SNK Jean

Chapter 1 (Prologue) We Are The Prey And They Are The Hunters

  The sun shown brightly along the teal waters, it's glow shimmering across the ripples from the wind, and dancing softly through the large blue pool. The water lapped and pulled constantly against the large boulders that were set still near the large islands that covered parts of the earths oceans. Nothing could compare to the beauties it offered, both above and below. But the most breath taking sight was above as the sun set, it's orange glow making the water look as though it were on fire.

  For many years they have lived in these waters, for it was their home and life in the deep blue sea. Mermen and mermaids were magical and mysterious creatures. Being half human and half fish, made life ever the more interesting as you ruled above and below. You were at the top of the food chain, the animals saw you as an alpha, master of the sea.

  With a sigh, a mermaid, a Queen to be exact watched the sky with her eye lids closed. The breeze was soft against her skin, like a cool blanket along with cold waves dancing around her golden tail. Her black hair bristled, but it stayed at her right shoulder from being tied to the side.

  This is what she loved most whenever she wasn't busy with working with her husband, the King of Maria. Grisha was her mate, her king, and with him she found great happiness within her normal life. Also not to mention the small bundle that lay in her arms.

  Looking down she smiled as she opened her eyes to glance at the child in her arms, wrapped in a blanket of weaved sea weed. Historia, her second child. As the mother felt a splash come upon her, droplets hitting her cheek she immediately could tell where it came from as she heard the giggle of her first born.

  Eren was prince of Maria, after his father he would be next to rule among merkind. He was a trouble maker, and not to mention stubborn but she loved both him and her new born with all her heart. From behind other mermen and woman all spent time with their families, other children playing and splashing in the water.

  Eren laughed as he was being chased by a little boy with blond hair, his fin a bright blue that shimmered into a darker midnight at the tail end. Eren her son, came up from the water, his teal tail that matched his eyes crashing the surface as he leaned up on the rock she rested on.

  "Oh look at that!" Carla exclaimed in awe as she starred at the glowing gems before her.

  "That's quite a lot you found Eren, or did Armin help you?" The woman smirked as the pointed ears of her son fell and became red.

  "N-no..." He mumbled unconvincingly. These rocks were rare crystals that grew along the walls of caves, a small energy source bloomed in the middle to which could be used for a very good source of light. It took a sharp eye and smart eye to spot them, as the fake ones looked awfully similar.

  Removing one hand she pinched his ear, making him Yelp and grip at it from the sudden pain.

  "Wha-" She poked his nose, halting him from his words and watching as he grumbled in annoyance.

  "Your ears are red, Armin found most of them didn't he?"

  Eren huffed and rolled his eyes, the blond coming over with his innocent smile and peeked at the gems he helped collect.

  "Well whatever...but I can't believe there were so much! We could barely bring them up here without dropping." Eren suddenly exclaimed, his excitement returning. Having little adventures to find these gems was his favorite thing to do with his friend, like scavenging for precious gold.

  "Sounds like you had fun." Yet another voice came from behind and Eren's smile brightened to see his father come up from behind and hug his mother tightly around the waist.

  "Indeed! When we go home I want to make my own lamp for my shell!" Eren started stacking the gems atop of each other, Armin himself making a little castle with the ones he brought.

  "Eren, don't forget that tomorrow your first lessons as a prince will be starting. I know you are young but I know you'll manage. For I started even younger than you." Grisha told his little one, Eren groaning and flipping his tail, the small fins along his tail going with the ripples of the water.

  "But me and Armin were going to go check out the cave we found, by then we'll have a whole stack of glower gems." Eren complained, Grisha chuckling at his son before grabbing at the key that rest at his chest.

  "You'll just have to wait I'm afraid. But for now I have to retire to take care of some business below." Placing a soft kiss to his wife's cheek, and stroking a finger against his daughter's cheek, he turned to prepare his dive into the water.

  "When you get back Eren, I'll be showing you the secrets of this key. The key to the basement." Grisha watched as his son's excitement suddenly spiked and he beamed.

  "Take care my love." Grisha chuckled before going off, going at great speed with a simple thrust of his tail.

  "Did you hear that Armin?" Eren asked the boy who smiled and nodded.

  "Yeah, I've always wondered about that. I only know from legends that it has to do something with the magic of merkind. Something only the heir to the throne can ever know, as it contains a powerful item used to make the leader powerful." Armin went on, Eren listening to his friend's ideas about the key of destiny handed down from the royal families.

  "I can't wait now! Until then, I heard there is a sunken ship some ways of here. Some said that it has chests of gold hidden in it!" Eren was about to jump from the rock and head for his wanted destination.

  But suddenly a firm hand gripped his arm and halted him from making any movements. Eren looked up at his mom in confusion as her eye brows furrowed into a point. From her looks she looked concerned and angry.

  "Eren you will do no such thing! It's way too dangerous!" Carla reprimanded, Eren glaring back at her.

  "Why not?!" Eren questioned, "There is no harm in it."

  "Yes there is Eren. There are many dangerous animals that lurk there, and you are only a young child and wouldn't even manage to out run a shark." Carla explained to which Eren frowned.

  "Fine...." With a sigh of defeat, and a purse of his lips he slumped back onto the rock. But a smile found its way back as he starred at his sister Historia who was awaking from her nap.

  Carla sighed in relief, glad that Eren wasn't protesting any further. The boy always put danger aside, thinking that he was strong enough to do anything. And when someone told him otherwise he tended to be rebellious and try to prove that he was indeed strong enough to fight.

