A Change in Tides for Stella!
Title: A Change in the Tides
Recipient: Stella
Rating: PG
Summary: A fisherman's son runs rescues an unlikely stranger from a lake.
Notes: I've never worked with these characters before but it was a lot of fun. After a while they just took over the story and wouldn't stop, haha~ Hope you like it!
Saeki had been warned about sirens before and mermaids and many kinds of sea creatures. It was why he was more comfortable swimming in lakes and rivers, any bodies of inland water really, instead of the perils of the open sea. His father was a fisherman and had told him many stories. Tales about his personal encounters along with a few of his ill-fated crew and the dangerous faery kind . So when he had dove into the lake to help who he assumed to be a drowning person, he was shocked to find it was no person at all.
As he waded back to shore with the stranger and brought them onto the bank he took little notice of the fact they lacked the legs of a human. No, Saeki’s concern was the fact this person wasn’t breathing and he concentrated only on reviving them. There was no way he was going to lose a life to the waters if he was around.
Moving in ready to resuscitate the drowning victim Saeki dutifully went through all the motions. Only as he went to check for breathing and a pulse it was very apparent that they were just fine. He soon found himself the one being brought mouth to mouth suddenly. Saeki couldn’t very well pull away from the action no matter how strange of a spontaneous kiss it was. This was still a near drowning victim and if he tried to push back he might injure them or aggravate the situation.
He had noticed something amiss when he first was checking their breath though. It was strange and hotter than he imagined. Perhaps that was just because of the lake water being cold but it had almost set him at ease which was strange. At the moment, however, he was questioning why he was so easily allowing this kiss to continue. His eyes sprung open and he finally pulled away. The blond was the one catching his breath now. Once Saeki was free he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled to them. Despite the weird reaction at least they were alive and okay.
“Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” he reassured them. Getting a better look at the person he had rescued. He found their features to be quite striking and rather beautiful. Raven black hair that almost glistened with droplets of water, pale elegant skin, and deep mahogany eyes. Those eyes caught Saeki’s staring back and he immediately stood up to give them room. “Sorry I didn’t mean to stare I just--…” And that was when he finally got a complete look at the supposed drowning victim.
It was no person and it began to dawn on Saeki that the real victim here was most likely himself. This was no human, despite the facial features; it was a creature of the waters. In the place of human legs was a large scaly fish tail that struck the water nearby three times idly as if wishing to return. However the creature he was staring at now was no breathtaking maiden or seductive temptress of the oceans as one might have expected. This was a lake after all and he had known of any sort of fae would live in its murky waters. Attached to the body of the aquatic tail was not a woman but clearly the body of a man.
“Who… or what are you?” he questioned, staring wide eyed and awestruck at him. Despite all the stories he grew up hearing Saeki had never encountered any water creatures firsthand. He felt a bit on guard and covered his mouth realizing they had kissed. He wiped at them until the taste of the lake water was gone.
The imposter looked to him a bit disappointed, “I didn’t think it was that bad.” He pushed himself into an upright sitting position so he could keep better eye contact with the human. “Ryou and I’m a kelpie.” the creature still complied with answering Saeki’s questions.
That felt almost too easy though and Saeki was taken aback. Weren’t things that were out to kill humans supposed to be a bit more… brutish? “I’m not familiar with kelpies. All the fae of the inlands have gone underground, haven’t they?”
Ryou, the so called kelpie, nodded and brushed a hand through his silken hair. “That they did, many many years ago now. But before they left they taught me many useful things. How to talk, to take the shape of you humans, to be as still as night, and even to move swift enough I could catch lightning. Not that any of you seem to remember.” he sighed, once again filled with a little bit of disappointment.
“Are you a fish then? Or a descendent of the mermaids? I’ve never heard of a male mermaid before…. Merman?” Saeki tried to reason. He wasn’t sure why he felt calm enough to have a conversation with a creature that was surely out to kill him but something about him being able to speak disarmed him. Despite all his claims of great magical powers Saeki felt a bit skeptical about him as well, he hardly seemed that threatening so perhaps that was what set him at ease.
“This? Goodness no, I can’t stand those noisy girls. They’re always chattering about sailors.” Ryou shook his head. “I can hear them under the water sometimes especially during storms. Their nonsense carries over here, things like trying to outmatch one another in men or beauty.” Not that any of them had anything on him. Though he couldn’t convey that back to them he was proud just recognizing it himself. “I just thought this form would be useful to try out. But it seems I underestimated the amount of effort it takes to kick a tail than legs.”
Saeki really wasn’t sure how to take his casual conversation. “Isn’t that dangerous..? You really shouldn’t do something like that again.” He really wasn’t sure that any magic creatures had to worry about drowning but it had seemed real enough to him. “Anyway, if you’re fine now then… I’ll just let you go back to doing whatever it is a kelpie does.” the human said, taking a few steps backward. Even with this eerily calm atmosphere, Saeki wasn’t about to ignore the warnings from his father and countless others familiar with water creatures. As odd as this kelpie was he probably was dangerous too and it was best to be on his way.
“Hey wait, don’t go!” Ryou called out and tried to grab the human’s clothes to stop him. He missed of course and soon enough it became clear that dragging his fish bottom half was not going to cut it in keeping up. Saeki had turned his back to him and started to walk away at far too fast a pace for the immobile kelpie could hope to catch. The fae pushed off the ground and soon his unwieldy mock mermaid tail was changed into two much more useful human legs. It took him a moment to get used to them again but soon he was jogging after the blond and caught up.
Despite himself, Saeki glanced back and now there was a normal looking man standing there. Well almost normal looking. He had the form of a human that was for sure but those strangely attractive facial features of his remained. That and his rather odd and regal clothing. Was he trying to pretend he was a prince or something now?
“What is it?” He couldn’t completely brush off the creature even if he had wanted to. It wasn’t in his nature even though his father was cautious, Saeki preferred to trust in people. Right now this Ryou was certainly a full person regardless of how strange it was to accept.
“You’re not going to leave already are you?” the kelpie questioned, a tinge of sadness in his voice. His eyes reflected a pleading look as well.
