The breeze was almost ethereal, so faint it barely washed over her pallid face. The water birthed small ripples that quivered around her half surfaced torso. The plane of liquid clung to her rib line as though a part of her very flesh as her arms pressed against the solid earth of the jagged shoreline, supporting her body. She watched the nearby coastline with leery eyes, it was not uncommon for travelers to stumble upon the lake side and decide to rejuvenate in its crystal depths. But that was the very thing that she feared. She had fled from the north shores in a panic as fishermen joked and sang tossing nets beside their boats with hopes of catching their livelihood. She was not the fish they were looking for and her interruption, she feared, would not be welcome. It was her experience that most two-leggers were rather disinterested in the grandeur of the oceanic depths and rather spear merefolk than swim with them. A maiden with fins would fetch a prize at the market, she was sure.

But her fluid eyes saw nothing. No shadows traced the water’s edge and no bushes rustled with the movement of intrusion. She was safe to examine the dry world again. Her fin wove fine patterns in the water below her, keeping her torso above the water comfortably. Slender fingers moved to examine the soil, black and soggy from the splashing she expelled. It squished in her touch leaving trails of grime in its wake. “Interesting,” her lips whispered, eyes intensely focused on her query. She released the block of dirt and stared blankly at her dirtied hand, strangely confused, for when you released something in the water, it left no residue of itself… not unless some sticking urchin who must be pried off and not simply released. Curious the maiden lowered her head to the stained palm and inhaled slowly through her nose. It reeked of decay and rotting plant matter, but unknownst of such things, to the girl it smelled an exotic form of foul. Her lips turned in a grimace as she shook her soiled hand to free it off its odorous contaminant… but to no avail. Finally she resolved herself to submersion and sunk ever so slowly beneath the water’s brim once more.

Bluish orbs gazed transfixed on her dirtied hand as the water slowly cleaned away its blackness. Tendrils of black soil floated from her skin to disappear within the water. Back in her known world, she sighed a breath of boredom. The free floating strands of red hair framed her face as she gazed blankly towards the lake’s bed. Fish swam curiously around her, having smelt the sick scent of land that washed from her hands. They eyed her with a glossy stare, blank of intelligent thought. She let herself float, suspended, ten feet below the surface, her fin as stagnant as the breeze above. Finally, due to the utter frustration and sheer boredom of norm, Suriah, the red mermaid, made her way back to the surface to where the unknown could be found.

Her face broke free to air with a dramatic splash and the most peculiar feeling of her hair plastered to her neck and back returned. This time she did not stray to the shoreline cleverly hidden by bushy trees, instead she swam towards the beaches, the two leggers land. She put on a brave face and threw inhibitions to the wind, after all, she hadn’t seen a human for weeks. She swam until the water began to shallow and before long, she was sitting only half submerged alongside the beach. The sand tickled the scales of her crimson fin, which was clearly visible now through the thin layer of water above it. Her tongue tasted the strange breeze, swirling it around her mouth. Each moment spent above the water was a strange treasure, her mind raced to record every detail of it. Her eyes closed allowing complete focus on the sounds. An eagle soared overhead, shrieking for its mate. The slight breeze made the leaves dance in the trees. A branched snapped underfoot. … A branch snapped underfoot?! Suriah’s eyes shot open, her heart racing in her chest. Blurred thoughts tried to ease her panic. “I don’t know the sounds of the land yet,” she told herself silently, “it could be a deer or a rabbit…” The panic left her uncoordinated, her fin moved jaggedly as it tried to pull her back into deeper water yet still stay submerged. Just breathe… she told herself taking a gulp of gaseous air and not the reassuring water she absent mindedly expected, causing a cascade of coughs to shatter through her chest. Another snap… and this time it was much closer…

Demetrius Vauhn was a man of mystery. His past was hazy, even to himself. He went from a loner werewolf, to a servant of the light, to a demon-cursed mortal, to what he is today. The savior of the people. The White Wolf, Demetrius Vauhn. Sure, it had been several days since he had been free of his Lycanthrope syndrome, but people still referred to him as the White Wolf. Mostly due to the fact that he lived in the forest, wore white garments, and had the uncanny speed of the majestic beast he was compared to so often. Once nothing more than a shell of a Human Being, Demetrius was now a cocky, carefree Paladin. He was one of a kind. And it was this arrogant Paladin that was making his way to the soggy shores of Lake Aelin.

