Felarya: Anko's Secret ( VI )

Chapter 6 – The Correctors Sanctuary

Ragna breathed shallow. His mind slowly fused with realities flow while his body remained frozen stiff. The terrifying incident with the shark was gripped to the bone with fear. “Yes? No? Not everyone has a mermaid as swimming instructor, ya’know?” Anko continued to smile impish at Ragna. “You are poking fun at me, right?” it took several seconds but the young fisherman finally got a grip on the surroundings. His voice was high-pitched. “I wouldn't dream of such a thing!” the giant mermaid replied profoundly prankish. Leaning back Ragna tried to cool down and gaining control of his pulse rate. “I’m going to acknowledge that lil’Anko is less intimidating than a mindless eating-machine snapping at you for decapitation” Ragna panted progressively relaxant. “Lil’Anko?” the giantess asked smitten with surprise. Subsequent to verbal assaults like calling her a monstrosity he now challenged his luck with endearments? The young man kept his head down and grinned canny. “Don’t pay attention, big gal. I just mistook you for someone else”.

“Sounds interesting. With whom?” Anko asked naturally. Ragna tried to put off. That was a bit embarrassing. The considerable stress throughout the last days made him forget some pretty obvious striking parallels. “Com’on! Tell’ma”, the bluish mermaid insisted, but was again put off without a single word. Whenever Anko had a pleasant and stomach filling meal she switched into a predatory play-mode. Still being close to her tiny victim Anko’s tongue left her mouth and started to wriggle around Ragna’s body. It slowly glided round Ragna’s legs and made its way up with each curl. Pleasure filled moans that surrounded him were signs of her clear enjoyment. The tongue extended more and more and ultimately slid behind the young fisher’s neck. He was completely enwrapped with Anko’s long pink muscle. The feeling of Anko’s sticky tongue made Ragna almost freaking out, but on the same page pushed also his body back to reality. The stiff thews wind down while being wrapped up. Almost like a whole body touch-massage – an eerie and sinister one. The tip of her tongue posed right before Ragna’s face and poked a couple of times against its tiny captive’s nose. It was astonishing how precise the giantess could control her sticky organ. He was enchanted, but did not forget for a single second that it would only take a slight pull to drag him into the giant maw waiting behind her beautifully shaped blue lips.

The organ that covered nearly his entire body like a tog and gently squeezed his limbs against his body suddenly pulled back into Anko’s mouth. Instead of being pulled into her mouth Ragna started to pirouette as the tongue unfurled. A funny plopping sound later the tongue disappeared within its housing. “Yammy” Anko commented in awareness that she now had Ragna’s full heed. The former stood there sopping wet because of the giant mermaid’s salvia. “Thrilled by ma tongue-play? Now tell’ma with whom yer had mixed me up… or… “, she slid her tongue between her lips causing Ragna to feel like the proverbial mouse next to a very big cat. “Somehow. But please stop to threaten me! It was just your name…” Ragna said while sinking down to his knees. He cleaned his face from her thick tacky spittle. “The name of my oldest sister is Aria. The middle one is Fulya. And… my youngest sister was named… Anko. And I usually tease by calling her ‘lil’Anko’.” The mermaid laughed and nodded several times approvingly. “What’a nice alluring name”, she paused and looked down at Ragna affectionately, “… hurry, I want to meet my namesake.” She leaned one of her fingers against Ragna’s back and pushed him gingerly.

