Hades_Sithis
Legacy Name: Hades_Sithis

He was a creature of the sea, that much was true. Although some pets sneered at him, for being a cat that loved water, he couldn't care less. He lived for the ocean, the salty spray of the sea, and the wildly changing weather that could turn deadly in an instant. Merana was like a goddess to him, and although he had once been a Hydrus Tigrean himself, he had inevitably changed to a Bloodred Tigrean. His life, one of bloodshed, gunpowder, ashes and pain, had stained his coat black, and he was smeared with the blood of enemies he had slain. Although he still retained the abilities of a hydrus pet, like being able to breathe underwater, he resembled in every way a bloodred one, and he liked it that way.

He hadn't always been this way, a brutal captain, leader of a swift fleet of ships, feared by every pirate and naval captain across the globe. He had at one point been an innocent young cub, desperate to see the world and explore. But unlike the other common Tigrean, who avoided water with a passion, he had been drawn to the sea. He would have never known that this unusual tendency would be his downfall.

He was in the latter years of his childhood when he first heard the rumours. A sea witch, residing in the Omen Islands, one that could bless you with the magic of the sea. Many warned against him going. "She'll only curse ya'." An older Xotl rasped at him, eyeing him through the only eye it had left. The other was covered with a ragged leather patch that kept slipping from his face, and although the old scar it hid was puckered and repulsive, Hades was intrigued by it. Rather than responding to the Xotl's comment, he peered inquisitively at the wound, and then met the Xotl's gaze. He grunted in disapproval and pulled the patch back up, hiding the injury once again with a frown. "I should know, young'n. It took me an age and a half to reverse what she did to me. Hydrus pets ain't nothin' but trouble..." He started mumbling under his breath, and took a few steps away from Hades before turning back to him with a wild look in his eyes. "Don't you go gettin' any ideas!" His sour breath washed over Hades' face, reeking of rum and rot. Hades flattened his ears and quickly left the senile creature to ramble by itself.

He would find Merana. When he did, he would become a Hydrus, whatever that meant, and receive the blessing of the sea. Nothing, not even warnings from deranged Xotls, would stop him.

It would be years before he was able to construct a map to the omen islands, secretly piecing it together, away from the prying eyes of the rest of his family. He left in the dead of night, knowing that they would try to stop him if they knew. Rumours of Hydrus pets spread, and very few of them were good. Twisted, and corrupt, they returned to their families different creatures than they had left. He didn't believe it. He couldn't. The blessing of the sea was no curse, it was a boon from a goddess.

Merana wasn't hard to track down. He was very good at staying quiet and inconspicuous, and he could easily listen in to conversations without anyone glancing at the small Tigrean sitting in a corner. People seemed horrified at the idea of Merana being in the Omen Islands, but overjoyed that she was bound there. Hades was furious that such an injustice had been committed against one he believed was practically a diety.

It took him weeks to find a captain to take him to the Omen Islands. The man dropped him off at the edge of the thick jungle, on a deserted shore once used for trading, and he was on his own from there. Tangled brush surrounded him, and quiet chirping and birdsong trilled from the thick trees ahead. He knew of the perils that lay in wait, but he didn't care. All that mattered was Merana.

For days he traveled, cutting through the brush, slashing away at the thick, pulpy leaves that blocked his path. His claws were almost always full of mud, and at night he climbed high into the jungle trees, resting cautiously near wild serpenth and exotic spiders. It was when he woke from one of these many naps that he met Romanova. She was hanging on a thread of spider silk, an inch from his face, her small dark eyes watching him. Unsure of what to do when you encounter a spider watching you sleep, he cocked his head and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Um. Hello." He couldn't think of much else to say, and the spider just blinked slowly at him, as if thinking.

His gaze travelled over the beautiful red markings on her black abdomen. He had never seen a spider quite like her, at least to his knowledge. He didn't know much about spiders or other insects. In fact, he hardly knew about most pets other than Tigrean. It wasn't like he was stupid, he just didn't care about much other than the ocean.

He shook his head, realizing that he had been drifting off again. It was extremely early in the morning, and he wondered offhandedly if this was just a dream.

As he glanced at the spider, he noticed it had crept further down on its strand, and was just touching down on the branch with its spindly legs. He gently prodded at it, and it jumped back in shock, rocking back and forth in a threatening display. He lazily got to his feet and stretched, before arching his back and rocking, mimicking the spider. The spider almost immediately stopped and looked puzzled. "Can you speak?" Hades asked, dropping onto his haunches and beginning to groom his paw. The spider blinked very slowly at him, and then finally responded. "I hope you realize, I'm considered the most venomous spider in the world." She blinked at him, and then watched his face to gauge his reaction. Hades paused to nibble on the pad of his paw before resuming his grooming. "Oh." He grunted, and then nodded. "That's interesting." He rubbed his paw over his ears, ignoring the spider. She finally gave up on threatening him and then walked cautiously closer to him. "I don't see why you haven't left yet. I could kill you. I'm deadly. Fierce. Practically a ninja." Her beady eyes were shining, and she was preparing to creep closer when she slipped on the dew-laden branch and had to scramble to get to her feet before she fell to the floor of the jungle.

