Just one favor, part 2

Just one favor (Part 2)

"Rick, don't stray too far…" says his dad as he finished arming the tent.

Rick blinked a couple of times "what just happened?" he thought. Last thing he remembered was that he was deeper in the forest by the big lake and… strange flashes passed through his eyes, a flying creature soaring through the woods, a pair of arms dragging him, mermaids, the last one was of him taking a look at… herself.

"Are you ok, son?" Rick felt his father's warm hand on his shoulder, realizing he was panting and sweating, but what was that…

"Nothing… just a bad… dream" he says looking around worried as he felt his father's grasp vanish. He was entirely alone now, the camp suddenly became deserted and only the whistle of the wind was heard.  "Dad?... where are you…?" Rick asked as he saw the trees wither and lose their foliage.

"What's going on?!" he yelled as the landscape changed, now a dead forest, cold winds started blowing and frost covered the tree branches. Rick stumbled a bit as he saw that water was pouring out from the ground now reaching his ankles.

Rick gasped as the water level rose and the ground beneath him become less dense, turning softer, becoming like quicksand, and eventually disappearing, leaving just water. Before he could swim to climb a sinking tree or a dwindling hill several arms reached his legs, arms and waist and started dragging him down. Rick struggled, screamed and resisted but it was useless, he got pulled underwater as a voice whispered "you're now too far in to go back". His eyes went wide as he felt himself drowning, reached for the pale sun before everything went black.

---

Back to the reality….

"Ughnn" a barely conscious mermaid Rick groaned a bit as she felt herself getting dragged.  Her shirt's fabric, the grass and the dirt now rubbing against her softer body making it a bit of an unpleasant feeling… especially in the chest area. Two pair of hands took hold of her tail and started dragging her back to the lake. The hands belonged to a couple of mermaids… Rick's captors. The two had their upper midsections on the shore carefully dragging her in tug by tug.

"we ask for some drops and we get a flood," mutters Marina tugging a bit of the tail.

"Don't complain, at least it'll make it easier for us…" says Silvia, her voice unable to hide worry as she now slipped into the water.


"Let's make it quick, we teach him to sing and set the enchantments we need before Elliot arrives…" Mutters Marina as there is a stirring from the new mermaid.

"Be careful, he is Master Elliot to us, and he is no longer a she…" says Silvia and stops as Rick gasps.

She woke up panting and gasping for air as she thought she was drowning in that nightmare. Looking at herself confirmed her fear. She was a girl… an exotic looking one with pale teal hair and a fish tail that squirmed and twitched the moment she returned to reality. Brushing the few strands of hair off her face she sat up looking at her tail and the mermaid's hands.

"What!? Leave me alone!" yelled Rick as she squirms a bit trying to get her tail out of their grasps. Standing her ground she dug her fingers into the soil and tried to pull her tail away. Despite being weaker, she managed to stop them. The two mermaids exchanged glances and with a strong tug they made Rick's hands slip and drag her to the shore. "No! stop it!" she says trying to back a bit, but before she could turn around to make her way out, her hands came out of the water and reached hers pulling her in, she tried to resist but it was useless, much like in her dream, she screamed and disappeared under the surface.

Underwater Rick still tried to reach the surface, holding her breath. Now freedom seemed miles away as the mermaids knew how to move underwater, more used to their tails and the ambience, pulling her even further to the bottom. Her captors could see her struggling to not breathe water as he hand covered her mouth and the gills by her sides didn't make the usual motion. The black haired one spoke, her voice heard clearly underwater "breathe!"

Rick didn't listen and just kept trying to get away from them, stretching her hand while her tail lashed to get free. Human reason and common sense told her breathing water would lead to death by drowning. The same mermaid was aware of this and let out a sigh. While the other one held Rick, she swam a bit up and ran her fingers up her tail. The former boy could clearly feel the touch on her alien appendage causing her to fight some more. The black haired one grinned as she slid her finger between some scales. Shivers run through Rick's body and a surprising yet alien pleasurable experience caused her to gasp, taking in a mouthful of water. The water traveled in her body and felt her gills move. She started breathing faster as the drowning fear disappeared. Still wanting to escape she swam down changing tactics, managing to break free and heading to the bottom.

As Rick descended she managed to catch a glimpse of the floor of the lake in hopes of finding some sort of object that she could use to fend off her captors. What was there was an assortment of items one would expect to find in a sunken ship: some scrolls, various measuring items such as a telescope, a pair of closets and several pillows thrown over one area. For a second she considered going there and pick up the telescope to defend herself. That was until the scarlet haired mermaid swam between her and the bottom. "I know it's a bit unexpected but we need your help." She said clearly.

The new mermaid didn't listen and headed for the river exit.  Rick, for a second, thought she would manage to escape and find her dad, but the moment after thinking that the other mermaid swam past her blocking her way "If you could just listen…" Rick didn't give her time to explain as she swam the other way heading to a cave which she hoped to be a tunnel.

