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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.
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By the Deep Blue Sea
Chapter 14
Another World
From Chapter 13
Of course Ashur began to flex and ripple his flukes. Marduk kneed his mate in the butt and put a stop to that. "We'll see you at Festival, Galene." Marduk replied. "Until then we are keeping ourselves to ourselves. Now please excuse us. It has been a long night and we were swimming most of the time."
He approached the Maid and she moved away from the tunnel entrance. As he swam past with Ashur firmly in control she reached out and stroked his hip in passing.
"It's just too bad, Babylonian. If you weren't so strict we all could have had a lot of fun."
Marduk glanced down at her hand on his hip and looked into her eyes. "It is still a month to Festival, Lady. We will see you then."
As they swam up the tunnel Marduk could hear the Black Maids chittering and laughing as they moved away. He knew at this rate there would simply be no way that he and Ashur could skip the Festival this year.
Chapter 14
Once inside their sea cave Marduk pulled himself up from the water onto the rock surround, the sea water running down his body back into the pool. His exit had created a fountain of water which was now all over the floor of the cave. Reaching a hand down to his brother he pulled Ashur up to sit beside him.
Ashur sat coyly flipping his tail in and out of the water, flashing a more subdued mating pattern. Marduk smiled. "You really are impossible, brother," he laughed. "I'm not complimented by coming in second to a pod of Black Maids."
"Grow legs and grow up," Marduk ordered Ashur. The Babylonian stood up on his own legs and picked up their bag. At the table he emptied out their clothes and the cell phone that Bobby Singer had given them. Looking around Marduk found a golden hooked clasp on the end of a necklace embedded in the wall and hung the cell phone from the protrusion.
Ashur stood next to his naked brother. "Now you have to admit, that looks rather strange," the smaller Mere commented looking at the bit of technology hanging on their golden wall. "At this rate we should perhaps get a television and a micro wave and go all the way human."
"No, I don't think so." Marduk played along. "I'm thinking a more medieval theme for the place. I'll get you a collar and a chastity belt." He smacked Ashur's bare ass and turned away. "Come on. I'm hungry. Let's eat and then go lay down."
The Sons of Nammu were closer to the dry land world than the Greek Meres. A lot of the deep water Meres had never set foot on dry land or mingled with humans. Marduk had suspicions about some of the cults that formed in the darkest waters where no sunlight ever penetrated. He had heard rumors about the disposal of drown sailors' bodies that he refused to believe
Ashur also knew the stories and had listened to grim tales of the darker side of the Mere world but Ashur was a gentle soul in spite of the history of Syrian barbarism and could forgive a lot of sins if he liked the sinner. The two of them had been together for centuries and made a virtue of isolation. The Mere Queen was now not only demanding the continuity of their ancient bloodline. She had a personal interest in tasting Ashur's type of innocence and Marduk was well aware of her fascination with his brother.
As they sat at their table eating a dinner of boiled shellfish and kelp Marduk asked "Ashur, what do think of these visits from the Black Meres? Don't you think they are increasingly common? They haven't paid attention to us in years and then it seems there's one hanging around our door every time we come home."
Ashur shrugged. "The Queen wants us at Festival this year. They're just making sure we intend to go. I don't mind. I like a good party."
Marduk snorted, "Brother, you'd party with Manatees if you thought there was a possibility you'd get laid."
"Hey," Ashur answered back, insulted. "You should try it some time. They can do incredible things with those long lips they have."
Marduk dropped his scallop and stared at his brother. "Tell me you didn't do that. You are impossible."
Ashur smiled. "Marduk, you need to experiment more. Sometimes I think you wouldn't have any fun if it wasn't for me."
"Now, look," Marduk huffed. "What I was trying to say is that I don't think these Maids are spending two days swimming here from their home in Deep Water to just trade insults and grope me then leave. I think they may have set up an outpost near here. I just can't imagine why, It might be a good idea to set up a guard here in the pool to keep them out of our cave."
