Shaska woke up the next morning, tears still clinging to her cheeks as she lay in the small room she once shared with Korla. She stretched her arms and looked around, but there was no sign of her sister. The events of the previous day rushed back, from the joy of the light show to the terror of Korla’s fight with Rackham. Her thoughts spiraled, wondering if her sister was alive or had been kidnapped, or worse, sold to the surface as a slave.

But, through the swirling emotions in her mind, one thought stood at the front, almost shamefully loud.

"I need another cigar..."

The craving gnawed at her. Maybe it was the taste that lingered, or the brief escape of the nicotine rush that it had provided from her crumbling life. She swam quietly out of her room, passing her parents, who were passed out drunk on the couch after another night of yelling and violence. Her black eye throbbed as she slipped into their room and began searching through drawers and cabinets. After a few minutes of digging, she found her prize: a small stash of waterproof cigars hidden in the back of a drawer, alongside a box of matches.

She smiled to herself. She had seen her father sell these for a lot of money back when tobacco was legal. And then an idea crept into her mind.

"When Daddy sold these, he made a lot of money... Maybe... I could sell them too? That way I could get some food without having to steal it or hunt for it myself!"

That was all it took. Grabbing a handful of cigars and stuffing them into her dress, Shaska swam toward downtown Tunabyr. She kept to the alleys, staying in the shadows where she wouldn’t draw attention. The people who came through these alleys, homeless, desperate, hungry, weren’t going to ask many questions. If anything, the fact that it was a little girl offering illegal cigars made the deal more enticing. Shaska didn’t know the first thing about pricing, but even at five piscos a cigar, she managed to sell five of them.

Twenty-five piscos in hand, she made her way to the place she had dreamed of all night: the Tuna Tuna Bistro.

She walked in and sat alone, her black eye drawing more attention than she realized as she ordered a clam pizza. When the waitress brought the check, she stared at Shaska with a look of both pity and concern.

"Uh… Miss? Where are your parents?" the waitress asked gently.

“I... I don’t have parents...” Shaska lied, her voice barely a whisper.

The waitress’s face softened immediately. “You poor thing...”

She turned and walked toward the back of the restaurant. Shaska saw her speaking with a man in a fine suit, who soon came out to greet her. He was tall, blue-skinned, and his hair was perfectly coiffed, a stark contrast to the grime and sadness of Shaska’s life.

“Hello there, little one,” he said in a smooth voice. “What’s your name?”

Shaska shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Shaska,” she mumbled.

“Well, Shaska, my name’s Anders, and I’m the manager and proprietor of this establishment. Can I ask where you got the money to pay for your meal?”

She instinctively pressed her chest, where she had hidden the remaining cigars. “Uh... I found it...” she muttered, trying not to make eye contact.

Anders' brow furrowed. “Shaska, we don’t serve criminals here. You need to come back with some clean money next time.”

“Clean? But it’s not muddy or anything,” Shaska replied, clearly confused.

Harvis sighed, realizing the child didn’t understand the concept. “Shaska... what are you hiding?”

For a moment, Shaska thought she could lie again, but the words caught in her throat. Slowly, she pulled out the cigars she had tucked away.

“Shaska! Tobacco is illegal! Where did you get these?” Anders asked, his voice a mix of surprise and disappointment.

Tears welled up in her eyes again as she stood to run, but Anders stopped her with a soft grip on her arm. “Wait... listen, I can help you.”

Shaska froze. No adult had ever said that to her. She looked up, confused.

“All the waitresses here... they’ve had hard lives too, like you. I helped them get back on their feet, and I can help you. How old are you, Shaska?”

“Nine,” she muttered.

Anders shook his head in disbelief. “Nine years old, and already wrapped up in black market dealings...” He thought for a moment. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You can work in the back for now, washing dishes. If you stay out of trouble until you’re older, say sixteen, you can work up front as a waitress. That way, you won’t have to be afraid of the police.”

“Really?” Shaska asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

Anders nodded. “Really. You’ll be safe here. And you’ll get free meals, too. You’re a growing girl, after all.”

Tears of relief welled up in Shaska’s eyes as she smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. “Thank you, Mr. Harvis...”

