Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

22.) Claws Deep

                ****authors note.****
Hey all. I'm thinking of adding spoilers everytime the stars hit a threshold. I won't place the spoiler in the story itself but in the message board area, on my profile. So comment what spoilers your look forward to the most and follow my profile to see the spoilers when its released. Of course don't forget to like and comment, they make writing more fun!
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I scowled at him. Why is he so persistent.

The silence was interrupted by the grumbling in my stomach. I picked up the meat and rubbed my foot against my leg to wipe off some of the sand.

"The Carnals are active at night, I'll catch one for your next meal." He said clapping his palms together.

"No need, I already caught my next meal." I said carrying the pigs away from the beach.

"I'll be back soon!" He ignored my words enthusiastically. Roka crawled back into the ocean and disappeared with a slap of his blue tail.

"That one doesn't listen at all." I said to myself shaking my head and he said embarrassing things with a straight face.

He is a little pretty I guess. Maybe it was because my last man showed me such little attention that receiving this much from a stranger was... uncomfortable. I have no desire to be someone's wife again, when it went badly the first time. I'm better off living with the Orcs, and maybe my second son. I put my hand on my stomach. Cerastes kept everything els in our separation, it's only fair that I keep this one.

I impaled the pigs through the ribs and went to get a fire started. My hunger was so much that I could probably eat at least one of those pigs by myself right now. Eating roughly 120 pounds of meat in one sitting would seem crazy when I was still human but now it felt like a necessity but that could be because there was only fish jerky in my stomach.

Storing the rest if the meat is a problem since I dont have a shed ready to smoke the meat. I can't let an entire pig go to waste either. Eating will help my brain work better, it would be nice If I could eat the boar raw but eating uncooked pig can cause diarrhea. The last thing I needed was to be weak and defenseless right now.

I dug a deep pit and lined the bottom with thick rocks as I had seen the Orcs do in the village.  And put one pig on the rocks. And covered it with more rocks and sand. The ground is different here but I hoped the cooking methode would still work. I collected the wood along the beach and stacked it high. The second pig was skewered over the top of where the fire would be.

In the dark I built a nest of dry pine needles to hold the fire but It still took awhile to rub out a spark. There was only the light of the moon to accompany me.  When the fire ignited I saw something amazing happened.  The fire bloomed in blue and purple colors. I was entranced by the light. I'd seen fires that roared with red and orange flame but this was beautiful. I crouched next to it in awe.

"Put that out!" A voice shouted. I looked down to the waters edge to find that Roka had in fact come back with a meal like he said.

I just rolled my eyes at him and poked the fire with a stick. Maybe he was worried he would have to fight many fish because the light would attract them.

"Pearl listen. The smoke is toxic. You have to put it out." He urged me.

"Toxic?" I asked stepping back.

"It will make you sick if you breathe it. You used ocean soaked wood right? You can tell it's bad because the fire is blue."

"How would you know it's bad? I asked him. What would a creature that always lived in the water know about fire.

"Dragons often use this smoke to keep the Carnals and Sirenaidea from attacking their ships. They set big pyres ablaze and wait till the breeze will blow it out over the ocean." He stressed.

I used a pole and knocked the wooden over then kicked sand onto the still burning pieces to smother it. I sighed glumly. Without a fire I couldnt cook either of the pigs.

"Dont fret Pearl, you didn't know better." His voices dripped with honey. "Wont you come and eat with me?"

With no other real options to choose from I went down to the waters edge.

"I cut away the bits that Pearl doesn't like." He soud proudly.

"Thank you...Roka." I replied begrudgingly.

"Oh, is this prickly pearl is thanking me?" He teased.

Without replying I cut off a chunk with my claws and ate around the scaled bits. The Carnals tail and fin was longer than my own legs but full of thin little bones like rib cage all the way down. I sat with my back to the tallest cliff so I could watch the water, the forest line, and the opening to the cove. I felt particularly vulnerable without a fire burning.

A ways off I heard the screeching screams of carnals. I tilted my head in that direction.

"The mindless things are a long ways off. Nothing to be concerned about." Roka assured me. His long blue hair spilled out around him as he layed on the beach. "Although I can't say the same for what they're hunting."

"What do they hunt?" I asked curious.

"Whatever they find. Boats, sharks, whales. They tend to go after the bigger kills because they dont feel fear." He explained casually.

"Do they hunt Sirenaidea to?" I asked.

"They try." Roka explained, but the females are required to lay the eggs far away from the palace. Typically near human harbors. That way they harass the humans and dragons and not us."

"If Carnals are mindless how can they be required to do something?" I asked taking another bite.

"Sirenaidea lay the eggs, carnals come out of the eggs." Roka explained slowly.

"Then Carnals are Sirenaidea." I summarized.

"They are different." His eyes narrowed.

I looked in a different direction and continued eating. At this point there wasn't a reason to care.

"Have you ever heard the story of the Sea Dragons Pearl?" He asked sitting up.

I shook my head no.

"The distinction will be easier to understand if I teach it to you." He said combing his hair with his fingers.