"Aren't you worried it's going to freeze solid or something?" cautioned Devin, watching Azalea take out her art supplies.

"As long as it's on my body, I think it'll be ok. Look how lively it is, wanting to be such a willing model!" the fairy raved.

Devin didn't respond to his fairy’s exaggerated claims about the family's new “addition.” The strange semi-liquid creature lying inert on her knee was known as an Oozari or schlicum, as Azalea preferred.

Azalea lifted the schlicum. "Now, then, I want you to pose very cutely. Perfect! Just like that! Now, don't move." Azalea turned to a new page in her book and started sketching.

"Do you think it actually understands you?"

"Most probably not, Life-mate, but I'm hoping it can feel the cadence and vibrations of my voice."

"Hmm. Maybe it's working. It seems to know who's who – well, between the two of us, anyway."  

Devin patted the gooey lump with his finger. Unperturbed but still cautious, it formed and extended a tendril to inspect what touched it. Coming to the conclusion Devin wasn't a threat, it promptly retracted the tendril, ignored him, and curled more into Azalea's hand.

"Maybe the more likely answer is because you feed it."

"Certainly does wonders for my memory when you ’feed’ me!" Azalea looked up at Devin, licked her lips, then giggled. "It's one insatiable little creature."

"Like someone else I know," Devin confided and winked at her.

"Nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite." She lifted the schlicum close to her face. "Even though I fed you an hour ago, I bet you're still not full, huh? You need to give my poor pussy a rest."

"Given your recovery time, I'm finding that hard to believe," jested Devin.

"Sssh. I'm trying to establish discipline. Don't want it becoming too spoiled, do we? It might be best to give it a well-rounded diet. How about it, Life-mate? You want to feed it?"

"You mean..."

"Mhm." She sucked on her finger.

"It's a bit cold right now, don't you think?"

"I suppose. We shoulda brought another blanket."

"Remind me when we get to town," Devin suggested.

"I will."

Azalea, losing interest in drawing, put her stuff away.

"Tired of drawing already?"

"For now, but what do you think so far?"

Devin had to squint to see the tiny lines. "It’s a lovely family portrait – all of us, plus Jeni, Zinni, and the schlicum – a memory worth keeping."

Azalea grinned. "I agree."

 "Can't wait till my milk comes in. I wonder if this’ll help my body speed up my milk production." Azalea lifted one of the flaps covering her breasts and placed the schlicum on her nipple, waiting until she felt the gentle tug before letting go. "Maybe it would help Reina too."

"Whether it will or won't will remain a mystery… forever," the Whitehorn said flatly.

"You'll come around."

"You seem quite sure of that."

"It's only a matter of time before you succumb to the adorable antics of its jiggly bounciness!"

Reina snorted.

Devin redirected his mates. "Have you noticed any change?"

"No, Life-mate, but it's only been less than a day. Reina probably hasn't either," Azalea answered.

"My chest and udders felt a little tender when you activated my crest, but nothing since then."

Devin let his thoughts wander as he watched the schlicum nurse. "Have you thought about giving it a proper name?"

"Yes, many, but I've discarded most of them."

"What have you narrowed it down to?"

"Splotch, Jiggles, Dewdrop, Dewy, Droplet, Slimeria, Mucella, Viscoria, Aquaia, Oozelle."

"Hmm, the first five sound too much like descriptors. The others have promise."

"Any that stand out more than the others?" queued Azalea.

"I kinda like Oozelle and Slimeria. How about you, Reina?"

"Going by just the name, Mucella and Viscoria."

"Did you prefer one over the others, Azalea?"

"Not particularly. I think I'll wait a little and see if it develops more of a personality. Maybe I'll nickname it Oozi for now." Azalea pushed her breasts together and brought her other nipple close so it'd suck both. "What do you think? Do you like being called Oozi? Or one of the others?"

No response.

"What are you going to do now?" Devin asked.

"Well, since Oozi is distracted, and we have time on our hands… now might be a good time to begin my stretching regimen with the dilators you lovingly gave me!"  She jumped down onto the floorboards and unlatched her jewelry box closet situated under the seat.

"What size are you starting with?"

"Hmm, not sure." She flew back up to Devin's blanketed lap. "I think I can get away with trying a number four. It looks to be my upper comfort limit, but since I won't be needing to move for a while, I think I can manage it."

Azalea removed her coat. "I probably don't need to ask, Life-mate, but do you want to watch me put it in?"

"You're right; you don't need to ask."

Azalea smirked. "Good. I like it when you watch me do naughty things, though this is more practical than naughty. I can fix that. Hang on, Oozi."

She rolled onto her back. "Can you put your hand right there, Life-mate?" She scooted over and lifted her hips up, resting her lower back against the side of Devin's hand, placing herself so she was looking up at her lower body. "There, now we can see each other."

Bringing the dilator to her mouth, she looked into his eyes and slowly, in an exaggerated show, coated it in her saliva and lapped up and down the shaft until she activated the ravishwood's unique properties. It was still a far cry from the real thing, but as she nibbled and slurped, kissed and sucked, it softened under her tongue. The outer layer became pliable yet kept its rigid center. Little by little, she fed a bit more into her mouth until she was practically deepthroating it.

Her motions were slow, occasionally stopping altogether to just hold it in her throat and enjoy the sensation of the experience until she needed air. Pulling it out, she remarked, "Just knowing that this is what it'd feel like to go down on you makes me love you all the more! I should really write a letter to the creator of these. Every detail is perfectly captured for me to enjoy.”

Devin laughed at that. "Our business was thanks enough. He probably doesn't want to be reminded of having to make those."

"Is that so? Pity. Regardless, he should be proud of such skill." Azalea patted her pussy with the dilator and rubbed it across her folds. “Alright, down to business. Would you like to push it in, Life-mate?"

"I'm not sure I could grip it."

"How bout this?" Spreading her pussy wide with one hand, she held the dilator vertically above her entrance with the other. "There. Now you just need to push."

Reaching down, he pressed, watching Azalea's reaction for any discomfort. She exhaled as her little canal was stretched to more than she was used to.

"Hold on a second, Life-mate." She took several deep breaths. "Alright, continue."

"All the way?"

"Yes, please – balls deep. That's the only acceptable way to take my life-mate."

