Under Strong Tides

I

A gentle wave stretched over the soft pearl sand, reaching as far as she could before slowly retreating back to join the crystal blue ocean. Repeatedly, the waves caressed the rock covered cliff side, where, atop the cliff, stood a small sturdy shack. Built around one hundred thousand years ago; the shack served to hide a dangerous being who sought to protect the ones he loved. He believed he was too dangerous to live with his family, and hid to starve his abilities. No one lived there now, but it stood in waiting just in case the need arose.

The starving daemon sat in the pearl colored sand, his hands and feet in the cool clear waters. He was still considered young in his human form, only appearing to have aged about 29 years, despite being over 217,000 human years. His long, peacock, ombre hair blew ahead in the wind, framing his sea foam green eyes, and young torn face. Like most high tiered daemons. his cheeks opened to expose his sharp fangs as a sign of the daemonic blood. 

 He was 9ft tall and thin, which was typically very small for his daemonic type. He was a Dōbutsu daemon, just like his father. They weren't quite purebred thanks to interbreeding with the humans generations ago, but the family was still highly respected and still a bit feared by the peasant people. The daemon belonged to royalty, as he was a prince, his father a king, and part of one of the highest rank of daemons.

Eden sat looking out onto the beautiful ocean, his gums aching due to the lack of blood he's  fed upon. Displaying a face of pain and guilt, he was recalling the exact moment he decided to starve himself. After a heavy sigh he laid back and closed his eyes. The vivid memory played in his head. 

               __________ 

The smell of sulfur and sea salt fill the heated, damp air. An electric current flowed through his body, his skin crawling with rage. He couldn't control himself. The muffled, drowning scream resonating in his ears. Water, rushing through everything, leaving nothing in it's path. He could barely breathe. Lightning rocketing through the air. More screams  and  cries rang throughout.  Someone screaming his name! " Eden!!" 

              __________         

Suddenly thrust from his thoughts, Eden sprung up from his position, startled a bit. He looked over to see his older brother, Saisho. He had a stern look on his young face. He was only a few thousand years older but he looked about 34.  

Eden frowned a bit and laid back down, sighing heavily. He hated being interrupted in his quiet place. " What do you want, Soldier?" The nickname stemmed from Saisho's dedicated nature to follow their father's orders. Eden never entirely agreed with their father's views so they always clashed opinions. Eden tended to be alone. He never liked large crowds to begin with. 

Saisho walked over to him and looked down at him. Despite being brothers, and only a small difference in age, Saisho towered over him at 12 and a half feet.  Eden was considered the shrimp in his family, unlike Saisho, due to the fact that most Dōbutsu daemons were over 12 foot tall.  

" Father Akuma demands you to return home at once. He does not approve of your constant attempts to distance yourself from the family. You're late for training." Saisho delivered the message told to him by Akuma, their father, " And you know I hate when you call me that, Shrimp.  Father Akuma told me to bring you back by any means necessary. "  Saisho proceeded to present himself even larger than before by puffing out his chest and standing with perfect posture. 

" I'm not ready to go back yet. I was meditating. " Eden frowned and closed his eyes again. He hated his brother to a certain point sometimes, " And what exactly are you going to do to bring me back. I'm not going yet. " Saisho frowned and grabbed Eden by his arm and forced him to his feet before hoisting him over his shoulder and starting back towards their home. Eden squirmed and punched the Saisho's back, " Put me down you annoying, rhino's ass!" He shouted, kicking his feet, which served no purpose with Saisho's arms around his knees. 

Eden kicked  and punched all of the way to Shin estate. It was a large castle-esque mansion with five floors and a large multitude of rooms and on-hand staff. He hated being picked up, which happened often due to his size compared to the rest of the family.  Saisho carried Eden into the main family room, where, sitting in his thorn like chair, sat  Akuma Shin. A current daemonic king and their father. His wife, Jasmine sat beside him, quiet as a mouse, as she was mute. 

The daemon was just over 14 feet tall and weighed over 700lbs. He looked aged in the eyes of humans, his hair, ash gray, and eyes, a dull orange. He was nearly 413,00 years old! He sat with a hard face as Saisho dropped his youngest son at his feet.  

" Father Akuma, I bring you Eden. " Saisho bowed his head in respect before stepping back. Eden rubbed his hip, sore from bouncing on Saisho's hard shoulder. The young daemon muttered words unfit for human ears before looking up at his father, " Hey Dad... " he mumbled. 

Akuma's frown only deepened, " Where were you? You missed training. " His voice boomed, causing Saisho to step back once more, showing he hadn't a word in the upcoming argument. " How are you to ever become a strong  Dōbutsu like your brother and I! What if something were to happen to your mother and I! Your brother couldn't command the armies as king! You need to learn to follow orders!"

" Who cares! I don't wan to command armies or be king! I'm content with being myself! I don't want to train! I don't want to be powerful!" He stood up, glaring at Akuma, " That's why i left years ago! " He shouted, " And why i never should've come back!" He turned to storm off but his brother stood in his way," Move !" he growled, but Saisho stood strong. 

" Eden!" Akuma's loud voice echoed through the room and into the hallway, " You are not to raise your voice to me or your mother! You --!" 

" I will do whatever I please! I have not raised my voice to Mother Jasmine! She has done nothing to me!" he shouted, " You forced me back here with guilt and make me train when I explicitly say I do not wish to grow stronger! " Eden screamed, facing his father, his eyes beginning to glow slightly, " I do not want to hurt anyone anymore! Just leave me alone!" He screamed, the air suddenly heavy and damp.  The ground seemed to have melted away into a pool of black water, bubbling away furiously. 

" Go ahead! let the rage boil up inside of you!" Akuma grinned, his fangs poking through the his torn cheek.  Anytime Eden grew angry he would suppress it until it exploded in a  violent powerful wave. This caused his powers to grow. 

Eden realized what he had started and grabbed his face, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his soul. He did not wish to let his power consume him, especially with his mother in harms way.  He decided it would be best if he'd left and retire to his room for the night. Turning his back to the King, Eden started to walk off. 

Suddenly his ankle was trapped, a flame  engulfing his right leg. Akuma stood, chuckling deeply, " We are not done here, boy. "  He stepped behind him and set a hand on his shoulder. 

Eden swatted the hand from his shoulder and growled deeply, electricity sparking from his eyes as he ripped his legs from the flames and pushed his father away, " Don't touch me." he growled, his voice seeming to have dropped a few octaves. He stormed off to his room, blue sparks firing from his eyes as he went.  Saisho began to follow but Akuma stopped him.

En route to his room, he quickly detoured, changing his destination and running off to the sea side shack.  He needed a swim to cool his soul before he ended other's life.