It caught Saeki off guard. “I only went into the lake to save you. I was just passing through and if your kind is what inhabits here it’s best I go on my way.” He declined the other with a polite nod and prepared to head back the way he came. The fisherman’s son had just ended up there by chance on his way to a nearby town.
“There are no others. It’s just me here. Actually I think it’s just me everywhere now.” Ryou corrected him, glancing out to the lake and then back to the human. “You’re the first human to come here in a long time. And I already told you the fairies have not returned, they’re underground in their own world still just like you said.”
That was a curious thing to hear. Usually what few magical creatures were still around all stayed together according the stories. Any caught alone were easy to dispose of and there were plenty of people out there who enjoyed such sport. “Why don’t you leave then? Find a lake where there are fae kind around. Or go to the sea if you can transform yourself.” That seemed like the most logical thing to do given the circumstances.
“I can’t leave the lake. Not on my own anyway. That requires someone to possess my bridle.” Ryou explained to him simply. Even if he could take human form he was still stuck by laws of magic. “This was the place I was born but if a human were to take my silver bridle I’d be able to leave.”
“Bridle? Like for horses?” Saeki questioned as he was suddenly hung up on the word. He wondered if it had something to do with whatever a kelpie really was. “How would that change things if someone took it?”
“I’d lose my magic then. Well, most of it anyway.” Ryou said after a moment of consideration and teasing another finger through his hair to straighten it. “It’s never happened to me before so I couldn’t say but that’s what I’ve heard.” Magic seemed to be a mystery to even those who could use it.
“Well unless you’re hiding it in those strange clothes… I don’t see where you’re keeping that silver bridle of yours.” the blond commented, tilting his head at the kelpie unconvinced of his magic. Sure he had changed forms in a way and that was impressive but now he just seemed like a normal person to Saeki the more they talked.
“Kusukusu.” It was the strangest kind of chuckling Saeki had ever heard. “Silly human, of course it would be hidden in this form. You haven’t even seen my true one.” The kelpie continued to laugh, placing his hands on his hips, his nose upturned boastfully.
The human crossed his arms, shaking his head a bit and not buying into the act. He wasn’t about to insult the faery man either way but that didn’t change his view. “If you say so but if you’re so strong and intimidating then how come you haven’t just killed me already?” Saeki didn’t mean to be rude but he was wondering why Ryou continued to converse with him if that was his desire in the first place. All fae kind were just out to have a human snack after all.
Ryou’s stance shifted along with his whole demeanor suddenly. The air around their conversation didn’t seem so light and casual all of a sudden. The kelpie’s eyes flashed with a strange emotion that Saeki couldn’t quite decipher. However there was something that Saeki felt he could sense, or rather he sensed a lack of it. There was no real intent of murder surrounding this fae. Could it be that this creature wasn’t out to kill him at all?
After a few moments of strange silence, Ryou finally spoke up again. “I can’t…” the kelpie murmured a bit shyly all of a sudden, pulling at his hair in front of his mouth as if to hide.
“Huh?” Had Saeki heard that whisper right?
“I can’t kill humans… I never could.” It was a surprising reveal from the fae despite his boasts of magical powers earlier. “None ever settled here for long.” his gaze seemed to turn somber when he said it. He soon recovered though, eyes shifting as if to hide that slip of emotion, “And honestly I can’t imagine they’d taste good.”
Saeki couldn’t help but frown a little, seeing past the overbearing front. “You’re lonely.” Now that he thought about it it made plenty of sense. Ryou was the only kelpie, possibly the only one left in existence. Here he was stuck in this big lake that no one visited. It was easy to guess that it was probably in part thanks to the fact a terrible fae like a kelpie, as Ryou seemed to boast, lived there. Humans were quick to stay away from places like that to avoid monsters after all.
Ryou looked to Saeki in surprise, not at all expecting a human to understand how he felt. Instead of voicing that feeling he wanted to show it instead. He took a few steps back until his feet were in the water again and then reached for a silver necklace that had been hidden in the collar of his shirt. A strange gust suddenly blew through the space between them. Saeki shielded his eyes from the sand and spray of water that was whipped up by the wind. When he finally looked up there was no longer a human standing there but he could tell that it was still Ryou.
What stood before the human now was a large ebony colored horse. As he tossed his head it was as if pearls of water were falling about him against his jet mane. Steam rose from his lustrous skin and out from his great nostrils almost as if on fire. There was a strength and an extraordinary kind of magical feeling that surrounded him. This was what it was like to stand in the presence of a kelpie, the terrible water horse.
As fierce and intimidating a form that Ryou now stood before Saeki in, there was something still genuine and human in his eyes. The water horse was forlorn and forsaken to be alone despite his beauty and immense magic powers. Saeki felt bewitched by his gaze, the fear melting away. He recognized that as magic now but it wasn’t just because of that suggestion that he didn’t panic at his appearance. It was because of that pained expression reflecting in his large, glimmering eyes.
“I could convince you to ride me to your death in the waters.” Ryou spoke in his powerful kelpie form, “But I have no desire to. I have never been able to kill a human. I had hoped you would taste better than the fish in the lake but you’d probably just be wet and salty too.” He let out a whinny of frustration, front legs bucking up into the air a moment. Part of it was intimidation but the rest of it was just that pent up anguish. If he couldn’t eat the human there was no point in keeping him there. It would always be against his will and while the kelpie contemplated trying it would just lead to the human’s death.
It felt like the spell was broken a moment as the kelpie bucked up. Saeki blinked, recalling his words carefully. “Wait, that’s why you try to kill humans? Because you can’t find anything better to eat?” It was a bit more than a little shocking to the human.
The kelpie snorted, “What other reason would there be? If I needed humans to survive I’d be long dead or starved.” He whipped his head back and forth, letting his hair flow again. “And clearly I have been neither.” Ryou almost preened proudly at his statement.
It was true the faery man seemed plenty full of life and in that equestrian form he looked quite well fed too. “So this is all because you don’t like the taste of fish anymore?” That baffled Saeki simply because he was a fisherman’s son. All the stories of fae he had heard he was always under the impression they only ate human. The kelpie brought up a valid point though, if that were true then it made little sense for any to still survive.
The water horse nodded, his hoof striking at the ground. Now that the human was calm it felt rather strange even for Ryou to continue talking in his true form. He kicked off the ground again and that peculiar magical wind swirled around him. Saeki was forced to shield himself once more and a little relieved to see the kelpie back in the human form.
