Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)
Chapter Seventeen: To Help a Water Nymph

Akira felt agitated at the woman’s words. Why does everyone insist on calling her princess? She’s anything but a princess.

“We’re very sorry,” Akira said, moving further away from the nymph. Her sword was on the bank with her shoes.

The water nymph laughed as she dove into the water and swam away from Akira and her friends.

Akira looked at Jules. Jules shrugged and headed for the bank.

“Don’t leave,” the water nymph said when her head came up out of the water.

Akira and her friends turned to the nymph.

“I was only teasing. I promise I won’t harm any of you.”

Akira looked into the green eyes of the water nymph, and Amelia’s words came back to her.

‘You will come across my kind again. When you do, please help her.’

“Okay.” Akira nodded and swam toward the nymph.

“Akira?” Julianne questioned.

Akira turned to her friend and smiled. “Remember what I told you that Amelia said?”

Julianne looked at the water nymph, then back at Akira. “Right.” She nodded and followed Akira to where the nymph sat on a rock in the middle of the pond.

“Hey, you guys, wait for me,” Stella said, swimming as fast as she could to catch up to them.

When they got to the rock, Akira helped Stella onto it. Akira kicked her feet in the water as she wrapped her arms around the rock to hold herself up.

“You’re such a small creature,” the nymph said, looking at Stella.

Stella puffed out her chest. “I’m a troll warrior.”

The nymph smiled, “that you are; and brave.”

Stella smiled, “I like you,” she said as she sat on the rock.”

“We truly are sorry for intruding on your pond,” Akira assured the nymph.

The nymph smiled, “it is quite alright,” she assured them. “I haven’t had company at one of my ponds in many years.”

“Do you talk to anyone, ever?” Jules asked.

The nymph looked at Jules. “I do. But no one comes to my ponds anymore. When people think of you as an evil creature, they tend to stay away.”

“I understand that,” Akira grumbled.

The water nymph looked at Akira. “You have been shunned by your own kind.”

Akira nodded, “all my life. Until I went on this crazy adventure with my warriors.”

The nymph laughed, “I knew you were a Havent the moment I saw you.”

“You can see her soul?” Julianne asked.

The nymph shook her head, “no. But I can see her powers. She is something more than the eye can see.”

Jules grinned and said, “I already knew that.”

The nymph frowned.

“What’s weighing on you?” Akira asked, recognizing her sadness. She’d felt it most of her life.

“I am in love with a human,” the nymph admitted.

“Really?” Jules asked, moving closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Akira shook her head. This “walk” she and her friends were on was becoming more and more interesting.

“I’m Akira, by the way,” Akira said, holding her hand out to the water nymph.

The woman nodded and shook Akira’s hand. “Ahurani.”

Akira smiled, “pretty name.”

Ahurani smiled, “so is yours.”

“I’m Stella,” Stella said, pounding her fist against her chest.

Ahurani chuckled, “nice to meet you, Stella.”

“I’m Julianne. You can call me Jules.”

Ahurani looked at Jules and nodded. “You all have beautiful names.”

Akira placed her hand on Ahurani’s. “What can we do to help you?”

Ahurani looked at Akira, “nothing. There is nothing that can be done. I love him, and I must give him up.”

“But why?” Jules asked.

Ahurani looked at Jules, “because if I give myself to him, and he doesn’t love me, and he sleeps with another, I will die.”

“We all die inside when the man we love cheats on us.” Jules frowned, remembering how it felt to watch Levi dance with those princesses last year. Not that he cheated on her. They can never be together.

“I think she means she will die, as in be no more,” Akira said.

She watched the nymph, and the stories she read about them flashed through her mind.

“If she gives herself to a human, she will turn human, and if he cheats on her because he doesn’t love her the way she loves him, she will literally die.”

Jules and Stella looked at Akira, then Ahurani.

“Is that true?” Stella asked.

“Yes,” Ahurani whispered.

“Oh no, we can’t let that happen,” Stella said, getting to her feet. “I will stab any man who cheats on my new friend.” She used her hand as if she had a knife in it and stabbed the air.

Akira and the other two women chuckled.

“You know what?” Akira said, pushing away from the rock. “I think we can help you.”

Ahurani looked at Akira. “How?”

“What’s his name?” Akira asked.

The nymph smiled, “Michael. Michael Darling.”

Akira and her friend chuckled, “okay. We will find this Michael Darling and ask him if he feels the same for you.”

Ahurani stared at Akira. “But what if he does not?”

“Then he is unworthy of you,” Jules said, pushing herself off the rock.

“Hey, wait for me.” Stella jumped into the water and swam to the bank.

Stella climbed onto the dirt as Akira secured her sword to her back.

Ahurani swam to the bank and stood before the three women. “You don’t have to do this.”

Akira smiled. “I was asked by a water nymph to help.”

“What?” Ahurani asked, a confused look on her face.

Akira told her about Amelia. Ahurani wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I have met Amelia before. She’s crazy but has a good heart.”

Akira chuckled, “she tried to take one of my warriors from me.”

Ahurani shook her head. “She knows better. Maybe she thought you were unworthy of him… Oh, I am sorry, I didn’t mean….”

