Merchant & Monster Girls Ch. 19

Noting Seula's move toward the descending stairs, Azalea inquired, "You're not taking the lift?"

"Too slow."

"So then how..."

The selkie grabbed a bucket, filled it with water from a barrel, and poured it down a slide on the outer curve of the stairwell.

"I... I need to prepare a few things, so I'll meet you at the b... bottom."

Azalea darted forward and grabbed onto Suela's arm as she sped away, her squeals of delight fading into the distance.

"I guess that leaves you and me to walk. Ladies first," Devin directed.

Reina took a tentative step, grabbing the railing for added security.

They descended a rough-hewn rocky shaft lit by bioluminescent lanterns on the banister.

Devin looked over the side. "Do you suppose it goes all the way to sea level?"

"Seems so. A little ironic; we climbed that hill only to have to go back down."

"At least it's warmer and dryer."

And it was, until about halfway down when Devin noticed condensation accumulating on the rockface.

"Does it feel unusually warm to you, Reina?"

"It does. Is there steam coming up from below?"

Devin removed his coat and tucked it under his arm. "Reminds me of Muddy Springs. Maybe there is a thermal spring down there."

Devin wasn't looking forward to the climb back up. He wondered if maybe he could ride Reina on the return trip. She never seemed to run out of stamina. On second thought, it's probably best not to. The stairs weren't slippery... yet, but with how steep they were, one mishap could prove disastrous.

There was another worry bothering Devin. Merport's proximity to the ocean made seafood standard fare. He wondered if there was anything plant-based for Reina to eat. While she probably wouldn't comment and eat whatever was put in front of her, he still wanted her to enjoy herself.

Seula had said not to expect too much. What did that mean? Was the food not good? Or maybe she was being overly modest.

Devin's eyes wandered. Even if the food proved mediocre, there was a consolation meal right before him -- for his eyes, anyway -- or maybe it was an appetizer. Because of the steepness of the stairs, Reina's sizable posterior was tantalizingly raised to a level he could appreciate.

Azalea's influence was rubbing off on him. He had a naughty idea. Placing a hand on her rump, he grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it. Thank Gertrude -- her design really did take everything into account. The back of Reina's dress arched upward in the middle, so it was shorter than the sides. It was a convenient feature that let the fabric fall away when she squatted to pee. It also gave him easy access.

"What are you playing at?" She said teasingly.

"Just a little eye candy before lunch."

She smirked and teasingly swished her tail to impede his view. "You might spoil your appetite."

"I can't deny that. You could be a full-course meal. Unfortunately, I've only tried the side dish." He traced his thumb along the edge of her puckered hole. "I hope to try the main course before long." With his other thumb, he stroked the velvety crease of her pussy.

"As a plant eater, are you not worried I might..." she stopped abruptly and pushed her butt against Devin's crotch, "develop an appetite for meat?"

"Regrettably, the only meat I can prepare is sausage."

"Something I've definitely grown fond of. Though seeing as I've only been sampling it cold, I wouldn't mind trying it..." she ground her butt side to side, "warmed up sometime."

"Well, until that day comes, I hope you'll build up an appetite, and I'll have to settle for this lovely presentation you've set out."

Reina exaggerated her walk, letting him indulge in her sensually swaying hips.

Devin brushed her tail to the side exposing her friendship plug, which she allowed him the privilege of pushing in every morning.

He grabbed the end and gave it a light tug. A smile played at her lips as she clenched down, pulling it back in. They played a little game of tug-of-war for a few moments. Her anus was quite muscular, something he still had a vivid memory of.

Growing tired of that, he pulled her labia to the side. Their prim neatness made him want to bury his face in there and mess it up with his tongue. After this trip, he'd start putting some serious thought into how to have sex with her without any unintended consequences.

Devin teased her all the way down to the bottom of the stairwell. It wasn't enough to get her very wet but enough to elicit appreciative hums of delight.

Seula and Azalea were already there to greet them. The selkie was sitting comfortably in another one of the wheeled devices. Even though she'd been topless since they met her, the apron she'd put on showed off her side boob, making it seem sexier than she probably intended.

More surprising, the picture on the apron was especially lewd. A mermaid with a pouty face, annoyed at her own lack of self-control, dangled from a fishing line with a dildo lure in her mouth.

Seula saw him staring, blushed, and crossed her arms to try covering it.

If she was embarrassed by it, maybe it was a joke gift someone had given her.

"Life-mate! Guess what! Guess what!?!"

Devin discreetly adjusted Reina's dress back in place and gave her a light peck on the cheek. "What, my hyper little sprite?"

"Can you believe we are actually underwater?"

