Threatened
Held in Dimakles’ arms, you are taken away through the reef.
How could this happen? You wonder, staring about you helplessly as you are borne away. How could they just kidnap you like this, with no fear or worry, acting as if this is completely normal. With a little embarrassment, you admit to yourself that you don’t know that this isn’t normal.
Looking around, you see there is still no one around: the reef that was so lively and filled with life and motion during the day, is now as dark and dead as some city’s dark back alleys.
“What are you going to do with me?” you ask worriedly, looking toward Skander, who swims ahead of you.
Skander glances over his shoulder at you, then turns back forward again. “That depends,” he says gruffly. “For now, we are taking you back to my place, to show you to potential buyers; if there isn’t enough interest I’ll keep you there and make you work for your keep until I arrange something, possibly selling you to the Octopodes for lunch.” He throws a satisfied wicked grin over his shoulder at you, meeting your horrified gaze. “But I’m there are plenty of people who would love to have a sweet little ‘maid like you: the Sea King would love to have you for a pet. And it’s not only the Octopodes who get hungry,” he adds. He grins at you again, then turns forward once more.
“Please-” you croak. You clear your throat then start agin. “Please don’t!”
“Sorry, girl!” he shouts. “I have to recoup my expenses somehow; it’s just your luck that you’re it!” He glances once more at you over his shoulder. “If you don’t like it, you should take it up with Hermakles - or maybe you should never have taken up with him in the first place!”
You cannot hold back a helpless whimper, and tug against the seaweed rope binding your hands and tail, but the rope is strong, the knots hold firm, and Dimakles’ grip on you is as strong as steel.
He grunts and tightens his hold on you, making you whimper once more. “Be still!” he snaps.
Unlike the comforting strength of Hermakles, that felt protective to nestle against, Dimakles’ strength is harsh, uncompromising, forcing your body to bend against his as he bears you away after Skander.
The two villainous mermen bear you away, helpless to stop them; their course takes them deeper into the reef, swimming down into a broad dark trench; a few anemones are placed to show the course of the watery lane, but otherwise it is almost blind. Skander and Dimakles, however, move through the darkened waters with the ease of long practice.
They bear you around a sharp turn of the trench, then with a shout, a burly merman leaps out of a shadow and clubs Dimakles over the head with the butt of a trident: it’s Hermakles!
Written by J-B-Hickock on 27 December 2014
