Darion had not won that battle, and only chickens were ordered to dungeon core Alina. Her entire stock in two weeks’ time. In that time, Theanore was sending the few ants she still had to go build the barns she needed for the chickens.

She saw Marinus waiting by the table with the maps, and she smiled at him.

“Mari, how long have you been here?” Asked Theanore. She waved her hand in greeting and then waved her doll’s.

“Hi Thea, Princess Strawberry,” said Marinus with two bows he had learned in his time in the Orlock household. “The adventurers came with their first hauls of fish for the lake.”

“That is wonderful, Mari. New friends are always good news,” said Theanore happily. Marinus winced. Friends…more like food and toys. But he didn’t want Theanore to know he thought of the freshwater fish that way.

“I will be releasing them in the lake now. Would you like to come and see?” Asked Marinus as he extended his hand. Theanore took it, and they went to the lake, swinging each other’s arms all the while.

There were happy adventurers with glass jars sitting by the lake. Theanore stared at the different colored fish. There were yellow ones who had scales that shone like gold. Red and green long ones who looked a bit like smaller Eelanconda. And many, many more.

But one pair of fish stood out among the rest. They were snow-white with green eyes and red fins. Theanore went to the adventurer who had that jar, as if hypnotized, and took it from him.

“So pretty,” said the little girl as she marveled at the fish.

“The honor of introducing them to their new home is yours, Thea.” Said Marinus as he pointed at the lake.

Royal snow fish detected. Warning: the species breeds like rabbits and are like piranhas. They are a top predator, which will soon make the lake unsafe for everyone and everything.

“Really, Tania? Well, that is not good at all! Are there any other dangerous fish that have been brought here?” Asked Theanore. Marinus took the jar from her and stared at the fish. They stared at him, something malicious in their green eyes. As if daring him to stick his hand in the jar.

I will make the vermin glow red.

At least ten adventurers yelped when their fish jars began to glow red. Theanore and Marinus exchanged a worried look. That had been too close. Then, something red glowed from within the lake. Then another light flickered. And another.

“Oh, no…” Said Theanore, making a step back.

“Who let their fish in the lake without asking me first?” Yelled Marinus. He had paid beforehand and was not about to take back his money, but the adventurers should have waited for his permission.

“Some rookies let in a bunch of Salamanderhead Spikebacks,” said one of the adventurers, whose fish jar was still not glowing.

“And what is that?” Asked Marinus. He had never heard of such a fish.

“See for yourself,” said the adventurer, and he threw a slice of bread inside the lake. But it didn’t even touch the water’s surface. A spiky fish flew out and took it mid-flight, and then proceeded to defend it from other spiky fish.

“Tania, how dangerous are those for the lake?” Asked Marinus. There were so many of them.

The Salamanderhead Spikebacks are not carnivores, but they still threaten the lake. They breed quickly. The ones inside have already laid eggs. They also grow quickly, too. The growing time for a Salamanderhead Spikeback is one day.

“Oh, no…” Said Marinus, falling to the ground.

“Mari, they don’t eat meat. How bad can they be?” Asked Theanore, not understanding why Marinus was still worried after Tania had reported the good news.

“They will eat everything inside the lake, Thea, until it becomes bare rock and water. Air-poor water at that. They will suffocate here and fast. Tania, what can we do?” Asked Marinus. He was ready to do everything, if only to save the fish species already in the lake.

Dump the Royal snow fish in the lake and watch the carnage from a safe distance. Then, fish the fish out of the lake before they lay eggs.

Could Marinus do that? He looked down at the jar he was holding. The green eyes bored into his very soul. But what other choice did he have. With a nod to steel himself, he emptied the jar over the lake.

And then chaos reigned over the water. It started to color red and Theanore was shaking as Marinus moved to hold her. One Salamanderhead Spikeback jumped out of the water with a Royal snow fish latched at its side, the spikes doing nothing to the white fiend.

“Come on, Thea. You don’t need to see this,” said a very shaken Marinus. And he needed to get in the water with that later and fish it out? Madness.

“I have to. The poor salamanders didn’t do anything. This is murder, Mari,” said Theanore as she clutched at him. A large Salamanderhead Spikeback rammed one of the Royal snow fish into a rock.

Both children gasped at the sight with bated breath. Then, the Royal snow fish twisted and a bit into the Spikeback’s eye. But it was too late for the white fish. More Spikebacks neared the fighting duo.

They swam like would swim quickly towards the white demon and impale it on their spikes. Again, and again, they were relentless. Driven by a single purpose. Survival.

Then, when all hope was lost for the Royal snow fish, the other one emerged from the depths and threw a Spikeback at the one restraining its mate. The spikes dug into the soft sides of the fish, and it gave out a wail before sinking to the bottom of the lake.

“My money is on the white fish,” said an adventurer next to Theanore and Marinus. Marinus turned to glare at him, and the man had the decency to look chastised.

 And then the merman turned to look as the still healthy Royal snow fish began defending its mate. To the death and beyond. For, even in death, it sunk together with its mate. Victorious, but dead.