"Not so m... much underwater as below sea l... level," Seula clarified.

"Come in here, Life-mate, and you'll see!" Azalea dove through an archway underneath a figurehead of two mermaids, their breasts pressed against each other, each with an arm outstretched in a welcoming gesture.

Devin let Seula go first while he and Reina walked in side-by-side.

The enclosed space was the galley way of a ship, weather-built, wrecked, or built to look wrecked. The ship's hull was merely a grand tunnel for an even more impressive sight.

They stepped out into a large, open, and steamy space. Sometime in the distant past, the relentless ocean had hollowed out a significant recess, forming a high-ceiling room. Bioluminescent chandeliers in the likeness of jellyfish demi-humans gently filled the room with a soft light. The walls were decorated with fishing tackle, pulleys, sextants, and many glass floats, an orb of glass used to keep trawls and gillnets afloat. From the ceiling hung fyke nets filled with colorful shells, conches, and many other treasures of the sea.

With tapestries of gold and red completing the theme, Devin wondered if this was what the inside of a galleon or a ship of the line looked like -- at least the façade of one.

He and Reina alighted from the last few carpeted steps that brought them to the ground floor of this ship-in-a-sea-cave.

But the natural tidal action had not made for a flat, uniform surface, and the more severe potholes were covered with planks. Devin barely avoided a dip in the pockmarked floor. "An amazing setup you have here."

Seula grabbed menus from a shelf. "My family used to live here b... before living on land p... proper."

Azalea reappeared from behind a wall. "Life-mate! Reina! Seula wanted us to sit over here for the most amazing thing you've never seen!"

By "here," Azalea meant what Devin assumed was a table. Jutting up at regular intervals along the ground were strange, four-foot diameter stony craters with water boiling in them. Thus, the source of the steam. Built alongside them, so they touched, were circular formations of a different material. A massive ship steering wheel, on its side encompassed its outer rim. Above the handled spokes was an inner shelf with containers full of ingredients, and below it an outer table and bench for customers.

"P... please sit here. I... I know shoreborn are hesitant to be without c... clothes, but feel f... free to remove them if you feel too w... warm." She took away two benches so Reina could fit. "Sorry, we don't have any p... padding. I don't think we've ever had any large demi-humans down here."

Reina knelt on the floor. "I don't mind. We appreciate your hospitality."

"Ok, now that you two are in position..." Azalea flew to the front of the room and grabbed onto a cord. Using her momentum, she yanked it, and a massive set of curtains parted.

Devin and Reina stared, stunned.

A vertical geodesic dome, reinforced with what must have been many inches, if not a foot, of glass, opened before them, providing a peek into the mysteries of the undersea world.

Azalea returned to their side. "Leaves you speechless, huh?"

Farther below their current depth twinkled many lights from a city that dwarfed the land portion of Merport. They could just make out countless aquatic demi-humans in the murky depths.

Azalea landed on the table. Assuming the role of instructor, she strutted back and forth. "All underwater demi-humans are collectively called Pelagians. They are divided into different groups based on which layer of the ocean they occupy.

"Near the surface are the Swellborne, where the Kelmari, or kelp girls, live because they are plant demi-humans and need the sun, I'd guess. Below them, where the majority of the population resides, are the Marinids. Most of them live in the city. See that upper area? That's the Sahagin district, and below it, sitting on the edge of the sea shelf, is where the merfolk live!"

Devin wished he had the spyglass right now. "It's incredible. Truly a marvel."

Reina put a hand on the little selkie. "Thank you so much for showing us this."

She twiddled her thumbs. "Y... you're welcome."

"But wait! That's not all!" Azalea ran to the far side of the table and spread her arms wide. "Below that, out in the open ocean, are the Thalassaens!"

"Who lives out there?" asked Devin.

"The Ceti -- made up of Dolphids, Whaleans, and Orcarii -- and below them, allllll the way at the bottom of the ocean, are the abyssari.

"That's b... because not many people can d... dive that deep, except maybe the Whalurians, and those that live down there don't really l... like the surface."

"How about you?"

"Me? Nonono. I c... can hold my breath a good while, but I still need air. Also, the water f... feels really, really heavy if you go too far, and it starts to h... hurt. You can get squashed if you're not c... careful."

"That's scary. I guess it's sorta the same if you fly too high. The air gets thin, and it's hard to breathe." Azalea returned to her spot between Devin and Reina and plopped down on the table. "Well, that's all the plaque over there said, unless Seula has anything else amazing to tell us?"

"Um, well, my a... aunts are actually a... abyssari."

"Really? Are they here?"

