4 3. The Boat Ride

"How long until we reach the Baldur continent?" I asked her.

After getting into the boat and managing to leave the merfolk island behind unnoticed, I asked her a few questions, one of which was her destination.

Baldur, was her answer. Apparently it's the closest continent from where we were, also happened to be the most likely place she'd find her human mother.

"Seven days and nights, if the keraks don't tire out."

The boat was being pulled at an impressive speed by a pair of red coloured human-sized sea horses. Plus, they had teeth.

"When do you plan on telling me that you aren't of this world?" She raised a curious eyebrow.

I pulled my gun out and aimed it at her. She knew too much. That could jeopardize my mission.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I guess that's a weapon meant to kill, but you're on water. My terrain. You don't think I can summon more keraks, or other sea creatures to my aid, who as we speak are right below this boat?"

I kept the barrell aimed at her, "When did you know?"

"I don't know how you managed to learn our language so fast, even the herb you consumed isn't capable of raising comprehension by that much, but... the clothes you're wearing, the direction you came from, and most importantly your willingness to remain in a mermaid's presence without being under the influence of our spell."

"Explain," I demanded. The clothes I understood, and even the direction... that's where things from the Bermuda Triangle got teleported to... but the last clue, not quite.

"Mermaids aren't creatures one should exactly trust. Since what we eat is meat... but as we despise eating creatures of the water, and since humans incapable of magic are the easiest prey... also the tastiest according to other mermaids."

"You've never consumed human meat?" I lowered my gun.

"No," she looked into the distance, to where we were heading, "they make me wonder of what my mother might think of me if I ever did."

"You've met her?"

"Sadly no, halflings like me aren't allowed to leave the island."

She kept making circles with her finger on the boat, "What about you? You don't seem to be one of those who were accidentally drawn to the island from your world. Your eyes are too focused for that."

I lay down the gun and leaned back, "I'm on a mission. To gather information about your world and what it's like."

"Sounds like an adventure. I can help," she smiled brilliantly.

"Well then, can I have a few drops of your blood?" I tried to say casually.

"Is that a weird fetish of yours?" She cocked her head to the side, "Do you always ask any half naked women you see for their blood?"

That got me laughing.

"When you put it that way, I guess that does sound pretty perverted."

She bit her thumb and it started to bleed, "Don't ever make this request of anyone again. It would be seen as though you're challenging them to a duel because you wish to see them bleed."

I opened my mouth wide and she let a few drops fall.

'Identifying the fauna...

Specie: Mer

Extracting DNA information...

Extracted.'

'Kaiju, display the information.'

'Specie: Mer

Blood Type: O-

Strength: 500

Agility: 800

Abilities: Can breathe underwater, Can speak to sea and ocean creatures, can hypnotize via voice.

More abilities cannot be identified.'

Huh?