Devin resumed, slowly pushing more in until her body had gobbled up the entire length. It had completely disappeared inside.

She rubbed the slight outline protruding from her tummy. "All stuffed!"

"Feel good? Doesn't hurt?"

"As long as I don't make any sudden movements, contentedly so – a precursor to the real thing!"

With a look of concern, Devin challenged, "You'll be able to get it back out, won't you?"

"Of course." She clenched her muscles and pushed the end out.

"See? Easy. Ok, Oozi, ready to feed again?" She plucked her slimy friend up and set it between her legs. "Go on, you little bottomless pit. Now you can eat heartily and not be tempted to try and go inside."

"Does it try to do that?"

"Ya. Sneakily, too! It can wiggle very quickly when it wants to."

"You don't think it'd feel good?"

"More like I'm worried it will, and I wouldn't want it to come out. Or it crawls so far in that I couldn't get it out."

"Hey! Nooo, you little wiggler, you definitely won't be going in that hole either. See, Life-mate? Very sneaky. Could you get my bag, please? I forgot to put my plug in this morning."

After Devin handed the satchel to her, She dug out her friendship plug, prodded the slime forward and away from her anus, and popped it in.

With its curiosity thwarted, Oozi promptly crawled toward the warmth radiating from Azalea's ever-damp vulva. With something tastier than her (for now) milk-less breasts, it spread its body over as much of the fairy's genitals as possible, heartily living up to its moniker: making wet slicking sounds as it slurped her juices.

"Everything is taken care of now. Can you let me down, Life-mate, please?"

Devin moved his hand back down to his lap.

"Thank you. And now to caaaaarefully sit back up." She righted herself, feeling the pressure shift. "Ooh, that puts some pressure on my bladder.

"Hey, Oozi, you want to try something a little different? I don't know if you'll enjoy this, but we'll find out in a moment. Sorry if this ends up making a mess, Life-mate."

Devin didn’t respond but kept watching as Azalea held Oozi close to her body as she relaxed her bladder. The schlicum immediately latched onto both of Azalea's thighs and pushed against her, forming a seal. It adjusted its shape to act more like a bag than a sponge.

"It's doing a wonderful job of not allowing a mess," Devin observed.

"Thankfully, but I'm pretty full. I wonder if it can drink all of me."

Azalea stroked the top of Oozi and heaved a sigh of relief,  watching in fascination as the schlicum absorbed her pee. It used the urine to grow in size and weight but retained its overall form, but a little more droopy than it had been before.

"That's the last little bit, Oozi. Did you like that?"

With nothing left to drink, it relaxed its grip on her thighs, returned to its most commonly preferred droplet shape, and resumed its previous lapping at Azalea's wetness.

"It never seems to get tired," Devin noted.

"Isn't it wonderful?" hummed Azalea. "It even comes with the added benefit of me being able to cum as much as I want without my crest activating."

"Don't you get oversensitive?"

"Strangely, no. Maybe it's something in its body. It's very soothing on the skin. In addition, it somehow knows when I really want it to go fast and hard and when I only want some light 'tongue' play. It does just enough to keep my juices flowing."

Redonning her coat, Azalea settled back against Devin as he snugly pulled the edge of the blanket over her.

"Now I'm thirsty. Can you hand me the water, please, Life-mate?"

"Sure.” Devin unscrewed his water flask and poured some into the cap for Azalea to drink.

"Chilly, yet refreshing."

---

Reina was overflowing with energy. The time spent at Muddy Springs had recuperated both body and mind, making her feel like a new Whitehorn. She'd been trotting at a good clip for hours, having finally crossed Piglin Pass and steadily descended the last leg of the Frostwood highway.

Azalea perked up. "Smell that?"

"I do. It's the ocean," remarked Devin.

"It is? Smells salty and bracing. I can't wait to see it! I've heard the ocean has more water than you could ever imagine!

"That is certainly true."

"Why did we come here again, Life-mate?"

"We said it was to fulfill Jeni's request for a coastal delicacy. In reality, it was an excuse to have us come back because she was lonely. But since she'll be traveling with us, though, we are using it as an excuse to buy for the purpose of selling later. Shops don't normally get many shipments of these commodities, so we should be able to sell for a high price to help pay off the loan on the construction of the new wagon and the supplies we ordered.”

"What kind of delicacies?"

"Roe and milt, and anything else interesting we might be able to make a profit off of."

"What's milt?"

"Well, Azalea, if roe comes from female mermaids, milt comes from mermen." Devin elucidated.

"So… merman cum? There's a market for that?!? Wait, let me guess, for, um, tinctures?"

"For certain food dishes."

"Really? Sounds like my kind of culinary culture. Can we try some?"

"I'm sure we could find someplace that sells it if you're interested," Devin assured her.

"I am!"

"It may not be quite what you're used to tasting, though."

"Even better! Are we almost there?"

"We are, in fact, here."

Reina had reached the edge of the foothills. Rounding a bend, they burst through the tree line. Below, plastered across a divot in the coastline, was where the Glacial-Lock fjord kissed the Skaldalassa Sea. It was a tentative kiss, though, for where the waters actually merged was chaperoned by the Ikivarren Bay with its doleful partner, Merport.

A dreary pale-blue gloominess hung over the bay, matching the cloudy sky with the white-capped waves. Multi-mast merchant vessels were safely anchored, their work done until spring. Too big to navigate the icy waters, they turned the harbor over to the nimbler single-mast fishing boats.  

"I thought it'd be bigger."   

"It's fairly sized, considering its location. It's sometimes called the 'City of Song'.”  

"They must all be dirges," joked Azalea.  

Devin laughed. "I admit it's not as impressive as Iceford, but it has its own unique cultural spirit. Merfolk love to sing. You can hear them on nearly every shore and street corner. Sometimes, you’ll even see them singing along with harpies."  

Reina slowed down, giving them ample time to appreciate the inlet's harsh beauty. "It has a serene melancholy wildness. I fancy it."   

Azalea held onto Devin as they rounded a bend. "Have you ever been to the ocean before, Reina?" 

"A few times during my family's migration during the summer, we'd skirt the northernmost point of land and spend the day cooling our hooves and splashing around. Our present location affords a very pleasant view, though."

