Ocean waves churned the beach in front of Dorin as a sense of joy filled him. He could see fish jumping out of the water, and a part of him itched to dive into the water with them.
'Fishing time.'
Dorin found a measly looking branch that had washed ashore, and created a groove in it where he socketed one of Eki's fangs. He then tore a strip off of his cloak and tied it around the blade of his freshly made spear to make sure it wouldn't budge.
Walking steadily into the ocean waves, several smaller fish swam away from him. Dorin was looking for something medium sized, at least the size of his fist. He didn't think he'd be able to properly skewer anything smaller.
The lack of food for the past couple days was starting to get to him, and he felt a pulse of hunger go through his body. His vital sight activated, and he could see the various creatures of the sea around him. Even the plant life that swayed back and forth gave off a dark and dull green glow.
When he had fought against Ara, looking at her with his vital sight was like looking into the sun. The hot whiteness of her aura was hard to get used to, and it was part of the reason he had so much trouble against her.
Looking around, there wasn't anything with a similar aura anywhere near him. Only the dull green plants, and the various blue and yellow shades of fish. The blue shaded fish were from the flurries of smaller fish that he didn't care about, and the yellows were just big enough to catch.
Dorin locked onto one of the yellow auras, and raised his fishing spear. The fang was almost completely straight, and its point glistened in the afternoon sun.
Suddenly a large red aura rushed in and Dorin jumped back, opening his eyes. It was the biggest sea creature he had ever seen, just as large as him. He watched as it opened its mouth to capture the fish he was hunting. Its teeth reminded him of the demon, as a sharp maw of seemingly endless teeth bit down on the fish.
Dorin clenched his spear tightly as another round of hunger pierced his body. 'You will pay.'
Dorin's new target was the large creature, even if it was risky. He wouldn't be able to catch anything if it was hunting alongside him. It might even choose to take a bite out of him and he already knew the pain of a limb being bitten on all sides.
The beast's red aura zig-zagged through the waves, and Dorin found the nearest yellow fish and started walking towards it. The only way to get close enough to strike would be to either use himself, or another fish as bait. He chose the latter.
'Any moment now . . . There!'
Dorin thrust his spear into the water, and suddenly he was pulled into the water with the beast. It thrashed around as Dorin hung on for dear life. He couldn't afford to let go, even as it pulled him deeper into the ocean.
The creature's aura darkened over time, until nothing was left. Suddenly it was his spear that had a faint red glow. His left hand pulsed, wanting to devour his fledgling weapon as he pulled the creature back to the shore. 'Shut up.'
Now that it was on the beach, he could see the beast in full. He had heard stories of what lay in deeper waters, and he was pretty sure it was a shark.
Dorin had always been told they were twice his size, with a mouth that could tear his head off whole. Even with his changed body, he wouldn't have stood a chance. Either this was a young beast, or a lesser species. Sadly he had been told that sharks weren't edible, but he could open its stomach and eat the fish it had stolen from him.
Even though it was gross, Dorin was desperate.
. . .
Rae
"Things are starting to turn up for us, slave."
Rae stared blankly at his master, Tordi, as he released him from his shackles.
"The Spire requested one of my slaves, and so I thought of you. Do whatever he says, or life will become even harder for you if he sends you back."
Rae walked behind Tordi as they exited the darkness of his cell, into the warmth of the afternoon sun. It took a while to get used to the brightness, as he hadn't seen the light of day since the forging.
The two of them traveled back to the dome that held the colosseum, and walked up several flights of stairs.
"Welcome, Tordi." The Spire met them at the top of the steps, he was wearing a gold and silver coat that showed a vastly different image from the meagre robe he wore days earlier.
"I have-" Tordi gasped and wheezed with his hands on his knees. "-brought what you asked."
". . . Yes."
Tordi's horrible coughs filled the stairwell and his wide frame reverberated in response. "Off you go, slave."
Rae hesitated for a moment, still struggling with the pain of being marked. His upper back stung with each movement.
"Half of them are yours, as promised."
"Spire." Covered in sweat, Tordi was finally able to life his head look at the Spire. "What happens now."
"We end this world." The Spire grabbed Rae, tearing off his shirt. His mark burned at the Spire's touch, until suddenly the pain was gone.