Thar Shaddin

After making his usual rounds of the city of Laurium above, Eridanus returns to the riverbank of Hyperborea to discard the human garb and wading into the dark water. Barely a ripple was made in the calmer part of the river where he waded in his humanoid form. Soon his whole body disappears from sight and he relaxes as he gives himself completely to his river and becoming one with it. It was as natural as the exhale of breath when sinking into a luxurious bed after a long day's work. Letting his mind wander, he flowed along down the blackness of the tunnels that the chill mists of his river had help shape.

Time slipped away for Eridanus as he flowed along at Hyperborea's pace, content to simply be and not think of anything at all. Fish the color of amber swim beside him no longer than a smile while a few shimmering silver, brown, and blue darted to and fro close to the river's bottom. The aquatic life teeming in Hyperborea made Eridanus happy because it meant that it was healthy and thriving. Focusing on himself once more, he began to take shape once more but this time as his full water serpent form as his head broke the water's surface. Eridanus was a bit surprised to find that night had fully fallen and the full moon rose high overhead.

Wait, the moon? That wasn't right...

He darted for the shore as quickly as he could and coiled up his scaly body, his tongue darting out to taste the air as his molten amber eyes searched all around him. His silvery scales caught the light as the water refracted it, his almost dragonlike mane of hair flowed as if he were still underwater. On either side of his snout were smooth looking whiskers like that of a catfish but much longer and thicker as if they could grip prey like a tentacle. His tail was flattened into a paddle type shape at the end to help Eridanus swim more effectively in this form.

The serpent tasted ocean on his forked tongue and confirmed what he was seeing. He had let himself drift to the end of his river where it met ocean and in fact, this was not the same night that he had walked the city but the following night. Eridanus had truly let time slip away from him as he was caught up in his own world in Hyperborea. He cursed himself in ancient Greek for being so careless as to let himself flow right out of his own damned river and into the salty ocean. It was something a newborn Potamoi did, not one of his age for minnow's sake. If his brothers ever heard of this, he would never be able to live it down for at least a hundred years if not more.

Back when he was a child, he loved going down to the beach with his father after a long day in the fields. He could remember the warmth of the sand between his toes as he sat with his father, watching the waves lick the shore. No matter what was troubling him, the water always washed his cares away. His mother would often scold them for spending so much time at the beach, but she didn’t understand the ocean’s majesty.

Grand Prophet Yancuican needed its comfort now more than ever.

He slithered along a submerged cliff far from his city, lost in his own thoughts. The centuries had changed him so greatly that he no longer resembled his human self: now over twelve feet tall, his body had become a mass of fleshy, rotting tentacles covered in algae. His most disturbing feature was easily his head - a group of several tentacles in the shape of a starfish with a fanged, circular maw at its center. All that connected him to his human life was his flowing prophet robe sewn from the finest Tzalxochitlan silk.

These were troubling times for his people. For the first time since Noituratan’s founding its safety had been compromised: a defector had revealed its existence, as well as many of its secrets. As much as he wanted to protect his people, Yancuican knew that contact with the surface was inevitable. His goal was to formally announce Noituratan’s existence to Darleone once his people were ready, but that was no longer a possibility. He needed time to clear his head and decide how to handle this situation, and there was no way he could do that while the prophets were arguing at the temple. One misstep at such a critical time could easily mean war.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked up toward the moon. “There is a presence in these waters,” he mumbled to himself. It was his duty as a ruler to familiarize himself with all the races and peoples that surrounded his city, and this presence was one he didn’t recognize. Perhaps meeting an interesting stranger would help take his mind off Noituratan’s troubles.

Yancuican spewed ink from his mouth, which clouded around him as he vanished from sight. The ink cloud traveled through the water at amazing speed, rapidly closing in on the stranger. He reformed out of the ink a few feet away from Eridanus and tilted his head curiously. “Greetings, worthy traveler. I am Grand Prophet Yancuican of Noituratan, the great city of the dead. I must say I haven’t seen your kind in these waters before.”

He was taken aback at the intriguing creature that emerged from the water before him. It was the first time seeing one such as this before. The stranger looked like a animal of the sea but the shape was wrong and spoke with human words, a garb of the bipedal races covering most of his body.

"Greetings, Grand Prophet Yancuican of Noituratan. I am Eridanus, the Potamoi of Hyperborea, Istros, and Po. I had not realized that I had drifted out of my river and into your waters until moments ago."

Eridanus' coils slithered around him in constant motion making it difficult but not impossible to tell how long he was. It was a instinctual habit of his while in this form. It had been quite some time since someone had seen him in full view and away from his river. Realizing how his serpentine body kept moving, he forced himself to be still while in front of the Grand Prophet. Perhaps a conversation was what he needed to break the monotony that has become his daily life.

“It is my honor to meet you, Potamoi Eridanus,” Yancuican said with a bow. “You are an inhabitant of the surface world, then? I suspected as much. As a ruler it is my business to familiarize myself with waters both near and far, and I have not heard of your kind before. But it pleases me to know that we have brethren in the rivers.”

Grand Prophet Yancuican suddenly began to circle his new acquaintance. His body remained still and the water did not react to his movement, almost as though he were incorporeal. After a few moments he stopped in front of Eridanus. “Please forgive me. My eyesight was lost with my ascension, so I must examine those I speak with through… other means.”

He could sense great power within this being – the age and wisdom of one who has seen much in his long life. Something told him that he would get along well with this outsider. “I do not mean to pry, but may I ask you a few questions? You are actually the first surface dweller I’ve spoken with since leaving my homeland. I would love to know more about you and your kind.”