"Y... yes, one is in the kitchen. The o... other will serve you. H... here." Seula passed around the menus. "I... I'm gonna go w... wake them up."

Before turning to leave, she tossed a coin into the adjacent non-boiling caldera.

"This view alone was worth the trip."

"I agree, Herd-mate. I feel privileged to be able to see this, and it's even better we can share the experience all together."

"I agree. I'm a little sad, though. I guess I got to see my mermaids. I was just hoping for a closer look," Azalea lamented.

"I know. Maybe another time. Cheer up, though, I see what you wanted on the menu."

"Oh? Where? Where?"

Devin set his menu down and pointed.

"I can't wait! Yummy merman cummies in my tummy!"

"So, how was the trip down?" Devin asked.

"It was amazing, Life-mate! Only time I've gone that fast was when I was flying with Jeni! Miss Seula said it's how merfolk and other Pelagians get to the bottom quickly."

"Clever, but how do they get back up?"

"She said there was a room over there with a pool for them to swim out into the ocean."

Devin had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the underwater view. "Convenient if you live down there in the city. Too bad we can't use it."

Reina flipped the menu over to the back. "Probably not great for Seula if she has to hike all the way back."

"Ya, she said that's why she doesn't come down here much."

"She really went out of her way for us then. We should compensate her for going to the extra trouble." Devin noticed Reina wasn't looking at the menu anymore. "Something wrong, Reina?"

"No. Just thinking. I can guess that without a way to vent smoke, this heat vent is the best way to keep the place warm, but what about this other one?"

"I haven't a clue."

"Hmm. Doesn't it look different as well?" Azalea scooted closer. "It seems similar, but it's not rock. The texture feels funny, and it almost seems porous."

Devin scratched his chin and turned in his chair. "When you look at all of them throughout the room... don't they kinda look like a colony of acorn barnacles?"

Reina was about to look when she noticed a ripple in the water. Peering over the rim, she became aware of a head and then a face, not her own, peering back at her from underneath the surface.

She cried out and jumped back. Devin, also surprised by an unexpected woman rising out of the water, fell backward, his chair clattering to the floor.

To the three incredulous onlookers this unexpected demi-human almost rivaled Clayrissa in uniqueness. Portions of her skin, specifically the sides of her abdomen, patches of forearm, her left shoulder, and, to Azalea's disappointment, covering where her genitals would be, were made of the same material as the gray and rough yet protective tank she was standing in.

Her wide-set hips fit snuggly in a watery pool too dark to see if she was standing or kneeling.

She wore no clothes. Not that she needed them; her nippleless breasts, if they could be classified as such, were on the small side yet perky enough to lightly bounce when she moved. She had no belly button, either.

"Oh, goodness! Are you ok, sir? Mrs.?"

Reina helped Devin up, and they retook their seats. "We're ok. It was probably rude of me to go looking where I shouldn't have."

"No, no, this is Seula's fault." The woman sighed. "That girl! I don't know if she doesn't mention me because she forgets or does it on purpose to prank first-timers.

"She doesn't seem like the type to pull a joke on someone." Devin Remarked

"You're right, probably the former then."

"Azalea, don't be rude," Reina chided.

"Oh, was I staring? I'm sorry."

"Don't be! I'm flattered! I'm not very colorful compared to other demi-humans." She made a pose. "If you like what you see, look to your eyes content! In fact, I want to also express how excited I am to be serving you! I don't receive many opportunities to meet shoreborne inlanders, and if you'll allow me, I want to know as much about you all while you're here!"

The fairy cheered up. "Really? I would love to learn more about you, too! I have so many questions!"

"Delightful. Then perhaps we can satisfy both our cravings for knowledge. If I could be so bold as to go first. Are you, perchance, a fairy?"

"She's the fairest of fairies," Devin interjected proudly.

Azalea beamed the biggest smile.

"My, my, sounds like Mr. Human here is a little biased."

"Of course, he is. He's my life-mate!"

"Devin Ebonplume. Mrs...?"

"Oh, how neglectful of me. I'm Shellia Skeldýr, waitstaff of the Boil'n'Bubble!"

"So then, does that mean Mrs. Whitehorn..."

"I am Reina, herd-mate to these two."

"How romantic! Little Suela should take a page from your book. She's never brought a special someone home. Care to try and guess what I am?"

"Hmm, some kind of elementum?" guessed Reina.

"I don't know what that is. Try again."

Azalea scratched her chin. "Some kind of clam demi-human."

"Closer! They are our cousins. How about a clue? Have you heard of ships being pulled to the bottom of the ocean by giant whirlpools created by creatures that like to eat humans?"

