15. Chapter 15

Jayna drew in a breath from her merbreather and stared anxiously at Merman Pala as he floated just below the surface on the opposite side of the pool. His broad chest and shoulders, bright golden tail and shield, and long, slender three-pointed trident were all terribly menacing.

She hefted her own trident to find its center of balance. Fortunately, the nasty looking barbs at the tip of the long black weapon were soft and flexible, though they were anything but harmless. Memories of the modest electric shock the trident delivered were enough motivation to avoid the spear points as if they were made of hardened steel.

This match with Pala was incredibly unbalanced, but mermaids and mermen had always competed head-to-head since most contests were designed to favor skill and ability over size and strength. Yet underwater jousting was a new event, created specifically for the Merathlon, and Jayna couldn't help but feel that the organizers had strayed far from that guiding principle.

She had coaxed a few of her Realms of Neptune merfriends into practicing with her, but none came close to the challenge presented by this large Manutai merman. She had done reasonably well in her test bouts earlier in the day, but she feared her strength would be no match for Pala. Her greatest skill was her ability to jump, which was completely useless when jousting.

Jayna turned her attention to Mermaid Buwan, who floated near the edge of the tank. She wore a black-and-white striped referee's tail and held a staff topped by a blue-green orb. The orb flashed green, and Jayna launched herself towards Merman Pala, shield raised and trident leveled.

When they met at the center of the tank, Jayna felt a moment of panic. She tried to dodge around him, but he anticipated her move. Jayna was punished with a painful shock that radiated from her left shoulder all down her side.

Hurt and humiliated, she swam to her side of the tank and set up for the next run.

She turned to face Pala again and accepted that simply trying to dodge wasn't going to work. Maybe if she built up enough speed, she could knock his shield out of the way with her own. A direct assault might surprise him enough to give her an opening.

The orb flashed green and the two mers rushed at each other.

Her attempt to knock Pala's shield away felt like running into a seawall, and Jayna was tossed up and backwards. The pain of impact was soon joined by a searing shock that ran across her back.

Tired, sore, and embarrassed, Jayna swam to the edge of the pool and set up to try again. She had initially worried that Pala would be too easy on her since she was a girl. Now she wished he had been.

Even though Pala had already won the match, the two mers squared off against each other for the final set, since every run counted for points. Jayna considered forfeiting the last run, but quickly dismissed the idea and moved herself into position.

She squared herself and waited for the green light, but the orb flashed red instead. The official motioned Jayna and Pala to the surface.

Confused, Jayna poked her head above the water, where she saw Kalani waving her over to the side of the pool. Jayna swam to the edge of the tank and pulled herself up onto the ledge.

"Is everything okay?" Kalani asked.

"Yeah, fine," Jayna said, trying to sound upbeat.

Kalani scoffed. "That's not how it looks from up here."

Jayna frowned as the last of her bravado evaporated. "I can't compete with someone like Merman Pala. He's too strong. I don't have a chance."

Kalani folded his arms. "Yes, he's strong. But that doesn't mean you can't compete."

"How? I'm faster off the mark, but that means nothing. My strength is no match for his."

"So, you think you have to match your power against his?"

"That's what jousting is. Power against power. He has more."

Kalani shook his head. "But it's not ‘power against power.' That's why you're doing so poorly."

Jayna was about to object, but Kalani cut her off. "Have you ever heard of jujitsu?"

"The martial art? Yes, I've heard of it." Kalani looked like he wanted her to elaborate, but Jayna failed to see the connection. "What about it?" she said, trying not to let her frustration show in her voice.

"The main principle of jujitsu is not to match your opponent's power, but to use their own power against them." Kalani signaled to Mermaid Buwan then moved away from the pool.

Jayna slid into the water, disappointed with Kalani's suggestion. She had hoped he'd give her some practical advice that could help her beat Merman Pala. But all she could think of was a magic shield that would absorb Pala's power and rebound it back against him. The thought didn't help.

As Jayna swam back into place, she heard the roar of the ocean in the distance. Was that what Kalani was trying to describe? Even as a child, Jayna had learned to work with the ocean rather than fight against it. The difference between smoothly riding a wave to shore and being pounded against the sand was often just a matter of seconds and centimeters.

