A/N: Okay... So I had planned for this to be a one-shot since I do one-shot requests, but... This particular prompt is quite a challenge to me. I couldn't really condense enough or get what I wanted out all in one. It's been quite a while since I got this request (almost two years) and I was dealing with a whole bunch of problems, most often health issues. Because of that, I really didn't have the time to work with this and the time that I did have was often depressing and I couldn't focus on it. Alpha, my dear friend, I am so sorry this is so late and it is not even the whole story, but I sincerely hope you aren't too disappointed.
I couldn't make it a one-shot so this will be a special multi-chapter story of it's own. This is your request so if you would like anything else in it (more fluff, more angst, more smut; literally anything), please tell me. Otherwise, I will do my best to make it better as thanks for being a very special friend and being understanding in all that I've been going through as well as seeing all your lovely art. I've only had my sisters look at this over with me meticulously going through it more than I could count, so if there any glaring mistakes I apologize, I couldn't get a lot of help. ;w;
Sorry for this long note, but I felt it was needed. Anyways, I look forward to having the next chapter done much sooner than this one took since I basically cut off a huge chunk before.
The young man had stumbled upon this hidden lair by pure coincidence, his hair drenched with rain, his clothes heavy and his boots filled to the brim with freezing water. He was panting, dragging along his belongings as he ventured further in the dark and damp cave. The storm was terrible, the winds even more so; a fire wouldn't survive being so close to the mouth of the cave. He had to go deeper, further where he wouldn't be able to see the lightning's blinding wrath or hear the thunder's angry bellows.
He was far past the fear of darkness. He knew well the dangers of going too far in a cavern that may have countless paths, knew of the animals known to be hiding, large and small, venomous or not. Even so, he was confident that there would be no major conflict.
However, as he went further in with only a lantern brightly lit to bare his path, Eren became curious to find that there were no animals hiding within this perfect habitat. As he shined a bit of light above, not even bats seemed to cover the roofs; everything was barren.
"Strange..." he murmured as he continued looking around, shining the light along the walls and over the shadowed nooks and crannies. His sharp eyes took in the surrounding walls and crumbled rocks laying about.
There were no signs of scratching footprints, droppings, or bones to show of creatures taking refuge in a place such as this. No nests, no bundles of grass or rocks; there was nothing to show any signs of habitation. However odd it may have been, he didn't think much on it, only worried himself over finding a dry place to rest as well as see if there was some possible way to build up a fire.
Eventually, after a long while of searching, he found one. A comfortable spot where the ground was dry and the walls of stone held nothing but weary marks and jagged edges. This was as close to comfort as he would find considering the circumstances, so he went straight to work on building a fire and a place to sleep.
This is when he first began to feel uncomfortable.
As he busied himself with gathering materials, he expected to feel the chill of the gentle air, especially with him being so drenched, but this area in particular seemed to be absolutely frigid. He was prepared for the occasional shiver to crawl through him, but he was not prepared for the sharp sensation of frost to seize him. His hands were stiff, his teeth were itching to go into a chatter and his chest rattled with each subtle gust of movement. This was far from normal, especially since he was quite a ways from the mouth of the cave.
He kept still then, his body stuck in a kneeling position close to the lantern sitting in front of him alongside his pack. Peering into the blackness leading deeper into the cave's stomach, he listened. The distant roar and cackles of mother nature's wrath reached his acute hearing, the subtle rumbles of the claps of thunder rolled through the frames of the walls, creating small groans from the earth and stone. But none of that bothered him, not like the thick blackness standing away from the light.
There was something off about this cave. There were eyes staring at him. He could feel its gaze following him, peering into him.
The hairs at the back of his neck bristled as there lay a presence other than his own lingering around. It was a chilling feeling that sent an unpleasant tingle to crawl up his spine and he knew that whatever it may be, it wasn't man or animal. No living creature known to man had made him react this way, he's known them, the fierce and the tranquil. And none were at all like this one.
He stopped his work to stand, bringing the lantern with him as he continued to stare at the looming darkness. There was a certain spot he would stare at, a particular shadow hidden amongst the veil of black. It felt as if something was staring back at him and it was at that moment that he caught a faint sloshing sound.
His ears perked at the strange sound and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and caution. He took a step forward and he could have sworn it may have gotten louder, just a little; a subtle splash of movement or a tiny slap at a watery surface. He paused, stared at the invisible shadow and grabbed a nearby pebble lying at his feet.
"Who's there?" he called, his voice even but firm; fearless. He had been certain there were no animals living here, but he could been wrong, there had to be something; something intelligent, waiting in the darkness. When no answer came he swiftly flicked the rock in the general direction of where he believed to see the creature lurking, hoping to simply scare it off. What came next was something that made his blood run cold.
A soft feminine cry of pain reached him, accompanied by a loud sound of a splash. It was a violent reaction; startling. Water stirred up as several motions disturbed it, sloshing back and forth, agitated.
His eyes widened at the last thing he expected to hear; the sound of a woman's voice. Alarmed that there was someone else taking shelter from the rain, Eren immediately darted to her, several lines of apologies just about to pour from his mouth.
