The Sample Platter
Chapter 18
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The sun and surf was delightful this time of day and Yugi was using it to his greatest advantage. He chose to try hunting on his own after being taken care of twice by his mate. Atemu deserves to be pampered and catered to after all the work he did to help Yugi. So Yugi was out on his own, past the kelp forest and into open waters to hunt for something nice and big for Atemu to feast on.
The sea was exceptional this time of day. The sunlight filtering from above, the cool temperate of the currents fluttering his fins. It was all so welcoming and had Yugi wondering why the fragments of memory wanted so badly to drag him back to the surface. He was so at home here with Atemu, he never wanted to go back.
He was a siren, was he not? So why was the magic ingrained to make his form so stubborn? He wanted this, to live here with Atemu and make him the happiest he could be. Living alone as long as he had surely wasn't good for him even if he was proud of the territory. But ruling alone must've been taxing. Yugi was here now and he will give Atemu the ease of responsibility by working just as hard to remind any wandering siren that dares to come near.
As he swam, he saw a couple small fodder but that isn't what he wanted. He wanted something larger, like tuna, but that would be so hard to find. Yugi was determined for his mate and wouldn't give in so easily. Further and further he went, reaching the ends of the territory without warning and went past the line for it.
This was dangerous for him when alone but Yugi didn't stop. His eye caught the bright hide of the pink salmon and licked his lips. Salmon was absolutely mouthwatering and didn't think Atemu ever went as far as to hunt them outside the usual sea bream and smaller fare. This would be a perfect offering to his mate!
Preparing himself, Yugi was ready to put his all to chase the one spotted, aiming to find a few more so he could have some for himself but found himself instead pinned. He gasped, working to quickly claw himself to freedom but had his wrists pinned along with his tail, leaving him immobile. "What's such a delicate little thing doing in my waters?" A voice hummed from above, making Yugi glance at the large siren that had him trapped.
He was a ghastly little thing, with wide beady eyes, gray hair and gaudy charms and trinkets to decorate his body. While he was hardly any bigger than Yugi, he had some strength in him to keep Yugi down. The words then registered to Yugi and with a quick glance around, he noticed he wasn't in familiar territory.
He went too far out and his misfortune landed him in the hands of another siren. Curse the luck! His silence did him no favors as the other glared down at him. "Don't make me repeat myself. What are you doing here? Looking for something? Perhaps a mate?"
"Disgusting! I already have a mate! One that is waiting for me to come back home but I can't without something to give!" Yugi snapped, making the other siren chuckle. The laugh already grated his nerves and Yugi tried again to get himself free. The siren tutted, gripping harder to the point his claws dug into flesh.
"Now now, don't get all riled up in the presence of the great Kokurano. Seer and a reader of premonition in these parts. I'm sure your delusions of having a mate are false at best. Allow me to read into your real future."
Yugi growled, wishing to snap at the other siren. This was the first one he'd met outside of Atemu and already, he could see why the ex-prince left home. Were all sirens this shallow and disobedient once told no? Now he understood why Atemu was not only solitary but monogamous when it came to finding the perfect mate. Yugi growled for the other to release him, for his own safety.
"You wouldn't want to keep me around your territory long. My mate will find me and he won't be happy with the position I'm in."
"Don't be foolish! Every siren worth their tail knows never to cross into another's territory! You were the unfortunate one but I'm allowing you an out~ Become my follower and you can have all the benefits of my territory."
"Fat chance!"
Kokurano sneered, raising a hand with the promise to claw something on Yugi. Either his face or eyes if the smaller siren had to hazard a guess. He wasn't quite proficient at fighting so this was bad for him. He just hoped he was right about Atemu coming for him or he would be livid at the state he came back in...
If he came back at all.
His prayers were answered when a deep growl vibrated the currents around him, making Kokurano stop mid slash and look up, seeing the coming dark shadow heading their way. The presence already was a hostile one, crimson eyes glaring down at the siren on top of Yugi. Yugi craned his head back to see the looming shadow and smiled brightly.
"Atemu!"
"Who are you?!"
