MythoMorph☆

16

It was a long day, but the night was worse. A team set up camp on the big island with all the supplies. They thought it would give them the upper hand, but the second the sun went down...the calm was over. A giant pair of jaws broke the surface with a deafening roar. Two large webbed and clawed arms slammed into the shore, hulling it up. The left arm had a long huge chain attached.

The huge creature got onto land. It was half as tall as the arena itself. And it was much, much longer. Its large green eyes were as large as a car. Their teeth were each the size of a school bus. It had huge webbed claws the size of semi trucks. Its gray blue skin reflected the moonlight and slightly glowed as it seized the team in one handful. It devoured them in one bite as if they were candy. The chain was pulled taught when it was on land.

This was a leviathan. The fabled monster. Kraken and giant whale eaters. They were so strong that sections of the ocean were off limits to travel in because they are leviathan breeding grounds. As it turned and went back into the water the long tail much like a whale was able to be seen.

This is what they were having us fight. I tried to recall everything I knew of leviathans but I couldn't think of a weakness. Until it struck me. The gills and the sun.

Every aquatic creature's weak spot was their gills. I remember what Sapphire told me the first time I tried to touch her gills. She got defensive and explained that if they were damaged badly she'd die.

"Cobalt, you can swim right?" I asked him.

"Obviously I can swim. But why would I get in the water with a leviathan!?" He hissed.

"You won't get into the water when it's active. Leviathans are weak in their gills. They are also deep sea hunters! Their skin burns easily! So it won't go near the surface during the day!" I explained as I pulled sapphire over as well.

"So you're saying we are bait?" Sapphire asked as I drew out my plan with my spear. I drew a circle for the island.

"Exactly. We need you guys to swim to each island and gather as many people as possible. Especially ones with wings. Get to the island at night and hide under the supplies. It won't be able to see you. It relies on eyesight since they glow. Right before daybreak, exit. It'll be hungry and try to get you before the sun rises." I explained drawing the leviathan chasing stick figures.

"As soon as it surfaces we're gonna be dead." Sapphire replied, rolling her eyes.

"That's where the people with wings come in. we will fly around and distract it while also attacking its gills. We just have to stall it until the sun comes up. Once that happens its skin will be much easier to penetrate. Also its movement on land is restricted. It's chained to something stopping it from attacking the small islands." I explained.

"It's worth a shot. They wouldn't make an impossible challenge this soon." Cobalt said. "Let's get some rest. I'll take my first watch."

Me and sapphire curled up to rest. He said he would wake us for our shifts. He woke up sapphire for her shift. Sapphire woke me up after.

I watched as the sun came up. I woke the others and we started on our plan. Sapphire and cobalt swam to the other islands and explained the plan to the others.

I flew to the island to create hiding spots. I moved a few large planks of wood and moved all the small things inside the pile to create an alcove big enough for several people to hide inside.

A few people came, not very many though. I was talking to cobalt. He fidgeted with his hands. This was the first time I noticed that along with the many bright spots of light there was a spot of darkness on it as well. I'll have to ask Raven about it later. I made a mental note as we all hid inside the alcove.

The other morphs that joined were a centaur, selkie, and two fairies. I expect the fairies to be smaller than they were. They were still short but they did reach about up to my hip. We had a few water ones joined. They waited in the shallows in case the leviathan went under water.

We waited until the moon was close to going down. Then we left. We shouted and threw things at the water. It worked. Me and the fairies took to the sky as soon as we saw the arm break the water's surface. It hulled itself onto the shore and tried to chase the others. I dove at the gills stabbing and scrapping them with my spear. It let out a loud roar as blood spilled from the wounds. I narrowly dodged a swipe from the massive claws by ducking inside the gills. Light flooded outside as I went slightly deeper.

Inside was damp. it smelled of fish and blood. I'm guessing the latter was my doing. I hoisted my spear up and stuck it far into the creature's soft spongy skin. Blood squirted from the wound onto my face as I dragged the spear down. The long gash spewed blood like a fountain. I heard another loud roar as the beast swung its head, trying to get rid of the pests inhabiting its gills.

One of the fairies hovered outside the gills. "YOU HAVE TO GET OUT ITS GOING UNDERWATER!" She yelled before having to retreat from the beast's claws. I tried to get up but with all the movement and the soft squishy skin under me made it impossible. I plunged my spear into the flash above my head and used it to pull myself up. I looked out to realize the water was dangerously close now. I abandoned the spear, gave it on the last shove and threw myself out of the gills. I flapped my wings as I fell toward the water. I momentarily dipped in before flying higher up. I looked over at the beast retreating into the water.

Its grayish skin was already burnt and pink as it fled into the water. I could see the selkie sapphire and one of the merfolk following it. I landed on the ground and looked around. Everyone down here was safe thankfully. Now we had to wait for them to return. And hope they made it back alive. I paced with each minute they were under, making me more impactent.

After the sun was well in the sky, the sapphire returned alone. "You made it!" I cried happily. I lunged at her wrapping my wings around her. "What happened to the others?" I asked as I felt cobalt join the hug.

She looked down. "They're gone. The leviathan got them. The damage done to it should be enough to kill it but I'm not sure." she said quietly. I hugged her for a while. I knew she wouldn't let us see if she was upset but I hoped this helped at least a little.