The Girl and the Shark

Eight - Blade

Eight

Blade

I was, for a lack of a better term, royally fucked.

Having humans on my tail would be a hell of a lot easier. At least I can out swim them in the water. I can go places their nets and fancy boats can't.
But when it's my own kind, its a whole 'nother matter.

Maybe I should backtrack a little bit.

Ever since I dragged that human girl away from a feeding frenzy, and denied hungry Bull Sharks a meal... I wasn't exactly popular among others calling these waters home.
I still have fresh cuts and bite marks dotting my skin thanks to the scuffles I need to endure in order to stand my ground. My territory was growing smaller every day, the others could care less if the designated space of a human empathiser was being encroached on. If I ended up in one of those damn fishing nets or hooked on a line, it wouldn't be much of a lose for them.

I had gotten used to this treatment by now. It's been a year after all. Plenty of time for me to come to terms with my new status among my kin.
Despite it all, I didn't regret saving her. How could I?
I didn't love humans more than my own. But it didn't mean I wanted to watch them die, or eat them. Yes, they take so much that we're left hungry, they fill the ocean with trash and filth, but to judge an entire race for the awful actions of a few members is a mistake.
It all accumulated into the shit storm I was now about to face.

My head was it's usual bundle of inane thoughts and babble. My tail swayed lazily through the water, moving me forward at a pace close to a sea snail's.
My arms were reached down towards the sea bed just inches under me, my slow movements throwing up sediment into the clear water surrounding every direction as far as the eye could see.
My fingers brushed through the fine sand, in a half assed quest for small crabs.
I hate crab meat, but desperate times. It was a last resort and I had finally reached it.

At least that's what I thought, until my attention was caught by a slight metallic glint, snagging the corner of my eye.
My eyes landed on a single Mullet fish.

A beautiful, fat, perfect Mullet fish.

Without second thought I made a lunge through the water for the small creature. On a usual day I would have caught the slippery bastard on the first try, though thanks to being distracted by my own musings I must have missed the beat. The fish bolted right through my grasp, like a little flash of silver lightning.
My empty stomach screamed at me not to let it get away. I wasn't about to disobey it.

I just about had the sucker bagged and between my teeth, when a much larger shape came into view without warning. I felt the water churn against my body as I forced myself to stop so suddenly after the underwater sprint before I collided with whatever had appeared to swallow my intended meal.

My glare followed the figure responsible.
It was one of us. A Bull Shark to be specific. My brow creased as a frown steadily tightened my features.
A thin trail of the Mullet's red blood created a faint streak through the blue behind the moving figure.
While I watched this individual glide through the ocean, moving in an arch in order to return and face me, I recognised them all too well. His head was covered with short, ash coloured hair, pale grey eyes locked onto mine once he had me in his sights. My glare only seemed to amuse him.

Why wouldn't it? This particular asshole had at least ten pounds of muscle on me easy, not to mention he was larger, with a sneer that made my gut lurch.
His intimidating stature and build wasn't the reason I couldn't stand Brunn, however.