“You won’t play with them! Swear!” for the first time he showed enough bravery to stand up against his captor. With strong voice he repeated his conditions. Anko nonchalantly grabbed the small vessel right before her between her index finger and thumb. Straightfaced she applied pressure, causing the wood to jar. “Do’ya really think yer in a position to setup conditions?” Hearing those words vocalized with outright cold and heartless voice made Ragna tremble like an aspen leaf. But there was no backing away from that condition. He pluck up all his courage. “Yes!! That is my condition and I won’t accept anything else than a clear trustworthy ‘YES’” he yelled at Anko even raising his fist to demonstrate resolve. A brief moment Ragna thought the giant mermaid would crush him between her fingers, however her expression softened “Ya’pass. I swear.” It was frenzy how fast she could switch between lovable cuddly type and murderous monster, Ragna noted once more. “How was my acting? Were’ya convinced that I was serious? I would never be such a ruthless sleazebag, ya’know” she added mirth and wiggling. “Fuck it! I still have heebie-jeebies… wait a moment - ”, Ragna looked up with now spiky countenance. “That was you, right? You did squash my old boat like a bug!” the young fisher was furious.

Anko smirked abashed. “Maybe – but I saved your afterwards, right? That counts”, she replied. “It does not”, Ragna objected, however adding meek “… but you saved me back at the shrine… and saved me from being beheaded by that shark… and you didn’t eat me in first place.” Especially the last part Ragna did whisper. The giant predator let the boat go and snatched Ragna on its stead, cuddling him between her fingers. Without speaking a single word, she put him back into the boat. “Which direction, Darling?” It was time to continue their journey for answers. Regardless how pleasant the water was or how good the locals did taste, she was determined to go home. Home sweet home – there was nothing better. “That way, big gal”, Ragna pointed towards the shoreline and on the spot Anko started to head in that direction, again dragging the tiny boat along. Ragna had a creepy feeling deep down his guts. After arrival at his hometown there was nothing he could do else than trusting Anko. He would never get over that terrible sensation of helplessness. Whatever will happen will also be his responsibility – a nail biting event.

On top of a small rock was a little rundown shack. The rock itself was high above the waterline giving a pretty vast overview of the lake. Two figures were sitting there all the time to observe the lake. It was their duty to inform the village beneath about anything of importance, like incoming boats or changes in the condition of the weather. The other side of the lake was not within sight and the weather conditions were volatile – it was a matter of life and death to have a good forecast. One of the observers tapped the other “Prix, look over there. What is that?” Both were now looking together. “Don’t know. It’s pretty far away but… it must be huge… could it be a ship?” one questioned. “To big for a ship. And look… somehow it seems to be bluish… who has blue ships?” Both shrug their shoulders. They decided to wait some minutes and take another look by then. Said done, they waited and started another attempt to identify the arrival. “Jeepers! Prix! Get up your lazy ass and run down to the village… it’s… it’s… I don’t know what, but it’s huge and has a head, arms and… A Titan? Shit! You are still here, you bastard? RUN!!” one yelled while heavily gesticulating. The second observer rushed out almost tripping over his own two feet.

“Ah… I can see something at the rocks over there. Is that yer village, Darling?” Ragna didn’t look but started to grow more and more nervous. No need to look. Of cause it was his village the giant mermaid had spotted. They passed the point of no return. The rock town of Pietra was right before them. The village was cut into the rock and mainly build on seven terraces which were called levels. The first and lowest level was connected with the port of the village were all the boats and goods arrived. Approximately each 20 feet another terrace was built, closing more and more towards the rock. Some of the houses were directly carved out of the stone where the most seemed to be built on top. Only very few houses were made of wooden materials. Every now and there was a small market place. Small narrow alleys connected everything. Space was previous and saved whenever possible. “Wow - … “, Anko said commendatory while approaching the port of Pietra. “Not bad, Ragna-Darling. It has the congeniality of an ancient ruin city or ghost town in the mountains”, the mermaid was not really stunned but it was worth a mention. The city of the mermaids deep down the Topazial Sea was by far more impressive. Ragna couldn’t care less about such comparisons as long as Anko did not contribute to making Pietra a real ghost town. Most of the villagers lived on the lower three levels and all of those were pretty much within Anko’s reach. There were no caves as the rock was not very solid. Additionally, only one route on level three connected Pietra with the outboards. Verdura, on the contrary, was a flat copious village surrounded by a thick forest, granting the inhabitants a chance to run and hide. Pietra was isolated and good to defend. The main reason it was never attacked nor invaded by others now was handing the entire village on a silver tray to Anko. “I trust you, big gal”, Ragna tried to get something soothing and reassuring out of Anko, but the giant mermaid just didn’t respond in any way. It resounded in his ears that she told him she mostly ate humans for afters and that she had a big breakfast just a mere half an hour ago.

