A slender hand helped him spew water from his lungs. “It is good you lived, but I’m afraid your countrymen died.” Her queenly presence was clothed in radiant stones from the ocean, her hair glistened with sea mist.
She had a fin in place of legs and loose webs between long fingers.
“She was a good ship… and my friends were good sailors.” The man shook as tears welled in his eyes.
“Before the storm, you said you were masters of the sea?”
“Why not? His Majesty’s navy is the world’s finest.”
She flicked her tail and swam away.
***
This was written for the Carrot Ranch prompt, ‘sea mist.’ I thought it was such a calm, poetic prompt, so I had to turn it into something about colonization and naval supremacy. Mer-folk used to laugh at our clumsy ships, but now the coral and ocean life is dying thanks to climate change, looks like we both lose!
Let Me Tell You the Story of... 
The true masters of the sea revealed. Nice one!
Thanks! I can’t imagine humans being masters of the sea if mer-people were real. 🙂
Nicely told. My first thought on this was a mermaid too.. wonderful creatures.
Perhaps it was an easy exit, but I’ve been listening to podcasts on imperialism lately and simply *had* to do it!
Assuming an otherworldly character is never easy for me. You do it seamlessly.
I do think taking up alien perspectives is my forte! Thank you!
Excellent!
Thanks!
H.R.R. you caught the right tone of hubris to your tale. I couldn’t help but think the cruel joke is on the mer-folk — men have proved to be the masters of the sea when it comes to destruction.
The poor coral reefs are getting so screwed. Still, we landlubbers will feel those effects soon enough.
Yeah, I think we are getting a taste. This path is littered with sharp screws.
I loved how the mermaid wordlessly dismissed his comment.
Shh… part of that was because I ran out of 99 words, haha!
Lol 😀
Yeah, hubris; I enjoyed your take on the prompt. And regarding running out of words… isn’t it great how that works out sometimes?
It is great – not unhappy at all with where that happened here!
Can’t help but wonder if she would have stayed if not for his statement about the navy. Enjoyed your flash.
Hm… I dunno. When I started coming up with it, I imagined her as a sort of spy, trying to see if the landlubbers wanted to invade and colonize Atlantis.
A great message in that one, told without listing it out.
Thanks!
There are times a person needs to listen before speaking.
I see this as one of those times 😉
True! The sailors did very little research about the true masters of the sea, eh?