He stopped dead in his tracks with dust kicking up at the abrupt halt as his lantern revealed to him something he couldn't even begin to fathom. His mouth immediately clamped up and his already wide eyes became even wider at the sight that greeted him. His body stiffened and the hairs at the back of his neck stood erect as a horrifying chill ran up his spine. The temperature became colder, his breath barely a fog in the cool, tense air.
He had no idea how far he had traveled from the mouth of the cave to where he stood now, but it must have been quite a length for him to witness something of this nature. There in front him lay what looked to be a large body of water, but he wasn't staring at the water, rather he was staring in awe at what was peeking out of it.
She was lying on a boulder with her upper body stuck out of the water's surface from the edge. Her head lifted slowly, shaky as the young man came into her blurred field of vision. Her long wet, black hair stuck to her face and over her mangled, right eye, the one he most likely struck. Short and quiet breaths left her as she slowly became more aware of his close presence. Her good eye widened ever so slightly when she could see him and it gleamed a bright, dangerous red as she clawed at the slick surface of the rock to pick herself up. The water stirred up again with ripples creating uneven waves to splash about her.
Eren held in a gasp as he remained still, watching carefully.
She raised herself up with shaky arms and the sight baffled the young man, his mouth gaping open at the violet, red colored scales lining up over her forearms, armed with sharp, spiny fins that flared open. Her torso was naked, but littered with small, bright cuts. As he looked further down, he could see more violet colored scales begin to cover below her waist. At her hips, bigger fins widened pitifully. One rose to its full short, length, showing off a lightly pink-colored fin while the other could only bare thin spines, the appendage obviously damaged and torn to shreds. Her silent, scarlet glare turned into a fierce snarl, her lips baring small fangs as she let out a warning hiss.
There was something else wriggling behind her, but with so little light, he couldn't make out what it was. It didn't look to be her legs, but it was too dark to tell.
Whatever the case, it was obvious to him, that she wasn't human.
Yet she wasn't an animal either.
He flinched at another loud hiss and slowly brought up his arms, hands open and voice soft. "Easy there..." he tried, but the strange woman didn't react.
Her posture remained the same and he could see her wounds were still bleeding. Her flesh grating against the rough stone, making them raw and agitated. "I just want to help. You're hurt and bleeding." he tried again. Still, there came no favorable reaction. Nonetheless, Eren took the time to look at what he could see.
From what he could tell, the blood at the corner of her damaged eye began to dry and cake over the closed lid. Yet, regardless of the slow process, more fresh blood continued to leak out, running down her cheek to drip onto the small puddle below. The countless, tiny slashes over her bare torso were bright with pink flesh exposed and becoming raw with rubbing against the rock. He had no idea what could have possibly done this to her, but he couldn't leave her alone with that eye. There was no telling how long she was left like this or what other wounds she may have sustained that he couldn't see.
A cautious foot forward caused her to stir up the water again, but she at least wasn't backing away. Instead, when he took another step, the woman hoisted herself up even further, revealing more dark colored scales over her lower body. He flinched at the abrupt movement, keeping an arm up in front of him should she do anything hostile.
Her fins flailed when out of the water, the damaged one with its thick spines slapped against the rock, creating an eerie sound to reverberate throughout the hollow cave.
It intrigued him that she didn't flee, for most creatures would much rather run away than fight what would obviously be a losing battle. Yet, here she stayed above water and continued to try and scare him off. Eren, though, couldn't just turn a blind eye at someone who was hurt, her eye could be in critical condition. The wounds also scattered over her arms and waist could also be something serious as well. There was just too much blood for him to ignore, regardless of the potential danger he was putting himself in.
It didn't matter if she was of a different species or a completely different organism, he couldn't just let her be with injuries like that. However, he knew he couldn't just waltz right up to her. If he wanted to help her, he needed her to understand; he needed her to relax and know he wasn't a threat.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you're okay." he reasoned, taking another small step. "I don't know what you are, but-" he stopped short as something else came into view, something small.
Shining the lantern out towards her, he could see something else glint in the darkness, several little glints of reflected light. The woman snarled again, flinching away from the light and hissing. Approaching a tiny bit closer, Eren kept his light to the side to try and see what it was that was behind her.
A short gasp left him as he realized what was shining. Draped over the girl was a thin net of steel. Finely made and armed with small hooks that lodged themselves into her skin and scales. It was over her shoulders and even a bit over her head, all over until it couldn't be seen past her waist where it entered the water. He could see the damage being done, the small hooks sinking further into her and tearing her bit by bit. Splitting her skin, tearing through flesh and making her suffer until she would eventually die from either blood loss or infection.
"Who did this to you?" he questioned softly as he tried to approach her. She flailed again, twisting herself to splash a wave of water in his direction.
Upon seeing the massive tail appear from the pond, Eren jumped and reacted just in time to shield the lantern from being drowned. The cold, wet assault made him shudder and gasp loud in freezing agony. A shaky breath leaving him as he felt the icy water run through his wet clothes and caress over his chilled skin.
"Oo-okay... th-that was c-cold... In m-more than one way. Ahhhh..." he moaned as he slowly turned back around, the shadows around them bounced and fluttered around as the small fire flickered to stay alive. He let out one more shivering breath to compose himself, grabbing his bearings to ignore the cold seeping into his body. "N-now, look."