“Look! Look! Look! Look!” more and more voices became audible from the village. Countless persons flocked to the market places or were approaching the balustrades of the single levels of Pietra. Everyone wanted to have a good view at the approaching giantess, not considering that this could be the prelude of a calamity. “What’yah strange vale”, Anko phrased this welcoming committee on site, “… the same did those morsels at the previous village. Yer tinies are a bit different from normal Felarian tinies – not that I didn’t appreciate that. Makes things tastier for ma.” The young fisher got panicky and pinched one of Anko giant fingers holding his boat. “Please, keep your voice low. Don’t scare them to death with such utterances, Anko”, it was better to skip out that entire topic. Of cause that concealing would have been all in vain if the mermaid would start to devour villagers. She already had such a strange expression all over her face as if she was looking at a bountiful table. “They assume the same as I did meeting you first. I thought you would be a Titan – a protector of the sanctuary”, Ragna made an attempt to clear up her confusion. “Titan? Protector? Sanctuary?” the giant predator was now more irritated than before. She certainly was aware of giant predators that kept single places save and other predators away. She also knew that even voracious gluttons in likes of Crisis were keeping some non-eat humans, but a place where all tinies assume that the giants are harmless and even their protectors was outrageous. “Okay, Darling. You official caught me blindsided. Mind explaining?” Anko requested while keeping low voice.

“Big brother!!! Where have you been? Why are you with that Titan woman? Are you unharmed?” Three female humans were running along the harbor mole and ultimately entering the jetty. “Aria…”, Ragna shouted thunderstruck, “what are you doing here?… Listen to your brother and take your sisters and hi...”, before the young fisher could tell his siblings to run for their lives and go into hiding, he was interrupted by Anko “Yer sista’s I assume. How heart-wrenching that ye did come for’ya.” Anko reached out for the jetty and set her hand down on it. “Jump on, I carry ye little cuties over to yer dear brother”. It was adorable that the three little girls really climbed onto her palm, Anko thought involuntarily. Not even their brother did complain. Anko noticed that Ragna wanted to say something but simply not a single peep escaped his mouth though the lips were moving. Anko raised her hand until her palm was on par with her face. “Heyday! Ye are Ragna-Honey’s lil sista’s? Nice to meet’ya. Ye brother is taking care of me. My name is Anko”, the mermaid grinned devious. “You thief - that’s my name” the youngest of the three girls complained unhappy. The oldest of the three immediately covered the mouth of the youngest. Regardless of being a protector or not, offending someone on whose palm you stand certainly was the last thing you should do, the oldest of Ragna’s sisters presumed. “Gee whiz. What should I do with’ya cheeky girls?” Anko asked herself with lustrous and lambent gleam in her eyes. The very tip of her tongue appeared at a corner of her mouth together with a lofty brow. Without looking she could tell that her tiny fisherman was on the edge by imagine what she could do to his sisters anytime she wanted. A scrutiny glimpse later Anko released the boat and turned around her other hand to let Ragna climb on while smiling mischievous yet tender. It took a load off his mind. During the time Anko was giving him a lift up and the first time he caress his sisters he was certain that the bluish giantess would keep her word.

