The day of our departure started when the brilliant sun ascended above the dark horizon. Before I left my chamber, Amarisa had come to me. She held me as if to soak me into her skin. She wished me the best of luck and my safe return, but the lovely princess seemed unsettling. Her eyes were dimmed with worries as she looked at me.

When my avatar friends arrived, I got into their chariot and rode away. Kesar had also prepared various necessities for my voyage in case I needed them.

We had reached the city harbor at dawn. The Guru announced some rules of the game, but the quest was simple. We must get a scale from the Rainbow Fish without harming it then bring it back to the city.

Then we boarded the boats and rowed through the hand of the river which stretched towards the north.

As we went farther from the city, I spotted Kesar with her golden wings extended, flying along the river to see me off. I waved at her in reassurance and to stop her from following. She watched warily from a distance as our boat plowed away, taking me to the sea.

Beside us were forty-nine other boats from the Navy of the King. They accompanied us until noon, and soon we smelled the first whiff of salty breeze from the ocean. The commoners and soldiers awaited us by the trading port on the beautiful white beach. They cheered for their avatars. The others threw us flowers as a sign of good fortune. The drums began to beat, signaling our cue to leave.

We walked up the ramp to our ship and leaned over the railing. Our ship was a real Angkorian warship. It was decorated with scale-like carvings on both sides. The wood art had the finest patterns with gilded gold. I could see a magnificent Naga head sculpted at the prow-piece. Its fierce seven heads and gem-like eyes looked out to the open sea.

The entire ship was sleek and slim like the point of a knife, meaning to cut through the waves. The soldiers began to heave up the anchor and loosened the canvas. The rest took their seats at the oars, which fringed the boat like eyelashes.

Issarak and his avatars also boarded their warship. It was black and oily with bronze encased, slightly bigger than ours. The masts were as tall as the trees they had been, pointing to the sky. There were iron nets and chains instead of normal ropes. The avatars of his team stood at attention as their captain, who was Issarak himself, gave them orders. I watched his purple cloak stirring in the breeze. Issarak was a true leader, I must admit, and that made me wonder why the gods did not choose him instead of me.

Samudra did not join our crew, but surprisingly, Morokot took his place. She was now complaining about seasickness soon after she stepped onto the deck.

There was no cloud in the sky, a perfect day to set sail, yet the wind was not generous. But without further delay, we hauled our ship off the shoreline. I stood on the front deck when Issarak and his clan grinned at us like some lunatic pirates. Then his sails caught the wind and picked up speed without an effort.

Then we saw the wind god's daughter, standing at the prow with her hair flirting in the air. She watched the tides fall away from the hull with her hands behind her back. Issarak's laughter irritated us. Their ship began sailing ahead in ease.

"That's not fair!" Morokot cried out in frustration as we watched them moving steadfast into the sun.

We went back to carry on the work that must be done. Vorac's eyes were studying the map while Atith glanced up at the sky. Tusita took the liberty of steering the wheel.

Once our ship was in the motion by her sails, I told them to follow the eye of the wind although I didn't know why. We cruised through the gentle waves for what seemed like forever.

Yet nothing looked promising to our sight. Morokot was feeling nauseous and decided to take a nap in a hammock inside a wooden cabin. Tepi and I helped our crew minding the supplies and directed our soldiers on the deck.

"Now where are we sailing to, my captain?" Tepi said to me when we stood at the railing of the prow while the evening drew closer. I blushed at the title. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Well, strange fish live in strange water," I said, eyeing the waves that splashed against our hull. "We must find places that are forbidden in the sea."

"Do you know of any, Tepi?" Vorac said.

"I'm competent on land but no more," Tepi told us honestly. "This quest now depends on you, if we must bring the prize back to shore, Nikita."

"Samudra would know plenty of such places if only he was here!" Atith hissed in disappointment.

"We don't need him!" Tusita shouted from the behind the wheel. "The sea god's son is a fool!"

"Shhh...Tusita!" Vorac said and went over to smooch the frowning girl on the lips. "Your godhead will wither if you don't watch your glib tongue. His father is a sea god. Samudra has his difficulties, and you must forgive him."

"How about the pearl that would guide us?" Morokot poked her head out of the tiny window.

"The knowledge from the pearl is still faint and hard to place for me," I said.

"What use is the gift if not for a time like this?" she said.

Everyone turned back to me again, but for now, I had no answer. Tepi finished consulting with her map and came to the prow.

"When the moon is full and the tides rise high, sea creatures would come out at night," she said. "We can't be adrift far too long for the ocean is known for its many dangers."

We all knew she was right.

At first nightfall, our ship was hit by nasty storms. Even Tusita was powerless to calm them.

At one point, we were almost hurled off board when the ship stood right on end and the water splashed around the deck, washing away some of the oars. The crew ran in every which way to control the ship.

Tusita cursed a few times, which brought down lightning strokes from the sky. Vorac did her best to shut her partner's mouth before disaster took place. Morokot was no help of any sort.

"The ship is sinking!" she cried when a massive wave tossed the ship to one side, nearly overturning us.

"She's not sinking!" Tepi snapped back. "Go to the cabin, Morokot, if you're so faint-hearted here."

Morokot wanted to yell something back but a splash of wave slapped her in the face. I would have laughed if my teeth didn't chatter too much.

We had to steer the ship off her course and found a small island to anchor. Everyone agreed that we must wait until the storms ceased.

The next day, it was windless. We couldn't set sail for the soldiers were too exhausted to row long hours. The sun was blistering hot and the air was heavy to breathe. It was so quiet and strangely so. I heard no flapping of the canvas, no splashing of fish jumping off the water.