Akira nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. I know what most see if they don’t look deep enough.”

Ahurani nodded.

“Can you tell us which way to find your human?” Jules asked.

“Yes. You must take that trail. It will take you straight to his hometown. From there, you can ask around town for where he lives. I have never been there. I am not welcome there. He visits me in the forest.”

Akira nodded. “We will be back soon,” she promised.

Ahurani reached out and touched Akira’s arm. “Thank you.”

Akira smiled at her new friend. “You are most welcome. I hope to return with your love.”

~⚔~

Wolfric looked up when he heard the buzz of Levi’s dragonfly.

“They went to a town, and I lost track of them,” Levi called down to them.

Wolfric grunted. “Where were they before they went to the town?”

“They stopped to swim in a pond. There was someone there with them, couldn’t see her very well from up here.”

Wolfric looked at his fellow warriors. “Should we check it out?”

Malique nodded. “Let’s pack up, so a passerby doesn’t steal anything. We can either come back here or stay the night in the town.”

“Wish I’d known there was a town so close. Akira could really use a bed to sleep in,” Darius said as he started packing.

When the camp was packed, Wolfric called up to the fairy. “Lead the way!”

~⚔~

Akira looked around at the village. It wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before. It was more of a medieval town than anything she grew up with.

“Talk about time jumping into the past,” Akira said, spinning in a circle to take in the whole town.

Jules chuckled, “your realm is more advanced than most.”

Akira nodded in agreement, “yeah.”

“Can we find her boyfriend so we can get back to camp?” Stella asked.

Akira looked down at the troll and noticed her glaring at the people around them. Akira looked up and noticed people staring at the troll.

“You’re a warrior, Stella,” Akira said, giving the humans around them the evil eye. “Show them.”

Stella stood up straight and threw her shoulders back. Akira watched the troll’s lips curl into a sneer and chuckled.

“That’s the Stella I know.”

“Let’s ask around about Michael,” Jules said as she took hold of Akira’s hand and dragged her deeper into the town.

They asked everyone they came across about a young man named Michael Darling. Everyone pointed to the next stall, making Akira wonder if none of them knew the man or if they did and didn’t want to give up where he was.

“I hear you’re looking for Mr. Darling.”

Akira and her friends turned to the male voice.

Akira nodded, “yes.”

The man smiled, “please, come with me.” He motioned for them to follow him.

Akira looked at her friends. Should they follow him?

“We’ve got this,” Stella said, placing her hand over the dagger on her belt.

“Let’s hope they know where Michael is—and this isn’t a ploy to capture us,” Jules whispered as they followed the man through town.

~⚔~

“This must be the pond the girls stopped at,” Malique said as he looked around.

“You must be Akira’s warriors.”

The men spun around and stared at the water nymph.

“Where’s our Havent?” Wolfric growled, pulling his sword from his back and pointing it at the nymph.

The nymph touched the tip of his sword and smiled. “They went to town to do me a favor. I promise—they are safe.”

“Why should we believe you?” Wolfric demanded, pressing the sword closer to her.

She sighed, “if I wanted to harm them, I would have before they left.”

Wolfric lowered his sword. She had a point.

“What kind of favor are they doing for you?” Darius asked.

She looked at him. “They’re looking for my love.”

Wolfric looked at the nymph, confused.

The nymph told them her story. The men groaned when she got to the part about the women offering to help her.

“That’s Akira, alright,” Darius chuckled.

“Which way to town?” Wolfric asked Ahurani.

She pointed to the path, “they may not be happy to see you. They are very independent women who are enjoying their day away from their men.”

Wolfric snorted, “they also know we can’t just stand by and let them do this alone.”

Ahurani nodded, “be safe,” she said, then turned and returned to the pond.

“Let’s go.” Wolfric motioned for the others to follow him.

~⚔~

“I hear you are looking for my son,” a woman said when Akira and her friends followed the man into a small house.

Akira nodded as she replied, “yes.”

The woman looked the three young women over and nodded. She liked them for her son, except for the smaller one—she wasn’t human.

“We have come on behalf of another woman,” Akira said. She’d noticed the older woman looking them over as if she was judging them.

The woman eyed them. “And who may that be?”

“Ahurani,” Akira informed the woman.

The woman shook her head. “My son has spoken of her, but he has not told me where he met her.”

Akira moved closer to the woman. “May we speak with your son?”

The woman waved to the couch. “He is not home. But please, sit, have tea. We can speak of this young woman who caught my son’s eye.”

Akira and her friends sat on the couch with the woman and told her about Ahurani. The woman was shocked to hear that a water nymph loved her son. By the time they finished, they had eaten a plate of cookies and drank a cup of tea.

“I see.” The woman looked inside her teacup. “A seer once told me my son would attract such a creature. She said I should have an open mind and let my son follow his heart.” She looked up at them. “My husband died when my son was but a baby, and I have raised him alone.”

Akira nodded, “she truly loves him….”

“And you need to know if he loves her?”

Akira nodded again.

“Then I shall tell you where to find him….” She started to stand and fell back onto the couch when the front door was kicked in by a very large man.

“Akira!”

Akira glared at her warriors. “Really? You couldn’t give me one day?”

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