He could still hear the cold almost mocking laughter of the other Cecealia as they sank into the darkness of the ocean depth, the sound as light as that of a Mermaid's song ringing in his ears as he blindly reached down and threw the fisherman's spear after them into the depth of the sea. He was bleeding, the thin red marking the water where he was floating. He knew that he could get to that place in time so he darted forward up to the surface tasting the salt water of the deep sea on his tongue before the thick fiery air of land as his head broke the surface of the water waves lapping against him before he collapsed on the hot sand its tiny fragments burning his wound making him moan and see blinding white before he flipped himself over on his back. He felt his strength leave him unable to turn back into his human form.
What did it matter anyway? He inwardly chuckled thinking he could sense a presence coming closer to him.
Oh but what did that matter if anyone saw him. He would soon not be able to feel anything anymore, more so than usual. Soon he would become foam on the sea to be cast about on the waves played around with the other fish and sea creatures. He had no soul anymore after all and it was not as if he thought he was going to be able to go past the gates and even if he still could... Like everyone else now like himself he didn't want to spend eternity as some doll.
Yes. Better to be sea foam then be some mindless emotionless doll for all eternity blindly following and killing those that went against their master. Of this all of them deep in the sea agreed.
He may be practically immortal now but he could still die.
Soon it would all be over.
That was until.
"Shiki?"
Blood orange eyes opened and moved to golden brown a smirk growing on his lips, he almost wanted to laugh at the look on her face and the image of her peeking out of the water from behind a large rock, however the wound in his chest prevented him from doing so.
"Fu fu... What a nice expression you have on your face right now, little fish... So sad, so pretty a color. How... I want to see... more of that..."
Maybe she should just leave. She knew how dangerous this Cecaelia was but... something stopped her from swimming away from where the Cecaelia lay on the sand of the human beach. She moved forward from the rock using the light lapping waves to push herself to the beach and carefully arranged her tail so that she could sit beside him on the fine sand.
His chest was bleeding from a deep gash where black blood flowed out onto his torso down to where his human skin smoothly transferred to that of ebony black tentacles that were presently lying limp and bloody in the sand. The wound no doubt was caused by something that looked to be a fisherman's spear, his face dusted red but not entirely from the pain.
"Shiki... what happened?"
". . .The other Cecaelia bullied me again, leading me into the direction of a fisherman's spear all because I wasn't like them..."
He thought his answer would satisfy her and she would leave, but when he closed his eyes he felt her place a hand above his wound feeling her magic speeding through him her touch soft, watching as a soft light emitted from where she was touching him.
"...Ritsuka?"
"Please don't move Shiki."
he stared at her unable to truly grasp what was happening, No one has ever been worried for him before, not even back when he was still fully human.
"...Why are you so worried about me? You know that I'm half human right? Once a human who long ago turned into a Cecaelia. I was part of a group that killed anything and everything they considered unholy. What do you think of that?" He smirked.
"...Its true that humans are scary That doesn't matter, you just don't seem like the rest of the humans... And I just... don't think your as bad as they are... I don't feel any hate towards you..."
Not knowing what else to say or do he drew her closer wrapping an arm around her.
"...You are so cute, Ritsuka."
What was this odd sensation he felt in his chest?
...*...
The house was grand, filled with several different rooms and bedrooms each of which were made out of a different type of wood, some other cement and marble. There were several paintings that hung on the wall showing different bleak landscapes that it shared with the atmosphere that hung in the house. Despite that the rooms were bright with high windows showing off the outside with silk curtains. It seemed to pulse with a magic that hung in the very air that she could not describe. Could it be a spell to keep humans from noticing this house? She had heard that some human stole into the houses of others.
It seemed to her like a normal human house since they always loved a lot of clutter.
Ritsuka walked around the kitchen, pausing here and there to look more closely at a few strange devices lined all around it. A half open cabinet under the sink didn't even catch her attention until she heard something strange foaming growl sound coming from inside. She paused she recognized it as a sponge she had seen humans cleaning their utensils with. It couldn't be a sponge from the ocean but...
