Chapter 43: The Sea Hag’s Price
The Sea Hag sat outside her house, feeding a toad and a fat water snake as casually as a human might feed a pet canary.
Unlike mermaids, she had no beautiful tail. Her limbs resembled those of a human, and she appeared as a wrinkled old woman with seaweed-like tangled green hair and sickly blue skin.
When the anglerfish carrying Rhine and Aurora swam into view, the Sea Hag looked up.
“Oh, two humans inside the belly of a fish with a transparent stomach, still alive—now that’s a rare sight!”
Under normal circumstances, the arrival of Ariel, the sixth princess of the sea and the Grand Matron’s favorite, would have been enough to command the Sea Hag’s full attention.
But today’s spectacle was so bizarre that the Sea Hag barely noticed Ariel’s presence.
“Greetings, sea witch,” Rhine said. “I’ve come to ask a question, and as the wise woman of the ocean, I’m sure you know the answer.”
“There’s no such thing as a free favor, human. If you’ve heard of my rules, you should know that even answering a question comes with a price!” the Sea Hag replied.
“State your question, and I’ll decide the cost based on its value.”Rhine smiled knowingly.
“I’ve heard that you and the Black Witch Maleficent are part of the same coven, and that you occasionally communicate via magic.
“Do you know where Maleficent is now? Please tell me.
“Additionally, I’d like any other information you have about her or your coven.
“For example, what weaknesses does the dragon form of Maleficent have, and how might one defeat her?
“Or, how many members are in your coven, who are they, and where are they located?
“I want to know everything. Name your price for each piece of information.”
What?
The Sea Hag’s cloudy eyes widened in shock, and she trembled so violently that her pet toad fell off her lap.
“Madman! You’re a madman!”
She waved her hands dismissively, her tone harsh:
“Leave, human. I can’t tell you anything!
“If I reveal secrets about Maleficent or our coven, and they find out, they’ll kill me for sure!
“Those people are legendary masters of magic, some of whom have lived for centuries. Destroying a powerful kingdom is as effortless for them as breathing or drinking water.
“You’re insane to even think about prying into their secrets.”
Those people… Rhine caught the odd phrasing. A curious way to describe her own group. You don’t truly identify with them, do you? Are you just a fringe member? He began to form a theory. ṘÄＮОʙĚš
The Sea Hag’s firm refusal was an unexpected challenge. Rhine had anticipated she might set an exorbitant price for the information, in which case Aurora, with her extraordinary charm, could negotiate it down.
But instead, the Sea Hag had outright refused to trade!
“It seems Maleficent’s coven is indeed extraordinary—a shadowy, continent-spanning organization of villains,” Rhine thought.
Ariel was equally stunned. She had heard countless terrifying stories of merfolk seeking out the Sea Hag for their wishes, no matter how bizarre. The Sea Hag always found a way to grant them—at least in a twisted, literal sense. But those who made such deals always paid a steep price.
She had assumed that asking a mere question, not a wish, would require a relatively minor cost.
But to her shock, the Sea Hag had been so rattled by the question that she refused to even name a price. This must be a first in the history of the sea kingdom!
“Destroying a powerful kingdom as easily as breathing… Just how terrifying is this coven?” Ariel thought, growing increasingly alarmed.
“These two human friends came for such a dangerous purpose?” Her curiosity about their identities deepened. Who were they in the human world?
“Dear Sea Witch,” Rhine coaxed,
“Before coming here, I heard of your reputation. No matter the wish, you always find a way to grant it—at least in part.
“In the stories, you always demand a high price but never refuse a deal outright.”
If they couldn’t get answers from the Sea Hag, their lead on Maleficent and her coven would go cold.
The Sea Hag fell silent, lowering her head in thought.
Rhine seized the moment, subtly nudging Aurora’s left foot with his right, like a playful nudge between children.
Aurora instantly caught on and began negotiating.
With her extraordinary charm, Aurora excelled at everything from leading armies to haggling and persuasion. Her voice, almost magical in itself, seemed to carry a bewitching quality.
First, she lavished the Sea Hag with praise, extolling her unparalleled abilities. Then, with feigned disappointment, she expressed dismay at how the Sea Hag’s behavior today fell short of her legendary reputation.
At this moment, the mermaid princess finally realized that the golden-haired girl, who had mostly stayed quiet and only occasionally spoken, had an incredibly beautiful voice. Each word she spoke was as lovely as a melody from heaven.
Ariel had always believed that a mermaid's enchanting voice was something no human could ever rival—not even the most ordinary young mermaid in the sea kingdom.
Now, she felt ashamed at how arrogant her previous assumption had been.
“Humans on land are truly full of hidden talents! These two human children—one is a learned scholar, and the other has such a stunningly beautiful voice,” Ariel thought. She felt an even stronger desire to protect the two slender, delicate children.
At last, the Sea Hag was persuaded.
“Fine. I’ll agree. I can’t go breaking my own rules!” she declared.
“Here’s how it will work. Your request is essentially twofold, so I’ll require two forms of payment!
“Provide the first payment, and I’ll tell you everything I know about Maleficent: her whereabouts, the ancient castle she resides in, the extent of her powers, and any potential weaknesses.
“If you can meet the second payment, I’ll share additional details about our coven.”
Rhine’s heart lifted at her response, and he smiled.
“Please, tell us—what price must we pay?”
He was confident Aurora’s innate charm had secured them a price that, while not easy, would be at least somewhat reasonable.
“For the first payment,” the Sea Hag explained, “you’ll give me a precious gift in return—a fair trade. Since you’re asking me questions, it’s only fitting that I ask you questions in turn.
“I’ll pose three questions. If you can give satisfactory answers, that will count as the first payment, and I’ll reveal everything I know about Maleficent!”
Questions for questions? That does feel like a classic fairy tale challenge, Rhine thought.
From The King and the Shepherd Boy to The Clever Farmer’s Daughter, the ability to answer riddles was always a hallmark of wisdom.
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