Day 13
More ancient ruins around us. They seem to be carved out of rock, rather than built. Were they always down here? Made by sea creatures? It seems more likely than a city being torn from the shore and toppling down here intact...
I'm currently with Charybdis. She's thirteen foot tall, quite flushed from our last round of hide the tentacle and walking along next to me.
The city is lit by glowing crystals that are part of the rock walls of the buildings.
As we enter the city we meet a variety of fish and more exotic creatures...
OH! Mermaids! … and their less appreciated male counterparts.
An armed Merman is approaching slowly... He's breathing heavily and exposing himself to me...
It is kind of creepy... his eyes are wide open and he seems excited... in more ways than one...
Oh wait... its a trident.
Charybdis is looking at me with an amused expression.
“Is it your first time meeting a Merman? I had almost forgotten how shocking it is for humans... They never get over the fact he is half-man and half-fish but in the opposite way to mermaids...” [Charie]
“At least you know you didn't cause the erection, because I'm here.” [Charie]
“I certainly hope that is the case...” [Squid]
“Halt, Surface Dweller and Stranger.” [Manfish]
“Surface Dweller? Have I been forgotten already?” [Charie]
“They'll remember in time... for now shall we take this slowly?” [Squid]
“By orders of the Council of Elders all entry into the city is canceled, indefinitely.” [Manfish]
“We... ah... have an appointment with the Council.” [Squid]
The grouper head looks at us closely. He waves a hand and a bookish mermaid in glasses swims over with a clipboard.
“Are you with the delegation for the prevention of cruelty to coral polyps?” [Merwoman]
“Hell yes, we are!” [Squid]
“You're lying. You aren't polite enough.” [Merwoman]
Charybdis smirks slightly.
“It was a joke...” [Squid]
“Hmm. All right then. Please keep your jokes to yourself.” [Merwoman] “Lets see then... are you with the whale protection movement?”
“No... my friend Francis would starve if it came into effect.” [Squid]
“Are you with SOS?” [Merwoman looking disgusted]
“'SOS'?” [Squid]
“The Save Our Sharks fund?” [Merwoman]
“No. Screw those guys.” [Squid]
“Are you with SQUID?” [Merwoman]
“Yes, I am a squid.” [Squid]
“No I meant... the Society for the Quarantining and Undermining of Inferior Dolphinkind?” [Merwoman]
“Why the heck does that name even exist?” [Squid]
“They liked the acronym.” [Merwoman Dryly]
“Then yes I am.” [Squid]
“Tch... I have to welcome your kind. Your appointment is at eleven. If it were up to me I'd have the guards spear you... scum...” She mutters swimming away.
The merman glares at us, with open disgust as we enter. Charybdis walks as I glide toward the large central building.
Charybdis is laughing though...
“Who the heck do they think I represent?!” [Squid]
“Some league of sea creatures banding together to hunt down any and all dolphin related creatures...” [Charie]
“... I don't have much of a grudge against dolphins, I mean I only killed one of them with a spear...” [Squid]
“Monster!” A merwoman swimming next to me exclaims.
“These SQUID guys... they almost sound like Nazis...” [Squid]
“Who are Nazis?” [Charie]
“Some ass-holes who dumped all their hate on minority groups and murdered as many as they could catch...” [Squid]
“Then you are correct. That does sound like SQUID.” [Charie]
“Oh? Damn...” [Squid] “There goes my good name and the reputation of my species too...”
“No need to worry. We can just kill them later.” [Charie]
“Yeah... I think I'll be looking forward to it.” [Squid]
We enter the large building and walk up to the main desk to be greeted with...
“Welcome to The Hospital of the Abyss, how may we help you?” [Receptionist]
“Uh... wrong building? We were looking for the Council of Elders...” [Squid]
“Oh yes, you are very wrong... look for the tower. That's where you need to be.” [Receptionist]
An eel swims past us up to the receptionist's desk.
“I... uh... I have... fin rot...” [Embarrassed Moray Eel]
“Cause?” [Receptionist]
“Uh... sex... I mean improper contact with a seawitch...” [Eel]
“Ok, the doctor fish will see you now.” [Receptionist trying to be professional]
The eel leaves.