He set down his light and spread out his arms, taking a chance to try and show that he truly meant no harm. "S-See, I have n-nothing. I just want to get that off you, okay? Nothing more." He inched closer and the woman bared another snarl and whipped her tail about, slapping at the water.
Her clawed fingers raked nervously over the stone, creating an unpleasant sound. Upon closer inspection he could see a thin membrane barely stretch over the base of each digit connect to each other; webbed hands. There were tears in them as well, lightly smeared with blood, an observation of something that would impede her swimming performance. She became rigid as he came closer, her arms shaking from the effort to hold herself up. Her breathing escalated, her chest rising and falling and he feared that she would faint with how hard she was inhaling each terrified breath.
"Calm down." he tried softly as he reached for a line of steel farthest from her. A gap that wasn't so wide. "I'm just going to get this off." he repeated, bringing the other hand to carefully follow the net to her body. Her one visible eye still continued to gleam a dangerous color and it honestly terrified him with how bright her intense gaze was. It was almost as bloody as the liquid slowly being drained from her, but just as bright as a well lit flame.
An unworldly stare that seemed to make his very soul quiver in some unknown fear.
Finally, he took his eyes away from her face to focus on the net. It was hanging off her damaged fin at the waist, the left with its frame limp and dirty with old blood and mud. He hung onto one end of the net and with one hand reached behind him to get out his knife. The woman saw this and was about to lash out once more until she noticed he quickly began to cut away at the thin netting.
A brazen act.
Quick snips and snaps reached her ears as Eren went to work on the net tangled over her hips. After a few short moments, she could feel her fin become free to move a little more easily, but winced at the painful motions as it was still torn.
"Sorry, but it may take a while to get all this out. Look." he brought up a small, sharp hook to show her. "This was stuck behind your fin and probably tore it up so bad it's thinned out." He pulled in the portion of the net he managed to cut off and tossed them carefully out on the ground and away from her and the water.
"There's still a lot though." he sighed and picked himself up. "Would it be possible for you to perhaps come out more so I can make sure to get all of it?" he asked, his voice soft, but the woman still remained cautious.
The red of her eye had died down until he could vaguely see that the actual color of her gaze was a dark grey instead of the eerie crimson. The snarl she held smoothed out to a silent, subtle frown as she slowly began to relax.
"Do you think you can do that?" he asked again in a gentle voice.
Slowly, she nodded before she began to pull herself out. Her tail pushing her along, but not without having more blood ooze out in small spurts all along its length, making her hiss and groan in pain. What could be seen of the clear water quickly became clouded in a hue of scarlet.
Eren immediately stood up and quickly snatched up the lantern to hold it over her body. "Stop, stop, stop! Never mind, just lie still." She complied without a word. A small little huff escaping her as she slowly eased back onto the boulder, her good eye still watching him warily.
"I didn't think you were this bad. Your tail is covered with barbs and your eye needs to be looked at." he muttered, kneeling down beside her to gently brush away some strands of her hair to look at her closely. "I'm not a doctor, but I do have some medical experience." he informed quickly, looking over the full extent of her damaged body with a trained eye.
The girl only responded with a nervous flick of her tail, disregarding the pain it brought along with it. With a neutral look, she watched him retreat to his bag to tug it back for gauze and bandages. Her head tilted in mild curiosity as he set out to collect his tools needed to remove each piece of netting. Each item he pulled out seemed to intrigue her.
They were strange objects, things she had never seen before. Her curiosity became piqued and there was a small urge to know more of them. That is, until she remembered he had another item that other humans used to strike her. A terrible tool that caused pain and suffering.
The fang shaped object that had mutilated her eye.
The knife he had was left near her, the sharp blade glinting with the heat's light. It would be easy for her to simply grab it and take his life, after all he was human. Humans destroyed her home, hunted her family and had tried to get her too. She would've been someone's slave, an object of pleasure no doubt or even dead for her blood and her precious scales that were more beautiful and magnificent than the most brilliant pearls. Humans had caused her people grief and suffering; her anger and sorrow would surely be justified in taking this man's life.
Her hands twitched with the urge to grab the weapon. The desire for revenge slowly bubbling up within her, telling her that she must do away with this man.
What would really be the harm in taking out one human? The world didn't seem to need these destructive and hateful creatures, they certainly held no regard for her people. So, why should she?
Crimson light flooded her sight once more, but her expression remained calm. It would only take a quick snatch of the object and revenge would be hers. She'd be safe. She would be able to get these nets off herself without the constant threat of another greedy man.
"Thank goodness, I have enough of everything to get you fixed up!" he exclaimed suddenly, making her gasp and flinch back a little.
"Hm?" he looked at her and noticed the sudden change of her eye color. "Did I frighten you? Sorry." he apologized, smiling softly as he returned to her. "You see, I was afraid I wouldn't have enough medicine or gauze, but it looks like I have just enough for you." Turning away, he picked up the waterskin attached to his pack and opened it up.
"Right now, your eye is my main concern. I can't really tell how bad it is, so we'll need to clean it out. Understand?"
