There is no place better, he thought, than the stretch of the ocean. No place that he’d rather be than splayed back on the warm stone with his eyes transfixed on the distant roll against the reef. The sun had already started to fade, slowly dipping into the horizon like an anchor into the sea. With it, he felt the lock tighten, sealing his fate and the oceans together once more.

The night was coming on fast and as always, Kuval found himself lost to the mental fray. After all, the night was when he felt the most at ease. The most comfortable. It reminded him of home, of the deep dark recesses of the sea where he’d come to life some twenty-three years ago. And there, in that pitch world, is where he’d left his family.

Do they still think of me? He wondered idly, curling the ends of his dark lapis tail in and out slowly. He couldn’t quite remember how long it had been since he had been home. Long enough, he knew, to change the looks of him. It had turned his once pale skin to a faded and heavy brown tone at the very least. The wild mane of white hair was much longer now as well, casting down along his shoulders like jagged tatters of cloth.

He leaned more, resting on his back to look up at the forming stars. No, not forming… They were always there, weren’t they? Just as the sun itself never truly went away. Just somewhere else for a while, he reminded himself. Unless, of course, you were at the bottom of the ocean.

The stone itself was cooling much too fast, prickling the skin along his stout torso. Despite his primitive body’s natural aversion to the cold, there was no mistaking the contrast from day to night. The incoming cold, too, brought on thoughts of home. Cold, dark, full of life… Yet he longed for the sun even now, as it paused there on the horizon for him to love just a moment longer.

The tide was still in, crashing waves against the stone beneath him and peppering him with its spray. He could lay here until the sun rose again, he knew. Easily. Soaking it in, breathing it in, waiting for the light to return.

There’s no better place, he thought again, than under the warmth of the sun…

Night time. Good. The sand was cold under his back, still slightly damp from walking in and out of his half buried home with soaking feet and pants legs. There was a slight tapping against glass and his eyes opened just enough to look over at the tank that lined one of his walls. The blue of his eyes gave off a soft azure glow as did the permanent vein like markings on his skin. A spindly tail was rapping against the edge of the tank and he sat up; legs pulling to his chest as he stretched his arms over his head until there was a satisfying pop.

He yawned, one hand scratching slowly through his mess of hair. Some of it tangled around his fingers, a few places were already crystallizing from the constant soak of sea water. Pushing up, he walked deeper into the covered pit that was his home, all the while the tail glided along the glass to eagerly follow him. He smiled but kept his attention directed to one of the many ceramic jars before him, “I hear you…”

The tapping picked up before cutting out in pitiful defeat. Soft dried krill filled his palm as he gently dumped some of it from the jar and moved with careful strides to the tank. The horseshoe crab inside shuffled close to the edge once more, it’s tail tapping at a constant now as it waited. Dorian moved his hand in, gently taking it and turning it to expose its under belly before carefully rubbing the krill against its underside. Quick pincers took the stragglers, moving them to its hungry mouth and he looked on with admiring eyes, “There. See? Now be still.”

Careful fingers turned the creature over correctly and he rubbed the water and remnants on his frayed pants legs. The sea glass that made up the shore level windows of his home revealed the rising moon. A slow smirk widened on his lips as he reached for his satchel. The feeding hour would be soon, and he had limited time to go…shopping, so to speak.

His fingers moved up to his mouth and his tongue lapped along the tips, still tasting the water and krill. On his way out, he ran those fingers along the stone plaque that was mounted just inside the entrance. After so many times doing this, he still wanted to keep his focus and strength and a little requested help from the powers that be never hurt.

He moved up the packed sand stairs that led him out and felt more exposed. With his glowing eyes and near scratch like markings, he knew he’d be easy to spot. Luckily hardly anyone paid you mind here, but he’d revel in any physical confrontation that might come his way. A man had to find a way to get his exercise after all, it couldn’t all be conventional.

