Whirpool of Death

Making sure that none of us has been spotted by the Sahuagins swimming around the gigantic kelps, we return to the ship. It's possible that they are looking for the Merfolk who escaped into the lush, underwater forest during the raid, scouring the entire area for survivors. We don't yet know how the situation looks in the city at the bottom of the sea but it's easy to assume that it's under the full control of those fish bastards.

We reach the ship in just a few moments and jump onto the deck. The women gather around the three of us, awaiting the information we bring from our brief scouting trip.

"We found a city under a dome and some protective barrier. It's been breached and Sahuagins are everywhere. Most of the battalion must be still inside while some squads keep an eye on the perimeter," I explain to everyone. "This time, the battle will take place in something similar to the surface conditions since the barrier surrounding the settlement creates a giant air bubble inside. Hopefully, that inconveniences our enemies at least a bit, but it also makes a few of us weaker."

"We will manage." Neira shows a soft, confident smile. "Do we have any plan or goal?"

Meru steps forward, stopping in front of everyone. "I would suggest splitting into two or three groups and entering through three different cracks in the dome. They aren't expecting anyone to intervene so we should be able to take them by surprise. We are all able to communicate mentally so we can share our situation with each other whenever necessary."

"As for our goal, we need to figure out the situation first," Cornelia joins in, crossing her arms under her chest. "The general number of enemy soldiers, if the battle is fully finished, what is their current objective, what happened to the people living in that city, and where is the main commander."

"I agree with her." I nod, placing a hand on Cornelia's shoulder. "People are the priority. We know from the bastard we captured that they are sending women back to their main base of operations while getting rid of all the men. If we are lucky enough, the transport still hasn't departed. Finding the men alive feels like a miracle but let's keep our eyes pried for any possible hiding spots too."

"If you cause enough chaos in their ranks, the commander should make an appearance on the battlefield to see what's going on. The key to success is to not leave any messengers alive so that the information flow is as limited as possible," Lianne suggests. "I would assume that the leader is going to be in some important building they captured and are either ransacking or using it to celebrate their victory. Finding someone who could point you towards it would be great."

"I might be able to recognize an important building or two." Meru turns her calm, fierce face to me. "I visited a Merfolk settlement in the past and talked with the residents a little. If we don't succeed in finding any locals alive before we have to confront the commander and his army, I'll do my best to point us in a good direction."

"Great." I smile at her warmly and brush through her pretty hair. "Everyone knows what to do, more or less. We'll work out the details while swimming to the dome. Does anyone wish to not be part of this operation? Besides the obvious people?"

As I glance at all the girls attending this quick strategy meeting, they shake their heads and show determined expressions. Everyone is eager to deal a blow to the monsters that assaulted Meru's home and many other settlements. It looks like Cornelia, Neira, Safi, Emi, and Meru are up for the task.

"Can I go too? You said that the city is surrounded by an air bubble, right?" Lianne steps closer to me and directs her pleading eyes up at my face.

I chuckle and wrap my arms around her petite waist. "I would rather not throw people's beloved Queen into the frontlines of a war with some fish jerks. I now know that you are capable of taking care of yourself but a part of me doesn't want to accept that side of yours."

She giggles adorably and stands on her tiptoes to place a fluffy peck on my lips. "Oh, I know, I'm just so tiny and cute that your brave, manly heart wants to protect the little me from any danger. My previous husband was the same. And don't worry, I don't dislike being the devoted housewife waiting for the love of her life to return from the battlefield so that she can properly console him after everything he has gone through in his bloody battles."

Shaking my head, I join our lips in one more kiss. "I'm not going to force you into being a stay-at-home wife, though. Or is it a stay-at-ship wife? Nevertheless, I'll let you know when things calm down a little bit so that we can hunt some of those bastards together. Then, we can console each other after the battle."

A brilliant smile curls the corners of Lianne's pretty lips up. "I would love that. I'll wait patiently for your call then, dear husband."

She giggles once more and escapes my hold while leaving one last peck on my cheek.

Alyssa catches her and brings Lianne to her side, sending me a firm nod. "I'll keep an eye on her while you are gone. There's not much more we can do to help you down there so we will focus on maintaining the ship in perfect condition to get out of here if things go south. We should have some anti-fish equipment in the armoury so we will set it up and load the cannons with adequate ammunition."

