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It’s common practice for ships to request at least one of the merfolk travel with them into open seas, even if it’s just for a quick fishing trip. There’s safety in their giant tails and sharp claws and armored backs.
You see, there are... things, in the open water, that hunger.
You see, there are... things, in the open water, that hunger.
Katsuki refuses to sail with any mer other than Big Red. He doesn’t trust the others to protect his ship and his crew, not like the massive, shark-toothed bloodfin does. He’s absolutely littered with scars, his huge body a silvered tapestry of battles won.
There are days Red doesn’t show up at Port and on those days, Katsuki sends his crew home, tells them to preform a second morning prayer for the idiots heading out to see.
Over time, it becomes an omen.
Over time, it becomes an omen.
Cause you see, if Red isn’t at the docks with his ship swallowing smile and bright, clear laugh, then there’s something /keeping him away/.
One day, Big Red doesn’t show up in Port. The weather is perfect, the water calm, and the sailors grumble at missing the perfect fishing trip.
He doesn’t show the second day, or the third, and the dockmen reroll their ropes and fishers mend their nets.
He doesn’t show the second day, or the third, and the dockmen reroll their ropes and fishers mend their nets.
A week passes, and everyone tries to ignore the chill burrowing under their skin.
Red has never been gone this long before.
Red has never been gone this long before.
Katsuki has grown more volatile as each day wanes, pacing the great crescent of the bay with his eye on the sea, quick to bite and flare at anyone he comes across. By the seventh evening, even the dock cats make room for him to pass by.
With the dawn of the eighth morning comes news.
Two merfolk have nearly beached themselves at the heart of the Port, their high, bird like voices crying over the usual bustle and activity.
Katsuki is there immediately, barking and shouting to be let through the crowd.
Two merfolk have nearly beached themselves at the heart of the Port, their high, bird like voices crying over the usual bustle and activity.
Katsuki is there immediately, barking and shouting to be let through the crowd.
The mers thrash in the shallow waves and point at the ships and keen their reedy message again and again.
“Sail, sail, he needs you, he needs you”
“Sail, sail, he needs you, he needs you”
(Cws, cause I’m writing this off the top of my head: minor injury, blood, monsters?)
Katsuki’s crew moves before he even finishes yelling. The other captains are quick to follow, shouting for their men and clambering across the docks in a wave.
Katsuki’s crew moves before he even finishes yelling. The other captains are quick to follow, shouting for their men and clambering across the docks in a wave.
They load the spears and they load the nets and they pull the sails and line, and seven ships and four great mer make for the open sea.
One of the mer, a sharp toothed silver beast, swims at the prow of Katsuki’s ship and leads through the quiet dawn.
One of the mer, a sharp toothed silver beast, swims at the prow of Katsuki’s ship and leads through the quiet dawn.
He’s twice as large as the others and the scales on his back are crisscrossed in fine metallic scarring. Katsuki thinks he’s a lot like his Big Red.
The mer rolls a massive eye up at Katsuki and blinks, before pointing a black clawed finger at a ridge of sea stacks.
The mer rolls a massive eye up at Katsuki and blinks, before pointing a black clawed finger at a ridge of sea stacks.
The water churns and bubbles at their bases in a way the sailors have never seen, and for one brief moment, a enormous blood red fin breaks the surface.
It cuts towards one the rocks and then disappears below.
It cuts towards one the rocks and then disappears below.
Katsuki shouts directions across the gathered ships and they flare into a crescent, nets dropped between them as they strike forwards. The men take up their spears and the mers strike ahead, slipping below the surface.
The mers reach the sea stacks first; the water breaks into a boil as their tails thrash and their fins slice into the sky.
A great resounding howl rises from the base of the rock and Katsuki spots a deep black stain spreading across the seafoam.
A great resounding howl rises from the base of the rock and Katsuki spots a deep black stain spreading across the seafoam.
From it erupts a gnarled, spiked limb, like a mighty toothed club, that slams down into the sea. A mer scream reaches the ships with the resulting wave, rocking the men where they stand.
They grip their spears tighter, resolute.
They grip their spears tighter, resolute.
Three more limbs reach into the air, their mottled, bulbous skin seething in the sunlight, and Katsuki shouts for the men to brace themselves.
A moment later, Red's great, scarred body shoots up from below.
A moment later, Red's great, scarred body shoots up from below.
Blood sluices down his back from a massive bite mark in his shoulder, ragged and shredded, and even Katsuki balks at the size of it.
Red howls something deep and dark and angry and slams the beast into one of the seamounts, shaking the towering rock with the force.
Red howls something deep and dark and angry and slams the beast into one of the seamounts, shaking the towering rock with the force.
They crash together into the water, throwing up a wave that nearly rattles the ships together.
It takes a moment for anyone aboard to realize that there's more than the one beast. Two of the mers have pushed a second, smaller monstrosity into one of the nets.
