A massive bull shark, its eyes cold and predatory, circled them hungrily.
The creature's powerful jaws and sturdy, muscular body made it a formidable opponent.
Recognizing the severity of the situation Nereus and Triton instinctively fell into defensive stances, their senses heightened.
"Stay close," Nereus instructed, his voice steady. "We can't afford to be separated."
While many sea creatures respected the Mer, recognizing them as sentient and more powerful beings, there were always predators like sharks who saw them as potential prey.
As such it wasn't unheard of to hear of a weaker Mer being targeted and killed by these beasts in any of the sects.
As the bull shark circled closer, its intentions clear, Nereus prepared himself for the inevitable battle.
'No room for weakness now.' he steeled himself as he formulated a plan.
The shark's sleek body and powerful movements were intimidating to him, but he knew he had faced the strongest of them in his past life.
Nereus then said in a calm yet commanding voice. "We'll take this beast down together."
Triton nodded, determination hardening his features.
The two mer positioned themselves strategically, ready to strike.
The tension in the water was palpable as every muscle in Nereus's body coiled and ready to spring into action. Triton mirrored his stance, his own determination evident in his eyes.
The shark's sleek, body moved with calm precision, its cold, predatory eyes fixed on its targets.
WHOOSH
The shark then lunged forward, its powerful jaws snapping shut with a force that sent shockwaves through the water.
Nereus dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly bite, and retaliated by manipulating the water around him to form a solid barrier.
'BANG'
The shark's momentum was momentarily halted as it collided with the barrier, giving Triton an opening to attack.
Triton summoned his sea essence, forming a spear of water and thrusting it toward the shark. The spear struck the shark's side, causing it to thrash in pain and anger. Enraged, the shark turned its attention to Triton, its tail lashing out with incredible speed.
"Watch out" he tried to shout out in time to Triton.
But it was too late.
SMACK
The shark's tail connected with Triton, sending him hurtling through the water.
BANG
Triton's body collided with a rocky outcrop, before he floated down and laid motionless, the impact rendering him obviously unconscious.
With Triton down, he would face it alone.
THRUM
He could feel his Leviathanic bloodline pulsing within him, a primal force that demanded respect and submission from all sea creatures.
Channeling this inherent superiority, Nereus fixed the shark with a commanding gaze, his sea essence flaring with an almost tangible intensity.
"Leave!" Nereus's voice echoed through the water, imbued with the undeniable authority of a Leviathan.
The shark hesitated, its cold eyes meeting Nereus's. For a moment, the two locked gazes, the shark seemingly weighing its options.
Then, with a final flick of its tail, it turned and swam away, the command too powerful to resist.
Nereus let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, relief washing over him.
While his 'Domination' ability at its full power would undoubtedly make all myriads of sea creatures from the depths and below obey his will, it unfortunately was nowhere near its full strength now.
Plus with the added limitation of being weaker against other strong willed predators, Nereus was relieved it worked.
He quickly swam to Triton's side, checking his friend for injuries.
'Hmm he's bruised and battered, but thankfully, his injuries aren't life-threatening.'
Wasting no time he then carefully lifted him and began the journey back to a safer location.
After some time Triton slowly regained consciousness with both his vision blurry and his body aching.
"W-What happened, where are we?" he muttered blinking a few times, his surroundings coming into focus.
Luckily Nereus was nearby, his expression a mix of concern and relief.
"You're awake," Nereus said, his voice steady. "How do you feel?"
Triton winced as he tried to sit up, the pain in his side a sharp reminder of the battle. "Like I got hit by a shark," he joked weakly. "What happened?"
Nereus recounted the events, managing to leave out how he had used his Leviathanic bloodline to command the shark to leave as Triton listened on , amazement and gratitude shining in his eyes.
"Y-you saved my life," Triton said earnestly. "Thank you, Nereus."
Nereus nodded. "We're not done yet, Triton. We need to finalize our master-servant agreement. Are you ready?"
