Chapter 5:

Mantis Forest

Ariel

Ariel swam through the warm seawater, her red hair flowing freely behind her, her tail beating through the still sea causing currents to ripple through the water. The sea was her home and she loved being in the water, but she also enjoyed being up on the surface, floating on the water with the Sun beating down on her, the cool ocean air flowing over her wet skin and shimmering tail. Now, she had another place she enjoyed being as well.

Elsa is so wonderful! Who knew my prince would turn out to be such a pleasant, wonderful, and beautiful young woman. Ariel grinned as she thought of her new blonde friend. I hope I can find something deserving of Elsa. She certainly deserves something more than just the plain mackerel and tuna fish swimming around here.

The Sun's warm glow beat down on the water and caused it to sparkle all around the young mermaid. Fish darted out of Ariel's way as she made her way through the water. A pod of dolphins swam overhead, their silvery bodies glimmering against the sunlight. Ariel noticed that she had swum a long distance from Elsa's boat. It had to have been almost an hour since she left, Ariel figured. She had foraged the seabed for clamshells large enough for her breasts, but all of the nice ones were too small. The ones that were large enough had been cracked or broken already.

As Ariel continued her search for a clamshell, her stomach rumbled. She had managed to catch a mackerel earlier after capsizing Elsa’s boat, but that single fish hadn’t been enough to satiate her hunger for too long.

The further she dived, the glow from the surface dissipated. Up ahead, a thick forest of kelp rose from the bottom of the seabed. She stopped and thought about turning back and just telling Elsa that she couldn't find anything suitable for her bust. Why Elsa was so embarrassed at seeing her bare-breasted was beyond her.

But she gets so embarrassed seeing them. It makes no sense. They're just breasts. We use them to feed our babies. Don't humans use theirs for similar functions? Maybe their breasts are strictly for show? Maybe they can't use them for feeding? Ariel pondered the thought. Eric had seemed to really like her breasts, especially during sex. He had even suckled from them just like a baby. Humans truly are weird.

Hovering idly over the forest, Ariel stared down into the thick kelp. It was dark, pitch black. The kelp had risen this high in the sea to gather sunlight for nourishment; otherwise, Ariel was sure there wouldn't have been a forest here. Even at the bottom of the ocean, life still depended on the sunlight. Ariel decided to continue her adventure and she made her way into the green, underwater forest.

As she descended, the kelp forest grew thicker, turning the bright sea into a dark abyss. Her dark-sea vision enabled her to see everything below her clearly. With the water darkening, fewer fish darted away from Ariel. She certainly had the upper hand if she were to opt for fish for lunch.

Ariel descended further, still. Though her stomach was reminding her more often of her growing hunger, finding a large enough clamshell that she could crack open and use as cups for a new bra was first on her small list of priorities.

As Ariel reached the floor of the underwater forest, her tail beat against the seabed kicking up dirt and dust along with mollusks and shrimp. She plucked a shrimp from the water and shoved it in her mouth. Shrimp had always been her favorite and it was always so plentiful and easy to find. She grinned as a shiver went down her spine. Eating one little shrimp won't spoil my appetite. She plucked another shrimp from the dirt cloud and shoved it in her mouth. Eating another shouldn’t hurt, either.

The dirt cloud settled as did the floating mollusks and shrimp. Looking ahead of her, she noticed several large rocks between the gangly stalks of kelp all with algae growing on them. There were also several clams and mussels and empty shells sitting on the seabed, but still there were none that would fit Ariel's breasts. She hovered over the seabed, with her hands on the seafloor pulling her along while her tailfin slithered through the water like a snake.

As Ariel inched her way through the thick forest, she came across a conch shell that was slightly larger than her hand. She picked it up and marveled at it. It was smooth on the surface with several sharp, pointed spires near its apex. It was masked in a green hue due to her dark-sea vision, but considering most conch shells were beautiful when in direct light, she had no reason to believe that this conch was any different. I wonder if Elsa would like this? I bet it’s pretty just like her. Ariel’s cheeks prickled with heat. She turned over the conch and fingered the opening, finding that it was empty inside. She can hold it up to her ear and listen to the sea tell her its secrets, Ariel thought as she put the conch near her ear.

At first the conch was silent, but then it whispered, "She's the Queen." Ariel furrowed her brow. She pulled the conch away and stared at it. "Who's the Queen? I'm not a queen." Ariel put the conch next to her ear again, but unfortunately it was quiet this time. She shrugged off the conch shell's message and holding it in her hand, she continued her search for her clamshells.

Ariel made her way through the green underwater foliage—the slick, smooth kelp leaves tickling her belly and her tail as she swam. Knowing she would need something to tie the clamshells together when making her bra, Ariel moved over to a stalk of kelp—a stipe—and broke it off near its base. She stripped the long, narrow stipe of its leaves and then wrapped it around her hand so it wouldn't dangle behind her, possibly getting caught on something. She continued swimming through the kelp forest, admiring the forest as a whole.