It takes a moment for anyone aboard to realize that there's more than the one beast. Two of the mers have pushed a second, smaller monstrosity into one of the nets.
It writhes and flails, striking the wood of Katsuki's ship and splintering a railing as the sailors cast down spears and haul the net closed around its bulk. One of the mers, a sharp eyed black creature that bends like ribbon in the water, slices the trapped beast's head off.
Oily ichor clouds the water as the monster sinks into the deep, dead. The crews cheer and the mers grin wide before turning back towards the rocks.
Two of the other ships have closed their net on a beast and Katsuki catches sight of the great silver mer, coiled around it.
Two of the other ships have closed their net on a beast and Katsuki catches sight of the great silver mer, coiled around it.
Katsuki turns back to the sea mounts, his breath catching as he realizes the water at their bases is still and quiet. He pelts for the ship rail and stares down just in time to see a colossal, razor toothed maw surging up from beneath.
The beast means to swallow them whole.
The beast means to swallow them whole.
“LEVIATHAN!”
The shout comes too late.
Katsuki’s ship jolts hard and lifts from the water. The wood groans and creaks and then cracks down the belly.
The shout comes too late.
Katsuki’s ship jolts hard and lifts from the water. The wood groans and creaks and then cracks down the belly.
The mainsail topples, nearly slicing into a neighboring ship, and the nets pull free from their riggings, falling like torn wings into the sea.
The men leap for their lives as the leviathan’s teeth close round the middle of the broken ship.
The men leap for their lives as the leviathan’s teeth close round the middle of the broken ship.
It’s chaos.
Katsuki abandons his ship.
Katsuki abandons his ship.
He hears his vessel shatter, hears the crunch of the beast’s jaws closing, and then he hits the water.
The sight pulls the warmth straight from his chest.
The sight pulls the warmth straight from his chest.
A great coiling mass of swollen flesh and mottled hide stretches up from the hidden depths, so large the distance obscures its full form. Jagged, rending spikes jut from its flesh, and Katsuki spots decaying bones stuck to the base of one.
Katsuki scowls and turns away, kicks hard for the surface. He’s nearly there when he feels a tremor pulse through the water; it pushes into his bones and sets him vibrating with the intensity.
He spins in time to see a mass of red slam into one of the leviathan’s eyes.
He spins in time to see a mass of red slam into one of the leviathan’s eyes.
It’s Red, and he’s furious.
It takes a second for Katsuki to realize the pulse he’s feeling is Red’s snarl. He’s never heard the mer speak, or make noise outside of a laugh.
His lungs jerk in his chest and he swims for the surface again.
His lungs jerk in his chest and he swims for the surface again.
There are hands waiting to pull him from the water, and he allows himself to be hauled aboard. They pull him over the rail and immediately move to rescue the next sailor.
Katsuki grabs a spear and runs for the bow of the ship.
Katsuki grabs a spear and runs for the bow of the ship.
Oily blood makes it hard to see, but Katsuki counts three of the mer helping Red. They’re pushing the great beast towards the rocks.
Katsuki shouts until he’s heard and points to the seamounts.
The sailors yell their approval and the ships circle.
Katsuki shouts until he’s heard and points to the seamounts.
The sailors yell their approval and the ships circle.
As the space tightens, the leviathan’s body loops and coils above the water, forced to the surface by the mer below. Its grotesque head appears, shadowing the ships briefly before it’s hauled back by Red and the silver mer.
Its throat is mangled and many of its eyes are missing, and the sailors take the opportunity to hurl their spears into the unarmored flesh.
The beast screeches and thrashes, but the mer force it onto the small bit of land at the base of the rocks.
The beast screeches and thrashes, but the mer force it onto the small bit of land at the base of the rocks.
More and more of the leviathan surges out onto the sand and stone, desperate and pained. It curls and writhes about not unlike a dying eel, and the mer and men toil against it in the bright sun.
The beast makes a crazed lunge towards the ships, tries to crawl across the deck of the nearest vessel, across to the very place Katsuki stands reaching for another weapon.
Red drops his massive body around its neck with a snarl and a barked out “Mine!”, and digs his teeth into the wound below its jaw.
The leviathan jerks, shudders, and then stills.
For a very brief moment, everything is quiet. The water settles, the boats sway, and then a great cheer breaks out.
Even the merfolk whoop and sing.
Even the merfolk whoop and sing.
Red pushes the head of the beast off the ship and drops it gracelessly into the surf. His lip curls at it, as if he’s waiting for it to move, but then Katsuki strikes across the deck, climbs the nearest rigging, and leans out to until he’s hanging in front of Red’s enormous face.
His grin is feral and wide and the sailors below can’t help but grin as well.
Red drops his snarl the moment he sees the tiny captain, eyes turning bright past the overwhelming tiredness.
Red drops his snarl the moment he sees the tiny captain, eyes turning bright past the overwhelming tiredness.
