It was another typical day for the two mermaids, Xelene and Lyressa, who were gliding swiftly through the deep waters they were familiar with. They were on their daily routine of roving across the vast expanse of the ocean, which provided them with an endless amount of places to explore or sights to see. This was especially true during the middle of the day -- such as it was for them now -- when the sun was at its brightest, its rays cutting through the water and illuminating many of its wonders.
The ever-curious mermaid duo eagerly anticipated their return to a coral reef from the previous day, its mysteries having remained uninvestigated.
Both of their long, finned tails undulated gracefully, propelling them with ease through the sea. They didn't slow for a moment, with each passing minute one that could be better allocated towards making new discoveries. On occasion, they would even have a playful race to see who could arrive first. Lyressa often won these little contests, as she was somewhat smaller and thus more agile.
But there was something unexpectedly new above them, floating gently overhead on the water's surface. Its distinct shape and green color were difficult to miss, and caught the corner of Lyressa's eye while she swam.
She paused her movements and squinted upward to try and get a better glimpse of the odd sight. There was a large wooden plank, unremarkable on its own... another random piece of common flotsam. What was hanging from the plank, however, was what really piqued Lyressa's curiosity.
Legs. Two massive green legs, dusted with black hair, were dangling in the water from the end of the plank. It was the lower half of a large, green humanoid -- unlike anything Lyressa had seen -- and seemingly attached to the plank, unmoving. From this angle underwater, it was a complete mystery whether it could be alive or dead. But Lyressa quickly decided that she had to find out more about this strange being. Many questions were unanswered and she simply had to take a closer look!
Her hand snapped out to grab the passing tail of her friend, Xelene, halting her from swimming further. Xelene stopped in place, turning her head to meet Lyressa's, raising a brow.
Tilting her chin towards the surface, Lyressa gave a gesturing point with her hand towards the plank and its big inhabitant.
Xelene's eyes widened at the most unusual sight. Shaking her tail free, she looked back to Lyressa and motioned for her to follow. The two of them spiraled up through the water, approaching the plank but cautiously keeping it at a safe distance. They had enough prior encounters
with dangerous humans to know the importance of remaining vigilant first and foremost.
They broke the surface with a resounding splash, heads barely poking out from the water and assessing the situation. Three things became immediately obvious: the green individual was definitely male, he was unconscious, and he was much bigger than the two of them. His upper body was sprawled onto the plank, showcasing his muscle-rippled back and bulging arms which -- much like his legs -- were dappled by thick patches of black scruffy hair. His massive form was rising and falling gently, with each slow breath the only indication to the mermaids that he wasn't already dead. His brawny hands were loosely clinging to the top of the plank, barely providing the oversized individual with the stability to remain on top of it.
The two mermaids took a minute to just gape at the visual spectacle that was this hulking green being. They exchanged excited glances, both on the same page of being intrigued by who or what he was. Xelene was the first to boldly move in.
She fluttered closer, around the plank to the spot where the green male's head was pressed flat on its side. Lyressa remained floating in place, biting her lip and paying close attention to both her friend and the stranger.
Xelene rounded the plank slowly, getting the opportunity to finally gaze upon the male's resting face.
His broad cheek was shoved against the wood, and a pink tongue was rolled out between two jutting tusks and a set of fat lips. His closed eyes were small, but everything else surrounding them was bigger and well-defined. This included his stubbled, square jaw, bulbous nose, and thick, bushy eyebrows. While perhaps not handsome in the common sense, his rugged features were extremely masculine and aligned well with the rest of his muscular body.
Xelene had never seen someone quite like this green being. She had met a few different humans, but they were always slim in muscle or height and often resembled many of the mermen she was familiar with. And that familiarity was frankly boring to her.
But as her eyes poured over his features and she sized up that bulky body and rather disheveled face... she could feel her pulse quickening and an overwhelming urge to touch him, his slumbering form pulling at her like a magnet.
"He's so... big." She blurted out, breaking the silence and looking over at Lyressa with a thrilled grin.
Lyressa's worry quickly subsided to share in her friend's excitement of the moment. She was born mute but needed no spoken words to express the elation from this fresh discovery, beaming with joy, her blue eyes glittering in the sunlight.
She slipped closer to the opposite side of Xelene, where the green male's waist dipped into the water. Her eyes tiptoed down his broad back to his submerged rear, where a heavy black loincloth covered him -- the only clothing he wore. Her gaze wandered lower to the back of his thighs, where she recoiled in alarm upon seeing that the water was bloodied around each of the girthy legs. She wildly waved her hand to begin to signal this to Xelene when suddenly... he moved. Or rather, slipped.
His unconscious body had gently rocked sideways off of the plank which barely held him in the first place. He began to fall like a stone deeper into the water, his arms and legs dragging helplessly.