The crew members gathered around us cheer in unison and get to work. Alyssa and Lianne wave at us before heading off too. Just our small strike team remains in the middle of the ship and we look between ourselves.

"I'll go with Neira," Cornelia offers. "Her magic greatly supplements mine and we should be able to overcome the lack of water inside the bubble that way. I'm honestly a little addicted to having it around for my own spells now after trying them out in the sea a bunch of times."

"We will form another group with Emi," Safi suggests.

"Yes! Emi and Safi will show Master how strong they can be!" The emerald beauty cheers.

"Alright. Then that leaves me and Meru for the last one." I glance at my quiet sharkgirl mate and receive a light nod of approval. "Let's get to it and converse mentally often. Remember, try to look for survivors or places where they could be hiding away from these barbarians."

We make some last-minute preparations and jump over the side of the ship. Until we are halfway through the kelp forest, we swim together. After we pass that point, each group picks a different path and aims for one of the visible breaches in the shield's structure. Assuming that gravity is a thing in there too, we try to locate any near the ground so that we can avoid falling from the ceiling like some crazy idiots.

I have to wait for a little with Meru before we enter the hole we've chosen because there are plenty of those bastards patrolling around. We consider getting rid of them for a moment but that could potentially catch the attention of the rest so we just stay hidden behind the aquatic foliage and wait for the perfect opportunity to slip into the settlement.

We don't have to stay idle for too long and we rush out of hiding at the very first chance we get. Finding a good opportunity, we bolt straight into the opening before the nearby Sahuagins turn around and plunge inside with a loud splash.

After getting past the peculiar barrier, we land on what looks like a street of some sort. The path is wide enough for two carriages to pass each other while driving in opposite directions. Though, I'm not sure if they do have those here.

Anyway, the road is made of neatly polished pieces of stones cut in different shapes. They all share the same palette of colours, revolving around various shades of emerald. Excluding the barrier behind our backs, there are buildings everywhere in sight, ranging from small, one-story houses to huge and tall skyscrapers. Or surfacescrapers in this case since they are aiming to reach the surface. Some of those structures almost touch the top of the dome.

As for the general style, similar emerald and jade tones dominate everything that our eyes can find. The buildings have a square or rectangular style, without sloped roofs or such. There's no need for those when it most likely never rains down here. You can still feel the humidity in the air, though, so I'm pretty sure that even if Merfolk live here in the open, they still either prefer or need proper moisture.

If I were to compare the architecture to something, I guess it would be the Aztec temples and cities, or other civilizations with a similar fashion. The homes are often doorless and windowless and we can peer inside without an issue. I'm not sure if having those elements is some sort of a status symbol or just a personal choice since I do spot some glass and what seems to be some kind of underwater wood here and there.

To keep this city from being consumed by complete darkness this deep in the sea, the people who constructed it have set up neat lampposts placed alongside the streets. They are fitted with green crystals that constantly emit a pleasant, ambient glow. We can spot a bunch of sconces and other wall-mounted torches working on the same principle closer to the buildings.

If not for the visible damage and trails of blood, this city would be truly breathtaking. I kept my expectations low since I've seen my fair share of movie and game versions of Atlantis and it was often portrayed as a highly advanced settlement when it came to technology, which was a very common reason for its existence. But, I like this ancient version much better.

Confirming that everyone else got in without any issues too, I share a glance with Meru and we begin our little infiltration. Everything went according to the plan so far and the other two duos snuck inside the shield from different directions. My lovely Slime Queens bumped into a small patrol but they dispatched the poor fellas with their acidic nature before anyone was able to raise an alarm.

"This settlement is much bigger than the one I had the pleasure to visit," Meru comments as we warily walk through the jade streets, looking around for any signs of survivors or Sahuagins.

"I have to admit, it feels massive and impressive. It might be much bigger than Evaneheim. The crystal dome is quite blurry from the outside so it was impossible to judge the size of this city properly from out there. It's so sad seeing it under siege. Thankfully, most of the buildings haven't suffered that much structural damage," I reply while admiring one of the more artistic houses.

"Homes can be rebuilt, life can't be brought back," Meru says coldly. "With no survivors, this city will become a ghost town in a flash. Sahuagins won't care about it since they prefer fully submerged environments. Merfolk are one of the races that can survive on land for a long period of time, or even live there with proper care."

