At the edge of the lake, perched on her elbows admiring the trio, was a mermaid, swinging her tail gently behind herself in the water. Her wavy black hair was tied in a ponytail in multiple poofy sections. The water reflected gentle blue streams of light across her dark skin. Her neck was adorned with necklaces of many kinds, and she wore enough to cover her bare chest quite modestly. Her coffee colored skin seemed to melt into her pale yellow tail, which created small ripples in the water as she swished it. She smiled at them all and waved. 

"Hi!" she sang out, "I'm Khannah. I've never met humans before."

The elf rolled her eyes, "Yes, Khannah, not many of us have. That is the point of our world."

Khannah stuck out her tongue at the elf, making Summer giggle.

Didrika turned to the teens. She spoke swiftly.

"This is Khannah, she is one of our youngest medicine mermaids, but she is very skilled in her craft," she explained.

Khannah nodded along as she spoke, then added, "Yes, but we have business to attend to, so come on let's go!"

She pushed away from the edge and dove beneath the surface. She came up again and swam back, then extended her hand to the kids. The elf nodded then turned sharply and strutted away at a quick pace. Kyle and Summer turned their attention back to the mermaid who still held her hand outstretched to them.

Summer looked at Kyle for a moment, then stepped forward and grabbed her hand. Khannah pulled her into the water, which rose to about knee height. Summer clutched her purse close to her chest.

She stammered, "I...I don't want this getting wet..."

The mermaid laughed, "Don't worry, I will keep it safe for you."

She reached her hand out, gesturing for Summer to hand it over. 

She slid it off and placed it in Khannah's hand. Khannah then moved her hand in a circular motion in the water directly under the purse. She began to lower it down, causing Summer to shout in surprise. Summer began to reach out, then stopped once she realized that the water under the purse was oddly displaced at a distance. Khannah had created an air pocket around the purse so it floated in an odd bubble of air underwater.

Khannah then turned to Kyle and reached out for his backpack. He handed it over and she bubbled it just as she had with Summer's purse. Then she waved Kyle into the lake. He hesitated for a moment then stepped in. The water was chilling. It lapped at his knees and soaked his pants higher towards his thighs.

Khannah smiled at them both and said softly, “Our business lies under the surface and I cannot bring anything up. I understand that humans require air. For you to come down with me, I must kiss you so that you may breathe in my world.

“What?!” Summer and Kyle exclaimed at the same time.

The mermaid waved her hands in front if herself in defense.

“I do not intend it as a romantic act, it will merely give you breath in water,” she explained, trying to reassure the two.

Summer looked at Kyle and shook her head gently.

“Eh, I dunno about this. Frenchin’ a mermaid is kinda where I draw the line,” she said with a small glimmer of doubt in her voice.

Kyle took her hand and spoke softly, “We don’t exactly have a choice unless we want that old fart dragon to burn us alive.”

Summer looked back at him. She closed her eyes and sighed. Then she turned to Khannah and nodded. Khannah beckoned for her to get closer, to Summer took a knee in the soft sand in the lakebed, and the water crept up to her chest. The mermaid swam closer and leaned forward. She pressed her lips onto Summer’s and breathed gently.

Summer pulled away and wiped her mouth on her wrist. She made a little face of disappointment, then looked like she wanted to cry.

“Please wait just below the surface,” Khannah said, pointing a short distance from the shore.

Summer wasted no time and dipped her head under the water and swam several feet. Before Kyle could watch her disappear deeper in the water, Khannah moved her head right in front of his.

She asked, “Are you ready?”

Kyle nodded, and Khannah leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips were cold like water, then she breathed gently into Kyle. It felt as if his lungs expanded to twice their normal size, and they felt bitterly cold. Khannah pulled away and gestured to where she had sent Summer.

Kyle took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then he let himself sink into the dark green abyss of the lake.