A Love So Deep: Chapter 11 (Patreon)

I watch Kelrak cook and consider moving on the explore some more when the door to the Mistress’ office opens.  Frob is the first to flutter through followed closely by Daera and Zuko.  Right away I notice the grim looks on their faces.  It seems the meeting had not been one of good news.  Draevys comes next, a look of deep concentration on the old wizard, then behind him comes Stheera and Nanea swimming close together.  

At first sight Frob makes a dash for me!  I try to back away but I was already up against the counter.  As I grip the counter in fear, afraid it might take limb off of me, the little chonker starts snorting about my legs as the others carry on as normal.

Kelrak looks up at the group and says as he cowers low.  “Supper is ready for when you wish it great Mistress.”

“Thank you Kelrak.”  She says as, tentacles splayed wide, she gently floats down to the bottom of the room.  Much like with Ellerie I didn’t mean to look but…it was kinda hard not to notice.  The Mistress’ undercarriage had the same anatomy as the younger octo-woman but scaled much larger, appropriate for her great size.  The double set of genitals seemed to be a feature of their race.  As softly as an Autumn leaf her impressive form comes to rest upon the floor.  Her strange golden eyes turn to me.  “And how is our guest doing?”

Trying my best to ignore Frob I bow my head in respect as Kelrak reports.  “She has been shown her room and thus far our food seems safe for her.  She knows where she can go and where she cannot.  She has been no trouble my Mistress.”

“Excellent.”  Nanea gives me an approving look and deep down I feel myself perk up a little.

I liked that look.  As a chronic ‘people-pleaser’ even the slightest praise from someone in authority gave me a tiny taste of the adequacy that I so craved, and I had never met anyone so clearly in authority as the Mistress.  Yeah it was a problem, but just one of so, so many.

Stheera glides down.  “I should go Mistress.”

“Oh no!”  Daera says, her concern tearing her attention away from looking at me.  “No, stay with us tonight Stheera.”

“I should scout the location one last time.”

Nanea brings a hand rest on Stheera’s black flesh.  “You have done all you can and more.  You are as ready as you will ever be.  Stay with us.”

Something was going on.  The others were all looking at the eel woman like they were afraid to let her out of their sight.

“Stay, please.”  Daera urges.

Zuko grumbles before saying.  “You might as well enjoy the night in your own bed.”

“And we have a guest.”  Draevys adds.  “Surely you are as curious as the rest of us.”  He smirks.  “More so knowing you.”

Something in their tone told me that they worried they may never see Stheera again.  One of Nanea’s long tentacles wrap gently around Stheera’s long lithe body, more an embrace than a grasp.  “Stay.”

Stheera looks around to the others, her emotions guarded yet clearly touched by their care, then lowers her eyes and very slightly bows her head.  “Yes Mistress.”

I could feel the mood in the room lift.  Whatever was going on it was enough to shift the focus from the alien creature in their midst to her.  The distraction away from me was a great relief honestly.  I knew how to fade into the background during gatherings, I had a lifetime of practice at it.  As the others all take positions around one of the tables, Nanea at the head, I find a little space near to kitchen to tuck into and watch the others.  I’m not allowed escape notice so easily however.

“Come.”  The rotund Daera motions me forward.  “Beside me human.”  She pats the table to her right, directly between her and the imposing Zuko.  “I wish I knew your name.”

“I’m gonna teach her to talk tomorrow.”  Comes Ellerie’s voice as the door down to the tavern opens and she appears.  She smiles at me and waves hello.  

I smile and wave back.

Seeing me backed up against the counter Ellerie giggles.  “Frob’s a big baby boy.  He won’t hurt you.”

“He’s a killer.”  Zuko says flatly.  I couldn’t tell if that was a joke or a threat.

“Pbbshh!  Yeah right.”  Ellerie laughs as she scoots over and rubs the fish between its bulbous eyes.  The eyes sort of relax outward and it starts wiggling happily.  I shift sideways and give Ellerie a thankful look.

“I’m not sure humans can talk my dear.”  Nanea says.  “They have no magic.”