"We should have hope, but also keep reality in mind. We arrived after the battle. Let's do whatever we can to find any survivors and make those bastards pay for their crimes." I step closer to the charming Nershark girl and rub Meru's back affectionately.

Just as I finish my sentence, we hear some noise from the alley ahead of us. The buildings at the corner of the intersection block our view but there's only one possibility in our current predicament and we immediately get ready for action. A group of Sahuagins walks into the open. I count seven individuals wielding different weapons. They are busy talking to each other, releasing those barely-recognizable noises and gurgles.

Meru rushes in without giving them a chance to spot us and I prepare myself to support her. Soft, gentle plops of her bare feet hitting the emerald stone tiles bounce from the walls of the nearby buildings and the patrolling squad turns towards us. But, even though she is the apex predator in the water, Meru doesn't lack speed, strength, and skill in a slightly flatter environment.

My fierce mate draws her right arm to the back while mid-sprint and tenses her muscles to their limits. Letting out a fierce grunt, she launches her weapon forward at an incredible speed. The trident hits its target so hard that it pierces through the first enemy and lodges itself in his friend behind him, taking out two of those monsters with a single attack.

Seeing the other fish guys ready themselves to intercept their ambusher, I send out my Void chains and tie up the duo that's the closest to the poor fellas that have been struck by my lover's polearm. Since we are at the bottom of the sea right now, I decide to give the restraints the shape of the kelps that we've seen so many times around the underwater city. Therefore, ominous, purplish seaweeds tie the bastards up, locking them in place.

They look at their bindings in confusion and panic. My small trick gives Meru enough time to reach their position and grab the trident. She yanks it back and spins around, decapitating the duo that I keep immobilised. As their bodies fall to the ground with no signs of life, I release the skill and take a peek at the remaining trio. They seem to have learned their lesson and spread out a bit to avoid a collateral. But, that won't help them too much.

Not wanting to leave everything to Meru, I bring out my draconic hilt while breaking into a run. I consider shaping my favourite whip with it, or perhaps go for a whip sword since their scales are durable enough to endure violent smacking, but I get a much better idea when I pass the half-point, one that fits the theme of our adventure well and retains some of the characteristics of the amazing whip.

The violet mist flows out of the dragon's open mouth and starts forming quite an unusual-looking blade. At first, it resembles a crescent moon attached to the hilt horizontally in the middle, but the side ends receive a small change and become similar to arrowheads. Soon, it finishes turning material and becomes a sizable, impressive, sharp-edged anchor.

I grab the hilt with both hands and pull it to the sides. It comes much easier to me than in the past when I struggled to split even a simple sword. In a flash, I have two of those weapons in my hands now, a scarlet and sapphire version. They feel a tad heavy but I feel like I should be able to use them properly.

Especially considering the way that I'm going to use them.

Making two strong, simultaneous swings, I send both arms forward, using the momentum I gained while running. The anchor blades detach from the hilts and fly forward. But, they aren't just launched like some random projectiles. A thick violet chain unrolls right after them with the accompaniment of pleasant, metallic clicking noise. It extends from the dragon's jaws as I hold both hilts forward.

The poor guy that I'm aiming for doesn't know what to do with himself when faced with two speeding anchors heading his way and tries to put his spear in the front to block them. Unfortunately, my weapons are way superior to whatever material was used to craft his polearm and the curved blades slice through his figure with ease, cutting him into three pieces that fall to the ground with his guts and blood spilling everywhere.

I pull on the chains and start moving again as they retract back into the hilts. Meru ducks under my blades and goes after the last two enemies. She takes both of them alone and enters a mesmerising dance of life and death while repelling their strikes and fitting her own attacks into her evasive moves. I'm sure she would have no problems taking down just two small fries but since I'm here anyway, I can make it much faster by lending her a hand.

She perceives my intentions through our bond and focuses on assaulting one of the Sahuagins. The other guy, seeing that she is now completely ignoring him, wastes no chances and takes the opportunity to get a jump on her. He raises his battleaxe high above his head and steps into Meru's blind spot from behind.

Unfortunately for him, before he manages to follow through with his planned attack, one of my anchor blades flies past his side and hits the limit of its chain, tensing the metal line up. Retaining its force, it continues moving in an arc to the left. Both Meru and her opponent jump over and under it in time but the sneaky Sahuagin fails to do so and the chain wraps itself around his body as the blade orbits him closer and closer with each lap.