“Whom do we need, Sweetie?” Anko asked after waiting several minutes. It got her nervous to look at humans standing on both her hands right before her mouth. She was not sure how long she could take that without giving-in to her instincts. The giant mermaid would never admit it to someone else, but sometimes she was not able to stop herself from going overboard or getting carried away during playing. That was the way how she lost her favorite Ichthy friend, she had known since her birth, at the time she still lived with her mother at the Topazial Sea. Mermaids don’t hunt them because they help protecting new-born mermaids, however Anko was a prankster all lifelong. Once, she was half her current size, she had caught it with her mouth - sucking it in and playing a bit like several times before. The next thing she knew, after coming back to her senses, was that her mouth was empty and her favorite Ichthy gone. She cried for hours and hid under her mother’s long hair some days, leaving only her fin visible. As if this wasn't enough, afterwards all her other Ichthy-friends were scared and run away whenever she came across – leaving her alone with nobody else to play as Anko couldn’t stand the cocky demeanor of the other mermaids around. A sore memory that emerged from forgottenness. Never again become friends with someone that would fit into the mouth was her decision back then.

“Professor Eriai, my former history teacher, lives on the third level. He knows more than anyone else I know. Some even say that he’s from the outside of the valley”, Ragna responded to Anko’s impatient inquiry. “Just wait a second and I will go up…” the young fisher was cut off as the mermaid parted her hands, leaving him on her right and his sisters on her left. Subsequent to let the three girls hop off down at the port, Anko used her free hand to push herself out of the water to some extent. The giant mermaid’s massive body casted a long shadow over Pietra’s lower levels. She directly gave Ragna a lift to the third level. “Hurry up, Darling. I will enjoy myself by playing with your sisters at the harbor… don’t cause me wrong ideas”, Anko reminded him with conspicuous soft voice, beckon to Ragna while pulling back. Standing at the mounting of the third level the young fisher could watch narrowly how his giant companion submerged and turned around till she floated at the vast harbor basin with face up as if she anchored there. The basin suddenly looked not so vast anymore. Ragna ousted his mind from any useless worry and dashed off into the narrow allies of the Pietra’s third level. There was no more time to be lost.

Anko closed her eyes and in a certain way looked quite peacefully. The water around this area was even more tingling than near the place she entered the lake. She let slip out some chuffed cooing sounds and listened the voices around. From above there were a lot stunned “Uh’s” and “Oh’s”. They made Anko feel like a superstar. From behind the market people talked about their business and how the ‘Titan woman’ would affect sales – a rather strange discussion Anko thought. She was accustomed to be feared and in general seen as menace. Well – if Ragna would take too long she might get hungry again. With all those tasty looking noshes around it would be tough on her to resist, but making up a few excuses for one or two bites was not knotty either. Finders keepers, losers weepers. “Let me go, Aria – I wanna take a closer look” a faint voice in hushed tone complained. Next thing heard was a splash and a scream “Anko!” Automatically, the giant mermaid turned her head towards the direction the scream originated. “Gosh”, the mermaid commented when noticing that only two tiny females stood on the pier whereas the third paddled down in the water. Anko had to perform contortions within that cramped space of the harbor basin to offer her namesake a finger to cling on. A wet slump later tiny Anko sat on the chest of the giant one.

“I’m… I’m…” the little girl blushed with shame. “Ye’re the sister of yer brother, that’s for sure”, the mermaid said before the little girl could go on. The little girl did not retort, however pouting her lips. “Did my brother catch you? Are you hurt?” the little girl tried to start a conversation. The mermaid almost choked on water for the first time in her life before she burst out laughing, causing small Anko a tricky time to not fall of giant Anko’s chest as the whole body of the mermaid jiggled. “Yah… ya got that right”, Anko grasped for air, “I was peacefully swimming, not mean any harm, … suddenly my fin got caught… I swear.” Now and forever Anko was sure that Ragna’s entire family was wacky. “Fin?” the little girl asked surprised. The mermaid pointed towards her lower end and lifted her fin out of the water simultaneously. Ragna’s kid sister moved around to take a look. “Very pretty”, the girl outlined the gorgeous view she had looking between the mermaids breasts. The giant blue fin was glinting in various shades of blue and was for sure bigger than the biggest ship the girl saw during her entire life. The tiny female figure again turned around “You are a fish-girl?” Fish-girl? Anko stopped counting how much insults she was subject to since her arrival. “No. I am a mermaid – not a fish. Besides I prefer being called by name: A.. n.. k.. o..” the giant predator argued. “That’s weird! I can’t call you Anko. Would give me a headache as I would think I’m talking to myself”, small Anko opposed with a wagging finger. Both her older sisters at the pier almost died by shock, but refrained from intermeddle. Their only hope was that the titan could bear a joke. “How about, Mer-Anko?” the youngest sister made a counterproposal. “Ye’re really yer brothers sister… always short before overstepping the mark”, the giant mermaid laughed exhilarated and tapped the head of the girl on her chest with her trigger finger. No objection.

