Chapter Text
The reef was colorful and full of life as always. Young merfolks were exploring stony corals and observing various types of aquatic life with excitement. Their guardians were watching them full of contentment, pleased by this cheerful sight. It was a calm, completely normal day.
For others, that is.
One of Royal Princes of the Royal Family that ruled all the pod, Lucifer, had a different idea than 'having a normal day'. He was explorer and innovator in heart, he prefered to research new things and places than stay close to his home.
He decided that his next expedition would lead him to distant oceanic trench just few hours from his home. He wasn't afraid of stories that were used to warn young merfolks against exploring deepths of waters. As he experienced it by himself, often beds of ocean weren't too dangerous if you knew what are you doing. Lucifer, as experienced and knowledgeable adventurer, knew well what to watch for and how deep he was allowed to dive.
That was, not so deep he was just now.
Led by his own curiosity he dived into cold darkness, just after some weird colored flashes of light. It wasn't the first time he broke his own rules but he couldn't just ignore some unknown phenomenon in the distance. He wasn't afraid in the slightest, never before something happened to him. His thoughts were too occupied by beauty and rush of adventure.
Waving his tail and paying attention to the animals nearby, he was getting closer to the glow. Fortunately everything he passed seemed to be completely safe for him. His mouth curved into smile when he managed to recognize those lights.
Beautiful luminescent plants were placed everywhere, brightening the massive cave engraved into the wall of the trench. It was enticing sight in the darkness of waters around him. Excited by what he could find in there, Lucifer couldn't wait to research such a place. He didn't see anyone and normal merfolk didn't dive so deep. Obviously he could find some other sirens that were more adaptive to hostile environments, but they normally prefered to be in the open than closed in caves.
Lucifer wondered what he could find in there. Maybe new types of plants, maybe some weird animals, or maybe even it would turn out that someone lived there anyway. He could get to know them and gather information about nearby waters. Prince, full of confidence, came in inside the cave.
It seemed to be empty. Just a path of gently glowing plants leading deep into unexplored cave. Shadows seemed to steal some lights and cast eerie traces on the walls. Water slowly was becoming more and more cold. Following the path he noticed traces of something on the ground. It seemed like many markings of something giant being dragged through the cave, somehow avoiding hurting any flowers.
Lucifer frowned in light worry, he didn't wanted to bump into something dangerous. He didn't really take with him any weapon beside his own sharp claws and teeth full of venom. He shaked his head to get himself rid of any lingering hesitation and dive again into the cave.
After a while cave started to become even bigger and brighter. By now plants seemed to start be placed more intentionally, to give the best lighting to the walls and the path. Even temperature rised by a bit. Finally, Lucifer ended up in a gigantic room that seemed to be actually inhabited.
There were childish paintings on the walls looked like created by young hand of little siren that was showing on near every one of them. Place was furnished. Being honest, Lucifer felt like he was intruding someone's home, and probably was. Nowhere within the room he noticed anyone though, few more corridors were branching from it so if someone's home they probably were somewhere in there.
Led by curiosity he swam to one of the nearby wall drawings to have a better understanding of who lived here.
Two little sirens and one big cecaelia, all in monochrome.
He rised his brows in surprise. What a weird little group. Cecaelias, merfolk with octopi arms except the tails. They didn't lived in pods like rest of the merfolk, prefered to life in little family units with others of their race. This lone cecaelia probably found two little sirens and decided to raise them as their own. Lucifer smiled gently thinking about little mismatched family.
Just before all lights dimmed, something big and strong catched him by abdomen and moved away from the wall straight into...
"Holy fuck..."
He was looking at face of the kraken. Massive predators, by some creatures of legends, feeding on a other types of merfolk, sirens included.
This monster was mainly colored red with some black accents, had a fairly ridiculous hairstyle, big ears on the top on his head and big antlers between them. Its mouth was full of a sharp as knifes teeth and eyes were just a small red pupils in sea of black sclera. Lucifer could feel its claves digging into his skin.
He couldn't do anything, just look at the beast with pure terror in his heart. He never regreted his actions so much before. It was first time he ever feel as a prey. It's weird smile unnerved him. He could feel his heart beating in quickened pace and his ears ringing. His thoughts spiraled into unsensical web that didn't helped one bit in thinking about getting out of this situation. All ocean seemed to not exist beside him and the predator who had him in it's grasp.
The kraken tilted it's head a bit, closing his mouth. It's sclera changed to dark red and for a moment it seemed little confused before widering it smile. It didn't seem so frightening as before. To his utmost unbelief he was released, beast's claw leaving only little red scratches on his pearly skin.
