"…but surely woman rose from the frothy sea, as resplendent as Aphrodite on her scalloped chariot."

― Margot Datz, A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids

Sinbad's arms flailed as he reached for the surface in vain. Even if he was a sailor, he was no match for a mermaid underwater.

Pulling out the small dagger he kept at his waist, he swung for the tail undulating by his head. He knew he met his mark when the hand grasping his ankle fell away, and he kicked with all his might. Up, up! His thoughts latched onto that one word as he pushed and pulled the water to take him back to the surface.

But then her fingers were in his hair, clawing for his throat, and this time he was being pushed down to the rough coral at the ocean's bottom. He swung again with his dagger and she jerked his head roughly to the side. His shoulders made contact with the rough and fragile coral, the broken ends digging into his back. Black spots danced across his eyes. He needed air. He felt his body slowly become less and less responsive. His lungs burned and he fought the desperate urge to breathe.

The mermaid pulled back when he stopped fighting, her figure blurred.

He barely felt the soft pressure against his lips before he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

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Kougyoku hadn't meant to kill him. Even now, as she dragged him through the water, she worried her lip and wondered if he truly was dead. If he lived on the surface he probably couldn't breathe underwater…

Okay, so she'd meant to kill him a little. But not until he'd attacked her with that knife! She had just wanted to rough him up a little, let him know that when a princess asked for his help he damn well helped!

Now what was she supposed to do? She couldn't take him back to the palace - her brothers would rip him apart. She wouldn't take him back to that large floating…thing. She wanted to study him. Ask him questions about his world. Imagine the look on Kouen's face when she knew more about the surface than even he did!

She watched an eel slither out of its hole as their shadows passed over it…That's it!

Kougyoku wanted to smack herself for not thinking of that place sooner. It might take a little more convincing to let her keep him there, but she would be less likely to kill him on sight.

Adjusting her course, she sped on with her prey in tow. Coral gave way to rocks. Rocks gave way to sand. And there, just on the other side of the Trench, was her destination.

Vinea's Dungeon…