“Hurry, Professor. Hurry! We have no time… WE HAVE NO TIME” Ragna almost run his feet off to get his former history teacher down to the harbor as fast as possible. There was no time to explain anything, he just wanted to reach down there to ensure that Anko did nothing contemptuous. Not to his sisters and if possible not to anybody else at Pietra. He sensed tendencies for being an equivocator within Anko’s personality. “Don’t hustle me. I can’t go any faster!” the older man vehemently complained. The man had white hair and a long beard. A strong indicator that he was not a Felarian native as nobody outwardly aged after reaching adulthood. Only very few exceptions were known. In next to no time Ragna was starting to drive the older man before him in the direction of the harbor’s pier where he left his sisters cosigned to care by the giant mermaid. “Mister Ogham, I condemn your behavior utterly! Explain yourself immediately”, the older man again lodged a complaint. Ragna could already see his sisters – one dripping wet but otherwise standing save and sound beside the others. He sent quick prayers heavenwards – nothing bad had happened. Big Anko stayed true to her word. “Are you alrigt? Why are you soaking wet? Ah... forget about that. You are all fine, right? Right?” Ragna spoke nervously and checked on his sisters. All of them, including the chuffing Professor, were standing with their backs towards the harbor basin. “Mister Ogham! I’m not willing to accept such a vile demeanor. I did not teach you that kind of brash bearing. Stop that”, Professor Eriai began resentful. The water behind the group surged against the pier, but that was nothing unusual. Anko moved her giant body silently in a position where she could rest her chin against the wooden landing stage. The wood creaked. “So that’s yer ace in the hole, Honey?” the mermaid asked placid.

“Who…?” The professor turned around and because he was always deep lost in his books and studies he had not heard anything of their special guest. Contrary to the other inhabitants, which had cheerfully greeted the giant visitor, the professor ossified – not blink an eye – petrified stammering: “Ank… o”. Ragna was flashed. Why did his former history and archeology teacher know the name of the giant mermaid? “What a coincidence. We met before, lil’pud?” Anko asked inquisitive while the tiny human slowly moved back off. “Run you insolent fools… run…” Professor Eriai spoke stupefied with horror. Ragna stepped behind the Professor, preventing him from tumble into the waters. “Put yourself together, Professor. She is only here to ask questions. There is nothing to be afraid of”, Ragna almost had his tongue tied in a knot. Had he really said that?  Only to ask questions? Nothing to be afraid of? What a bad joke. “No. She’s here to swallow all of us alive and to mock the poor souls that have to watch the racket”, Ragna’s teacher was sure that their last moments on Felarian grounds were broken. Ragna was positive that the Professor definitely knew something. “Iiiiif I would be ya I would hurry and explain. Not that I’m get too hungry to listen, ya’know?” the giant mermaid had a voracious smile and expecting eyes. “Anko! That doesn’t help!” Ragna said defiant, trying to get something out of his teacher and not having him turned into a pillar of salt. “Where did you met her?” Ragna rephrased the question of the giant predator lurking not even twenty feet away. It took a few moments, but the white haired man started to react - speaking fitful like an automaton.

