After the Tide

Chapter 13 - 2783 AT - Mako

"What does it feel like to be turned?" I whisper. I'm scared. Matthias has been upset for days but he won't say why and I think this is it. I'm supposed to pick a sea serpent.
"It doesn't hurt at all. You'll feel fine," my father says, gently putting a hand through my hair, as he kneels in front of me. He doesn't usually take this much time with me so I want to enjoy it. But I'm scared.
"What if I'm scared?" I ask, softly.
"You're not scared. You're very brave. And besides. It's who you are. We weren't meant to exist alone," he says, fixing my mother's necklace around my neck, "Your mother was wrong. She taught you had to be human. You don't. You get to be who you are."
"I want to keep it," I say, hand over the sea glass.
"You're old enough now to know. The rest of your life is ahead of you, you can't live in the past," he says.
"But I like it there," I whisper. I do. I like remembering my mother. I wish I still lived with her. Even if my father takes care of me and loves me. I want my mother to tell me she loves me, just one more time. She didn't say it. Or smile at me. I'd take that too.
"We are the future, you and I. Humans can no longer survive in this world. But you can. Once I have conquered every ocean, it will all be yours. And we'll live in peace and harmony," my father says, hands on my shoulders, "All right? Good."
I take his hand gently, head hung. I don't want to look at all the people who will be here. And I'm afraid. I'm so afraid I don't want it to hurt. All I can hear is my mother's voice. Telling me that these are monsters. And I'm not supposed to go near the water.
My father leads me out to shore, his hand in mine. His people are lined up, watching. I look at Matthias and try to smile at him a little but he doesn't smile back.
I lower my head again. He's disappointed too.
"Go on, talk to them," my father says, urging me into the water. It's cold, and the waves are coming in actually a bit strong. My feet are bare and nearly slip on the pebbles.
Some of the usual pups are playing in the shallows, no doubt my father called them. I know he wants me to bond to one of them, they're the babies of his serpent. And I do like playing with them.
They great me readily and I pet their little scaly heads, smiling. One of them can pick me if they want. But they never have.
"Call to them," my father commands. Like we practiced. Right.
I wince. I shouldn't have forgotten. I was supposed to do that. I close my eyes, focusing seeping inside. And I imagine the ocean. And my mother's laugh. And the sound of the water. And the nice cold deep. And nothing scary, nothing bad.
I hear waves crashing, then I feel water dripping onto my head.
I open my eyes and look up slowly.
A huge, Black Sea monster has risen from the depths, shiny black scales flecked with red, and big yellow eyes, dozens of crooked razor sharp teeth in triple rows. The creature could easily swallow me, or even a grown man in one gulp. Most sea monsters even really old ones don't get this big.
A dread.
I've never seen one my father said they never come out of the deep.
"Hello," I say, quietly, reaching out a hand.
The dread lowers its head, muzzle brushing my palm against its slick skin.
Hello.
I heard the word echo in my head.
The dread presses its muzzle against my chest and I'm filled with a cold pain. I know scales will be forming on my skin where it touched me. Black like the ones already lining my gills. 
Pain runs through me, so much that my knees buckle and I cry out. I fall to the ocean floor, half in the water. The dread lowers its head in concern, and behind me I hear Matthias cry out, or I feel it. He wants to come and get me. They won't let him.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you
The voice echoes through my head. The dread lowers its face, eyes clearly contrite. It's large lower teeth are as tall as I am and just about as wide. Spittle drips from them onto me as I kneel, still wracked with pain.
"It's okay. What's your name?" I ask, reaching out a hand.
Balor.
"Nice to meet you Balor," I smile, "I'm Mako."
Your father's worried.
"No he's not," I say.
The one who loves you.
"Oh Matthias is yeah. It's okay. I'll tell him you're our friend," I say.
I don't like scaring people.
"I'll tell you a secret, neither do I," I say, hugging his big nose. My arms naturally don't go all the way around him but I manage to grip enough for a hug. Balor lifts me up a little, exhaling.
I'm glad you're my friend.
"I'm glad you're mine too," I say, smiling.