(O) Ghost Shark

He'd heard of the Maw from sailors at the Port, murmured rumors caught as he'd walked along the wharves, seeking information on something more that might help the Grounders during LongNight. It hadn't been what he'd been seeking, but it had piqued his curiosity enough that one afternoon he took a break from preparations in the grounds and hurried to Torchline to investigate on his own.

White-feathered wings carried him over the rolling sea, his precious blue crystal caught in his beak, always with him these days. Isuma soared below him, fascinated by the endless expanse of blue beneath them, broken only by the Kuali'i Isles that they passed over. The raven was beginning to wonder how fast they'd have to fly when a dark smudge in the water on the horizon caught his attention and he angled towards it.

The smudge grew large, broader, and more mysterious as it resolved into a darkness in the waters below, ominous from his vantage - but enticing as well. So many questions it posed, so many secrets it must hold...

He circled lower and then lower still, drawn to try and see beneath the impenetrable surface of the sea as the sun beat down upon it. Isuma peeped a warning and he tried to pull up, realizing too late that he'd gotten too close-

The wave splashed over him and dragged him down, inundating his feathers in a heartbeat, a raven's plumage no match for being submerged in saltwater. He tried to cough, but the stone fell from his beak and he panicked, stroking his wings through the water as the current carried him about. He couldn't lose the pretty blue gem, not now!

His chest burned with the need for air but he ignored it for the moment, seeking a shape that wasn't so helpless against the waves. He felt his wings shortening, his body lengthening, and he moved more fluidly through the water, chasing the falling stone as it glittered against the depths.

He caught it carefully in his mouth, barely tasting the salt in the water, and realized only then that his mouth was far too large, and had too many teeth. The burning in his chest was gone, and he swam through the water in shock, trying to reach the surface, only to find himself moving faster and more smoothly through the waves than he'd ever thought possible. From the corner of his eye he caught the flicker of a wickedly long and sharp shark's tail behind him, and he realized with a start that he was its owner, a sleek, pale white ghost of a shark in the deep blue sea.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

He’s hunting. But for what, he’s not entirely sure. Perhaps just a place to take out his rage in the skin and flesh of something he knows won’t attack him, unlike the nyala in the jungle. This place, this space is carved out for him, to rampage and war with himself and get out the frustration of the attack on Nate, of the helplessness in helping the Ascended.

And so he hunts, because that’s all he can do with this restlessness.

He can feel the shift of the waves, the disturbance of the surface, and he pulls himself up a small amount from the depths — large sleek black body darting through with well practiced maneuvers, fins splayed out in a swift trajectory toward it. He half expects it to be a bird of some sort, collapsing and falling through the waves, but there’s nothing to be seen. Nothing aside from a smaller shark with a long fin, and Sunjata’s frustration blending into the whale behavior of his.

His swimming quickens, the water dappling along his sleek black and white body, marred to hell and back with shark bites not too unlike the ones this shark could cause. And he aims right toward the shark, sharp teeth aimed to grab onto the tail that ribbons out.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

It was not the first time he'd found himself in a new body with new sensory organs, but the lateral line of this body was almost overwhelming in the information it relayed to his brain on the movement of the water around him, disturbances caused by other fish, by a great, slow presence nearby, by the great displacement coming at him from behind—

Jigano twisted as he gave himself over to his new body’s instincts, powerful muscles running the length of his torpedo-shaped torso propelling him at speeds that would have been breathtaking had he breathed the way he was used to. Water rushed over and through his gills, pushing energy into his streamlined body as he dove down, down into the dark and the depths, a flickering streamer of silver in the dimming light.

And his call through the alien waters through the Beastmaster web caught and held an unexpected bounty: a bull sperm whale feeding nearby, unnoticed by a bird above the waves but sensed now by a shark’s exquisite receptors – that slow bulk he’d noticed before. The big male turned, powerful tail propelling it towards the orca as it worked itself up to ramming speed to dissuade the smaller ocean predator from its feeding grounds, called and compelled to the thresher shark’s defense.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

The shark isn’t the only one attuned to the shifts and bodies within the water. And as Sunjata reaches out with his large head to try and bite onto Jigano’s tail, he can sense the swelling approach of something large moving like a bullet through the water. And so he changes his course much like the shark does, spotting the bull sperm whale with shadowed steel eyes. And something’s off.

So he dives, trying to evade the bull, but this body isn’t quite as fast or agile as he wished it to be. It rams into his tail, sending Sunjata spinning through the water with a sickening crack - enough force that the man’s orca body begins to shift as blinding pain shoots through him and he struggles to keep his shift in tact so he can breathe and not drown. The sharp pain shoots through every inch of him, through his mind, through his unguarded attuned bond, and he floats momentarily in the stillness, beginning to sink before he starts to shake his head to try and clear his fogging mind.