“Well I’m gonna try.”  Ellerie says with confidence.  Frob turns over in place and she starts to rub his soft belly with both hands.  “If she can hear us I don’t see why she can’t talk.  I want to do it and she wants it too.  I’m responsible for her you said, so it’s my decision.  And that’s that.”

Nanea grins, amused.  “Very well.  I guess that is that.”

Feeling a bit more brave with Ellerie here I swim over toward where Daera was inviting me.  Frob slips from Ellerie’s attentions to trail behind me licking and tickling my fluttering feet as I swim.

“Here!”  Zuko’s bassy voice commands and the pet hurries past me to heel at the side of its master.

Drifting up between Zuko and Daera I rest my arms on the table to hold myself in place.  To my left the big bosomed merwoman was grinning from ear to ear as she got a really good up close look at me.  With one finger she prods my shoulder, neck and cheek, as if checking that I were not an illusion.  It’s annoying but she wasn’t hurting me so I let her continue.  To my right the muscle-bound Zuko peers down at me warily.

“She shouldn’t eat with us.”  He says gruffly.  “She’s not one of us.  And I don’t like her wandering around on her own.”

“Leave her be.”  The Mistress says.  He grumbles but stays quiet. 

Daera pulls her hand away.  “Astounding.  I wish I could show her off.  I know so many who want to see her.  A private showing perhaps, very exclusive and very posh.  Hmm.”

“Leave her be.”  The Mistress says again, a bit more forcefully.

Ellerie zips to Nanea and they hug with both arms and tentacles.  It wasn’t one of only familial warmth, though there was an element of that, but there was intimacy to the embrace.  The close adoring hug of lovers unless I was mistaken.  Nanea whispers something and kisses Ellerie’s cheek.  The younger of the pair nods as her green eyes find Stheera.  Slipping from her Mistress’ limbs she swims to the dark woman.  Stheera, with the gentle and patient look in her eyes like a parent about to explain that a pet had died, puts an arm around Ellerie and guides her out of the room.  Mistress’ eyes follow them as they go.

By the clicking and clattering of jewelry I hear someone behind me.  Peeking back over my shoulder I see Draevys had swum up to take a closer look at me and the torque around my neck.  I was now pressed against the table and completely surrounded.  He leans in very close, his cloudy eyes squinting to make me out more clearly.

“It seems to adapting well.”  The comment wasn’t one of concern for me but an observation on the magic.  “Some labored breathing perhaps…mmm.”  He strokes the long barbels of his chin.  “Mmm, I may do some tests of my own while we have it.”

“You will not touch her.”  Nanea says.  “Unless it is of her own free will.”

“But Mistress…”

“She is not a lab animal!”  The Mistress’ voice booms making everybody snap to attention.  “She not here for our amusement!  She owes what life she has to Haali.  For that she must accept his conditions.  He is paying us very well for keeping her and so we will keep her for as long as her presence does not threaten us.  She did not ask to be here.  She is frightened and alone, as all of us have been at one time in our lives.”  There are some guilty looks exchanged between the others.  “She knows the consequences of breaking my rules.  She is free to follow them or not.  She is not ours to do with as we please, she is free.  She has shown us respect and so we will show her respect.  She is a person and we will treat her as such.  Understood?”  

As one the others all bow and say.  “Yes Mistress.”  I bow my head with them.

And that ended that discussion.  Just like that the others now looked at me with not just curiosity but with some sort of respect, grudging or otherwise.  I wished I had the words to thank the Mistress for her words.  In the momentary silence that followed Ellerie’s distant distraught voice could be heard to exclaim from the next room.  “…Stheera, please no!”

Around the table expressions soften and empathetic glances are exchanged.  Raising her voice to mask Ellerie’s Daera rubs her hands together and says.  “I don’t know about the rest of you but I am famished.”

“Yes.”  Mistress says.  “You may begin serving Kelrak.  The others will be with us shortly.”

“Yes Mistress.”  He bows.

Draevys swims around the table to take his place at the end opposite Nanea.  Kelrak makes his final preparations for serving the others begin to chat as we wait for Stheera and Ellerie to rejoin us.

Chapter 12