Able to flick at his long ebony hair again, Ryou looked to the human and gave a small shrug. “If you want to put it in so many words… I suppose yes that’s correct too.” He rolled his head to glance back into the murky lake waters as he stepped out of the waves. “But really the stuff is garbage to eat. I do love the lake and its living things… when they’re not in my mouth. So salty and slimy.” the water horse almost seemed to retch at just the thought. “And all those bones…”
Saeki chuckled a bit seeing the very human emotions on the faery man again. It was comforting in a way and not like that suggestive kind of magic he had about him. Curiously enough he felt like he could get along with this kelpie. “Well yeah I can agree with you there. Plain raw fish doesn’t exactly sound very appetizing. That’s why we don’t eat it that way.”
That got the attention of Ryou and his interest was piqued. “You don’t? Then how do you eat it?” he blinked and immediately moved closer to the human, looking at him searching for the answer as if it were on his face.
“How about I do something better than tell you.” the blond haired human smirked. “Let me show you and then you can try it out for yourself and tell me what you think.” There was no harm in that, surely. If he could teach the kelpie how to properly prepare fish perhaps there would no longer be a need for him to prey on humans. Regardless, even if it wasn’t to save his own skin or that of future human travelers Saeki would have showed the fae. It felt like his duty almost as a fisherman’s son who would gladly live off the sea and waters too.
“Really? You’d do that?” Ryou’s eyes almost seemed to sparkle just like his jet black hair did every time he ran his fingers through it. “I could still kill you you know.” he added a bit cautiously. It wasn’t so much a threat as it was a guilty confession. The water horse didn’t wish to but… well he was very hungry now at the mention of new food. While he hadn’t said it aloud, Saeki had originally been targeted as his prey too.
“Well can’t have that happening. So this is just a precaution…” Saeki told him, looking at him very seriously a moment. “I promise.” he said softly, reaching to place a friendly hand on Ryou’s shoulder.
The kelpie looked to him a bit perplexed but began to relax a bit as well. However just as he did, Saeki’s hand moved suddenly and reached for the silver necklace. As swiftly as he could, the human slipped the necklace off of the faery man.
Immediately a magic wind whirled about and when the shore dust and water settled Ryou had been returned to his true kelpie form. There was a confusion and slight irritation in his gaze. He whinnied and reared up ready to buck at the human but was stopped. The water horse couldn’t bring himself to cause the human harm. Originally he had no intentions to but now Saeki held his bridle and thus control over him. Being in his power also meant that Ryou could no longer speak and so he settled on grunting at him, his breath still hot but lacking the same captivating magic.
“Now calm down.” Saeki said, waving his hands at the mighty beast. “I couldn’t tell you or else you wouldn’t have agreed to it, right?” After all he was saying he was hungry and ready to kill him for a meal suddenly. “So this was my only choice. I’ll give it back after you’re fed.” He had felt guilty for duping the creature but technically it made them even now.
The water horse continued to eye Saeki a bit stubbornly. It wasn’t as if he had anymore choice in the matter though. At the very least he would be promised some sort of meal out of it. With another grunt, the rather prideful kelpie finally nodded his head.
“Good.” the human grinned, approaching to pat Ryou’s head. “Let’s put that magic of yours to work huh?” Saeki winked and then moved to mount the creature.
Ryou was accommodating and crouched down so the human could ride him. It was a strange sensation to have a human on his back. His natural instincts would have normally told him to carry the human down to his watery grave but he felt rather serene instead. If the human hadn’t taken his bridle first surely that instinct would have overwhelmed him. Now there was no need to rush back to the depths of the lake and crash beneath its surface like thunder to strike down his mounted prey.
Instead the two set out to gather supplies from a nearby town. The trip went far faster than Saeki had done on his own two feet traveling to the lake by chance in the first place. Town was quite a distance away and by horse the terrain would be treacherous. There were many things that could frighten them through the woods surrounding the lake and many more obstacles before reaching the main road leading to the town. For the kelpie it was as if nothing could hinder him and they arrived in town with great ease much to Saeki’s surprise.
To the other humans Ryou merely appeared to them as a strange foreign horse. However to the kelpie it was the humans who seemed alien. There were just so many of them around of varying ages and sizes and dressed much differently than his mock human form. He had equally never really seen a human town before. It was a tad mind-boggling and he stomped on the ground anxiously waiting for his human to return.
Saeki returned to the kelpie soon enough, patting him to send some reassurance. Truthfully he had taken a bit of extra time to grab some more supplies than he had actually needed. All that while he had been watching the creature curiously himself. He wondered what Ryou would be saying if he could speak yet at the same time he could just tell from the water horse’s movements.
Packing up his things, he mounted the kelpie once more and bid the town farewell as the two journeyed back to the lake. The trip was fast and safe just as it had been when they had gone into the town. It truly was amazing how powerful the kelpie was compared to any other horse Saeki had ever had the chance to ride.
Ryou took pride in it and was also enjoying the strange and exhilarating freedom. His hooves had never traveled that far away from the lake. As distressed as he had originally felt before he felt he could get used to this kind of new feeling of escape. He was almost ready to gallop farther and longer and to newer lands until they had returned to the lake. Once they had stopped by its waters Ryou felt normal again and as exciting as the day’s trip had been, he was relieved to be home.
When Saeki dismounted the water horse and took his supplies, Ryou settled into the sands to rest. It had been a long day for the magical creature even if he had strength to spare. Saeki settled beside him and took out his camping supplies. He pulled out a large blanket and did his best to tuck in the fae.
“You’ve done a great job. Now go ahead and rest, you’ve certainly earned it. Thank you for the help.” Saeki praised him. He brushed gently through the water horse’s shimmering mane.
Ryou was lulled by each stroke and soon enough he was fast asleep. The kelpie had a peculiar dream about a story he had heard through the songs and whispers of far away fae. Even if they were no longer on the human plane other than those who remained such as terrifying human eating creatures such as himself, if they listened they could still hear the gentler faeries. They sang of beautiful stories when humans and fae lived together harmoniously. This was one story that the kelpie especially loved.
