down a path to a dock. There was a small boat tied at the end. The werewolf stopped at the dock.
“Fetch the book, and be quick, the Queen does not like to be kept waiting.” The werewolf snarled.
Wilson climbed into the boat and peered over the edge into the clear blue water. He could see creatures swimming below the surface. Forgetting for a moment what he was supposed to be doing, he sat there and watched them swim. They were so beautiful and the water was so clear that he could see them perfectly. Fish of all colors and size and mermaids. Creatures that were half fish and half humans. A mermaid caught him looking at her, and came to the surface. She had bright pink hair and a shimmering pink tail.
“What brings you out on the lake?” She asked. Her voice was beautiful.
“I need to go across.”
“Are you a creature of light or Darkness?”
Wilson didn’t understand what she meant. “I’m a mortal. Human. My name is Wilson. My father is William the Thorn of Aeintyr. I am searching for his kingdom.”
“Is he a king?”
“He was. Once. But he vanished leaving my mother to be captured. I was born in a prison. I was raised by a witch. I’m thirteen now, and she sent me to find my father’s kingdom.”
“Born a prisoner? A prisoner to whom?”
“Shanavar called him the Apprentice.” The mermaid gasped and dove under the water and vanished. “Hey! Wait!” Wilson called out to her, but she was gone. Not knowing what else to do, Wilson took up the ore he found in the boat and began rowing. The lake was huge, and he didn’t get very far. He tried to see the shore, but all he could see before him was the blue of the water and the underwater world. If the water was cursed. He thought, then why weren’t the fish and the mermaids affected? The mermaid had seemed friendly, not at all like the sirens of the sea that Captain Harv had warned him about. Then he remembered Destiny’s warning.
“Trust no one when you get to the other side.” He wasn’t on the other side. She had said nothing about the mermaids or the fish that swam in the lake. Wilson kept rowing, but his arms began to get tired, so he stopped. He turned to see how far he had traveled. The dock was still in plain sight. He hadn’t traveled far at all. He’d never get there at this rate. He thought.
“Need help?” Came a voice from the surface of the water. “You’ll never get anywhere at that speed.” Wilson looked down to see a rainbow colored fish bobbing in the water.
“Fish don’t talk.” Wilson said. “Even in a magical world like this.”
“Ah, but I’m not a fish.” The fish said.
“Yes you are.” Wilson argued.
“No I’m not.” The fish said. “I’m not always a fish.” Wilson didn’t understand what he meant, and the fish didn’t elaborate. “Merina said you were a prisoner of the Apprentice.”
“I was born a prisoner, but because I was born a boy, I was left for dead. That’s when Shanavar found me.”
“Shanavar? I have not heard that name in years.”
“You know her?”
“I knew of her. She is a very powerful witch.”
“Yes. She sent me to find my father’s kingdom.”
“I’m afraid if the Apprentice took your parents, there won’t be much of a kingdom left. He destroys everything and leaves a barren wasteland in its place. If I were you, I’d look somewhere else to settle. Now, would you like some help?”
“Yes. I need to get to the other side.”
“Hold on!” The fish said. Then he dove under and suddenly the boat was skimming across the water. Then just as suddenly, it stopped, and the fish resurfaced. Wilson looked around. Now there was nothing but the blue water all around him for as far as his eyes could see.
“Why have we stopped? I need to get to the other side.”
“This is as far as I can take you. The barrier starts here.”
“You mean you can’t cross it?”
“No. None of us can.”
“What is the barrier for? Why does she want to keep you out?”
“She is not keeping us out, we just happen to live outside the barrier.”
“Then who? Who is she trying to keep out?”
“Her evil twin, Destiny.”
“Destiny? But she isn’t evil. Misty is the evil one.”
“If you think that, then I’m afraid you can’t cross the border either.”
“I have to cross the border. I have to get to the other side. Destiny promised if I get the book, she will help me find my father’s kingdom.”
“Foolish, foolish boy. You must chose now, if you go back to Destiny without the book, what do you think she will do to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“If you steal the book from Misty, what do you think she will do to you?”
“I don’t know.” Suddenly Wilson was terrified. He didn’t know which way he should go. He pulled the ore out of the water and sat there.
“Chose wisely, for only one path will lead you to your father’s kingdom, the other will lead you to darkness, and for mortals, that only leads to death.” With that the fish dove down into the water and disappeared. Not sure of what to do, Wilson sat in his boat. He wished Shanavar was with him, she would know what to do. Even Captain Harv would be able to help him figure out the right path. Maybe if he sat there long enough, Marina would return and she could help him. So he sat and watched the fish and mermaids swim below the surface. No one ever bothered to look up at him. He heard the whoosh of wings and looked up to see golden eagles flying overhead. Their feathers of gold glistened in the sun. They flew across the lake and Wilson wondered where they had come from, where they were going.