First things first, he needed to get far enough out to have a base, one couldn’t be too careful with sharks prowling. Luckily, he’d scouted out the perfect location in advance. The soft brush of the ocean lapped up against his toes, around his ankles, and he felt more at peace and sure about what was to take place. For a moment, he allowed his eyes to close and breathe in her scent, letting her fill all the way to the edges of his lungs until she was confused with fire. Enough of that. His eyes opened, focusing on the rock he’d need to make it to, but his lips parted. Something was there. No, someone was there. His jaw instantly locked. That was his rock for the night.

Frustration began to rise up the back of his neck and likewise the marks pulsed brighter as he moved with strong strides into the water. His lips moved silently, granting him temporary power enough to breathe under water and he dove in. Sand and salt moved against his eyes, but they’d grown so used to it that he could see just as well as if he were on land…the bond aided with that as well. Why this rock, this night, of all nights?!

Once he was upon it, his fingers gripped at the slick edge and he pulled up just enough to stare in annoyance on this trespasser, “What are you doing on my rock?” He was ready to pull his blade to make persuasion easier when he saw his hips. For once he was taken aback and blinked quickly at realization of what he was.

The truth of it was, Kuval was so relaxed when the stranger appeared that he might not have even noticed him if it hadn’t been for the scowled words. A quick jolt of surprise ran through him, from scalp to scales, bringing him quickly back up from his lounge.

Pushed up on one hand, he got a better look at the man as he tried to calm his now racing heart. This was… new. Not another of his own kind, but clearly nearly as ease in the water. Water dripped from his hair, along the curves and lines of his face, from the tip of his nose. A human? Sometimes he found it hard to tell. Human it would be, for now.

“The stones don’t belong to anyone,” he pipped, “I was just loving it for a while. I can move, if you need me to.”

Sitting up more, he curved his body and urged himself to wind backwards slightly on the stone toward the opposite water exposed edge to make more space and prepare for a plunge, should it be needed. He wasn’t so sure it would be though, not judging by the expression the newcomer now held.

Kuval lifted a hand, pushing knotted white locks from his face as he tried to get a better look. The shift exposed a scar at his right shoulder, through and through to his back like a dark tunnel with vines outstretched toward his upper arm and collar. Piercing dark blue eyes searched the stranger. Slowly his head tilted, studying the shifting lines. What could they mean? He’d come from the sea, but had he really come from the sea?

“Who are you?” He asked finally, deciding he’d never be able to figure it out on his own. “We could share the rock for a while, if you’d like.”

He was pulled from his momentary stupor by his naïve words. Again his eyes halved, the irritation returning quickly as he looked back at him. This was his rock. For the night at least. And normally he wouldn’t care about sharing space, but tonight he had work to do and couldn’t be distracted by some…fish man.

As he moved, he took a quick survey of him: long, or he at least appeared that way with that swishing tail; obviously naked; soft at the edges, a common trait he’d seen with many of his kind; sea tangled hair, and a curious scar at his shoulder. His eyes lingered there the longest, trying to figure out what manner of weaponry had caused it. Most importantly he was a male. His thoughts drifted back to a certain mirror tucked away safely far from home…A male would make a matching set. Not today.

Either way, tonight he needed his spot, “I don’t personally care. If you must stay in the vicinity it’d preferably be off of my rock. I need it tonight, and not for ‘loving’.” His fingers gripped tighter, muscles flexing as he pulled himself out of the water and into a sit. Water pulled at his bottoms, but he had them just the right size that the cut of his hips would assure no further slipping. His pack, however, he pulled around from his back and rested between his legs.

“What’s to love anyhow?” He pulled a few stones from his pack, resting them in a well practiced alignment; ;his eyes lifting to check the direction of the stars as he did so to make sure things lined up nicely, “Much more interesting things where you come from.” And then came his athame: hand carved whale bone, it’s once ivory tone forever hued in pale red from how often it had been used in ritual. It rested at the center just after pricking at his finger.

“Now I suggest you leave before your white hair tints crimson.” It wasn’t so much a threat as it was an honest precaution. There would be much bloodshed tonight.

Fascination. If there was one word, pure and true, to describe what Kuval felt that would have been it. There should have been more to it, really. If he’d bothered to pause and think about it. He should have felt nervous. Perhaps threatened.