She nodded slowly, her other eye staring at him with that same malicious look of red. Her fins, however flared open; an obvious sign that she didn't quite trust him just yet. Eren noticed and smiled again, trying to dispel her suspicion with his actions rather than say anything else.
With a clean cloth and a splash of water, he was ready to begin cleaning up her eye wound. "I'll try to be as gentle as I can, but it may sting a little."
She flinched again at his approaching hand, her lips baring fangs, but there was no angry hiss, only a look of fear.
Eren paused and gently held her chin to keep her still. A frightened noise escaped her at the feel of his hand on her. Every nerve in her pained body urged her to dive into the pool and escape before he did something horrible, but there were too many beasts already lurking around for her to escape with her life. She was helpless.
"It's okay. I'm just cleaning it out, we can't have it get infected now." he assured her.
He gently dabbed at the crusted blood, moistening it to gently wipe off her irritated skin. The damaged layer tingled with light pain that tempted her to bite him for touching her, hurting her, but she fought it and held still. When the fabric grazed a little too hard on a sore spot she let out a small sound of pain and jerked away only to feel his hand tighten just a bit.
"Sorry, sorry." he whispered quickly with a puzzled look. Something unfamiliar had brushed against his fingers from underneath her jaw. Curious, he tilted his head to see what it was that touched his fingertips.
More violet scales were lined up and littered over the sides of her neck and trailing down towards her nape. They looked softer than the larger ones at her hips and tail, smoother. Flaps of flesh opened up and closed each time she sucked in a breath and it was then that he finally put two and two together. It was a familiar organ he'd seen plenty of times at lakes and rivers, in books and in tanks of fresh water.
"You're a mermaid." he whispered, a smile inching over his lips. The woman swallowed nervously as she flicked her fins and tail anxiously, her eye still radiating that light and as he continued to clean the other, he could see the eerie glow peek from the other closed lid. "Don't worry, I don't care what you are, my only concern is your well being, but I have heard the stories."
"Humans... tell lies." he heard her murmur fearfully.
The sound of her voice was so soft and beautiful that he paused to stare at her, a look of bewilderment plastered over his face.
"So you really can understand me..." he breathed out a relieved laugh. "Thank goodness, I was beginning to think you were mute or something."
She didn't respond and he carried on with cleaning her eye.
"Yes. They do, but we're not all bad. I'm not lying when I say I just want to help you."
She flinched at another stray touch of the cloth venturing further to clean around the affected area. "Humans kill for fun." she continued.
Eren let out a quiet breath, his gentle smile replaced with a small frown. "They do." He knew they did as he himself was forced to witness and hear all there was to hear and see.
"For their own selfish wants, they killed my family, they took away my friends..."
Her eye was soon cleared off of blood and a terrible jagged slash could be seen, torn through her eyelid from her eyebrow down to her cheek. Her fair skin was blackened with bruises from the slash, littered with ugly, painful colors. She managed to open it a little small drops of blood dripping down like hateful tears crying out for vengeance. The very sight of red meeting his gaze made him shiver in both fear and sorrow.
It was such a malicious stare even without the sound of a snarl or a contorted face, he could feel the fear and bloodlust through a simple glance. Dark and heavy, her eyes swirled in a flurry of rage and hate. But he was familiar with this look for he had seen it in many creatures, animals and humans alike.
"Humans are cruel." she stated before closing both eyes tiredly. Eren remained quiet, occupying himself with slathering a bit of medicine onto a piece of gauze and gently secured it over her eye.
She wasn't wrong in a way.
"Now for the hard part." he whispered as he felt around gently over her head, searching for caught steel. "Do you feel anything stuck beneath your hair? Anything hurting?" she answered in the negative, allowing him to quickly grab the loose end of the net that hung from her shoulder.
The first of the barbs were stuck in her shoulders and over her shoulder blades. The rest littered all over her arms and lower back, trailing down the length of her tail.
Eren worked silently and carefully, stopping every once in a while to clean out the cuts and apply more medicine. It took two hours for him to remove all of the hooks and free her of the steel net that had been thrown over her, tearing at her bit by bit. Her wounds that pierced past her hard scales were cleaned and gently cared for, he had also warned that she probably shouldn't swim just yet. The ointment needed to set in for a while to work and then she would be free to go her own way.
However, there was one other section he had yet to look over and bandage.
He cleared his throat after wiping his hands of the blood and medicine, his eyes staring at the lantern flickering at his side. The mermaid looked up from rubbing a sore spot at her waist, her expression mildly irritated.
"Alright, now I need to take a look at your torso." With his hands cleaned up, he grabbed a new cloth to clean up the last of her wounds.
The red in her eyes burned with renewed anger when she saw his hand approaching to grab at her arm. Instinctively, she brought up a hand and struck out at him, slapping hard at his face with her claws sinking into and tearing at his skin. A loud cry of pain left him as Eren immediately moved away from her, one hand coming to hover over his burning cheek.
The woman didn't move. Her body becoming rigid at the sound of his pained shout. Her fins flared, poised in case she should make a run for it in the pool should the man try and reach for her again. Fear and anger radiated from every pore in her as she prepared herself for what was to come. She was ready to see another human reveal his true, ugly nature. Ready to see the hideous, perverted greed take over him in a blistering, hot rage. She knew what humans did and what he was about to do when he made to grab her arm. She wouldn't allow for that mistake to happen again, she would fight and maybe even avenge her family for the pain they have caused them.
