Now that we have the 'shelter' aspect of survival sorted out, now it's time to focus on food. A renewable source of food would be fantastic, but having enough meat and vegetables stored for winter is our baseline, especially since Asper told us we are only a couple of months away from the "Rainy season".
Asper set out early this morning to hunt and gather the 'medicines' aka herbs and spices that I requested with a determined look on his face. I feel a little bad about sending Asper away so often, but he is the only one of us who knows how to hunt properly.
To be able to start processing the meat Asper is sure to bring in, Dias has started building a smoker. It's basic for now, mainly made of fallen tree branches in a rough teepee shape.
Tying a tight knot at the end of the cord, I finish the fourth wall of the chicken coop. I squat down by the other three stick walls and begin tying them all together with the shoelaces off Dias' boots. I snicker at the thought, he isn't using his boots anyway, he really went barefoot native as soon as it occurred to him that it was something he could actually do.
I know in the manga, Bai was able to have a coop of chicken-like birds, so I asked Asper to keep an eye out for any sort of groundbird while he went hunting. Quail or the weird chicken things in the Manga would be nice, but I would settle for grouse or ducks.
Dias jogs over to me, his hands and arms covered in sticky tree sap. He spreads his arms out with a grin, causing me to squeal and jump away "Dias! Don't you dare!"
He laughs, still approaching with arms spread wide "C'mon babe! I came all the way over here after building you a nice smoker, and you won't even give me a hug?"
I skitter away, my lips creeping into a smile even as I mock scowl at him "You will get me all sticky! And we are running low on the soap!"
He extends his arms towards me, his hands grasping as he waggles his eyebrows "I could make you sticky in ways you would enjoy"
I pick up a thin stick and wave it at him like a fake sword "Back! Back I say! Begone ye horndog! Mine virtue is not for filthy peasants to defile!"
He puts a sticky hand to his chest in faux dismay "Filthy?! I shall have you know woman," He lifts his hand, wincing as the sap pulls on the short chest hairs "That I am perfectly clean!"
I snort a laugh "Go wash up first, I won't sit on a dirty face"
He salutes "Say no more!" Dias, after shucking off his pants and tossing them to me, shifts into his giant bat form and lowers his shoulder, allowing me to climb into the thick fur on his back. He crawl-walks over to the cliff edge before leaping off the side, spreading his leathery wings wide to catch the air.
It only takes a couple of minutes before he finds a decent rock near the water. After climbing off of his back, Dias shifts back into his human shape and jumps into the water.
I laugh as he comes up sputtering, whipping his hair out of his face "FUCK THATS COLD". After a few seconds of cussing and cursing, he dives back under, the water churning.
Quickly getting used to the water, Dias starts to properly clean himself off. I take a seat near the edge of the rock, taking off my shoes and dipping my feet into the cold water.
I sigh as I lean back on my hands, my feet lightly swishing the gently lapping waves. The sky is clear, and the wind is a gentle breeze across the cool ocean water. Tilting my head back to look up at the sky, I consider how we should go about distilling salt for seasoning and curing. Maybe boiling the water in the metal cans and leaving behind the salt?
A cold, wet hand wraps around my ankle. All I have time to do is let out a short shriek before I am yanked off the rock.
I squeeze my eyes tightly shut as water shoots up my nose. The water rapidly grows colder and colder as I am dragged deeper. Water drains around my head and neck, allowing me to cough and gag out the water that had painfully made its way through my nose.
Opening my eyes wide, I can feel the blood rush from my face as I see what is dragging me down. A long purple tail propels the merman through the water, his webbed hand tightly grasping my ankle. A toga made of seaweed conceals where his stripes must be.
Snarling, I use my free foot to kick the merman's arm as hard as I can. When his grip doesn't even budge, I lean down to rake my nails down his skin, anywhere I can reach. He doesn't even turn around to look at me, completely ignoring my attempts.
Looking up desperately, I spot Dias in his bat form trying to swim toward me, using his wings to push himself through the water. His sharp fangs viciously bared as he moves through the water far faster than he could swim as a human. Green eyes furious and panicked, even in an inhuman face.
He isn't fast enough.
The water grows colder and darker as the merman continues to drag me deeper into the ocean. My teeth start to chatter as I continue to scratch and kick, it's getting too cold. Cold enough for hypothermia.
The hand around me spasms as a flash of white bursts out of the gloom from the right. The water clouds with blood as two separate halves of the previously whole merman float apart, the now limp hand sliding away from my ankle.
The bubble around my head starts to shrink, giving me only moments to take a deep breath before icey cold water rushes around my face. My ears pop in the change of pressure as I squint open my eyes. I start swimming towards the surface as the, now blurry, figure quickly swims closer to me.
I wrap my hands around the large dorsal fin of the orca as it swims next to me. The skin is slick and rubbery, causing me to scramble to hold on as the orca begins to rapidly ascend to the surface.
I gasp and spit as we breach the surface, still holding onto the dorsal fin. The orca clicks underneath me, rumbling slightly as it maneuvers around until my knees are resting on its back as well, lifting me mostly out of the water.
Dry heaving a little, I rest my head on the slick skin of the whale, trying to catch my breath.
An ear-piercing screech rings through the air moments before large claws wrap around my middle and whisk me into the air. I gag at the pressure around my already sensitive stomach, the wind whipping my wet hair around as Dias rushes us back to the cave.
I stumble onto the cliff top as Dias drops me down onto the short grass, taking mere seconds to shift into his human form. My teeth chatter violently as he whisks me up into his arms and bolts down the tunnel.
He skids to a stop beside the fire, taking a moment to gently place me down beside the warm campfire before rushing around the cave, frantically grabbing furs and dry clothing for me to change into.
The frenzied movement only stops when I am dressed in dry clothes and his arms tight around me, pressing my back into his chest.
I shiver and move my bright red toes closer to the fire, the cold flesh stinging in response to the gentle heat. My teeth chatter "This is NOT the right time of year for a swim"
Dias stays quiet, just letting his body heat slowly warm me.
The fire crackles and pops, filling the tense silence. I sigh a little in relief as warmth begins to seep back into my limbs.
Dias drops his face onto my shoulder, his black hair still damp "This isn't funny."
I turn my head a little to look at him, but I can't see the expression on his face.
He speaks again "This isn't fucking funny," his arms tighten around me a little "I knew this place was fucked up, but I thought... I didn't know. I wasn't able to get to you. I fucking saw you kick and claw that motherfucker, and he didn't even fucking flinch"
Raising his head, he looks at me. He's scared.
"You would've been just... gone. You get that, right?"
I stay quiet, turning my head to look at the fire.
I know. If it hadn't been for the deus ex machina of an orca, I would've either been dragged down to wherever the Mermen kept their females, or straight up died from the cold. I probably never would've seen Dias or Asper again.
I lean my head back to rest against Dias as his hand comes up to stroke my hair, I ignore the tremors running through his hand as he cards through my damp hair.
I haven't been taking this seriously enough. I thought that by getting a home and food sorted, we really would be fine. While I was joking around with Dias and leisurely getting to know Asper, I forgot to really take into account just how desperate the men in this world are. I forgot just how badly this could turn out for me, and for my family, if we made too many wrong decisions.
And the most stupid thing I forgot about was the fucking mermen.
AN: Pretty sure some of you can guess who/what the next husbando is going to be. Remember when I said he wouldn't be showing up for a while? Yeah that was a lie lol