Cerissa’s Vow

This story is based on the Reedsy.com prompt "Start your story with someone emerging from the sea, and end it with them looking up at the stars."

*****

Cerissa popped up from under the ocean water, feeling refreshed from the latest submersion in her swim. This 25 year old woman was just another bathing beauty to any onlookers, but there was much more to Cerissa than that. At least, that's what she was hoping to find out.

Cerissa knew the basics of her identity, that she was a mage that was so bonded to her spellbook that she could make it appear on command, and just thinking the words to spells in her head would allow her to cast them with her fingers. This was the extent of what she knew about herself, as her last long term memory was a warlock casting a spell that blocked out everything but her name and mage identity. Cerissa still retained her spellbook and the bond she shared with it, but she was currently relearning many of its contents. She was spending her days traveling the world seeking the warlock that took her memories away, and although she had no solid leads, she was improving in her magical abilities, and she was also stopping monsters from harming others in the process. This beach paradise was the latest stop in her travels, and without a situation that demanded the use of her powers, she decided to enjoy some down time.

Cerissa was used to wearing a protective mage robe when in combat, but she was enjoying the change of pace wearing her two piece swimsuit. It was a hot day, and the sea felt great. Once she was thoroughly cooled off, Cerissa returned to her beach towel and made herself comfortable on her back. She thought about summoning her spellbook in order to learn some more of her lost magic, but right now she just wanted to enjoy the peace of her current location. She closed her eyes and took in the smells of the tropical air mixed with the scent of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers from the refreshment stand. She felt a pleasant sensation from a warm breeze. She appreciated the heat of the sun on her exposed skin. For a moment, Cerissa considered abandoning her quest of learning who she really was, and just staying in this place forever. She then remembered that she wanted to know the truth about herself, and she reflected on the lives she had saved on her journeys. No, she would absolutely carry on. But for now, she was going to enjoy her fleeting rest time.

*****

"C'mon Dirk, give it a rest already!"

"No way Doug, that bikini babe is hot!" Dirk exclaimed. Dirk and his slightly older brother Doug were in their late twenties. "I'm even hotter, so she would be privileged to hang out with me!"

"None of the other 'hot ladies' have shared your sentiment today." Doug sighed. "Let's just sit back and I'll teach you how to properly treat people, especially women."

"That's not how you get chicks!" Dirk laughed. "I am gonna win this time!"

"No chicks want you, you're too rude to 'win!'" Doug shouted as Dirk ignored him, making his way towards a relaxed Cerissa.

"Hey baby, you're gorgeous, and I'm gorgeous too, let's hang out!" Dirk told Cerissa.

"Thank you, but I would like to be alone right now." Cerissa replied in a voice that was soft and kind, but also firm.

"You don't get it, do you babe?" Dirk replied in an annoyed tone. "You have the opportunity of a lifetime here. Now let's hang out!"

"Again, no thank you. Have a nice day." Cerissa said in the same gentle, yet firm tone.

"Let's go Dirk!" Doug yelled, dragging Dirk away from Cerissa's space. "I am so sorry about my brother, please forgive us." Doug told Cerissa apologetically.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, but thank you." Cerissa told Doug, giving him a smile as he walked away with Dirk.

"Can you believe that broad?" Dirk asked Doug. "I am perfect for her, what is her problem?"

"The only one with a problem is you!" Doug answered angrily. "I'll always be there for you bro, but you will never make any girl happy if you keep acting like a jerk. Go to the restroom and splash some water on your face, then come back here and try to be a better human being!"

"Fine." Dirk said dejectedly, following Doug's order. After leaving the restroom, Dirk was approached by a handsome young man wearing a lab coat and swimming trunks.

"I'm sorry to disturb an amazing specimen of manhood like yourself, but I saw what happened with that attractive young lady on the beach." The young man said. "I am a doctor, and I am testing out a drug that enhances natural attractiveness in the person that takes it. You are perfect already, but I believe this medicine would help that woman see the error in her ways of rejecting you. How would you feel about a quick clinical trial? Besides getting the girl, I would pay you a large sum of money for your help."

"You have yourself a patient doc." Dirk replied with a twisted smile on his face. "Lead the way."

*****

Cerissa wasn't fazed by her encounter with Dirk, but she decided that taking a look at her spellbook wouldn't be a bad idea after all. She discreetly made the spellbook appear, and used a disguise spell to make it look like a generic magazine. She looked over some of the spells she needed to learn again since her memory loss, and considered what might be helpful. An enhanced ice spell and a spell that summoned a protective zombie both looked promising. Before she could get deeper into her studies, she sensed the presence of someone nearby. She closed the magazine and set it down, looking up to see Dirk again.

"Bet you can't resist me now, can you beautiful?" Dirk said condescendingly. "Shall we go on that date now?"