They deserved it for what they've done to her mother and what they tried to do to her.
Eren groaned quietly, falling to sit on the ground near the shadows. Blood leaked out of the four scratch marks carved onto the left side of his face. They burned, especially his eye where her index had buried itself at the corner, irritated tears crawled down into the wounds, stinging his face until he became flushed with red.
"What the hell was that for?" he hissed angrily as he grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and latched it onto his bleeding face.
She didn't respond and when he peeked an eye open to look at her, he found out why.
She probably didn't realize it herself, but she was shaking. Her entire body was trembling with her hand frozen in the air, tense and dripping with his blood. Her only visible eye was now completely red and it made him gasp, not of fright, but realization.
"Oh, dammit." he sighed, removing the cloth to wipe a hand over his embarrassed face, flinching when he touched the claw marks on his cheek. "I-I didn't mean it like that. Here."
Becoming flustered at his own mistake, he presented her with a small towel, damp with water to clean her front. "You can use this to clean the cuts. Afterwards, just apply the rest of this ointment onto them and let it set for a bit before going back. From what I could see before they don't look critical, but you have to clean them out. Best to be careful anyway."
She stared at him for a moment longer, her eye blinking in confusion.
"Go ahead," he sighed as he gently dabbed at his face with that small piece of cloth he had. "I won't touch you if you're not at all comfortable with it. I only had to before, because it was absolutely necessary to get that net off you. I'm sorry." His voice was gruff, mildly irritated, but nothing more.
He turned away from her then, his face burning hot from both pain and embarrassment. He hadn't meant to seem like that to her. His only intention was to help her, that's all. Mumbling to himself, he wiped his hand at his face again only to wince at the sharp sting of his fingers roughly brushing over the scratch marks. A sound of irritation left him as he tried to calm down and wait for her to finish cleaning herself.
The mermaid looked at the the wet towel and then at the ointment, bringing it up to her face to sniff it. With a careful dab, she applied a bit on a single cut.
Seeing as it did nothing but relieve some pain, she slowly began to clean the small cuts littered all over her chest and stomach.
"I uh, I don't think I introduced myself yet." Eren grumbled as he relaxed into his spot, not bothering to do anything more about the scratches. "I'm Eren. Eren Jaeger."
She glanced at him cautiously, but didn't respond; seeming content with just listening.
"Do you mind if I ask who it was that did that to you?" he asked softly.
The day had wore him out and he only wanted to find a dry place to rest for the night, but it seems like he won't be getting to sleep anytime soon. He could still hear the rain from a distance along with its rolling thunders. Loud and troublesome, so what was the harm in starting a conversation?
He glanced behind him to find that she was now staring at him, the small container of ointment lying empty beside her.
"Humans did it."
He sighed again. He should've known better, it wasn't likely she'd know their names especially after they obviously tried to kidnap her from her home. He got up to sit a little closer to the lantern, but far enough from her to show he was no threat.
"Okay, well do you have a name?" he asked again, trying to keep up the friendly chatter.
She tensed up again, her eye narrowed, but thankfully no longer glowing red like before. Now, it was just a cold, grey color. He gulped nervously, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable anymore than she already was.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. It was just friendly conversation. Anyway, you should rest. I'm mean you're free to leave anytime you want, the medicine's already set by now, but I think it would help more if you just stay in one place for a while. I won't stay here long, just until morning comes around." he chuckled lightly to himself. "But from the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like the storm will stop anytime soon."
Her tail flicked in response.
"Don't worry. I really just stopped here to rest a while, I'll be gone first thing tomorrow and I promise I won't tell anyone about this place or you. I doubt anyone else would venture this far in a cave anyway with all the possible dangers it could pose."
His eyes began to grow heavy with exhaustion. A tired sigh escaped him as he pulled out a small blanket from his pack and cautiously inched closer to her, handing the blanket out to her.
"You can use this to cover yourself if you'd like."
"Is that not yours?"
He shrugged at her. "I'm fine with just the lantern, besides I figured you'd be cold like that. I mean, granted I don't know much about you or your kind, but it is fairly cold around here, especially since you're all wet."
He was answered with a simple, indifferent "Hm."
Deciding against her instincts, she took the offered blanket and curled her body so as to cover herself. She didn't really care about the temperature, it never had an effect towards her, but she did like that it would hide her from him, even if he didn't seem like the others. Besides it did kind of feel nice and since the medicine seemed to be working, it didn't disturb her cuts and bruises.
Eren smiled and turned away, about to go lie against the wall of the cavern.
"You humans are strange."
He chuckled lowly at her statement. "Well, you're quite a mystery yourself. You can breathe in land and water and from the looks of your tail, swim exceptionally well."
"That is strange to you?" she asked, genuinely confused with a distant look in her eye.
"If humans could, we wouldn't need boats and ships to cross the oceans. We don't have fins or tails. No wings or claws or fangs. We're not like the wild animals with their extended appendages or abilities. We can create buildings and houses, we reason whereas animals cannot."