The story went that one day a fierce and terrifying kelpie spotted a gentle and lovely human girl. He wished to take her as his bride instead of carrying her to her death. Changing into a handsome man he tried to woo the human only for his identity to be exposed. The kelpie tried to take the girl away by force than but the human girl was cunning.
The girl was attracted to the kelpie but also feared being taken to the bottom of the lake. Tricking the kelpie into falling asleep, she took his bridle and then brought the creature to live with her and her father for a year. He was trapped and used as a work horse but he was much stronger than any normal horse. The faery man was not treated badly though, in fact in a strange way he grew to love this girl even more. She cared for him and would thank him every day for making her life easier. For she too fell deeper and deeper in love with this terrible creature with each passing day.
Finally, as time passed the girl returned to bridle to the kelpie and he was given a choice. If he wished to become a mortal man this gentle human girl would have him as her husband. In doing so the kelpie gave up the ability to join his faery brethren in the land of the forever young-- a place where there was no death or old age and no sadness. However the pain that he felt at the thought of living his life without her was too great and he chose to continue struggling in mortal life together with her.
Patience and love tamed the great beast beneath the lake. Even fearsome kelpies could change their ways if guided.
The smell of smoke stirred the kelpie awake suddenly. It took a moment for him to register something was amiss. Once he did he sprang to his feet, and he glanced around in a panic.
Where had the human gone? What was happening? Had he been tricked?
“What’s going on? Where are you human?” To his surprise his voice came out and as he stopped to settle down he realized that he was up on only two feet, and stared down at his human shaped hands. He reached around his neck and found that his bridle had been returned to him.
“Oh you’re awake, perfect timing.” Saeki grinned, he was sitting around a fire a few feet away, fanning the flames as he cooked the fish. “I know I said I’d show you but you fell asleep and looked like you were having a good dream so I went ahead and made dinner myself.” It had been difficult to catch and cook so many fish by himself but the challenge had been fun. There was already a nice stack of cooked fish in a basket just for the kelpie. Plenty more fish were sitting in another basket beside him as he grabbed another fish to roast up fresh for the faery man.
Ryou walked over to him and stared at the human a bit dumbfounded. He had many questions for Saeki but as the aroma of the cooked fish caught his attention he licked his lips, afraid he might be salivating.
“Have a seat and help yourself.” the human chuckled, patting the spot beside him. “Here this one’s fresh.” he said, offering a stick with a newly cooked fish skewered onto it.
The kelpie eyed it at first but sat down next to Saeki and accepted the food. At least it didn’t look foreign to him it was still definitely a fish. The smell was so peculiar and it had been slightly charred by the fire. “This is how humans eat fish? It looks like so much effort…” he said as he examined it further despite the protests from his stomach.
Saeki shook his head and pat the faery man on the back. “Don’t worry so much about that now. Just eat up.” And he wasn’t just encouraging him to so he wouldn’t get ideas about eating him now that Saeki had returned the bridle. To assure him further that the fish was safe and edible, Saeki grabbed his own and started to bite into it.
The kelpie sniffed at his fish again but when he glanced over to see the human eating his so contentedly he too finally gave in. Taking in a small breath to prepare himself, he brought the fish to his mouth and finally bit down. As he chewed on it thoughtfully his eyes soon lit up and he all but devoured it in a few more bites. “Mm… what is this flavor? I’ve never had something this delicious in my entire life!” Ryou was astounded, “Is this human magic?”
“Maybe something like that.” Saeki chuckled at Ryou’s reaction. “Here have some more.” He was glad he had cooked almost an entire basket full for the kelpie now.
In no time flat the faery man had almost devour all the fish Saeki had caught and prepared. “I never knew fish could taste this good.” Ryou hummed happily as he stuffed his face with the seasoned and cooked fish. He ate and ate until he was completely satisfied and patted his stomach as he finished. “I’ll be set for months now.” he sighed happily and laid back in the sand.
“Months huh?” Saeki smiled over to him, happy to see the kelpie so relaxed. “Well then… guess I don’t need to come back to visit you for a while.” the human commented as he stood to stretch.
“No you don’t.” Ryou replied without thinking. Then when he replayed the words in his head he immediately sat back up to look at the blond. “Visit.. you mean you’ll come back?” Why would the human still want anything to do with him? He’d fed him and nearly been killed for it in the first place.
“Well someone’s got to make sure you don’t go eating humans again. And I didn’t even show you how to cook first, not that I’m sure you can because of all that magic and not being able to leave the lake stuff.” Saeki explained with a shrug as if it couldn’t be helped. Pausing, he turned to Ryou and offered him a hand to stand back up. “Besides there’s one other thing too…”
Ryou stared at the offered hand, perplexed by the human as usual. “What else?”
“I want to come back to see you too.” Saeki smiled, this time it seemed as if it were the human that truly seemed to sparkle and had a strange charming magic about him. “Unless you don’t want me here anymore.”
The kelpie took the human’s hand in his almost desperate for a moment as he nearly tugged him down trying to get up. “No of course not! I want that more than anything.” Ryou told him, eyes almost welling up as he was filled with so many strange emotions he never thought he could have toward a human of all things.
“Then it’s a promise.”
And so for the next year as a few months would pass by Saeki would return to the lake to visit Ryou. The human would prepare an abundance of fish for the kelpie and then the two would talk for hours, sometimes days, all about the their time apart and the things they had done and seen in that time. Ryou learned many things about the world of humans and would even allow Saeki to take his bridle so he could travel to the town to see more of that world up close.
As time passed, eventually Saeki moved into the nearby town so he could visit the lake more often. When a year and a day had passed by though the kelpie felt that it just wasn’t enough for him anymore. He had tasted the freedom and the life that these mortals lived. It was no easy thing and time was not kind to them. Death inevitably awaited them all. But after living so many solitary years confined to the lake, Ryou had no fear of something like that.
The lonely kelpie had found in the most unexpected source a new reason to live. Ryou chose to walk down the path of mortals with his new companion, Saeki. The two were thick as thieves and traveled far and wide before settling in a cabin near the lake for the rest of their lives. Along their adventures the two spread the tale of the kelpie and kept the fearsome yet misunderstood magnificent faery alive just as the faeries hidden around them sang of their stories for the rest of eternity.
