The Shark's Pearl
Hii! I know it's been a while since I posted to Literotica. Life and writer's block had really gotten in the way, but lately, I've been able to resolve a couple of things, and my creative juices are flowing again. I'm working on finishing existing projects, but started a few new ones. If you follow me on AO3, you will have seen these. I am also working on my novel which hopefully comes out next year, whoo.
When I started writing erotica, I knew that monsterotica was something I was going to want to explore. And no, I'm not talking about my Teuthids (although I suppose technically, they would be included in this erotic genre) and recently watching the One Piece live-action series on Netflix gave me some ideas because of Arlong. Now that's one sexy sharkman, and yes, Arlong inspired this lovely new tale you see before you. Funny what sources you can draw from for inspiration, haha. (also, be sure to check out that show, it's pretty great. It also got me interested in the anime which meant more Arlong for me to simp over, LMAO)
This is set in a world that has a lot of islands of varying sizes, some people never leave the islands they were born in, but sailing is a pretty big industry, and having a strong navy/fleet is important to those interested in seizing or maintaining power. Because of the importance of water in the world, some have developed the ability to manipulate water, particularly sea demons, but it is possible for humans to touch upon and use the magic of the sea if they have enough of a gift. (Call this magic, if you will)
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The Sapphire Isles were once known for their rich sapphire deposits, but the mines and pickings dwindled many decades ago, and the people supported themselves with farming and trade. Despite the loss of its wealth, the isles maintained their name, with the four biggest islands also named after the directions of the compass.
North Sapphire knew its history, but as it was often said, the greatest wealth came from the sapphire-hued sea. For what did a cold, hard sapphire do other than provide a bit of decoration? The sea provided sustenance, and its rich blue hue lent itself well to the name.
It was also just enough out of the way that it was not part of most trade routes, so the islanders lived a relatively quiet life, traveling between the different islands if at all. Her friend's grandfather ran the North Sapphire shipyard but was limited to mostly fishing boats and the occasional merchant ship in need of repair.
So when a hulking monster of a ship was spotted on the horizon, there was surprise and consternation. There'd been whispers and rumors of a man who claimed he was going to become the Emperor of the Sea, employing sea demons to do his bidding. The elders of the island had dismissed it, saying that history was full of upstarts who failed at this monumental undertaking.
Shanan stared at the vessel through the telescope her friend had just handed her as they stood there on the slope near the top of the hill. The prow resembled a set of shark's teeth.
No one on the Sapphire Isles did not know what a boat was, and that word was not adequate for what she saw before her, cutting through the sea with purpose, dark red and black, the outline of a sawnosed fish emblazoned in crimson on the main sail. If she aimed her telescope downward, she could see people bustling about in panic and preparation. There was a handful of soldiers on the island, but most of them were simply civilians living quiet lives. That was what this place was supposed to be about, so out of the way that ambitious people would overlook it like a crumb on a banquet table.
The ship slowed as it approached, and there were no weapons on display, nor did men jump out of it to swim through the water to attack them.
To the shock and relief of the island, the ship merely anchored itself near the shipyard, giving the villagers a better look at it. It was massive and hulking, and Shanan had no doubt it would crush even the biggest of the island's fishing vessels if it was unfortunate enough to get in the way. A rowboat was launched from the ship with several people. They talked with the mayor and his aides who had come out to meet them. Shanan could not know what they were saying and had to give the telescope back to her friend. Even without the spyglass, the ship was very much visible, casting the shipyard in its shadow. The name of the ship did not offer any encouragement to the islanders -- Deathsaw seemed the sort of thing that could only portend doom.
The ship did not move any closer for two days, but supplies were bought and paid for and ferried out to the immense vessel on rowboats by the crew members of the ship. Naturally, tongues were wagging. Why was the ship here? Was it but the first of more? Why did it not move on? Who was the captain? What were the shadows that moved from the ship in the night?
The people who had come from the ship were tight-lipped in their responses to such questions. The villagers moved around on alert, wondering what lurked within the ship.
It turned out to be sea demons. Or fishmen, or fish monsters, depending on who you were talking to. Some might even call them mermen, but many fishmen had an appearance far more savage than the handsome mermen one normally saw in pictures in books or paintings.
As soon as the first one emerged from the ship, many of the onlookers despaired. The reputation of sea demons was truly frightful, and even if many rumors were exaggerated, just looking at them gave plenty of reason for caution. There were about two dozen of these sea demons, with varying fishlike features, and the shortest of the pack was still a couple of heads taller than the tallest man in the village. Broad shoulders and powerful frames anchored powerful fists and fearsome scowls. Some villagers ran for the hills. This seemed to amuse the leader of the pack, a behemoth with impossibly broad shoulders and a long nose with jagged edges that jutted out from his face.
He looked to be the essence of nightmares as he grinned down at the mayor, jagged rows of teeth revealed as he pulled his lips back. His ebony hair was pulled back in a thick, wild ponytail that split to make way for the sharp dorsal fin that stood just below the nape of his neck. His gills stood out like jagged gashes against the gray of his skin.
Shanan stood quietly among the others. The humans from the ship had sent a message from the captain for a formal meeting. She stood under the veranda roof of her friend's family home, observing from a distance as the pack of sea demons made their way up the street to the community hall where a banquet awaited them.
"If they decide to attack us, we're fucked," Tezi whispered once the men had passed by and disappeared past the gate.
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