She fell silent at his words, analyzing them slowly in her head.
"Then tell me, why is it that humans take what does not belong to them?"
His eyes opened a little wider despite his fatigue.
The woman rose up again on her arms, the blanket slipping off one shoulder.
"You humans have killed so many of us. Imprisoned us like beasts that are beneath you and forced to do your will in fear for our own lives." Her eyes gleamed again with a murderous red. "We are not animals, we aren't objects to be taken as prizes. We can think and build like you, we can reason too, but we've never taken what has never belonged to us."
The memories of what has happened to her home come to her like a raging flood.
Eren sat up, his mouth turned down into a frown.
"Your kind is confusing. My family has been taken and killed by you, my friends have been enslaved; forced to entertain you humans as nothing more than pets. Now, here I am with a human that has tended my wounds."
She is reminded of the horrible things she has seen, the torture and the deaths. The immoral acts being done to her friends, her poor mother who fought until her throat was stabbed and left for the sea creatures to devour. Her father whom was burned with fire above the surface and seeing the men who had done this, humans, who were laughing at smiling through it all. Taking pleasure in the suffering of her people.
It's enough to make her mad with hatred; blinded.
"Now listen, I already told y-"
He's stopped short when he sees her crawl out further from her perch and his main concern falls back to her wounds.
"What are you doing, your injuries will get worse if you don't rest!"
She wasn't listening. "Tell me, human. What is it you wish to take from me for having saved my life?"
His eyebrows furrow as she crawls closer to him, her tail pulling her along effortlessly, even with the small trickles of blood flowing through each beautiful scale. His face pulls into an annoyed expression as he tenses up at the look on her face.
"Man's metal has stabbed at me, lodged their hooks to my flesh and slowly tore away at me. The pain is excruciating, the damage deep. Becoming entangled by such a small creation, it would be too difficult for me to free myself. I would be easy prey for the predatory beings swimming around, my blood more sweet than that of any marine creature, far more delectable than that of human flesh. Atop the lands, I would have struggled to fight the reins in my flesh, pulling them deeper and deeper until I can handle the pain no longer. To bleed out in this cave or be eaten as prey, either way my life would be forfeit."
He wants to say something to make her stop, that he expects nothing of her, but the way she looks at him has his voice caught in his throat.
That familiar snarl she greeted him with in the beginning is absent, her uncertain, calm gaze is gone. She's smiling now, small, almost unnoticeable, but her eyes; they're dark and eerie. Shimmering at him like a starving cat in the night staring at him in the darkness; she watches him, eyeing him from head to toe.
She's so close now, her hands at either part of his thighs. His knees had parted, allowing her to come up close and personal. His wide eyes fall down to the numerous cuts adorning her shoulders and trailing lower to her collarbone and towards her breasts. A blush barely heats up his face, but he is more concerned of her, of the wounds he had just cleansed, her eye; her well being. He wants to say something, but her voice stops him before he can utter a word.
"Until you came along." her voice drops down to a whisper as she picks up a hand to cradle his uninjured cheek. She holds his gaze with her captivating one, an alluring red, a beautiful, yet dangerous color.
The touch of her hand stuns him. Slick with water, cool to the touch, but soft and absolutely captivating.
She wriggles closer to him, her breath fanning over his heated face as she speaks quietly to him. "A noble human, a selfless man, has come and cleans me, heals me and says he wants for nothing? Does not desire my blood in a goblet nor longs for a single shining scale of my valuable tail? Tell me human, what is it you seek of me if not my life? Treasures of gold and silver, a remedy of your meager life span, a cure?"
Her body is flush against his, her breasts pushing up against him that he can feel the warmth of her body seep past his clothing. A frustrated grunt leaves him and he abruptly turns away from her to avoid having her lips graze his. Her hand is still on his cheek, her head tilting in curiosity at his actions with that small, humorless smile still gracing her.
She is far from her right state of mind, consumed with anger, wanting revenge. Instinct spurs her to seek it as the fear she's felt caresses her very soul at the presence of this man. The pain she's suffered and the horrible things she's been exposed to remind her of his kind and their terrible creations. Tempting her to entice him in a false sense of security so that she may strike.
"There are many things I can do for you, you know."
Eren grabs a hold on her shoulder, making her wince. She recoils from his touch and lets out a short, sharp hiss.
"Ah!"
"Listen, all I want is for you to get better!" he whispers harshly. "Not all humans are bad, I told you. I don't want to hurt you, I don't want you to do anything for me and I don't want you to die."
She watches him, expressionless. Her eye is a deep red now and it makes his blood run cold. She doesn't seem to acknowledge his words and slowly pulls away from him. Her body leans back as she brings in her tail, curling so that the fine scales flash with what little light there is. They shimmer with beautiful hues, from red to green and then blue, it's absolutely stunning. It's no wonder why her kind would be hunted for them. No wonder why men of the sea would kidnap them, as disgusting as it was, it was a fact. There have been many stories and even some he has never heard of with many creatures like herself.
"Are you certain you want nothing of me?" she asked quietly and before he could vehemently finalize his answer, he stopped.