"No... but then I've never been to the ocean. That sounds terrifying! Wait! Do you do that?!? Can you do that?" Azalea asked with trepidation.

"Of course not! Well, not by myself. It takes a whole group of us. A big group."

Azalea's eyes widened.

Shellia laughed. "I'm joking... partially. We can do that, but not for the purpose of eating humans or demi-humans -- or eating at all, for that matter. Imagine one afternoon, your family is playing in the water, and they accidentally create a whirlpool that capsizes a boat."

"So it was a rumor that started from that?" Devin reckoned.

"Sailors love to tell exaggerated stories, so what can you do? Anyway, that was a long time ago, and no one got hurt."

"So then you are..." Azalea begged.

"A charybdis. A type of barnacle demi-human."

"So... Suela said you're an abyssal?"

"I am, or I used to be. We usually live in colonies close to the ocean floor. I live up here now, so I guess I'm also a swellborne? Would you like something to drink? Water? Tea?" She petitioned the guests.

"Tea, please," Reina answered.

"Wonderful. We have a unique flavor called kolfr. I believe inlanders call it kelp. We had some delivered fresh yesterday, and I just dried it last night."

"I'm always in the mood to try a new tea."

"Many of the dockworkers and sailors enjoy it after a hard day's work. Replenishes their salt," Shellia added. She grabbed a teapot from her shelf and turned to look for the tin of tea leaves.

Azalea was less interested in the tea-making process and more interested in their waitress' butt. It was firm and attractive, but adding to her other physical oddities, she had no anus.

The way she partially rotated her body instead of turning around made Azalea wonder. "Miss. Skeldýr, are you, um, do you live here? I mean, are you able to move from this spot?"

"I cannot. We can only travel around when we are young. When my kind is old enough to move away from our birth home, we have to decide where we want to live. It's an unalterable decision, so we spend a long time deliberating before making a choice. My sisters and I didn't spend as much time as we would normally have. We met Seula's parents, and they told us what they wanted to do with this sea cave and offered us a place to live if we wanted to be a part of it."

"Literally a part of it," Devin proffered.

"Quite. Protection and a chance to meet new people all the time. It was too tempting an offer to pass up. We normally live near heat vents on the ocean floor."

"That explains why each of your, um, pools is next to one."

"It provides us with warmth and food."

"So your siblings live inside each of these... tables?"

"Under, but yes. They are sleeping right now."

"Oh, were you sleeping too? Sorry we had Seula wake you!" The fairy exclaimed.

"Don't even worry about that! A little sleepiness is well worth your company!"

"Is this a part of you, too?" Azalea tapped the protective white cone surrounding her.

"It's our shell. My body is quite a bit bigger under the water than what you see here. Please don't look too closely -- it's a little embarrassing."

Shellia crushed the leaves into an infuser. With a mischievous smile, the barnacle-woman placed the teapot in front of her and spread the protective shell covering her privates.

That action captured Azalea's interest, but what Shellia did next solidified her attention. A steady stream of boiling water squirted out of her body. Azalea watched wide-eyed as the teapot was filled. When the stream slowed to a trickle, the only words on Azalea's mind were, "How? Does it not burn you?"

"Just the reaction I was hoping for. I'm made of tougher stuff than you'd think, but something tells me that's not enough of an answer to satisfy you."

Azalea shook her head.

"The detailed answer is I take seawater into my body another way, and it helps regulate my temperature when I pass the hot water through."

Lowering the infuser in the water, she put the lid on and set it aside to steep. Then she looked to Devin and Reina. "You two didn't have as much of a reaction as I was hoping. Is this not the first time you've seen this?"

Devin leaned back in his chair. "Well, for the boiling water part, Azalea did a good job of expressing all our reactions, but making a drink from, um, yourself... no, it's not the first time we've seen that done."

"Herd-mate's sister owns a place that makes similar drinks. Except they are cold."

"Curious. As I understand it, shoreborne usually excrete waste from here, yes? Not so for us. This is a byproduct after we eat. We take food from the thermal vent and pass it through our body. What our body can't use is expelled elsewhere, leaving only the purest of filtered water."

Pouring the tea into a cup, she offered, "Here you are, Mrs."

"Thank you." Reina placed her lips on the rim and sipped. "Superb. May I inquire later about buying some in town?."

"Certainly. Would the rest of you like anything?"

Devin held up his hand. "No, thank you. I don't like to drink too much during meals."

"I'll have some!"

"Here you are, little lady."

"Thank you." The cup was too big and too hot for Azalea to lift, so she stood on her toes and blew on it thoughtfully.

"When you've decided on what to eat, I'll send your order along to the cook."

