The Monsters Of The Lake

The sun was just beginning to set over Wa’l’ta, casting the golden pillar across the water that the Wa’l’tani, the people who lived in Wa’l’ta, revered so. It was a chilly evening now that they found themselves firmly in autumn. Alijandra, a Wa’l’tani warrior, stood in front of a mirror, tying her hair up tightly. 

Wa’l’ta had grown immensely in the past few generations, but it remained a small village compared to others of the land. Its warriors were not gleaming, silver-clad knights like those found in distant kingdoms, but rather a ragamuffin band of Wa’l’tani who preferred fighting to farming. But farming, not fighting, is what ruled here. The Wa’l’tani people had the expansion of their farms to thank for the newfound growth of their village. Food shortages were a distant memory now, and the surplus of crops had begun to put them on the map for trade with larger communities across the land. 

Recently, however, they’d been plagued by the Clariidae, monstrous creatures who, despite their humanoid shape, appeared to be some type of giant, deadly fish. Not only could they breathe underwater, but their teeth were like those of a shark: sharp, pointed, and extremely good at biting. At least, that was the word around the village. While the existence of these monsters was far from legend (they could often be heard shrieking their foul screech at night, and sightings of them swimming in the large lake where both species caught fish were commonplace), only Haiet, the captain of the fishing boat, had seen those teeth up close and lived to tell the tale. Others had only faced the Clariidae on land, where the monsters were quick to flee with whatever Wa’l’tani crops they had managed to stuff into their bags of braided algae.

Alijandra tested the weight of her new sword; it was a decently-made, decently-balanced sword, but it still felt strange in her hand. She was more accustomed to daggers, which gave her superior freedom of movement. But hey, she thought, recalling the distinct, jagged, mother-of-pearl knives carried by the Clariidae, at least this thing’ll keep more distance between us. I hope that discovery of ore veins in the caves will lead to better quality weapons in the future, though… 

And with that, she headed out to join the others by the fire for supper and prayer. The Wa’l’tani gathered by the fire every evening to dine, share stories, pray, and enjoy the sunset over the water. Today was different, however - today Alijandra and her fellow warriors would join Haiet on the boat to thin out the lake monsters. There had been a nasty uptick of the beasts ever since the Wa’l’tani had discovered what a goldmine - literally and metaphorically - the cave system was. The caves had a plethora of underwater tunnels connecting them to the lake, so it was likely they had disturbed a Clariidae nest during their excavations. Now the things were more territorial than ever, and bolder in their thievery.

With the last bite taken and the last prayer whispered to the setting sun, the warriors prepared to head out. Villagers waved, sending them off with shouts of encouragement and thanks. The warriors waved, smiled, and pretended they weren’t nervous. 

With little training and even less battle experience, none of them knew just how unprepared they were for what they were about to face. Even Haiet was completely and totally unprepared for the sheer number of monsters awaiting them in the deeper reaches of the lake. 

The hunt quickly became a bloodbath, with human blood making up most of the mix. Sure, they managed to snag a few monsters in nets where they could safely slit their throats, but they hadn’t imagined the monsters would manage to pull off such a coordinated attack. It was as if the beasts were waiting for them.

In quick succession, humans were pulled off the boat and drowned by the vile creatures. Those who managed to cling to their comrades quickly learned just how sharp those monstrous teeth were as they gnawed through the arms in their way. 

When Oner, the young man next to Alijandra, was pulled overboard, she did what was either the bravest or stupidest (or perhaps both) thing she had ever done: she dove in after him. Her sword found its way to Oner’s captor, freeing him and further bloodying the already murky water.  

“Go,” Alijandra gasped as she and Oner shot up for air, pointing to the rope ladder hanging from the side of the boat. Oner gripped it and pulled himself out, though it was no easy task; they were in monster-infested waters, after all. 

He worked his way up high enough for Alijandra to begin her ascent. She reached up and, just as her fingers brushed the rope but before they could close around it, something grabbed her from below, pulling her under the surface of the water once more. 

She thrashed and kicked, struggling to see where her attacker(s) lurked through the crimson water. It didn’t help that the sun was almost completely set now, meaning even the clearest water would soon appear black. Flashes of fins and scales appeared all around her, just as cuts appeared all over her body. The impact of her sword and a fresh release of blood told her she had made contact. She prayed it was a monster, not a drowning companion. 

Her lungs demanded a fresh supply of air, but monsters swarmed above her - she hadn’t realized how much the weight of her sword had dragged her down. She tried to clear the way with her weapon, slow as it was underwater, until it was finally forced out of her grasp. Her heart pounded, her lungs cramped. How would she reach the surface without her sword!? 

She decided sinking the last few feet to the bottom of the lake and pushing off with all her might was her best bet. 

