Chapter 920: Captured By The Mermaids
Some of the Merfolks had beautiful tails that were iridescent and you couldn"t quite tell the color as they s.h.i.+mmered within the cave, others" tails resembled something more along the line of a shark as Rowena once read before.
These were the legendary merfolks that people in her world had been raving about and yet Rowena couldn"t spare a single moment. She immediately yanked for the magical seash.e.l.l necklace and held it out.
"I"m here to barter with your kind. I come here returning the necklace that belonged to one of your people and has been stolen by a human in the past," she spoke firmly.
Some of the mermaids frowned at first, surprised by her appearance. Others were more shocked by her beauty and yet when Rowena brought up the necklace and barter, the atmosphere changed.
All of the Merfolks looked at Rowena and then glanced back at the simple sh.e.l.l necklace that she held in her hand.
A great number of the younger Merfolks started laughing aloud. Some even slapped their fins against the rock.
"Barter?"
"Did she say she wishes to trade with us?"
"How silly! She wants to trade with that old necklace." Another Mermaid guffawed and turned to her companion. "Can you believe it?"
"That kind of necklace is something so readily available for us, I"m not sure why she thinks that"s valuable."
"If it was taken by a human, then I a.s.sume they must have been so shocked. I believe pearls might be rare for them?" a Merman said.
"Humans are so poor, I pity them."
"But she doesn"t seem entirely human. You know how prideful elves are... she also smells like one doesn"t she?" another commented.
"Still, even a half-elven pride should have its limits. n.o.body"s going to bargain with her."
"What?" Rowena became sh.e.l.l-shocked.
"Unless you"re trading something else, like your voice or hair? We"re not interested!" a young Merman said.
"She really does have pretty hair doesn"t she?"
If Rowena remembered correctly, based on Liam"s story, the necklace was presented as an important item, a magical artifact that changed the life of the first king of Verona.
However, based on the reactions of the Merfolks, the sh.e.l.l necklace she had was nothing more but a simple trinket. A small caricature and nothing special.
Rowena"s fist tightened around the necklace and she immediately looked over at the distance between her current position and the nearest Mermaid.
She had lost her sword when she drowned, but she wasn"t going to be stopped. The cure for Julian was going to be hers, necklace or not.
Unfortunately, one of the more elder Merfolks suddenly boomed. It was a man whose tail looked more like a shark.
"Silence, you insolent birdbrained fishes! We"re dealing with a
criminal!"
The younger Merfolks fell silent and immediately grumbled, they looked over at Rowena and then turned away.
"It"s no fun here. I thought an intruder coming around would have been more interesting."
"Let"s go guys."
Without another moment of hesitation, one of the Mermen spun their finger over the waters and the blue water changed and turned into a visible portal.
Bright sunlight seeped in and even depicted an island, and then all of them dove into the portal and then disappeared.
For Merfolks where magic was readily available to them, the item that Rowena procured was nothing. However, she couldn"t give up. She had to find something that she could use to bargain with the mermaids.
"I"ve still come here to bargain—did they say that they wanted my hair? You can take it! My voice? I don"t care. My friend has been poisoned and I need a cure," she spoke curtly. Her voice was laced with desperation.
The old Merman laughed and shook his head.
"Even if we shave all the hair off your head or take your voice for ourselves—the damage you"ve done is already worth more than that. Do you have anything else?"
Rowena bit her lip but then nodded.
"I am not sure how a royal from a human world is on par with your realm, but I can pay more if you let me return. I am a princess and... my father can greatly reward you."
"Father?" the old Merman eyed her skeptically. "Who"s your father and what resources does your kingdom have if you speak the truth?"
She didn"t want to say his name, she didn"t want to even think about that man. However, with Julian"s life at stake, she realized she should make an exception.
Rowena would risk anything.
"My father is King Draco Roseland from the kingdom of Ashland—"
The old Merman"s lips curled into a cruel smile.
"A child of that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, huh? His Majesty will be pleased!"
Before Rowena could say anything, she was suddenly dragged back into the waters and further into the Mermaid realm.
***
The underwater palace of the king of the Merfolks was something that might have left someone in awe. Tall spires made from a type of st.u.r.dy coral created the grand appearance of someone who was in control of the seas and their people.
However, for Rowena who was brought into the throne room while kicking and screaming, she couldn"t care less.
Unfortunately for her, she was completely outcla.s.sed underneath in the water and only the strange magic that coursed around her served as protection.
She had no idea that mentioning her father would bring such consequences, even with the man far away—he was always good at putting trouble in her way.
What exactly did King Dr
aco do to the king of the Mermaids realm?
Rowena was going to find out, but that didn"t stop her struggle.
King Urther of the Merfolks sat atop his throne and looked at a half-elf who was brought into his place with nothing more but a confused look.
He recognized the magic as something among the elves, a powerful one that stemmed from anyone among their kind on the verge of death who wished to cast one final grand magic.
It was something cast often by elderly elves or someone who wished to protect their loved ones. However, that wasn"t what drew him in.
The method of spell casting was familiar.