3. Men Are Parasites

3

MEN ARE PARASITES

PACARI

I am not unfamiliar with the depths. A part of it houses my sanctuary. But not many go this far who do not already live in the Abyss, except for creatures like me and Cirro.

It is unusually eerie, even still. There are no other fish within visible range. Only the most dangerous are out, and even they seem too afraid to do much. For me to come here as I have without a gift is idiotic, but there is no time to find a suitable offering. Instead, I must wait, offer complete subservience—whatever else she desires.

It is unheard of to call out for her once I am in her lair—the Lantern Witch will appear when she wishes.

A deep horribleness echoes through the waters, sending even the most dangerous of fish scattering. The nudibranch snuggles against my neck, hiding underneath one of my fins. A wail fills the silence. Shivers run up my spine.

Silence fills the water.

Then finally—a light, foreboding in the blackness. It can only be her.

"You dare to intrude upon my anguish," she grumbles out.

Flashes of her face—skeletal, gaunt, and sprinkled with flecks of bioluminescence—flicker in the glow of the light extending from her back. Her hair is stringy, sparse. She looks many years beyond the last time I saw her, which was only a few weeks ago.

"I come offering my services," I explain quickly.

"Your services," she balks. "Seducer. Men are parasites, and yet you think you can offer me something worthwhile?"

A glance at her belly shows that none of her mates are there. Another terrified shiver runs through me as I realize what must have happened to them. How cruel she can be.

"Not like that. A…variation on our previous arrangement."

Her eyes, ghostly white, narrow skeptically. "What use do you have for my magic now?"

I swallow hard. "The garden has been destroyed."

This causes a strange reaction in her. She twists, mutters.

"Ahh… Where is your offering, then?" she asks .

"I have none to give. Everything I had was in that garden."

The Lantern Witch ambles towards me. Everything in me says to run as her gaping maw grows closer. I try hard not to look at it, but her teeth are so impossibly sharp and her mouth so large. There is a face above her mouth, one that looks almost human, but it is just artifice I have grown accustomed to ignoring.

"Beggar. Parasite. Less than plankton," she spits out.

The words vibrate against my skin, trembling the waters.

"I deserve all of your insults," I say. So many years mollifying her, at this point I'm almost not scared.

The nudibranch wiggles under my fin, tickling me. My response is reflex, for no other reason would I have revealed them, but it is too late.

"What is that?" the Lantern Witch coos.

"A slug," I say, apologizing internally to the nudibranch for the coarse language.

Normally, I would not offer her an animal. Every offering I have brought previously were plants or simple organisms. Never something so delicate, so beautiful as a nudibranch. I wish there was a way it could turn off its bioluminescence, but the poor animal's beauty may be its demise if I am not careful .

She hisses. Displeased. It's both relaxing and terrifying.

"A slug. When I am at my darkest? This is your offering?"

"It is not. What I do offer to you, Lady of the Dark, is the best service I can offer. A connection to the world above."

Her eyes fill with sorrow for a moment before the expression flees and she is hardened edges again.

"Very well, seducer. You will travel to the surface, use your skills to suck the pleasure from what humans you may, bring it to me so that I may sup from it. But what else I need from you is far more important."

"Whatever you desire," I offer, knowing the danger that awaits with such promises. Yet the words are second nature to me.

"Find out what happened to—the Cliffside Lady. Use any means necessary."

"The Cliffside—"

"The one who wandered the cliffs at midnight. The one who…"

Her voice breaks.

"You have seen her. I know you have."

I nod. The beach near those cliffs is where I often transform. There are few places with as much privacy in proximity to the humans. But the Cliffside Lady kept to herself. Rarely interacted with anyone. And whenever she saw me, she had a kind word and a wink. Even women of her age do not lose their desires, and what I have, I cannot turn off. Yet her flirtations never seemed full, only friendly.

"I know her," I agree.

"She is dead," the Lantern Witch spits out.

I jolt in surprise, though the action does not agree with her. Her giant maw snaps in anger.

"Does this shock you? Torment you? Well, seducer, only you can remedy it. Find out why. Find out who. Find out everything and with this knowledge, not only will your debt be paid, but your garden will regrow. Now get out of here before my stomach overtakes my rage."

The Cliffside Lady was only ever kind, but she was old. I am wracked with confusion over the Lantern Witch's interest. She lives in the depths, so far from the surface. Unlike Cirro and me, she has never been beyond aphotic waters. How then would she even know of the Cliffside Lady? Perhaps one of us has said something, though very few make deals with the sea witch. She only takes debts she thinks cannot be fully paid.

This I know, and yet I make them.

She reaches out a bony arm, pulls the nudibranch from behind my fin. I reach out for it reflexively before burying the motion.

"Dare you lash out at me, seducer? "

"No—ah—there was a stray plankton swirling around." I lie.

Great save. If she doesn't believe it, she doesn't show it—simply shrugs me off and turns her attention to my little friend.

I wait with bated breath for what she will do to the nudibranch. If she kills it after everything I've done to keep it alive… After the promises I made to it.

"You won't survive up there," she whispers to it. "You are used to the constant embrace of mother ocean, little one. And what should happen to you if he leaves you behind…?"

Her eyes seem to flick to me. It is hard to tell, as they are fully white. The gaze feels accusatory.

Then the Lantern Witch hums. The tune is dark, foreboding. Words rise from her mouth, but I do not know them. They're from a language I have no familiarity with. Not one of the southern waters where I swam from, nor words from here. Unique to her or her kind. The nudibranch glows bright with her words until it shines as strongly as her light. I hold my breath, almost terrified what will happen to my little friend.

But when her song concludes, the light dissipates. Though its natural bioluminescence glows a little brighter, my friend is almost completely unchanged.

"What did you do to it?" I ask .

"It will be my eyes, my ears. A connection to the world above."

I try not to react too noticeably. "You do not trust me."

"Your eyes are limited, seducer. Mine may go anywhere."

"Does this mean it can join me above the water?"

"Yes, though such a creature will disturb the humans. They like slugs less than I."

I furrow my brow. It is such a beautiful creature; it is hard to imagine anyone would be against it.

She flicks her hand, and the nudibranch glows again.

"When it is dry, it will change into something more bearable to those who walk the land."

"What will it be?" I ask.

It cannot be that the Lantern Witch has ever gone ashore.

She shrugs. "Some sort of animal. The humans you come across first will decide. Something they like more than a slug."