This just might work, Alijandra thought as she shot up through the water…until she felt the tug of the net around her ankle. One of their old fishing nets was anchoring her down in this watery grave. In the near-blackness of the lake, with fingers beginning to numb from the cold, and while stringing together all the curses she knew in her head, Alijandra tried desperately to free herself. 

Her body began to convulse from its need for oxygen, her foot still hopelessly tangled. 

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a strange pattern of colors. Seemingly infinite shades of blue, green, and teal danced across her vision, too close to focus on. The cold blackness of the water disappeared behind the vivid hues, only to be replaced with blackness once again as Alijandra’s eyes slowly closed.

Alijandra awoke suddenly, coughing up water and gasping for air. For a moment she saw nothing but darkness around her and wondered if she was dead. Fighting for air, her lungs aching, her wounds stinging, she hoped this wasn’t the afterlife. This was far from the promise of The Golden Lands as told by her people, where the feasts were constant and aplenty, the air smelled of flowers and spices, and the setting sun shone a golden pillar across the water, always. This, on the other hand, was more of a damp-dark-nothingness. 

Then the smell of a crackling fire reached her nose, and her fingers began to feel the rough surface beneath her. It felt like rock…was she in a cave? Slowly she worked her way up to a seated position. The puddle of bloody water beneath her sloshed as she moved, the sound covered only by her continued struggles to breathe. The only light in the cave came from a small fire on the rock, built near the edge of a large hole in the stone, about 50 yards away from Alijandra. Squinting through the gloom, Alijandra noticed firelight dancing across the hole - it was filled with water! 

An underwater cave, then, thought Alijandra. That’s how I got here. But, how…? The last thing she remembered was drowning. Who had brought her here? And where were they now? Why would they bring her here instead of back to the village, anyway? 

A slithering sound caught her attention. She looked around desperately for its source. “Um…hello?” Alijandra called out tentatively, sure that whoever her cavern companion was, they already knew she was there. “Are…you the one that saved me?” 

There was no response except for the soft rustle of the hidden stranger moving around the cave, outside of the firelight’s glow. Alijandra paused, unsure what to do next. A chill ran up her spine, completely separate from the chill that came from being soaked through on a cold night, although in that moment both made her shake. 

“Well…if it was you, thank you. If not, I mean you no harm!” For a moment there was no sound; no response, no movement. Then, suddenly, a figure stepped into the farthest reaches of the firelight. 

Alijandra gasped. The figure was too patterned, too shimmering, too aquamarine. Lines of fins sprouted from the scalp instead of hair. Light shone through the webbing between the fingers of the figure. Oceanic colors danced playfully across iridescent - scales, were they? - as they caught the low light. Even in the thick shadows of the cave, it was obvious: this creature was not human. 

Alijandra crept closer slowly, cautiously, too curious not to get a better look but terrified of what awaited her. It couldn’t be, there’s no way… thought Alijandra as she inched her way towards the fire. Why would it save me? That makes no sense, there’s no way- Alijandra’s stomach dropped as she approached the figure. There was no denying it. Standing in front of her, with one jagged mother-of-pearl blade in each webbed hand, was a Clariid. 

Alijandra only stared at the creature. She was weak from drowning, she’d lost her weapon, and she had no idea if there were more monsters lurking in the waters below, hidden by the narrow, twisting path through the rock that formed the watery portal in and out of this cave. If I’m not hostile, maybe it won’t be either, Alijandra hoped. No sudden movements. The Monster Of The Lake broke the silence; thin lips parted, exposing those menacing teeth. Alijandra prepared herself for the screech she’d grown accustomed to hearing in the distance while sitting around the campfire, the only sound firmly associated with these monsters. Instead, the monster spoke:

“It was me, and I don’t believe you.”

Alijandra was dumbstruck. “It wa-I-w-y-...you can talk!?” 

The creature stared at her through harsh, piercing yellow eyes. “As can you,” came the response, “although not as well as I thought.” 

Alijandra ignored the jab and pressed on “So, wait, it was you that saved me?” 

“Yes.” 

“...Thank you,” said Alijandra awkwardly. Silence stretched between the two again, this time broken by Alijandra. “...Why?” 

The creature’s yellow eyes glanced to the side, only to quickly snap back to the Alijandra. “I…don’t know. My people say you haunt us, but I do not think that you all deserve to die. Now that you’re awake, I hope I did not make the wrong decision.” 

Alijandra’s brow furrowed at this. She meant to ask about the “my people say you haunt us” part, but she gestured as she spoke, which caused the creature to recoil into the darkness beyond the firelight and let out that horrible screech. Carried through the open air of the night, the screech was one thing. While not a pleasant sound, a distant chorus of them was strangely enchanting. But here, enclosed by the walls of the cave, the sound was horrendous. Alijandra clamped her hands to her ears as fast as she could, but it made little difference. A wave of nausea made her stomach roll as the sound drilled its way into her brain. It stopped abruptly; soon after, a webbed foot cautiously stepped back to the edge of the light. 

