Chapter 22

I was exploring one of the many tide pools as I contemplated what I needed to do next. I saw oddly shaped rocks, multi colored fishes, hermit crabs and tiny shrimp like creatures merrily going about their business. The beach occasionally had holes that spat water. It was the clams that did that when the gnomes poured sea salt into the holes to identify if it had clams. I watched exhilarated as these miniature people used rakes to acquire them. They even hopped on mini boats to go fishing. They went rowing and caught a lobster that was bigger than their boat. They looked cute trying to throw it overboard. They came back with a crab, a handful of mussels and an Abalone. I felt someone was behind me. It felt creepy like those horror movie scenes where the killer is behind the intended victim with a machete or a knife. I remembered that I am a vampire. Not to mention I have learned some decent martial arts moves that I was dying to try on someone. So I quietly turned to see who it was. It turned out to be Brita staring at me as I sat on the edge of the pool observing the miniature ecosystem and the gnomes. She was sitting on a Zebra. While the rest of the dazzle were watching. I was told that a herd of Zebra are called Dazzle. One of gnomes approached me with an ice plant and some sea asparagus. I accepted it but like I said I can't hold down anything unless I consume it with blood. She was wondering what to do with me since I had refused to go back to Drake. I wept and begged making it clear that I want to stay here or stay with Tiamat or maybe work with Anatoli in the Himalayan Mountain Range. Maybe even go to Kyiv with Irina Krashinska. I haven't decided what to do. The mermaids appreciated my assistance so they were kind enough not to evict me.

I decided that I will help Irina in Kyiv. So I was escorted to the black sand beaches of Khalaktyrsky in Kamachatkrai but Irina said she has enough help. So in the end I went to live in Merman with Aquene. I was about to be given an official treehouse as a home when William came over. He gave Aquene a note which she stared at without opening it. She threw it into the river and escorted me to my designated house. William had to press his hand on one of the mermaids to explain what was going on. Aquene turned around and gave a screech. It turns out that Dracula had shown up on Skull Island in the hopes to find me. He knew I wouldn't forgive him if he did hurt anyone else. The island was empty so he waited till James arrived and dragged him out of the island. Drake had given Will the note. The note had the location of Aquene's mother Zuni who was captured by humans. I volunteered to retrieve her and was told it wouldn't help. I ignored William and retrieved the paper. It took work to show what the pen had written. When I was sure it was the address I ask Aquene to allow me to go. She can help me get to open waters near the fishing town where her mother was held captive. I will swim the rest of the way and get her out. She wanted to come with me but I explained that she might get captured too. She didn't care because the woman was her mother. She thought Zuni was dead. After hours of explaining how exposing her to humans could kill her entire clan, she finally agreed and we left.

When I got there I met an old man who was kind enough to let me in. He turned out to be a paranoid idiot that believed that every woman was a mermaid here to rescue her. He tried to shoot me but I turned into bats to avoid the bullet. He shrieked and tried to run. I knocked him out and chained him to the basement. I found Zuni in a glass tank. The lid was locked and she was chained down. I smashed the glass and retrieved the keys from his back pocket and unlocked her. I carried her out of the glass cage. She was surprised that help arrived after so long. She touched my face to figure out who I was. When she felt she can trust me. She decided that she will follow my lead. I searched the place for suitable clothes and got her dressed. I made sure the coast was clear and we left before he woke up.

Aquene met us in the open sea and we swam as fast as we could. I tried to keep up but like I said these ladies are fast. In the end they each took one of my hands and swam rapidly. When we arrived at Merman I apologized for being slow. Aquene didn't seem to mind. Zuni didn't mind either. Tiamat arrived later as I was in my room hanging my clothes to dry. Turns out she was invited for a special feast. I just hope I am not on the menu. They gave me a look to say it was for mermaids only. I happily nod my head and went back to my treehouse. Drake brought the guy who kidnapped Zuni. He was eaten as a main course at the banquet by the vampire mermaids. Honestly I don't know why they are called vampire mermaids since they don't even drink blood. They eat meat and plenty of it in different varieties. He was reprimanded by them for knowing where she was and doing nothing to secure her release. He accepted his punishment. They flit into his mind and tortured him. When they were done he got up and looked around hopefully. He asked to see me and was told that I didn't want to see him. I knew that it was more painful to him than what the ladies did. He lowered his head and left without making a scene. I consider it a miracle since he always gives in to his rage. I stayed hidden in my house but I am sure he could hear my heartbeat. He looked in the general direction. And hopped on the boat with William and left.

