Game of Castles 3: LitRPG Fantasy by Marcus Sloss

Author:Marcus Sloss [Sloss, Marcus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Royal Guard Publishing LLC
Published: 2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Wet, Wetter, Wettest!

VITESSE VILLAGE

Elyse, Alya, and I were all standing in what was basically an igloo near what I had been assured was the shoreline. A wide table of ice covered with boiled sealskins sat at about waist height in front of us. Across the table stood a wizened old merman wearing what looked like the furs of the seal table's cousin.

Though I could peek under the sealskin tablecloth to confirm that the table itself was in fact ice, I was forced to take the shoreline nature of the place on faith.

Outside the igloo dwelling's small door, the snow-covered landscape and the snow-covered ice sheet floating on the southern ocean were basically indistinguishable from one another.

From what I'd seen so far, the whole of the Polar Isles was snow and ice, not exactly the place you think of when you hear rumors about an island chain filled with mermen and more importantly mermaids. The sun reflected so blindingly off all that snow that I'd been squinting from the time we came onto the open land until the moment we stepped foot in the darkened space.

"Well, it's not exactly a tropical island," I said.

"But it does at least have pretty girls in bikinis, or close enough," Elyse quipped quietly from my left.

Alya stifled a giggle and across the table the old merman scowled. "You insult my daughter's misfortune, wench?" he said, furious spittle flying from his mouth at the words. "You would make light of her damaged fin while at the same time attempting to barter for a trade outpost on our shores?"

Elyse frowned in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing as she glanced at me for guidance. I cleared my throat.

"No offense is intended from any of my family members," I said, giving the old merman a small bow. "Little of your people is known to my family or my citizens. I only learned this morning that Alya's damaged fin is not mirrored when she is on land. I daresay that my wife Elyse assumed that since Alya has both feet intact, Alya's fin would be likewise repaired. Please, accept my apology. We all care deeply for Alya. Even if we didn't want this trade outpost, none of us would knowingly insult her."

Elyse made a little shocked sound in the back of her throat at the news that Alya's fin was still as damaged as when she'd first encountered her. At once, she turned to the mermaid.

"I'm so sorry, Alya," she said reverently. "Adam's right, I didn't know your fin was still damaged. I figured that it grew back on its own, but I should have asked."

"It's not your fault, Elyse," Alya said with a headshake. "If you hadn't been there with your huge ship, that bastard fish would have finished the job. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't just be down a fin still, I'd be down my whole tail at best."

The merman, whose name was Sarosh, looked between the two women, then glanced at me and grunted. "I suppose I must overlook the insult, for now," he said gravely, eyes not leaving my face.

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