Devin spoke up, "I have a question before we decide. Reina is not a huge fish eater, so I was wondering what you would recommend that doesn't have meat."

"I don't want to bother our host with any unnecessary trouble, Herd-mate."

"It's not a request we normally get, but I think our cook can figure something out." Shellia dried her hands and wrote something on a strip of paper.

"I want to try roe and mil, and maybe something sweet, too!"

"Great choice! One Merport special. And for you, sir?"

"I rarely have a chance to try seafood. I'll have whatever you recommend."

"Very good. One surprise dish, one special, and one recommendation coming up!" Shellia picked up what looked like a toy boat, set it on the tiny water channel, and sent it floating off into what they guessed was the kitchen.

While they waited, Azalea and Shellia made small talk, with Reina and Devin occasionally piping in -- where they were from, what they were doing in Merport, anything else Azalea could think of that might be interesting to alleviate the sessile woman's curiosity.

Roughly thirty minutes had passed when a sultry voice wafted from the kitchen. "Shelly, I hope you haven't tired out our guests before they had a chance to take a bite."

"Pretty sure they are as hungry, if not more, from waiting for you to figure out how fire works."

Through the kitchen entrance, a mass of tentacles roiled through the door. Sitting atop the assemblage of squirming limbs was a voluptuous, middle-aged, multi-hued woman. Her body shimmered and shifted with every perceivable color, fluctuating to match whatever she touched. She wore a triangular hat that may have been part of her head, was naked except for seashells in her hair and a pearl necklace that hung low over her breasts (also without nipples) that were so large she had to keep two of her tentacles in reserve to hold them.

"This here is our part-time cook and Abyssal Epicure, Khalimarii Tinta."

The Krakkari woman drew close and wrapped her free tentacles around Shellia in a full-body hug with a focus on squeezing her breasts. "It is a pleasure and a privilege to share our culinary heritage with those from the surface world."

With a pop, Shellia detached a tray from her associate's sucker and set it in front of Reina.

With the tip of her smallest tentacle, Marii motioned to the plates, "For Mrs. Whitehorn, we have a light and salty Kelmari soup made from the shed fronds donated by our very own kelp girls. Paired with it, a salad made from salicornia, a crunchy coastal bean with a delightful snap, and pickled purslane. Neutral earthy tones to help balance out the saltiness."

Shellia placed the next tray in front of Azalea, and Marii handed her a napkin, announcing, "For the littlest lady, Merport's signature dish: sparkling roe with savory milt and a side dish of egg zushi."

Azalea rubbed her hands together excitedly.

The last tray went to Devin. Marii set a small bowl of water next to him. "And for the gentleman, raw frostfin with several dipping sauces, caught by our very own lovesome and timorous selkie, Seula."

Azalea pulled her custom-made utensils from her bag and poked the twisted, white, lumpy things. "So this is from a merman... is this what it looks like when it's, um, fresh?"

"No. It's runny when he squirts it. To get that texture and shape, I chill it and quickly pan-sear the outside to harden it. Then, I slowly warm it. You'll see why when you cut into it."

Azalea placed the knife's blade on one and sliced down. "It's just like a poached egg! It's quite beautiful the way the creamy white center oozes out over the red roe."

"I'm happy you noticed! There are other colors, but I think red is the prettiest. I also don't like to add too much spice, so you can fully appreciate the raw flavor."

"Just the way I like my white foods." Azalea looked at Devin and licked her lips. "As close to the original flavor as possible."

Scooping the creamy eggs onto her spoon, she took a bite. Her wings fluttered while a series of delighted noises escaped her throat. She swallowed with unmistakable satisfaction. "The cream has the same consistency as egg custard! Its light sweetness goes perfectly with the salty eggs!"

"I'm delighted to hear you enjoy it!"

"Does it have a name?"

"I call it hjóndon. Loosely translated, it means something like 'married couple dish.' It's usually eaten at weddings as a symbol of a fruitful life if you get my meaning," Khalimarii teased.

Devin, encouraged by Azalea's review of her food, dug into his own dish. "Any special way to eat this?"

"No. Some use a fork, but some just use their hands. If you'd like, you could try the original creator's method."

She pulled out two thin sticks from one of the metal tins. "You hold them like this and squeeze the ends together."

She handed them to Devin to try.

After a few fruitless attempts, he surrendered. "You made it look easy."

"It takes some practice."

"Maybe I'll stick with a fork."

Reina wiped her mouth daintily. "You said the original creator. Does that mean this isn't your creation?"

"Correct. All three of your dishes, while not exactly from the same city, are actually dishes from across the sea."

"Really?" Devin dipped the sliced fish into one of the flavorings and ate it.