Stifling a yawn with a gloved hand, Demetrius examined the area with his crystal blue eyes. The trees were thinning out and the soil was getting damp and uneven. Mud. He was close. Reports of a demon had been given to him. As a Paladin and a small-time Demon Hunter, it was Demetrius Vauhn's duty to pursue such rumors and put an end to demonic life. Darkness threatened the hearts of the innocent, and the Light rose to radiate it's brilliance like a shield. That was a Paladin's way of thinking. Not Demetrius's. He saw it as an opportunity to get his feet wet in another battle. His large sword strapped to his back and the hood of his vest around his face, Demetrius would be a pretty intimidating foe to anyone around the area with something to hide. The smell of fresh, crisp water tickled his nostrils. No more games. It was time to play the game. Dance the dance. You know, the dance of death. Two entered the ballroom, one left. The strong protect the weak, and the weak grow into the strong. That was the way it worked, and Demetrius would fight until his last breath to preserve that cycle, despite his crazy antics.

A splash. A fin. Blue eyes. So deep, so mystifying. Gone. Demetrius scanned the surface of the lake as he pushed past the last of the trees. Nothing. Nothing but ripples and a few fish. He swore he saw something. Something...almost Human. Shaking his head, he turned and deciding to go around to the beaches, see if the demon was there. He had no time to be distracted. Not now, not when it was most important. Rushing through the trees, he heard another splash and then swimming. Maybe it was the demon. Or maybe...it was that creature. Curiosity getting the better of him, Demetrius rushed forward, carelessly giving away his presence by stepping upon some fallen branches. The weight of his body crushed them and made a loud snapping noise. It would be sure to alert whomever was around. He didn't care. He didn't like to sneak around anyways. He fought head on. Reaching back, he gripped the handle of his sword and pulled it from it's sheath as soon as he skidded to a halt into the opening of the beach.

And there she was.

Demetrius stood there, eyes wide with shock, sword at his side and body stiff as wood as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. A woman's body, a fish's tail. Crimson red scales danced in the sunlight, and flowery red hair flowed and matted to the back of her slick wet body. Her eyes, those dazzling, deep blue eyes seemed to suck him in. She was the most gorgeous thing he had ever laid eyes upon. And she was no demon. Finally realizing he had been standing there for a good two minutes with his mouth wide open and a sword in his hand, he shook his head and sheathed his weapon.

"A-A thousand apologies, m'lady. The-there was just a re-report of a demon in the area. I was sent to investig-gate." Demetrius managed to say pass the beating heart in his throat.

Kiesu sighed, once again escaping from another raid on his life. Ge scrathced his temple as he watched the people search for him for about an hour before leaving in discontent. Morphine came flutterin onto Kiesu's shoulder as he pulled the skin under his left eye down and stuck his tongue out at the villagers whom quickly dissapeared from sight. He sighed and gave out a chuckle as he listened to the sounds that consumed the trees. He hummed slightly until he heard the sound of water flowing around, and then a splash. He fell backwards and grabbed the tree branch as he hung upside down, looking in the direction of the water in a slight confusion, his hood hanging low and showing his face. He jumped to the ground and looked back once more to assure that the villagers had not followed him and were not returning.