"Maybe another time we'll come for the scenery. For now, though, let's hope we can safely get down the rest of the mountain." Devin pressed down on the skid break, creating more drag as Reina slowly and carefully picked her way down the final stretch of the white-ribboned road.

----

"We finally made it!" cheered Azalea. "I can't wait to find someplace to warm up."

"Don't forget to switch out your dilator," Devin reminded her.

"Oh ya! Thank you for reminding me, Life-mate. Come on, Oozi, back into Life-mate’s hand you go while I slip into something more comfortable. Something more comfortable in me? You know what I mean."

Azalea leaped up, peeled the surprised schlicum, bloated from having feasted on her fluids for the last several hours, from between her legs, and deposited the sluggish creature into Devin's hand.

Leaping down, she found a smaller-sized dilator. Then she freed her stuffed hole with a suctioning squelch that left her gaping momentarily as her insides grew accustomed to the sudden vacancy. Slipping the new one in with ease, she flitted back to Devin's hand.

"Hmm, where do we keep Oozi?"

"I might have a jar or a bottle we can keep it in," Devin suggested.

"Mmmm, let's go with that idea only as a last resort. Perhaps, if I were to wrap 'em around me." Sliding the schlicum underneath her coat, she pulled her arms in. "Come on, flatten out. Reach around there and around here, and put that part there and hug me like this."

Sliding her arms into her sleeves once more, Azalea unbuttoned her coat and flung it open. "Not bad, close to a perfect fit!"

Azalea had rearranged Oozi's semi-liquid body into a stretchy outfit that wrapped around both breasts, hugged her around the midsection, and wound down between her legs.

"I worry it’s squeezing you too tight," Devin observed.

"It's snug, like a warm hug, and it's a perfect co-dependent relationship; Oozi gets to eat and suck on my boobs, and I stay dry – sorta. I don't drip on the floor, at least."

"Living clothes."

"Almost. It covers all the important parts." Azalea turned around. "Not enough to cover my back, though, so it's anchored onto my plug – rather firmly, too! I'm having to grip it pretty hard."

"Reminds me of someone who's into rope-play."

"What's that?"

"Um, it's a type of sexual play where an individual has rope tied, most times in geometric shapes, around their body."

"Does that feel good?"

"I've never done it, but the activity turns some people on."

"Interesting," Azalea replied in awe.

"Are you going to still be able to fly?" Reina checked.

"I think so." Azalea buzzed her wings. "Yep, all good to go."

"I just noticed the grooves in the back of your coat."

"Uh-huh! Granny Gertrude is a master of design!"

"She sure is!"

Azalea made a flying leap to Reina's antlers and leaned forward. An action that always reminded Devin of a lookout in a ship's crow’s nest.

"I see the entrance! No line this time, and no checkpoint, either, Life-mate? We can just go in?"

"It's not required, at least not for land traffic. Down there on the water, though..."

On their left, the fjord was forcefully split apart, funneled into many separate water-gates dividing the flow of boat traffic into chutes.

Devin explained, "They collect tolls to help with generating revenue for the city's upkeep."

Azalea bent over backward as they passed under a tall, welcoming archway resembling leaping merfolk and other aquatic demi-humans she couldn’t identify. "This place is completely different from Iceford! For starters, there's no giant wall around it."

"The coast doesn't have enough snow to cause avalanches, and there's really no strategic importance if they were invaded by sea – not that they’d get that far with underwater demi-humans guarding the bay.

 "It’s much quieter and feels more open." Azalea threw a snowball into the canal Reina was being careful not to slip into. "And there's so much water everywhere."

Devin dodged a low-hanging icicle. "When you serve a demi-human population whose major impediment is not possessing legs, you need to be a little creative in how you construct your road system."

Merport was heavily timbered, like most of the architecture of the region. Yet, instead of reinforcing roofing for heavy snow, the excess lumber was put toward its fleet of ships and the innumerable ramps and bridges that spanned a collective network of canals across the city.

Built over an artificial estuary, the city of Iceford had actually borrowed from Merport's engineered creativity. Merport was built atop a foundation of granite columns, so the normal progression of city planning could be what one would expect to find in any populated hub.

The similarities ended in its road system. Only half of Merport had cobbled roads. More accurately, half the streets were rounded slabs from the fjord bed cemented together. The other half were deep channels dug to allow the free flow of water from the main tributaries to flow into smaller runnels and, from there, further on to locks.

Used to raise delivery ships and barges to anabranches, the outflow would divert back into the main watercourse. There, they could service the needs of all businesses owned and visited. Not only by the 'shoreborn' - those born on land – but also fin and flipper traffic could traverse the town freely.

"Can we go see the ocean before we do anything else?" begged Azalea.

"I, too, would be delighted to see it," voted Reina. " I'm not particularly hungry or tired yet."

"Then I see no reason why not. I think if you go down that street, it'll take us to the waterfront."

The maze of bridges and ramps somehow directed them to the wharves, where old human men with salt, spray-weathered faces laughed amongst themselves in a gruff manner as they repaired nets and torn oilcloth sails.

A forest of masts grew beside the docks. Each boat and ship, the main source of livelihood for many a sailor, were fondly maintained.

"Where are all the mermaids? Shouldn't there be a lot here, Life-mate?"

"I'm not sure, but if I had to venture a guess, it's too cold for them."

"Ahh," Azalea pouted. "I hope to at least see one while I'm here."

"There's a high chance you will."

"Should we look for a place to stay or eat first, Herd-mate?"

"I'd prefer lodging so we can drop off our stuff. Unfortunately, I've never had to stay here overnight, so I'm not sure of the recommended inns."

Azalea piped up, "Maybe we can ask that person." She pointed to a person bobbing in the water at the end of a pier, away from the other fishermen.

"Why them? Most times, if someone is alone, it means they want to be alone," Devin presumed.

"Or they are lonely," the eager fairy countered.

"I suppose. If you insist, I'll let you go ask. We'll wait over there."

Azalea jumped off and raced over the water. The individual turned out to be a woman. She was grabbing fish out of the boat and tossing them into sorting barrels. With her half-hearted efforts, bored expression, and distant gaze, she appeared to have other things on her mind.

Landing on the moored rowboat, Azalea addressed the woman. "Excuse me. Would you happen to know a place we can lodge for the night?"