Recipient: Stella
Rating: PG
Summary: A fisherman's son runs rescues an unlikely stranger from a lake.
Notes: I've never worked with these characters before but it was a lot of fun. After a while they just took over the story and wouldn't stop, haha~ Hope you like it!
Saeki had been warned about sirens before and mermaids and many kinds of sea creatures. It was why he was more comfortable swimming in lakes and rivers, any bodies of inland water really, instead of the perils of the open sea. His father was a fisherman and had told him many stories. Tales about his personal encounters along with a few of his ill-fated crew and the dangerous faery kind . So when he had dove into the lake to help who he assumed to be a drowning person, he was shocked to find it was no person at all.
As he waded back to shore with the stranger and brought them onto the bank he took little notice of the fact they lacked the legs of a human. No, Saeki’s concern was the fact this person wasn’t breathing and he concentrated only on reviving them. There was no way he was going to lose a life to the waters if he was around.
Moving in ready to resuscitate the drowning victim Saeki dutifully went through all the motions. Only as he went to check for breathing and a pulse it was very apparent that they were just fine. He soon found himself the one being brought mouth to mouth suddenly. Saeki couldn’t very well pull away from the action no matter how strange of a spontaneous kiss it was. This was still a near drowning victim and if he tried to push back he might injure them or aggravate the situation.
He had noticed something amiss when he first was checking their breath though. It was strange and hotter than he imagined. Perhaps that was just because of the lake water being cold but it had almost set him at ease which was strange. At the moment, however, he was questioning why he was so easily allowing this kiss to continue. His eyes sprung open and he finally pulled away. The blond was the one catching his breath now. Once Saeki was free he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled to them. Despite the weird reaction at least they were alive and okay.
“Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” he reassured them. Getting a better look at the person he had rescued. He found their features to be quite striking and rather beautiful. Raven black hair that almost glistened with droplets of water, pale elegant skin, and deep mahogany eyes. Those eyes caught Saeki’s staring back and he immediately stood up to give them room. “Sorry I didn’t mean to stare I just--…” And that was when he finally got a complete look at the supposed drowning victim.
It was no person and it began to dawn on Saeki that the real victim here was most likely himself. This was no human, despite the facial features; it was a creature of the waters. In the place of human legs was a large scaly fish tail that struck the water nearby three times idly as if wishing to return. However the creature he was staring at now was no breathtaking maiden or seductive temptress of the oceans as one might have expected. This was a lake after all and he had known of any sort of fae would live in its murky waters. Attached to the body of the aquatic tail was not a woman but clearly the body of a man.
“Who… or what are you?” he questioned, staring wide eyed and awestruck at him. Despite all the stories he grew up hearing Saeki had never encountered any water creatures firsthand. He felt a bit on guard and covered his mouth realizing they had kissed. He wiped at them until the taste of the lake water was gone.
The imposter looked to him a bit disappointed, “I didn’t think it was that bad.” He pushed himself into an upright sitting position so he could keep better eye contact with the human. “Ryou and I’m a kelpie.” the creature still complied with answering Saeki’s questions.
That felt almost too easy though and Saeki was taken aback. Weren’t things that were out to kill humans supposed to be a bit more… brutish? “I’m not familiar with kelpies. All the fae of the inlands have gone underground, haven’t they?”
Ryou, the so called kelpie, nodded and brushed a hand through his silken hair. “That they did, many many years ago now. But before they left they taught me many useful things. How to talk, to take the shape of you humans, to be as still as night, and even to move swift enough I could catch lightning. Not that any of you seem to remember.” he sighed, once again filled with a little bit of disappointment.
“Are you a fish then? Or a descendent of the mermaids? I’ve never heard of a male mermaid before…. Merman?” Saeki tried to reason. He wasn’t sure why he felt calm enough to have a conversation with a creature that was surely out to kill him but something about him being able to speak disarmed him. Despite all his claims of great magical powers Saeki felt a bit skeptical about him as well, he hardly seemed that threatening so perhaps that was what set him at ease.
“This? Goodness no, I can’t stand those noisy girls. They’re always chattering about sailors.” Ryou shook his head. “I can hear them under the water sometimes especially during storms. Their nonsense carries over here, things like trying to outmatch one another in men or beauty.” Not that any of them had anything on him. Though he couldn’t convey that back to them he was proud just recognizing it himself. “I just thought this form would be useful to try out. But it seems I underestimated the amount of effort it takes to kick a tail than legs.”
Saeki really wasn’t sure how to take his casual conversation. “Isn’t that dangerous..? You really shouldn’t do something like that again.” He really wasn’t sure that any magic creatures had to worry about drowning but it had seemed real enough to him. “Anyway, if you’re fine now then… I’ll just let you go back to doing whatever it is a kelpie does.” the human said, taking a few steps backward. Even with this eerily calm atmosphere, Saeki wasn’t about to ignore the warnings from his father and countless others familiar with water creatures. As odd as this kelpie was he probably was dangerous too and it was best to be on his way.
“Hey wait, don’t go!” Ryou called out and tried to grab the human’s clothes to stop him. He missed of course and soon enough it became clear that dragging his fish bottom half was not going to cut it in keeping up. Saeki had turned his back to him and started to walk away at far too fast a pace for the immobile kelpie could hope to catch. The fae pushed off the ground and soon his unwieldy mock mermaid tail was changed into two much more useful human legs. It took him a moment to get used to them again but soon he was jogging after the blond and caught up.
Despite himself, Saeki glanced back and now there was a normal looking man standing there. Well almost normal looking. He had the form of a human that was for sure but those strangely attractive facial features of his remained. That and his rather odd and regal clothing. Was he trying to pretend he was a prince or something now?
“What is it?” He couldn’t completely brush off the creature even if he had wanted to. It wasn’t in his nature even though his father was cautious, Saeki preferred to trust in people. Right now this Ryou was certainly a full person regardless of how strange it was to accept.
“You’re not going to leave already are you?” the kelpie questioned, a tinge of sadness in his voice. His eyes reflected a pleading look as well.
It caught Saeki off guard. “I only went into the lake to save you. I was just passing through and if your kind is what inhabits here it’s best I go on my way.” He declined the other with a polite nod and prepared to head back the way he came. The fisherman’s son had just ended up there by chance on his way to a nearby town.