"Yes, a historical event made it popular. Would you like to hear it?"

"Do tell."

"You may or may not know, but Merport is technically the oldest settlement in the north -- the underwater portion, that is. Long ago, when our ancestors arrived here, the aquatic demi-humans spread out up and down the coast. One group settled here. It wasn't until later that land dwellers expanded far enough, and the land portion of the city was built.

"Not long after its founding, a shipwreck occurred somewhere at sea.

Fortunately, the merfolk noticed and were able to rescue the crew. I didn't live here when it happened, but Shelli did and can tell you more.

"Because of how large of a group the crew was, they had to be split up and lodged to whoever was offering. Seula's parents had just begun construction of this place so they were able to house three of them.

"They were an exotic lot with black hair and sharp features. Surprisingly, they spoke something very similar to the human tongue but heavily accented and used many foreign words. With enough time, though, we learned to communicate well enough. They said they were from far, far across the sea. They were explorers who were caught in a storm and wrecked on the shoals to the west.

"Their people were also a seafaring civilization, and so, with our shared dependence on the ocean, they taught us a bit about their culture and even were able to share some of their food that hadn't spoiled.

"Mr. Ebonplume's raw fish was one of their common dishes. There are many variations in how they eat it, but their preferred method is to lay it atop a bed of a white grain they grow in their country, pressed together. They call it zushi.

"They were able to salvage a few barrels of that grain, but it eventually ran out. Unfortunately, our cold climate and short growing season made it unsuitable for cultivation."

Azalea asked, "What happened to those people?"

"They stayed for a few years but eventually grew homesick. So they were given a boat to try to return home."

"Did they?"

"Don't know. We never heard. I'd like to believe they did make it."

They talked a while longer while enjoying their food, but time crept up on them. Khalimarii noticed and addressed it. "Suela, dear, can you come out here, please?"

The selkie crept out of the kitchen.

"Are you familiar with why the Ebonplumes are here?"

"Y... yes."

"They don't know how to get to the cannery. Could you show them?"

"W... what about the f... fish?"

Khalimarii waved her hand dismissively. "I'll finish that for you."

"Yes! Pleeeeease, Suela? I want to spend as much time with you as we can!"

"R... really?"

"That's settled then. Hmm, since you have to go through the bay, maybe you can meet up with them by the town center statue."

"O... ok."

Devin thought maybe Seula was being imposed upon, but as the selkie turned, he noticed a slight smile as she hastened away.

"It'll take her some time for her to go all the way around, so you won't have to rush too much." Marii double-checked to make sure Seula was gone. "Can I also thank you personally for taking an interest in our little hermit crab of a girl? She has certain... challenges relating to people, as you probably noticed."

"No thanks necessary. She is a very sweet girl. And we are happy to expand our friend circle. Enriching each other's lives is one of the greatest benefits of friendship, and I'm happy to do so for her."

"Well said Reina."

"Thank you, Azalea"

And I'll personally make sure the "help Seula have as much fun as possible" plan goes... swimmingly!"

"I'm sure my punny little fairy will prove successful." Devin got up from the table. "How much do we owe ya."

"Don't worry about that. With how happy Seula was telling me about you in the kitchen and with all the praise you had for my cooking, it's on us."

"You are most generous. Ready, girls?"

"Yes, Herd-mate."

"I'm re-energized for more adventure, Life-mate!"

Bidding the employees of the Boil'n'Bubble farewell, they began the trek back to the surface.

---

The chill ensured a healthy layer of ice covered most of the road. They worried about getting stuck near the center of town, but Reina trotted energetically and deftly over the ice, and the return trip to Merport was a thankfully short one.

Reina neared the center of town and slowed to a stop in front of a large marble statue.

The central square wasn't very busy. Nearly all the people hurrying to escape the cold were human except for two harpies linked wing in wing.

Azalea put her hands behind her head and walked on her heels. "So this is the heart of Merport. Hey, isn't that statue the lady Seula showed us? Lady L something."

"Lady Luciana Jalokivi Tritonia ll."

"That's the one! You have a good memory, Reina."

"If I recall, you do, too."

"Ya, but not with names."

The center monument was not a simple monotone colored statue as the trio was used to seeing in Iceford. Three Tritonians, all painted in splashes of bright color, heralded the city's center.

Lady Luci matched Azalea's memory. She was the largest of the siblings, regal and commanding. "I'm guessing the other two are her sisters." Azalea flew closer. "Did they use gems for the color?!"

Devin jumped down. "I guess, when you're royalty, you can afford such things."

