Kairi of the Undine

Everywhere was a sea. Even my eyes couldn't see anything else. I was standing in the middle of an ocean. It was nerve-wracking.

Somehow I could walk normally on the surface of the water. This is good. I don't want to drown again. Not even in the liquid mana. It was something I never want to experience again. Not ever.

The most important thing is, what lies in the center of this ocean. It looked like a cocoon of some sort. Shining at deep blue color. I could feel the mana inside of it. It was simply too much.

I slowly walked towards it. My necklace isn't shining here. Even that weird voice is gone without a clue. So the only clue left is the cocoon.

What was that voice? What is this place? What is the thing inside of the cocoon? I have so many questions. And only one lead so far. Two if I add the cocoon. Its height was as tall as an adult human.

Undine. It is said to be a water nymph who lives for love. I indeed need water magic. And they should be best at it. If we can make some kind of a deal it is good. If not, I don't know how can I survive here.

At every step, I take the cocoon's power to become clearer to me. Something powerful is dwelling inside of it. Its mana is overwhelming. But what scared me was, it was pulsing. Just like the beating of a heart.

It took a few seconds for me to arrive in front of it. I focused my eyes on it. I could see the shape of the thing inside of it. It has a body just like the humans. Undines are often pictured as females. Could this one to be a female too? I... guess?

There is still one little problem. She is sleeping. Someone at this level should be able to sense me aporoaching. Also I have been touching this cocoon for a while. Its surface was full of scales. It did have a nice feeling to it. After all of the things I have done, she didn't even react to it.

I was expecting cocoon's outer shell to feel like a something soft. Because it is covered something like a blue silk. It looked soft but when I touched it, it was harder than iron. And those blue scales are not just hard as iron but also sharp as knives.

"This is a problem. There is no other way I can see. I must wake her up. But how I do that?"

I gathered mana at my throat and shout. "WAKE UP!!" And yet it did nothing. I just hurt my throat. How can I wake her up? I gathered mana at my fist and punched the outer shell of cocoon. Again, it did nothing.

At this moment Lydia appered at my mind. She was strugling even while breathing. If I lose time here... she will die there. The escape path I opened for her was already closed. I can't let her die. I won't let her die. I will fight for her.

"I will not let you die Lydia. Not you too. I will get out of here with or without the help of the Undine. I will save you."

I gathered all of my mana but before I could do something cocoon started shaking. "Huh?" I could only stand there dumbfounded. Cocoon shaked and cracks appeared on the surface of its outer shell.

Shell crumbled and fell apart. There was indeed a female humanoid figure was inside. She had a short aquamarine hair and pretty face. But unlike human she had a pointy ears. She looked to be same age as me. But she was cuter than most of the girls at school. There was a thin blue dress on her.

Her eyelids trembled and slowly rosed. She opened her eyes and looked around. There was a visible confusion on her face. When she finally looked at me there was a happiness in her gaze.

"Are you my brother?"

"Huh? Brother?"

"Eh? You are not?"

Uhm... This is awkward. Does she think that I am her brother?

"I am Oscar Williams. I need the help of the Undine to save and protect the ones who are dear to me."

"Yes! I can feel love oozing out of you!"

I can feel my face is burning. This is embrassing. Her looking about my age is not helping either. I need the change the subject.

"Are you the Undine?"

A sad look appeared on her face. She whispered with a voice barely audible. "I am the last one..." I can see the grief and sadness. Even tears formed on her eyes.

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, me too. I am Kairi of the Undine. You not knowing this means you are not my brother, right?"

"Sorry but no. I am not your brother."

She said that she was the last Undine. But had a brother. A different... specie? It doesn't matter now.

"Sorry but can you help me? I need to save... my friend."

Her eyes shined with strange delight for a second. Her lips curled up and with a playfull smile she asked me. "Is this person only a friend?" She is enjoying this. An Undine is truly lives for love I guess.

"She is my FRIEND. Can we go back to the main topic, please?"

Her brows furrowed and she pouted. But a second later a worrisome expression appeared on her face.

"I am sorry to say this. I am severly weakened now. I can't help you without you making a some kind of sacrifice."

Sacrifice... The voice came from my necklace asked about it.

"What do you mean exactly?"

"I am a spirit. A great spirit to be precise. For me to be able to help you we first need to make a pact. Only way to do it is Contract Magic. And as far as I can see our power is not equal. In the contract magic weak one has to make a sacrifice so that grounds they stand on will be equal."

"In short, I have to make a sacrifice because I am weak."

"...Yes."

It is troublesome but there is no other way. Normal water or fire extinguishers can't stop mana infused forest fire.

"I am prepared. You can take whatever you want. Just help me save her. And protect the city I live in."

"Very well. I, Kairi of the Undine choose you as my partner, Oscar Williams. As your sacrifice, I will take your left arm."

Suddenly I felt pain on my left arm. On my forearm two runes appeared. ᛚ and ᛗ.

ᛗ, mannaz means divine union. ᛚ, laguz means water. So contract magic marked me with runes.

"You will be able to use weakened versions of my spells for now. Don't forget. When you use my spells you can't use your left arm afterwards. Not for a long time with the condition your body at.

"Doesn't matter. To save her and my city, I am prepared to lose it premanetly... Thank you, Kairi."

"Your welcome. And good luck. Please don't die."

"I won't die."