Leukos wasn’t the best swimmer. He’d been raised in a household where he was never allowed to even step foot near a body of water that was deeper than his waist, for fear that he might drown his pretty little head. It was something his owners would not risk. They’d invested too much time and money into him.
So by the time he was freed, the very idea of actually swimming, of voluntarily becoming submerged in waters Gods only knew how deep, was terrifying. It was out of the question. But over time, watching from the safe sands as the other people of his circus troupe traipsed and splashed about in any oasis they’d stumble across, started to become too lonesome of a burden to bear. So summoning all the courage his little heart could muster, he’d asked one of them to teach him how to swim. Everyone ended up getting in on it, enthused and excited to show him the ropes; after all, how could he call himself a Matorian if he couldn’t even swim? Getting him into the water had been the hardest part, but over time, once he was in, learning the motions was easy. Eventually, he was swimming all on his own, finally able to join in the festivities.
But that subliminal fear around deep water never really went away: it was ingrained too thoroughly and too effectively when he was young.
Leukos wasn’t one to let his fears get the better of him though, so upon coming to Matori, he had insisted on making time to venture into that huge, blue, intimidating ocean. And he was rewarded for his persistence, seeing things under the waves he could never have dreamed of, not in those lakes and ponds back in Oba. There was so much color, so much life. Which was enchanting… as well as terrifying. Who knew what else might be lurking down there, ready to snap up foolish little earthlings and drag them down? But thoughts like those were foolish, something paranoid children would fret over. And he wasn’t a child anymore.
So upon finding himself with some free time, Leukos made his way to the beach, determined to conquer the water. He put his things aside and stripped down, standing at the edge of a deep rock pool, separated from the relentless onslaught of the rough waves by a natural stone barrier, one that would disappear come high tide. But for now, it was the perfect place to explore.
He crouched and turned, lowering himself into the cool blue, pushing off to tread water. So far so good. Taking a deep breath, down he went, kicking to head two feet, four feet, six feet below the waves, lingering a moment with his hair billowing in a cloud around his face. A few small fish flit about, weaving in and out of the foliage that clung to the sides of the rocky formation. All things he could handle.
Popping back up to the surface, he endeavored to head lower, taking another gulp as he dipped back down. He got far enough for his ears to pop, squeezing his nose to equalize that, looking around. It certainly was colder down here. And darker. Amazingly darker, considering he couldn’t have been more than twelve feet deep. He still couldn’t see the bottom, the gloom sitting down there like a great swarthy creature, silently watching him.
Focus. Don’t let your mind linger, nothing is there. He shook his head, swimming closer to the wall, touching the green algae there. Soft. A fish swam though his hair, and he smiled in spite of himself, some bubbles leaking up through his teeth. See, this isn’t so bad. It’s kinda nice. Cool even, being suspended weightless.
But as if drawn like a lodestone, his head turned to draw attention to a crevice in the rocks, a gaping six inch hole filled with inky darkness.
You gotta.
He pushed his way closer to it.
You have to.
His heart began to pound heavily in his chest.
Don’t be a p***y.
He was right in front of it, the maw hanging open threateningly. His hand inched forward, holding onto a tuft of sea grass as he floated in the water.
Nothing is in there.
How long had he been down here? How much air did he still have? It felt like too little, his heart seemed to be sucking it up as it thumped angrily.
Just do it.
His fingers touched the lip of the hole, crawling their way into the gloom.
Do it.
His heart was in his throat now, had stopped beating entirely.
But.
Nothing happened.
Despite his better judgment, he sighed in relief, precious air escaping his nose to float back up to the surface. He felt silly. Getting so worked up over nothing.
Then it was in his face.
Something, somethings, had darted out of the hole suddenly, brushing over his hand, bumping against his face, skimming down his back.
In one scream, all his air escaped in huge bubbles as Leukos thrashed in the water, swatting madly around him, kicking furiously. They had shells? How many were there? One smacked against his foot. Another collided with his chest. That made two. And the third…the third had latched itself onto his cheek. Slimy. So many little tentacles touching him. Or were those tongues? Were they tasting him? Was it going to bore into his face?
His lungs burning for air, he shot back up to the surface, gasping and sputtering as he clawed across the water, heaving himself back onto the rocks. Once on dry land, he pinched his fingers around whatever was clinging to his face, ripping it off roughly. Twelve tentacles flailed about in the air before retreating into their shell, just a slimy little bud.
Heart pounding, all Leukos could do was stare at the small shell, blinking as he processed it all. This…was it? This is what had scared him?
A snort slipped out. Then another. Soon he was laughing outright, a desperate, embarrassed, relieved laugh pouring out of him, almost hysterical in its intensity. He tossed the animal back into the water to join its frightened brethren, laying back against the rocks as he shuddered, covering his face while laughter rolled out. He’d actually pissed himself. Thank the gods no one else was in the water. That no one else was here period.
What a fearless beast tamer he was turning out to be.
[1,083 words]
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