The second-largest sibling was similar enough to Luci that there was no denying they were related. Her outer mantle was fiery crimson with a scorched black interior and speckled with orange spots. Her skin was gray, and her hair flared out, asserting her bold presence.

The last sibling was the smallest. Posed more timidly with her hands pointed downward and folded in front of her in gentle meekness. Her bright emerald mantle was transparent, showing off her creamy white skin. She had many more tentacles on her back than the others -- fat, stubby little tendrils tipped with purple.

Devin broke the reverence. "Lunch was longer than I anticipated. I'm worried it might be too late in the day to visit the cannery, but since we are here, might as well make sure. Anyone seen Seula, yet?"

"Mmmmm..." Azalea flew high in the air. "Not yet, Life-mate. Oh wait, I see her. She's just arriving. Seula! Over here!" Azalea flew higher so the selkie could see her.

"S... sorry I'm l... late."

"We only just got here ourselves. Would you care to ride with us?" Devin offered.

"Oh, i... if you're... offering. But how?"

"Hmm. Let's see. Do you mind if I remove your devices?"

Seula let him untie them and put them in the back of the sleigh.

"I'm gonna lift you into the seat, ok?"

Before she could process what was happening, she found herself in Devin's arms. She blushed profusely and covered her face with her hands to avoid eye contact, too embarrassed to move or say anything.

Laying her across the length of the seat, Devin went around, climbed onto the driver's side, and lifted her tail so it was on his lap.

"Sorry, it's a little cramped."

"N... n... not at all. I'm h... happy for the ride!" she squeaked.

"Which way shall I go?" the Whitehorn asked.

"T... that way."

Reina set out in the direction Seula indicated.

Azalea landed on the seatback, looking down at the blushing selkie. She was extra adorable, lying there with her arms folded across her chest.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Azalea pointed at the base of her tail.

Seula shook her head.

Azalea smiled as she plopped down right underneath her slit.

"You're so warm, warmer than Life-mate's lap, and so soft." She lightly rubbed her bare bottom into the selkie's fur.

This was a level of intimacy far beyond what Seula was used to, but then, she wasn't used to being carried by a human, either.

"You're so cute when you blush," Azalea commented. She giggled as Seula blushed a deeper shade of red and pulled her hood low over her face.

Part of Azalea's reason for sitting here was just that: Seula exuded warmth, similar to Reina. The other reasons were two-fold. She would add Seula to her sketchpad of memories, and she wanted a closer look at her first selkie vulva to add to her special anatomical sketchbook.

She wondered what the inside looked like. Was it bumpy? Smooth? It was probably too rude to ask outright, but since she never bothered to cover herself, maybe it was ok to look... so she did.

Though, not to be rude, it wasn't much to look at. There wasn't anything extraneous sticking out, only a simple grayish crease where her vagina folded into her body. That was probably a good thing since anything extra might slow down an aquatic demi-human in the water.

The group watched the scenery go by. The cannery ended up being several city blocks away from the city square.

Nestled against the edge of the rocky shoreline, its dimensions were an atypical L-shape with the majority of the length extending over the bay. The sign hanging above the door didn't have a name, only the number four.

Reina parked along the road so they weren't in the way, and Devin helped Seula off the sleigh and back onto her wheeled devices.

They had to contend with a few steps, but the warm interior was worth it.

Once they entered the front door, the room was simple -- a reception desk to their right, a sitting room to the left, and a set of double doors in front of them.

Standing behind the counter was a blonde haired woman with dancing blue eyes and slim features. Her clothless physique, as they could see, was very human, but the scales delicate fins on her forearms, running down the length of her back, and a large pair where her ears should have been gave away her demi-human heritage.

"Goodness! We don't often receive such an eclectic group -- at least not all at once. How may I help you today?"

Devin promptly responded. "Good day, madam! Perchance, are you accepting orders of milt and roe?"

"We are in the middle of our collecting and packaging season. If you want it preserved, you'll have to wait till spring, but if you don't mind waiting a few days for a fresh batch, we can take a pre-order now."

"The fresher, the better."

"In that case, let me see... where are my order forms? My assistant is never around when I need her. I think they were under one of these piles. Ah, here we go. Are you all ordering or just you, sir, and are you a guild member?"

Devin looked at Seula. She shook her head.

"Just me." Devin handed her his membership plate.

After looking over his credentials, she nodded in satisfaction. "It's our delight to work in partnership with such proactive merchants like yourself, Mr. Ebonplume. Traveling far for non-seasonal specialties, I personally admire and delight in engaging in commerce with people like you." She pointed to a plaque on the wall. "Our motto is, 'Where hard work and persistence abound, so does opportunity for profit.'"

