Their time would come. There could be no doubt about it. For it had been written in the stone archway of the caverns long ago, during the time when the Beast first awakened. “Once in ten must yield a price. Lest ye bear a greater sacrifice.” No truer sense of the term could ever be deciphered. Its meaning plain and simplistic to all those whom encountered the runes. And so, the village had set to task one family with gathering the necessary requirement. A blood pact passed down through the generations, placing duty above all else. Deino and her sister, Enyo, were to be next in line. Both understood the honor and necessity of the task. Both long since accepted that theirs was a grim yet important future. They were tide-born, after all, and soon to be Speakers of the Abyss. As such, Deino came to understand that a certain finesse would be prudent when attaining each chosen one. They could never know who she and her sister were, never realize that their future would be snuffed out soon enough. Above all, they could never come to recognize the true purpose of the cave. If this were to happen, and word spread, then finding a proper sacrifice worthy of the Beast would become far more difficult; however, as with all things, rumors and stories appear and spread, reaching even unto the deepest parts of the ocean. Deino had seen the consequences of these rumors. Young foals and foolish curiosity seekers idling by the maw of the cave, staring into its blackened depths as if searching for affirmation on the sincerity of the tales.
Despite not yet being handed the mantle of Speaker of the Abyss, Deino took it upon herself to govern the area near the caverns. She and her bonded, Thanatos, patrolled the waters daily to prevent the curious from disturbing the Beast by venturing too far. The current down seemed no different than others. The bonded duo had already shooed away four idiotic young foals, and the water hadn’t even lightened yet. So it was that another seemed to be feeling himself the fool now.
“He wanders ever closer.” Thanatos spoke softly from his seclusion amidst the seaweed. His keen eyes peering intently at the intruding Seathi.
“Then he is even more foolish than the children.” Deino harrumphed. She swung her tail grumpily back and forth, feeling the annoyance start to weigh on her.
“I may be struck by the Beast for this but…sometimes I must wonder why we are required to seek out chosen ones. With the way these fools flock to the caverns, it would be much simpler to allow them enter at their own peril and be done with it.” The Koi’s whiskers flittered in the current as he sat silent in contemplation. After a pause, he said,
“I suppose it is better to select a pure chosen one than to let a mere folly transpire. The Beast does quite enjoy the consumption of purity.” Now it was the Seathi mare whom drew quiet.
“You do make a valid point,” came the hefty sigh in response.
“In that case, we shall continue with our duty. The fool appears determined to glimpse the Beast, and it is still a year before the next offering is to be given. Come, let us speak with him.” Deino swam backwards to keep the blue Seathi from witnessing their hiding place, exiting through the rearmost portion of the kelp then following along the edges. It was only when she could see the stallion’s rear that she came forward from the plant life.
“And what is it that you think you’re doing?” Her voice boomed over the small clearing in which the stone cave resided. Though it would not penetrate deep enough to awaken the Beast. Thanatos hovered to the left of his bonded, keeping his attention on the surroundings lest any other danger should surface.
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