A Drowning Fish

The saying goes that drowning is a silent killer.

They sunk further, maintaining eye contact. Hyeon didn't notice, but his lungs were getting tight. In the corner of his peripheral vision, other swimming figures were circling them.

Synthetic feelings made him feel like he'd do anything for this stranger.

That small voice returned in his head, *Would you die for me, too?*

The merman presented a tender smile and tugged his catch until their bodies aligned. Cradling Hyeon's face like a lover being careful with their first kiss, he glided closer. Their lips were a few centimeters apart. Before they could taste each other, his grin became broader which revealed human teeth mutating into piranha ones.

The sight drove Hyeon to snap out of his trance.

Similar to a swift fish that successfully found its next meal, the enchanter's face darted at Hyeon's lower neck. When his razor teeth crunched into the skin, a stream of fresh blood seeped around them. The pain caused him to scream out soundlessly with thrashing arms. With remaining strength, Hyeon kicked at the merman's abdomen. The force made his assailant let go, but those pretty brown eyes dilated with bloodlust. It would be any second before he lost consciousness.

The purple hybrid, along with other individuals, dove at him hungrily. They were probably going to tear him apart.

But something else stole their attention near the surface when they paused. Whatever was up there alarmed them, and they scattered in multiple directions.

Hyeon's lungs struggled one last time to breathe. Automatically, he gasped for air but inhaled water instead. It was suffocating as he swallowed the liquid. His body relaxed and the last of his oxygen bubbles floated from his mouth. The last sensation before dying was a yank on his coat...

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...Until water gushed out of his throat when hard pressure pushed on his diaphragm. Someone rolled him to the side so he could throw up.

"Are you stupid?"

Huh?

Coughing, Hyeon weakly tried to sit up. Everything hurt. A hand weighted him back down to the ground.

"You should wait until you recover. Again, are you stupid?"

A drenched person with dark brown, virtually black, ponytailed hair laid next to him in the grass, their arms splayed out. He was panting wearily. Although his savior was shorter than Hyeon, he had an impressive set of 12-point deer antlers that would make Bambi proud and hunters praying to hang on their trophy walls.

Glimpsing at Hyeon's neck, he said, "You'll have to disinfect and wrap your wound. At least your tie is tied correctly this time."

The memory of Haruma low-key shaming his poor dressing skills flashed.

_______________

*A small, male servant with antlers was sweeping the floor, but he didn't chuckle like the others. Sympathetically, he pointed to his own necktie and then did a thumbs-down sign.*

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"I...," he rasped. Since he almost drowned (or did he?), his throat was sore like strep.

"I've seen you before," Hyeon tried saying again.

"Oh, you remember? Name's Shika. I already know who you are. And why the heck did you allow Hyacinth, a SIREN, to get into your head? A good thing I was out here trimming the border trees. You would've been fish chum."

"A siren? It wasn't a mermaid?"

"Eh! Kono hito wa baka desu," he moaned into the crook of his elbow. (*This person's an idiot.*) "Don't you know the difference between them? Mermaids swim around all silly-nilly being pretty. A siren survives by using their voice to find a victim and then play these little mind games. They can sing a wide range of melodies depending on the species like a moth to a flame. Those guppies probably sensed a human soul nearby."

A kelp strand flew through the air, spraying droplets. It smacked into his antlers with a gross splat and became tangled.

He tried picking off the plant which broke apart in slimy pieces. Glaring at the thrower, he yelled, "Shi ne!" (*Go die!*)

Hyeon scooched back on the grass, realizing they were only an arm's length away from the waterline. Seven heads poked out of the water including the purple siren who attracted him there. Two of them looked like him but were green and yellow. The others' species weren't so recognizable. Is the one guy in the back a half-shark? Were there more underneath?

"We were only taking him for a swim in the kiddie pool," Hyacinth said innocently.

"Oh, go clean some barnacles or whatever you do around here," Shika retorted, still peeling at the mucky weed.

Hyacinth fought back with a sneer, "We both know since I'm stationed in the kitchen, I can just tell the chef that a certain cervid isn't hungry."

"And we also both know that you just tried eating the Master's new pet," Shika mocked.

