6Death, Mercy and the Sea
Elsren was having trouble remembering the last few minutes. There had been lightning, and thunder. The sea had been coal-black. He had screamed for his mother.
And then he had been pitched into the hard, sharp, bitingly cold blackness beneath him. Elsren could vaguely remember desperately trying to get out of the water, scrambling his arms and legs, then letting out a silent wail as the air fell from his veins and then…
Then…
The water turned crystal clear, a bright, shimmering shade of blue. Elsren had stared at it, not noticing that he could now breathe. Slowly he floated to the surface, eyes wide.
And then…
He looked at his feet. He was standing on the sea.
"Oh," he said, quietly surprised. He lifted his eyes. It was a cool, beautiful summers day in the capital, and all Elsren could think of was…
"Where's mama?" he asked, feeling panic rising in him, "Where's mama? Mama? Mama!" he ran across the waves, crying out for her. He was beginning to weep as he ran across the water, getting knocked head over heels by a wave to fall back into the water, and let out another scream, before scrambling back up to the surface.
"Your mother isn't here, Elsren," said a bright, clear voice. Elsren turned around, eyes wide as plates.
The lady who stood on the water was made of blue sea, wearing only a shift made of the dark places at the bottom of her realm. Her hair was the white of surf, and her eyes were storms.
"Um. Where is she?" he asked, feeling small and tiny.
"You won't be seeing her for quite some time, Elsren, I'm sorry," those storm eyes were ragingly kind.
"But…but…" Elsren looked up at her.
"Wave-Walker," said a voice, even kinder than hers. A black cloak appeared, outlining the features of a man of indeterminably height, shape or age. Only a face could be seen, and were you asked to describe it, all you could say was, 'it was kind'.
"My lord," said Wave-Walker, doing a brief curtsey.
"Since when was that necessary, Wave-Walker?" asked the Black God of death.
"I am goddess of mercy; you are a god of death. It makes sense for me to treat you as my lord,"
"Since when did I ever lord over you?" he asked, touching her chin. She smiled wryly.
"You can't blame me for trying," she said softly.
"Where's mama?" asked Elsren.
"Elsren," said the Black God, turning to face him. Elsren shrunk away from that power, from compassion no mortal could ever hope to possess.
"Yes?" he said, voice trembling.
The Wave-Walker held out a hand.
"Don't worry Elsren. Nothing bad is going to happen,"
Elsren tentatively took the hand. The two gods smiled at him.
"Come with me, Elsren," said the Black God, placing a hand on his head. A wind that did not appear on the mortal plane swept the Black God's cloak around, concealing the two, and then it vanished, the spirit and god along with it, "Let us greet your father, shall we?"
Wave-Walker paused a moment, turning to face the capital.
"There is not much for me to do there," she murmured, "What use is mercy when what has happened is no less than execution?"
She shook her head.
"The sea is ever merciful," she said, "I leave little in my tracks,"
A wave crashed over her, and the Wave-Walker vanished to her watery domain, to think once more on her nature and place in the hierarchy of the gods.