  The last time he had ended up almost getting killed by a group of fisher men. That was a fear that Carla never wanted to feel again. But it was thanks to Armin's smart thinking that got him out of that mess and why he was alive and breathing right now.

  Carla shook her head to rid herself of the unwanted memories and thoughts. Everything was just fine, there was nothing to worry about. No matter what she would make sure Eren and Historia stayed safe. It was her job after all, Grisha being too busy dealing with business to help most of the time with the little ones.

  It was getting dark, the sky was turning a bright Crimson, seagulls flew in groups while cawing. The sea seems to still as children were calming and joining their parents. Then everything was quiet, something calming and soothing to the ears from the constant noise of the above waters.

  "Eren, it's time to head home now!" Carla called to her son who halted in his chase after a couple kids.

  "Coming!" Eren waved and went to say goodbye to his friend Armin before heading off with his mom.

  Carla sighed and took one more look at the sun setting. She missed land...she loved the water more than anything and was glad to be with Grisha but she still wished to run across plain grass fields and be on earth. Unknown to everyone in Maria, Carla was human before she was a mermaid.

  The breeze that was kissing her skin stopped, and she felt a sudden chill fill her being. This was familiar, she was sure of it. She could be mistaken, but the way the hair on her neck stood, and how her fin stiffened she was unsure. That's when she spotted it, dark almost black even.

  It was moving and very quickly she realized what it was, and her eyes widened as the sudden sound of an all too familiar cannon hit her ears and she gasped. No one was expecting it, and no one was prepared. The children, the parents, and the little one in her arms was not safe in the slightest.

  Her heart jumped and she quickly turned, twisting and leaping with all her might into the ocean. Some of the few humans knew of merkind, for they found no reason to hide themselves to those who shared similarity as a related species. But the magic they held, and the secrets they kept made the humans weary of them.

  Not only that, but fishermen found sport in capturing a merman and killing it for money. Sometimes they were kept alive and sold to carnivals. Humans were cruel, but thankfully only few actually fell victim to them who lust for riches.

  "Eren get away!" Carla suddenly called out, her voice in a panic and her outburst caught the attention of the other merkinds.

  Right then and there wind hit against her body and the black ball that passed her hit the large rock that could be seen as a mountain. Everyone gasped, children screaming as their ears ring from the booming sound of boulders suddenly being crushed. Like lightning struck the ground, everything shook as another came, and another. Cracks formed into the mountain before it came loose and began to fall in both large and small chunks.

  Crashing down it fell into the water, creating forceful currents and others scrabbled to get away in time. The task itself was difficult as the constant boulders falling made it hard to create enough force to move. From far away the sound was heard clearly to a certain king who froze like ice at the sound.

  "What was that?" A merman who was swimming by Grisha's side asked, holding a book tightly to his chest at the cold feeling he suddenly felt in his bones.

  It took a moment for Grisha to register what he heard before a look of worry came over his face and he ran a hand through his hair in dread.

  "No...." Without a second thought or word he dashed off as fast as he could.

  "Your majesty! Wait!" His calls were futile and ignored by the king for only one thing was on his mind.

  His family.

•

•

  They wouldn't stop coming for more than five minutes, cannons constantly shooting, the screams of struggling and cries of lost ones filling the air. When the earth quake like shattering blasts ended, small pebbles fell from what was left over. Dust filled the air, making it hard to see and the added darkness of the sky made it hard to know what was going on.

  The only thing that was clearly visible were the golden lights that shown upon the human vessel coming their way. The sound of men letting out roars of success came through the rubble and hit their ears. Hiding within a small hole underwater, two merkids huddled together in complete fear.

  "What the hell was that?" Eren questioned out loudly, panting heavily and wincing at the pain in his side from being thrown around.

  When his mom called out to him, he had just barely been in time to get out of the way, as he had been right in the line of sight with the approaching black cannon ball. It was a constant struggle and Armin ended up getting hit on the head the rock that hit him cut his forehead.

  They had found this small hole on the other side and all they could do was pray that they wouldn't be caved in by the falling debris from the mountain. Eren and Armin had never seen anything like it and they were clueless as to what could have caused such a thing.

  But after Eren had a moment to clear his head, to stop the questions that were raging through his head like a fast stream. His mind went to his mom, and his little sister. His small fists clenched and his eyes widened in fear. What could have happened he wasn't sure, but he lost sight of her right when they were suddenly attacked.

  "Mom...." Eren rasped, gritting his teeth and pushing himself out of the hole and towards the surface.

  "Wait! Eren!" Armin put out his hand to stop him but he was already too far away. But before he could get the courage to follow he was pulled into the arms of his mom and taken away to somewhere safe.

  Eren came to the surface, and immediately set forth to looking for his mom. He spun in circles, eyes darting in many different directions.

  "Mom! Mom!" He cried out in desperation. His heart was beating fast, he could hear it clearly in his head and he feared that another round of falling earth would come again and crush him and his mom if she were here.

  Then the smallest of groans reached his ears. It was small but he recognized it after the second time it came. That was his moms voice. So with the rest of his energy he charged to that spot, constantly calling for her.

  "E-Eren?....."

  He halted and glanced over his shoulder as it became as clear as crystal. Squinting his eyes he looked through the dust and gasped as he spotted her on a rock. She had a boulder covering half her body and she held her arms tightly together as she looked up, her face contorting in pain.

  "Mom!" He went to her side and hugged her, unknown and unregistered tears falling from his eyes and down his cheeks.