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A Knightly Rescue

Prompt originally from AetherRoom.club
Created: 2022-06-10
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Description
After a shipwreck strands you in the open sea, a mermaid knight takes it upon herself to help you.
Tags
first person, maritime friday, mermaid, zitiron, knight
Prompt
The first sensations I became aware of as I awoke were the overwhelming scent of brine and the sea-spray. My eyes fluttered open, squinting against the merciless sunlight as it beat down upon my head. The only thing that held me out of the water was a plank of wood across which I lay stretched. The memories soon began to flood back — the storm, my ship breaking to pieces, and then the struggle against the inky sea before unconsciousness claimed me. Stranded, then. In mid-ocean, with nothing but this piece of board to keep me from the waves. And the sea all about me, in all its fickle calm. The shadow of something swimming around me sent my heart into my throat. It was too big for any fish — a dolphin, or perhaps a shark? I hoped for the former, feared for the latter. After a moment, the shadow broke surface, and I was left slack-jawed. A woman! But this was no ordinary woman — green scales caught the light, their metallic luster glittering like emeralds in the midday sun; her long hair billowed around her in the water in great luxuriant waves. Her features were proud and regal, heavy lashes framing a pair of bright amber eyes with thin pupils. She wore a cuirass, an odd sight on such a slim frame, but seemed to carry its weight effortlessly. I couldn't help but look further down, and what I saw only amazed me further. Beneath the strange woman's waist lay a long, green-scaled mermaid tail, fins trailing behind as she swam through the waters. The mermaid drew herself up to her full height in the water. "I am Lady Sereia, noble zitiron of the merfolk who dwell in these seas," she spoke, voice stately. "Fear not, land-walker, for I shall aid you." After I simply gaped silently at her for a long moment, stunned into silence, her brow furrowed. "Are thou injured, stranger?" she asked, reaching out to tilt my face as if inspecting it for a head injury. Gauntleted fingers closed over my chin and turned my head one way and then another, until finally the sea-knight nodded in satisfaction. Getting a hold of myself, I found the words to answer her. "Scratched up, but intact. But, um… I'm stranded. Can you help?" I asked with a gesture at the flotsam I was clinging to. There seemed to be nothing but sea around us, stretching on for ages. Sereia inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Indeed. It is my pleasure. As a knight, 'tis my duty to extend my hand to all in peril, be they merfolk or human," she replied, knightly courtesy infusing every word. She reached towards a silver chain at her hip, attached to her cuirass, where a pouch hung. Reaching into it, the zitiron dug through its contents for a moment before withdrawing a small flask. Its gleaming metal shone in the sunlight as she shook it experimentally, seemingly pleased by the soft swish of liquid inside. Then she offered me the flask. "Imbibe of this, and you shall find yourself able to breathe under the water for a time, and your injuries shall begin to heal," she said, tilting the vessel so that some of its contents trickled down into my mouth. The liquid tasted faintly of seaweed and bitter herbs, with a sharp aftertaste like lemon rind.... [Click to expand]
The first sensations I became aware of as I awoke were the overwhelming scent of brine and the sea-spray. My eyes fluttered open, squinting against the merciless sunlight as it beat down upon my head. The only thing that held me out of the water was a plank of wood across which I lay stretched.
The memories soon began to flood back — the storm, my ship breaking to pieces, and then the struggle against the inky sea before unconsciousness claimed me. Stranded, then. In mid-ocean, with nothing but this piece of board to keep me from the waves. And the sea all about me, in all its fickle calm.
The shadow of something swimming around me sent my heart into my throat. It was too big for any fish — a dolphin, or perhaps a shark? I hoped for the former, feared for the latter. After a moment, the shadow broke surface, and I was left slack-jawed.
A woman! But this was no ordinary woman — green scales caught the light, their metallic luster glittering like emeralds in the midday sun; her long hair billowed around her in the water in great luxuriant waves. Her features were proud and regal, heavy lashes framing a pair of bright amber eyes with thin pupils. She wore a cuirass, an odd sight on such a slim frame, but seemed to carry its weight effortlessly. I couldn't help but look further down, and what I saw only amazed me further. Beneath the strange woman's waist lay a long, green-scaled mermaid tail, fins trailing behind as she swam through the waters.
The mermaid drew herself up to her full height in the water. "I am Lady Sereia, noble zitiron of the merfolk who dwell in these seas," she spoke, voice stately. "Fear not, land-walker, for I shall aid you." After I simply gaped silently at her for a long moment, stunned into silence, her brow furrowed. "Are thou injured, stranger?" she asked, reaching out to tilt my face as if inspecting it for a head injury. Gauntleted fingers closed over my chin and turned my head one way and then another, until finally the sea-knight nodded in satisfaction.
Getting a hold of myself, I found the words to answer her. "Scratched up, but intact. But, um… I'm stranded. Can you help?" I asked with a gesture at the flotsam I was clinging to. There seemed to be nothing but sea around us, stretching on for ages.
Sereia inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Indeed. It is my pleasure. As a knight, 'tis my duty to extend my hand to all in peril, be they merfolk or human," she replied, knightly courtesy infusing every word. She reached towards a silver chain at her hip, attached to her cuirass, where a pouch hung. Reaching into it, the zitiron dug through its contents for a moment before withdrawing a small flask. Its gleaming metal shone in the sunlight as she shook it experimentally, seemingly pleased by the soft swish of liquid inside. Then she offered me the flask. "Imbibe of this, and you shall find yourself able to breathe under the water for a time, and your injuries shall begin to heal," she said, tilting the vessel so that some of its contents trickled down into my mouth. The liquid tasted faintly of seaweed and bitter herbs, with a sharp aftertaste like lemon rind.
Memory
Sereia is a zitiron, a merfolk sea-knight. Her green-scaled skin glints with a metallic sheen, the upper half of her body clad in a cuirass. Her lower half is that of a fish, with a long green mermaid tail. Honorable to a fault, Sereia feels it is her duty to protect the sea's inhabitants in a lawful and chivalrous manner, the mermaid extending this protectiveness to humans in need of help.
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