“There are no others. It’s just me here. Actually I think it’s just me everywhere now.” Ryou corrected him, glancing out to the lake and then back to the human. “You’re the first human to come here in a long time. And I already told you the fairies have not returned, they’re underground in their own world still just like you said.”
That was a curious thing to hear. Usually what few magical creatures were still around all stayed together according the stories. Any caught alone were easy to dispose of and there were plenty of people out there who enjoyed such sport. “Why don’t you leave then? Find a lake where there are fae kind around. Or go to the sea if you can transform yourself.” That seemed like the most logical thing to do given the circumstances.
“I can’t leave the lake. Not on my own anyway. That requires someone to possess my bridle.” Ryou explained to him simply. Even if he could take human form he was still stuck by laws of magic. “This was the place I was born but if a human were to take my silver bridle I’d be able to leave.”
“Bridle? Like for horses?” Saeki questioned as he was suddenly hung up on the word. He wondered if it had something to do with whatever a kelpie really was. “How would that change things if someone took it?”
“I’d lose my magic then. Well, most of it anyway.” Ryou said after a moment of consideration and teasing another finger through his hair to straighten it. “It’s never happened to me before so I couldn’t say but that’s what I’ve heard.” Magic seemed to be a mystery to even those who could use it.
“Well unless you’re hiding it in those strange clothes… I don’t see where you’re keeping that silver bridle of yours.” the blond commented, tilting his head at the kelpie unconvinced of his magic. Sure he had changed forms in a way and that was impressive but now he just seemed like a normal person to Saeki the more they talked.
“Kusukusu.” It was the strangest kind of chuckling Saeki had ever heard. “Silly human, of course it would be hidden in this form. You haven’t even seen my true one.” The kelpie continued to laugh, placing his hands on his hips, his nose upturned boastfully.
The human crossed his arms, shaking his head a bit and not buying into the act. He wasn’t about to insult the faery man either way but that didn’t change his view. “If you say so but if you’re so strong and intimidating then how come you haven’t just killed me already?” Saeki didn’t mean to be rude but he was wondering why Ryou continued to converse with him if that was his desire in the first place. All fae kind were just out to have a human snack after all.
Ryou’s stance shifted along with his whole demeanor suddenly. The air around their conversation didn’t seem so light and casual all of a sudden. The kelpie’s eyes flashed with a strange emotion that Saeki couldn’t quite decipher. However there was something that Saeki felt he could sense, or rather he sensed a lack of it. There was no real intent of murder surrounding this fae. Could it be that this creature wasn’t out to kill him at all?
After a few moments of strange silence, Ryou finally spoke up again. “I can’t…” the kelpie murmured a bit shyly all of a sudden, pulling at his hair in front of his mouth as if to hide.
“Huh?” Had Saeki heard that whisper right?
“I can’t kill humans… I never could.” It was a surprising reveal from the fae despite his boasts of magical powers earlier. “None ever settled here for long.” his gaze seemed to turn somber when he said it. He soon recovered though, eyes shifting as if to hide that slip of emotion, “And honestly I can’t imagine they’d taste good.”
Saeki couldn’t help but frown a little, seeing past the overbearing front. “You’re lonely.” Now that he thought about it it made plenty of sense. Ryou was the only kelpie, possibly the only one left in existence. Here he was stuck in this big lake that no one visited. It was easy to guess that it was probably in part thanks to the fact a terrible fae like a kelpie, as Ryou seemed to boast, lived there. Humans were quick to stay away from places like that to avoid monsters after all.
Ryou looked to Saeki in surprise, not at all expecting a human to understand how he felt. Instead of voicing that feeling he wanted to show it instead. He took a few steps back until his feet were in the water again and then reached for a silver necklace that had been hidden in the collar of his shirt. A strange gust suddenly blew through the space between them. Saeki shielded his eyes from the sand and spray of water that was whipped up by the wind. When he finally looked up there was no longer a human standing there but he could tell that it was still Ryou.
What stood before the human now was a large ebony colored horse. As he tossed his head it was as if pearls of water were falling about him against his jet mane. Steam rose from his lustrous skin and out from his great nostrils almost as if on fire. There was a strength and an extraordinary kind of magical feeling that surrounded him. This was what it was like to stand in the presence of a kelpie, the terrible water horse.
As fierce and intimidating a form that Ryou now stood before Saeki in, there was something still genuine and human in his eyes. The water horse was forlorn and forsaken to be alone despite his beauty and immense magic powers. Saeki felt bewitched by his gaze, the fear melting away. He recognized that as magic now but it wasn’t just because of that suggestion that he didn’t panic at his appearance. It was because of that pained expression reflecting in his large, glimmering eyes.
“I could convince you to ride me to your death in the waters.” Ryou spoke in his powerful kelpie form, “But I have no desire to. I have never been able to kill a human. I had hoped you would taste better than the fish in the lake but you’d probably just be wet and salty too.” He let out a whinny of frustration, front legs bucking up into the air a moment. Part of it was intimidation but the rest of it was just that pent up anguish. If he couldn’t eat the human there was no point in keeping him there. It would always be against his will and while the kelpie contemplated trying it would just lead to the human’s death.
It felt like the spell was broken a moment as the kelpie bucked up. Saeki blinked, recalling his words carefully. “Wait, that’s why you try to kill humans? Because you can’t find anything better to eat?” It was a bit more than a little shocking to the human.
The kelpie snorted, “What other reason would there be? If I needed humans to survive I’d be long dead or starved.” He whipped his head back and forth, letting his hair flow again. “And clearly I have been neither.” Ryou almost preened proudly at his statement.
It was true the faery man seemed plenty full of life and in that equestrian form he looked quite well fed too. “So this is all because you don’t like the taste of fish anymore?” That baffled Saeki simply because he was a fisherman’s son. All the stories of fae he had heard he was always under the impression they only ate human. The kelpie brought up a valid point though, if that were true then it made little sense for any to still survive.
The water horse nodded, his hoof striking at the ground. Now that the human was calm it felt rather strange even for Ryou to continue talking in his true form. He kicked off the ground again and that peculiar magical wind swirled around him. Saeki was forced to shield himself once more and a little relieved to see the kelpie back in the human form.
