Chasing Tide (A Merman's Tale And The Human Who Desired Him)

MISLED

Chapter: 11.
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Tide woke up to a burning sensation spreading fast across his left arm. Its pain was too intense and the burning scars which were starting to erupt from within his arms were beginning to drape his entire left arm with red bruises. He tried to heal himself but not after the third attempt had he realized that something was terribly wrong.

 He couldn't feel his soulpearl.

Like his life had just been sucked out of him.

He was...weak.

Before his eyes he watched the bruises expand, spreading fast and eating up his arm, filling it with inflamed, painful, pus-filled boils.

 He needed help or he would die.

Could it be the Mountain Tears he had dipped his hand into the day before? He had indeed acted foolishly. Why would he use his hand when he could have used his magic? Knowing just how powerful an undiluted Mountain Tears was. If the raw mountain Tears could cause sudden drought, how much more, his hand? How had he not thought of that? He had indeed acted foolishly.

He hissed when he felt the burning spread further into his pectoral region then his heart began to burn, he was in tears. Picking up his clamphone with much difficulty, he placed a quick call to Roan who for the first time since they had been secretly dating, ignored his call even after he had called for what seemed like forever.

Was he alright?

Did he by any chance touch the Mountain Tears as he had done? He hoped not.

He began to worry about the merman, his heartbeat picked up speed and he gasped in both pain and shock. He summoned three soulbutteflies and sent each off to his mother, to Roan, and the last, he had sent to his trusted Merfairy friend. He was glad he could at least summon the butterflies, slumping down into his bed. He hoped they would get to him in time because, at this point, he couldn't summon another butterfly. 

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The merfairy arrived fast, their magic was strong and so it wasn't a surprise she had arrived first. 

"Tide?" She gasped once she had laid eyes on him. His fair skin had reddened as if he had just taken a dip in the Bleeding Spring. "What happened to you?" At this point, he couldn't speak. He was in so much pain, his lips felt dried up and sore. He wasn't moving either, his lashes barely fluttered since she appeared in his room. She didn't ask any further questions, she gently grabbed his hand, the one with the most bruises, and began to transfer healing spells to him. It didn't seem to be effective and the fairy started to pant harshly from exhaustion when his mother arrived. 

She wasn't any good when she saw her son in that manner. 

"What is wrong with him?" Venus asked scared as she got closer to take a better look at the pile of red slime on her son's bed. "Tide?" She called, her hand reaching out to touch him. "Tide, are you alright, my love?" Her voice cracked with pain. "I got your message, my baby, I am here now, speak to me." 

"I don't think he can hear you?" Nixie the merfairy told the sad woman and she gaped at him confused. 

"What do you mean?" She asked the merfairy.

"He hasn't done as little as move a finger since I arrived and I have tried to heal him the last hour but nothing has happened and yet my soulpearl weakens." 

"This is strange," Venus felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. "Did someone do this to him?" She asked, eyes desperately meeting those of the fairy.