Day 5 Stonefish
"You really are much too kind. Namu."
"I don't mind helping you. Especially after you saved my life from that weird seaweed for brains."
You gently touched the wet skin, holding his hand gently while the other was tightly wrapping around homemade bandages you had made by ripping the large blanket you had brought to the beach with you into strips and then proceeded to tie it around the large forearm of the man currently splayed out on his stomach in front of you.
Well could you really call him a man? You guessed so. Although MERMAN was probably more appropriate for him. White orbs just casually blankly stared at where you were wrapping up his arm with the bandages, laid on his stomach halfway on the beach while the other half of his was submerged within the waters. Quietly he laid there allowing you to help him.
After all it was the least you could do after he rescued you.
The day had been like any other day for you after all. The day was beautiful with the sun shining down on the small house where you lived which was just a twenty minute walk to the beach and back. The perfect day for you to go gather seaweed and then sell it to food vendors whom used it for their sushi and onigiri dishes. It wasn't a lot of money but it was something you earnt yourself and you were proud of it. There was supposed to be a lot of seaweed growing this time of year so you had planned on gathering a lot that day. So taking your largest blanket to wrap it all up in you made your way down the short path through the woods and came out the other side to the serene sights of the beach.
It was a beautiful day for a swim. The sand was warm and squishy under your feet. The ocean was beautiful as it sparkled in the sun, and you saw a few crabs and seagulls scuttling along the beach between the dunes and shells. ..Hmm. Maybe you'd bring some shells back to if you liked them enough. For that moment however you had just busied yourself with whipping out your blanket and casually placing it down on the sand. Smoothing it out and smiling before going to turn back to the ocean-
"Good morning!"
Jumping at the sudden voice, you whirled around only to find no one on the beach
"Over here by the rocks." Your head turned and instant made eye contact with someone. A man with long brown hair was in the water but his body was obscured mostly by rocks. He smiled widely at you in a strange way. "Nice day isn't it?"
You stared at him in shock not expecting someone else to be here but eventually slowly smiled. "Um. Hello. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here today."
"Neither was I! But here we both are! Enjoying the beach?" He eyed her blanket casually.
"I'm here to gather edible seaweed," you explained, "I heard there was a lot this season. Why are you here?"
"Me?" He raised a hand from the water to wave you off. "It's a good day and the beach was private so I thought I'd just come for a swim."
"Oh. If my presence here bothers you I can come back tomorrow."
"No. No. I was about to leave myself after I rest up a little bit." He turned and swam a little bit towards the beach but his body was still mostly obscured by the rocks. "Have a good day."
That was strange and you had an off feeling about him so you decided to pick up your blanket and move farther down the beach to another spot you knew seaweed grew off the shore. Once he was out of eyesight you waited a few minutes before heaving a sigh of relief when no one followed you. Resetting your blanket, and tying your dress tightly around you, you gently waded into the warm saltwater until you were waist deep. Then taking a deep breath in you dove under. The instant you were under a whole new world was awakened to you.
Colors of all kinds both from coral and fish swimming away from your form as you floated in place looking around until you smiled seeing what you were looking for. Long green plants waving in the water as it shifted with waves above. Ah. There was your target. It was nothing to swim on over to the seaweed and wrap you hands around them. With a couple tugs it was loose and you were able to climb back onto the beach to lay your catch onto the blanket. You had done this so many other times before that you hadn't even suspected the incoming figures in the water. One small one and one big one following the smaller one. Eyes wyd your form hungrily as you stepped back into the water making your way towards the seaweed.
Only you weren't expecting the sudden grasp on your ankle-
The feeling of a hand wrapped up around your ankle caught you off guard but before you could scream for help, you were yanked under. Water quickly enveloped your eyesight followed by a cascade of bubbles from your scream when you came face to face with the man's face from before. The bubbles in his face caught him off guard because the pressure on your ankle was released. Kicking wildly, you kicked and fought your way out of the way. Coughing up water and spitting it out gasping for air as you clawed your way through to the beach. Unfortunately it wasn't long before you were again caught. Something hit your back sending your body sprawling into the wet sand and water. Something was holding you down by the back. When you looked up you stared in horror at a mouthful of large fangs and fins as he glared at you.