I grabbed one of the vines and decided to swing like Tarzan. The other mermaids watched me with amusement as I enjoyed it till I landed near a mound of mud and realized they were big gators. Then all I did was run. I was frightened of them. I got behind Zuni and shivered with fear. She looked at me with surprise and dragged me to the biggest gator there was. I wanted to scream in fear but kept my mouth shut. She placed my hand on its head and it didn't attack me. I said absolutely nothing and it didn't react badly either. It closed its eyes as in affectionate endearment. I caressed it and Zuni gave me a look to say I was nuts to be afraid of these guys.

Ice Maidan came with her friend Matilda and asked me to join them on a trip to Oymyakon. I have heard of the pole of cold but never thought I would go there. I was given a small mirror as a gift. I promised them that I will return soon. Behind them was a man standing with a dream catcher. He was playing with a yo yo while chewing gum. He wiggled his fingers and a golden light appeared in a swirling motion and a circle with chicken scratch like words appeared around it. It showed a tunnel with a few animals standing guard with their back towards me. I was relieved that the portal in question was opened by an experienced person. Previously a novice opened a vortex like portal that landed me butt first in Ireland. It was like being inside the business end of the deadliest hurricane ever recorded in human history and the memory of that moment still terrifies me. I found the calm eye of the storm when I landed butt first. I safely walked through the portal and was told this tunnel was part of The Melnikov Permafrost Institute Underground Laboratory. It had a wooly mammoth calf amongst other fossils on display. I wondered if they still exist in secret. I had stepped out of the city of gold to the port city near the Lena River. This place was called Yakutsk. It is a city in Eastern Siberia. I walked out to a sub temperature colder than I had trained in Dracula's palace. They gave me clothes and a fur coat made with reindeer skin as an inner lining. I started to warm up immediately. We got in a car. We took the ice road to get out of there.

We first made it to Churapcha. Then drove to Kandiga. The forest there was covered in snow. Considering how the people lived I was surprised to see them with mobile phones taking selfies. I saw a herd of Cerapter otherwise known as Unisus which simply means unicorn with wings.

As we made a turn in the highway of bones I saw human sized fairies carrying wicker baskets as they flew or walked or whichever method they saw fit. They seemed to be going home after they had gone foraging for mushrooms and other wild fruits. They wore crowns made from Apple and Peach blossoms. Their hair looked like it was made from spun pure gold that was braided like a crown as well. Their wings looked like they had a mother of pearl sheen to them. They wore knee-length lightly embroidered white dresses. Their skin seemed like it was made of cream and roses. Their eyes were electric blue. They seemed content wandering lazily unseen by the humans that were walking past them.

We stayed in a tent of a reindeer herder. They were a bunch of sweet unsuspecting hard working humans. They gave us food and shelter and treated like we were part of their family. The only problem we faced that night was the water in the skin containers had frozen over so we had to break them open and boil the water to drink it. Getting the fire started in a tent is a nightmare I wasn't ready to face. When we succeeded it felt like we had to be afraid we might set our tent on fire. After we quenched our thirst. They were exhausted from the ordeal but before we went to sleep we doused the flames and double checked to make sure that there were no embers that could flare up and torch the place. There was no point of idle talk since we had a long day ahead of us. So every ounce of sleep counts.

The next morning after breakfast we drove till we reached Tomtor which is one of the four settlements in Sordonnokhsky Rural Okrug of Oymyakonsky District in the Sakha Republic, Russia. One of the tyres suddenly burst so we had to stop so the driver can fix it. On the way I saw a few people with saws and ice picks that made no sense till I saw them cut through the ice. I assumed they were ice fishing but I saw no fishing poles. It turns out they were here to take a dip. They guys are seriously nuts chopping through ice and going for a swim. When the tyre was fixed we drove quickly to complete my mission. We were an hour away from our destination. Oymyakon. Home to the bone freezing -71.2 Siberian record.