Startled out of her daydream, the woman let the fish slip out of her hands. It leaped into the air and landed on her head before escaping to the sea. She glanced behind herself to see who this tiny person was addressing, even though there was no one else around.

"A...are you talking to me?" the incredulous woman asked.

"I am. You seemed more talkative than your fish," Azalea giggled.

"What. O...oh. Funny." She tried to force a laugh. "Y...you want a place to s…stay?"

"Yes, please. A room big enough for three people if possible." She pointed toward the sleigh waiting at the gangway for the pier.

The woman, apprehensive about taking her eyes off the diminutive person, eventually looked toward shore, shielded her eyes from the salt spray, and eyed the Whitehorn, the wagon, and the human sitting atop it.

Turning her attention back to Azalea, she splashed water up into her face. "I'm sorry, are… are you real?"

"As real as your pretty, freckled face."

It took the woman a whole three seconds to process the compliment. She put her hands to her face and blushed profusely.

"If you're still in doubt, you can hold me if you want. Hold out your hand."

The woman shakily stretched out her arm.

Fluttering down to the upturned palm, Azalea took note of the woman's sharper-than-average nails, the webbing between her fingers, and how rough and weather-worn her skin was overall.

"Did that help?"

"Ye…yes. So…sorry, I've never seen a shoreborn fairy before. I wasn't sure if they actually existed."

“From my experience, it's not an uncommon reaction. Fae don't leave their communities very often.” She paused, looking into the woman’s face. "So… do you think you can help us?"

"With? Oh, sorry, sorry, you said you wanted a place to stay?"

"Yes, please."

"With me?"

"Not necessarily, but if you are offering, I would love to get to know you. I love meeting new people!"

The woman fidgeted as she thought. A mixture of panic and excitement grew in her chest. "Would that be all?"

"Also, someplace to eat!"

"Oh, right! Travelers would get hungry. I...um, do know of a place, but it's not very lively this time of year, and it's a bit dirty and a long walk from here.”

"We don't mind. I'm sure we'll be happy with anything you recommend.”  

“Oh, ok, I…if that's alright with you, um, I'll take you there.”

“That is most kind of you!”

The woman tried to smile but felt too self-conscious and quickly looked away. Hoisting her net, still half full of fish, out of the boat, she slung it over her shoulder and reached for a fiercely sharp harpoon from the boat.  

"What about the fish in the barrel?" Azalea worried.  

"Th…they'll freeze overnight, and I'll get them in the morning." Swimming under the dock, she entered a canal, looking behind her to see if Azalea was following.

"Let me tell my life-mates real quick." Azalea flew back down the pier to exclaim, "She'll show us a place to eat and stay."

Acknowledging the fairy, Reina turned about and followed on a parallel road while Azalea hurried to catch up to the fisher-girl.

The fact she was swimming in the canal made it obvious she was a demi-human, but of what kind, Azalea didn't know. She wore a fashionable blue hood made to look like a cute face with whiskers and long ears over her ochre braided hair.

Seemingly heedless of the cold, she was topless except for a pair of mittens tied and hung around her neck, partially covering her breasts whenever she rose up out of the water. Perhaps it was a way to hold them rather than for any attempt at modesty.

She kept flitting nervous glances at Azalea, her pale, ice-blue eyes skittish, unsure what to make of these travelers and why the fairy would ask her of all people.

"I'm Azalea, by the way, Azalea Ebonplume, and those are my two life-mates, Reina and Devin. What's your name?"

"My name? I...I'm Seula."

"Just Seula?"

"Seula Maighdeann," She said barely above a whisper as if afraid to invoke her own name.

"I'm glad we found you. We weren't sure who to ask, and this is my first time to the ocean."

"I...is that so?"

"It's bigger than I imagined. How big is it?"

"I don't know."

"I bet there are all kinds of fascinating things to see down there."

"Sometimes."

"I was wondering, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of demi-human are you?"

"Selkie."

"Not a mermaid?"

"N...no relation."

"Do you think I'll get to see one somewhere?"

"It's too cold for them right now."

---

Wherever Seula was taking them, the travelers were content to let her lead. Whatever part of the city this was, the blistery cold kept everyone inside.

"Uh, Miss Maighdeann, are we almost there?  You're about to run out of water.”

The nondescript canal they were following seemed to be somewhere on the outskirts of town and was about to dead end.

"We'll go by land the rest of the way."

"We will?" Azalea buzzed around, watching with interest as Seula stopped at a boat ramp. Tossing her things onto the road, she climbed out of the water.

Selkies didn't look anything like the mermaids Azalea had seen from afar on the bridge in Iceford. Lacking fins and scales, her upper human half was toned and athletic. It merged midway, below her belly button, into what one might generously call a well-insulated, thick, and gray cylindrical body with patches of brown and black spots and covered all over with the lightest of peach fuzz.

Since she was naked, at least by human standards, Azalea couldn't help but catch a glimpse of a tiny genital slit between one of the two sets of paddle-like flippers, one below her hips and the other close together at the end of her tail.

'I guess aquatic demi-humans wouldn't need clothes, would they?’ Azalea looked around, wondering if they would slide on the ice the rest of the way.

Seula retreated into herself a little and, in a small voice, said, "I'm sorry I'm so unsightly. Selkies are not very graceful on land."

"No, don't say that! I wasn't thinking that at all. I was just wondering how you were going to, um, travel by land."

"Oh. I suppose most shoreborn wouldn't know about these." Seula opened a small shed at the top of the ramp. Inside were several shelves exhibiting pairs of devices. One was akin to a pull cart. The handles and sides were removed, though, leaving only a two-foot-squared base and the unusually small wheels. The other was of a similar design, except smaller, and the wheels were canted outward.

"Do you need help?"

"I, er, I wouldn't presume to ask, but I… if you want, could you tie those cords around my back flippers?"

"I love helping people. Consider it done!"

While Azalea waited for Seula to lift herself onto the two contraptions, she was struck with a thought. 'I wonder where her butt is since her back blends seamlessly into her tail.' Landing beside the wheel, she saw the answer between Seula's rear flippers underneath the tiny, stubby tip of her tail.

Azalea grabbed the hanging cords and tried to tie a knot, only to realize the few she knew weren't suitable for the task. "Life-mate, I may need a little help."