Remembering how she had learned to work with the ocean's power instead of against it, an idea formed in her mind. As scary as it was, she let it take hold. If it worked, she could avoid another painful hit, and possibly score a point.

But if it didn't work, she would likely come away with some painful bruising in addition to the sting of Pala's trident.

Jayna waved at the official and placed the merbreather in her mouth, indicating she was ready. Pala did likewise, and they both dived below the surface to take up their positions.

As Jayna faced Pala for their final run, she watched his movements with a different perspective. She paid attention to how he held his shield and spear. He was big and powerful, and he relied on that power.

Jayna needed to absorb and channel that power.

She quickly reversed her grip on the trident, as though she were about to throw it. The reversed grip would be extremely weak for a frontal attack, but if this went to plan, it would serve her needs just fine.

The green orb flashed, and Jayna swam towards Pala with all her might. He barreled down on her at tremendous speed. When they had closed the distance to just a few meters, Jayna willed her body to relax and let her momentum carry her.

Rather than try to strike at Pala with her trident, she focused on his spear. She maneuvered her shield so that she caught the points head on. The impact sent her spinning, and Jayna let herself be tossed to the side like a piece of kelp. But the moment Pala was behind her, she thrust her trident down and back. It connected with a satisfying thump.

The vibration in her spear, combined with the sound of Pala's muffled cry let her know that the stratagem had worked! Her shield arm hurt from the impact of Pala's spear, but her gambit had paid off.

Her heart raced in triumph as she swam to the surface. Pala broke above the water next to her and bellowed loudly. Jayna's heart skipped a beat, but before she could become truly concerned, she realized that he was laughing.

"Nicely done," he said, raising his trident in salute. "Now I know who I need to watch out for." Then he returned the merbreather to his mouth and disappeared below the surface.

She grinned and turned to find Kalani. When she did, her heart nearly stopped.

Sid and Emmaline stood beside him, and the three of them applauded her.

Jayna forgot all about jousting.

Emmaline had loved her Jubilee Service Day proposal and had run with the idea, but Jayna had no idea how Sid would respond. She was certain he'd have no problem sponsoring the event, but she hoped he would be an active participant.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she forced a smile and swam to meet them. As she approached, she felt even more nervous than she had when facing Merman Pala.

She pulled herself up onto the mermaid ledge next to them. Sid leaned over the rail. "That was impressive. I thought for sure he was going to do you in."

Jayna laughed. "Did you not see the other rounds?"

"No," said Emmaline. "We just got here."

She felt a wave of relief that Sid hadn't witnessed her humiliating earlier performance. "Good. Let's just say they were somewhat less impressive."

Sid locked eyes with Jayna. "So, when do I get to find out more about this service activity you two have planned? Can you tell me now, or do I have to wait until after you've changed?"

Jayna glanced at Emmaline, who seemed to be fighting back a laugh. Then she took a steadying breath and said, "I'm not changing. You are."

Sid's brow furrowed in confusion, and he turned to look at his assistant. Emmaline's face was red with suppressed laughter, and there were tears running down her cheeks. So much for always being calm and professional, Jayna thought.

She rushed to explain before Sid decided to turn and run. "Emmaline told you we'll be giving service to patients of the Pediatric Bionics Institute, right?"

The concern didn't leave Sid's face. "Yes."

"Well, you are sponsoring a Swim with the Mermaids Day here at Kingdom of Tangaroa. There are volunteer mers from the park and several community pods, and the Manutai Mer-school is providing tails for the children to use."

Sid grinned. "Hey, that's perfect. It's a hands-on, in-person service. Excellent visuals. And like you said, it's truly a service and not something that could be done with bots and drones. And that would explain why you're not changing. But what did you mean when you said I…"

The color drained from Sid's face as he realized the role he was being asked to take. "Wait, you want me to be a mermaid?"

Jayna shrugged, trying to feign indifference. "Mermaid or merman. It's up to you—whichever you prefer."

The panic in Sid's eyes was not reassuring. Jayna had really hoped he would be willing to take on the role. She forced a grin and raised an eyebrow, daring Sid to meet the challenge.

He drew in a deep breath, and a steely resolve replaced the panic on his face. His eyes locked on Jayna's, and it felt like he was gazing deep into her soul. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and a warm, burning feeling flooded through her chest.

At last, his mouth quirked up at the corner. "Then I guess I'll be a merman."