Timeline: August 2014
Word Count ~ 2.1k
TW: Blood/Injury
It was funny how one little deviation from what was considered 'normal', regardless of how big or small it was, could be twisted and manipulated against a person to essentially ruin their life. The world was unforgiving to those it considered unnatural, and as one of the unforgiven, XB often struggled to persist in a world that had no love for him.
It was a simple problem, one easily explained but impossible to solve. The humans thought he looked too much like a merperson, the merpeople thought he looked too much like a human, and neither side wanted to claim him as their own. At least the merpeople had begrudgingly permitted him to stay with them, even if they made sure that XB was reminded every single day that he wasn't truly wanted there either.
But XB found ways to make the most of it. The Guardians were always nice to him, letting him spend most of his time at their temple and bringing him food every now and again. Although XB often found himself in the vast grey area between being human and being a merman, it had always been the Guardians he identified most closely with.
They certainly seemed to think of him as one of their own. He shared their cyan scales and orange scales, and unlike the merpeople, they seemed to have no problem with his otherwise humanoid appearance. XB hoped that some day his peers back home (if he could even call it home) would be so accepting, but he knew that it was nothing more than wishful thinking. Things had never changed, they wouldn't ever change, and there was nothing he could do about it.
But that didn't mean that XB wasn't going to try. Hunting was an integral part of the community he was trying so hard to be a part of, but it was nearly impossible for him to do. He couldn't swim as fast as the others to catch fish, and he didn't have the sharp claws and teeth needed to kill them, but he was determined nonetheless to help.
XB didn't fear the fishing boats as much as the others did, and often found himself watching them go by each day. He took note of the way they caught their fish, and in particular the nets they used to do it. Perhaps, XB thought, if he were to create something similar, he would be able to catch fish too, so that was exactly what he did. Sure, the net itself looked awful, but for a first attempt, it wasn't that bad.
He'd waited until the next hunting group were leaving that afternoon, and had eagerly followed behind them. "Hey, do you mind if I come too?" He asked, proudly holding his little net up. "I made a net to help!"
The others had remained silent for a moment, exchanging confused glances as they tried to determine whether or not this was supposed to be a joke. Regardless, they'd merely sighed, replying with an exasperated 'fine'. But XB ignored their vexed expressions, the same way he ignored the whispers they shared amongst each other as they made their way to the hunting grounds, or the contemptuous looks they gave him as he excitedly set up his trap.
Eventually they wandered back to him, one gesturing vaguely at his net. "So... how exactly is this supposed to work?"
Thrilled at the idea of someone showing interest in his contraption, XB had exuberantly launched into his explanation. "Oh, I'm glad you asked! When a fish swims into the net, ideally a larger one or it won't work, it pulls on the rocks holding the corners down, and boom! The net closes around the fish, trapping it in place, and then you guys are free to do the rest and-"
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" One suddenly interrupted, crossing their arms. XB's smile faded, an odd sense of dread settling in when he heard their harsh and seething tone. "Almost reminds me of the ones the humans like you use to catch people like us. And I don't think I like that."
"But I'm not a-"
"We don't care. You're too much like them, and that makes you just as much of a threat to our society. We should have turned you away the moment you turned up here."
XB wasn't sure what to say or do. He'd only wanted to help, to try and make some kind of contribution to the people that hated him, and they hadn't even given him the chance to try. He almost felt foolish, thinking they'd change their minds if he tried hard enough. XB bit back tears, determined at the very least not to let himself cry in front of the people who were already humiliating him.
"Aw, there's no need to make him so sad!" Another exclaimed, giving XB the briefest glimmer of hope, but it was quickly dismissed by the way they laughed just seconds later. "At least let him test out his silly little net, given he worked so hard on it."
For a moment XB was confused, unsure what their words or sarcastic tone were supposed to mean. But then they forcefully shoved him backwards, his head hitting painfully against the rocks behind him. And before he could prevent it, the trap was triggered, closing around him and leaving him unable to move.
XB gasped, the ropes digging into his skin so tightly that he was afraid they might draw blood. He thrashed and writhed in agony, his arms trapped behind his back and his knees pressed against his chest. Lightheaded from the impact of his head slamming against the rocks, black spots blurred his vision as he glanced up with tears in his eyes. The merfolk spared him little more than a glance, rolling their eyes as he tried and failed to escape.
"A shame, isn't it?" One sighed. "Perhaps a thing like you would have been loved somewhere, but we don't take kindly to threats. Best of luck XB, and know that even if you escape that net, you're not welcome back."
