|Chapter 1.2| Frivolous Man

Hadassah gasped as she emerged from the swim, dragging her body out of the pool. She looked up, her breath catching as she realized she was in a more open space than before. The cavern had opened up into a large, natural chamber, and through a large hole above, she could see the sky, streaked with the colours of the setting sun.

She collapsed onto the rocky ground, her body exhausted from the swim and the adrenaline of the escape. The cool air of the open space was a welcome relief, and she took deep, calming breaths, trying to steady herself.

Ahqi surfaced beside her, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling himself out of the water with ease, his iridescent tail shimmering in the light.

Hadassah nodded weakly, managing a small smile. "I'm fine, just tired. Thank you for helping me."

Ahqi's face lit up with relief. "Good! This place is a lot safer. You can rest here for a while."

As Hadassah lay back, she took in the beauty of the cavern. The walls were adorned with trees and plants, creating a hidden haven. There was only one way in—through the water or through the hole above.

Hadassah collected her thoughts. What now? She couldn't go back to where she had stayed since the hunters had found her. She needed to find a new home out of the way of other beastmen.

Ahqi watched her stare up with conflicted eyes, wondering what was on her mind. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, leaning on his elbow against the floor, his tail slapping the water surface casually.

"I don't have a home to go to, so I'm wondering where I should make my new home," she admitted.

His tail swung in the air, catching the light. "Well, you can stay here until you have somewhere to go," he said happily. His happy-go-lucky attitude made her feel odd, like she was overthinking her situation.

"I guess I could, but I don't really have any way to hunt or forage," she said, her voice tinged with worry.

"Why not just climb up?" he said with a shrug. Hadassah frowned. He still thought she was a beastman. At this point, was it worth lying? How would she explain why she couldn't live here?

Taking a deep breath, she decided to come clean. "Ahqi, I'm not a beastman. I'm a human. We can't climb as easily or breathe underwater like you can."

Ahqi's eyes widened in surprise, his tail momentarily stilling. "A human? Really? Wow, I've never met a human before! That's so cool!" His excitement was genuine, but he quickly sobered, realizing the implications. "Oh... that explains why you couldn't stay underwater for long."

"Yes," she said softly. It was already good he didn't plan to kill her. "I can't climb up there or stay hidden underwater. I need to find a place where I can survive, on land."

Ahqi nodded thoughtfully. "That sucks, so what can humans do? Can you fly?"

She shook her head, smiling slightly at his innocence. He thought briefly before suggesting something else. "At least you can swim, right?"

"I can swim!" she said quickly, a bit embarrassed. "I'm just not very good at it."

Ahqi sighed in relief. "That's good. I was worried for a second." He didn't mind her being human, but he drew the line at not knowing how to swim? She didn't know if she should laugh or what. "Then, do you eat? Can you eat seaweed?"

Hadassah chuckled. "Yes, I can, but seaweed isn't really a human's main food. We eat things like fruits, vegetables, meat, and bread."

Ahqi's eyes widened. "Wow, humans eat a lot of different things! I guess seaweed might not be the best for you then. But don't worry, I'll help you find the right food."

"Well, you can help me get some fish? And do you have salt?" 

Ahqi turned his head in confusion. "Salt?"

"Yes, it's something we use to season food and preserve it," Hadassah explained. "It's essential for cooking."

Ahqi looked even more puzzled. "I've never used salt before."

"Humans use it a lot in their cooking, we get it from the sea." she elaborated.

He nodded slowly, absorbing this new information. "So, do we need to make some from sea water?"

Hadassah smiled at his quick understanding. "Yes, exactly. We can boil sea water until the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind."

"But if you boil all the sea water, what will you drink? You'll be dehydrated," Ahqi said, genuinely concerned.

She snickered, "Ahqi, I can't drink salt water anyway. The ocean is too vast for me to finish it in my lifetime."

Ahqi looked relieved but still curious. "So, what do you drink?"

"Fresh water," she explained. "From rivers, lakes, or rain. Salt water can make us very sick."

"Fresh water," Ahqi repeated thoughtfully. "I've heard some beastmen live there, they're quite dangerous."

How can they be more dangerous than you?

She kept her mouth shut, did he not realize he was like a walking deity, or in his case - a swimming deity.

"Thanks anyway, I'll find a way out of here, you can go back to swimming and putting shells in your hair." There were a ridiculous amount of sea shells in his hair, she wondered if he just spent hours a day doing that or if he actually had a job to do considering how he was following her around.

He twirled his finger around a lock of pale hair proudly. "Do you like it? It took hours for the sea sprites to do! I think I look really pretty. Don't I look pretty?"

Hadassah's eye twitched. What a frivolous man. Despite his extreme handsomeness, she didn't want to give him the compliment.

"I'm going now," she said stiffly as she stood up to leave.

Seeing her leave, he panicked, reaching out. "Wait! Don't leave yet!"

She turned to look at him, stopping in her tracks. "What? Are you going to take my soul in exchange for the mer tears?"

"What? No!" he said quickly, his face showing genuine surprise. "I just wanted..." He stopped, blushing furiously. "I don't normally have anyone to talk to, everyone just treats me the like a glass vase... so will you come back?"

Such a surprisingly innocent question made her feel guilty for assuming he wanted something more sinister. Well, he did want something, but it was something she could afford to give him. He squirmed under her stare, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"Alright," she said finally.

He jumped up in happiness. "Don't forget to come back! No matter where you are, just step into the water and I'll find you!"

Hadassah couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "I promise. I'll come back."

Ahqi beamed at her, his joy infectious. "Great! I'll be waiting. And don't worry, I'll make sure to find you the best places with fresh water and good food."

Leaving the merman behind, Hadassah headed toward the edge of the pit. Looking up at the steep rock and dirt climbing upward, she sighed. Humans were the weakest in terms of strength; climbing something like this was no problem for a beast men, but it was a huge problem for her.

"I'll need a rope," she muttered to herself.

She looked around, assessing her surroundings for anything that might help her. There were sturdy vines and roots hanging from the edges of the pit, but they seemed fragile and unreliable. She could only make the best of what she had.

She began to weave them together, creating a makeshift rope. Her fingers worked quickly, she had done this numerous times, living by herself for all this time meant her survival skills were pretty good.

After what felt like hours, she finally had a decent length of rope. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. She managed to throw it up and catch a large chunk of broken tree trunk. She gave it a few tugs to ensure it was strong enough and now she could only hope it could hold her weight.

Taking a deep breath, Hadassah grabbed the rope and began to climb. Her muscles burned with the effort, and the rough vines scraped against her hands, but she pushed through the pain, focusing on each movement.

Slowly but surely, she made her way up the pit, using the natural footholds and the makeshift rope to steady herself.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she reached the top. She pulled herself over the edge and collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. She had done it. She had climbed out of the pit.

As she lay there, catching her breath, she felt the sun against her dark skin, with the sky above her and the vast forest stretching out in every direction, she knew she needed to find a new place to call home, she couldn't wander aimlessly forever.

"Thank you, Ahqi," she whispered to herself, grateful for his help, since she was no longer injured, survival no longer seemed impossible.

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