The Hunter's Pursuit

36. Not Alone

(Same artwork, yes. I just loved it with both the regular and blue lightings, so I decided to add both to the story.)

•~ ❘ ✠ ❘ ~•

    "Ryujin had a mate," Viviane realized.

    The words seemed to echo back across the cave even louder. She moved away from the creature's speared neck and examined the rest of its body. Most of it was in the same condition as its neck and skull, completely devoid of flesh and scales, but she did spy rotting flesh clinging to a few areas. There was tattered skin floating beneath its arms and still stuck in the crevices where the beast had curled up on itself to rest.

    Viviane drew several deep breaths, attempting to calm her rattled nerves. Though she managed to slow her heartbeat, she couldn't quell the shudders that wracked her body. She swam back towards the creature's head and faced it.

    Her hand trembled as she pressed her palm against the worn bone that had been the bridge of the beast's snout. The very tip of it was oddly indented. Viviane's hand followed the faint curve. The wearing of the bone had been gentle, as it was smooth to the touch.

    The pressure of a heavy weight caused this, Viviane guessed.

    She looked around, but there were no fallen rocks nearby that might've rolled off the creature's snout. Another thought rose and something within her twinged in sympathy. Perhaps the erosion had been caused by the frequent pressure of Ryujin's own snout resting atop its mate's. Even land dwelling beasts mourned the passing of their mates. Many sea dwelling creatures did the same.

    "And for those like you," Viviane surmised aloud, "the last of your kind, you were probably mated for life. Ryujin must be mourning you and protecting your eggs."

    She rounded on the objects, her brows knit as she recalled some of the lessons she'd learned when training to defend her people. While the Mer knew very little about Ryujin, they had made a few important observations that could serve her now.

    "Only the female cares for the eggs before they hatch," she recited. "And it can take years for creatures of their size to age and develop outside of their eggs, which means it could take just as long inside them. The last time Ryujin was sighted before now was when the Silver Oriole sank. Before that, there had only been glimpses of it, no attacks."

    Viviane swam around the nest, keeping one eye fixed on the cave entrance. She would have to leave soon. It wouldn't be long before Ryujin returned, and the pressure surrounding her was growing increasingly uncomfortable. But first, she had to try to determine one last thing.

    These eggs must've been laid shortly before or after it attacked the Silver Oriole. And since a male wouldn't be the one caring for them right now, that means our Ryujin must be the female. Viviane glanced back at the body of the male creature. So when did you die? She wondered. Judging by the body's level of decay, it hadn't been recently.

    Viviane pushed the question aside with a sigh. That was something she could figure out later. Right now, she had to return to the surface. Jacob might be awake and she didn't want him leaving without her. Viviane swam out of the cave quickly and didn't bother looking around for Ryujin.

    She could feel a faint stirring in the sea which meant it...no, she...was drawing near. Viviane had to put as much distance between herself and the cave as possible before Ryujin reached it. The strain in her temples worsened when she drew magic about herself one more time. Water funneled around her tail and urged her towards the surface.