#(Giant Shark Bite rolls: 18 TH 19 DMG halved to 10 by Guardian Grasp)

[jharvas]

Day: February 6th Time: Afternoon Place: Off the coast of Arx Status: Closed (Self-Para)

To save his own life, Jharvas would have to kill. At least, that’s what his tribe used to tell him, the rest of their young, as part of their training. He was especially told that numerous times, more times than any of his peers, because of his inability to speak without Kiora, his friend and companion through only whose mouth he could. When he became a soldier, a warrior, for his tribe, he was well-prepared to heed their words. To save his own life, more importantly that of others, the triton would have to kill.

Those exact words filled his mind deep below the waters off the coast of Arx as he found himself staring down a giant shark, scarred and still voracious, having put himself between the predator and its prey, a fisher who asked for his protection while she dove for treasures unknown. To think that any treasure can be worth anyone’s life might sicken those against greed, but this one, a bounty of pearls from unsuspecting clams, the fisher’s only method to feed her child, can be excused.

In these depths, the giant shark reigned. It commanded respect, mostly fear, from those that find themselves foolish enough to trespass in its waters, yet Jharvas himself is no stranger to any sea, any ocean. The triton is protected, at the very least watched over, by an ancient power that has ruled more seas, more oceans, for more years, more decades, more centuries than all the sharks of this world can ever hope to swim in. Yet, while Kiora in the form of an octopus watches over the fisher behind Jharvas, the triton could find no more confidence to kill the shark than sympathize with its primal hunger.

“My friend, please reconsider...” Jharvas tried to persuade the beast to leave them be, appealing to its sense of logic and enmity through his patron’s grace. “We are not your enemies. We cannot be your prey. I do not wish to harm you, but if you decide to do anything rash, I will have to respond in kind.”

The shark should have understood his words, though he did not speak them with Kiora’s mouth. He directly communicated with the predator through its mind. The shark could have responded in the same method. Yet, it did not. It simply stared at Jharvas, its cold eyes filled with hunger, the most basic of urges, the most primal source of violence for all creatures. 

And then it lunged at him, jaws wide open, sharp teeth bared and primed to rip at the triton’s flesh. Jharvas instinctively shielded himself with his right arm, and for a split-second, had the presence of mind to will his patron’s tentacle to grab the shark’s tail to keep it from fully tearing his arm off, the same tentacle he had created earlier through his patron’s grace while pleading with the shark. Still, the triton could do nothing else but wince as the predator’s fangs dug in what it could of his flesh.

Jharvas swam back as the shark overpowered his conjured limb, forcing it to dissipate into nothingness once more, back to his patron’s own underwater realm. He narrowed his eyes at the predator, speaking directly to its mind once more. “I am sorry, my friend, but you have left me with no choice.”

Suddenly, the waters behind the shark started to form a vortex, a whirlpool, and as its current grew stronger by the minute, it started to pull the shark back towards it. Jharvas nodded and Kiora heard his voice in her head, urging her to swim as fast as she could with the fisher as soon as their friend was done with her task. The shark attempted to fight the makeshift whirlpool off, using all its strength, as much as it can muster, to swim away from it, towards its prey, its fangs bared and gaping, fueled only by its hunger and will to survive. 

Unfortunately, its efforts weren’t enough. Nature would not be beaten, not the seas, not the depths. The whirlpool triumphed over the shark and dragged it within its mercy, injuring it in the process. The shark attempted to power out of it again, but again, its efforts remained in vain. The whirlpool was much too strong, stronger than its hunger, and it injured itself further. 

Jharvas winced at the sight of this struggle but soon felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find the fisher who nodded at him, pointing up. Jharvas nodded back at her and then at Kiora in octopus form. The fisher started swimming up and Kiora followed, dispersing her ink after them to obscure their attempt to escape. The triton then turned his attention back to the shark, still trying to power against the whirlpool, still hungry for him and his friend, still injuring itself in the process.

He lamented the curse of murderous hunger, the narrow-minded and inefficient path to self-preservation. “There is no sadder tale than a creature so consumed by desperation, it can no longer free itself.” He slowly turned upwards, swimming after Kiora and the fisher. To save his own life, Jharvas would have to kill. Yet, for as long as he can think of merciful ways to survive, he would rather not.