Seula flinched as Devin jumped down from the sleigh. She wasn't used to being the focus of people – not that she couldn't be around people. As long as no one paid any attention to her or kept their exchanges short, such as when she visited the market, she was fine and didn't feel overwhelmed.

One thing she wasn't used to in any situation was being touched by others. Even though she was expecting it, she very nearly jumped as Devin briefly touched her flipper, showing Azalea a better knot to use.

"Alright. You're good to go," Devin declared.

"T...thank you."

Placing her hands on the wheels, she propelled herself forward, using her tail to steer.

"Oh! I see how it works now. That's amazing!" exclaimed Azalea.  

"Th...they are for mermaids, but o...others can use them, too."

“What a clever form of public transportation! Are they provided by the city?" asked Devin.

"Yes, s...sir, they are."

They set off again at a significantly slower pace than when Seula was swimming. Not that they were in a hurry to reach their destination.

Reina was a bit concerned the slippery sidewalk would be a hindrance to Seula until she realized it was devoid of ice. "Herd-mate, what's that all over the ground?"

"Salt."

"Salt?"

"It helps melt the snow."

"How?"

"No idea."

"Curious. Do they do this in Iceford? I don't remember seeing any."

"Iceford has a strong enough workforce and employs alternative methods. Salt is too valuable and too costly to mine to use for that. There are a few salt mines within the kingdom, but extracting it is dangerous because of the rapid dehydration of miners due to direct contact and salt dust. They do harvest some salt from the ocean through evaporation, but the time period they can do it in is very short."

---

Since leaving the canal, the group had steadily followed a gradual incline. It wasn't until they had passed the last few buildings on the road that they realized they were above the roof line of the buildings on the bay and along the naturally formed retaining wall between the inlet and the ocean far behind them.

From this height, the whole bay was in view, including its fleet of ships. Devin had never set foot on one. It was a world outside his own, but a few times while picking up deliveries, he'd watch the crates being lifted out of the holds and wondered what it'd be like to be a ship's chandler.

They were a category of merchants who had to navigate an entirely different level of stress than he was used to. High risk and high reward, the massive amounts of cargo could create fortunes overnight, but a bad storm could lose them just as fast.

Devin guessed the place Seula was taking them was a tall structure at the end of the seawall. He thought it odd such a place would be so far outside the city, but locals tended to know all the best places to eat, and some were not where you'd expect them.

Devin looked on as Azalea floated backward, attempting to engage the much less talkative woman in conversation. She was drifting from topic to topic, telling stories, making observations… whatever popped into her head. He loved watching her happy trailings back and forth in the air and listening to her clear, tinkling laugh. She was just about to diverge onto another conversational pathway when she abruptly stopped talking and hovered in the air, staring at something in the distance. Reina pulled up alongside her. 

"Life-mate? Reina?" Azalea inquired.

"Yes?"

"Yes, Azalea?" Reina also answered.

"I suddenly feel small."

Devin scooped her out of the air and held her. "My dear, sweet fairy, who I love very much, I hate to break it to you, but you are rather tiny."

Azalea smiled. "No, I mean..." she pointed out toward the ocean. "I suddenly feel very insignificant against all of… that."

Seula, noticing her guests weren't following, stopped and turned to listen.

"I heard a poet describe it as 'A boundless watery crease where the sky meets the horizon. The ceaseless swells of ages past unhurriedly flowing in their endless cyclic expanse.'" Devin recounted.

"It's awe-inspiring but kinda lonely at the same time."

Devin stroked her head. 'While you may feel that way, you, Reina, and Jeni are the most significant things to have happened in my life, and regardless of how little you are in your own eyes, you have a heart so large it can't be measured."

Azalea looked up at him with a sparkle of happy tears. "You, Reina, and Jeni are my one and all, my life-mates. I can't imagine a life without you all!" She buried her face in his chest and hugged him. Giving him a big kiss, she flew over to Reina and did the same.

Reina reciprocated, showering her with tokens of love. "I agree with Herd-mate. You are the heart of our family. Your happiness is our happiness."

"Stop! You're going to make me cry for real." She smiled and wiped her eyes.

"Um, if I may, " Seula fidgeted with her braid. "It's t…true the ocean is vast and empty, but closer to l…land, there is so much to s…see going on."

Azalea slumped her shoulders. "I wish I could see it."

"I…I could give you a peek."

"Really? How?"

"It'll be easier to show you."

A short distance away, rising high toward the sky was a beacon primed to warn and herald many a weary seaman. The pinnacle sailors most looked forward to after an extended time at sea.

"Home at last," Seula sighed.

Azalea tilted her head far back. "Your home certainly is tall." 

Devin pushed his hood back. "You live in a lighthouse?"

"It's been in my f...family since l...long ago."

"And here I thought you caught fish for a living," Azalea remarked.

"That was just d...dinner."

Azalea raised her hand. "Question! Why is it so tall? And where is the light? And why is it a house full of light? Don't most houses have light already? And how do you keep it lit, and..."

Devin covered Azalea’s face with his hand. "Silly, that's definitely more than one question."

"Sorry."

"N…no, no, it's a...alright."

Devin offered, "I can answer most of them if you're overwhelmed."

Seula gave a shy nod.

"It's tall so sailors can see the pattern. The light is at the top and lit during the night. Though, since it's constantly dark this time of year, I'd imagine it's hard to keep it lit all day and all night, what with needing to haul fuel up.”

"I...it's lit during the evening when it's dark dark, and w...we don't use fuel."

"Oh? What's it fueled by?"

"A...another thing I can show you if you want."

"Now I'm curious. Well, there you have it, Azalea. Not a very glamorous job, but very important so ships don't crash on the rocks, and they can find their way home on stormy and foggy nights. It can also be very lonely."

"That's a wonderful job, Seula! And we can keep you company during our stay!"

"Indeed, though maybe it's not so bad since she also houses guests and feeds them."

"Oh, that's right! Do you live here with someone else?"

"Y...yes. What would you call them – m...maybe the closest comparison is aunts. Our hostelry only has four rooms. You can park your sleigh there." She motioned toward a small barn. "W…would you prefer a v…view of the city or ocean?"

Devin acquiesced, "I'll let you girls decide."

