Chapter Seven: The Three Witches

"Meria?" shock covered Mellisa as she stare at the face before her.

"Mother..." Meria smiled at her mother that she haven't seen for a long time.

They immediately close the gap between them and wrap each other in a warm and long embrace. "Oh my goodness! How did you came here? Meria, you know how dangerous it is for you."

"Mother, I need your help. Oceana need your help."

Mellisa pull back on an arm lenght looking at her daughter. It's been five years since the last time they saw each other.

"What do you mean?" Mellisa asked in confusion and pulling Meria in the nearest couch inside her office. She inspected her daughter from head to toe. "You look human."

"I do." Meria agreed and nod. "I need to."

"Does your father knows about you being here?"

Meria sigh remembering her father back in the mermaid kingdom. When she left, her father wasn't in his best conditions. She made a mental note to ask Agnes about her father's well-being when she talk to her.

"He's sick." she said, "And the whole Oceana is in danger."

Fear and concern shows in Mellisa's expression. "What happened?"

"The sea witch poisoned the water killing the corals where the fishes live and now it's spreading its way to the sea ground. It's destroying everything it reaches and we can't let it destroy any more than it already has..."

"The sea witches..." Mellisa muttered

"Sea witches? You mean there is more than one of them?"

Mellisa nodded. When she conceived Meria, she needs to stay in mermaid kingdom to keep her child safe. It is not possible for humans to live with the sea creatures but she did. She fell in love with Poseidon, the sea God. Meria is their daughter but when the witches started to defy the ruling of the king of the Oceana, the sea became unsafe.

Poseidon keep her from anything that would harm her and thier unborn daughter that time. The witches declared rebellion against the king with an unclear reason to them and swore to take him down the throne.

"They were banish from Oceana for defying the rules and trying to harm sea creatures. Yula- the sea siren, Cora- the witch of deep waters, and Lides- the witch of the dark sea. They have dark powers that came from the dark forces from the deepest and darkest part of the hallow water but it was taken from them before they were banished from Oceana as punishment."

"But Agnes told me it's cause by one witch that has the poison of sea." Meria remembered what Agnes told her that it's the poison that is the greatest witch created but was stolen.

Mellisa stop and stood up. "And I don't think, the three witches cause that."

"How can you say so?"

"Because the three witches is here in the human world and they don't bare any magical capacity." she explained

"They're here? How do you know that?"

"I have met one of them."

"Does that mean they are not the one who poisoned the water?"

"I am sure they didn't, but the sea is not free from wicked witches who wants to rule the whole Oceana by themselves."

"Agnes said that you can help me on saving the Oceana..."

"I can?"

Meria nodded, "She told me to gave this to you." she said holding out a pearl.

Mellisa look at it before taking it. It's a sea pearl--transparent and bigger than an ordinary sized pearl that can only be found once every ten years. It's the same pearl Poseidon gave her when they married each other. "Where did you get this?"

"She told me it's yours and only you can use it." she said, "Mother, we need your help."

Mellisa look at her daughter who grown up from the last time she saw her. She knew she'll be a ruler just like her father.

"I know you love the Oceana and I couldn't be more proud of you for risking your life to save it." she said to Meria reaching for her hands and looking at her in the eyes. "But if you are willing to do this, so am I."

Meria smiled and hugged her mother. They might have lost so much time with each other but that doesn't mean that they cannot do so in the future. "Thank you so much, mother."

They stayed there and filled their hearts with each other's warm presence before Mellisa pulled first. "We need to find the three witches. They're the one who can help us with the potion to cure the poison."

"But we don't know where they are."

"I told you, I met one of them." she said with a smile

"You did?"

"Yes." Mellisa replied, "And you also did."

Meria brows knotted in confusion. "I did? Who is--?"

Before she can ask futher more, her mother smiled and the door behind her burst open. Their eyes focused on the figure of a woman infront of them. It's the same woman who greeted them the moment they entered the store. She's smiling at her.

"Cora..."

The witch of deep waters.

"Hello, Meria." Cora greeted her with a smile

"How can..." she trailed off looking back at her mother

"A year after your father banished them from Oceana, I found Cora in the streets of Vegas. She's freezing to death when I recognized who she is, I wasn't even sure if taking her with me is a good decision but I think it is. She's been working for me ever since." Mellisa explained

Meria turned to Cora again.

"I didn't know how I came to land and how I earned a pair of legs but I'm still thankful that I did instead of having a tail in human land. The king didn't want harm for his people and yet he didn't harm us who wanted to harm others." Cora said with a sad smile. "I am lucky that Mellisa found me and help me live here."

"So the three witches are living in human land?"

Cora nodded. "I think so. I saw one of them in TV not too long ago."

"Who is it?"

"Lides, the witch of the dark sea."

"If that's the case, can you help me?" Meria asked, "Oceana is in real danger. Another dark witch is trying to destroy Oceana and rule it with dark forces."

"I am willing to help..." Cora answered, "But I am not sure if the other two wants the same." she said with worry

"Can't you do it alone? I can help you. We can do the potion. Just tell me what you need."

Cora shook her head. "I'm afraid not." she said

"Why?"

"Yula, Lides and I are bonded together by the same force that makes us strong. That way we can create something great." Cora explained. "The thing is, we don't have our powers anymore. We're humans now."

Confusion strike Meria, "I don't understand. So how can you help us?"

"I have my pearl." Cora showed them a black pearl. "Witches have the same kind of pearl when they enter the dark hallows and pledge their loyalty to them. It's like a reward given to everyone. I don't know if I can still use it but I know someone who knows the answer."

"Who?" Meria immediately asked

Cora pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and give it to her. She reached for it and read the written name and place.

"Jesus! That's halfway across the world!" Mellisa cried when she read what's written in the paper.

"She's the only one who can answer you." Cora said with an unsure smile and reach for her hand, placing the black pearl in her palm. She look at Cora and she's smiling with encouragement at her. "I believe in you."

Meria don't know about the name and the place or what her mother meant about it being across the world. But there's one thing she know for sure, she needs the answers.

And she need it fast.