Instantly Lucifer tried to flee but he was stopped by monster's hand. This time it seemed almost gentle in trying not to hurt him.
To his frezing surprise, the beast spoken to him.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
It's accent was little weird, it reminded him about human's voice device he hear some time ago on one of his expeditions when he ended up too near human's boat. But he hadn't have many time to wonder about it, he must swim away, escape this monstrous beast. Even if this 'monstrous beast' seem to use the same language he have.
He tried to find escape way but noticed that every exit from this place was covered by gigantic body of the kraken. Lucifer swallowed with anxiety, any words escaping him. He took shaky breath and closed his eyes for a moment. His muscles were all tense and ready for escape. He couldn't just stay silent. He NEEDED to do something...
"Okay, man, I'm sorry I entered your home..." that's was probably taken over from some poor cecaelia-siren family. He was just happy that his voice didn't cracked in the middle. "But I mean no harm! Seriously, I'll just be on my way!"
It just chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, no, no, my dear." It seemed to to be more calm than merely few moments ago. "Tell me, what a little siren like you do in my humble home? I didn't have any visitors in a while." It seemed to be weirdly pleasant for a monstrous beast of legends. Or maybe it should be "him"? It surely doesn't seems to be a female.
"It was just a pure mistake! I promise I'll leave and never come back!" If krakens weren't that mindless as others thought maybe there was some hope. "Just please, don't eat me!" That seemed to just do a trick.
The kraken broken into laughter.
"Oh please, little starfish," his finger touched his side in mockery, "you're barely skin and bones! Why should I even try to eat you! You would hardly be an appetizer!"
Lucifer, against any common sense, felt insulted.
"Excuse me?! Little?! I'm completely normal weight, all you're seeing here are muscles!" He objected, pointing at his slim torso. He didn't even lied, he was training his physique since little kid.
After a moment of dead silence between them Lucifer understood what he even just did. He shivered again, simultaneously everything seemed to be cold and hot. He knew that he could be bad tempered in the past but he just crossed all the lines.
But, to his disbelief, the kraken just laughed again, shaking his head.
"Oh my, you're a riot, my dear. Did you forgot who are you talking to?" It didn't even sounded menacing, more like he was teasing. "Don't fret, starfish. I'm not here to hurt any sirens that don't start problems themself."
It was really hard to believe. To be fair though, he still didn't hurt Lucifer. Maybe he liked to play with his food? Even if so, it was giving him a possibility to escape in one piece. So he reciprocate kraken's smile.
"Sorry, we must've started off on a bad note. I'm Lucifer Morningstar" he introduced himself, secretly glancing for an escape route. The kraken moved a bit away, giving him more space, but the siren doubted that he would be quicker than a giant. To relieve some tension he combed his blond hair with his fingers.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he replied, "I'm Alastor and I can assure you, siren's aren't a part of my menu." He didn't seem to be lying. Lucifer could be often clueless in social situations but he always was able to notice when someone was being untruthful. The siren allowed himself to relax a little.
"It's pleasure to meet you too," obvious lie, "I really didn't know that someone lived in this place. It's an honest mistake." Alastor nodded at his words to show that he was listening. Being blunt, it was a weird feeling to talk with someone so much bigger than him. Lucifer from a tip of the tail to the top of hair was not so much taller than one third of kraken's body. But it means as well that he was more agile. Maybe he had a chance in survival.
"Don't worry. We haven't had any visitors in... Ever." He chuckled. "It's a novelty."
We...?
Lucifer shivered. How many monsters were here?
"But I must warn you..." Kraken's eyes become dark for a moment. "If you try to hurt anyone there you will end up as main course," then he was to normal again. "Anyway, Husk! Niffty!" He turned around causing waves in the water. "Come meet new person!"
To his surprise something very small swam to them from one of the corridors with crazy speed. When it stopped before him he noticed... Small pink siren in dress.
"New person?!" She grabbed him by his arm and looked straight into his face. "I'm Niffty! Nice to meet you!" She moved closer to him and Lucifer automatically moved his head away. "It's been a while since I meet new friends! Are you a bad boy?"
This was too much for him, he moved aside. Just in this moment he noticed another person. It was also a siren, reminding him of mix between catfish and flying fish, but with weird fur covering him. He was obviously older from her and seemed much more composed.
"Husk, nice to meet you," he introduced himself.
Lucifer's thoughts turned to drawing he saw before. Kraken didn't kill those family and it wasn't cecaelia on this picture. Those little mismatched family was kraken and two sirens. He let himself calm a bit. Alastor surely wouldn't eat sirens if he lived with two of them... Right?