Azalea and Reina looked at each other. "Ocean, please," They said in unison.

Devin jumped down and opened a set of wide double doors. He uncinched Reina, and together, they backed the sleigh inside, grabbed only the necessities for tonight, and followed the selkie into one of the side wings.

Differing in material and style from the main hall, the rooms were obvious additions. Each one had two bedrooms.

Their room wasn't nearly as posh as the one at Muddy Springs, but it more than adequately served travelers needing a dry, warm place to sleep with a coastal ambiance.

The light blue paint on the walls was flaking off, and the furniture was simple, but care had been given to keeping the place dust-free. Evident attention had been paid to creating an outdoor environment indoors. The walls resembled the sky, and the floor was a faded mosaic of inlaid aqua blues and foamy greens. Ocean swells circulated around the carpets, specifically chosen to show off demi-human life under the water.  

Colorful merfolk, proud selkie hunters, some sort of aquatic plant demi-human, multi-tentacled individuals, people living in shells – or maybe the shells were part of their body – and no small number of humans with fins on their arms, legs, and backs adorned the artwork at floor level. All of them were unclothed, not that there was much to show except the ample endowments of some of the largest female demi-humans portrayed (surprisingly not merfolk). The males were not showing off anything untoward either since the more delicate parts of their anatomy were probably kept safely inside their bodies.

All in all, the designer of the room seemed to want to portray a lovely sunny afternoon under the water.

Azalea launched off Devin's shoulder. "I've never seen a bed like that before!"

She dove onto the key centerpiece of the room. A massive clamshell, pried open, had been polished and remade into a bed upon which thick blankets embroidered with a treasure trove of glimmering shells sat.

"It's even big enough for Reina!"

Devin set their belongings down. "Can you actually find shells this size on the ocean floor?"

"I...in some places. This is the a...abandoned house of a clamgirl, I think."

"Certainly must be a different world down there."

Reina wandered around the room, running her finger across the polished driftwood furniture, perusing paintings of old sailing vessels near one of the windows.

She finished her tour and stopped in front of a tall metal stand in front of the window. "Is this a spyglass?"

Seula rung her hands, hoping the room met these travelers' expectations. "Yes."

Azalea came over to investigate. "What's a spyglass?"

Reina adjusted the nobs to raise it higher. "They let you see things far away."

"So it's the opposite of those things that lets Jeni see really small stuff?"

"Essentially." Reina stooped down to look through the eyepiece.

"Can I look through it, too?"

Reina moved aside and held out her hand so Azalea could stand on it.

"Let's see what we got here." She leaned in. "This thing really does let you see far away! Oh! I can see places in the town! What's that big wooden building with the big fence around it? Near the center of town."

"It's where the royal family lives."

"A castle?!?"

"I suppose you could call it that."

"And what's going on over those cliffs? There are windows. And doors. White things are launching themselves off, swooping and diving in every which direction, but they are moving too fast for me to see."

"Turn this one to zoom in and out and this one to focus, Azalea," pointed Reina.

Seula frowned. "The seagurl harpy d...district. A very noisy and rude part of town."

Azalea swung the lens back to the right side of the city. "There are some long buildings on the beach similar to what I saw in the auction district in Iceford."

"Fisheries and canneries."

Devin came over to look out the window. "That’s our destination and purpose for being here, Azalea."

Seula was warming up to this strange family, comfortable enough to ask her own question. "You're m..merchants? Unusual to see this time of year."

"We are. There were reasons we couldn't wait till nicer weather."

Seula pushed her hood back. Her lush red hair fanned down her back. "Are you h...here to buy fish?"

"Milt and caviar," Devin replied.

"Oh..." Seula's cheeks reddened.

Azalea didn't miss the reaction. "You know what those are?"

"O...of course."

Azalea flew really close to the blushing selkie. "Do you know where we could eat some? You use it in cooking, don't you?"

"W...we do. There should be something on the menu if that's what you w...want."

"I definitely do! Does it taste good?"

"I...it's an acquired taste."

Devin swooped in, saving Seula, who was backed against the wall, from his hyperexcited fairy.

"I...if you'd l...like to leave your things here, I c...can take you down to the restaurant now."

"I think we're ready," said Devin after a quick once-over of their belongings.

Freed from their luggage, they returned back the way they came. As they walked down the hallway toward the main house, Azalea noticed a door slightly ajar.

Peering in, she asked, "What's in here?"

"Oh, uh, that's my...my hobby room." 

Seula was hesitant to say any more. Azalea's sweetness and genuine curiosity made her think maybe it was ok to tell her, though.

She went inside with Azalea behind her. Devin and Reina had to peer in from the hallway as the room was little more than a large walk-in closet, barely big enough for three people. It had been converted to a sitting room or a little private retreat of sorts.

Azalea inspected the room. "Why do you have so many pictures of the same lady?"

From floor to ceiling, on every wall were pictures, paintings, and sketches of the same demi-human from nearly every possible angle in many different art styles, settings, and types of dress.

The woman this room seemed to be dedicated to reminded Azalea of the snail girl they'd seen at Muddy Springs, except without a shell and vastly more colorful. Her skin, if you could call it that, was of a pale grayish-purple. Her clothes, or maybe that was another layer of skin, were dark blue with gold trim that looked like a gown with a high ruffled collar and matching sleeves. It wrapped around her like a mantle, leaving a gap open at her stomach, extending down her sides and all the way to the back of her body.

She had bunny-girl ears. No, that wasn't right… they were not as long, nor symmetrical, or furry. One might have guessed they were ears, but she possessed pointy ones that drooped slightly on the sides of her head, so maybe they were antennae?

Her hair was too long to see her eyes, but her expression gave off an air of quiet dignity.

"This is Luciana Jalokivi Tritonia ll, Daughter to the Duke and Duchess of the Aplysian Court. I, er, admire her."

Devin and Reina looked at each other silently, both thinking the same thing: this was more than admiration. It was full-on infatuation bordering on obsession.

"Merport is a Monarchical Enclave. It retains a level of autonomy but is still under the authority of the Thawdenn monarchy. Lady Lucianca is one of the figureheads of the family, I suppose you could say… very beloved by the people. Especially me. I am her self-proclaimed biggest admirer!"