Alijandra realized something then, as the yellow eyes again locked onto her face and the Clariid held the knives at the ready: The monster was afraid of Alijandra! She almost laughed out loud at the thought. Instead, she asked “Why do your…people,” she had to bite back the habit of referring to the Clariidae as “monsters”. She continued “think my people haunt you?” 

“You take. You take everything. You take the land to grow crops you will not share. You take the fish from the waters. Now you want to take the caves. These caves are ours. The waters are ours. You can’t even breathe it!” The Clariid took a breath to calm herself before continuing on. “That’s why my people say you are monsters. You take and take and leave nothing left. You will kill all the world around you. That is what they say.” 

Alijandra’s cheeks grew hot from these accusations. “We take things? You steal from us!” 

“We steal because there is nothing else left!” The Clariid sighed. “My people tell the tales of the peaceful times, before your farms grew too large and you pushed your way into our waters. It wasn’t always like this.” Alijandra eyed the mother-of-pearl blades. Despite the vice-like grip of the webbed hands holding them, Alijandra didn’t think this creature would hurt her. Not now, at least. Sitting down, she looked up at the Clariid and asked “Do you have a name?” 

“Of course I have a name. Ailani.” Ailani paused before asking “Do you have a name?” 

“Yes, it’s Alijandra.” Once again an uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Alijandra said “I didn’t know that you used names.” 

“I didn’t know that you used names!” And then, for the first time as far as either of them knew, the two species laughed together. Ailani relaxed enough to make her way across the edge of the firelight to the watery tunnel. She knelt down and splashed water on herself, rehydrating her skin. Being out of the water was drying enough, but her proximity to the fire made her skin sting and itch with tightness. 

“What are you doing?” Asked Alijandra. Ailani considered answering, but she didn’t want to give away any vulnerabilities of her people to this human, even if she seemed not to be the monster the Clariidae feared. Instead she dove into the water, grateful for its cool relief as it rushed across her scales. She swam away quickly, in a moment disappearing from view. Alijandra peered after her then sat back, glancing around the cave. Um…What now? As far as she could tell, there were no other ways in or out, and she had no idea how long she would have to hold her breath to make it through the water. She attempted a deep breath, testing out her lungs, but was quickly sent into a painful fit of coughs. Sooo, that won’t work. She supposed she’d have to wait until the sun rose. Maybe then she would find another way out. All she wanted to do now was sleep, anyway. 

A demanding rumble from her stomach reminded her that she wanted to eat, too. She adjusted her position. Closer to the warmth of the fire, with rock firmly protecting her back, she lay down. Only then, closer to the light, did she realize that a thick salve had been applied to the worst of her wounds. She stung all over and was woozy from the blood loss, but thankfully none of her wounds seemed too serious. 

Alijandra nearly jumped out of her skin when Ailani’s head popped back up with a splash. She threw a braided algae sack onto the rock before climbing out and exposing its contents: Two fish, a clump of edible algae, and a vine of sourberries. Alijandra’s stomach growled again at the sight, which made Ailani freeze up. “That was my stomach,” clarified Alijandra quickly, “It makes that sound when I’m hungry.” 

Ailani looked dubious yet intrigued. “All humans?” 

Alijandra nodded, which made Ailani burst into laughter. “You cannot blame us for thinking you’re monsters when your stomachs growl so!” she said before passing a fish to Alijandra, along with half of the algae and sourberries. Alijandra placed her fish by the fire and nibbled the rest while she waited. “Why do you do that?” asked Ailani, gesturing with her chin to the fish cooking by the fire. 

“It makes it safe to eat. Humans can get sick from raw fish.” 

Ailani tried to hide her annoyance at this. So they encroach on our waters for fish they cannot eat without special treatment… She shrugged off the thought and began to eat her raw fish. Alijandra, in turn, tried to hide her fear every time she saw Ailani’s sharp, pointed teeth pierce through the fish like it was nothing. 

And so they ate, each too intrigued by the other to allow their discomfort to end the conversation. They asked each other question after question about the differences between their species, their histories, what it was like to live underwater, what it was like to live on land, and many more, until they could barely keep their eyes open. 

“You’re not going to kill me in my sleep, are you?” asked Alijandra half-jokingly as she settled back down on the cave floor. 

“Only if you try to kill me in mine.” 

“Fair enough.” 

Ailani slipped back into the water, popping her head up only to say “Good sleep to you.” 

“You too.” 

Eventually, the two creatures drifted off into a deep sleep. Tomorrow they would try to figure out a way to convince their peoples to coexist peacefully. Perhaps they could work out a system of trading crops for fish. But that was a worry for tomorrow. For now, two monsters had shed their masks and discovered that the face staring back at them wasn’t so terrible after all.