"I'm Lucifer. It's nice to meet you all, but maybe... I'll be on my way." He felt really awkward and as such a mess. He rarely meet new people, especially such bizarre group of them.
His eyes came back to the kraken. His smile was still little uncanny but he couldn't be SO bad if he really made a family unit with someone he should consider prey. Lucifer just hoped he didn't judge him wrong.
"Nonsense!" Alastor answered with flourish. He turned around and moved away from the blonde. "You want something to eat? We just hunted a big whale today, we still have a little bit left." Lucifer perked up at his words. He never had whale meat before, but he heard good things about it from other sirens. It also maked sense, the kraken was big enough to hunt and then eat such big animal.
"Well... If you insist," he answered, praying that his curiosity won't be an end of him. He swam to the seats around big table where two other sirens took their places. He smiled to them awkwardly, Niffty bared her fangs in manic expression, and Husk watched him in boredom. Lucifer looked away not wanting to stay in this difficult atmosphere. So his eyes stopped at Alastor.
The kraken was in middle of putting large piece of meat on ridiculously big plate. Blond siren had more time to take a look at him now and... He must've admit, he was kinda handsome.
Lucifer shaked his head a little to stop thinking about stuff like that. Not time and not place. He could feel little embarrased and hot on his face.
"Enjoy," Alastor said, placing big plate on the center of table.
Blond siren looked at smaller plate and utensils in front of him. Niffty and Husk started to eat already so Lucifer decided to help himself and take some of meat as well. The meat smelled divine, still with blood. With interest he took a bite and nearly moaned at the flavour. It was rich and had something that fishes lacked.
"It's delicious!" He commented and then looked at the kraken with stars in his eyes. Alastor seemed very proud of himself.
"I'm glad. You never should let a visitor go hungry, after all." He himself sat on gigantic armchair with big smile on his face. It seemed like he didn't stopped smiling even once since Lucifer meet him. He must admit, it was a little unnerving. "So," he continued, "How did you ended up here, little starfish?" He tilted his head in interest.
"Hey, I'm not so little." Lucifer argued but it was only lighthearted. Other sirens were looking at him, Niffty with interest and Husk with well hidden suspicion. "One of my hobbys is researching new places. I have never been at this trench and when I noticed your shining plants I needed to investigate it." He explained truthfuly. Everyone seemed to relax a little.
"We have those plants to not get lost but if it is so noticeable maybe we should change it..." Wondered Alastor aloud.
"Noone ended up here before, though, " objected Niffty. "Those plants are so pretty! I want to keep them!"
Husk rolled his eyes. "Nifft, safety first, remember?" She only pouted in answer.
Lucifer smiled at their family dynamic, he instantly started to think about his beloved brothers. This thing alone managed to overflow him with warm feeling
"i don't think you need to worry so much," he explained, "not many would dive so far as me today into seemingly empty trench. I only noticed those flowers when chasing one fish, completely by random."
Alastor nodded to him in understanding. "I see. So we should be safe." He grinned, again showing him his lazor sharp teeth. "Not like them would be able to do anything to us anyway."
Lucifer shivered.
There was something really enticing in him.
Blond siren ended up his piece of meat and then standed from his place. "Well, I should go," he announced, easy smile on his face. He already had weird thoughts about this kraken, he should leave before he do something stupid.
"Just be so kind and save our location for yourself, alright?" Alastor could seem to be nice but there was obvious threat.
Lucifer just nodded without any hesitation. "Of course. That's none of their bussiness."
Kraken's smile eased a bit. Husk also seemed to accept his words. Both let him go to the exit of the cave but Niffty stopped him by catching him by his dorsal fin. She had tears in her eyes.
"You already going...?" she asked in quiet, wavy tone "but we just get to know each other..."
Lucifer couldn't left her like that. He turned back, leaned in and petted her head.
"I'm sorry but I can't stay."
"But you will visit us again?" She asked innocently. Blond siren looked lost for a moment. He didn't knew how to answer, he didn't wanted to intrude on them anymore. Luckily Alastor answered for him.
"Of course he'll visit us again," he said, "you're always welcome here." Husk didn't said anything but he also didn't argue. Lucifer nodded to them and then looked at Niffty again.
"You heard Alastor. Of course you will see me again." He petted her head. It was sad that little Niffty had so little contact with others beside her family that she cried when he wanted to leave. He felt a little pain in his heart when thinking about it.
Sirens normally lived in pods, he himself didn't know how bad would be for him being completely alone beside two other people.
With sigh he straighten himself and looked at all of them. He smiled genuinely and waved to them, they returned the gesture. With light heart he swam back to his own family, away from the trench, cave and it's weird dwellers.