Instead his dark eyes watched intently as the man set things up, only scooting ever so sllightyl when he felt more space was needed. With the final words, the warning to leave, he finally turned himself and slid backwards into the water. The ocean was cool and welcoming, clutching at the hardened scales of his tail and down to the thinner curves of the ending fin. With his belly pressed against the slick algy of the stone, he stayed upright. Broad, muscular arms crossed on the cold edge of the stone, relaxed and comfortable as if he’d seen this a million times before.

“There’s lots to love on land,” he said simply, nodding, “I’ve seen it. Just as much here as there, I’d say.”

With a plop, he put his chin on his arms and tried to get a better look at the tool. He could almost sense it for what it was, almost sense the bone of a fallen one he may have been close to at some point or another.

“What are you doing…?” He asked in a quieter tone. Not rude, not scared. Cautious, perhaps, with an undertone of that lingering fascination. The newcomer’s actions reminded him of ritual done in the depths, but he couldn’t recall seeing anyone on land do such a thing.

Instinctively, he finally moved a hand up and pushed and pulled his mane until it resembled something much closer to an urchin atop his head. At least there it couldn’t be tainted, he assumed. Or at least not quite so easily.

Like the other, his eyes also went up to the stars and back down again. What could it mean…? He had to know. It was as simple as that.

“Hm.” His nose wrinkled in disapproval to his statement. While he would never understand the appeal towards land when there was the ocean to worship, he could at least understand fascination with something unknown to you. The ocean in all her depth was more unexplored and vast than any soul on solid ground could comprehend. In all his life he’d probably only ever learn an insignificant fraction of what there was as a whole. That said, it was probably more accurate to think that there wasn’t as much to love about land. To him at least. “You obviously need to see more of it.” To truly understand how dull it is.

His arms shifted to make sure nothing would be moved too much as the man slipped back into the water. When he was sure he was finished arranging himself, he moved his hands into his pack once more. A tightly capped jar was pulled out, then a second, until he had five in all. Each one was filled with wax, and all of them had thin but strong wicks: candles safe from water only by being screwed tightly during submerging. Even so, he had to shake out accumulated sand before lighting each one with flint. He didn’t answer him, instead he kept focused, lining them to each corner of the world with the fifth dead center at the nexus of the crystals.

He did not have his violin with him, it wasn’t necessary for something so simple. Instead he softly hummed, eyes closing as he did so. As he did so, he took care to reach every note at the right beat in rhythm to this particular working of magick. Less than ten seconds and he was finished, the flames of each candle still as if formed from glass. The blue on his arms, his spine, neck, shone brighter and then suddenly faded back down to their more natural glow. He picked up in answering him casually as if nothing had happened: this was normal to him,

“I’m gathering supplies is what I’m doing. Being an inhabitant of the deep I’m sure you’re more than aware of what comes close to the shallows at this hour.” On his way to the rock he’d avoided any sharks, but now he wanted to find some. He needed them, namely their fins. All of them. “I’d give it about ten minutes before they start to swarm, so if I were you I’d choose wisely your level of curiosity.” He took his athame up, feeling his energy connect with its own like a soft buzz of electricity. It was warm, inviting, made him feel whole, even as he passed it through the flames,

“Being you, I’m sure you’re more adept in dealing with their kind. Either way,” he brought the still hot blade up to his palm, and without hesitation he sliced down to his wrist, “no one enjoys a frenzy.” Well, except him. Blood filled his palm, ran down the underside of his arm, some of it falling in morbid drops against the crystals but never against the flames. No pain showed on his features, and in a way he enjoyed the bite it brought. That sting strengthened more as he arched to the side and moved his dripping hand into the water. Salt burned the gash, but he kept his fingers relaxed in the water; allowing the blood to spread in tendrils as if come to life.

With eyes transfixed, Kuval studied the scene before him. A nod was all he had to offer for the first of his statements because, simply, he did need to see more of it. Much more, if he had his way. He’d heard many rumors of many places he both feared and desired. Deserts, for one. A place without water? Hell upon land, easily marked.