What struck Devin and the girls most was not her strong affection toward this person but that her shyness had completely disappeared as did her stutter. Her eyes sparkled, and her face blossomed with happiness as she rambled on about this aristocratic woman.

"In my opinion, she's the most beautiful of the daughters. There are three, by the way. They're nicknamed the 'jewels of the sea.' Fun fact… you know how land-walkers place importance on birth order? Certain seafolk (Tritonia's included) don't value it the same way because offspring are born from masses of eggs, so when multiple eggs hatch at the same time, it’s impossible to tell who was first. Thus, importance is placed on competence."

"You know so much!" Azalea praised the selkie.

"I make it my duty to know every little detail about her ladyship!"

"So, which of the sisters is, um, the most competent?"

"I'm so glad you asked! When they come of age, all Tritonias began their education by learning etiquette, political history, etc. After three years of that, they practice for the great duel to establish who'd receive what type of authority within the family."

"Did she win?"

"No, she came in last, but that doesn't diminish my feelings for her whatsoever!" She hurriedly explained that the proclamation might make others think it lessened the woman's standing in her eyes.

"Win or lose, she is still a very lovely-looking lady," Azalea affirmed. "I especially enjoy this portrait of her. She looks so noble."

"That's my prized piece, painted by the court artist themself. I saved money for an entire year to have this commissioned."

Reina picked up a jar of liquid. "What's this?"

"Water from a puddle she walked through."

"Oh..." Reina hastily put it back.

"Oh, but I don't do anything creepy with it. Honest! She is such a shining star for so much that happens in the community. I can't understand how she manages to have time to make everyone feel heard. It must be wonderful having so many friends and people to confide in. I...I don't really have friends. Or family.”

"But what about your aunts?" Azalea protested.

"They aren't related to me. Don't misunderstand; they are wonderful people, and I love them very much, but they are both much older than me. It's hard to relate to someone with such an age gap, and sometimes you just want to be around people your own age."

Azalea patted her on the shoulder. "Good thing we came along then. We can be your friends!"

"You can?" The impact of Azalea's declaration didn't immediately register with Seula. She looked up at Devin and Reina, wondering if what she had heard was true.

Devin smiled. "I'm not against it."

"Neither am I. You're a sweet girl."

Seula grew flustered and momentarily reverted back to her old self. "R...really? B...but I'm boring, and unimportant, and s...shy and..."

"Shush!" Azalea put a finger to the deprecating girl's lips. "Everyone's important to someone. So you'll be someone who matters to us. As for your shyness, I have a friend who's shy. Sorta. Not as much as you, but she's clumsy and overthinks things.”

"Really? I overthink things a lot, especially when talking to people. Or what they might be thinking."

"And you're not boring. You have wonderful and interesting paintings here. Maybe you are a little more passionate than most people are about something, but to fae that is normal. I'm an artist myself and appreciate seeing other's art."

"Do you get to see her ladyship often?" Reina asked.

"I'm always there whenever she makes her weekly trips to visit the people. One time, I even got so close I could smell her!"

"Have you ever talked to her before?"

"Talk?!? No! Nononono. I couldn't do such a thing... such an important person. I'd… I'm a water flea compared to her. What would I say that'd even be remotely interesting?"

"Sometimes putting someone on a pedestal like that can make them feel isolated and lonely."

"If she's a beneficent person, she might be more interested in her people than you think. You mentioned she listens to them."

"You really think so?"

"Sometimes, making an attempt is worth not having the regret later for a missed opportunity. I did that with my life-mate here." Azalea landed on Devin's shoulder and kissed him. "And then I got him to do that with my other life-mate!" Azalea leaned over and kissed Reina.

"Maybe you're right. P...perhaps I'll attempt it someday."

Azalea shook Seula’s hand. Thank you for showing us your treasure!"

"Y...you're w...welcome, and t...thank you for wanting to b...be my f...friend!"

"Of course! Let's have some fun memories while we are here, and when we have to leave, I'll make sure to write!"

Devin and Reina moved aside so Seula could exit the room. Further down the hall, a door brought them to the main house (where Seula lived). A modest cast iron range with a cozy driftwood fire welcomed them in.

Devin glanced around the multipurpose space. As was the outside, so was the inside. Round. Everything was rounded. The carpet, the candle fixtures, the picture frames… even the furniture was partially curved to fit snuggly against the curved walls.

The room itself was for a simple set of purposes. It was a place to cook, eat, and sleep. On one side, a low bed. On the other, an equally low-to-the-floor table. Both were separated by a lift in the center of the room. Small enough to hold tools and supplies or barely big enough for one person, the lift was flanked by two sets of stairs mirroring each other around the room's perimeter – one ascending, the other descending.

"The lantern r...room is up there. T...those stairs will t...ake you up. But, um, I'm very sorry. I d...don't think they were b...built with Mrs. Whitehorn's kind in mind.

"It’s quite alright. I'll wait down here. I'm sure Azalea will tell me all about it," Reina assured her.

"I'll even draw a picture for you! But first, um, Reina, could I ask you a favor?”

"Of course."

"Well, you see, I'm getting a little bit heavy to fly, so I was wondering if you could, maybe, perchance, possibly… look after Oozi?"

Reina narrowed her eyes.

"Just till we come back!" She quickly added. "It'll probably barely take five minutes!" Azalea landed on a nearby end table, pulled her arms into her coat, and pried the schlicum from her body. Letting it fall from under her clothes.

Seula wheeled closer. "W...what is that?” 

Azalea knelt down. "A schlicum."

"A whattam?"

"A thing we… encountered yesterday that Azalea took a fancy to and that I'm totally onto her ways about trying to get me to interact with it,"  Reina said suspiciously.

"Pleeeeeeease, Rei-Rei! Look, you won't even need to touch 'em.” Azalea flew over to an end table by a window. "It'll sit right here till I get back."

Reina let out a long sigh. “Fine. But if anything happens. I'm not responsible.”

"Thank you, Reina! Ok, Oozi, be good while I'm gone. I'll be right back. Ok, let's go!"

Devin started up the stairs, and Seula loaded herself onto the small lift and pulled the rope, following him up with Azalea in tow.

Reina stationed herself next to the table. Her skin crawled as she watched the schlicum begin to search around.