Shortly before the anchor's edge impales him, I give the chain a strong wave and send my captured target high into the air. He releases what I assume is a gurgling scream of fear as he ascends to the heavens, most likely begging me to bring him down. So, I benevolently grant his request and pull on the chain with all I have.

Naturally, paired with my decently high stats, that action results in him kissing the ground with quite the ferocity and the scream cuts into silence as his entire body becomes one huge splatter on the pavement.

I might have put a little bit too much strength into that move.

The last Sahuagin gets distracted by the gruesome show of his friend turning into a bloody puddle and Meru stabs her trident into his pelvis before hoisting him up into the air too. I immediately send my other anchor after him and wrap the chain around his figure. Instead of repeating the same move again, I smack the bastard left and right, bouncing him off the nearby buildings.

After one of the hits is followed by a noticeable crunch and complete silence, I halt my actions and pull the guy back to me. His battered, bloody corpse lays on the road without moving. I might have broken his spine or something. I thought that they are a tad more durable.

Meru joins me by my side and we glance around to see if the last two haven't attracted any backup or something but the intersection stays still and quiet for a whole minute. She helps me move the slightly more complete bodies aside and we throw them into one of the houses. It will be hard not to notice the huge splatter on the road and the smaller stains on the nearby buildings but maybe these fishbrains will assume that those belong to the residents.

"I haven't seen you use those blades yet. Are they special?" Meru asks after we deal with the last body.

"You could say that." I chuckle lightly. "It's just something I thought of just now. It will give me a little bit of range while you take the front. I can single out the enemies that might want to give you a surprise from the back."

"They look heavy and hard to use." She examines one of the anchor-shaped blades from up close. "Throwing them that far is impressive."

"They are but I've wielded even heavier weapons shaped by this artefact. Though, whatever it creates according to my will, it's usually a tad lighter than the real thing," I reply. "Also, throwing and swinging aren't the only things these babies can do. When retracted just like right now, they can be used as close-quarters slashing weapons. I like their versatility."

"They are interesting, even though it wouldn't be that easy to swing them around in the water. Your ideas never cease to amaze me," Meru admits with a faint smile.

I smile back at her, a little wryly. It might be a tad complicated to explain that I borrowed this idea from a certain buff, bald dude with anger management issues on a path of vengeance and just replaced the ends of the blades with a slightly different shape. But, who knows? Maybe one day we will talk about video games from my world. They can tell an incredible story now and then.

Suddenly, the ground shakes faintly and we look around. Meru spots something first and I follow her gaze. One of the medium-high buildings gets encased in ice as sharp spikes surge about halfway up the towering structure. It's pretty obvious that some of the houses down on the ground around that building suffered a similar fate. The culprit behind it isn't that much of a mystery either.

~Everything alright?~ I reach out to Cornelia.

~Yeah. We had a little scare. Sorry about that.~ She chuckles awkwardly through the Whispers.

~What happened?~ I furrow my brows.

~They have dogs. Or rather, they have sharks with four legs and the size of a dog. A small pack of them suddenly charged at us from a side alley and I panicked. I shouldn't have lost my cool. Many must have noticed the commotion.~

Shark dogs? What the fuck?

~It's alright. The most important thing is that you girls are safe. The rest comes second,~ I try to comfort her. ~Have you managed to find anyone in your area?~

~Besides those damn fish monsters that are taking their strolls through the city left and right, no, we haven't. They weren't too cooperative either. Plus, they clearly are just grunts,~ she answers.

"We might have arrived way too late, then," Meru says while gazing into the abandoned houses in the distance.

I place a hand on her hair and ruffle through it gently. "We'll get them. They are going to pay for all the pain and suffering they brought onto your friends and all the other aquatic races. I promise."

She looks up at me and we stare at each other in silence for a moment. Then, Meru steps closer and softly hugs me from the front.

"Thank you. I wouldn't be able to do anything alone."

"That's what friends are for. And mates." I reciprocate the hug and we split after about a minute.

~Master, we might have found something,~ Safi reports in through the Whispers.

~What is it?~ I ask, a little hopeful for some good news.

~There's a big gathering in the southwestern region. Plenty of Sahuagins are surrounding the area for some reason. They keep being loud too,~ she explains.

~You might have found a celebratory party or something like that. Great. We will know where not to cause a ruckus. It would be great if we could find the commander first. Do you maybe see if any of them looks somewhat different from the rest?~

~Emi is sneaking closer while I watch her back. Are you there yet?~ Safi directs her question to both of us.