It moved on its own out of the half open door, seemingly crawling at her feet and it growled again showing off teeth that appeared to be about the same texture as its spongy body not even leaving a mark as they tried to bite into her shoes.
Ritsuka simply blinked slowly in confusion at the bizarre appearance as it let go of her and slowly slithered away as best it could on the floor as if trying to get away.
"Shiki..." she called out to the other room where he was. "Are human sponges support to have... teeth?" A moment later she heard the others reply from the other room.
"Not really... But why would... Ahh."
Shiki appeared in the kitchen, eyes falling on the small sponge looking creature wiggling on the floor at the once mermaid's feet.
One of his tentacles wrapped around it picking it up off of the floor and brought it closer to him where it seemed to fluff up, moving around its non existence skin and growled angrily at him as he held it up to his face as if examining it.
"There is is, I was looking for it. I was preforming some spells on sea sponges a while ago but it somehow got away." He shrugged and with a wave of his hand it vanished.
"...Shiki what kind of spells would you be doing that acquired sponges to have teeth on them?"
"Oh nothing you need to worry about my mermaid I promise you..." Shiki smiled, pulling her closer. "Ah yes by the way what happened to that starfish that adorned your hair did it slither way or something?"
She was about to answer him when something caught her attention and she slowly moved closer to the window she moved closer looking down to see that down in the town square their seemed to be a large gathering of humans
"Shiki... do you know what's going on there?"
"Hmm. . .? I don't know. What to go have a look?"
"Is it alright?"
"Yes it is they won't know. Ahh. . . And while we are out refer to me as Kalvier among the humans, okay?"
"Mmm."
...*...
The human town was bustling with many different humans going here and there like schools of fish swimming through narrow openings barely leaving any room for any other to slip through. But somehow the both of them managed to walk on with very little problem reaching the edge of the harbor with little problem. The town was lined with colorful houses that she knew to be shops human went into.
"Shi-Kalvier? What's with the smell coming from there? The smell nearly tickles my nose..."
"Hmm?" Shiki followed her gaze. "That's a bakery."
"A bakery is where humans make food for other humans right?"
"Yes, care for one?"
She nodded, the two of them going inside the small store the scent even stronger inside as steam seemed to wrap around the small show. After walking in and making the two made their way back out of the shop down to the crowd gathering in the square where several hundred humans were gathered all around.
"Hmm...~ Mmm... Look at them Ritsuka all clustered together like a pack of saddens. That must be why humans have gathered in such great numbers. They're probably showing off their latest military weapon that or something has just died and they want o have a look. Fu fu... how thrilling?"
Ritsuka looked back at the small crows frowning slight.
"...How sad really..." My mother used to tell me that humans take and take from their land without giving back to it until they will use it all up to the last scrap of land and that is when they will turn their eyes to the stars, stars that they have already physically reached and soon we will all be alone without them. . . Do you still remember your parents Shiki?"
"...Parents... Huh? ... If I remember correctly my Father was a canon in a church who took a wife and had five children by her, however only myself my brother and sister survived. He used to beat us, he was within his right to anyway." He looked away eyes glazing over in memory looking back when he felt Ritsuka's hand on his cheek.
"That must have been very hard for you..."
Shiki blinked looking back at her eyes the same clear eyes she had always shown him, the touch of her soft fingers on his skin and soft look in her eyes making it difficult for him to say anything. He smiled drew the other closer to him wrapping his arms around her in a hug.
"Hmm... You have cream on your cheek Ritsuka."
He leaned forward lightly licking the side of her cheek. Rtisuka felt her face heat up at his sudden movement but felt no fear from him and she rested her head against his shoulder.
A sudden noise behind her made her pause and she turned to see a few human fry's giggling behind their hands.
"Le visage de la dame est si rouge!" The snickered behind their hands.
Shiki smirked wrapping his arms more tightly around her and holding her close. His eyes seemingly glowing at their direction where suddenly they were abruptly silenced.
"Ignore them," He sighed holding her closer. "Just pay attention to me..."
She turned back to the Fry's frowning slightly.