Once he assured himself he turned around and a deer that had walked near him ran off in the opposite direction in fear. The fear was not needed but it made the deer feel safe. Kiesu scratched the back of his head in a bit of confusion as he slowly made his way to the sound of the water. He made his way slowly, and quietly through the trees. He figured from his location that he may know where the sound of water may be coming from, and it was the only known lake in that area. It was Lake Aelin and Kiesu did not often go near there due to an activity aorund it that died out several years ago.

When he had neared Lake Aelin he told Morphine to stay there while he went ahead to see what was making the noise. He approached very quietly, not making a sound as he approached. He was suprised when he saw a mermaid that was examining the small bit of sand which had been muddied by the water and looked at her hand when it stuck to it. He chuckled silently a bit as he continued to watch her. He tried to kneel down but he rustled the shrubbery he was hiding behind and the mermaid ducked into the water.

Kiesu watched as a man came and scouted across the small beaches in search of omething. Kiesu did not understand what this man was or if he was another demon hunter, but Kiesu decided to play it safe and kept hidden, watching the man closley. The man rushed and pulled out his sword as he prepared to strike something. Kiesu hurried to the brush behind the man and waited for whatever move he was going to make.

The mermaid returned to the surface, looking worried. The man stood there for a moment and then sheathed his sword before saying anything. "A-A thousand apologies, m'lady. The-there was just a re-report of a demon in the area. I was sent to investig-gate." The man was obviousley embaressed and Kiesu was feeling up to a good joke. He quietley approached behind them man and Kiesu put his arms behind his back. "Are you looking for me!" Kiesu said in a joking, deep voice as he startled the man.

A silence came after the second twig snapped and Suriah stopped struggling for an escape. Her heart slowed to a constant thud instead of the hammering that had rattled beneath her chest. Her head turned slowly back toward the tree line with hopes to see a grazing deer, or at worst… a canine of some sort… she believed they were known as wolves. She exhaled deliberatly, the late morning’s sun catching her crimson scales with the subtle motion. Her eyes stole a glance from beneath lengthy lashes, mind praying for the reassuring form of nature. Instead of such serenity, oceanic eyes fluttered upon the physique of a rather masculine looking two-legger. It took a moment for her to steal her mind from its curiosity... and for the harsh reality of the situation to set in. Once it did there was a rather un-human gasp and another fierce attempt at escape exuded. Struggling to free herself from the beaching property of the sand, her tailfin whipped about precariously. Her slender arms tried to shove her body back but to no avail, her hands sinking uselessly into the loose ground.

“A-A thousand apologies, m'lady. The-there was just a re-report of a demon in the area. I was sent to investig-gate.”

A sudden realization washed over her… she was fully exposed in her mermish form, to a two-legger skilled in the dealings of death. Her mind peeled through her options. Shape change? Not likely to be successful… even now his eyes watched her, his mouth slightly agape with stunned disbelief. It was unlikely she would be more comfortable in human form either… naked and even more exposed. It would seem that route would be a poor choice indeed. With a defeated sigh she raised her head to address him, curtains of glowing red hair cascading down to frame her face. Slowly her lips parted and just as a word was to be spoken, a quick jerk pulled her roughly under, dragging her back towards the deeper waters. The mermaid's head twisted to catch sight of her tailfin, in which 5 very anxious creatures attached themselves and swam with all of their heart. The four fish held her by their teeth, struggling to bend her fin at an angle by which their dragging would be easier. The seahorse’s tail curled around hers and huffed and puffed with immediate fatigue. A quick flick of her tail sent the five of them tumbling through the water in disarray. “Enough of this foolishness,” she spoke to them with a clearly amused smile dancing on her lips, “I can pull myself into the water just as well as the next fish.” One of the creatures appeared to roll its eyes.

Glancing around her she found herself to be at least ten feet below the surface. Her eyes instinctively moved to the beach from where she was just pulled. “The man seemed fine enough,” she mumbled, trying to justify her slow swim to the air again. “After all it is very rude to vanish without saying farewell.”

