The depths were a strange yet magnificent place. Everything was connected through it, so long as it held a sea of worth. From oceans of blood to inhospitable waves which ate at the flesh of lesser creatures, all things were stringed together through the depths. It allowed for an environment unlike any other in this reality or the next and while its current ruler left much to be desired, in terms of their personality anyway, the Depths remained a place of discovery. As such, for Jason every new day he found himself face to face with a new wonder. The likes of which were not normally meant for man or devil or even lesser gods.

Yet here he was, the only human who could be found hidden away in the deepest portion of the depths, guarded not just by the lord of the Dark Wastes, one of the most feared entities in creation, but also through the grace of his girlfriend, an entity who could perhaps humble even the mighty Cathay in time. To them, he was less than an insect. Less than a mite. But they still treated him with respect, almost as though he were one of their own. Though the tyrant of the Depths often held reservations over having a human hidden within her domain she respected the wishes of her dear friend Gilah. It was thanks to them that Jason could even live down here as long as he has without needing to fear for the otherworldly pressure which would have crushed his body, or the lack of air which was terrifyingly scarce.

He was freed from such worries, and more. But…there were days when he missed his life above the waves of his world. He longed for the days when he was free to walk the earth, unhindered by the fact that, through Gilah’s own words, he no longer belonged there. Not in the traditional sense. While his body was still human, his time within the Depths had changed him. Within now his mundane form housed mutations that allowed him to survive what others normally could not. Not just the crushing pressure of the depths but also the obscene strength of his girlfriend, who in the time he has known her has done feats seemingly impossible for one even her size.

Though her form was fitting of a great sea beast it was Gilah’s repertoire of powers that demanded respect. From anchoring stars to the surface of some alien ocean, to changing the weather of several worlds through her shifting moods, there were few things she wasn’t capable of. Convincing Cathay to allow him even a single day upon the surface, it would seem, was unfortunately something beyond even her power. Though Gilah cared for both her lover and friend greatly she wouldn’t be able to change the Dark Tyrant’s mind once it had been made. Cathay was nothing if not stubborn in her decisions. Decisions that, if not respected, could lead to the destruction of several thousand of solar systems. Their temper was not something to scoff at. 

Because of her orders, Jason had fallen into a depression. He loved Gilah, truly, but he still possessed a human soul along with a sweet and gentle heart. He missed his family. He missed his home and his world. So it was that to soothe his mood, she had chosen to go AGAINST her dear friend’s demands and sneak the human up to the surface of his world. She’d be sure to return home before Cathay ever took notice. Though their gaze encompassed a great many things, the countless eyes which laid unseen upon their malignant wings seeing nearly all things, it was Gilah who remained as one of the few exceptions to that rule.

She swam faster than any technological masterpiece could hope to achieve, breaking through several reality-altering barriers which constituted the gate between this universe and the Depths. Thin lines of possibility, barely perceivable to the naked eye. Yet to one like Gilah, someone who defied the known laws of physics through her simple existence, that line and barrier was oh so obvious. It was honestly hard to miss when she wished to breach.   Most times she’d just force her way through with minimal effort. Now, she needed to take care. Otherwise, she could very well alert the ruler of all seas.

Gilah slowed herself just as she approached the final barrier which separated reality and the Depths. The final gate which would signal Cathay that someone had left her domain. Her sudden stop forced the one within her maw to lightly tap against her teeth. An adorable sensation that forced the titanic leviathan to hold her tongue, otherwise she may very well swallow him whole. Pools of saliva flooded and surrounded Jason as he waited patiently, now being the one chance he might have to see his world again, his home.

Gilah was forced to pin him to the roof of her mouth just so that she may swallow the excess liquid slowly building up within her mouth. A sudden pressure forced the small human’s ears to pop. Her tongue was like sandpaper, a mirror of just how rough her skin was on the outside as Gilah couldn’t break through the barriers AND maintain her normally soft composure at the same time.

“I know you’ve waited a long time for this dear. Just please, be patient.” Though still thousands of miles from the Earth’s oceans Gilah could see the sun of that planet’s solar system. From the vast distance between her and the surface, she could see what awaited her. It was clear, for now, but if she waited any longer who knows what she might find herself subject to.

She cursed under her breath before tightening her muscles. She thrust her clawed hand forward, gripping the thin line of reality before pulling it away. Around her, the world seemed to collapse in a wave of glass that soon restructured itself as she torpedoed forward. Behind her, the gate slowly reformed itself, and with it restructured all that was around it. Breaking the laws of creation was a great taboo for those of the Depths and was often met with quick punishment. Few could openly challenge Gilah, but it was likely that Cathay had caught onto her presence the moment she broke through.

At most, the best she could hope for was an hour to give her beloved the respite he needed.

She broke through the Earth’s surface just as quickly as she broke through the gate, bursting through the waterline with a force unmatched by even the most destructive of weapons. And that was through her needing to hold back, otherwise, her entrance may have flooded half of the planet. “Next time I’ll need to take extreme care…” She came to understand. “This isn’t like when I used to visit the surface alone. I’m going against a ruler’s orders. This is technically treason, so I needed to act fast.”

Gilah surveyed her surroundings, taking in the warmth of the sun above. It dried her skin rather quickly, but it wasn’t unbearable. It was actually rather pleasant. Perhaps it was because of the stories Jason would tell her when asked about his home. Either way, Gilah found herself enjoying the sensation. It couldn’t last forever, unfortunately, as she reminded herself of the task at hand.

