Leech of the World, Chapter 1: Lion

The waters were felt colder than usual, there were fewer fish than usual, Azur, the young Village Chief, is accompanied by 4 of the greatest warriors of the village, the Veteran Tumul, Brey heavily armed, Mavlov by Brey’s side and Aquara the Spotted were hunting a Sea Monster that some of the other Fishers had seen and been attacked by recently, accordingly to the description: “It had a Giant maw that looked more Feline than Fish-like and Bright Green Scales” that was all that the other they saw, Tumul was with those fishers and said that he didn’t saw much else. 

“We have passed the place where we were attacked” Azur heard in her mind from Tumul. 

When they were underwater, they used communication through magic 

“We are now on that creature’s Territory” Azur told everyone “If what Aqua found about the Lion of the North Sea is related to this attacker, we are to confirm and withdraw, you got it?!” added in a demanding tone.  

“Got it” four voices sounded in unison on her head while the one that sounded more feminine added a “ma’am”, she could not be bothered by Aquara’s teasing this far in the ocean with a dangerous Sea Creature on the prowl. 

All five of them carried a small basked that had small hooks inside them, those were used to collect some of the algae that grew on seafloor around that zone, they used them for a variety of purposes, one of them was medicinal. 

After about 60minutes of grabbing some fish and Algae on the deep waters far from home, they were running short on air, they could be underwater around 120min without breathing, and while their speed underwater is faster than any other bipedal race, there are creatures whose skill is literally natural.

“Everyone is ok?!” Azur called to her 4 companions fully knowing that it was almost time to get to the surface.  

“I'm good” said Tumul “let them go first” 

“Then well get going, c’mon Brey” Mavlov, older of the two brothers ordered to his younger brother and they started to swim to the surface.

“You're not goin’?” said Tumul, the oldest of the five to Aquara the only female other than Azur. 

“Am still good, you are the one that should be goin’ first, those old lungs of you have taken a beaten over the years” Aquara Teased, as usual, but what was not usual was this situation. 

“Shut it a go Aqua!” yelled Azur to Aquara “There will be more time to play once we are back home” 

“Got it ma’am” Aquara complied, but the only one that heard those words was Azur, Aqua made sure of it, unlike the shout Azur’s shout that was directed to all four of them.

Once Aquara was a fair distance away Azur talked “You sure you are okay?” 

“I am, stop ask-” 

“You know what I mean!” interrupted Azur “I know that that thing took your son, we cannot have you rush head first into whatever the hell is on these waters!” 

“Un-understood, chief” a somewhat annoyed but honest voice responded to that lecturing.

“I still cannot believe that I'm doing this” I a completely different tone Azur said to Tumul.

“Oh... neither of us can, but you’ve done everything to prove it, so even if no one believes it, it’s still true” again in a completely different tone, Tumul responded.

“I cannot say that I didn’t want it... I just wasn’t expecting it to be this soon... but we’ll talk more of this later”

“Right, they have submerged” Tumul said as he stated to swim up together with Azur.

“HEY, old timer, no touching her, she’s mine” Aquara made sure everyone here heard that. 

“Whatever, child” Tumul responded annoyed.

“Quit it Aqua!” Brey yelled to Aquara.

“Fin- THERE, in the Ruins!” Aquara screamed while pointing to where the ‘Ruins’ were.

All of them turned their heads towards the direction and saw nothing.

For a second they thought it was another of Aquara’s  pranks, but they knew that if she continued to make those pranks she would lose all chance with Azur, so they kept their guard up, and Azur and Tumul slowly continued to rise to the surface while having their guard up.

And as they thought, Brey and Mavlov looked to Aquara and she looked confused.

She didn’t know where it went.

Back to back Brey and Mavlov were using every single one of their senses to find the creature. 

“Anything from up there Aqua?!” Brey asked.

“Nothing! But I'm sure I saw it by the ruins, it was green as the fisher told us... yo Azu, Tumul, hurry, we have your back!” completely different from the everyday Aquara, she was now the third best Fisher of the Village of Alexandrite.

“Hm” was heard and the two that were surfacing suddenly sped up around ten times. 

And once on the surface, Azur and Tumul flew a little on the air because of the speed they had until now.

Without warning, a flash from a completely different direction from the Ruin on the seafloor. 

The creature appeared, and was rushed past them, this creature was not stupid.

Aqua had an epiphany and...

“AZU, TUMUL IS GOING FOR YOU” the cries of Aquara were hear even by the fish far on the distance, who swam away.

Mavlov, Brey and Aquara looked up as they started swimming at their top speed towards the creature, they didn’t make it and it attacked Azur and Tumul who were still in the air. 

 

Azur now understood what the other fisher meant by a ‘Feline maw’, two rows of long sharp teeth covered by an eyeless mane was now in front of her wanting to rip her in half. 

Azur was the Chief for many reasons, one of them, was that she was the strongest warrior on the entire village.

She had her harpoon in front of her, it blocked the bite of the monster as she was dragged by the strength and weight of the creature that caught her on disadvantage, but not off guard. 

A solid ten meters (33f) in the air, Azur counterattacked, pulling the monster towards her a little, leaving the harpoon and grabbing the one that Tumul threw at the monster or at Azur, whoever catch it first, in a quick succession, the monster, with one of its back legs pushed away the harpoon aimed at it by Azur, she dropped it to not lose balance, with her other arm grabbed the leg of the creature and pulled herself towards it and tried to slice it with her claws, bare minimum damage.

It was the monster’s turn, still in the air, it pulled Azur toward its mouth after it spat out her harpoon, she let it pull her and gave it a punch on the chin(? pushing  each other away for quite a distance.

