Cuentos extraños

Capítulo 1

Dragon Girl New Chapter

one

That year, I was seventy years old and lived in the deepest part of the South China Sea.

Further south lies the dwelling place of the Mermaid Goddess. I don't know how old she is, and she herself doesn't remember.

She was a beautiful young woman, but it is said that she lived there before my father became the Dragon King of the South Sea.

Over the years, she has never aged; she has always been as beautiful as a flower.

Her dwelling was made of colorful seashells, which were very hard and would last a long time. Surrounding the dwelling was a garden made of coral and sea lotus.

When I was lonely, I would go to her residence to watch her refine pearls. The process was extremely complicated. She would gather pearls collected from various places, grind them into powder, stir the powder again with her own tears, and put it into the alchemy furnace to refine for eighty-one days.

Pearls refined in this way have a smooth, round luster and shine brightly, like a candle even in the dark depths of the sea.

I've heard that the pearls of the Mermaid God can grant immortality if consumed. Many aquatic creatures believe this rumor and buy pearls at high prices, yet they still cannot escape the fate of birth, aging, sickness, and death. However, even more aquatic creatures still firmly believe in this legend.

The mermaid goddess was very tired of gold and silver, but she still demanded a high price.

I once asked whether there really is a pearl that can make people live forever if they take it.

The Mermaid smiled mysteriously, "That was just a lie. If it weren't for that lie, why would so many people come to buy my pearls?"

I was skeptical. If a lie can be passed down for so long, there must be some truth to support its spread. The fact that the Mermaid Goddess is eternally young is probably the reason why those aquatic creatures believe this rumor.

When we have nothing to do, we sit in the garden and look up at the sky.

However, it is impossible to see the sky from underwater.

What we see is just a vast, boundless expanse of azure, which appears somewhat lonely due to the isolation.

Have you ever seen that mortal world? I've heard that there are blue skies, white clouds, the sun, the moon, the stars, and... people there!

The mermaid goddess frowned slightly; she looked truly pitiful. "Many years ago, I visited that mortal world. Just as you said, there were blue skies, white clouds, the sun and moon, stars, and... people."

"Then why come back to the seabed? If I could go to that mortal world, I would never want to come back here again," I said in an unquestionable tone.

The mermaid looked at me thoughtfully: "What's so good about the mortal world? It's a noisy place, full of terrible sounds. Besides, have you forgotten the prophecy at your birth? You are not allowed to leave the seabed."

Actually, I didn't need her to remind me at all. For the past seventy years, whenever I wanted to leave the sea, someone would stop me, saying, "Naga, you cannot leave the seabed. When you were born, the Queen of the Wind prophesied that the first person to see you would kill you."

This cliché disgusts me.

---janeadam

Reply [2]: "Do you believe an ordinary person would kill a dragon?"

The mermaid goddess smiled: "The world is unpredictable; who can know what will happen?"

"But I want to see the world, I want to know what it's really like. I hate the quiet and loneliness here. Are you afraid of noise? I'm fed up with using bubbles to transmit sound. I like to talk freely. And I want to see people."

The Mermaid God shook his head: "Humans are not lovable. In fact, humans are the most terrifying beings in the Six Realms."

But I still decided to escape the seabed, and soon after, on my seventieth birthday, I evaded the surveillance of all the aquatic creatures and swam toward the surface.

The temperature of the water changed around me, and I felt a warmth. The blue sky above me began to brighten, and I could vaguely see the shadow of the sun; I knew I was approaching the surface.

However, at that moment, a giant sea turtle blocked my way.

Its stubborn shell stood before me like a wall, and a series of bubbles escaped from its mouth: "Naga, go back! You cannot leave the seabed."

I flicked my long tail. How dare a lowly aquatic creature try to stop me? The long tail struck the turtle's back without hesitation, sending it flying. However, more shrimp soldiers and crab generals were rapidly approaching.

I swam desperately towards the surface, surrounded by obstacles on all sides. The seawater became clear, and I knew the surface was just a stone's throw away.

With a powerful leap, I emerged from the sea, and the first thing that caught my eye was the blue sky, a clear blue sky as bright as water, yet lighter and more ethereal than water itself.

The sun was so bright that it hurt my eyes.

Then I saw a large ship sailing on the sea not far from me, with a young girl standing at its bow. The girl calmly stared at me, her expression indifferent.

Before I could even think, my body fell back into the sea.

The aquatic creatures, surging like a tide, had completely surrounded me. Unwilling to return to the Dragon Palace, I struggled and thrashed desperately, trying to break free. Little did I know that my actions would instantly cause dark clouds to gather over the sea, and giant waves to rise abruptly.

The seawater turned inky black. At that moment, my eldest sister suddenly appeared. She slapped my forehead and shouted, "Naga, stop fooling around and come back to Lingbo Palace with me!"

The blow made me dizzy. I looked up longingly, knowing I might never return to the sea. Only then did I realize the sun had already disappeared.

Following my eldest sister back to the seabed, I was heartbroken and desperate. I didn't want to see my parents. I thought it was all a conspiracy to trap me in the seabed forever. Why can all the dragon princes and princesses freely enter and leave the sea, but I am the only exception?

I hid behind a reef, surrounded by patrolling aquatic creatures. They didn't see me as a dragon girl, but rather as a prisoner.

I stubbornly believed that I never wanted to leave this reef again, and never wanted to see any of them again.

The water rippled gently. My older sister appeared beside me without me noticing. She gently stroked my forehead and comforted me softly, "Naga, did I hurt you just now?"

I snorted, remaining noncommittal. My older sister pointed, and a young girl's corpse appeared before me. I stared at the body in astonishment. Not long ago, she had been standing alive on the ship, staring at me with her cold eyes. Now she lay lifeless at the bottom of the water.

---janeadam

Reply [3]: "Your foolishness just now caused a strong wind on the sea, and the ship has capsized. Everyone on board has perished at sea." The older sister said calmly, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

I lowered my head; I had no idea I had such great abilities.

"Although birth, aging, sickness, and death are all predetermined, the dragon is the king of the water creatures, and therefore cannot casually harm human lives, do you understand?"

"I didn't mean to drown her," I couldn't help but mutter.

My older sister glared at me, and I fell silent in fright. She stared at me for a long time before sighing, "You saw her just now?"

I nodded.