She left the restaurant with her heart feeling lighter, though the weight of her situation hadn’t disappeared entirely.

Two of the waitresses standing in the back exchanged nervous glances.

“Only nine and he’s… Serenicus…” one of them muttered, disgusted.

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Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, which turned into years. Shaska saw neither hide nor hair of Korla, and dealt with constant beatings from her drunkard parents. She stayed away from the main part of Anglerfish Heights for fear of running into Rackham again. But still, she held a grudge against him for whatever had happened to Korla. She made a promise to herself that she would get stronger so she could beat him and find out exactly what happened to her sister that day.

In the time between her meeting with Anders and her sixteenth birthday, Shaska spent much of her time in the forest on the outskirts of Tunabyr. She practiced her Aether mastery by challenging sea creatures (which she usually ate) and punching down trees with her bare hands. In the afternoon, she would head downtown to the Tuna Tuna Bistro to wash dishes and have dinner, then head back to her ramshackle apartment in Anglerfish Heights for the night. By that point, her parents didn’t really care where she went, and were mostly focused on hating each other.

When Shaska was thirteen, the beatings her parents gave her stopped, because they were too weak to hurt her anymore due to her Aether training. It also helped that she was seven feet tall at that point, towering over her father. She fully emancipated herself and moved to the forest full time, still making daily trips downtown to work and eat.

Finally, Shaska’s sixteenth birthday rolled around, and she spent it with the friends she made at the restaurant. Anders even got her a special cake for the occasion.

“My… she’s filled out quite nicely…” he thought as he eyed her rather large chest.

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Shaska moved into a complex of apartments not too far from the restaurant, paid for with the money she earned from her job as a waitress, plus some extra from Anders. Waitress training went smoothly, and she became a popular waitress at the establishment due to her beauty, even among the other waitresses, and her… assets. There were many who wanted to be served by the eight foot tall, drop dead gorgeous merwoman.

Anders was no exception.

After a long night shift, Anders approached Shaska as she was getting her money together to turn in for the night.

“So… Shaska, how was your shift tonight?”

“Oh, Mr. Anders. It was alright. I made some decent tips,” she responded with a smile.

“Good… Good.. say, how about you and I go out for some drinks together?” Anders asked. “Just you and me.”

Shaska’s face turned dark purple. “M-Mr. Anders! I’m only sixteen!”

“It’s a friendly thing, Shaska,” Harvis said with a sly smile. “I can get you into the bar across the street. I’m friends with the owner there. Surely you’ve always wanted to try some nice hard drinks.”

Shaska thought back to how her parents were raging alcoholics. “N-no… Anders, I can’t… It wouldn’t–”

“One drink. Just one drink, Shaska,” Harvis interrupted.

“I… I suppose. I suppose one drink couldn’t hurt,” Shaska replied sheepishly.

The two went to Olaf's Aquavit Bar across the street. As they entered, Anders gave the bartender a wink, and the bartender winked back, pouring two glasses of aquavit (a strong alcoholic drink distilled from undersea potatoes) for them.

Shaska took a sip, which was small compared to her. She grimaced at the taste.

“It… It burns a lot…” she said.

Anders chuckled and said “you get used to it…”

And she did. Once a week, Anders and Shaska would go out for wine. On her days off, she would go to the forest to train some more, but she would come home to find flowers and chocolates from Anders. The two would talk for hours at night over the phone before Shaska fell asleep. Shaska was finally starting to find joy in her life again after her terrible childhood. She found herself falling for the man who took her in. And it seemed to be mutual.

That is, until one fateful day a year later.

----------------------------------------

Anders approached Shaska after her shift as usual. “You ready to go, Shaska?”

“Anders…” Shaska said, her voice incredibly heavy. “We… We need to talk. I don’t think I can go out for wine with you anymore. Could you… Come out back with me…?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Anders obliged, a worried expression on his face. The two stood together outside next to the dumpster for what felt like an eternity, until finally Shaska said what was on her mind.

“Anders…” Shaska said, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I… I… I think I’m pregnant…”

Anders, standing there with a detached expression, as if her words were no more than background noise, turned Shaska’s growing dread into a full-blown nightmare.

