Angler of Bountiful Waters

[Astrophysical 1009]

Angler of Bountiful Waters

 

The angler awoke to a midnight sky dotted with faint stars. A heavy mist coalesces on the jade hued sea horizon, forming a billowing wall. The thick air smelled of salt.. The angler at sea.

 

Yet this sea was desolate, not a living soul of his guide in sight.

 

The angler notices a rotting and crude raft, peering into the jade waters. The sea was calm, like a shimmering hoard of emeralds. The blurred sight of numerous large shadows beneath the waves sail alongside the vessel.

 

The shadows scattered as the angler swam to the raft.

 

The angler scuttles onto the raft, the salty winds blow as the raft becomes mobile. He notices a crude spear on the side of the raft, taking it up. As a colossal shadow appeared in the jade waters, the spear began to glow a deep green.

The angler leaps off the raft towards the oncoming beast, thrusting the weapon deep into its blubbery flesh. The beast lets out an ear piercing roar as blood pools around it, staining the emerald waters to ruby. A deep cackle echoes from the midnight sky.

 

The monstrous whale charges again, ivory horns first.

 

The angler ducks quickly under the horns and thrusts the spear into one of its beady eyes. Blood erupts as the spear loosens from its skull. The angler lets go of the spear as he sinks into the frigid ocean, falling unconscious.

 

He awakes in a pocket of air at the sea floor, a monstrously sized humanoid figure before him.

 

His skin is armored with a turquoise carapace, spiked on the shoulders. Upon his masked head rests a set of luminous green horns, as emerald as the sea. A mane of black hair like thick seaweed flows from his scalp. Affixed to his waist lies a ferrum hook of colossal proportions, nets and sea plants wrapping its surface.

 

A voice is heard, “He is amused, not pleased, but amused.”

 

The angler turns to see his guide, a red mist about him. He stops next to the angler and directs his head towards the humanoid being.

 

The angler replies, “Not pleased? Was the whale his?” The angler's voice was shaky with fear.

 

“He was the whale. He desires power, to be empowered further. He is Zalthu, the Spirit of Anglers.”

 

“I… see,” the angler says slowly, trying to choose his words carefully as he looks to Zalthu, “I extend my apologies, great Zalthu” - “Allow me to amend.”

 

Zalthu shakes his head, the seaweed-like hair flowing with the water.

 

“Allow me to remind you, he found it amusing. He cannot be killed, and your strikes do not harm him.” - “He offers two solutions, act in his name upon the mortal realm or leave this realm forever.”

 

“Very well, I will act in his name. I offer myself to act in the name of the Spirit of Anglers.”

 

Within a moment, Zalthu takes one clawed hand, grasping hold of the colossal hook and points it at the angler, raising it towards the surface and piercing the angler. However, the angler did not die but felt a drowning pain as fear overcame him.

 

The angler fades in consciousness as he awakens back at the campfire with his guide in the mortal realm.