Surface Troubles(open)

[Semislay]

"Youne!" The elder merefolc called out for her younger companion. The little merefolc had rushed ahead while they were traveling to the surface to begin their travels. She had tried to get him to wait but it was never any good. When Youne had his mind set when it came to the surface world, it was hard to dissuade him. Still, she was practically the same way just a little bit more cautious. She knew more of the dangers of traveling, having explored a lot of the oceans when she came of age. Even the oceans had their dangers, particularly in the form of giant aquatic beasts like the Leviathans.

They had surfaced on the beach and after getting dressed to fit in more with any local populations, Youne ran off. Amphi had to fill up their canteens incase either of them needed a drink during their travels. Even a simple canteen's fill of water in their system gave them a little extra time before having to submerge themselves in a source of water. After she had dealt with that and putting the canteens into the bag, Amphi tracked the younger merefolc away from the beach. His footprints lead away from a beach and into a nearby jungle.

She didn't know what inhabited this forest but Amphi had a strange feeling in her gut. Youne... She wondered where the little guy had gotten off to, hoping that he was okay. Branches cracked under her sandaled feet and she slid the dagger from its sheath on her hip, just in case. She carefully called out for Youne, knowing full well the mute merefolc wouldn't be able to respond. Still, if he heard her voice maybe he would come running back to her. Before too much longer, Amphi came across a clearing, calling out again. "Youne!"

[GreekTheFox]

He was only curious of this strange island. Youne was so familiar with his old home, that little island isolated from the rest of the world, that the rest of the world simply fascinated him. Amphi told him to stay by the beach but he saw a crab he'd never seen before and followed it further into the island. Shore was still within his sight, so it wasn't bad that he stayed a little off. So long as the shore was always in sight he'd be fine. So the little merefolc boy chased the crab, then a large, colorful butterfly, and before he knew it the shoreline was gone.

Youne didn't panic, not right away. He's been on his own before, and lost before, he just had to retrace his steps. In the soft soil he found his foot prints and followed them back. Er, he was sure he was following back. Somehow he went in a circle and he knew it because he recognized the twisted tree with all the mushrooms growing in the deep ridges of the bark. His foot-prints were useless, he'd just end up going in more circles.

Then, strangely, the butterfly he had followed before was back, and landed on his arm. Then another one came. That one landed on his shoulder. Seeing their vibrant colors and soft, leathery wings made him feel a little at ease. The butterflies kept coming, swarming the air around him, and he could even hear the flaps of their wings. It was so. . .beautiful, he hardly noticed the pin-prick of pain on his arm. But he did and he saw a drop of blood, and the butterflies honed in on that spot. Youne felt other pin-pricks, and more! Like, leeches the butterflies were biting him!

The young boy let out a silent scream and ran, flailing his arms to get them off of him. He ran, and ran, unsure where he was going but he had to go somewhere! Youne ran out into a clearing, the swarm close behind. The tall grass scrapped against his legs and he tripped on a fallen branch. Those monster butterflies moved in, their wing-beats like frantic heart-beats.

[Semislay]

Amphi didn't have to wait on Youne for long. Amphi quickly looked over when the boy came running into the clearing and saw him trip. "Youne!" She yelled, rushing over to help him, currently unaware of the swarm the boy had ran from. She kneeled down by Youne, looking him over. "I told you to wait! When I looked up, you were gone! Do you know how worried I was?" She continued to scold the boy, having been quite worried about him after he took off. But he was back now and that was the important part.

But during the middle of the gentle scolding, the swarm had came back. At first, she thought nothing of it until one that had landed on her decided to prick her. "Ouch!" And in a matter of reflex, Amphi brought her hand up and crushed the little monster. That was the wrong thing to do. The swarm buzzed angrily and began to increase the fury and rate of their pricking. She gasped in pain and used her own body to shield Youne from them. Unfornately, Amphi's only weapon was a dagger which wouldn't prove effective against these little creatures. And the only magic she knew required water sources. So that left her one thing.