~Yes! Emi can see a lot!~ I can practically feel the enthusiastic Slime girl's wide grin. ~Master, Emi sees someone else other than the Sahuagins down there! They look similar to Master but with light blue skin! And they are kneeling!~

~Kneeling?~ I furrow my brows.

~Yes! In a few rows!~ she confirms. ~Oh! A bad guy just dragged one of the new people forward! Oh no! They cut that person's arm off! Emi thinks they are going to kill him in front of everyone!~

~Him? So he's a Merfolk man?~

~Emi thinks so. There are many like him in the middle of the crowd. There are also many who aren't breathing anymore.~

"It looks like we found the men." I turn to Meru and she nods firmly.

"I heard. What are we going to do?" she asks.

"Well, if we don't act now, they are most likely going to be executed on the spot. I don't think we have that much of a choice, right?"

"If we try to look for the females, the males might all die before we find them. Since the females have more value to the Sahuagins, I think we should try to rescue the captured males and hope that they don't do anything to the females if they notice what we are doing," Meru suggests.

"I agree. Let's break them out. We can save at least a few people."

I turn towards the direction where I can sense Safi and Emi.

~Let the others know about the situation. We are going to gather at your spot as soon as possible. Tell them to avoid confrontation close to the meeting point if they are able to. We will see you girls soon,~ I instruct them.

After receiving confirmation from my precious Slime ladies, we head out to their location. As expected, the number of patrols and other squads of enemies show up on our path almost after every single corner or turn we take. It's like they know exactly where and when to be to inconvenience us the most.

But, after about fifteen minutes of running, we reach the meeting point and notice the noise that Safi mentioned. Considering what these sick fucks are doing, they are definitely cheering on the Sahuagin who is playing the role of the executioner to be even more brutal and merciless. There's no doubt that they consider such activity as extremely entertaining and fun to spectate.

We find the side alley where everyone is hiding and regroup with Safi, Emi, Cornelia, and Neira. The last two have angry, displeased expressions on their faces. They clearly don't enjoy the show as much as the fish guys.

"What's the plan?" Neira asks.

"We need to get the captives to safety before going too hard on the fishbrains. Someone might get hurt if we start blasting them with big techniques," I answer.

"Can you create enough water to cover the pavement with it?" Cornelia turns to her.

"That depends on the distance and area that I have to cover," Neira replies. "What do you have in mind?"

"If you spread it to the other edge of this small square where they are hosting their public executions, I should be able to freeze their feet to the ground. It won't hold out for too long but it should give us enough time to clear a path to the captives," Cornelia explains.

"Emi and I can quickly transport them inside our bodies. We are decently fast in our Slime forms," Safi suggests.

"Then, Alastair and I can deal with anyone trying to stop you." Meru nods to herself.

"I'll keep the pursers at bay. You go and help them with the Merfolk. The sooner everyone is out of the square, the sooner we can go all out," I propose a slight change to that plan.

"Are you sure?" Cornelia glances at me with a slightly worried frown.

"Yeah. I have a new toy that is just perfect for an operation like this one. I'll keep them busy until you can show them what an eternal winter is." I grin at my dazzling magician wife.

"I'm starting, then." Neira sneaks up closer to the gathering and crouches down, placing her hands on the emerald tiles.

We watch her focus on the spell, and soon, water starts bubbling between her palms, flowing out of a non-existent little stream. She opens the triangle she's made with her fingers and lets the crystal-clear liquid spill towards the open square. Bit by bit, it flows faster and faster, reaching the first Sahuagins in no time.

They glance at their feet in confusion but choose to ignore the sudden leak just a moment later. We are lucky that this is an underwater city. These guys can just conveniently convince themselves that there must be a problem with the seal keeping this entire place rid of water and move on with their lives. No one should find a bit of water spilling at the bottom of the sea surprising.

After a minute, Neira exhales softly and opens her eyes. "It's ready. Most if not all of them should be touching the water."

Cornelia nods and kneels down by her side. "It's time to teach them why they should have figured out how to make shoes."

She draws a few cyan sigils in the air before slapping her palms together. Whispering a few quiet words as a chant, she slams them into the puddle between her and Neira. Her fingers flash with the same light and the water crackles softly as powerful frost begins consuming it at a rapid pace.