“As member of a group of 21 explorers, scientists and archeologists we began our journey to research the ancient tomb of Alcazath. We were well prepared for Felarya. Not a single person we did loose until… until… we reached Anko’s bridge”, the Professor stopped and looked fearfully at the creature he was speaking of. The memories from almost five decades ago were brought back in an instant. His most horrifying experiences in life. Anko grinned delightful. “Tasty Adventurers… I see… Um, Ragna-Honey. Shouldn’t you send your sisters back home? It’s gonna get ravening pretty soon”, the giant predator was not sure why she suggested that, however there was nothing more to gain by having Ranga’s sisters around. And maybe he would also stop being on alarm all the time. That did annoy the mermaid. A word and a blow. The young fisher sent his sister’s away. He felt relieved to have them outside the zone of imminent danger. “Now then… yer managed to get away. Awwweeee… should we correct that?” Anko said with a devilish and predatory look in her eyes, slowly licking her lips. Ragna jumped in front of his former teacher the arms outstretched in a gesture of protection. The mermaid opened her mouth just a slight bit to gently blow in his face. “Don't chicken out, Ragna. As long as he gives us some information I won’t eat him. I’m not a retard, ya’know?” The mermaid’s words triggered a switch and the white haired man continued. “We… we… had to cross a narrow and very long bridge. ‘Anko’s’ bridge was the only thing we knew. There wasn’t anything in the reports about that…”, Professor Eriai had the presence of mind to avoid words like monstrosity, beast or fiend. “In the middle of the bridge she appeared underneath it, opening that giant-sized maw… the people… the people panicked and run,… but on the narrow bridge one after another tripped. They fell… fell down into her gullet to be never seen again. It was horrid. We had to helplessly watch how she ate them with relish and letting out pleasure filled moans. Some she allowed to stick out their head only to push them in again with her finger with an unfathomable grim grin”, the experience became increasingly vivid the more the Professor elaborated. His eyes showed pure agony when the giant mermaid mischievous opened her mouth completely agape as she usually does below the bridge, reminding the little human of the sight he already had the pleasure to look at.

“Wait!” Ragna begged, however by instinct moving to the side. Regardless how often he saw that, it was purely appalling. “Aren’t we here to get you answers?” Ragna interceded on the behalf of his teacher, because he fully understood how aggrieved he must feel. Anko managed to seize control of her inner imp and closed her mouth, albeit reprimanding Ragna playful. “As yer wish ma master”, the mermaid smiled gently and continued “It’s better yer telling Ragna how ye ended here… or he will lose his temper and command me to eat’ya”. The mermaid’s speech appeared dead serious. She really would make a great actor. Even Professor Eriai seemed to believe her barefaced lie, now looking also worried at the young fisherman. “You jerk! You sup with the devil!?“ the Professor hold up the mirror to Ragna, who himself was startled by the giantess’s web of deceit.  “No… that’s not…”, but Ragna got cut off by the giantess crushing the pier on their left as she raised her left hand from underneath the water. “Shoo. Shoo.” Anko pressed her left index finger against her lips with prurient look, “… last chance, Mister Adventurer … talk or imbibe, what it will be for ya?”

Even without Ragna’s appeasement policy his former teacher made up his mind and continued to tell his story – scared into talking. “Three of us made it to the grounds of the Jadong temple… she ignored us and drifted away on her back”, the Professor referred to Anko without dear to speak out Anko’s name. “We went into hiding inside the temple. Our only hope was to go down to search for a portal inside the tomb. Ancient texts I studied carried me to the conclusion that the Mysterious Temple was connected to hidden space-time bags – I deciphered ‘Sanctuary’ ... or so they were referred.” Professor Eriai paused briefly. His audience was tied to his lips and maybe that would give him the opportunity to escape. “Professor, is that the reason you are always called our valley a ‘Sanctuary’? What is a Sanctuary?” the young fisher asked astonished. Never did he figure out what that Sanctuary, his teacher was speaking of, was nor what is was all about. “You can’t know that. But maybe she does…”, the white haired man panted. The current situation put too much stress on his circulatory. “Nah. Never heard of anything like that. Being the guard of that boring place was never ma dream, ya’know?” Anko responded stern. She never tried to get knowledgeable about the temple of Jadong – it just was an insanely tedious task she could not oppose. “I hope’ya don’t make up stories. Ye will have a dissolving clash with ma stomach’s acid juices if ya do, got’ma?” Anko clarified without beating about the bush.