"Pregnant?" His voice echoed, flat and devoid of any warmth. His face twisted slightly in discomfort before he raised his hands as if to dismiss the entire situation. "Well, that’s… inconvenient."

Shaska could barely breathe. “Inconvenient? Anders, what are you talking about? This… this is real! I’m terrified!" She stammered through her tears, trying to find some remnant of the man she thought she knew. "I don’t know what to do. I thought you… cared.”

“I… see… and you’re certain it’s mine…?”

“Of course it is, Anders! You’re the only man I’ve ever been with!” Shaska declared. “Oh… Oh… Serenicus… What are we gonna do?! I’m too young to be a mom!”

“Well… this is quite awkward, then,” Anders began. “See… while we’ve been together… Well, rather, while my wife and I have been together, you were just a side dish… I’m married with a family. I can’t exactly help you here…”

Shaska’s heart ripped in half.

“W-what…? But… your… you… never wear a ring…” she stammered.

“I take it off at work. Sorry, look, I’m… gonna go now.”

“I… I…” tears were pouring down Shaska’s face. “HOW MANY OTHER WOMEN HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO?!”

“Oh, lots of them,” Anders said with a casual shrug. “The Tuna Tuna Bistro has a pretty high standard for employment, if you catch my drift. But you… you were special, Shaska. Something about you besides your pretty face and your… assets. You needed romance. Which is why it’s fitting that you’re the only one who’s gotten pregnant as a result, I suppose.”

“I… I’m keeping the baby,” Shaska said defiantly, her voice shaking but determined.

Anders chuckled, an infuriating sound that echoed in the empty alley. “Suit yourself. But you’ll be doing it alone. Here,” he said, pulling out a stack of cash. “Take this. It should be enough for... a solution. Whatever you want to do.”

The sight of the cash in his hands was the final insult. Shaska’s blood boiled, her Aether surging inside her as her anger reached its breaking point. She could hardly hear him over the pounding of her own heartbeat, but his next words pierced through like a spear.

“And by the way, you’re fired. Don’t bother coming back.”

Before she could even think, her body moved on instinct. Shaska focused all her Aether into her fist and swung with all her might. The impact sent Anders flying through the back wall of the restaurant, shattering wood and brick as he was launched across the street. The crack of the blow echoed through the empty alley.

The other waitresses peered out from the kitchen door, their eyes wide in shock, but Shaska didn’t wait for their questions or concerns. She turned and ran, her tears blurring the city around her as she dove into the water, swimming with all the speed her powerful body could muster.

She swam until her lungs burned and her muscles screamed for rest, and when she finally reached her apartment, she collapsed onto her bed. For days, Shaska curled up, unable to stop the sobs that wracked her body. The betrayal, the fear, the sheer overwhelming weight of what lay ahead… it all consumed her.

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After several days of non-stop crying, Shaska finally sat up, wiping her swollen eyes. Her face was streaked with dried tears, but something inside her had shifted. She rubbed her stomach absentmindedly, feeling the weight of reality pressing down on her.

“I... I have so much to do… but I don’t even know where to start…” she murmured, staring at the cracked ceiling of her apartment. Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. She closed her eyes, trying to summon the strength to move. “Maybe... maybe Mommy and Daddy will know what to do…"

Shaska forced herself up, swimming out of the dingy apartment and back toward the slums of Anglerfish Heights. The familiar sight of the old, ramshackle house came into view, and with it, an overwhelming sense of dread. She knocked on the door, bracing herself.

The door creaked open to reveal Astrid, her mother, who looked worse than ever. She was drunk, again, with a fresh black eye and a bottle clutched in her hand.

“H-Hi, Mommy…” Shaska greeted timidly.

Astrid sneered. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t the prodigal bitch herself…” She swayed slightly, her voice slurring. “Hey, deadbeat! Look who decided to show up again!” she shouted into the house.

Isak swam up, his expression dark. “My, my… haven’t you grown into a fine young lady,” he said mockingly, looking her up and down with disdain. “TOO BAD YOU DIDN’T LET US SEE IT HAPPEN!” he roared.

