Vera draped a silk sheet over me just as Kai prepared to whisk me away from the back of the stage, while Zelig approached with the carriage. I let out a groan, itching to toss the fabric aside; every spot it brushed against felt like a thousand tiny stings, my entire body ablaze with discomfort.
"Stay strong for a bit longer. We'll have you back home soon, and I'll run a warm bath for you to relax in while I handle the preparations for our journey. Trust me, I've got everything under control. Nothing will go wrong on my watch."
I let out a small whine but stubbornly kept that torturous sheet draped over me as if I were donning fabric over a nasty sunburn. His cool lips brushed against my forehead, and I realized that I must be running a fever.
"Why is she so hot?" said Kai.
"Normally she would be in the water to go through this transition. The extra heat is part of the process, but as things are now she's far too hot. Quickly get back to your home and prepare," said Vera.
I experienced a gentle bump, and suddenly, I found myself back in the carriage, making our way to his place. Moments later, I was outside again, the sun blazing down, turning my skin into a desert. I felt so dry and scratchy!
"What's wrong with her?"
"Who are you and why did you follow us?"
"I mentioned to Perla that I would be attending her ceremony today, but then you unexpectedly took off with her," said Milo
"Ah, I understand now; you're the person she spoke of. You are no longer required," Kai stated.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not needed here; seek out another female."
"If she feels like saying that, she can just let me know directly," said Milo.
"I don't have the time to waste on a feeble little male crafting fox. You're not in a position to engage with her or to ask anything. Step aside before I force you to, as I'm far too occupied to handle you at the moment. You can stay out of trouble for now, but don't push your luck. I didn't earn my rank for no reason."
"Fluffy," I mumbled.
"Of course, I'm right here! Is there something you need? How can I help you today?"
"Need water and lotion. So dry."
"Of course! I'll grab my best lotion and be right back with it for you." Without hesitation, Milo hurried off.
Kai watched him with a furrowed brow before gently placing Perla on the bed and filling the deep tub with water. To his surprise, Milo was back sooner than expected, lotion in hand, and Kai eagerly accepted it from him.
"That's enough," he said, slamming the door right in his face. Yet, to Kai's surprise, he didn't just walk away after delivering the lotion. Instead, he plopped himself down on General Kai's porch, wearing a look of concern that lingered for hours. He even made a quick trip to fetch some chilled melon as a thoughtful gesture to help cool her off.
General Kai let out a resigned sigh, realizing that the only way to shake Milo off would be to confront him directly. But even then, he doubted the guy would take the hint. After all, his female was simply irresistible, and while he could use some strong males to guard her, having a savvy merchant and crafty fellow in their ranks wouldn't hurt either. With another heavy sigh, he swung the door open, only to find Milo anxiously waiting on the other side.
"Very well! You may enter, but keep in mind that everything you encounter here is highly confidential—no discussions outside these walls, no exceptions. To ensure you're on board, you'll need to adopt the role of her loyal servant immediately. I'm allowing this because I could use a reliable set of hands. However, let me be clear: do not even think about trying to get any eggs from her. I'll be the first to receive those, and believe me, I have to wait as well because she insists she's not ready yet. No pressure is permitted!"
"I could never imagine that. Just being near her would make me really happy," said Milo.
"That's good then. She's not in the best frame of mind at the moment, but you won't be able to ask any questions until you take on the role of her servant male. As her current lead male, I can approve a servant male for her."
She lay sprawled on the bed, completely out of it, while he used the tip of his claw to prick her finger, letting a single drop of her blood fall onto Milo. In that moment, a shadowy glow enveloped the room, leaving behind a delicate gray pawprint on Milo's fur. This mark, however, was fleeting; it would vanish unless she decided to make him hers. It was a sign of a servant male.
"You are now temporarily part of the family and as part, you should know that our female is a mermaid going through her first shift. I need you to bring one of your carriages around after filling it with supplies that we'll need to stay out of town for a week. We need to take her to a secluded place that she can swim."
Milo's eyes widened to saucers, and his complexion drained to a ghostly pallor as the gravity of their predicament sank in. Mermen were notoriously protective of their females, and with their legendary beastkin status and formidable magical abilities, they could be downright lethal.
"I have a piece of land in Starwood Shade where I've set up a lovely pool of water to grow high mana herbs for selling. Occasionally, I do have trouble with monsters getting a bit too close to my herbs, but I've placed wards to keep them at bay. As long as they're not too strong, she should be fine there, especially with both of us keeping an eye on her—though I know you'll be doing most of the watching," said Milo.