A plethora of thick, lush seaweed covered the seabed. Algae covered almost everything at the bottom of the sea. Sea urchins of all colors, Ariel imagined as everything was green to her in the dark, lived anywhere they could and fish swam alongside Ariel, unafraid of what they couldn't see. Starfish rested on the algae-covered rocks at the seabed casually awaiting their next meals as several octopi had settled themselves in the dirt, hoping the mermaid wasn't craving cephalopods for dinner. Ariel passed over the sea creatures, though, despite the incessant growling of her stomach, staying focused with her mission.

She swam a little further until her attention was seized by the sound of a loud pop! She recognized the sound almost immediately. The only thing in the water to make such a loud popping noise like that was the very thing she loved to eat most—shrimp. Unfortunately, this wasn't any normal shrimp. Based on the loud pop, Ariel knew right away what this was.

A mantis shrimp.

Ariel darted between troves of seaweed, following the sound. She found the shrimp laying in a barren part of the forest with a large shell in its grasp. She perked up at seeing the shell. It was possible that it would fit her breasts, but she needed to inspect it closer.

Not wanting to startle the mantis shrimp, she nestled herself in the green seaweeds all around her. She didn’t want to make any sudden movements as the current could alert the shrimp of her presence. She grabbed hold of a thick stalk of seaweed, her eyes following the large shrimp as it tapped at the clamshell with its claws.

It was facing the opposite direction as Ariel so she wasn't concerned with it seeing her. If she had to guess, it was probably as long as her forearm, if not longer. It was most definitely wider than her forearm, which meant that she wasn't dealing with a young mantis. On top of that, being surrounded by the darkness didn't bother mantis shrimp either. Like Ariel, mantis shrimp could see in the dark. If she went at it unprepared, she would certainly lose the fight and the shell—and possibly her life.

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Ariel remembered hearing stories of other merfolk trying to take on adult-sized mantis shrimp with deadly results. She had always been told to never get in a tail-to-claw fight with mantis shrimp should she ever come across one, because their best tactics when dealing with merfolk were to pierce the merfolk's skin or scaly tails with their claws, which were used for spearing, stunning, and dismembering prey or as an act of defense, causing the merfolk to bleed and then the shrimp would burrow under the seabed and wait for something larger like a shark to come along and finish off the injured merfolk. Ariel's best chance at surviving this encounter was to use distance to her advantage.

Growing up as the youngest of six older sisters, Ariel had oftentimes been the center of her sisters' bullying. Aquata, the unofficial sporty sister, had eventually taken pity on Ariel and had taught her how to physically defend herself. As time went on, Ariel and Aquata had grown closer—though not in the same way that Attina and Andrina had grown closer—and Ariel learned a few tricks when it came to self-defense, and not just from defending herself against her sisters, but from defending herself against predators as well. Being an avid explorer, despite Father's disapproval, Ariel had learned all that Aquata had taught her and had really helped when it came to keeping herself safe.

The mantis shrimp cracked its claws at the shell again, attempting to smash it open. If the shrimp was successful, Ariel would be without a suitable shell to wear should it prove to be large enough for her breasts. She could always continue swimming through the forest in hopes of finding another shell, but larger ones that fit Ariel comfortably were harder to find. She needed to get the shell away from the shrimp quickly before it destroyed it.

For as much as Ariel loved to eat shrimp, she had never dared to take on a mantis shrimp before. Today would be that day, though. Not only could she possibly get her bra, but Elsa was hungry and delivering a mantis shrimp to her would surely show Elsa just how much Ariel admired her. When other merfolk would take their dates out to eat on romantic evenings, mantis shrimp was considered a prime showing of affection because mantis shrimp are so deadly to acquire, thus making them rare and pricey. Ariel pondered for a moment.

Am I seriously considering delivering a mantis shrimp to Elsa? Ariel's heart fluttered in her chest, causing a warm tingling feeling to disperse through her body and into her tail. She giggled as the tingling sent a shiver down her spine. I'm just being friendly. It's a friendly gesture. Elsa will understand. Ariel grinned.

Laying low in the kelp, Ariel thought about how she should approach this situation. Going in with melee attacks was obviously not ideal or smart. Feeling the bound stipe tighten around her clenched fist brought an idea to mind. With the seaweed wrapped in one hand and the conch shell in the other, Ariel realized she could use what she had learned from Aquata growing up to make a makeshift flail.

Aquata had taught Ariel how to wrangle seahorses using the stipe of seaweed and turning the stipes into lassos. It just may actually work, she thought. Besides, it's just one mantis. She unwound the stipe from around her hand and tied one end around the conch. She tied the stipe in a double knot and swung the weapon above her head, the conch not coming loose. It wasn't a lasso, but hopefully she could use it in a similar fashion. I've already saved a beautiful young woman; I might as well do something else great today.

Unfortunately, the currents caused by the swinging of her newly-crafted weapon alerted the mantis shrimp of Ariel's presence. The shrimp let loose of the clamshell, quickly turning toward Ariel, readying itself to put up a defense. Thinking fast, Ariel swam out of the foliage and swiped her hand through the dirt of the seabed, blinding the shrimp in a cloud of dirt and debris. She swung her conch flail through the water and brought it down hard where the shrimp had been. When the dirt and dust settled, the shrimp was gone as was the clamshell.