Triton took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."
Nereus explained the ancient Sealocke technique, a binding agreement where one Sealocke becomes subservient to another, empowered and enforced by blood and sea essence.
The technique would bar Triton from attacking or betraying Nereus and allow them to communicate telepathically and sense each other's presence and whereabouts if they were close enough.
"Hold out your hand," Nereus instructed. Triton complied, extending his hand. Nereus took it in his own, their sea essences mingling as he began to chant the ancient incantation.
"Now, we must use our blood to complete the ritual," Nereus said. He produced a sharp shell and made a small incision on his palm. Triton did the same, their blood mingling in the water.
Using his water affinity, Nereus commanded the blood to form a sigil between them, the intricate design glowing with an otherworldly light.
"Now just do as I do" he instructed
As the blood sigil solidified, he and Triton imbued it with their sea essence, the power of the binding agreement taking hold.
SWISH
The water around them shimmered with a faint glow as the ritual took effect.
'And...there.'
Nereus felt the connection solidify.
Triton's eyes widened as he felt the effects, the technique weaving its way into his very being.
"It's done," Nereus said, releasing Triton's hand. "We are now bound by the ancient Sealocke agreement."
Triton nodded, feeling the new connection between them. "I can sense you," he said in awe. "And I can hear your thoughts."
Nereus smiled.
"And I yours. There are limitations of course and ways to filter certain thoughts for some privacy, but for the most part we'll be able to keep in contact easier this way."
As he explained the ins and out of the telepathic communication as well as how to turn on the 'thought filter' as he called it, Nereus's mind privately turned to the future.
'With his agreeable nature and loyalty now assured it would be a missed opportunity not to make further investment into his subordinateship now... but how is the question...ugh there are countless ways, methods, and resources that could strengthen him into a formidable ally...'
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Nereus focused on the task at hand. "Let's gather the starfish and head back to the sect," he said, determination in his voice.
The journey to the location where Nereus had previously seen the silver starfish was swift, the waters growing colder and much more rich in sea essence within the deep, uncharted territories.
Nereus led the way, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger as Triton followed closely, his muscles tense with anticipation.
"We're almost there," Nereus announced, his voice carrying through the water. "I saw the silver starfish in this area last time. Stay alert."
Triton nodded, his eyes wide with curiosity and determination.
"What the-!"
As they swam further, they spotted the first silver starfish, its luminescence casting an ethereal glow in the dark waters.
The sight was mesmerizing, the starfish glittering like precious gems scattered across the ocean floor.
But as they ventured deeper, they discovered another, then another, then suddenly Nereus noticed a semi-hidden underwater alcove nestled within the rocky formations.
He signaled Triton to follow, and they cautiously approached the alcove that seemed to be glowing with rich semi visible sea essence.
Looking inside, their eyes widened in awe.
The sea essence rich alcove was filled with silver starfish, their numbers easily reaching into the low thousands.
Everywhere one looked, the shimmering creatures covered the walls and floor of the alcove, their bioluminescent glow creating a breathtaking spectacle.
It was truly a sight to behold, a hidden treasure trove of these rare and valuable creatures.
"By the depths," Triton whispered, his voice filled with wonder. "There must be at least three thousand of them."
Nereus nodded, equally awestruck. "It seems we've stumbled upon their breeding ground. This is an incredible find."
The starfish were indeed using the strangely sea essence encrusted alcove as a breeding ground, their numbers a testament to the safe and nurturing environment the alcove provided.
"We need to gather as many as we can," Nereus said, his tone decisive. "This could be a game-changer for us."
Triton agreed, and they set to work, carefully collecting the silver starfish and placing them into their newly acquired space ring.
One by one, the starfish glowed softly as they were gathered and placed within the space ring, their light illuminating the alcove and casting an otherworldly glow on Nereus and Triton.
As they worked, Nereus couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The future was uncertain, but he he felt more prepared than ever.