Now Ashur took an interest. "You think they might want to raid my treasure? That's not right. Meres doesn't rob other Meres."
"Even so," Marduk answered, tending to his food again. "It wouldn't hurt to get ourselves a cephalopod to guard the door. They have excellent vision and high intelligence. Cephalopods propel themselves with a water jet and lay down "smoke screens" with ink. The Maids hate them. We could train an octopus or a squid. They're easily bribed and also easily trained."
"Fine," Ashur agreed. "You know they don't like it so close to the coast through. We would have to go out and find one or, more likely, a family group. Then we would have to feed them and everything."
"I think we should go out and tale a look around anyway," Marduk replied. "If the Maids have built themselves an outpost I want to know where it is. I promised Mr. Singer I would meet with him here before he goes back to his home but after that we should go on patrol."
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The next morning Marduk lay in the grass sunbathing. He was fully exposed and his tail was warming in the sun. He had the cell phone with him and the device was soaking up energy just like the Mere. He had called Bobby Singer earlier and was now simply waiting for the sound of an approaching boat. The Mere was comfortable and relaxed. Near one hand was one of the hidden skylights in the roof of their cave.
Off in the waves he was watching Ashur play porpoise. Ashur was monitoring the cave entrance and watching for the boat at the same time. His sleek head popped in and out of the water as he played in the waves. When his head was down his ass was up and he was leaving a wake of sparkling bubbles behind. The distant sound of an engine called both Meres to attention.
As Bobby's boat approached with Grover handling the outboard Ashur popped up beside them and led the way in between the rocks to a shallow hidden cove. Grover stayed with the boat, fascinated with Ashur's antics while Bobby climbed the barely visible narrow game trail up to the top of the island. Marduk snickered when he saw his brother present Grover with a fresh caught fish. It was so fresh it was still struggling when Ashur flopped it into the bottom of Grover's boat.
Marduk transformed to Sam and put on some pants he had brought with him. He and Bobby spent the morning talking of the old legends of the Meres. Bobby asked for details of how the Mere came to be a people and learned of the flight of Nammu's children into the water. They had been hunted on land as abominations and for special sacrifices to the other ancient gods. Kings feared them and desired them at the same time. A family at a time they turned to the oceans and hid away from the tormentors.
Sam spoke of Nammu's first couplings with the dry land Gods, Ashur and Marduk and others in different centuries and from different cultures. They traced the loss or absorption of the oldest Gods into pantheons like that of the Greeks and how Nammu faded and Thesis arose. Thesis was leader of the Nereids and now presided over the spawning of life in the sea but treasured the secrets of Nammu.
Thesis, who gave birth to Achilles, still ruled and the Children of Nammu grew rare and certain blood lines died out until the brothers of this coastal territory were rare and special creatures. They were the last reservoirs of Nammu's magic and their blood line was coveted by the Black Queen.
Bobby wanted to know specific details of Nammu's magic but Sam hesitated. The secret of transmogrification was closely guarded and he had no desire to pass it on to the humans. Sam thought that the secret was possibly useless to humans unless there was a trace of the older Gods' bloodlines present. Bobby wanted to try a transmogrification or just try to keep the knowledge alive before it passed from the reach of humans altogether. He scribbled away all morning, winnowing Sam's words for clues.
The sun was getting high and Sam's spot on the top of the cliff was getting uncomfortably warm. Bobby Singer would go on all day, the Mere thought. He and Ashur had some things to do. He would have to convince Mr. Singer to get his teeth out of his leg and go home.
Bobby took a deep breath and for just a moment there was a pause in the steady flow of questions and answers. Sam stood up and looked out over the ocean, searching for Ashur. Grover was still below, beached in the cove. He appeared to be taking a nap. The fish Ashur had given the man was wrapped in kelp and lay in the bottom of the boat. Ashur was nowhere in sight.