Everything seemed so perfectly done, so meticulously placed, that he knew this was something the man had to do at least somewhat regularly. What was it like, to hold such a power? Was it, in fact, power…? Or was it in the man’s head? Many of these things could be, try as a person may. Kuval himself had never ventured much into magick. At least not yet, but the found the lot of it very curious.

Then the strike came, the instant flicker of heat and light. The sea creature pulled his head back slightly, resting his chin on the stone and hiding the bottom half of his face behind the solid barrier of his arms. He’d seen fire before, but never had he been quite so close to it. The radiating warmth called to him and he almost reached out a hand to touch, but he knew the man wouldn’t have the patience for such an action. That blade wasn’t one he’d like to have against his own skin.

The sudden spark of blue from those wirey veins flickered through as if reflected in his own eyes. The intensity of his draw might as well have been its own light, trying to force its way from within him. So he wasn’t mad… This was magick. Real magick.

He watched on with wide eyes, trying to take in both the sights and the words spoken to him. It was true, too, that he knew how to handle the swarm. Although the creatures he’d dealt with in the darkest parts of his home were of a different breed than those here, he’d been on this side of the ocean long enough to have learned these patterns too.

Those words reminded him again of how much he didn’t like the fight. He’d rather be on shore by the time that happened. Especially with whatever this interesting man might be doing. Or whatever he already had done.

Kuval moved quickly onto a nearby stone, gracefully pulling himself onto the solid rock. It was there that he began the shift of turning back, coughing quietly and spitting the water from his lungs back toward the ocean.

“Supplies?” He asked, resisting a second cough from already empty lungs, “What supplies could they give you?”

The familiar peel started at the lower part of his torso as the scales began to pluck back and recede, prickling sharply like a tattoo application in reverse. The sensation didn’t hurt anymore, not now that he’d grown accustomed to doing it at least twice a day, but it still wasn’t a fun one. Next came the tightening. Layers of warmth faded away, leaving his skin tight against the well formed muscles beneath.

Soon he was there on the stone in ‘human’ form, curiously arching forward to watch the drip of the blood into the water. Suddenly the smoothness beneath him didn’t feel so warm. It was colder than he’d like, against the bare parts of new skin, but it seemed he’d miss too much if he left now to retrieve his clothes from wherever he’d left them.

“Doesn’t that hurt…?”

Once the water was sufficiently tainted enough, he lifted his hand out of the waves and looked down at the slice he’d made in his palm. He heard the other move up onto a nearby rock, and concentrated. Again his lips moved silently, eyes closing with three seconds of soft humming before the wound slowly closed in on itself. Though the skin was healing rapidly, it still brought a decent amount of pain to speed up the process. His jaw locked, though there was a light dip in his stomach: a thrill from the pain.

He was sure to keep any shake from entering his voice as his eyes opened: looking down at smooth flesh as if nothing had cut it, “Very important supplies. Namely their fins; with luck, I can get three sets tonight…each from a different stage of life.” He nodded slowly in thought, eyes narrowing only slightly before looking back over at him. When he saw him, his lips parted and his eyes widened. The transformation was gradual, but he watched on in curiosity as his scales sunk into his flesh.

His tail split to offer two legs, and as these changes took place he realized so too did his weight. The softness of his form gave way to hard and lean muscle: obvious strength from having lived in the water for so long and transferring that experience into a more humanoid frame. Again, his thoughts drifted to his mirror…It’d be interesting to test, but catching someone on legs was much more difficult on land compared to struggling flops. Maybe it was time to get a male.

It took him a moment to realize that he’d even asked him a question, and likewise he realized that his fingers had curled into a tight fist. Eager. Focus, next time. His fingers uncurled, revealing his healed palm and he rested both hands on his legs, “Of course it hurts, nothing worth getting comes without pain.” He arched an eyebrow, chin tipping in his direction, “I’m sure that hurts, doesn’t it? Or it did at some point. Think of it that way.”

The flames of his candles slowly moved in unison towards one direction, and he looked on with their lead. A quick set of dorsal fins was threading through the water towards the rock and a smirk slowly curled on his lips. They weren’t too far apart, it wasn’t a pup but definitely an adolescent. Good. Strong. His athame was in his fingers instantly, “Tell me now, where did you learn a trick like that?”