Hyacinth's expression shot daggers and TSKed at the sudden situation he could be in.

After the deer grabbed Hyeon's shoulders to carefully get him on his feet, he gathered a rake that he must've tossed to the side before diving in. "Let's go inside. You're shaking from being wet in the cold—"

"Hey."

Shika rolled his eyes and murmured, "Uzai." (*Annoying.*) "What?"

The siren looked apologetic. He went under for a moment before emerging where the water met land. Hyacinth remorsefully addressed to Hyeon, "I'm sorry for being rude. It's just been a long time since we played with a little mortal. And Shika, I hope you won't tattle to Haruma or Master. Truce?"

He extended out a hand to Shika to clear up any misunderstandings, but his face was clouded with loathing.

"Liar."

"No, genuinely. I don't want to get sent to the basement again. I am actually sorry," still waiting.

The antlered demon tilted his head back and groaned in defeat to the sky. Stepping forward to receive the reconciliation, he hesitantly grabbed the lethal mermaid's gesture.

Instead of keeping his promise, Hyacinth started to wrench him into the water. Anticipating this, the quick deer speedily withdrew his arm.

Shika shouted, "Buncha bottom feeders!"

Like a movie stunt, he bent a knee and stuck the other leg straight out to the side. Leaning forward with a straight spine, he swung the rake pole overhead with a rotated front hand. It struck the crafty siren in the face, the impact making him blackout with a bloody nose. The aquatic demons hissed and disappeared, lugging along their beaten comrade into the abyss.

Hyeon was stunned at what he witnessed.

Was that an overhead front strike?

"I-they-uh-you...That was amazing! You can do bojutsu, too?!"

Wiping the dirtied stick in the grass, Shika responded, "Too? You make it sound like you know it."

"Bo-staff used to be my hobby."

"Is it not anymore?"

He wasn't sure how to answer. There was a reason why he quit and wasn't ready to explain.

Shika leaned on the rake with inquisitive eyes. "There's a rumor that you don't understand how to activate your abilities. If that's true, that means you're defenseless. You should think about practicing again while you're here. It could save your life. I practice a few times a week after my shift in the garden where you work. If you like, we can spar together."

"I...I'll think about it."

"Well, I'll be there the day after tomorrow. Before those minnows come back with an army, you should go to the medical center now."

In the commotion, he forgot about the good-sized bite on his neck. The small teeth marks were deep. Hyacinth would have torn out a large piece of muscle if Hyeon hadn't kicked the siren at the last minute. Since blood saturated his collar, it must've looked gruesome.

"That's probably a good idea. Thanks for risking yourself for me."

Shika waved away the gratitude, "Yeah, yeah. Don't be so dense around these spirits. It will get you killed quickly. And—oi, are you okay?"

Hyeon's insignia burned with the same magnitude as the other day when he dropped the dishes. It was the calm before the storm as the wave's intensity increased with lightning zaps.

*No no no no no. Not now!*

His new friend sniffed the air in confusion. "What-what is that smell?"

Hyeon's hips quivered and crotch throbbed as he went into heat again. Fenrir was calling for him.

"Is that coming from you?"

He nodded and held up his wrist mark. Shika seemed to fathom what was happening.

"That's...not good. Even around an herbivore like me. For myself, it feels like a knife slicing through."

It was true; the deer was trying his best not to show his response to the female pheromones. "Totemo abunai. Totemo abunai." (*Very dangerous. Very dangerous.*)

The inner inferno was getting worse. Hyeon's legs were about to give out. How much more could his body take today? A hand grasped his and hauled him along quickly to the castle.

Shika deliberated as he towed, "Earlier, you weren't breathing and I had to do CPR. Those insignias we have on our wrists aren't only utilized for summonings, but to find our location as well. The Master can pinpoint where we are at all times. I bet he noticed one of us died, specifically you, which was when your heart stopped."

They didn't get far from the lake before halting. The sudden stop made Hyeon thud into his acquaintance's backside.

Running at top speed in the distance was a huge black wolf. From the looks of it, its height could easily brush against the ceiling of a first-story home.

Master was barreling towards them, breath visible in the frigid temperature trailing behind him.