The ice swallows the entire shallow blanket of clear liquid in a blink and the startled Sahuagins grunt in confusion as a painfully cold frost climbs up their legs, locking them in place. The crowd quietens almost immediately and we jump right in.

I crouch down and let the running Meru jump off my back into the air. She switches her trident into the four-spoke mode and launches it right at the executor guy. The weapon smacks into him with enough power to pin the not-so-poor guy to the stone road, creating a web of cracks around the point of impact.

Until we reach the middle of the square, I slice through the frozen monsters with my blades, clearing up the way for Meru and the others. Neira and Cornelia cast some simple spells along the way, killing off one or two Sahuagins in the meanwhile. When the last few bastards fall to my deadly anchors, we burst into the centre of the interrupted show and Meru yanks her trident back from the obliterated executioner.

"We are going to take you to a safe place. Please, don't panic and trust our Slime friends," she quickly instructs the surprised Merfolk men who look at us in pure shock.

A not-so-manly squeal reaches my ears as Safi starts swallowing them into their round, bouncy body. Her Slime form is now as tall as I am and proportionally wide. She should be able to comfortably fit at least five people in her belly, which should make this so much quicker.

I leave everything to the girls and focus on the opponents everywhere around us. The front rows in the audience are still locked in place but I can spot a bunch of angry Sahuagins running our way from the back. Before they get to the middle, I toss my anchor blades into the crowd and hit two of them straight in the chest.

Then, the carnage begins.

After drawing the chains back, I start launching the anchors at any moving fishmen, taking those bastards down before they manage to free their companions or arrive close enough to threaten the safety of the rescue operation. Soon, some of the frozen individuals start breaking out and I dive into the audience to get close and personal with the unhappy spectators.

I spin around and wave my arms while keeping the chains short. The sharp blades follow my movements obediently and slice through numerous enemies, turning them into sashimi. Sometimes, one of the chains wraps around a poor guy when I accidentally miss or don't notice a person in their way, so I use the unlucky Sahuagin as a wrecking ball and knock a bunch of them over, preferably with their feet still glued to the ground, forcing their knees to bend the other way.

Dancing around the battlefield and avoiding the occasional stabs and slashes directed at me from the fiercer Sahuagins, I try to keep an eye on the ongoing evacuation. It's not that easy considering the dozens of ugly fish dudes blocking the sight but I at least know that it's going alright. None of the girls reports anything out of the ordinary so I focus on mowing down the opposition as more and more individuals free themselves from their temporary restraints.

~Get out of there! We are going to finish them all off at once!~ Cornelia's voice rings in my head and I notice that the captives are now gone.

Without further ado, I bid farewell to my dance partners by kicking the fishbrain blocking my path right in the dick and sprinting towards the presence of my beloved companions. Even before I reach the edge of the square, a loud noise of sea waves reaches my ears and I watch a giant, ferocious wall of dark water form in front of me. It rises all around the square in a circle and keeps spinning clockwise. It's not that high, reaching only to the roof of the single-story buildings.

But, the worst part comes after that.

Frost streaks appear on the surface of the swirling water and I watch multiple ice pillars form on it, extending into the middle of the encirclement. They partially shatter and I realise that they are meant to resemble curved, horizontal blades. Tens if not hundreds of them appear on the blue background, creating an unbelievably scary sight.

Before the density of the blades grows way too high, I jump through the swirling wall of water and burst out of the ice-cold shower on the other side. Waiting for that, Cornelia and Neira smack their hands together and the circle starts shrinking. Bit by bit, its diameter gets reduced, and soon, the air is filled with screams and gurgling as the sharp pillars turn the Sahuagins still inside the insane trap into minced meat.

As the water moves closer to the middle, it leaves lots of blood and slices of flesh on the ground. There are so much more of those inside the violent current, for sure. In less than thirty seconds, all the monsters who were unlucky enough to get caught in their joint spell are nothing more but pieces of their former selves.

I chuckle wryly as Cornelia and Neira drop their spell. "Now I know who to go to when I need to have my laundry done properly."

A snort escapes Cornelia's lips and I turn around to face them. All the rescued Merfolk men are looking at us in a mix of awe and fear, and I don't blame them.

Well, I only hope that they know anything about their women, and that we aren't too late to save at least some of them from a fate worse than death.

One thing is for sure.

There will be no mercy.