It took only two flicks of her tail before her head and shoulders broke free from the water. Her eyes turned back to the beach, beads of water dripping off strands of hair and running idly down her face. Again she was about to speak before quickly quieted… this time by herself. Her hand covered her mouth to cease the motion of her lips and she lowered herself so only her eyes were above the water’s surface. Whilst she was off shooing away her aquatic friends another two-legger had appeared. He looked dark and sinister, his demeanor mocking and brash. He was not someone to swim up to and offer up conversation. She eyed him from her mostly submerged place in the lake, her eyes dark and mysterious like the very place she inhabited. Her crimson hair floated like wisps of fog behind her, shuddering with the slight rippling across the water’s surface. For the first time Suriah noticed the weaponry adorning the two men. A heavy sharp looking thing was sheathed on the polite one’s waist, it looked of metal. “Probably a sword,” she thought silently to herself. Her sister had claimed to have found one not far from the rock outcroppings where several ships have rumored to have sunk. Her father would have turned Suriah to stone if she had ever disobeyed him and ventured so far from home. But things had changed. She had come of age and was allowed to explore the world. She learned the magic to change her shape in order to walk on land… and she had left… breaking her father’s heart in the process.

Suriah blinked slowly, bringing her mind back to the present and the growing intensity of the situation before her.

A sword was normally just a forged slab of metal sharpened to the point with a heavy set weight. However, in the hands of an expert, said sword could become an extension of flesh and blood, able to carve and cleave artistic forms of death before it's adversaries. Demetrius was one of those types of experts. Even as the mermaid disappeared and Demetrius scanned the waters for her beautiful image again, he heard a voice. A taunting voice that rumbled in his ear with the backbone of a reptile's hiss.

Are you looking for me!?

Instantly, Demetrius jumped back and unsheathed his sword, standing in a battle position with both of his hands gripped tightly around the handle of his large blade. He seemed dark, untamed, and even a bit wild. He fit the description clearly. Demetrius wouldn't just attack him, however. Such acts were unruly in the art of a Paladin. Instead, he inquired a name.

"What is thoust name? Maiden, stay back. He may be the foe I seek." Demetrius said, before muttering a warning to the aquatic angel as she surfaced with only her blue orbs to watch the happenings taking place upon the beach. It would be hard to fight here, the muddied ground made finding a footing hard, and once false move could have him splashing into the water. He had to drive the beast away if he posed a threat. Then, and only then, would Demetrius fight. He did not want to endanger the mermaid as well. Her kind were a curious and gentle folk, and he'd be damned if such graceful creatures fell because of a stray blade or spell.

"Are you the demon troubling the townsfolk? Answer me!"

Kiesu had his attnetion on to the mermaid whom went underwater. His attention was grabbed by the hunter as he asked if Kiesu was the demon. "what? Huh? Oh, yeah, I think I am the one who is, ahem, 'tormenting' the villagers near here." Kiesu said as he continued to scan the waters for the mermaid.

"I guess you can call me, Kiesu the good necromancer demon!." He said with a chuckle as he watched the waters. He stood and turned to the hunter as he pushed his blade away. "Don't go swinging that thing around, you'll put out somebody's eye with that thing." Kiesu said as he continued to watch the waters. the mermaid did not appear to be resurfacing soon and Kiesu shouted to Morphine to stay where she was as he rushed along the water and away from the demon hunter. "As much as I would love to stay and continue with you holding a blade at me, I really must be going away from you." Kiesu said wryly as he jumped into the water.

"Morithala shori aquarias tone!" Kiesu shouted before he went into the water. His legs formed into a tail and gills grew on the sides of his neck as he discarded his cloak and his red skinned darkened as he went deeper into the water.

As he went deeper into the water he found several aquatic life that did not stay near the top of the lake. he turned rapidly around looking for the mermaid with no true sign until he caught the glimpse of a red tail. It was either a real lake demon or it was the mermaid, he was willing to take his chances with a demon rather then a demon hunter. He slowly went through the water as he approached the owner of the tail.