Able to flick at his long ebony hair again, Ryou looked to the human and gave a small shrug. “If you want to put it in so many words… I suppose yes that’s correct too.” He rolled his head to glance back into the murky lake waters as he stepped out of the waves. “But really the stuff is garbage to eat. I do love the lake and its living things… when they’re not in my mouth. So salty and slimy.” the water horse almost seemed to retch at just the thought. “And all those bones…”
Saeki chuckled a bit seeing the very human emotions on the faery man again. It was comforting in a way and not like that suggestive kind of magic he had about him. Curiously enough he felt like he could get along with this kelpie. “Well yeah I can agree with you there. Plain raw fish doesn’t exactly sound very appetizing. That’s why we don’t eat it that way.”
That got the attention of Ryou and his interest was piqued. “You don’t? Then how do you eat it?” he blinked and immediately moved closer to the human, looking at him searching for the answer as if it were on his face.
“How about I do something better than tell you.” the blond haired human smirked. “Let me show you and then you can try it out for yourself and tell me what you think.” There was no harm in that, surely. If he could teach the kelpie how to properly prepare fish perhaps there would no longer be a need for him to prey on humans. Regardless, even if it wasn’t to save his own skin or that of future human travelers Saeki would have showed the fae. It felt like his duty almost as a fisherman’s son who would gladly live off the sea and waters too.
“Really? You’d do that?” Ryou’s eyes almost seemed to sparkle just like his jet black hair did every time he ran his fingers through it. “I could still kill you you know.” he added a bit cautiously. It wasn’t so much a threat as it was a guilty confession. The water horse didn’t wish to but… well he was very hungry now at the mention of new food. While he hadn’t said it aloud, Saeki had originally been targeted as his prey too.
“Well can’t have that happening. So this is just a precaution…” Saeki told him, looking at him very seriously a moment. “I promise.” he said softly, reaching to place a friendly hand on Ryou’s shoulder.
The kelpie looked to him a bit perplexed but began to relax a bit as well. However just as he did, Saeki’s hand moved suddenly and reached for the silver necklace. As swiftly as he could, the human slipped the necklace off of the faery man.
Immediately a magic wind whirled about and when the shore dust and water settled Ryou had been returned to his true kelpie form. There was a confusion and slight irritation in his gaze. He whinnied and reared up ready to buck at the human but was stopped. The water horse couldn’t bring himself to cause the human harm. Originally he had no intentions to but now Saeki held his bridle and thus control over him. Being in his power also meant that Ryou could no longer speak and so he settled on grunting at him, his breath still hot but lacking the same captivating magic.
“Now calm down.” Saeki said, waving his hands at the mighty beast. “I couldn’t tell you or else you wouldn’t have agreed to it, right?” After all he was saying he was hungry and ready to kill him for a meal suddenly. “So this was my only choice. I’ll give it back after you’re fed.” He had felt guilty for duping the creature but technically it made them even now.
The water horse continued to eye Saeki a bit stubbornly. It wasn’t as if he had anymore choice in the matter though. At the very least he would be promised some sort of meal out of it. With another grunt, the rather prideful kelpie finally nodded his head.
“Good.” the human grinned, approaching to pat Ryou’s head. “Let’s put that magic of yours to work huh?” Saeki winked and then moved to mount the creature.
Ryou was accommodating and crouched down so the human could ride him. It was a strange sensation to have a human on his back. His natural instincts would have normally told him to carry the human down to his watery grave but he felt rather serene instead. If the human hadn’t taken his bridle first surely that instinct would have overwhelmed him. Now there was no need to rush back to the depths of the lake and crash beneath its surface like thunder to strike down his mounted prey.
Instead the two set out to gather supplies from a nearby town. The trip went far faster than Saeki had done on his own two feet traveling to the lake by chance in the first place. Town was quite a distance away and by horse the terrain would be treacherous. There were many things that could frighten them through the woods surrounding the lake and many more obstacles before reaching the main road leading to the town. For the kelpie it was as if nothing could hinder him and they arrived in town with great ease much to Saeki’s surprise.
To the other humans Ryou merely appeared to them as a strange foreign horse. However to the kelpie it was the humans who seemed alien. There were just so many of them around of varying ages and sizes and dressed much differently than his mock human form. He had equally never really seen a human town before. It was a tad mind-boggling and he stomped on the ground anxiously waiting for his human to return.
Saeki returned to the kelpie soon enough, patting him to send some reassurance. Truthfully he had taken a bit of extra time to grab some more supplies than he had actually needed. All that while he had been watching the creature curiously himself. He wondered what Ryou would be saying if he could speak yet at the same time he could just tell from the water horse’s movements.
Packing up his things, he mounted the kelpie once more and bid the town farewell as the two journeyed back to the lake. The trip was fast and safe just as it had been when they had gone into the town. It truly was amazing how powerful the kelpie was compared to any other horse Saeki had ever had the chance to ride.
Ryou took pride in it and was also enjoying the strange and exhilarating freedom. His hooves had never traveled that far away from the lake. As distressed as he had originally felt before he felt he could get used to this kind of new feeling of escape. He was almost ready to gallop farther and longer and to newer lands until they had returned to the lake. Once they had stopped by its waters Ryou felt normal again and as exciting as the day’s trip had been, he was relieved to be home.
When Saeki dismounted the water horse and took his supplies, Ryou settled into the sands to rest. It had been a long day for the magical creature even if he had strength to spare. Saeki settled beside him and took out his camping supplies. He pulled out a large blanket and did his best to tuck in the fae.
“You’ve done a great job. Now go ahead and rest, you’ve certainly earned it. Thank you for the help.” Saeki praised him. He brushed gently through the water horse’s shimmering mane.
Ryou was lulled by each stroke and soon enough he was fast asleep. The kelpie had a peculiar dream about a story he had heard through the songs and whispers of far away fae. Even if they were no longer on the human plane other than those who remained such as terrifying human eating creatures such as himself, if they listened they could still hear the gentler faeries. They sang of beautiful stories when humans and fae lived together harmoniously. This was one story that the kelpie especially loved.