That was the last XB heard before his consciousness finally slipped away from him. He didn't try to get up again, to move, escape, or fight against the ropes that bound him. He'd only hurt himself more, and even if he were to escape, what would he do? Where would he go, where out there would he ever be accepted for what he was? There was no point in trying, and perhaps if he were to just lie here forever, he'd be better off than trying to spend that forever searching for the love he'd never be shown.
Eventually, after an unknown amount of time had passed, XB felt something gently nudge against his shoulder. He opened his eyes, and through tears, saw one of the baby Guardians eagerly gnawing at the ropes around him. XB smiled sadly as he watched it try to free him, wishing that he still had the same childlike optimism as the little creature. "It's alright, I don't think I'm getting out of here anytime soon."
The baby Guardian hesitated, before turning around and swimming away as fast as it could. A minute or two later it returned, several adults behind it, and although they were able to make quick work of the net, it did little to cheer XB up. "Thank you... I'm not really sure what to do now."
The baby butted its head against his leg, before motioning to the temple in the distance. "Stay with you? You've all been so nice to me, but I don't think I could do that. Your temple isn't really a good home for someone like me, and besides, I don't think the Elder would appreciate having me around."
Despite what he'd just said, the baby Guardian ducked beneath his arm, staying firmly put and refusing to move. XB was briefly confused, but when a dark shadow passed over their heads not long later, he understood why the Guardians had become so fearful. The ship was bigger than most XB had ever seen, although heavily damaged from some form of conflict, and through the water he could catch the slightest glimpse of looming black sails.
Pirates, supposedly worse than fishermen, but XB didn't see any reason to fear them. Nonetheless, the Guardians seemed far more scared than usual, even the adults retreating behind him at the sight of the ship. "Go back home." He told them. "The Elder will keep you safe, and I'll come back and tell you when it's gone."
The Guardians wasted little time in swimming away, and true to his word, XB stayed and watched the boat. Large ships rarely came out here, only arriving once every few months to deliver food and supplies to the isolated fishing village ashore, but XB had never seen pirates before. From what he knew, they often partook in robbery, arson and a whole manner of things that humans considered immoral, but he couldn't figure out why they'd want to come here.
The fishing village was at least another 4 or 5 miles away, but even then, it surely couldn't be worth looting. XB had only ventured close to it once or twice, fearing he'd be treated like a monster by the townsfolk, but from what he'd seen of the place, it was nothing more than a sleepy little settlement without much to offer. XB couldn't for the life of him understand what pirates would want to do with such a place.
That was when the body was thrown into the water.
The ship didn't stop moving, its crew making no attempt to retrieve the person who'd just landed in the sea and was slowly sinking down into its depths. XB watched from a distance, unsure whether to stay safe and hidden or to get closer and try to investigate. Humans couldn't breathe down here, right? Even if the person was alive, they wouldn't be for much longer.
XB found himself conflicted, unsure whether to risk his safety for someone he didn't know or watch a person die knowing he could have done something about it. The pirates certainly weren't coming back for their crewmate, and XB seemed to be the only thing standing between them and an untimely death. Finally, he decided that if this person did something that made a bunch of murdering criminals want them dead, perhaps they weren't that bad of a person.
That was what XB told himself, and that was what he was going to keep telling himself to try and justify what he was about to do. Not wanting to waste the precious seconds the human had left, XB swam towards them as fast as he could, his arms and legs still aching from what the net had done to him. Yet despite the pain of his cuts and bruises, he persisted, determined to try and save the life of this human.
At last XB caught a hold of them, immediately attempting to pull them back up to where they could breathe. The salt water seeped into his cuts, painfully stinging every inch of his body as his tired muscles ached and he struggled to keep a hold of the human. He barely made it, pulling their head above water and anxiously waiting for a sign that they were still alive.
Slowly but surely, they began to breathe, coughing up some of the water they'd inhaled but remaining unconscious. XB's shoulders sank in relief, and looked around for a better place to bring the human. Even though they were alive and breathing, XB could see them shaking with the cold. There was a peninsula not too far from here, far enough from the village as to not be seen but close enough that he could make it there in time.
Trying to keep the human's head above water was more difficult than XB had expected, but he'd come this close to saving them and couldn't stop now. The pirate ship faded into the distance behind him as he pulled the human ashore, and once he was certain that they were safe, he too collapsed onto the sandy beach in exhaustion. Every inch of XB's body seemed to scream in agony, but when he looked over at the human and knew that they were safe and alive, the pain wasn't all that bad anymore.
Just a little note to say that updates may be slow/inconsistent in the coming weeks. I'm going back to school tomorrow and it might be hard to stay on top of writing this
- Xan