Chapter Text
Atem lay like fallen leaf atop the water, letting the tide roll him in a languid arch as the heat of the sun gently caressed his skin. The sun hung high in the center of the sky, blessing the world beneath her with wonderful warmth and light that made the water shimmer like glass, not a single cloud daring to interrupt her performance.
Heaven.
It was during these delicious moments of solitude that Atem found himself wishing the hardest. He wished for the waves to carry him like seaweed trapped in a riptide, tossing him with enough force to throw him like a rag doll. It didn’t matter where he landed. He just wanted to be anywhere, anywhere but here.
He’d give up his momentary Heaven for that.
The unmistakable spit and sputter of a boat’s engine startled Atem out of his stupor, and he instinctively dove back into the ocean in a graceful backwards arch. From this high up he could still see the sun waving at him from above, her image distorted in the wobbling surface of the water. Without thinking about where he was going, he compressed himself into a ball and sprung forward, his fins propelling him towards a familiar sight. He couldn’t help but let the excitement takeover, a wide grin spreading across his face.
The small smattering of rocks made for the perfect hiding spot. It offered enough coverage where he was sure to remain unseen from the beach and passing bouts, but not so much that he’d miss all the action. On quieter days he’d been known to chance getting closer to the shore- less people and all that. But it was the middle of summer and the beach was flooded with colorful towels, umbrellas, and people, and the sea freckled with boats. He resurfaced as inconspicuously as possible and pulled himself up onto the flattest of the rocks, tail still in the water in case he needed to make a quick escape.
Atem watched from his hiding place as a small motorboat passed by, carrying with it the unmistakable sound of children’s laughter and friendly conversation. From his vantage point he could see a joyful scene: a cozy family of four enjoying their afternoon on the sea, the parents lovingly draped across each other at the helm while their children played with what looked like toy swords. His heart warmed. Cute.
Sighing to himself, Atem made a pillow with his forearms and laid his head upon it as he watched the scene before him become much more interesting within his head. He wanted so badly to lift himself up on to the highest point of the rocks and wave, but he begrudgingly quelled the urge. Just being up here at this time could get him into huge trouble if the wrong people found out. Still, he found himself dwelling on what the children’s faces would look like if they saw a real live merman. He smiled dumbly at the thought.
“Hey! Owwww! Mom, Jack hit me!” the smaller of the two children squealed, flailing away from her playmate and falling flat on her bottom. Big, watery tears bubbled up from the corners of her eyes as she wailed another, “Owwww!”
“Baby,” the little boy spat.
His counterpart narrowed her eyes at him, looking somehow ferocious despite her tears, “what did you call me?”
“Hey guys, let’s be careful back there-“
Just as their father had started towards them to referee their squabble, the little girl hurled herself at her brother with as much force as she could muster, sending him backwards into the guardrail with a loud thud. He wailed and threw his arms up above his head in an attempt to steady his balance, throwing his toy sword into the air. They all watched it fly into a graceful arc before hitting the water with an unceremonious splash.
Atem’s eyes widened and a devious grin overtook the soft smile. Jackpot.
Being much less careful than he should have been, Atem jumped from his hiding place and made a beeline for the toy, diving into the sea in a flurry of fins and water spray that was far from inconspicuous. He was thankful that the sword- well, at least that’s what it looked like to him -gave off a soft red glow from its blade, making it easier to spot as it sunk towards the deeper. He reached his arms out in front of his him and pushed, the muscles in his tail flexing and propelling him forward with a whoosh and torrent of bubbles. He grabbed the toy sword by the hilt and came to a stop, the momentum pushing him backwards as the dark colors of his fins fanned in front of him like a plume of seaweed.
He could feel his heart racing as he examined the sword. He waved it around a few times, marveling at the way the red light seemed to trail itself like a ghost from the underwater drag. If he listened carefully enough, he swore he could hear it making strange, metallic noises as he swung it around. It was a peculiar toy indeed.
He knew from past experience that the lights and sounds wouldn’t last long underwater, but nonetheless it’d make an excellent addition to his collection. It’s luminescent blade almost reminded him of the ruby-encrusted scimitars the princess of Ishtar’s guards wielded.
Atem’s stomach sank like an anchor into the sea. The princess of Ishtar.
Poseidon damn it all. He’d been so wrapped up in people watching that he’d almost forgotten, and now he was late. Mahaad wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.
Atem started towards the palace with a sigh. It was going to be a long day.