I awoke that airless night gasping. My clothes were damp with sweat. The moon shone its silvery light through the sails when I stepped out to the railing for a breeze. Suddenly, I heard a sharp knock on the side of the ship.

Leaning myself over the railing, I tried to inspect where the sound came from. Then I saw the tip of a golden tail flicking in the dark water. I gasped. Sovannmacha was swimming by the ship under the moonlit sky.

"Sovannmacha?" I whispered.

The mermaid emerged and looked at me. She smiled. I went over to the ramp and lay down to talk to her.

"What wave brought you over the broad swelling sea?" she asked.

"I'm on a quest to find the Rainbow Fish as I told you," I said.

"This part of the sea is too dangerous for you," she said. "And now you're closer to even more dangerous place."

"So we're almost there?" I asked, realizing we were indeed on the right course.

"In the surge across the ocean there lies a certain island which no mortal ships dare to pass."

"Is it where the holy fish hides?" I said.

"Indeed," she said. "In two-day time, that's where you shall arrive."

"We only need a scale from the holy fish," I told her.

"Then you must get through its fierce guardian first."

"Yes, I know of the ancient monster of the sea," I said. "But I think my avatar friends can manage it."

"I came to warn you of the holy fish's trick," she said. "Once you see it, you must hold it tightly. The scales will turn to freezing ice and flaming fire but do hold still and unflinching then you shall succeed."

"Thank you for your advice, my lady," I said.

The mermaid queen swam to me. Her eyes never left mine. A strong compulsion surged through me when she reached her hand over and touched my face.

"I have missed you terribly," she said. "Did you miss me too?"

I couldn't find a word to say, but she understood and looked away.

"After the quest, you won't be seeing me again," she murmured in a sad voice. "You have your life on the shore and someone else's heart to tend."

Her face looked grimmer.

"My lady, please, don't think I have forgotten about you!" I said, and with a desperate need to console her, I got off the ramp and into the outstretched sea with the maiden. Water rushed up to my neck, cold like melting ice. The taste of the sea was salty on my lips.

"I remember everything," I said and swam over to the sea queen. "Please, tell me what I could do to ease your sorrow."

Sovannmacha thrust her golden tail forward and closed the distance between us.

"Oh, sweet girl," she sighed. "How can I even name to you, much less describe all those feelings inside me, so sudden and new since the day you have found me?"

With that said I reached out and encompassed her body in my arms. Her skin was smooth and sleek like that of a seal's. I planted my kiss on her soft cold cheek, and she turned and joined our lips. Her tongue was sleeker against mine.

When we pulled away, she gave me a look of yearning that burned passion in my veins.

"I need to show you one place, come with me," she said then she took my hand before I could say a word.

"My lady, wait!" I cried, but we dived beneath the water, and I was already towed away by the golden-tail mermaid. The water was dark and cold.

Her golden tail glowed undersea while she flipped it swiftly. I kicked my feet in the water, but then my lungs threatened to explode. I needed to breathe; Sovannmacha spun around and gave one stroke of her tail to come back to me.

"Calm down, it's alright!" she said. Though we were underwater I could hear her words.

"You can talk underwater!" I gasped.

"So can you!" she giggled, sending bubbles to the surface. I later found my body surrounded by an aqua-blue light. I felt like a feather in the wind. My mind no longer struggled in a frenzied panic. Even when I lost my breath, the air seemed to fill my lungs again like I had grown gills.

"The Pearl," I breathed in astonishment. Sovannmacha nodded with a smile. Then she came to kiss me again, gently and softly.

That night the mermaid queen and I swam around to the other side of the small island. We dived under the water and resurfaced inside a cave which had white fine sand and marshy weed as its bed. Two springs quite near each other jutted out translucent water, each with its own garden plot. The soft lawn was starred with flower blooms.

"It's beautiful here," I said.

"You would see many more beautiful places that belong to the sea if you come with me," Sovannmacha said.

We lay half out of the water, our hands against each other's slippery skin.

"I wish I could, my lady," I said in a saddened voice. "I wish I could leave everything at the shore, the responsibilities, the war and the heartache, and follow you."

"Then why don't you?"

"I can't." I shook my head. "I'm bound to my destiny now."

Sovannmacha looked at me in sympathy. Then she bent over and pressed her lips to my forehead.

"I understand," she said softly. "It's the will of the gods, and I can't protest it."

I went to embrace her naked body. Her sparkling tail wedged between my legs as we rolled over the seaweed. The coldness of her skin stirred the burning passion from my core.

"Make love to me," she whispered in my ear. "Make love to me, so I will remember only the best of you."

The waves trembled under the moonlight. Seawater flowed into the cave softly. The mermaid queen fumbled with my strange clothes, trying to rid the soaked fabric off my skin. I let her bury her face in my bare breasts, making me gasp in pure ecstasy.

We kissed with hungry probing tongues. Our hands felt and squeezed one another. It was the last time we would do this. The thought of our first encounter wrung my heart with guilt, which made me willing to serve my mermaid queen to her heart's desire.

I traced my fingers over every inch of her smooth pale skin and down to her golden tail. My warm mouth sucked on her supple bosom. She tasted both salty and sweet and something else pleasant and unknown to the human realm.

My arms held her tightly to me like I had previously done, only now, I felt no resistance. The scales opened up for me, and when I slithered into the void within, the sea queen shivered in pleasure. The softness of her silken cavern pulled me in and drowned me in the whirlpool of lust.

I kissed the curve of her neck, echoing her soft moans and every quickened breath. Her nails dug into the sand with the intensity of our mating.

The maiden of the sea shuddered in my arms. Her tail arched from a blissful sensation that raged through her body. The abyss within filled up with sweet nectar as she released a long sigh into my mouth.

Our mating went on into the deep dark night. Then we lay there holding each other, listening to the waves passing by.