Ariel's eyes widened with panic. Where'd it go? "Where did it go?" she screamed, voicing her thoughts. She dropped to the seabed and began digging through the dirt, aware of how dangerous this could be should she come in direct contact with the shrimp's claws. Dirt and dust plumed in the water behind her as she dug. Suddenly, the seabed gave way as Ariel unearthed a whole nest of mantis shrimp. She shrieked and beat her tail, lifting herself away from the claws of the striking shrimp.

The shrimp propelled themselves into the water swimming after the panicked mermaid. Ariel shrieked again. She swung the conch flail and hit one of the mantis shrimp, knocking it against an algae-covered rock, its hard exoskeleton cracking. More and more shrimp swam at Ariel. She did her best to put up a fight, but with her flail she was only able to strike one shrimp at a time. Thinking on her fin, Ariel used her best asset: her tail.

Ariel flipped onto her back and began beating her tail with ferocity. It was a maneuver that Aquata had taught her to keep opponents at bay. The currents she caused knocked the shrimp back, dispersing them. She swung her weapon above her head and aimed at an oncoming mantis. The conch crashed into the shrimp, a loud crack ringing through the water as the shrimp's exoskeleton cracked upon impact. It sank to the seabed and Ariel's small victory was short-lived as more shrimp made their way toward her.

She focused on taking out one shrimp at a time while darting around them and through the seaweed. Soon the many shrimp that she had unearthed became only a few. Her tail was growing tired and despite the currents that it was creating, she was forced to stop beating it. Her heart beating in her chest and her chest and cheeks flushed, she swung her weapon again and hit another shrimp. Ariel surveyed the nest roughly two fathoms below her and noticed the clamshell she had wanted, unprotected and just sitting in the dirt. With only a few shrimp left alive, Ariel decided to try and out swim them.

She grabbed the conch hanging at the end of her flail and beat her tail against the water. With several shrimp coming at her, she darted forward, narrowly missing the shrimps' claws. They turned toward Ariel and made their way back to the nest. Fortunately, for Ariel, she proved to be quicker than the deadly shrimp. She grabbed the shell, holding it between her left arm and her left breast and then grabbed one of the carcasses of the mantis shrimp. For Elsa, she thought.

With her hands now full, she quickly made her way out of the destroyed nest and back into the kelp forest. The shrimp followed Ariel as quickly as they could. She darted around several troves of thick seaweed and then settled to the floor of the forest, finding a hiding spot under a large, fuzzy, algae-encrusted boulder. She remained silent and still for several minutes unsure of whether the other mantis shrimps had followed her or not. As she poked her head out from under the rock, she noticed the water was clear and calm. All danger seemed to be gone, so she came out and rested upon the fuzzy boulder.

Ariel pulled the clamshell from between her arm and chest and stared at it. It was green in the dark, and while it had a few cracks from the mantis shrimp beating at it, it appeared perfectly suitable to wear. Ariel dug her fingernails into the clamshell and pried it open. Inside was the soft tissue that made the clam what it was. Ariel dug into it with her nails and ripped it out.

She studied the meat in her hand. I don't want to ruin my appetite, especially since I have this delectable mantis shrimp for Elsa and me. Ariel shoved the clam meat in her mouth and ate it. No sense in wasting it though. Plus, that fight burned away the other two shrimp I had eaten earlier so it all equals out, right? Ariel swallowed the clam meat. Right.

She pulled the clam apart, tearing it from its hinge. Holding both pieces of the shell in her hands, she held it up to her breasts. They fit perfectly, more so than the old clamshell bra she had from when she was a teenager. Ariel took the stipe that was knotted around the conch shell and chewed it free. She sat it down on the boulder and then proceeded to tie the two halves of the clamshells together until she had a bra. She tied the stipe behind her back and positioned her breasts comfortably inside the shells.

Staring down at her chest, she sighed. She enjoyed being bare-breasted, but for whatever reason it seemed to fluster Elsa. They're just breasts. Then again, remembering her time as a human, everyone always covered up. It was a human thing that Ariel never understood, and an odd human thing at that. She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the conch shell and the dead mantis shrimp. For Elsa, she thought once again.

As Ariel lifted herself from the rock, she noticed a wooden sign similar in design to that of a human's that had been attached to one of the kelp trees. She swam over to it and carved into the wooden sign were words written in Merl—the language native to all merfolk. The sign read, 'Mantis Forest. Beware of the Mantis Queen and watch out for her nests. Enter at your own risk.'

Ariel tilted her head and furrowed her brows. "Mantis Queen?" she thought aloud. What's a Mantis Queen? She held up the shrimp she currently had with her. "Are you the Mantis Queen?" Ariel grinned. "Well, your majesty, you're about to become mermaid and human food. I hope you enjoyed your reign!"

Feeling victorious, Ariel beat her tail, ascending to the surface with the conch shell in one hand and the shrimp carcass in the other. It was going to be a long swim back to Elsa, but dinner would certainly prove to be worth it.