The story went that one day a fierce and terrifying kelpie spotted a gentle and lovely human girl. He wished to take her as his bride instead of carrying her to her death. Changing into a handsome man he tried to woo the human only for his identity to be exposed. The kelpie tried to take the girl away by force than but the human girl was cunning.
The girl was attracted to the kelpie but also feared being taken to the bottom of the lake. Tricking the kelpie into falling asleep, she took his bridle and then brought the creature to live with her and her father for a year. He was trapped and used as a work horse but he was much stronger than any normal horse. The faery man was not treated badly though, in fact in a strange way he grew to love this girl even more. She cared for him and would thank him every day for making her life easier. For she too fell deeper and deeper in love with this terrible creature with each passing day.
Finally, as time passed the girl returned to bridle to the kelpie and he was given a choice. If he wished to become a mortal man this gentle human girl would have him as her husband. In doing so the kelpie gave up the ability to join his faery brethren in the land of the forever young-- a place where there was no death or old age and no sadness. However the pain that he felt at the thought of living his life without her was too great and he chose to continue struggling in mortal life together with her.
Patience and love tamed the great beast beneath the lake. Even fearsome kelpies could change their ways if guided.
The smell of smoke stirred the kelpie awake suddenly. It took a moment for him to register something was amiss. Once he did he sprang to his feet, and he glanced around in a panic.
Where had the human gone? What was happening? Had he been tricked?
“What’s going on? Where are you human?” To his surprise his voice came out and as he stopped to settle down he realized that he was up on only two feet, and stared down at his human shaped hands. He reached around his neck and found that his bridle had been returned to him.
“Oh you’re awake, perfect timing.” Saeki grinned, he was sitting around a fire a few feet away, fanning the flames as he cooked the fish. “I know I said I’d show you but you fell asleep and looked like you were having a good dream so I went ahead and made dinner myself.” It had been difficult to catch and cook so many fish by himself but the challenge had been fun. There was already a nice stack of cooked fish in a basket just for the kelpie. Plenty more fish were sitting in another basket beside him as he grabbed another fish to roast up fresh for the faery man.
Ryou walked over to him and stared at the human a bit dumbfounded. He had many questions for Saeki but as the aroma of the cooked fish caught his attention he licked his lips, afraid he might be salivating.
“Have a seat and help yourself.” the human chuckled, patting the spot beside him. “Here this one’s fresh.” he said, offering a stick with a newly cooked fish skewered onto it.
The kelpie eyed it at first but sat down next to Saeki and accepted the food. At least it didn’t look foreign to him it was still definitely a fish. The smell was so peculiar and it had been slightly charred by the fire. “This is how humans eat fish? It looks like so much effort…” he said as he examined it further despite the protests from his stomach.
Saeki shook his head and pat the faery man on the back. “Don’t worry so much about that now. Just eat up.” And he wasn’t just encouraging him to so he wouldn’t get ideas about eating him now that Saeki had returned the bridle. To assure him further that the fish was safe and edible, Saeki grabbed his own and started to bite into it.
The kelpie sniffed at his fish again but when he glanced over to see the human eating his so contentedly he too finally gave in. Taking in a small breath to prepare himself, he brought the fish to his mouth and finally bit down. As he chewed on it thoughtfully his eyes soon lit up and he all but devoured it in a few more bites. “Mm… what is this flavor? I’ve never had something this delicious in my entire life!” Ryou was astounded, “Is this human magic?”
“Maybe something like that.” Saeki chuckled at Ryou’s reaction. “Here have some more.” He was glad he had cooked almost an entire basket full for the kelpie now.
In no time flat the faery man had almost devour all the fish Saeki had caught and prepared. “I never knew fish could taste this good.” Ryou hummed happily as he stuffed his face with the seasoned and cooked fish. He ate and ate until he was completely satisfied and patted his stomach as he finished. “I’ll be set for months now.” he sighed happily and laid back in the sand.
“Months huh?” Saeki smiled over to him, happy to see the kelpie so relaxed. “Well then… guess I don’t need to come back to visit you for a while.” the human commented as he stood to stretch.
“No you don’t.” Ryou replied without thinking. Then when he replayed the words in his head he immediately sat back up to look at the blond. “Visit.. you mean you’ll come back?” Why would the human still want anything to do with him? He’d fed him and nearly been killed for it in the first place.
“Well someone’s got to make sure you don’t go eating humans again. And I didn’t even show you how to cook first, not that I’m sure you can because of all that magic and not being able to leave the lake stuff.” Saeki explained with a shrug as if it couldn’t be helped. Pausing, he turned to Ryou and offered him a hand to stand back up. “Besides there’s one other thing too…”
Ryou stared at the offered hand, perplexed by the human as usual. “What else?”
“I want to come back to see you too.” Saeki smiled, this time it seemed as if it were the human that truly seemed to sparkle and had a strange charming magic about him. “Unless you don’t want me here anymore.”
The kelpie took the human’s hand in his almost desperate for a moment as he nearly tugged him down trying to get up. “No of course not! I want that more than anything.” Ryou told him, eyes almost welling up as he was filled with so many strange emotions he never thought he could have toward a human of all things.
“Then it’s a promise.”
And so for the next year as a few months would pass by Saeki would return to the lake to visit Ryou. The human would prepare an abundance of fish for the kelpie and then the two would talk for hours, sometimes days, all about the their time apart and the things they had done and seen in that time. Ryou learned many things about the world of humans and would even allow Saeki to take his bridle so he could travel to the town to see more of that world up close.
As time passed, eventually Saeki moved into the nearby town so he could visit the lake more often. When a year and a day had passed by though the kelpie felt that it just wasn’t enough for him anymore. He had tasted the freedom and the life that these mortals lived. It was no easy thing and time was not kind to them. Death inevitably awaited them all. But after living so many solitary years confined to the lake, Ryou had no fear of something like that.
The lonely kelpie had found in the most unexpected source a new reason to live. Ryou chose to walk down the path of mortals with his new companion, Saeki. The two were thick as thieves and traveled far and wide before settling in a cabin near the lake for the rest of their lives. Along their adventures the two spread the tale of the kelpie and kept the fearsome yet misunderstood magnificent faery alive just as the faeries hidden around them sang of their stories for the rest of eternity.