"And then she'll never look you in the eye again." Mazi finished.

"You don't honestly believe that I would put anyone with a woman they cared about in charge of guarding you, do you?" Xavier said from the doorway.

"Then why aren't you guarding me? You can't get a woman." Mazi sneered. "And you never will, once my king is here there won't be any women left for you land men."

"Nothing would delight me more," Xavier said, "But I'm overseeing the rebuilding of the keep right now."

"Better reinforce the beds." Mazi said.

"I will personally institute a castration policy for any merman found within this village."

"You won't have a chance to carry that out." Mazi said.

"You are terribly certain of yourself. That is if, in fact, any of your...people...make it past the guards who have been told to attack on sight."

"Anyone who gets in our way will be dead, and before you know if we'll be enjoying your women." Mazi said.

"We will bring about the extinction of your species."

"How are you going to do that when we're impregnating all the women?" Mazi asked. "Has Ila started to show yet?"

"You will be mowed down on approach. And as far as I know, no, Ila is not showing. But then, due to what happened during the attack on the village, I would wager the healer gave everyone herbs to prevent any pregnancies from taking hold."

"She'll be a couple months by now." Mazi said, unfazed. "When we plant a seed it grows."

"If it's been a few months then it should have been obvious to even you that she is not showing. Your seed must have been defective."

"If she's not pregnant by now she must be barren... A slut like her must be barren otherwise she'd have a dozen babies." Mazi muttered. "She used to work at the Crimson Dove you know, she can teach you things."

"Maybe her body doesn't respond to abuse and force. I don't need any tutoring, thank you."

"You don't have to force brothel girls, it's what they're paid for." Mazi said. "She didn't mind getting a little rough, enjoyed it in fact. Some nights-" Mazi smiled evilly, and proceeded to describe in violent, graphic detail what he would do to Ila.

"And not a scream out of her, not even a word of complaint. She enjoyed it." Mazi finished.

"I don't believe one word that is coming from your putrid mouth," Xavier spat. "I look forward to when you are no longer needed for information and can be executed.

"Just ask her." Mazi leered. "And offer her a gold coin."

Rage filled Xavier but he managed to contain it. "You are a liar."

"No, I had Ila every night I was with her. Except for a few nights I had to be away. Then I'd leave her gagged and tied up on the floor like a pig." Mazi smiled at the memory. "Once I was gone all night and most of the following day, she was so happy to see me when I came home. Her wrists and ankles were all bloody."

Sir Excessive Force put Aislyn in a cell between Mazi and Jack, who was barely recognizable as human after being dragged and did not look long for this world.

Mazi's face lit up at the sight of his new neighbor. "Aislyn, I've been wanting to see you. Have you figured out how long Nelek wasn't Nelek? Like the last time he bedded you, was it really him? Or even before that? How many times did you go to bed with Onyi or me, and how much better mermen are than mortals?" He leered.

Aislyn scrambled to the back wall of the cell, far enough out of the reach of either of the heinous beings she was between.

Jack moaned through a toothless mouth. Most of the skin had been scraped off his body, bones might be visible if he was not caked with dirt. His arms looked ruined.