Beast Conquests

Chapter 11: She's Still 23

        The turbulent waters ceased albeit slowly. The deformed monsters were slewed and their thick, black blood thinned out in the sea as if it had been drenched in ink. Then, it washed away.

       Mira snapped awake from her shock, hearing a grunt muttered beside her ear. Azul groaned in pain, his beautiful pale face like a statue was crumpled in agony. The perfect statue cracking at the seams.

      "Azul!" She cried out his name, her bubble had been remade therefore she couldn't touch him when he was pulled away from her by another warrior with an expression as dark as the depths of the sea.

       "Female, don't be distressed. You're safe now." Someone told her, three warriors followed behind as another pulled the bubble like an entourage.

       "Are you injured?" He asked again. The dull, sand like colour of his hair seemed white and his eyes, black and narrow had a sunken feeling.

      "No." Mira answered after briefly looking down at her body. 'At most, what I have are scratches.' If she were injured, she was too preoccupied to notice.

        "Still, the healer will examine you when we arrive at the tribe."

       Even when she declined, claiming over and over to be well the merman insisted. "There's nothing more important than your wellbeing, Female Mirabella." And that was that.

       At the mention of a healer, a fleeting thought ran past her mind of her sister.

       "Homework? Can I help you with yours?"

        "No. Not really."

        "What?" Her younger sister pouted, the blankets covering her crumpled. "Let me see." Mira sighed as she handed the notebook over to Alexandria.

       "What would you be ten years from now?" Her sister read the question aloud and then pondered for some. She giggled and smiled. "Well, big sister is really pretty. You could be a model, or ooh! Like that Miss Universe, mom was watching the other day!"

       "If it were that easy to be Miss Universe." They were only teens at the time who didn't know any better.

       "As for me, I want to be a doctor."

  
       "What about Azul? You should check his condition first." Mira shivered remembering all the blood and the deep gashes she saw on his back. The merman didn't say anything and so she kept asking.

       "I heard there is only one healer in your tribe. Have him look at Azul first. He's in more dire need."

        Suddenly, with a biting tone the light haired merman spoke. "You will always come first. Females take precedence above everything. Even above the patriarchs life, and even if Azul were to die he'd have died protecting you. It'd be an honourable death."

       Mirabella blanched and shivered, not from the cold but by the weight of the words and the truth of them. 'Even above the patriarchs life? An honourable death? That's crazy.'

      It wasn't easy over and over comparing the beliefs and societal norms that she had been born to and raised around. The mere thought of the intense savage nature of the new world made her sick.

      Throughout the way she said nothing, only looking ahead patiently waiting until the reach the tribe.

       Like fire submerged underwater, huge glowing pearls gave of an incandescent glow. Even from a far she could see the tribe and the sparkling mermen all swimming around as if to prepare for something.