The dragon palace was on the seabed far offshore from the city wall. Otohime had packed a satchel of essentials, including a dagger and some fish, before setting off. She had already lost so much time before she received news of her father. She had to bring him back and retrieve the treasure of the ocean from the humans.
The water grew darker and was filled with dirt that had been disturbed by trawling fishing nets. She saw one pass by her with thousands of squirming and desperate fish already caught in it. She dodged out the way before her tail could get trapped in it.
Looking up at the large metal walls, Otohime couldn't see a way to pass them. There were large spinning turbines under the water which would mangle her body or trap her fins. She surfaced and saw that the wall carried on up way above the sea level. They were completely smooth. She had no chance of climbing up them either.
She dived below the water again. There had to be a way for her to enter the city safely. Another ship passed her by, spewing more sand up in its wake. They must need a lot of food for the people to have so many fishing boats. Otohime swam back towards the net, then into its mouth, letting herself fall onto the other fish.
Otohime smiled to herself. She would just walk in like any other human. More fish filled the net, and as the water grew darker the net was eventually pulled up onto the deck. Still covered by the fish she transformed into her human form. Her horns shrank back into her head and the scales peeled off her body. She was left naked except for the long black hair that covered her face.
The net was emptied out onto the deck. She slid out on top of the fish, feeling them slap and flip against her. She lay still. The air was cold and she heard someone walk over to the catch. “Hoori, get over here!” they shouted. “There's a woman in the net!”
Another set of footsteps approached. The two men pushed the fish out of the way until they could both kneel next to her. She felt warm fingers softly touch her neck. “She's cold, but I can feel a faint pulse,” the new man said. “Go fetch some blankets from below deck.”
The other sailor scurried off. Otohime opened her eyes slowly, making sure to hit him with her most vulnerable and beseeching look. “Where am I?” she asked, pursing her lips slightly.
“You’re on my fishing boat,” he said. “You came up in the net.” The other man came rushing back and offered a blanket, which Hoori wrapped around Otohime. “Can you check the catch today, then take us back into the harbour?” he asked the young sailor.
“No problem, Captain. Leave it to me.”
Hoori lifted her up off the deck and carried her into the cabin. He lay her down on one of the small beds. “Why were you in the ocean? You're not a mermaid, are you?”
Otohime knew of these women. Ama, they were called. They were divers who collected shellfish off the seabed. With her naked body, she did look the part. “Yes, I am,” she said. “I think my cord got cut and I got washed into your net.”
“You're lucky we caught you. You could have died if you’d stayed in the ocean much longer.”
The other sailor came into the room holding her satchel. “I found this in with the fish. Is it yours, miss?” he asked.
“Ah! Thank you. Yes, that is mine. I'm glad I didn't lose it.” He brought it over and placed it on the small bedside table. He smiled shyly before running back up the stairs.
Otohime pulled the blanket around her tighter. “When I was pulled away by the tide I was sure I would be killed by the dragon,” she said with a shiver.
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Hoori smiled at her. “You don't need to worry about that any more. Ryujin has been killed,” he said triumphantly.
She had suspected as much. She feigned joyous surprise and asked, “But how?”
“A fleet of ships harpooned it and brought it inside the walls to finish it off. The sea will be a much safer place from now on.”
“And what of the treasure of the ocean? Did Ryujin have that as well?”
“I think it is being held in the city at the moment. Apparently there is a princess due to succeed Ryujin.”
“Is she a dragon as well?”
“Some say she is. Others say–”
The younger sailor's voice called down the stairs: “Just coming to the gate now, Captain. I'll need your help anchoring her.”
Hoori nodded and got up. “Will you be okay down here?”
“I think I can walk. If it's okay, I'd like the see the city as we sail in.”
He thought about it for a second, before extending his hand to help her up. They walked above deck and he directed her to a small bench. Hoori set to work with the other man to direct the boat. The gate blocked all sight of the city from the outside, stretching between two great cliffs, all protecting the bay within. On the deck she could hear the whirring of the turbines, but it was cut off by a loud groaning as the gates opened outwards to receive them.
The first thing she saw was the great hall upon the highest peak of the city. That was where the President lived, and most likely where the treasure was being kept. The rest of the city seemed to climb up the cliffs. It was all made of either stone or metal, in various shades of grey and orange. Smoke dirtied the air and under that she could smell decay.
“I will take you to my house and we can get you some clothes, okay? Then we can look at trying to get you home again,” he called back to her.
She nodded and watched as he secured the boat to one of the bollards. He placed the gangway down and beckoned for her to cross first. The ship rocked gently and it made the wooden plank move up and down. She put her foot down and shakily walked down onto the dock.
Hoori and the other sailor followed after her, not batting an eyelid at the unstable walkway. They embraced each other and agreed when they would met the next day.
A drizzle started to patter down onto the cobbled streets as they made their way up the alleys. It wasn't long before they were being pelted with rain and the roads had small streams of dirty water washing down towards the bay. The small blanket was soaked through and clung to Otohime’s skin.
The streets darkened and lamps began to flicker to life, except with no flames. “What are they?” Otohime asked.
“They’re just street lamps,” he said. “We power them with electricity generated from the sea.”
She stared into the flat light, waiting for it to flicker like a normal flame would, but it stayed steady. “You can create light with this electricity, but can it do anything else?” she asked.
They turned again and Hoori opened the door on a small house. “It’s been used to speed up our manufacturing process,” he said. “Soon this city will be the largest exporter of metal in the entire country.”
Otohime walked into the building. It was made of metal, but on the inside it had light wood panelling and a coral coloured futon in the centre of the room. He had art hung on the walls depicting forests and mountains of brilliant greens and blues.
Hoori struck a match and lit an incense stick, letting the trails of smoke rise to the ceiling. Otohime took a deep breath and let the strong smell of chrysanthemums fill her lungs. The smog of the city hadn't managed to permeate Hoori's house.
She took a seat on the soft futon while Hoori rummaged through the wardrobe. He pulled out a komon with a thin obi and handed it to her. “This was my mother's,” he said softly. “I didn't want to get rid of it. But I thought you could wear it to cover yourself.”
She nodded and Hoori walked out the door. Otohime unwrapped the blanket and placed it on the wooden floor, before putting the komon over her shoulders. The obi was basic but it worked well enough to close the komon. It felt good to be out of the wet fabric and in fresh clothing. “I'm dressed now,” she called. “You can come back in.”
Hoori opened the door again and started brewing tea. He had a small apparatus that he placed the kettle on that began to glow. The water quickly boiled, he poured it into the tea pot and he set out two cups on the table.
“What is that thing?” Otohime asked.
“It's an electric teppan,” he said. “I can use it to cook or just heat up water.” He flicked the lever and the small griddle started to cool.
Otohime poured a cup of tea for herself and took a sip. “My father is quite an important man in my village,” she told Hoori. “If you could get me into the presidential district I should be able to find someone who will take me home.”
Hoori cradled his cup in his hands. “I'll see what I can do. We will set off after we finish our tea.”