"I can't say I disagree with that."

Seula toyed with her braid. "S... sahagins have a very strong w... worth ethic."

"Well said, Madam Selkie, and thank you! We belong to a society where efficiency and hard work are of value and merit. We occupy most of the major hybrid jobs that require a go-between for the land and sea."

Devin accepted his card back, along with the forms. "I'm not sure I qualify for such a high assessment, but I'll accept the spirit of the compliment. Our trip here was out of necessity and circumstance."

"But you did weigh the benefits and thought it'd provide for us in the end, Herd-mate."

"A proud assessment by the lovely lady. Don't be so modest. Let me reward your gamble by saying you've arrived during a great season of wonderful, generous, and very fertile donors!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Devin sat down to consider how much of each item to purchase and what he should bring back to Iceford.

Azalea looked over his shoulder. "Certainly, there are a lot of things to consider."

Devin ticked off a box. "There are. They have quite the selection."

The receptionist signed and stamped a document for Devin to sign when he was done. "Our buyers have noted customers desire more variety, so we've branched out to meet as many of the needs and wants of the market as possible."

"Do you collect it here or just package it?" queried Reina.

"Both."

Azalea looked hopeful. "So you have mermaids here?"

The woman tried to hide a smile. "Yes, I dare say we have many currently in the building."

Azalea made a fist and hit the flat of her palm. "So that's where they were hiding."

"Our little fairy here was feeling a bit let down because she hasn't seen any since we arrived." Reina disclosed.

"Is that so?" The lady combed some charts as if considering something.

"Ya! I saw some from far away in Iceford once." Azalea tilted her head. "Your scales reflect just as prettily in the light as theirs did."

"That is most kind of you to say!" Lightly armored plates covered the more delicate parts of her body. A few decorated her cheekbones, but the majority they could see covered her arms and back.

"You did a wonderful job of matching your jewelry to them," the fairy complimented as she flew over the counter.

"I'm glad you think so. I spent a considerable effort and am glad my efforts were not in vain."

The woman pointed to the different bits and bobs adorning her body, regaling Azalea with where each had come from. Still, she left out the one Azalea was most curious about.

"Is this not one of them?" The inquisitive fairy pointed to a string of large pearls running between her legs, tied in place by another string around her waist, barely covering everything that wouldn't normally be shown.

"No, not this one. This is for..." She looked askance at Devin. "It makes humans feel less... uncomfortable since they seem averse to that part of people's bodies."

Azalea scratched her chin. "I don't know about that. To some, the pearls might come off as being lewder."

Seula looked up in surprise at this revelation. She'd never heard of humans being uncomfortable around nudity. She checked to see if her mittens were covering her breasts and covertly folded her hands to cover her genital slit.

She didn't spend much time around humans except for short stints with the nice old fishermen on the docks. They were gruff but often praised her for being a hard worker and for how gracefully she swam.

They never commented on her lack of clothes. In fact, they often complimented her on her pretty hair, how healthy and thick her tail looked, and how shapely her chest was. She didn't consider herself pretty, but it warmed her heart to hear.

Nothing triggered her self-consciousness like an unexpected compliment, though. It made her more of a stuttering, shy mess than she usually was. Yet, in some teensy, tiny corner of her heart, she desired to reciprocate for making her happy. At times, she'd sit as close to them as she could stand so they could enjoy looking at her as much as they wanted.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about Life-mate. He sees us naked all the time."

"The last few weeks, it hasn't only been you two," he interjected.

"True," Azalea giggled. "The point being, it doesn't bother Life-mate."

Devin finished filling out the paperwork and handed it back.

The receptionist checked all the signatures. "Everything looks in order. Come back in a couple of days, and your shipment should be ready."

"Thank you very much."

"Say, before you go... we don't normally do this, but would you like a tour? This is truly the worst time of year to visit because of the weather, and I'd feel bad for you coming all this way and her not having a chance to see the merfolk."

"Can we? Can we, Life-mate?!? Please, please, please!" Azalea was nearly vibrating.

"If she's offering, I don't see why not. We have nowhere else to be."

He turned to the shy selkie. "Seula, I know you were just going to show us where the cannery was. We don't want to hold you up if you have other obligations."

"I, er, well..." she stammered.

Azalea grabbed her hand. "Or, if you don't, you are more than welcome to come with us!"

"I... if you d... don't mind..."

"Of course we don't! Can Seula go too, Miss..."

"Fiskr, Finnian Fiskr, the Sahagin Coalition's Master of the Works for Cannery Four, and she's more than welcome to come along. It's close enough to closing time, so just let me flip the front sign to close, grab my ledger, and we can be off!"