“No”, the Professor assure, speaking with wavering voice. He noticed that the people at the harbor were fleeing in terror. Either the mermaid didn’t notice or just didn’t care at all. There was no way the Professor could know that in the meantime the rumor about a giant bluish monster, that had attack Verdura Village the day before, made the rounds. Nevertheless he felt relieved that the people seemed to realize the danger they are facing right now. He had to buy them some more time. “We were wandering round the lower levels for several days and finally I found it. A huge cavern. Halfway filled with water. For obvious reasons we hesitated to explore it right away”, Anko pored over the information she heard and remembered that deep down, at the foot of the submerged mountain the temple were resting on, was a hole. She never tried to swim in. There was no reason as the temple never was of any interest for her. The Professor collectedly continued “We took our courage in both hands and went in. Just like I predicted we found an ancient stony portal-like arch. It was large enough to have an entire army marching through and it had inscriptions: ‘The Titans tunnel divert from purgatory. Opened by the ‘Hammer of Creation’, protected by the holy lamps light none is allowed to pass without the Correctors boundless grace. I, Alcazath, arbiter of the monstrous, command for all eternity’”.

Anko eyed the young fisher standing beside the knowledgeable elder. At the receiving end Ragna found himself focused by giant light blue eyes in which he could see his own reflection as if he would take a look into a mirror. “Ragna-Darling. Yer teacher is so much better in deciphering old texts than ya. Should I regale myself with yer for yer bad translation performance? What would’ya advice to yer favorite mermaid?” it was obvious that the same text was written on the archway which led Anko to the valley – just that Ragna’s teacher interpreted it more profound. Ragna cringed. Was she serious or was it again her inscrutable teasing? “I did my best, big gal. So… so don’t eat me. I swear I did my best” Ragna was uncertain if he already made it off her diet or if he still was in the danger of getting devoured any second. “Pah. See? That’s want you get for selling your soul to that vicious demoness”, Ragna’s teacher commented uppish. Without premonition the giant mermaid shoot out her sticky tongue – hitting the elderly man right at his chest. Showing off a devilish smirk Anko commenced pulling her tongue back in slow motion. Professor Eriai futilely tried to set himself free and started frantically pleading for help. He, before all others, knew that the giant mermaid didn’t know the meaning of a words like ‘mercy’, ‘compassion’ or ‘clemency’ – so he didn’t even made an attempt to beg to Anko herself. Ragna joined his struggling former teacher and also attempted to get Professor Eriai freed from the giant sticky tongue that pulled him towards giant blue lips. “Anko, please stop. I beg you. Let him go. He helped, right? And I bet he knows even more… so please”, Ragna beseeched Anko humbly, however the giant predator kept pulling her tongue back in. “Professor… say something… for example… for example… The Hellbound Arch – you entered the valley there, right? Could it also take somebody back?” Ragna wanted to proof that it was not a good decision to devour the Professor, even considering that the arch was probably not functional anymore. Right the second the giant mouth before him was fully opened the Professor panted high-pitched with distress “No. I entered at the ‘Meadows of Evanescence’”. Anko stopped dragging in her tongue but kept the tiny man sticking to her enormous tacky muscle at his current position – standing between her lips with excellent view of her pharynx. Professor Eriai witnessed with his own eyes the violent convulsions of her airway while watching the flap of flesh, waiting to cover her voice box, ready to open the chute from which there would be no return.

Anko gave Ragna a look that plumbed his very soul. Her beautiful light blue sparking eyes told him, that if he didn’t manage to get Professor Eriai to explain him the way to that place, then he would have to witness utterly helpless how the giant mermaid would feast on the human that stood on her lower lip right now. The clock was ticking and the mermaid’s thread of patience could snap at any second.

End – Chapter 6 – The Correctors Sanctuary