The pause in reply was enough to bring Kuval’s attention back to the man in time to catch the curious stare. For a brief moment he found himself hesitant. After all, to the best of his knowledge his kind were rare on land and anything rare held a value.

Of course this had been part of the point, he knew. Part of why his family had been so wary to let him leave. Part of why they feared the light and land as a hell he couldn’t return from. The truth of it was, he’d had a run in or two since he’d started on land. He knew the gaze, the longing, and the way the man looked at him now made him feel like maybe it was time to be at least a little more cautious.

To add to this, death and violence already hung from his actions like a noose of blood. So willing to cut himself, to bleed for the ocean, to kill those who came toward them now. Kuval could have warned them, he knew, but then it could disrupt the balance. If these were meant to die, they were meant to die, weren’t they? He shouldn’t interfere…

And he wasn’t ready to leave yet. He wanted to know more, much more. This one was a healer, a being of magick and mystery. He wanted to know more… so much more. Wanted to take it in eagerly. No, he felt he had to know.

Kuval turned his body, placing himself in a calm and yet still more ready position. If need arose, he could spring from the stone and dive into the depths quickly. The water would protect him, surely. After all, it was his mother as much as the woman in its depths who bore him. Then again, mother’s weren’t always kind, he’d been told.

“Only if I think about it,” he answered simply to the first part. He watched as the sharks moved toward them, as they unwittingly swam into this trap. He thought for a moment about how they, too, weren’t innocent. They came toward the blood, toward their own victims, their own needs.

Tearing dark eyes from the waters, he moved them back to the man. His own expression was calmer with his newfound caution. He watched as the candle light flickered against the witch’s face, under lighting it like an illustrated villain in a book. The smirk didn’t help with the imagery.

“Nothing comes without a pain?” He repeated quietly, “Likewise, nothing comes without a cost. I paid mine. It’s a twist of our people that isn’t to be explained right now… Tell me more about your needs with these?”

“Hm.” Again he was disapproving in his reply, but he decided not to push it right now. He had much more important matters to attend to after all, namely the swarm that was starting to circle the rock. His eyes lit up in eagerness as he watched them, but he was careful to draw a distinction between each one. Their mouths opened unceremoniously, drawing in the blood stained water and soon the once gentle waves were frothing. The frenzy was beginning. With luck they would hurt each other, their carnage pulling others of their kind closer.

Best to start the portal so that this could go swiftly, “My need? Magick of course, what else?” That wasn’t all, but he didn’t feel like getting into it just yet. Truth be told, no part of their bodies would be wasted, those that did such a thing were disgusting. Just because they were ingredients didn’t mean they didn’t deserve respect. “Their fins can be used for a number of things, and I’m in short supply at the moment.”

He took a raw cut of aqua aura quartz and touched it to his forehead, eyes closing for a moment as his lips gently parted. A soft glow formed at its center before quickly shifting to the tip. As his eyes opened, he drew a slow but wide circle in the smooth surface of the rock; the crystals and candles becoming ethereal and easy to pass through. He was careful to sit back from it as a hole formed, and now it was time to get his hands wet.

“Why have you sprouted legs anyhow? You aren’t planning on going to the shore are you?” He chuckled to himself as he slid the quartz into his pocket for later. Taking up his athame, he moved narrowed and focused eyes to the water. His blade stayed poised in one hand while his other hovered just out of reach of their gaping jaws. One drew just close enough in the right position and his eyes briefly widened before lunging forward and gripping it by its dorsal. As he did so, his body expertly arched back, using his own weight to hoist the pup from the water only to drop it through the hole. It led straight to the shore, enough so that the creature would remained beached.

That’s one. He thought to himself. The pups were always the easiest. “T-Tell me,” his eyes moved to his as he caught his breath, “have you actually been to that city before?” He gripped his athame tighter before returning his attention to the swirling water. Another moved just close enough, and again he dipped forward, groaning from its weight as he near flopped to his back from lifting it up. It too went through the portal. One more.