Trident after trident came rushing through the water and Ruby pulled Nerice tight to her body and twisted away from the incoming spears faster than the weapons could truly move in the water.

  {“When will they quit? I am obviously faster than they are.”}

  Ruby smiled and fpped out of the way as two more weapons went by her. It was only when one almost hit Nerice that Ruby turned her anger at the incoming frog people. Unwilling to try and discuss any form of peace, Ruby threw her trident and with a thrust of her tail sped by one of the six that surrounded the couple and left it bleeding from a quick bite from her dagger.

  {“That’s five.”}

  Ruby twisted herself in the water and aimed for two more frog people. Once she’d sped by the frogs, it was as though the couple read each other’s mind and left the two dying in the water. A trident in the chest and another deep ceration that spewed enough blood that it attracted sharks to the area.

  Curling her tail inward, Ruby took a wide turn and spun Nerice from her. Nerice made a fast sound with her tongue and using the inertia from Ruby’s spin, streamed through the water faster than a bullet and wedged Ruby’s dagger in its chest. Nerice had just pulled the bde free, when Ruby sped by and took the weapon back then used it between the eyes of yet another.

  {“That leaves just you.”}

  Ruby thought and looked at Nerice as she watched her partner tear open the chest of the frog she’d killed and dug around in its body until she found what she was looking for.

  {“I think I got it, Tanya…but I will need you to tell me what you see.”}

  {“Brutal, love. Are you sure you aren’t a pirate?”}

  Ruby pyfully asked and grabbed the st frogman by its foot and dragged it behind her until she reached Nerice where the creature filed in an attempt to get free. Hearing her dymate’s request, Ruby looked at the smooth stone she was holding. A pearl half the size of her palm rested in Nerice’s grasp. Multicolored with white, red and bck the colors swirled as though a storm raged within the gemstone.

  {“It’s a colorful pearl, right Tanya?”}

  Nerice calmly asked.

  {“Yeah, it's the best-looking pearl I have ever seen.”}

  Nerice searched the frogs and found a couple of woven seaweed pouches. Emptying out the simple collection of food that the containers held, Nerice put the one pearl away and began digging through the other dead frog people.

  {“It’s been my experience that they all have these.”}

  A croak and squeal from the frogman that Ruby held garnered her attention and she looked at the creature then back to Nerice.

  {“It just called you a vilin, or a criminal? I think there is something missing in the transtion.”}

  Then it hit Ruby.

  {“Transtion? How do I understand this thing Nerice?”}

  {“I didn’t have time to tell you that you’d understand other intelligent creatures…well, I did have the time…I just didn’t offer since you never asked.”}

  Nerice pumped her hand in excitement as she collected three more of the unique pearls.

  {“I’ll have the sharks clean up the mess, Tanya.”}

  Stunned to silence, Ruby grinned wide and moved her hair from her good eye and looked at her struggling captive.

  {“So, why is my lovely companion a vilin, you warthead?”}

  A few useless croaks ter, the creature stopped struggling and turned so he could face Ruby.

  {“Murderer. She attacked another colony and even sughtered everyone.”}

  The frog grumbled when Nerice pulled another pearl free and packed it away.

  {“You’re damned lucky I didn’t eat them.”}

  Nerice conveyed back to the frog, then extracted the st pearl. Using her makeshift sonar, Nerice swam over to the st living amphibian.

  {“Tell me why you people summoned that kraken, I know it wasn’t because of me.”}

  Nerice calmly sassed and handed Ruby back her dagger.

  {“You were certainly part of it, murderer…you think we didn’t recognize your cobalt scent when you came through our waters? You’re wanted and will be dealt with…killing innocents… you're a mon-”}

  Ruby stabbed the frogman in the chest and carved out the st fist-sized pearl.

  {“Why didn’t you tell me what we were going to get into, Nerice?”}

  Ruby sheathed the hungry bde and swam behind Nerice, and trickled her fingers along Nerice’s navel.

  {“You did-did-didn’t ask, Tanya.”}

  {“That is the kind of thing you volunteer, Nerice. I don’t have a problem with you doing it…I have a problem not knowing what mess I am swimming into.”}

  {“Tanya. How in the depths did I know there was a colony here, and that they knew my scent? All I knew was that there was a kraken out there…Still is by the way.”}

  Nerice ran her hands over Ruby’s and leaned back into the pirate.

  {“We should probably take the rest of their other pearls.”}

  Nerice purred and then tugged on the string of pearls Ruby had given her on shore.

  {“Tell me the rest, love. Don’t leave anything out. How do they live in their little holes…and all the way to that tower-looking thing.”}

  Turning in Ruby’s arms until she was face to face with her partner, Nerice ran her fingers over Ruby’s shoulders, then up through the pirate’s long and silky bck mane.

  {“I’ll start with the tower. That is where they learn and summon things. Each small colony has at least one gifted mage and a couple of students that can assist in casting.”}

  Nerice produced a light and soft song that organized the sharks into small groups that fed off the dead frogs and eventually left no trace of the battle behind.

  {“There, as promised. Frog remains are all gone. The holes have sections of what they call family, it's basically pockets of air where they eat and raise their tadpoles in enchanted water like we have in our pool. What makes them particurly nasty is their inability to work with anyone else. These froggies, as you call them, are very reclusive and territorial. They don’t acknowledge others who pass close to their homes. They attack and eat things that get too close. It’s best to just kill them and take their stuff.”}

  {“Nerice, you are frightening at times. Here I was thinking I picked a nice and innocent blind mermaid. Turns out you have as bck a heart as I do.”}

  Ruby gave her dymate a nose kiss and moved Nerice until she was on her back, then studied the ck of any further movement from the holes.

  {“How active are these frogs normally? Other than the six we just fed to the sharks, there doesn’t seem to be any left.”}

  {“Very active, Tanya. Why do you ask? It is likely that they are hiding since the other one said that they basically tasted my presence.”}

  Nerice finished her thought as Ruby dropped her arms to the side and with one flip of her tail, darted straight down until she reached one of the entrances.

  {“Nerice, what made you go after them in the first pce?”}