Sam stretched and twisted his torso, trying to get the kinks out. He anxiously searched the surface of the waves looking for a silver flash.
"Mr. Singer," he said. "This has been interesting and I wouldn't mind continuing our discussion however, I need to leave now. Ashur and I had plans for today and now I can't see him."
Bobby also stood up and looked out over the water. "I get the feeling that sometimes your partner can be a bit of a handful." Bobby said and turned to look at Sam.
"Yes, he can be." Sam replied. "You might want to sit down with him before you go home and discuss his people. The Syrians are an older people than the Babylonians and their world was younger and wilder. They were connected to the land more intimately than mine. Their magic has deep roots."
Just then Sam spotted Ashur's head breaking the surface between San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands and the Mere stripped his pants off, getting ready to dive. Bobby was a little shocked but when Sam smiled and ran for the drop off if was very clear that interview time was over.
Sam started to transform in the air and when he hit the water he sank a dozen feet down then with a heave of his tail rose to the top of the water. At the surface he could clearly hear good tempered laughter from Ashur. He immediately struck out to join the other Mere.
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The pair decided to search out some squid and try to convince the animals to move closer to the tunnel entrance. Squid could be very aggressive and being more highly intelligent than most other sea creatures were treated with as much respect by the Mere as whales and dolphins however the squid could be much more dangerous than the intelligent mammals. As Marduk had commented, they could be bribed to be faithful to their home territory but they would never be loyal to the Meres. It was a thin and dangerous line to walk.
Marduk would never even think of trying such a thing with the Humboldt squid, vicious, cruel masters of the dark artic seas. The coastal squid were less aggressive so that was their best bet. Ashur was eager to put a guard over his treasures and tugged Marduk along on the hunt. While searching for squid they also were aware that somewhere nearby they suspected Black Maids were making a permanent base
The scent of the Maids still left a slight trace in the water and the two of them followed the fading trail as long as it paralleled their hunt for the squid. Of course what they were not looking for they found first. Coming around an outcropping about two miles out from San Miguel they found a small canyon with signs of Mere habitation. Corals had been broken and burrowed. Bioluminescent fish were tethered to doorways, creating a warren of glowing cave entrances. The whole camp could be disguised in a few moments to appear to be a natural untouched site but the boys come upon it while the lights were on and the Black Maids were at their ease.
The canyon cast a glow over the landscape. Even in the weak light Marduk could see a number of typical Black Maid customs that he hated. The Maids and their Queen took their Rulers of the Oceans titles seriously. All other creatures were to be used as they pleased. Marduk saw a number of penned dolphins, often used by the Maids as pack animals. The mammals were penned high on the edge of the canyon, well within reach of the surface for breathing but miserable in the loss of their freedom.
The tethered fish used as lights were not cared for. As they died they were replaced like the humans replaced light bulbs. The Maid's light bulbs, however, could feel pain. These were instances of careless cruelty. The Maids never gave it a thought. Ashur was deeply disturbed by these things and Marduk held the Syrian's arm. Ashur was ready to go release the dolphins. Marduk was concerned about whether the Maids would attack them and if the dolphins had been raised in captivity the creatures would not even know what to do with freedom. They would follow Ashur home.
Marduk was more concerned by why this camp was here at all. This place was barely within rage of the Queen's territory around Deep Water and technically well within Marduk and Ashur's six mile limit around the Channel Islands. No wonder there were Black Maids hanging around the Mere's tunnel door. He and Ashur were like treats dangled in front of these females, just out of reach but not that far away.
This camp was too close to the human's trade routes. It was also too close to the gray whales migration paths. The Queen was pressing her realm's boundaries too far. She was going to force the rest of the oceans' creatures to defend themselves. Thousands upon thousands of years of peace were threatened.
He and Ashur were definitely going to Festival now. It might be necessary to form alliances against this Queen's ambitions.