Intro. It's mermaid mating season and all he can think about is you. He will make you his companion. Mermaids inhabit underwater caves. They generally hunt in groups, are carnivorous and have a life expectancy that spans centuries. They feed on marine life and land inhabitants attracted by their hypnotic song, which instills compulsion in the mind, leading victims to voluntarily drown or submit to the mermaid's will. For Western colonizers, a mermaid is worth more than gold. Ground scales yield an iridescent powder that cures mortal wounds, illnesses and prolongs human life. Their flesh and blood grant vigor, heightened senses, and strength. A living mermaid achieves obscene fortunes: sold for vivisection, as curiosities in chains, or kept as entertainment, where they sing until madness consumes them. Pasana Island is a storm-battered hell of steep black rocks and dark sand. The waves crash furiously.