LEVIATHAN ⏤⏤ the deep

1. Fathoms Below

Kaiala lay stretched across the ocean floor, her massive, dinosaur-like form at rest among the swaying sea fronds. The shifting currents above cast dappled patterns of light across her iridescent scales. A shadow passed overhead, and she felt the familiar disturbance in the water before she saw him.

Eryx, his serpentine body adorned with luminescent markings that pulsed softly in the deep water, descended in a graceful spiral. His wing-like fins undulated as he moved, creating gentle eddies that tickled Kaiala's sensitive skin.

"Eryx, what are you doing here?" Kaiala's voice carried through the water in a series of melodic clicks and vibrations, a smile playing across her ancient features.

The sea dragon hummed in response, the sound resonating through the water as he brushed against her flank in a familiar greeting. His bioluminescent patterns flickered in a rhythmic pattern before he replied, "The leader calls for you." His own clicks carried a note of warmth, despite the formal nature of his message.

Kaiala released a stream of bubbles in a resigned sigh. "What?" she asked, her clicks calm but carrying an undercurrent of wariness.

Eryx's fins rippled with gentle insistence. "Yes, come, come." He flicked his powerful tail, sending a spiral of bubbles dancing through the emerald waters. "Leader Nautilan will be upset if you don't come right away," he clicked, his luminescent patterns pulsing with urgency as he turned and began to swim away.

Kaiala had no choice but to follow. She pushed herself up from the sandy seabed, her massive form displacing clouds of fine sediment as she rose. Together they navigated through the underwater terrain, past forests of swaying kelp and around ancient coral formations, until they reached the imposing entrance of the leader's lair – a vast cave mouth lined with bioluminescent algae that cast an ethereal blue glow across the dark waters.

Nautilan lay stretched out on a bed of seaweed, his ancient body resting heavily against the soft, undulating plants. The luminescent patterns along his sides pulsed faintly in the deep water as Kaiala approached. His massive form, marked by centuries in the ocean depths, nearly filled the entire cave.

"Ah, young Kaiala, how nice of you to come," he rumbled, his voice vibrating through the water like distant thunder.

Kaiala bowed her great head respectfully, letting her body move with the ocean currents. "Leader Nautilan, you called for me. Why?" Her question came as soft clicks through the water.

The old leader swung his enormous tail, a movement that sent small eddies swirling through the cave. He nudged her gently, a gesture as much paternal as authoritative. His bioluminescent patterns flashed with new intensity as he explained: "There are humans at the surface. Go and see what they're doing."

Kaiala felt an unexpected tremor run through her body at the word "humans." She had never seen such creatures up close, only heard stories of their strange vessels and the bubbles they breathed through. Something deep inside her stirred - a peculiar longing she couldn't explain.

Kaiala asked no questions. She simply thrust her tail against the water and swam out of the cave, ascending toward the surface. Up here, sunlight filtered through the water in shifting ribbons of gold. As she broke through into the air above, voices carried across the waves to her ears. She tilted her massive, scaled head downward, and her golden-blue eyes came to rest on a family of four.

Kaiala tilted her head, studying these normal-looking mortals with curiosity. They seemed so small and fragile compared to the sea creatures she knew. Leaning down closer, she let a soft rumble escape her throat. "Hmm," she hummed, the sound vibrating through both air and water.