"We shall not." Cerissa replied, starting to get annoyed. She began considering some magic she could use to protect herself should the situation continue to escalate.

"Dirk, no!" Doug cried out, running towards them until he was also present. "I have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been, and why are you still harassing her?"

"I was getting what I needed so I can finally get this chick to appreciate my greatness!" Dirk replied smugly. "Too bad you weren't more supportive of me, brother!"

Dirk's body enlarged by three times his normal size. His skin color changed to a sickly mix of yellow and green. Multiple smirking mouths began popping up all over his arms, chest and legs. All of the mouths, including Dirk's original one, opened and revealed baseball bats covered in nails where the tongues belonged.

"Go out with me already, or die you foolish woman!" Dirk's mouths all shouted. The mouths stuck out their nail bats, and the bats began swinging at Cerissa and Doug. Cerissa shoved Doug out of the way, then stood in an attack pose. She then waved one hand over her body, covering it with her mage robe.

"Covering up that body just to tease me?" Dirk's mouths snarled.

"A monster like you has no right to look at me, but that isn't the only reason." Cerissa explained. "My robe makes my spells stronger, and keeps hits from hurting me as much too."

"Blah blah blah, don't care, over it!" Dirk taunted, projecting the nail bats out of his mouths at Cerissa.

Cerissa leaped back out of range of the attacks, then fired a fiery blast from her fingers at Dirk. Dirk cried out in pain as the bats were all ablaze, and Cerissa followed up by blasting him with a lightning blast. Dirk winced, and Cerissa continued by shooting a burst of water out of her fingers that had the same intensity as a fire hose, dousing her overwhelmed foe. Dirk was no longer able to fight after the barrage of Cerissa's magic, but she had one more spell to use. Cerissa summoned a snake that enveloped itself completely around Dirk before it bit his neck. The snake vanished, and as Dirk fell unconscious into the sand, his body returned to a normal human form.

*****

Cerissa helped Doug bring Dirk's sleeping body back to the home that the brothers shared. Cerissa sensed that Doug needed a diversion, so she invited him to join her at the beach for the rest of the day. The pair spent the rest of the day swimming, snacking on burgers and ice cream from the snack bar, and joining a group in a game of volleyball. Doug looked like he was having fun with the various beach activities, but Cerissa could tell that he also harbored deep despair in his heart.

The evening had arrived, but Cerissa and Doug were still warm and comfortable in their swimsuits. They both rested side by side on their beach towels, looking up at the starry sky and taking in the sounds of the ocean surf.

"It's all my fault." Doug said sadly. "If I had kept a better eye on him, he wouldn't have become so far gone."

"It isn't your fault Doug." Cerissa said reassuringly. "He is a grown man that made his own decisions. Even so, he is a victim like many of the others I have encountered in my travels. Someone is turning people into monsters, and the only way I have been able to change them back is by putting them into a deep sleep. Thanks to the magic, they will stay healthy and alive in that state until I awaken them. Unfortunately, if I wake up anyone that is under that spell, they will become a monster again."

"When I first saw you, I had no idea you were an all powerful mage!" Doug said, perking up. "You really are amazing!"

"Thank you, but you're giving me too much credit." Cerissa responded politely. "I do know quite a bit of magic, but I am definitely not all powerful. After casting a fair amount of spells, I become exhausted and need rest before I can use magic again. Honestly, I was one spell away from passing out in the fight against your brother."

"You are beautiful, powerful, and humble." Doug responded. "If you don't mind, may I ask more about your story?"

"Actually, I really don't know." Cerissa replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I know my name and I know that I am a mage, but that's about it. A powerful warlock erased the rest of my memories, and I have been trying to find him. I have a feeling he is also causing the monster transformations, and if I can track him down I am hoping to not only get my memories back, but also cure the monster mutations happening all over the place."

"I wish I could do something to help you." Doug said. "Dirk and I lost our parents, and I have been responsible for him since I was 18. I really wanted to try and reach him, get him to want to be a kinder person to others, especially women. You're fighting monsters and warlocks, and I can't even handle my little brother...."

"You'll get your chance Doug, I promise." Cerissa said with resolve. "I will find a way to save everyone suffering from these monster mutations, including Dirk. And for the record, you have helped me. Since losing my memory, I have kept people at a distance. You are the first person I have opened up to about my situation, and I feel much lighter after talking to you. So you're better than you give yourself credit for Doug."

"For what it's worth, you really are incredible Cerissa." Doug said. "When you find what you're looking for and succeed in your mission, I don't suppose you would like to get together again, maybe see if we could become more than friends?"

"Well, you certainly have more tact than your brother." Cerissa said chuckling, Doug joining her in laughter. "I will consider it, but at the very least I will vow this to you: I will save your brother, and give you the chance to be the hero in his life that he needs. Better days are coming for all of us, I promise...."