The Hero's Palace

Under a domed fresco of a man and his phone, the wives would dance. In the great Serpentine house, a grand ballroom was erected for debutantes to be presented as brides, and wives to present themselves to noble fathers and former friends to recruit. This sexual Ponzi scheme was what this house called diplomacy.

Let them dance, thought the mermaid sitting alone in her room. They can dance until those fleshy feet of theirs fall, molt, and chafe. Just keep them away from me. Just give me my night.

She winced in pain and disappointment as the bleach burns on her shoulder refused to be masked by the sloppy dabs of makeup, and stung her for trying.

Lorelei stopped patting the damp cloths around her tail. Her fidgeting turned into shakes. She stared at her trembling webbed hands and stifled a small scream. She threw the drawers open to pull out an absorption cloth. She opened a second, hidden compartment past the liquor to her ‘secret pleasure’ bottle. It felt lighter in her touch.

Just a drop..

She stared hungrily at the bottles, before absentmindedly placing her hand on her abdomen.

No! Not today! Not again!

She slammed the bottle on the desk, untouched.

Just a little bit longer! Just survive, and you can lay all your troubles on him tonight!

With newfound resolve, she soaked the cloth in icy salt water from a golden bucket before wrapping it over her gills like a scarf. She exhaled in relief. Keeping the ice-cold wrap around her neck. She reapplied makeup where sweat and tears had ruined her appearance, straightened the frayed strands of red hair, and covered the burns with her robe. Wheeling to the bed, she climbed onto her bedsheets of bamboo fibers. Most bedsheets chafed at her tail, the ones her lover made for her didn’t.

“The day is done, the night comes at last.” She sang softly to herself as she straightened the sheets.

Today would be a triumph, none of them would ruin it. She looked at the room. He would be drained and hungry, and she had prepared food for her and her love. Raw fish wrapped in the rice and kelp her lover, and she shared. The bounty of the sea, a gift from her father, Alswastu Wonax. They would share it between the quiet moments. Others here, landlubbers, mocked her taste, but he appreciated it. With him, she could enjoy the taste even without the saltwater. Whatever world he came from, she was grateful it gave them this shared language.

Plus it's much harder to poison raw fish. Lorelei thought while scratching nervously at herself. She gasped when she saw the silhouette of a woman with a bucket standing at the door.

"Big night tonight?" The woman asked.

"Why aren’t you at the ball?" Lorelei relaxed at her sight.

"I wanted to check on you. Why aren’t you at the ball? Didn’t you say you would sing?"

"I can’t be out there! My voice is weak. I can't stand living here! The only thing that makes this hell worth living is him. I’ll wait for him here. He’s not disappointed, is he?"

“How so?” The woman walked with purpose towards the golden bucket with wash clothes, bringing her own.

“Switching appointments, seeing me instead of you. What if he decides not to come?”

"He'll come, I'm sure of it."

The Mermaid breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards her water tank. The woman moved closer.

"Well, you probably know him best, given how long you were together. Could you hand me one of my gill-wraps, please? I'm already overheating."

"I already have one prepared."

Lorelei looked around the room with more relaxed eyes. Her eyes wandered till she noticed the clear bottle open on her vanity.

"My Pufferfish oil, oh I can't use that right now, didn't I tell you the good news? Wait, what are you doing!"

Lorelei's eyes went wide as the narcotic-soaked cloth coiled around her neck with a wet slap.

Lorelei tried to scream, but her lungs wouldn’t wake up.

“Kyan, you really came far, Mr Bossman!” the young man exclaimed.

“This whole place was just a big dark forest! Now there's a city! And a palace! When they said they had been busy, they weren't kidding!” The golden-haired dog man covered in pouches, knives, and swords looked up at the towering white palace, and his tail wagged. The Palace was adorned with heroic banners of the heroes. He found one of him: a youthful dog-boy armed with a sword and slingshot.

“Gougou The First Companion. They make it sound like we were married!” He laughed.

Near the entrance, Gougou spotted a woman at the top of the stairs with a silken floral gown. The exotic gown was uncharacteristic, but her silhouette, toned-physique and red ponytail were unmistakable. The woman turned around with a sharp voice.

“Betsy Troubadoura?”

“That's Countess Elizabeth now, you damn touris- Gougou?”

Betsy turned around and the look of scorn melted from her face. She waddled down the stairs to meet his embrace.

“My word, how long has it been? Five years?”

“Give or take, sis, but who's counting?”

“I almost didn't recognize you! What's this on your face?”

Betsy playfully tugged on his cheek. Gougou laughed.

“It's a beard, silly! Dog-folk can't be clean-shaven once we have our first litter. Speaking of, congratulations to you as well.”

“Oh, well, thanks..”
“You finally have a pair of breasts!”

Betsy broke the embrace to give the dog man a playful punch on the shoulder. The woman moved, looking up to the massive stairwell leading up to the grand palace of Red pillars and towering, stacked roofs. Gougou followed silently as she led him up the stairs, clearly piecing together what to say.

“Listen, Gougou, I think I know why you are here.”

“Really, great! Because I don't!”

Gougou's smile wasn't reciprocated.

“A lot has happened since you have gone. Not everyone is here, And the ones who are are not like you met them.”

“I mean Bossman is the same. Right?”

Betsy crossed her arms and let out a sigh, “Yeah, I suppose so.”

“What about Yessi, she's probably still coiled around him?”

“About that, Do you remember The Woman in The Porcelain Mask?”

“The woman in the - Oh! You mean Mariko? Oh, the one who called you a ‘Soon dairy’?

“Yeah...”

Betsy changed her posture. Her back straightened, the glimmer in her eyes dulled.

“Gougou, she disappeared. No one's seen her since she got into a fight with Yessenia.”

“What do you mean disappeared? Can't Takeshi find her? They both had...”

“No one talks about her anymore. Look around. Pictures removed, records erased. Everything.”

“But, I don't believe it. She and Takeshi were so close. They used to speak to each other in that...”

Betsy put a hand on Gougou's shoulder, her face searched Gougou's with concern.

“Don't bring it up with Yessi or Takeshi.”

“Why not?”

“I'm trying to warn you to be careful, P L E A S E, a lot has changed here.”

Gougou matched her seriousness for a moment as the suggestion echoed through his mind. He paused for a moment before putting his hand on hers with a pat. His voice lit up with a smile.

“It's funny seeing you give the Big sis talk at eye level! Haha! But I'll be careful!”

“The main chamber is over there, my quarters are this way if you ever need to talk. Good luck, Gougou!”

As Betsy's steps vanished, he stood before the sliding door. He searched through his pockets for a small chain. Inside his jacket was a silver chain with an rough cut crystal. He kissed the gem before putting on the necklace.

“Maybe you are right Ga Gou, maybe I am too trusting.”