"Finally. I was waiting for prey to come along forever." His head leaned closer making you whimper at the feeling of sharp claws digging through your shirt. "You're kinda small for a female..But you'll do."
A scream left your throat. You clawed thrashing and pushing at the monster on your back as hard as you could to no avail. A laugh escaped him as another scream escaped you. His hand raised to your face but before he could do anything a loud yell escaped his throat. Something much stronger yanked him back and away from you as you blinked from the sudden release of pressure. He cried out feral noises as he was dragged back desperately digging his claws into the wet sand before with a loud splash something pulled him back into the water in one go.
Instinctively your arms came up to shield your face from the sudden spray of water and stared in shocked bewildered at what you saw. Something was moving underneath the water. Something BIG. Ripples and waves were being made like something was just under the surface but didn't come up enough to break the waters' surface. The water in one area violently churned about until something broke. A giant spray of water was forced up-
"AAAAAAHHHH-!!"
You watched head turning to watch the man who you realized now had a fish tail went cascading through the air head over heels-...uh. Tails and then the screams were cut short by another giant splash as he disappeared, landing back into the ocean far away from the shoreline. Stunned by the sudden events you stared at where the creature landed for a few seconds before some rumbling from the water caused you to help and quickly scramble back up the beach back towards the safety of your blanket.
Something BIG was heading towards you
Something REALLY big.
You stood what you assumed was a safe distance away from the water as you watched in fear and shock as two arms reached out of the water and with it came out a massive form of a man followed by the rough looking grey-green makings of a massive tail. You stared stunned by the man as he stared back with pearl white orbs in your direction. Silence was had between you both before he spoke.
"Are you alright, Ma'am?"
You flinched at the voice. "I- ...W-What?"
"Are you hurt?," the creature repeated lifting a webbed hand to pointed to you. "That beast seemed hellbent on dragging you down with him."
You blinked. "Oh. I-Im alright. Thank you. ...But who are you?"
"Gyomei. This beach happens to be my territory and he was trespassing. However it seems like I had come by just in time. I don't know what he would've done if I hadn't stopped him. Most likely dragged you off to his home."
A shiver shot down your spine at the very thought. "Oh. I see...Well thank you for helping me. I don't think he'll be back soon...Wait. Your territory?"
He nodded. "That's right. I've owned this beach for many years. I've also heard you many times."
You stared. "Wait. You knew about me coming here?" He nodded. "Then why haven't you tried chasing me out either?"
"You are an unarmed human woman who only occasionally takes seaweed and seashells." He smiled amused by the question raising a brow. "You're as harmless as a newborn guppy."
Should you feel offended or reassured by that statement? Either way at least you were ok- You froze up when you saw it. The wound on his arm. You'd seen shark bites left behind on their prey washed up onto the beach or in the occasional boat, so you knew what one looked like but you've never seen one in someone's arm before. There it was. A shark like bite in his arm where blood slowly trickled down from the wound.
"You're hurt!"
He hummed before turning his head to the left and lifting his arm. "Oh yes. He managed to get in one good bite before his departure. It is nothing to worry over. I have suffered worse than this in bigger fights."
"It still should be looked at! Blood can attract sharks and other predators." Your eyes caught the blanket. "Here." He listened quietly as he heard wet footsteps on the sand before the curious sounds of fabric rustling and then ripping. "Hold still and hold up your arm. I'm going to bandage it up for you."
That's what lead you to now. You had finished bandaging his forearm and watched as he flexed his arm to feel your handiwork on him. It wasn't the best but it should at least stop the bleeding.
"You're set to go now."
"Thank you. This will suffice until I heal, but you're out of a blanket."
"It's fine. I have more at home. But I don't know if I can get some more seaweed if this place is yours "
"I did say you were harmless. You have my permission to continue gathering it as long as you don't over harvest the resources."
"I would never." You smiled. "Thank you."