Kai thought for a moment and then shook his head in agreement. "We're leaving with Zelig and Fidel. Go let them know."
"Alright!" Milo ran off to go get them and just a little while later they came back with Elara in tow.
"Why is Elara with you?" said Kai to the males.
"Instead of asking them, you should ask me," said Elara.
"Alright Peewee, what are you doing here?" Kia smirked at her.
"Wherever she goes, I'm right there with her. You're the one who brought us together, so it's totally your fault we became best friends!"
"Are you sure you're not just trying to avoid the Female Snatching Ritual?" Kia said and smirked.
"This is serious stuff. Do you really want some random male I don't even know, who's so eager for a mate that he'd go along with a ritual that's both cruel and just sad? I'm not cool with being snatched up by some stranger; I want to make my own choices in life and pick my own male when I feel ready. What if the male who grabs me is abusive or takes me off to another village, and I end up never seeing my family and friends again?"
"It's the rule of the tribe, you know that."
"All I need to do is find a new tribe or a male I like who accepts me as I am. You wouldn't want me to be stuck feeling unhappy forever, right?"
"It's clear that we have your best interests at heart, and while we don't wish for anything less than the best for you, there's a chance you might encounter an exceptional man who will treat you in ways you never thought possible."
"What if I ended up in a situation where a male just wanted to use me to churn out a bunch of eggs? He might think he's got the right to keep me all to himself, hiding me away and making me lay eggs non-stop until I can't take it anymore. It's hard to know how a female is treated once she's moved to a different village. I never planned on leaving Duarte Village to mate. Do you and my dear brothers really want to see me taken away like that?"
I opened my eyes and saw the tub full of lovely water. Soon I stripped off my clothing, stumbled over to it, and climbed in. After soaking in the bath, which had cooled my fever, I started to regain my senses and caught snippets of their conversation. What a ghastly and savage tradition! It made me curious about what other dreadful customs they might have. There was absolutely no way I was going to be whisked away to live with a bunch of unfamiliar men without having another woman around to help me navigate what was deemed normal and acceptable. Elara was my only female ally in this strange world, and she had stood by me more than once even in our short friendship. No chance I was letting her go, especially not to face some grim fate!
"Wherever I go, Elara is coming with me!" They burst into the room, clearly startled by my outburst, only to find me lounging in the tub. "Turn around!"
"We're mates though," Kai said while pouting but he quickly turned around nonetheless.
"When the moment comes that I decide to let you catch a glimpse of me in my birthday suit, trust me, you'll know!" I exclaimed, my cheeks flushing with warmth that had absolutely nothing to do with being feverish.
"Hey Kai, maybe you should've hung out with females a bit more instead of just being on the battlefields. You're not exactly the smoothest male around."
"While that might be the norm in your culture, in mine, females have the freedom to select their mates without any pressure. I'm not leaving without Elara by my side; she's my emotional anchor. I refuse to let some random male swoop in and snatch her up without her permission. So, if you're planning on taking me somewhere, I'll allow it, but you'll need to include Elara in the mix!"
"We can't afford to waste time debating this. We need to leave immediately. If she can secure permission from the village, I'll arrange for one of her brothers to come and get her later."
"That's quite the amusing fantasy, but not quite! If you're planning to whisk me away, you'll need to bring Elara along for the ride otherwise, I'm not going."
"I appreciate your feelings, but I must stand my ground on this matter. This is not how we operate within our tribe. The Miko has made her decision, and we cannot bend the rules for anyone, no matter how much we might wish to."
I laughed. "You can say you're going to be firm all you want but you'll soon learn that I can also be just as stubborn as you are. Do you really want to fight with me over this? You won't gain any points from me acting that way. If you try to take me out of this village against my will, I will yell the mountain down, screaming that I'm being kidnapped."
"We have to get you out of here immediately. You're transforming into a mermaid, and it's crucial for your well-being that you swim."
"I know."
"You know that you're a mermaid?!"
"Well, yeah."
He rubbed the area between his brows thoughtfully. "So you're aware that you're a mermaid, yet you're still prepared to put yourself at risk of being found out just to have things your way?"
"What risk? I know that you'll make the decision that will best keep me safe and happy," I said with a smirk.
He sighed while looking at the smug look on my face.
Coming Next Time: Starwood Shade and Offer