This time, no one stood in her way as she was about to cross it, but instead she banged her head against the water and lost focus for a second. "What the…?" Rick tried to say but it came out as bubbles and a voice muffled by the water. Stretching her hand she felt something… as a crystal preventing her from going through the tunnel. She tried to pound it as this was her last chance to get out. But it was of no use. Upon the third pound the wall gave Rick a shock, sending her backwards. She tried to 'stand' up again and try to tackle the barrier again but was stopped as the black haired mermaid took her wrist.

"Please, cooperate…" said the mermaid. By this moment Rick was overly stressed and really mad the first reaction was to try and throw a punch, something her father taught her not to do. However punching underwater was hard task as the water slowed the movement.  And the captor managed to catch her jab with ease, the red haired mermaid approached the two.

"Please we need your help…" she said in a regretful tone, gently holding Rick's hand, who had been struggling to break free. She tried to talk again but only bubbles came out followed by an incomprehensible echo. "I think we should take her to the surface so we can converse." heard one of the mermaids comment to the other.

The other mermaid nodded and pulled Rick up until she could feel air enter her system, being her first time she gasped as if she held her breath for minutes. Looking around she saw that they were now in the lake, by the waterfall just near some smooth rocks. She wanted to head to the shore and run… or at least crawl. It was already night time and her father must be worried by now. However as she tried to run a tug on her wrist reminded her of her situation. After coughing some water Rick saw her captors. "Let go of me!" she yelled getting her arm back.

"Listen to us, we need your help, please if we could just burrow your services?" said the black haired one trying to approach her.

"Listen to you?! You kidnapped me! Turned me into freak and a girl! Why the heck would you ask for help after having stripped my life away from me!?"  yelled Rick cornering closer to the rock, trying to climb it while not taking her eyes off the mermaids.

"We- We just need you to cooperate" stuttered the black haired mermaid as she tried to explain. Rick was about to tell them to buzz off when she heard "It is not permanent…"

"What?" says Rick, as she believed she still had hope. The new hope was enough to have him listen carefully and stop resisting "Tell me how to change back…"

The scarlet haired mermaid sighed and swam closer "Where to begin… As you might have guessed, we are mermaids. We belong to a world of mysticism and magic. What we did to you was turn you into a legitimate mermaid by using a spell called the 'blessing of the sea spirit'… It makes turns you into one of us, but the spell is still removable…"

"Then can you take it away?" interrupted Rick about to ask to have it removed or how to do so.

"We can… but there is a time limit. If you stay that way for too long, past 48 hours to be precise, your form will become the default one and it'll be hard to turn you back." Rick's face grew pale as she feared the time will run out. "That's why we need your help… if you cooperate we'll change you back into a human."

Rick looked at them. She was in no position to negotiate. Refusing would mean giving up on going back to normal. Sighing she said "I'm listening… what do you need me to do?"

"We need you to sing with us…"

---

One hour has passed since the transformation…

"Me? To sing?" said Rick in disbelief. That was a bit unexpected and something weird to be asked to do considering the situation. She didn't even make it to the school's choir why would they want her to sing.

"Well to explain what Silvia said." Said the black haired one swimming closer to Rick "Our job here, is to guard the forest area by the rivers and lakes as well as provide atmosphere for our boss's guests when the meeting takes place in that clearing" says gesturing towards the wide area away of the forest, it was ideal as the trees around provided a nice shading effect and the grass seemed a bit of a brighter color in contrast with the rest. "And we help by chanting spells, placing the effects we are required to upon the area… We usually require 3 mermaids to perform, but there have been some … downsizing in the grounds and we now need another mermaid… just for this occasion." adds since Rick might have thought this was to be a bit of a permanent gig.

Rick was having a bit of a hard time believing, she was basically going to be a hostess for some guy? "But I don't get it, why don't you just ask for another mermaid…"

"Because our boss is not exactly an honest person… we have our reasons to stay and it is less likely someone will join us willingly" Commented Silvia.

"That's right and since the boss isn't flexible about delaying meeting and presentation we couldn't convince him…" said the other a bit worried and Rick was beginning to understand "Since we don't get many hikers around…"

"You thought of recruiting me for a 48 hour job?" finished Rick.

"Please, it'll be just one time… we'll be in debt with you and give you any of our treasures…" Said Silvia coming closer, causing Rick to feel uncomfortable as her breasts were rosing her hand she grabbed her arm looking at him with begging eyes. "Please it'll be short, we'll just teach you and help us cast the spell. Just need you to maintain a note while Marina and I do the rest, and you don't have to do anything risky or big…"

The other mermaid, Marina approached. "Please, you help us and we'll change your back and you'll be free to go…"

Rick hesitated a lot, she wasn't sure whether to trust them… but it was her only shot to turn back if they were telling the truth. If they lied they probably would be asking for her help unless it was a trap. But their eyes had a bit of a sincere look. Saying no wouldn't change her back. If she wanted to go back to her own life she would have to do what they told her…

"Ok… I'll do this little favor as long as you keep your word."

Silvia and Marina nodded.