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Daichi held firmly onto his boat with one hand, the other wrapped around his shotgun. He had heard the stories. He knew about the beast that inhabited those waters, but he had no other option but to navigate through them.
He was a scientist. A very intelligent and reputed scientist. He'd been invited to study a newfound species of plant in the Amazon Rainforest that had the potential to cure Alzheimer's Disease, and he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity because of some evil creature that killed the men that crossed the river.
The river’s course was straight, just some curves here and there but nothing major. There wasn’t an obstacle in sight, only a huge trunk of a tree to their right. Daichi looked behind him, where his colleague was rowing steadily and slowly, trying his best not to wake the creature up or draw its attention. The man slowly tried to circle the trunk, but he was too slow.
Their boat hit the trunk, making a loud noise of wood against wood and making the water move. Both men froze, unconsciously holding their breaths. They glanced around them, looking for something, anything that might indicate the creature’s awakening, but met nothing but silence and the usual animal noises.
After a minute, they breathed in peace. The man behind Daichi got back to rowing, this time slower. They continued to navigate the river with their hearts on their hands. All they could hear was silence, until…
Daichi felt the boat move beneath him, but there was nothing wrong in the water. He turned to look at his colleague and almost jumped when he found him standing up and throwing himself into the water.
He instantly put his hands on his ears, making his best to stop any sound from getting in. The creature enchanted men through its voice. Daichi cursed internally as the man swam to the source of the voice. He then saw it.
A big, beautiful green fishtail swayed its way to the man. It circled him a few times before vanishing completely in the depths of the river, pulling the man down with it. Daichi gulped. In a moment of braveness, he took the paddle and rowed like his life depended on it, because it did.
He didn’t get far, though. Before he could close his ears again, he heard it. It was the sweetest, most delicate and perfect voice he’s ever heard. It came from beneath the water, but Daichi heard it perfectly. He started feeling dizzy. His senses shut down one by one. First the smell, the touch, and then his sight. The hearing was the only one that remained intact.
Daichi could barely see a thing, but he recognized the beautiful upper man's body that emerged from the water and pulled its way up on the boat.
“Hey there, handsome,” the voice stopped singing. Even while talking, it was the most melodic voice Daichi had ever heard.
He wanted to respond. Wanted to ask the man to take him, love him and let Daichi cherish him and his immaculate body, but his breath caught on his throat and nothing came out.
A hand reached up, taking his chin and pulling it until Daichi was looking at the man in the eye. He was beautiful. Actually, scratch that. There were no words to describe how perfect the man was.
His features were soft and delicate, his eyes deep and sharp, the spot on the side of his eyes resembled a doll's perfectly designed face. His hair was silver and shiny, and, even though it was soaking wet, Daichi could tell it’d feel like heaven to thread his fingers through it. He leaned in, not sure why, but he had the urge to taste those plushy, rose lips in front of him. Daichi's mind was blank. All he could think of was the man in front of him. He had the urge to spend the rest of his life with him
“Eager much, huh?” The man let out a sweet, tired laugh. “I like you.” He gently ran his fingers from Daichi's chin to his cheeks, slowly caressing them. “What's your name, sweetie?”
“D-Daichi.” Slowly, he started to recover his consciousness.
“Daichi, what a pretty name you have. Want to go for a swim with me?”
He nodded.
“Great!” The man beamed, lowering himself back into the water. Daichi got up and jumped into the water. He held onto the boat to keep his head out of the water without making much effort. When he looked down, he couldn't believe his eyes. The man was part man, part fish! Was this the creature that had killed many men since the beginning of times!?
He couldn't be. It didn't make sense. How could this gorgeous, sweet man kill so many people? It was impossible, right?
The man smiled at Daichi. “Do you like the water, Daichi?”
He nodded.
“I used to, too. But when you spend so much time in the same place it gets kinda boring, you know?”
“Why don't you leave? You could live with me. I'll bring you back home, I'll feed you, I'll take care of you, I'll make you happy!” Daichi said in a rush. He couldn't afford to lose the man.
The man gave him a hushed laugh, shaking his head like he'd heard the most absurd thing ever. “Oh, I wish I could… But I can't leave. This is my home.”
“Why not?”
The man looked at Daichi with an expression that oddly reminded him of a cat. “Haven't you heard the stories?”
Daichi shook his head. “I just know you kill men.”
The man huffed. “Yeah, right, I kill men. I’m such a horrible monster, aren’t I?”
“That’s what they told me,” Daichi lifted his arms in surrender. “They said you kill every man that crosses these waters.”
“You humans are so simple. I miss those times when everything was easy and fun. But you can’t let anyone be happy, can you?” He shook his head, a disappointed expression painted all over his face. “My name's Koushi, but I'm known as the Father of Water.” The man, Koushi, spread his arms, gesturing to the water around them. “I once was a normal, boring human, just like you.”
Daichi’s eyebrows lifted. This merman used to be a normal person? How did he become this?
“I was beautiful…” Koushi’s expression changed to somewhat nostalgic, as if he missed those times. “Well, I am beautiful. The prettiest of my people. And everyone loved me. They worshiped me. I’m the pajé’s son, so naturally, every one of my people knew me. While people came to my father to be healed they admired my beauty. But men started getting jealous.”
“Although I was the most handsome man of my people, I was also the strongest one. The warriors taught me everything I know, and I overcame everyone else. My brothers feared me. They were no match for me, and they knew it. So they plotted my murder.”
Daichi continued to listen in silence. He wasn’t sure what to say.
“One night, as I slept, they came into my hut. I heard them and woke up just in time to dodge their spear. I fought them and killed them all.”
Koushi looked wrecked. Daichi didn’t need to know him to understand that he had never shared this with anyone else besides him. For some reason, Daichi felt special.
“After that, I ran. Unfortunately, my father found me.” His voice hitched in his throat.
Daichi wanted to reach out for him, show him he wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Koushi was known by killing men, after all. Daichi now knew that nobody understood the whole story, but he didn’t want to push his luck or scare the man.
“My father… he threw me here,” Koushi looked down at the water between them. “The fishes found me and saved me. On the next full moon night, they made me one of them.” His features lost the sad tone they had, changing to softer, founder ones as he finished. “I own them everything.”
Daichi found himself mirroring Koushi’s sweet smile. Despite every bad thing that’s happened to the man in front of him, he moved on. He kept living, day after day. He was free. Daichi just didn’t understand one thing.
“But, why did you kill all those men?”
“Well, after I was safe, I made up my mind I would never trust any other man again. The fishes and the moon gave me the power to live, but they also gave me something else,” Koushi looked back at Daichi. “They gave me the power to have everything I wanted. With my voice and body, I seduce every man that crosses my waters and kill them, just like the men in my life tried to do to me.”
More than anything, Daichi wanted to hug him. Giving the chance of death his middle finger, he threw his arms around the man.
Koushi froze under his touch. Once again, Daichi feared for his life, but that fear vanished like water under the sun the moment Koushi put his arms around Daichi’s middle as well.
‘Maybe this human isn’t that bad after all.’