Atemu glared hard at Kokurano, teeth bared. "Your executioner if you don't get off my mate right now. Such disgusting filth to touch him, I should tear your head off right now instead of giving you the opportunity to speak." Yugi smirked when Kokurano had the audacity to look horrified. Did he really think Yugi was lying? It made him want to laugh.
The siren not moving fast enough was an incentive for the already hostile siren to growl even worse than before, the flick of his tail enough to bring him right into Kokurano's face. The other siren swam away quick, silver-gray tail with its ragged fins nearly a target for the sharp rows ready to snap hard, Atemu's body coming to curl around Yugi.
Yugi sat up, feeling an arm coming to rest around him and held on tight. The smaller siren can only imagine that he wasn't as stealthy about his leave as he thought, Atemu following silently from a distance to make sure he was safe. While he felt slighted he couldn't be left to hunt on his own, Yugi was still grateful that he did follow.
Atemu looked down to Yugi, nuzzling the top of his head calmly before turning his gaze onto Kokurano once more. "Fortune smiles upon you, you filthy worm. I would easily tear you apart and take this territory for my own. My beloved pearl found something decent worth collecting here so it's a thought. Today, I will spare your miserable life and let you carry on your foolish notions of intuition. However, should you follow us back to our territory, you forfeit yourself and your home. Is that understood?"
Kokurano gulped and nodded, sliding back from the siren which pleased Atemu. It felt good to strike fear into the weaklings. Means they wouldn't survive long in the open ocean. His territory was pretty nice too. Perhaps he'll check back into this area later and see if the failing excuse for a siren is dead.
Threat settled and Yugi safe, Atemu turned, swimming back for familiar waters with Yugi following behind him. He saw the salmon he was chasing flit past the corner of his eyes, growling at the fish that got him in this mess and caught up with the other siren. Atemu didn't say anything at first until they were close to their territory border.
"You do realize how far out you've gone."
"I know."
"If I wasn't behind you, who knows what that vile creature would've done to you."
"I. Know."
"I've told you, sirens are unkind towards ones made with magic—"
"I KNOW!" Yugi snapped, darting forward before turning on Atemu. "I know! You've told me all of this! I only went out cause I wanted to do something nice for you! You've been busting your flukes for me since my last two episodes and I felt you were deserving of something from my efforts after all you did! Yes I went outside the borderline! Yes, I got myself caught and yes, I would've been killed if he saw I was a false siren!" Yugi huffed angrily before looking down.
"I know all of this...but I still went out of my way to get you something. Yet, I only failed and you had to rescue me again...some mate I am. Can't even defend myself and still had to be rescued." He spat, swimming away but didn't get far when he felt himself land in the hard packed sand for the second time. Yugi sneered, struggling under Atemu's grip but like before, found himself pinned.
Now his own mate was manhandling him like some fish! When will the humiliation end?! "Yugi, I know what you're thinking. You're not weak or a burden to me. It was sweet of you to go out to hunt for me. Alas, it's but a fault of mine to think instinct would drive your willingness to fight off other sirens to the point of death should they be stubborn enough." Atemu lifted himself from Yugi, bringing him up to face him.
"So I must rectify my own mistake and teach you to fight. Sometimes a scare like that won't keep others away. That one will think twice to come into hostile territory where I'm around but others won't be so keen to listen. When they don't, then you must show them their place. So that's what we're going to do." Atemu leaned forward, nuzzling his cheek against Yugi's and continued to do so when Yugi didn't respond at first.
When he got aggressive with it did the small siren returned the gesture. Atemu smiled, pulling away and tilted his head up. "Stop being gloomy, my pearl. You are worth every second of my attention. Now, come with me. There should be something worth its size that won't mind getting batted around a few times for you to hone your fighting capabilities. When we're done, we'll go to the surface to get a human to go, head home and enjoy ourselves."
Yugi hummed then nodded. He'll agree to it but made Atemu agree to let him pick and charm the human to their watery grave. He wasn't about to let up on the purpose of him coming out because of some pathetic siren trying to attempt to be hostile to him only to fail when a much scarier presence came to show what true hostility looked like. He will admit, seeing Atemu so assertive and hostile made him swoon. Yugi was glad to have such a mate that was intimidating to many.