"Cover your ears, Youne!" She told him, hoping he could hear her. She began to sing in that alluring voice of her, the first song that came to mind. It was difficult given the swarm attacking her but she managed to keep her focus. At the song's first verse the swarm began to slow and by the second, they were barely attacking the two. And when the final verse hit, the swarm collasped from exhaustion, giving the two some time to breathe and collect themselves. She sighed once she finished, still feeling the lingering pricks. "They are asleep for now. But it won't last for long."

[GreekTheFox]

Amphi! He could hear her! Youne tried to get up but the little pin-picks he received before stung and swelled into angry red lumps; his stomach churned and he almost threw up. The butterflies had to be poisonous. Because he was so young and small the poison worked faster and harder through his immature immune system. He could hear Amphi scolding him, but he couldn't focus on her words as the nauseating sway in his stomach took control of all thoughts and concerns. But he saw the colorful wings of the butterflies as they swarmed him and Amphi. Youne reached for her, trying to hide his face against her body. He was scared, don't let them hurt him!

She said something, something about ears, but when he heard her singing he knew what she was going to do. Youne covered his ears, his hands pressing so tight against his head that it hurt. He squished his eyes shut and kept this face hidden. Did it work? He peeked open one eye and saw that the swarm was gone, no, not gone but asleep. Youne slowly sat up and clung to Amphi, his small arms wrapped tight around her waist.

He was so sorry for wondering off, and it will never happen again. He'll never leave her side! Youne hugged her tight to show how sorry he was, and how scared he is. They needed to get out of here before those butterflies wake up. How could something so beautiful be so scary?

[Semislay]

"All right, lets get out of this forest." She spoke as she stood up, squishing a few of the monster butterflies underneath her sandaled soles. She helped Youne stand up as well and this time, she took a strong grip on one of his hands. This time, the little sneak wouldn't rush off and get himself into trouble again. "We just need to focus on getting out of this forest before we run into more trouble. I don't want to meet what else lives here." With that, she began to try and follow her own footsteps back out of the forest, dragging Youne along at her side.

At first, it worked well until something had trampled over her own tracks. Then it was a crazy, jumbled mess. Thick trees and bushes, small clearings, having to move around beasts, Amphi didn't want to admit they were lost. They were surely going in circles but Amphi didn't want to say it. She didn't want Youne possibly blaming himself for their current situation. She did her best to work with what she could.

After a while, they ended up another, small clearing, Amphi taking a seat on a stump to rest for a moment. "Let's take a breather, Youne. We need to get our bearings straight." While they did, she opened up their small traveling bag, pulling out their canteens incase Youne needed a drink. She was fine, being an adult merefolc, but Youne still had growing to do plus he had seemed exhausted after the run in with the butterflies. He might have had some poison that still needed to get out of his system.

While they rested, she took out her dagger, etching a merefolcian word into the stump to mark that they had been here. This could at least be a starting point, incase they got lost again. She put her dagger away and closed her eyes, trying to listen to the waves to see if they were close by. She thought she heard the ocean nearby but it could have easily been the jungle playing tricks on her.

[GreekTheFox]

Amphi seemed upset with him, he could tell by the tight grip she had on his hand. He really shouldn't have wondered off, then this whole thing could have been avoided. His stomach still churned, and he ended up turning and throwing up on the ground before he was dragged off. After that he felt a little better, the urge to itch the red bumps on his body was very strong. Every now and then he'd scratch at them with his free hand, all while trying to keep up with where they're going. It was soon obvious to him that they were lost again. If only he had stayed near the beach.

All the walking, itching, lingering poison in his system, and the sun bearing down on them made him dry out much more faster, and far more itchier. His scratching increased, and the angry red bumps became a furious crimson. When they stopped to rest he reached for the canteen, and in his rush to rehydrate his body ended up spilling more on the ground then he got on his body or in his mouth. Youne gave Amphi an apologetic look. The little merfolc boy even tried to use his water magic to pull the moisture off the ground but was to tired and sore to dredge up the strength for it.

Youne stayed as close to Amphi as possible. This jungle was scary and foreign and he saw danger everywhere. It was like being in the deep water of the ocean, where anything could be lingering in the dark spaces where the light couldn't reach. Anything could be behind every bush and tree, and all the noise! Birds and bugs and animals, all yowling and calling at the same time in some contest to be the loudest. The ocean could be scary, but it wasn't this loud and full of colorful but dangerous things.

