d behind his tail. The container had started out half-filled with seawater, ye

t every drop of seawa

ck to swallow. Soon after, he coughed and e

e crystalline glow. There was no mistaking it

only stare

ly how a merman

out of his mouth. Could she r

tasteless roasted meat from earlier came rushing back

She neede

him without hesitati

able as he looked at her, and his reply was quiet but fir

to the God of All Beasts for Joshua. Even so, he had been tr

g her teeth, she took off the necklace and reopened the newly formed

Almost at once, the dark color began to lighten, spreading outward as though purple ink w

ight flecks seemed to spark to life inside

tightened so much that no words came out, while his hand slowly lifted and stopped sh

drops remained. If she gave him nine more drops, th

mark. Hope briefly brightened his expres

ing, but nine more still st

finally seemed to collect himself and

the fresh cut on her fingertip acci

s pain shot

up her arm. Hannah jerked her hand away,

and caught it before i

ithout thinking, she lifted her injured fi

ore force, leaving a deeper cut than before. After the salt touched

hing she could wrap around it. But all she

ogressed beyond using animal hides ye

enly hit her, and a painful s

ck suffering for it. She had to endure everyone's hatred and offered her own

breath, suppressed the tears threatening to spill, and waved them away. "All

mouth. Something briefly shifted in his gaze, but he eventu

heir sake. Yet she hadn't screamed at them, complained

er they normally used for storing salt. Soon afterward,

on the animal hides, holding her injured fing

ing. The cut still pulsed with a dull sting,

they despised her.

ter. Scales ripped from f

hem so deeply that forgetting was impossible. Bu

n into this. But now, she had to carry all the hatr

ecame scorching hot. The heat felt like burning coal agai

n instinct. Her bleeding fingertip brush

seen force seemed to seize her consciousness and drag it away. He

ell was th

red some strange enclosed space. Thick white mist filled everything

didn't seem very large, perhaps around fifty square

some kind of po

excitement surged through her so strongly tha

er... had there been a hidden porta

lood somehow

verything. Life in this strange world

her awareness once again. When she was certain the p

she had been earlier. The necklace against her chest felt perfectly

om every angle. Even the blood she had smeared across i

f the neatly folded animal hides nearby and tried

t crossed her head, t

ck. A second later, it dropped g

ually

with delight, but she quickly c

ould let those future

ng her father, the portable sanctuary could become he

decent animal hides, gathered some wild fruit, and took a portion of the sal

of the better supplies. If anyone noticed something missing later, they

she felt a sense of security she hadn't

g day finally catch up with her. Her eyes

the dried grass, curled into a ball,

ther, broke every bond tying her to the others, and even en

ly entered the cave. A tall figure approache

he bent down and slowly wrapped o