The Goddess's Hero

Simple Playthings

Skye's POV

I'm a fool. A downright fool! I was drowning in just as much self-loathing as I was in water. How could you have let this happen, you worthless toad? I struggled against the raging torrent trying to swim upwards. Did the Draconi NOT show you that they have power over the elements? Did they NOT warn you that their Chieftain was a hundred and ten percent more powerful than them? I thrashed upwards and although my eyes were open, all I could see was black. Isn't water supposed to be blue? The useless thought lingered long enough for me to bat it down. How did this happen in the first place?

The Draconi I had fought in the forest dragged me to their Chieftain's fire pit in thorn rope. He had somehow heard of me and my 'favor' with the gods. But he underestimated me, thanks to his guard's deceit. He wanted to gain my power by drinking my blood and I knew it was time to strike. The thorn rope bit into my skin as I broke through it. Latching onto my sword that the Draconian woman had in her grasp, I ripped it from it's sheath just in time to block Linus' first attack. The battle raged on until Linus discovered that I really wasn't going to die easily. That was when he summoned the tsunami. I watched as terrified Draconians tried to run, but couldn't escape their master's wrath. The entire area was flooded with bodies and I couldn't do anything about it.

The pressure I felt on my body was nothing compared to the uselessness of my limbs. Water filled my lungs, burning my airway. My eyes felt heavy and began to close. No! No! Fight it! I screamed at myself. I forced my eyelids to lift upwards and a young grey face floated beside me. It was the young child Linus was taking blood from when I came to. She was dead.

Suddenly a roaring fire pierced my heart. My fatigue was gone. Strength seemed to return to me tenfold, but I didn't care about getting out of the tsunami. I was going to get Linus in. The Blood-Chief will die today. I vowed as I watched the young girl's body float away. Clearing my mind of everything else, I began to chant a Siren's Prayer. Something I learned from my studies of mermaid culture, everything in their language is sung. I didn't know if this would work, but I had hope.

The sweet voice you hear

the Mother, Sister, Brother, Dear

I am she

I am he

Now, come to me.

Blessed are we, to hear him speak.

To watch him at this peak.

And the sinners, sinners

We give up to be his dinners.

The water around me began to bubble as if it were boiling. I thrashed around, but I didn't see anything except the dark shadows of dead Draconi around me. Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was coming. I tried to slow my breathing and my heart rate only quickened. I could feel the vibrations within the water. It was large and slow. I wanted to shut my eyes, but I just couldn't. Adrian always told me that my curiosity would kill me. I suppose he was right. I turned around to face whatever I had summoned. It had a serpents head and body shape, but was longer than the eye could see. I couldn't believe my eyes, the width of its head alone was bigger than a small continent. I couldn't take my eyes off it. The monster was looking straight at me with bright, intelligent eyes. Two tentacles that I hadn't noticed reached toward me.This is it. This is how I die.

Strange. I see no Sirens here with my dinner. The deep voice paired with the sea serpents searching movements caused me to stay still. It continued speaking within my mind.

Tell me, human man. Did you send for me? The monster's head lowered until I was right beside its' eye. His eye was the size of large round table used to host several large families at once. Oh come on now, don't be shy! In my haste to answer I forgot I was in the process of drowning. Water filled my lungs once more. Oh, yes, it might be convenient to get some oxygen into you. The sea serpent grabbed my near limp body with one tentacle and lifted me high into the air. I coughed and vomited up the water that had been burning my throat. My body convulsed trying to reject the enormous amount of hydration that had consumed it. The tentacle waved me back and forth and I heard the voice again.

Are you done now, you disgusting thing?

What?! You're calling me disgusting for surviving an attempt at drowning?! I forgot what I was thinking to. The monster's head caused massive waterfalls that rushed throughout the forest. Sweat ran down my brow.

You did vomit on me. It defended itself and the tentacle's grip tightened on me.

Oh, well, yes, sorry about that. It's grip loosened.

Tell me, Mortal Man, did you send for me?

Yes.

To save you from the tragic depths of the sea?

No.

No? Then why?

I summoned you for the same reason you are always summoned: to kill those that I cannot kill for myself.

Who?

Linus, the Blood-Chief of the Draconi. The one who summoned this tsunami and killed at least fifty of his own people. Women and children included. The monster set me on a branch of the tallest tree that hadn't been taken down from the tsunami. He then came down to my level.

Hmm...a mortal playing at immortality.

Yes, he is. I stood up soaking wet and began to rinse the water out of my tunic.

I was talking about you. Before I could form a coherent thought, the monster turned to Linus who had his back turned and was facing what was left of his tribe.

"Look at what I have summoned! A mighty Leviathan!"

Wait, he thought he summoned it? I laughed out loud. Linus somehow heard me and turned back around to face us. His eyes found mine and I waved cheerily at him. The Leviathan spoke once more within my mind.

It seems you have summoned me for a proper meal. The magic within his veins will sustain me longer than any mortal soul will.

I feel like there's a but coming.

However, his power deserves to be acknowledged.

You want to play with your food?

Yes.