Malena had heard rumors of exotic sea creatures, half human and half octopus--the Cecaelia, as her grandmother had called them. They were said to be exquisitely beautiful creatures of great strength, but no one knew if they were benevolent or hostile. Malena's grandmother believed they were protectors of the sea, that their actions were always for the good of the sea creatures though not some much for fliers like herself. Malena's grandfather was convinced the Cecaelia sunk ships and were jealous of that they couldn't leave the sea. In Malena's mind Cecaelia were no more real than magic spells and fire breathing dragons; they were just a tale people spun to entertain and explain the only part of Hera they couldn't explore.
On the beach that day, however, Malena was sure the creature leaping from the waves was a Cecaelia. The octopus half had been golden with metallic blue spots decorating each leg and the human half, a man with dark hair and a young face. Malena wanted nothing more than to jump in the water behind the creature and search for answers, but she knew better than to get her feather wet. The weight of them would send her plummeting to the bottom of the ocean. Instead she gazed out at the water hoping to see the creature again, knowing that it was unlikely it would reveal itself.
Her friends were equally amused, reassuring her that she had not lost her mind, and the four of them had settled into the beach sand intently after the shock had worn off. What if they could prove their existence? If something so obvious a fairy tale turned out to be true, what else in this world was waiting to be discovered?