Shaska winced, her resolve crumbling, but she pushed through. “Mommy… Daddy… I just... I just wanted to let you know that you’re going to be grandparents...” She hesitated, placing a protective hand on her stomach. “I thought maybe… maybe you could help me…”

Isak burst out laughing, a harsh, bitter sound. “Help you? Pfft! I don’t see no ring on that finger!” he scoffed, narrowing his eyes at her. “Seventeen, and already knocked up? Good to know our daughter grew up to be a little whore! You’ll never marry a fine businessman with a baby hanging off you!”

Shaska recoiled, but Astrid jumped in, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. “Oh, please! Why would she even want to get married when there’s assholes like YOU in the sea?” she spat, her words dripping with venom.

Isak's face twisted with rage, and before Shaska could react, he slapped Astrid hard, sending her reeling. The familiar sounds of their violent arguments began anew, and Shaska stood there, frozen, a lump forming in her throat.

“I don’t know what I expected...” she whispered to herself, turning away from the chaos. She swam off, her heart heavy and broken.

As she left, she caught sight of the main district of Anglerfish Heights in the distance. “While I’m here… there’s still unfinished business,” she thought, a fiery determination taking hold.

With clenched fists, Shaska swam toward the seedy downtown area. As she approached, she was stopped by a hulking crab merman in a sharp black suit.

“Hold up, girl. You wanna swim in these waters, you gotta pay the toll.”

Shaska grabbed him by the collar, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Her voice was cold, filled with unshakable resolve. “Tell me where the hell Rackham is before I turn you into crab cakes.”

The crab man gulped, nodding furiously. Shaska tossed him aside, following as he led her to a dingy bar hidden away in a shadowy alley. Inside, the air was thick with the stench of booze and desperation. Crab mobsters sat around playing cards, laughing, and drinking... while bound and gagged merwomen lined the walls.

Shaska’s stomach turned at the sight. “Who are these girls?!” she shouted.

The gangsters eyed her with malicious intent, pulling out their knives. One of them stood, leering at her. “You’ve seen too much, girl. You shoulda just paid the toll and kept swimming.”

Before Shaska could respond, Rackham emerged from the shadows, his massive form imposing. He was dressed in a sleek black suit now, looking every bit the mob boss he’d become. A crooked smile spread across his face as he brandished his weapons.

“They’re free money,” he said casually, motioning to the captive women. “Young, pretty mergirls like them fetch a fortune on the surface. Virgins, in particular, can get you a good hundred thousand piscos each.”

Shaska’s blood ran cold. “So… that’s what you did to Korla?!” she demanded, her voice trembling with rage.

Rackham’s smile widened. “Korla? Oh yeah, I remember now. That brat I snatched up years ago… But names don’t matter, girlie. These girls don’t need ‘em where they’re going.”

Shaska’s heart clenched. “Korla was my sister! You kidnapped her eight years ago!”

“Your sister?” Rackham scratched his chin as if recalling a distant memory. “She made a fine slave for some rich bastard on the surface… before they got bored and fed her to a shark, I reckon,” he said with a cruel laugh.

Shaska felt the rage building inside her, her body trembling. But she couldn’t let herself lose control. Not now. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. “I know what I have to do… even if I shouldn’t do it while I’m pregnant…”

Rackham sneered. “You’ll make a fine addition to the collection yourself, girl. Young, pretty… just like the others. That rack of yours should get me an extra ten thousand easily…”

Shaska squared up, fists raised, her voice low and deadly. “I’m going to start beating you now. I don’t know when I’ll stop.”

Rackham’s laugh was guttural. “Bring it on, you feisty broad!” he shouted, thrusting his spear toward her.

Shaska dodged effortlessly, but before she could react, the other mobsters attacked. Knives flashed, but Shaska moved with fluid precision, dodging in three dimensions as they struggled to keep up with her underwater agility.

In one swift motion, she punched Rackham square in the face, her Aether-powered strike sending him flying through the wall of the bar. The mobsters gawked, stunned.

Rackham, dazed but not defeated, stumbled back inside. “Not bad… but you’re still just a woman. You might have Aether… but no potentia,” he spat, wiping blood from his lip.

Shaska’s brow furrowed. “Potentia…?”

“Like I’d tell you!” Rackham snarled. He took in a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he focused. His weapons began to multiply before Shaska’s eyes, each one shimmering with the eerie glow of Aether. “Infinitum Telum!” he bellowed.