"Looking for Azalea? She's not here. Why am I even talking to you? Not like you can hear me, let alone understand me."

She grimaced as the Oozling began to crawl around slowly, expanding its search, occasionally reaching out in a random direction.

She stared out the window, pretending not to notice, but her mind was too keenly aware of the source of her uncomfortableness.

"Why must you be so tiny and look so helpless and pathetic? It makes me almost feel sorry for you." She chewed on her lip. 'I know exactly what Azalea was… is trying to do, but it won't work!'

"Hey. No. Stay there! You're going to fall off if you come any closer," She lectured sternly.

No way she was going to touch it, even if it fell onto the floor. Of this, she was certain. Dead certain. The most certain she'd been about anything in her life. Surely, it had enough preservation to understand when it was high up, right?

It slid closer and closer to the edge of the table.

Reina gave an exasperated sigh. Her protective instincts for the helpless, no matter what it was, proved too strong.

"Fine, you win. I'm not that heartless. I suppose the least I could do is let you know who I am, so you're not afraid of me should I ever need to interact with you again for some unforeseen reason that I will make sure will never come. But just know, I still find you gross, unnatural, and you smell bad.

"Just a touch to get you used to my flavor or however it is you determine who's who. I’ve noticed you react very similarly to Azalea. Can you smell or taste emotions?"

Reina clenched her teeth and made a wall with her hand, blocking Oozi's path. She shivered as it reached out and brushed her palm.

'Steady, Reina. Neutral emotions, neutral emotions,' she chanted in her mind.

Sensing warmth, Oozi instantly froze. When nothing happened, it blindly groped outward, poking at Reina's hand. Thinking it was maybe Devin, it crawled up.

"Hey! Wait! No! Don't crawl on me!” She tried to shake it off, gently at first, but it was stickier than it looked. She tried more vigorously. Panic began to set in. The more determined she tried, the more it clung to her.

Reina's mind raced, jumping from one exaggerated worst-case scenario to another: things that made no sense if the rational part of her mind hadn't taken a back seat.

Fighting and fleeing didn't seem to be options. She wasn't the fainting type, but she felt precariously close. Giving up on doing anything, she accepted her fate and watched in fascinated horror as it made itself comfortable and... just sat there.

She took a careful breath and forced herself to be calm. Coinciding with her emotional state, Oozi's grip loosened.

Maybe it can sense feelings? Great. Now, she was having the worst emotion she could have in this situation. Curiosity. "I'm not entirely convinced you can read my emotions. Perhaps you are just highly attuned to physical responses."

Oozi recognized that whoever this was wasn't gushing with love like the small one, nor could they feel the amusement from the big one. This was a new big one.

Sharing in the cautious curiosity, Oozi flattened itself and felt all around Reina's hand, familiarizing itself with the grooves on her palm, the texture, temperature, and overall size.

This was the closest Reina had been to one of these things. It was studying her. Since she'd come this far, she might as well study it back.

She lifted Oozi to get a closer look. "Even though you can stretch your body quite thinly, you'd probably barely fit in a thimble."

From this distance, Oozi's body was quite clear, a tiny glistening raindrop.

"Alright, maybe I was wrong about one thing. You don't smell bad. In fact, you kind of smell nice, like a forest after the rain. So you have one thing going for you.

"That's not to say I dislike you any less. I'm only looking after you because Azalea asked me, and so we can maintain a respectful tolerance for each other as living beings. Understood?”

Oozi's only reaction was to latch onto Reina's finger as it continued to accustom itself to her.

She felt a gentle tug. "Why do you relish sucking things so much? Is it a comfort thing? Does it help you calm down? I suppose you can't do much else, really.”

Reina wiggled her finger. ‘Is this what it feels like when you suck on Azalea's nipples?’ The thought sent a thrill through her at what it'd feel like on hers.

'No, absolutely not, Reina. Did you forget how disgusting it is? You don't want this thing anywhere near your sensitive parts.’

The thought wasn't going away. The internal changes the lactation crest was having on her body were not made manifest yet, but it definitely was causing increased sensitivity.

Reina chastised herself as she listened toward the stairs to make sure Azalea and Devin weren't back yet. Undoing the first two buttons of her shirt, she pulled out her breast. It was strange how becoming aroused could make a person do things that they might normally find repulsive.

She swallowed and slowly lifted Oozi to her nipple, giving herself ample opportunity to back out of her decision. When there was barely a pencil's distance between them, she waited for Oozi to take the initiative. "Well, go on!"

Oozi shied away.

"What’s wrong? You had no problem sucking my fingers. Do you prefer Azalea's nipples better?"

Reina's mixed emotions confused Oozi. Arousal meant happy food time, but the negative feelings made it waver.

"Please." She pressed Oozi into her breast, coaxing it with a soothing voice that surprised herself. “Are you sensing I'm not entirely comfortable with it? It really has to be a full commitment with you, doesn't it? I suppose that's better than you ravaging me."

Setting her other breast free, she conceded, "Alright, but Azalea will never learn of this?" Rolling her other nipple between her fingers, she focused on building her desire, hoping it'd drown out any emotions making Oozi hesitate.

As Reina's desire grew, so did Oozi's physical hunger. Sensing it was maybe ok now, Oozing latched on. Both Azalea's breasts were small enough to suck on at the same time. But this nipple barely fit in its shallow body.

Reina gasped, "That's better."

Whether Oozi's activity was a way to placate itself was still up for debate, but Reina was sure of one thing now: whatever its main goal, it focused on providing as much pleasure as possible.

Oozi swirled its liquid body around Reina's hardening nipple, tugging and tweaking, making her nerves sing.

The Whitehorn was settling into enjoying the experience when she heard voices from above.

Tearing Oozi off, she quickly placed it on the table, hurriedly buttoned her shirt, and pretended to look stoically out the window.

"Reina, Oozi! We're back!

“I wish you could have seen it. There was this big glass thing, and this firefly lady kept it lit with her butt, er, abdomen and… are you ok? You look a little flushed.”

Reina fanned the collar of her coat. "I'm fine, just a bit warm in here."

"It is, isn't it? Thank you for looking after Oozi. I appreciate you so much!"

"You’re welcome."

"Come here, Oozi! Back in my coat you go. Alright, no more delays, let’s go eat!"