Norr Bay, 7 Ashan, Arc 716
Unblinking eyes watched the Bay. Watched the ships go in and out. Taloned hands flexed in frustration. Too many to attack alone, and he felt too many of the damned Biqaj, oh so beloved of U'frek. Rends mouth opened in silent frustration, rows of sharp serrated teeth bared at the world. U'frek who loved and looked after his own and let Chrien ran rampant, left the Mer to their abandonment. To the depths with all the Immortals! Let them feed the Leviathans! The Leviathans had been here before them, and they would be here after. That thought was comforting, and the Mer relaxed slightly, mouth closing once more, though his jagged teeth were always on display.Still, with their surveillance he could not even go in too close. They would be after him, chasing him away with harpoons or their damned cannons. Instead he lurked on the outskirts, in the deeper parts where they could not go, where by the time their weapons reached him he would have moved. His tail moved back and forth slowly, keeping him in place regardless of current or tide, and he watched, and he waited.
This island.
They were so smug. So sure of themselves. Going about their lives as if they hadn't a care in the world. Using ships to move things from one side to the other. Ships! Over his ocean! As if they had any right. They had everything! Immortals, each other, the ability to go wherever they wanted, to build as they would, and still they took and took and wanted. The Mer had been allowed one corner, one home where they could subsist and even there they had to always move, flee, ensure that they stayed away from their creator and her hatred. The ocean was the only thing that was theirs. Others might choose to turn a blind eye to what went on along its surface, Rend would not.
He could feel the familiar indignation, the rage rising. Wrapping him in a blanket of insidiously attractive warmth. Spill enough blood, it whispered, and you can right all the wrongs. Deal with the other races first. Grow strong on their blood. Grow strong and one day the entire ocean will be yours. No one will be able to encroach upon it. No one will challenge. Not even Chrien.
Rend did not have a patron Leviathan to offer his love to. He did not have a leader to follow. He did not have an entire tribe to be reassured by, to find comfort and belonging. But he had his hate.
A smaller ship was leaving the bay. He darted forward from his spot, shadowing along beneath it, swimming upside down, studying it. He'd been here for days. Watching. Did he know this ship? Yes. It was one of the smaller fishing vessels. Teeth made a brief appearance again in frustration and disgust before he turned, going back to his post once more. While they had no right to fish, taking food from the Mer who had nowhere else to get it, he did not want to kill more fishermen. No. That wasn't true. He wanted to kill all the fishermen. He wanted to kill everyone. But the only people who seemed to care about fishermen were other fishermen. If he wanted to get his point across, he was going to need to target others.
Perhaps he'd kill them if they were still on the water after he found a better target. A newer boat. Small enough that he could breach it alone, but large and well cared for enough that perhaps it belonged to someone of some import. Chances were that the damned Navy would be dispatched after his first attack however, so that one had to be made to count.
Several breaks passed. More fishing boats went out. Some of the larger trading vessels. Those caused flashes of anger from the Mer again. They were perfect targets, but too large for him. Perhaps if he'd had a tribe to work with.. But he did not, so he was forced to let them pass. Finally, finally he found his target.