Hades yawned, and then tensed his muscles to spring down to a lower branch. He needed to get moving, every second wasted was a second longer until he could see Merana.

"Wait!" She hissed, and then ducked her head. "I need help. I... may have threatened a very large, and very angry velosotor..." She was mumbling, and refusing to meet his gaze. "He said that if he ever saw me again, he'd crush me and then leave my corpse for the festers! I hate festers...and I'm terrified of being crushed. I can't even hunt, all of the large insects reside near the ground and he's always prowling around in the brush. I need to get out of here." Her eyes were pleading, and Hades growled under his breath. Normally he wouldn't care, but something about this spider intrigued him. "Fine. But don't get in my way." The spider bobbed up and down, and then quickly crawled up onto his head. "I won't." She promised solemnly, and he could feel her tiny legs as she crawled excitedly around in his fur and then settled down between his ears. "Where are we going?" Hades grinned, and then began to climb down to the floor of the jungle. "The sea."

It wasn't long before the distant sound of waves had become the crashing of breakers on rocks before his paws. A natural pool was created where some rocks partially shielded a dip in the sand, and that was where he found her.

Merana was lounging in the water, her eyes half-closed as she relaxed under the heat of the sun. As Hades approached, she smiled, and without turning, murmured, "Come closer, poppet." He obliged, his entire body quivering with tense excitement. The blessing of the sea. It was more than he could have ever hoped for. Her voice was a hissing whisper, and it sent shivers down his spine. Romanova was crouching on his head, silent and still. Merana beckoned him over further, and he stepped closer, hardly realizing that he was knee-deep in the sea. The pool was much deeper than he'd originally thought. Merana stared at him curiously, and then let out a wispy sigh. "Normally, I ask for payment for my blessings." Hades tensed, suddenly aware that he had nothing to offer her. The warm water was soaking his fur, and it was beginning to feel like a very heavy burden. He felt almost trapped by the weight of it. "But..." Her gaze traveled over him, and then she nodded. Her nails brushed through his fur, causing him to shudder with a mix of fear and excitement. "You are exactly what I need. Your payment will be your loyalty to me, and you will spread tales of my beauty and power to everyone. All shall know and fear my name, and you will help. Do you accept?" Her words were smooth and silky, and they wove beautiful images into his mind. Without hesitation, he nodded. Merana laughed, and it was a cold, beautiful sound. "Of course you do. Unless you want your little spider to be... blessed... then I'd advise you leave it on shore."

Romanova wouldn't move from his head. "We're in this together." She whispered, although her voice was quavering. Merana nodded, and her smile grew cold, her grin revealing sharp teeth beneath her full lips.

All at once, the sea came to life, sucking him deeper into the water. He panicked for a moment as saltwater filled his mouth and lungs, burning his throat. Romanova was torn from his head from the ferocity of the water. Shadowy creatures, made of seaweed and barnacles surrounded them, and he let out a silent roar of pain as his body contorted and twisted beneath the waves. He writhed and screamed, bubbles flowing from his open jaws. But almost as soon as it had started, it was over. The torpedo of bubbles vanished, the waves fell still, and he was gently deposited onto the sand by a wave. He lay panting, Romanova dripping and motionless beside him. He was afraid to see what he looked like. He thought the blessing of the sea would be strength, or speed, or the powers of water. But something altogether different had happened.

When he finally glanced at Romanova, she had begin to twitch and cough out water. He followed suit, his lungs finally spasming and causing him to retch salt water all over the sand. Shaking, his muscles weak, he turned to Romanova. She had tiny fins on her legs, and what looked like gills on her face. His expression of shock mirrored hers as she looked at him. "Hydrus." He murmured, and she nodded. To her surprise, he grinned, and his tail lifted up, twitching from side to side happily. His head felt heavier, he pawed at it and felt sharp horns poking from his skull. Merana truly had given him the gift of the sea, and upon seeing his delighted grin, even Romanova smiled. He stretched, and allowed her to crawl onto his shoulder, then onto his head, resting between his horns. "Now it's our turn." He purred, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. The world would know of Merana, and the blessing she bestowed, if it was the last thing he did.

Originally coded by: dreamsky
Edited & story written by: User not found: gwenfoxe