The scales all along her tail begin to recede. They stick outward like round blades and pull back with an odd squelching sound, like flesh being pierced and shredded. The muscles warp and twist, blood gushes from each crescent stab of those shimmering blades. Flesh and muscle curve and bone is rearranged to split at the center of what was once her marine-like tail.
Eren can do nothing but stare in horror as she distorts her own figure.
Long, supple legs replace her magnificent aquatic form, her fins pulling in to form thin webbing's in between her toes, the soft underbelly reaching up to her middle and continued to recede until the color faded to reveal fair skin littered with pink shallow cuts and deep bruises. All of them spilling large amounts of blood. The effort to change her anatomy was hefty as small beads of sweat began to form over her.
Small sounds escaped her, little grunts of discomfort and painful hisses. He wanted to say something to make her stop, but the events unfolding before him were too much for him to actually comprehend. By the time she was nearly done, she was already panting and struggling to remain upright.
When she'd gain enough strength she turned back to him, her eye burning with such hatred and anger swirling around in a whirlpool of emotions. "You're lying." she whispers among her short pants.
"Humans are good at deceiving. We were swimming away from them, their metal ships and their many nets. And in our escape, we ran into other humans on smaller boats. They held onto the masks of smiles and assurances, they promised no harm would come to us. They said we'd be safe, but those were also lies, pretty and sweet. They lured us away from the sea out in the open land, once again promising refuge."
A distant look comes over her as she recalls the horrible events that had befallen her kin.
"I managed to escape their sharp weapons and even their nets piercing past my scales and tearing my flesh. Now I'm once again at the mercy of man, and you say there is nothing you want of me? Even with this form laid bare before your eyes?" she smiled again, a little wider, but sickening. It filled him with absolute anger and dread.
"Were you like them-"
"Shut up!" he growled. "I'm not like them!" He rose to his feet and rushed on over to where the forgotten blanket lay disheveled where she once rested. He snatched it and in a few quick strides came up to her. She flinched at his hasty movements, but he paid no mind to it as he dropped the fabric over her naked form, making sure it covered her private areas.
"People like them, they only look human." he murmured quietly, sighing heavily he allowed the jagged wall with its rough edges to dig into his back as he sat back down. "Like I said before, I helped you because that's what any normal, decent human being would do. I don't want anything more than for you to rest and be well enough to go on your own. That's all."
She blinked at him, silently stunned by his words. His face was contorted in a scowl as he stared at her.
"You're not thinking right. You've lost too much blood and with that stupid stunt just now..." he let out another heavy sigh. It wouldn't be safe to leave her alone the way she was.
"Can you turn back?" he asked, his voice still annoyed, but quieter.
She fought with the fabric a little, her movements odd and jerky as she tried to get a little comfortable on the ground. She finally curled up in front of him, her gaze becoming calm, but empty as she finally looked away from him.
"I can." she sighed, her fatigue catching up to her.
Eren quirked an eyebrow up, confused. "Why don't you, if you stay like that you could get worse."
"It takes a while. I've never altered my form before, we didn't need to... and it hurts..." She offered no other information as she brought the blanket up over her head to hide from both him and the light. Finally letting her guard down to rest.
It was actually really bad. Her head had been flooded with a need for revenge that she threw caution out the wind. A process like that takes a full day to change into. Slow and careful so as not to cause damage to her form and be left with agony. And yet, here she had done it so quickly that her bones screamed with agony. Her flesh was burning, sweltering with such a heat that it was beyond unbearable. Her feet twitched, her muscles spasm in jerky twitches as the blood seeps from her and even that was like having hot iron bleed from her pores.
It's absolutely maddening, but she is strong. She takes the pain quietly only allowing her breath to show her discomfort as her chest shudders along with it.
Eren huffed as he leaned his head back, he was tired and wanted to sleep, but worry made him keep a close eye on her. He could see her legs peek out from under the covers. They were littered with the cuts from the net, but had spilled unreasonable amounts of blood. That didn't make him feel any better about leaving her where predators could just walk in here and get to her.
He would allow himself some bit of sleep, dozing every now and then, but throughout the majority of the night, he kept watch over her. He kept the old lantern lit with oil. The shadows danced around them, flickering and wavering and he would look at them with disinterest until he returned his gaze back on the woman before him.
Her breathing had long since become slow and steady as she slept. Yet, every once in a while he would catch her move in her sleep. A jerky movement not at all like one would normally make while asleep; not a simple twitch of the arm or finger. Her expression would contort into one of pain each time he caught her and it was always her legs that moved and jerked every now and then.
Becoming concerned, Eren would shuffle just a bit closer to her, using the light to better see what he could at the moment.
His eyes having become darkened with bitterness smoothed over into a more gentle look, his eyes seeking to find the problem of her discomfort rather than linger at the words she had spat just a few hours earlier. He supposed she was not wrong to feel the way she did after having almost been kidnapped from her home and suffering at the hands of those men. It wasn't anything new after all.
He sighed once again at his exhaustion and pulled away to lean back against the cave wall. He closed his eyes slowly, but kept awake as he listened to the soft rumbles of the passing storm. It's wrath becoming quelled at a must faster pace than he originally expected.
At least it would make his trek back home a little easier without the heavy downpour.