He took her hand this time, and waited for her to lead the way. Amphi would get them out of this. She was so much braver than he, and wasn't scared of the deep parts of the ocean or nervous around crowds of people. He tugged on her clothes; she wasn't sick, was she? She hadn't moved for a few seconds and had her eyes closed. Youne was worried the butterfly poison was doing something bad to her too. Idly he scratched the bumps on his body, but stopped when he felt something warm and sticky, he looked down too see blood on his fingers and trailing down his arm.

Panic swept through him. The sight of his own blood scared him and he began to shake. The nausea was back, and the boy threw up once more, and again until he was kneeling on the ground and dry retching. After all that he felt so weak and miserable. He couldn't find the strength to stand up.

[Semislay]

Amphi sighed again, trying to relax for a bit. She knew she couldn't blame Youne for this. She should have been paying attention on the little merefolc. She knew he was the curious sort just like she was. But she had a more cautious curiousity where Youne did not. She would have to apologize to him once they were out of this dang jungle but for now she needed to keep Youne thinking she was furious with him.

When she felt the tugging on her clothes, she opened her eyes which soon went wide at the sight of Youne. "Youne!" She cried for a moment, feeling like a fool. She didn't even think that the little monsters that swarmed them could have been poisonous. Truthfully, she felt fine except for a little dizziness. Perhaps the poison was only effective on Youne due to his age. Plus, she had some experience with different types of poison during her years exploring the darker, deeper waters. Then again, poisons of the surface were probably quite different from poisons of aquatic creatures.

Okay, just keep calm. Amphi told herself, knowing panicing would do nothing but make things worse. She was the adult here and she needed to keep a cool head. Youne was looking up to her to make things okay. He had since she had taken him under her watch as a travel companion. So far, she must have been making a terrible caretaker with her current record.
She glanced over Youne's body, trying to see all the symptoms that he was showing. He had giant bumps from where the butterflies has stung him and he was experiencing nausea it seemed. But he was still awake at least so Amphi thought, or hoped at least, that his life wasn't in danger from it. Still, she wasn't going to take the risk. They needed to get out of this danged jungle and to a town so someone could make sure Youne was okay. The little one's health was all that mattered. Plus, she felt fine.

"It'll be okay Youne. We'll get you taken care of and get out of this jungle." Amphi spoke, doing her best to hide her own fear. She kneeled down by Youne, slipping her arms under the little merefolc child. Carefully, she stood up, picking the boy up with her. She had enough muscle to be able to pick up the boy luckily. Plus, Youne wasn't that heavy. He was growing but she could still manage. "All right. Just try to save your strength. I'll get us out of here." She spoke to him before resuming her path through the jungle. It was going to be even slower going now but they needed to get out of here and find someone else who could help them.

[GreekTheFox]

Youne tried to move closer to Apmhi as she picked him up. The sensation of being picked up, and being held was so nice. It made him think of mother, sitting in her bed, and stroking his head. Sometimes she would hum, and other times she would hold him? Though his mind felt heavy, his eyes thick with sleep and body still trembling, he searched through his memories. Did his mother ever hold him? Even once? She always seemed so weak, and him so small. Were there moments where he climbed into her lap? Even when she read to him he always sat beside her on the bed. And that's when everything became clear. His mother never held him, never pulled him into her lap to read a story.

The young boy started to cry in his strange, noiseless way. The realization and the soreness of is body, the stress of the day, it all came out in one emotional wave. Youne clung tightly to Amphi, so glad to be held, and to be taken care of. He's been the mature one for so long, the one that was responsible, and that burden had been lifted from him. Now he can be a kid, and Amphi his mother. Youne loved his mom, but he loved Amphi too. Was it impossible to have two mothers? Even if one didn't give birth to him? He didn't care, not right now. All the boy wanted was for him and Amphi to be healthy and out of the forest.

There had to be a way out. Some road or path. But the trees were to thick and the forest too dark, or his eyes too blurry from the water around them. He wanted to find the way out, to help Amphi after all the trouble he caused. But how could he do that when he didn't even have the strength to walk on his own? Or even talk?