“Freak.” [Receptionist]
Ignoring the perversions of other... less attractive creatures... we head toward the far end of town, aiming at the spire of rock.
We pass through an open water market.
Hey... I'm getting glares.
I come closer to a stall, stocked with sea-urchins. Yes, the spiky kind, not the Oliver Twist kind. At least I hope not, they look tasty.
“We don't serve your kind here, thief!” [Shop owner Barracuda]
“Is it all the arms?” [Squid]
“Yes, beat it, robber!” [Rude Barracuda]
Is this what it is like to be a Gypsy? Look at all this baseless hatred...
As we leave I eat the urchin my arms took like an apple. Charybdis looks at me strangely.
“What? It was expected of me to steal, so I stole. Ipso facto.” [Squid] “Besides, he bugged me.”
“You're very petty...” [Charie]
“Says the woman who was going to eat him and his stall like a grape for a bad attitude.” [Squid]
“Oh... you noticed.” [Charie]
“You really think you haven't already shown me that particular expression? You nearly ate that gate guard too...” [Squid]
“They were obstructions.” [Charie]
“I think you are cutting to the heart of matters in a rush. Take your time, experiment. You've got forever to try out endless variations of approach.” [Squid]
We reach the tower and a pair of guards block our entrance.
I'm about to introduce myself when Charie simply bludgeons them into the ground like rag-dolls.
She responds to my accusing stare.
“I didn't kill them. For me that is a novel idea.” [Charie]
Word is spreading... there are several dozen guards circling and more are running here.
Sigh.
“Well no more subtlety then.” [Squid]
I build a cage of ice around the city.
That got their attention.
I hold out my arms and seal the dome, enclosing the city completely in transparent permafrost.
“This is my city now. Drop your weapons. Bring out your leaders and scholars. Resist and you will all suffocate.” [Squid]
The soldiers hesitate, but remain armed.
“So can you live without fresh water?” I ask Charybdis.
“I need nothing, food, water or air.” [Charie]
“Oh, well then we can be as slow as we like. They'll surrender sooner or later. Until then...” [Squid]
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I spend my time massaging her breasts in full view of the crowd.
Charybdis couldn't care less if they were there or not. They were just plankton to her.
“Ehem...” [Older Merman]
I just have to tease a little more here and...
“Ahnnn...” [Charie]
“AHEM!” [Irritated Merman]
“What? Can't you see we're busy here. Come back in an hour if you can still breathe by then.” [Squid]
The fish faced old man... I don't even want to go into details about his wrinkly junk flopping on the current... is looking quite surprised by the lack of importance he has to us.
“You asked for us.” [Defensive, Important Merman]
“So? You aren't more important to me than the mother of my children, y'know.” [Squid]
“Teehee...” [Charie]
“Did you really just giggle like a schoolgirl?!” [Squid]
“I was just so happy... it happened...” [Charie]
“Anyway, look fish-face... bugger off. Come back when you have all the council and learned fish of the city... maybe then I'll pay attention. Till then you aren't worth shit.” [Squid]
“But... but... no one will come at the behest of a squid...” [Merman]
“You heard him, run and get them or I'll eat your city for a snack.” Charybdis added, lying on the sandy sea floor with her gaze locked on me. She glanced up at the old merman. “I am Charybdis, this is my trench, this is our city and this squid is my husband. Do as we say or be doomed.”
Merpeople fled screaming.
The name was enough. The threat was above and beyond.
“You're beautiful when you're angry for me...” [Squid]
“Then I shall endeavor to threaten and destroy for only you...” [Charie]
This all seems to be getting pretty heavy...
Gotta be a man about this relationship...
I screw my courage to the sticking point... and tell her.