The woman awoke with a start when she felt the covers ever so slowly begin to pull from her. The hair-raising action was enough for her to jump and struggle to shuffle away from whatever it was that was reaching for her. A scream would've left her, but it was cut short with stabs upon stabs of pain shooting up from her body. All she could really manage was a short and quiet gasp.
"Easy there!" a harsh whisper growled. The hand that had been pulling on the blanket was laid flat in front of her in a sort of surrender.
Her eyes had blown wide open, her mind still trying to make sense of everything as she warily looked around. Bright light blinded her as that same annoying lantern flickered in Eren's hand, casting warped shadows that only confused her weary self even more.
It wasn't until she tried to crawl backwards that she recalled what had happened the night before, rather painfully. She winced at the sharp pain shooting from her lower half, her nerves flaring with renewed fire that she fell back to her arms and trembled from the severe discomfort.
"Hey," the male's voice became softer, alarmed and maybe even a bit concerned as she heard his shoes scoot a little closer to her. "Are you okay?"
She answered with a hasty nod, pulling the covers tighter around her to hide from him. She couldn't trust him, even if he had done nothing, there was no such thing as being too careful.
Another short and sharp gasp left her when she felt his hand suddenly upon her forehead. Her lone eye snapped up at him, wide and fearful.
"You don't seem to have a fever."
"I-I'm fine." she sighed, shaking her head from his hand.
"You certainly don't look it." he mused, standing up straight while keeping a careful eye on her. "You were moaning a lot in your sleep, twitching and jerking and breathing heavily. Yet, even as I kept you cool with a wet cloth, you seemed restless. What is it?"
She looked at him then, her eye showing distrust by that subtle hint of pink reaching her usually grey color. Eren didn't seem put off by it though as he shuffled his feet a little to dust off the lingering dirt and dried mud.
"It's morning and I should be well on my way."
She caught that little hint of him not wanting to leave her alone the way she was, but she didn't care and would much rather be left in the comforting darkness, healing from her foolishness. So, she did not bother to answer his statement and curled back under the blanket, wanting nothing more than to slowly regain her strength enough to go back home.
"Can you not change back?" he asked a little more slowly, becoming just a bit irritated with her silent stubbornness.
"I can."
"Then why not turn back now and go home? Animals and other people might come along and I doubt they would be friendly." He waited a bit for her answer, but he was met with only more silence.
A scowl twisted his face as he looked at the girl before glancing at the subtle path leading towards the exit. It would take a while, but he supposed his friend wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for him should he bother with a visit at his waiting home. With a resigned sigh, Eren plopped back down against the wall, resting the lantern beside him and closing his eyes for a little extra sleep that he no doubt yearned for.
"What are you doing?" he heard her ask, heavily confused.
"I wouldn't feel right leaving you here alone, so I'll wait until you get better."
"I'm not like you humans." she growled. "I'll be fine with just a little more rest and I'll soon be back into the sea."
"Then it shouldn't be long. I have time to spare." he smirked when she shot him a glare, but he couldn't really find it in him to care.
She allowed her weary head to rest against the soft ground, her single healthy eye slowly closing. Her breathing slowed as she fell into another long slumber quickly becoming a little more accustomed to Eren's presence. As well as becoming used to the aching pains her lower half suffered from.
Despite what he said, the young man wasn't all too sure. He cracked open an eye to stare at the bundle in front of him while glancing warily at the path that would lead him to the entrance.
"I don't suppose he'll find this little hide-out of mine anyway." he grumbled to himself, pausing for a moment to utter a quick "Maybe.." before following her into a few hours of dreamless sleep. After all, it wasn't like he could be comfortable with nothing but gravel as a bed.
Unlike him, the mysterious woman's body instantly relaxed above the ground softened by the water she had brought with her. It reminded her of the shores she would swim upon when she was younger and ever curious of the dry lands. Going as far as to shallow areas where she would better hear the birds cry their songs and the wind brush through the trees and pull at the surfaces, creating waves along with whatever strange and new sounds filled the forests and sands far from the deep ocean.
Pleasant dreams filled her, the animals she came across in her small adventures, the colorful life rushing by beneath the ocean's body, running along as if they were its life blood. The play she would immerse herself in, the little adventures she used to have with the animals that shared her home; all the little things that life had to offer, she enjoyed them all.
Before those boats of steel came in. Littering the sea in nets, both great and small, thin and thick and all of them sharp. Until they doused everything in red and filled the depths with silent songs of fear, helplessness, and death.
She could remember the entire events that had fell upon her world. Every single moment from when they had taken her poor mother to when they slaughtered her friends on land, drenching the earth in crimson liquid. Turning for her with their knives, serrated and gleaming for her blood and spilling it with a swift strike when they came upon her.
She had managed to escape with her life hanging by threads as trails of blood followed her, pouring from the countless barbs and attracting the roaming beasts that hunted for her very flesh. Until at last she came to a small and quiet reprieve from the massacre.
Only to be struck by a stone.
The pain still lingered, but she was far too tired to be bothered by any of her injuries. Her mind far away from her physical pain and weighed heavily by the emotional pain. She had no idea what she would do the following days, how she would even cope with all that had happened. For now, however, the simple act of sleep was the only respite she had.