Fuck. He’d promised Nate he wouldn’t get into anything dangerous, and here he was with a fucking sperm whale attempting to get him, so out of character for them he can’t quite understand.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

Flight, his instincts told him, the new shift overwhelming his senses and driving him to depths no mammal could safely follow. But such a retreat took time, precious seconds that stretched out as the orca remained close on his long, long tail and the whale he'd called for help built up speed of its own.

He wasn't prepared for the pain that flared through the bond, so sharp and sudden he thought it was his own for a panicked moment as the wake of the sperm whale knocked him about, nearly dropping the precious stone again as it clattered against his teeth. It took another moment to realize it had come from elsewhere - from behind him - and the black and white predator that had been chasing him with such malice.

Wait! he called through the Beastmaster link and Attuned bond both, twisting to see what was happening behind him. The bull whale fought the command, the instincts Jigano had inflamed to protect its territory from the orca encroacher unwilling to calm so swiftly, but the bard's will was iron and the whale floated on inertia, turning only to keep the injured killer whale in its sight.

Given a moment to think and actually look at what - at who - had been chasing him, Jigano had to suppress an internal growl. He'd seen that tail before, and it wasn't one he was fond of these days. Sunjata.

And gods but it was tempting to help the sperm whale finish what the Arbiter had begun.

Instead he swam a little closer, pressing the stone against the back of his teeth with his tongue as he focused on speaking through it.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

A sound erupts in Sunjata’s mind, a sharp and familiar tone that has him grimacing against the pain to his fin and rattling within his mind. He floats a few seconds more, before his body is twisting, moving a small amount as he tries to regain his equilibrium, steel eyes scouting for the sperm whale – trying to pinpoint where the voice had come from. And there – approaching, he can both spot the sperm whale as it stills almost abruptly, the white shark that drifts up toward him. Jigano? He calls out in the attuned bond.

What the actual fuck.

Here he was simply wanting to fuck with some sharks, and of course it had to be jigano of all people. Please tell me you’re the one with the whale. He questions somewhat drily, even as his fins move a small amount to drift him closer to the surface of the water to grab some air after the whale had rammed most of it out of him.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

The slender thresher shark moved gracefully through the ocean, swimming slowly and marveling at the differences in this shape and how easily the water parted for him. Now that he wasn't afraid of either drowning or being eaten, he had a chance to truly feel the power inherent in his new wave-cutting form, and only Sunjata's presence to put a damper on the wonder that he wished he could give himself over to.

Is that what it is? he asked curiously, making a path towards the big bull as he soothed its temper and apologized to the big predator for disturbing its lunch. I've never seen one from this angle before. Only blow holes above the waves as he flew overhead. Care to explain why you're attacking random Attuned out minding their own business? He paused his swimming alongside the whale to turn a circle in the water, trying to see back along his own length and get a sense of what he looked like now.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

The question of the creature being a whale garners a pause from Sunjata as he fights with the frustration burning within him at the soreness of his fin. Yeah. Sperm whale. He rumbles by way of explanation. There’s been plenty along the beaches of Korofi, along with a variety of other whale types. But he disregards those thoughts as he reaches the surface, curling through the water as he breathes, grabbing another lungful of air before pushing himself a small distance away from the bull.

Jigano’s question of what he’s doing out here has his steel gaze turning back, the water above dappling over plenty of shark bites that marred his skin now. How was I supposed to know you were an attuned? As far as Sunjata knew, he’d only seen the raven, the dragon, and possibly the fox. Everything else was as good a guess as any. Let alone the fact you have a water shift. Another surprise, honestly.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

There was a moment's hesitation. ...A what kind of whale? the bard asked, tone carefully neutral, certain he must have misheard. Or perhaps Sunjata was making some sort of crass joke? It didn't seem like the sort of thing he would do though, especially not with Jigano or while in pain.

Swimming the length of the whale again, he gently nudged it with his mind, pushing it back to its interrupted feeding. Sunjata's retort earned a sardonic mental snort as the thresher swam through the water in a long arc, testing himself at a more leisurely pace now that the threat was (at least momentarily) neutralized. I'm as surprised as you are, about the shift, he admitted. But there are merfolk in these waters, too. As long as we're guests in their home it seems only polite to check on who - or what - you're attacking. Kill one of their pets or companions on accident and you could cause Remi a lot of problems. Or, gods forbid, one of the merfolk themselves. So I ask again: why did you do it?

He wrestled internally for a moment, and then suppressed another sigh. And... do you still avoid magical healing? Or would you like me to patch you up?

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

A sperm whale. Sunjata repeats, turning his steel gaze back to the shark, fanning his fins out as he shifts his attention back to the whale. He doesn’t know why they’re called that, just that they are. But the thought passes as soon as Jigano starts speaking next and Sunjata’s steel gaze shifts toward the shark, a bit more narrowed.