Time for the ones actually on the water. Aquara was the first to emerge and she did at such speed that she reached Azur in the air and in a very practiced manner shot Azur reaching the water faster than the monster, Brey already had two harpoons one on each hand and gave one to Azur who yanked the other one form his hand.

“RETREAT!” Azur called.

Brey and Mavlov went near the surface waiting for Aquara to fall into the water, Tumul took another one of Brey’s harpoons out of his back and rushed by Azur side.

“Idiot! We must retreat!” Azur screamed to Tumul ”it IS the Lion from the North! Retreat! That's an order!”

“ARGH!” furious, Tumul threw the harpoon at the creature and swam back in retreat with the others, Azur followed shortly after, a few seconds passed and she looked back and watched the monster parry the attack that the mad Tumul threw at it.

She threw another one to gain time, and it did, like three seconds, but they were at least five minutes short swimming at top speed from allied territory.

Brey sped up even more and was in front of the four Krygnym that were his allies and yelled at them “I'm going to gain more time” he stopped about one hundred meters in diagonally below them and threw the two his remaining harpoons at the monster, it managed to land them but they did not stop the creature, then they heard it scream, one of the harpoons had landed and managed to deal some damage, it was Aquara’s.

“Take that you damn leech” Aquara’s voice sounded both excited and scared.

The Pillars of Alexandrite were in sight, between the rocks they had a chance against this powerful foe, an ambush, behind the rocks, for the creature.

The four elites looked back, the monster slow down, both good and bad for them, if it fled, they could not kill it but the retreat was secured. Out of the shadows of the rocks, a dark figure quickly sneaks it way through the seafloor towards the elite, carrying weapons, including the treasure of the village, ‘The Trident of Alexandrite’.

“NO, fall back!” Azur ordered at the shadowy figure and it started swimming back “Fire!” another order.

“But Azu, they’ll hit us!” Aquara said preoccupied, Azur looked back at Aquara with a malevolent gaze that almost made her stop.

“Suppression Fire!” the shadowy and Brey screamed as they reached the safe zone of the ambush.

A couple of harpoons reach the four elites and the monster, none of them with enough power to damage anyone, but the elites gave them a boost and the creature slowed down a bit. 

Just as the four elites were reaching the Safe Zone, around Fifty harpoons flew from the pillars, the monster clearly outnumbered, dodged as many as it could, only three landed a solid blow and at last, the monster fled almost as fast as it pursued them, they knew it was not heavily injured. 

The elites didn’t slow down until they were past the pillars and fell into an open area that flood with other soldiers of the village.

Brey was looking in the direction which they had enter to see where the Lion had fled, Tumul and Mavlov sat by the medic team, and finally, Aquara fell on purpose on top of Azur, more of her usual self, which in fact had managed to brighten up the mood quite a bit. 

Having confirmed that the Lion was no longer around, they all calmly walked towards the shore and to their home ‘The Village of Alexandrite’.

Upon emerging from the shore, Azur was greeted by her younger sister, Suxuq the eldest of the village, Aquara and the shadowy figure, the last one gave her the ‘Trident of Alexandrite’.

“Good, now stay vigilant, if that thing is seen, I want to know immediately” she told to the shadow.

“That we will” said the shadowy figure as it disappeared in a black mist that moved in the gold greenish sands of the Alexandrite Shore.

“Thanks Fitai you’re are alive” Ephiri, the younger sister of Azur clearly happy jumped to hug her older sister.

“Is almost as you’d think I was not going to make it” in a more playful tone she said to Ephiri.

Azur The Young Village Chief, twenty years old, about 1.9m(6.2f) tall, she is not even in her better years (usually 40-50yo the krygnym are at their peak) she had managed many features considered legendary for the people of her village: Finding the Trident of Alexandrite, Smartest of the Krygnym in the village with one exception, strongest warrior of the Village and best Fisher/Hunter. How had she managed all of this is unknown or rather, that’s what everyone, even herself, tries to believe. A Deep Blue Skin with an even Deeper Blue torso, a long tail unusual on females, enormous for a Female while also being really skinny as most females are by nature, she has problems finding a mate since she is so amazing no male on the village can even compete and even unwillingly ‘stealing’ females, like Aquara, that said, if she wasn’t that amazing she does have someone that she considers special to her, aside from her sister and comrades. 

Ephiri The Most Beautiful Female on the Village, fifteen years old, 1.5m(5f) tall, nearing her adulthood with a sky-blue skin and a deep blue-greenish torso, regarded as the most beautiful Krygnym on the village by many males. With a really short tail the only thing that someone could say is wrong about her is that her arms are a little too long, but there’s even some who like that. Helper of the eldest of the Village at the school and the fishing training pool, she is incredibly kind, the best cook in the village. Overall the most female out of all the females in Alexandrite. As far as it’s known she does not have someone that she prefers among all of her suitors and none have managed to impress her beyond a simple chuckle. She is not related directly by blood to Azur. 

Aquara The Spotted, thirty-five years old, 1.8m(5.9f) tall, she has three features that makes her instantly recognizable, The Orange and black dots she has on her blue pink-ish skin, while barely noticeable from a distance they become impossible to ignore up close, Her medium length tail that is on par with her bulky body that many could mistake for a male one and last but definitely not least, her playfulness, teasing most of the females on the village any time she can, specially a certain Village Chief she is truly interested in. While she is skilled in fishing, hunting and fighting and is on the top three of the village on all those, the ones at the very top are either veterans that are still kicking and of course, Azur, while not as physically strong as Aquara, Azur is definitely smarter and faster which is in fact how she fell in love with Azur.