"It is a great honor to meet you as well, Grand Prophet Yancuican." he said, returning the bow with a low dip of his head. "My brothers used to number three thousand before the great earthquake but I know not of how many survived it."

He watched the other as he circled the water serpent, becoming wary and on the alert. The Grand Prophet didn't move like a sea creature at all but like a specter and not affecting the water. Eridanus relaxed a bit more after the other explained his actions to him. The way that he had moved was still a little unsettling but nothing that could be harmful to him at the moment and so he filed it away to further examine at a later time.

"I understand, Grand Prophet Yancuican. See me as you can and ask whatever questions you desire. I don't take offense easily. You may simply call me Eridanus if you'd like."

Yancuican’s maw twisted into a grotesque mockery of a smile. His instincts had told him that this Eridanus would be cooperative, and as usual he was correct. This was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the surface world before their inevitable contact. He couldn’t afford to squander such a chance, so he had to remain as polite as possible. Even if Eridanus didn’t take offense easily, it was wise to be careful.

“I thank you for indulging me. You may feel free to call me by name, as well – we needn’t concern ourselves with formalities. I hear ‘Grand Prophet’ more than enough at the temple, believe me,” he said, then let out a horrific chuckle unlike anything heard among the living.

Turning, he hovered slightly upward and tilted his head up toward the sky. Though he couldn’t see anything, he could sense the moonlight shining into the depths. The night sky’s beauty was one of the few things he missed about his mortal life. “My condolences for you loss. The Changers’ War was before my time, but my city’s leader witnessed firsthand the destruction it wrought upon the world.” Pausing, he tilted his head back toward Eridanus. “How have you fared in the surface world? I can’t imagine it would be easy for one such as yourself. I understand there is a certain level of hostility for the magical in parts of Eyropa.”

Eridanus didn't let show how the the other man's laughter made an uneasy chill run up his serpentine back. His coils shifted to settle more comfortably in the sandy beach, his forked tongue still scenting the air every so often. "I appreciate your condolences. My main river had sunk in the earthquake and was sealed off from the surface. I had lost my daughters as the earth shifted and tore their roots from my riverbanks, their bodies smashed before my eyes."

The serpent's molten amber eyes blinked slowly as he drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Since then, humans have found my river and have built a large city above it, making great paddled wheels of wood to turn with the current of my river. Some believe in my existence as a spirit of the river but most don't. Others think of me as an old tale elders tell the young. I don't mind. It gives me more freedom to do as I please without being watched. I haven't interacted with the humans directly very much after the Changer's War as you call it."

Yancuican could hardly stomach the thought of humans transgressing in his realm like that. Having once been one himself, he knew the destruction that could arise from their negligence. Ignorance was no excuse – even if they knew Eridanus lived in the river, they probably would have taken it all the same. Building a city over a river was the height of arrogance, a foolish attempt to assert dominance over nature.

Sighing, he shook his head. “Mortals have such little respect for the waters. It may not bother you, but I would be insulted if anyone dared to meddle with my territory. The land is their domain – they needn’t interfere with ours.”

He extended his tentacle arm and slowly moved it back and forth. For a moment he tried to remember how it felt to have a human arm, but those sensations were so alien to him now that he couldn’t fathom it. “Humans are the worst of the lot. They revel in their ignorance. My master and I tried to help them once during our reign over Tzalxochitl, but they spit in our faces. Somehow I doubt they’ve changed much since then.” Yancuican turned back to Eridanus. “Have you ever considered reclaiming your river?”

Eridanus slips into his half serpent, half human form and laughs with his humanoid vocal chords. "Take my river back? It is mine and has never been claimed by anyone. Their city built on the land above Hyperborea, completely depends on me. If not for me, they would have nothing to work all of their inventions using my waters. Their crops would become dust and all would either starve or be forced to leave if my waters ceased flowing through their aquaducts."

He slithered a little closer but slowly so the other would be able to hear and sense his movements in the sand. He knew it would be hard for Yancuican to understand exactly what he meant but Eridanus would try his best to explain where he at least came from.

"The duty of the Potamoi is to guard their river, protect their offspring, and to watch over those who come to us for help. I am deeply sorry for how mankind has treated you an your master. I had grown up around humans and became accustomed to their... needy ways. I have seen enough good in the people of Laurium to not worry about my river yet." Eridanus swayed a bit from side to side because of his serpentine lower body and making his hair flow about him like a foam colored halo.

"I flow along my rivers and the water runs cold and clear. Life is abundant in them and there is no sign of anyone trying to control my rivers' flow or path. If ever the day comes that they take things too far, believe me I will make myself fully known but until then, all is well for myself at least."

Yancuican could only shake his head. He couldn’t blame Eridanus – after all, he had little contact with the mortals. No matter how kind the people trespassing in his river may be, it was only a matter of time before their presence became a nuisance. They would rob the river of its fish and pollute its water with sewage. Did Eridanus honestly think they would stop if he showed himself? If his time among the living taught him anything, it was that humans needed to be dealt with quickly and decisively.

But it wasn’t his place to criticize a new friend. Eridanus would have to learn from his own mistakes, just as he did ages before.

“It is your business how you handle your affairs, and I wish you the best,” Yancuican said as he drifted through the water. “Perhaps your river’s mortals are more considerate than the ones I knew. But I advise that you watch them closely – mortals bring ruin to themselves and others if left unchecked.”

He tilted his head back toward Eridanus. “Tell me – have you ever heard of the Worm Basilisks?”