“I don't want to spoil the mood but there are other women who want to be with me... I have feelings for them but if you want I shall be exclusively yours.” [Squid]
“No, no husband. I do not care for whom you dally with as long as you remain mine.” [Charie]
“You don't care?!” [Squid]
“No, you and I are nearly eternal... why must I care for a few mortals? Your brief trysts would be over in mere decades... you and I... are forever.” [Charie]
“Well there is a siren sea-elf, formerly a siren queen...” [Squid]
“Hmm... very well, she will be your consort. Her pedigree is high enough for that. We cannot have a second-rate concubine around you...” [Charie] “But she answers to me.”
Well... I can't see her really putting up a fight against a titan... if she was open-minded enough to accept...
“If she agrees then it is settled... until then... shall we indulge in each other? I promise you, as long as you do not harm the others then I will be with you forever. On my life.” [Squid]
“I will hold you to it. Hmph. I am a little miffed but it is natural a demigod has many suitors. However I will accept no other but you.” [Charie] “I will kill all of them if you forget me...”
“Yes, I promise. No NTR between the two of us. I hate that stuff.” [Squid]
“You and your strange terms...” [Charie] “But the meaning is sweet.”
“You understood the term?!” [Squid]
“I have skills that allow me to distil understanding from even the most obscure terms and hear all that transpires in my presence. Your god did not know this.” [Charie]
“...but why didn't he know? He looks at my skills and changes them at will.” [Squid]
“Not true, he is not allowed that amount of freedom. For a skill of any power the system has to allow it, the Goddess of Wisdom has to allow it and finally the god of the sea gets veto power... for one out of three.” [Charie]
“So all this time he has only been able to allow or disallow?” [Squid]
“It is still quite impressive that even with his hatred you are so strong... you must have significant power being constantly pushed at you. I'd say, you have someone else trying to push you to the top. Gods and politics. There is no end.” [Charie]
“Excuse our interruption kind lady and gentle master... we have all assembled at your order.” [Elderly Mermaid]
“Oh, very well then. Lets get this farce over. The earthquakes that began recently. What is the cause and who is responsible?” [Squid]
The council conferred for a while and a few historians added to the discussion as I fondled Charybdis some more.
“We have a theory about the earthquakes that is based upon old writings.” A young researcher of antiquities began to explain. “A seal has been broken and a creature has been freed. However we don't know how to reach the creature or why it is now free.”
“God of the damn sea... most likely... so why can't we reach it? I was told the source was near us.” [Squid]
“Well that is the tricky part... we are the nearest to it because it is several miles below us.” [Mermaid]
I looked down at the sea floor at the bottom of the abyss. Below us?
Oh. Crap.
It is crawling around in the magma between the continental plates.
How the hell do I get there without being roasted?!
“The current prevailing theory is that this creature now seeks to break through to the surface, by following existing volcanic vents.” [Mermaid]
“You mean it is going to exit through an island volcano? Like the one on the nearby island chain?” [Squid]
“Quite possibly that specific volcano, unless it takes a wrong turn and exits from an underwater vent.” [Mermaid]
“What kind of creature is this?” [Squid]
“Salamandra, the immortal hydra of fire.” [Mermaid looks frightened]
“I know him!” [Charie] “I ate five of his heads before he gave up trying to boil me alive. Don't you worry too much Husband... he won't last long before our combined might.”
“Even if, for the sake of argument, being trapped down there made him a lot more powerful?” [Squid]
“Hmm... he evaporated lakes and walked on seabed as the ocean turned to steam around him. I think if he were stronger... the world would be over soon.” [Charie]
“Great. What else can go wrong...” [Squid]
Due to your actions the Villagers of Hurna Hama and outlying settlements will be captured, enslaved and killed within seven hours. This will breach your duties as temporary god and negate your future placement within the pantheon.
“What the hell did I do to cause this?!” [Squid]
What we learned this chapter:
Scary woman is scary.
Hydras and volcanoes and gods oh my!
Squid has a good aptitude for theft. He already steals hearts...
What we didn't see:
Yumi prepared to face a strong opponent leaves to pursue her chosen star...
Encounters a bull shark and tries to fight by windmilling her arms and shutting her eyes.
Opens them to find a dead shark and celebrates as she swims away.
The ninja squid quietly slips the shark a few dozen reef fish as it lies there.