Spears materialized and shot toward Shaska in a flurry, but she was quicker, dodging with ease. Without hesitation, she swam directly at Rackham, grabbing him around his midsection and lifting him into the water. With a grunt, she slammed him headfirst into the seabed with a powerful suplex.

“I’m not just some feisty broad,” Shaska growled, her voice low and menacing. “I’m the one who’s going to make you pay, you bastard.”

Rackham groaned in pain but managed to spit out a command to his cronies. “Don’t just stand there! Get her!”

The crab men charged forward, but something inside Shaska snapped. She held out her hands, her muscles tensing, and as she gritted her teeth, a strange voice echoed in her mind. It was unfamiliar but compelling, speaking the sacred language of the Holy Order.

“Surgit… Aqua Bulla…”

“Aqua Bulla…?” Shaska repeated, barely understanding the words, but she knew instinctively what to do.

The mobsters were nearly on her when she pulled her hands back, gathering the energy she felt bubbling beneath her skin, and then thrust them outward with all her might. A massive wave of water pressure erupted from her, blasting the gangsters back like rag dolls, sending them crashing through the opposite wall. The captive merwomen watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide with hope.

Rackham, refusing to relent, lunged at her again, but Shaska was quicker. She dodged his clumsy attempt to grab her, and when he conjured another volley of spears, she swatted them away with swift, controlled changes in the water’s pressure.

Shaska looked at her hands in disbelief, wondering exactly what happened, but Rackham followed up by conjuring a sword and trying to slash at her, which she dodged.

Focusing her energy, Shaska thrust her hand out, and with a sudden clench of her fist, the water pressure around Rackham’s legs increased dramatically, crushing them with a sickening crack. His howl of pain echoed through the water.

The other crab gangsters, dazed but not defeated, rose to their feet and charged again. Shaska, her newfound power flowing through her, intensified the pressure in the room, forcing them all to the ground. They struggled in vain, pinned by the weight of the water pressing down on them. "What in the Father Above's name...?" she wondered to herself as she pressed the gangsters into the ground.

Rackham, now barely able to stand, made one last attempt to rise, but Shaska was done playing games. She swam over with lightning speed, bringing both fists down onto his head with devastating force. He hit the floor, chin-first, struggling to lift himself again. But before he could make any further attempts, Shaska grabbed him by the throat, her grip ironclad, and began to pummel him with unrelenting fury.

“STAY! DOWN! YOU! BASTARD!” she screamed, each word punctuated by another bone-crushing punch to his face.

By the time she was done, Rackham and his men lay unconscious, their bodies broken and battered. Breathing heavily, Shaska wiped the sweat from her brow, her chest rising and falling with the effort. She quickly found the same ropes that had been used to bind the captive merwomen and used them to tie up the defeated mobsters.

The merwomen, now free, rushed to her, their eyes filled with gratitude.

“Miss… please, what’s your name?” one of them asked, her voice trembling.

“Shaska,” she replied curtly.

“Shaska… Thank you so much. What can we ever do to repay you?”

Shaska looked at the tied-up mobsters and then back at the freed women. “You can start by helping me haul these bastards in front of the king and getting some answers. I want to know why merwomen have been trafficked out of Anglerfish Heights for nearly a decade.”

The merwoman nodded. “We can do that.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Shaska added, her voice darkening. “You ever been to the Tuna Tuna Bistro downtown?”

The merwoman nodded again. “I have. It’s delicious, and the waitresses there are the prettiest in the country.”

Shaska’s face twisted in disgust as she explained her situation with Anders.

The merwoman gasped. “He… what?”

“You heard me,” Shaska said, her voice steady but filled with rage. “I just did all of this while carrying that creep’s baby. And I want him gone. He does this to all the women who work there. I’m just the first one who got pregnant as a result.”

The freed merwomen exchanged glances, their expressions hardening with resolve. “We’ll help,” one of them said. “Let’s throw these guys in jail, and then we’ll take care of that bastard Harvis. He deserves worse.”

With a firm nod, Shaska and the merwomen began the arduous task of dragging the mobsters to the palace, ready to expose the corruption that had plagued Anglerfish Heights for far too long.