The merfolk are currently hanging out near Haulani. They’re not this far out. He offers, withdrawing the information of his presence and shift being known to the merfolk anyway, based off his encounter with Delta and his role in the government. But it’s not worth arguing about, not here in the water this far out in the Maw. Besides, I wasn’t aiming to kill you. Just handed off my thoughts to the shift, and it wanted to fuck around. It’s an honest answer. Orcas were considered the wolves of the sea, doing things out of sheer spite and bloodied amusement.

Even if Jigano suppresses his sigh, Sunjata doesn’t as he spins in the water to peer at his tail, at the pain that drifts through the fin. Usually yes. But I can’t really afford to as of late. It’s a begrudging response, an acceptance.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

So he had heard Sunjata correctly the first time. With anyone else he might have made a quip or probed for more information, morbidly curious as to the root of that name, but this was neither the person nor the time for such luxuries and Jigano focused instead on releasing the bull from his compulsion after making sure it wouldn't be too upset by the orca's presence nearby.

The bard had his doubts that all the merfolk were near Haulani; Delta had made it sound like her trips near shore were the exception, not the norm, but unlike the Arbiter Jigano hadn't come out here looking for a fight today. He let that pass, and the next comment, too, unsurprised to learn that Sunjata's shifts were bullies by nature...

Though a flicker of self-reflection reminded him of his own problems controlling his temper when the dragon was roused, and he simply rumbled a neutral acceptance of the explanation.

Oh? Well enough, if the Korofi man had learned to stop wallowing in his misery. The thresher shark swam towards the surface, wondering how far he'd have to shift back before his magic worked. It would be an interesting experiment, at least; something to be gained from the awkward encounter. When you're ready, then. He floated at the surface, fin slicing the water - and almost yelped as Isuma's tiny talons gripped it, scolding him in a torrent of peeps and reeps for scaring her like that.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

Honestly, he’s thankful when Jigano doesn’t pry further, when his hold over the sperm whale releases and the creature leaves them to themselves. It’s one small thing among the many as of late that helps settle his blood pressure once more. His steel gaze slides over toward Jigano to give him his full attention, the announcement of him not quite being able to heal entirely normal — not with Nate the way he was.

So his large body slips through the water to follow the shark, his own dorsal fin cutting the surface, missing a piece from one of those shark attacks. He angles himself, however, slightly curved to keep an eye on Jigano, while the tail fin settles in the water toward the shark. Still recovering from getting stabbed in the gut and shot in the neck, so. It’s somewhat of an explanation, a feeling akin to a shrug of his shoulders before the orca’s head is dipping a small amount in the water. Thanks.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

In truth, Jigano was not looking forward to regaining anything resembling a human shape here in these broad-waved waters that plunged below to fathoms uncounted. He was frail, and small, and not nearly a strong enough swimmer to survive long upon these waters without the strength of his other shapes to fall back on, but - perhaps Safrin had a point, after all. Serving life came as naturally to him as serving death, and however he felt about Sunjata these days it wasn't enough for him to withhold Healing if the other man would accept it.

However much it served him right for trying to take a bite out of Jigano's tail in the first place.

Would you like those Healed as well, as long as you're enduring it? I can leave the scars behind, if you'd like, he offered formally of the other injuries Sunjata listed.

It was a page from the other man's book that the bard took then, reaching for the heart of his shift and only partially twisting his form so that he maintained a shark's bottom half and a human's upper one, though hairless and covered in sharkskin still. Isuma perched precariously on his shoulder, watching Sunjata suspiciously from golden eyes. Jigano flexed his fingers and laid them on the thick, smooth blubber of the orca's tail, focusing his magic through the palms of his hands as the silent song rose sweet and clear within his soul, golden magic twisting down his arms and into the Arbiter's body. The jewel sat heavy on his tongue, warmed by his body heat but salty enough to make him long for a drink.

As soon as the deed was done he shifted back to his full shark form and dived, Isuma taking wing skyward again as Jigano rolled through water and marveled at the feel of his gills filtering water for stuff to breath that wasn't air. So. Stabbed and shot at? Sounds as though you've been busy.

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

The other injuries being healed do cause a moment of consideration for Sunjata as the orca flexes his tail for Jigano to work with. They’re fine. Thanks though. Comes the soft decline – too tired and too much in pain to really grow feisty about it. But if those wounds magically healed and he were to go home, he only imagines what Nate might think about that – with the situation the Ascended was currently in. It causes him to sigh, a puff of air clouding from his back as he grabs another deep inhale and settles while Jigano’s magic flows through him.

And when it’s over, Sunjata can’t help but to pulse his gratitude down the bond toward the other man, before his sleek black body is following after the shark – giving ample space but still glancing around to the corals and other fish that have appeared nearby. Mm, unfortunately. Stabbed while stopping theft. He sends down the bond before a shake of his tail. Trying to lower the crime here. A small addition before his steel gaze finds the pale shark again. What about you?

in the moonlight

SuNJATA