[Salamander]

It was a cold night, and the sea was black and infinitely deep. A waning crescent moon hung in the sky, obscured by misty grey fog. Faint flashes of lightening lit up the clouds, and a deep, rolling thunder sounded from within. Across the harbor, there was not a ship to be seen. Not even the old, crumbling lighthouse dared shine its beacon tonight. The people of the island knew all to well what lurked below the surface. They huddled in their homes, doors locked and windows boarded. The bravest sat together in a silent tavern, though not even they dared venture outside alone. Men and women stared out at the sea in both fear and reverence. Their eyes strained to catch a glimpse of it, though in reality they hoped they wouldn’t see a thing.

Down in the icy depths, something was roused from its sleep. The creature yawned, their rows of sharp teeth glinting in the pale light. One eye opened, then two, then four. Muto lifted their head, their eyes glimmering in the darkness. They glanced up towards the moon, noting its late phase. They knew they needed to prepare for when it disappeared entirely. They opened their mouth to taste the water, and was rewarded by the distant tang of blood. That seemed to wake them up somewhat. Their body shivered, and suddenly lit up with tiny, pulsing patterns of blue and green. They rose from the reef, propelling themselves with a flick of their powerful tail.

They could see it on the horizon: the silhouette of a whale and her calf. The little one was bleeding profusely, and was trailed by numerous sharks. Muto didn’t enjoy killing younglings, but this one would be dead within the hour anyway. Their slender body easily cut through the water as they approached. The sharks darted out of their way, but the whales had not yet noticed them. As they neared, however, an unfamiliar shadow cast over them. They glanced up to see a large, foreign vessel. This surprised them, as the local humans never dared traverse dragon territory at night. The enormous ship was only just longer than them, so they could swim underneath it without being spotted. They cautiously brushed against the wooden hull, testing its strength. Then, they rammed their tail into it full force. The ship rocked dangerously, eliciting alarmed cries from the crew. Water splashed over the side of the deck, but it was not enough to upturn it. Muto huffed irritably, not in the mood for a full-fledged sea battle. They darted off and returned to their hunt. Within a few minutes, anyone above the surface would see a burst color in the distance, accompanied by a great splash, a whale's song of mourning, and then silence.