Naoki’s muscles constrict as he stills. It’s right there; the one thing he’s always wanted to see again; it’s right in front of him and qixa, he’s so fucking scared. After all that effort, here he is, at the mercy of the most terrifying creature of the Kalypsian seas. His hands shake, the handle of the knife digging into his palm. He’s frozen, unable to pull his eyes away from the sight ahead of him. 

Its muzzle is taut, speckled with glittering grey scales. Like a salmon, Naoki thinks as he eyes the hook on its lips. As he does, its mouth opens, forked tongue peeking out. Holding his breath, he watches as its eyes dilate, black bleeding into the orange. He knows he’s fucked. There’s no way Naoki could ever escape a siren who has determined him its prey, let alone outswim it. In his panic, the knife slips, just a little, but enough to alert the creature facing him. Raising its lip, it bares his teeth, revealing two rows of sharpened fangs; the rubbery skin on its nose wrinkling. Seconds pass. Fighting his fear, Naoki wills his body to remain still. No sudden movements, Naoki. Mu tut kau, please.

Crimson streaks pull his eyes downward. There it is — the wound he spotted as it attacked. It looks gruesome, painful, resembling the strung up fish at the docks, grotesquely cut up all around the siren’s shoulder. His eyes widen as he realises just what happened. 

A hook protrudes out of its midst, buried into its skin. 

Naoki almost gasps out the last bits of air within his lungs when the pieces connect. He presses his lips shut, heart hammering against his chest. He wants to run; to get back to the surface as quickly as possible. The handle of his weapon digs into the burn on his palm. He imagines fleeing, surviving long enough to get back to his boat. With his heart in his throat, he makes it back home, burdened with the knowledge that he left the one creature he’s loved ever since he was a kid to die — he can’t.

He can’t do it.

He makes his decision. Despite the blackened eyes on him, he raises his other hand in a silent gesture. Words can’t help him here; wouldn’t help him anyway with a creature that can’t understand him. Without averting his eyes, he slowly moves the knife towards it. The siren puffs up, fins flaring up in warning. Out of its mouth, angry clicks echo throughout the water. For just a moment, Naoki’s vision blurs; his head swims. Stay up all night before going out to meet a siren, amazing idea, you noca, he thinks, hand coming to a halt. 

The clicks still. Trying to clear his vision, Naoki keeps blinking until the creature’s face manifests ahead of him again.

When it does, dilated eyes turn into slits, startling amber regarding him in curiosity. Its head tilts, just a little; fins still on alert. The waves seem to still, as if the ocean itself is regarding them with bated breath. His own stutters in his chest, almost run out; the burn spreading towards his ribcage. It’s waiting, Naoki thinks, watching, understanding just what Naoki is trying to do. Unimaginable intelligence shines in its coral eyes. It’s trusting me. 

The realisation fills Naoki with the determination he needs. His hand continues forward, his whole body tilting towards the siren’s injured shoulder. A faint growl, somewhere, a warning, but he isn’t deterred. The rope first, he thinks, eyeing the way it winds around its arm, clearly cutting into flesh and limiting its movement. Here goes nothing. Wrapping his arm around the creature’s shoulder in an almost hug, he reaches for the rope with shaking hands. He tries to ignore the teeth pointing in his direction, too close for comfort, too sharp not to kill him within seconds and begins to cut through the rope.

It’s not sharp enough; fabric fraying and splitting instead of cutting through. Naoki swallows away the lump in his throat, elevating the pain in his chest for a few peaceful seconds. The fibers loosen, more and more, smaller and smaller; the string pulls taut. Naoki’s heart pumps, one, two, one, two, one, two; his throat convulses. He presses the knife down, down and down and then it cuts.

Free.

The siren yerks back, its tail hitting Naoki’s chest as it turns. His body is thrown back, mouth opening in surprise; his heart nearly stills as the air leaves his lungs in a myriad of bubbles. Fueled by nothing but instinct, Naoki reaches up to pull the water downwards and kicks out. It’s erratic, the movement dictated only by the years he’s spent diving through this very ocean. Gais mii Ohy, he thinks and finally breaks through the surface.

Air floods his lungs as his mouth opens in a desperate gasp. Chest stuttering, he only just manages to force his body through the water and towards his boat. He pulls himself up with weakened arms and then collapses onto the stern. 

Hunching over, he takes a gasping inhale. Violent coughs wrack his body; chest twitching as he nearly chokes on his own saliva. The water he swallowed earlier pools up in his throat; it rises until it’s spilling past his lips. He spits and coughs until his lungs burn and his mouth turns numb. When his arms finally give out from underneath him, he rolls onto his back. 

And breathes.