From the looks of it, Gilah could surmise that she was stuck somewhere in the middle of the ocean. She wasn’t familiar with the name of the seas but knew that she was quite a ways off from Jason’s home city. Again, she cursed under her breath. Her aim was off and she somehow managed to throw herself off course. Opening her mouth, she allowed Jason to walk onto the knuckles of her waiting hand. Now she could focus on his comfort, seeing as she had already arrived at where she needed to be.

Jason took in his surroundings with a mixture of delight and something bordering anxiety. He hadn’t been on the surface in over a year. Even the sight of the sun was a little overwhelming, and that’s still taking into account the strange sights he’s seen when accompanying his girlfriend.  So to see something so…normal. It was a sight he didn’t think would cause him to tear up, and yet here we was. A single tear ran down his cheek.

“Oh, no no no! Baby, I didn’t think this would upset you?!” Gilah took notice of the tear far faster than someone her size should have and responded to it with a sense of panic. She felt as though she had done something wrong, other than breaking several rules of her people that is, and only wished to remedy whatever she had broken. Instead, she felt her spirits rise when she felt the familiar gentle touch of Jason’s hand upon her knuckle. He soothed her worries, ensuring that everything was fine.

“I’m not upset,” He assured her. It was seen through her eyes that she was worried. “It’s just…you don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. Even if it was only a year, and even if I was allowed to go to impossible worlds thanks to you I wasn’t allowed to come here. So…thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Gilah.”

The titanic leviathan felt her hearts flutter. All three of them. Her pale skin seemed to glow red as she covered the lower half of her face with her free hand. She hid away her teeth, her genuine smile seeming more a predatory grin as she tried to conceal her embarrassment.

“Please, don’t say such things right now…” Gilah pleaded. “We’re on a tight time frame as is and there’s no telling what I might do to you if you keep praising me in such a manner…”

Out here in the middle of the ocean, the sun shining off of the blue waves, a cool breeze blowing over the two of them. There was no better scenery Gilah could ask for to demonstrate her love for Jason once more. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t let herself fall towards her more base instincts. Not yet anyway. Perhaps back when they were at home but certainly not here.

Jason chuckled. “I understand. Now, seeing as you went behind Cathy’s back maybe we should hurry things along? Before she decides to bring us back personally?”

“You know she hates that name...” Gilah reminded. Still, Jason would call her that anyway. And the Tyrant of the Deep could do nothing but endure, otherwise, she’d earn Gilah’s ire.

Gilah cautiously placed Jason upon her shoulder before lowering her body back into the water. He was quick to make his way to her back, which had begun to tense up the moment she began to move. This time Gilah took care in monitoring her speed, not wishing to cause any sort of harm to the Earth for as long as she was here. Her hope, for now, was to at least reach civilization within the hour, so that at the very least her beloved could see the city he grew up in even if he wasn’t allowed to step foot within it.

“If I can give him that then hopefully it’ll be enough to get him in better spirits…”

***

“There it is, in the distance.” Jason pointed towards the city on the horizon, barely a dot in his eyes though he’s gotten quite good a picking up the littlest of details. “You see it?”

“Much better than you,” Gilah replied with a chuckle. It was always so cute to see him point out the things she was already aware of. Her senses, after all, were thousands, if not millions, of times more powerful than anything he had even with mutations. Already she could see not just the city but the cars driving within, the people going about the work day, some angry others happy, everyone living their lives a little bit differently. She could see it all.

But the one thing which stood out most was perhaps the carnival pier where she and Jason first met. An amusement park suspended over the sea, the exact place where he professed his love for her, and she in turn saw it fit to take him to her dwelling. For the sake of marriage. The more she thought about the more embarrassing she found the situation to have truly been.

Jason was much too young for marriage right now. He wasn’t even a full century old yet. Gilah on the other hand had EONS on top of him. She needed to be patient for more his sake than hers. After all, it wasn’t like she gave him much choice in the matter.

She felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. Gilah wasn’t dull of mind; she knew what she did when she took Jason to the depths. Only, she realized it too late that perhaps that wasn’t what her beloved would have wanted. He was human, he needed to remain on the land. But, because of her, Jason had been living in a place no human should, now for over a year. In some ways, she needed this just as much as him.

Minor redemption for having acted so fast on her feelings. Cathay wouldn’t understand that need. Hell, Gilah barely understood it herself. It felt so…human to one like her. Out of place for a denizen of the Depths. It was concerning, and captivating. All in one, Gilah wasn’t sure if she should embrace this array of new emotions, both the good and bad, or should she bury them and only focus on her affection. It wasn’t like this was a question she could ask anyone else. This was her battle. One she had to see through by herself. Either way, she’d remain by her beloved’s side through whatever choice was made.

She was quiet far longer than she had expected. Gilah wasn’t even aware of just how close she was getting to the city until she felt her tail run against the ocean floor, now close enough that even with her upper half still above water she was long enough to tear into the earth with nothing more than her tailfins.

“Gilah, watch where you’re going!” Jason tried desperately to get his girlfriend’s attention, making his way to her ear, and shouting directly into the canal. The titanic goddess threw herself upward, the sudden voice in her ear both surprising her and bringing to her attention just what was about to happen.

“They’re going to see you, slow down!”

Jason was right. Gilah could see it, clear as day. On the pier, there was already a gathering of people who had managed to catch sight of the god-like beauty fast approaching them. They weren’t sure what she was but only knew that at the speed she was swimming, she’d utterly annihilate the wooden flooring beneath their feet. The entire park would be destroyed.

Gilah couldn’t think, now just realizing what was happening. In a panic, she shifted her body until she stood upright, her tail supporting her weight as her body was now even more visible to the onlookers. Their reactions were expected, though it still broke her heart to watch.

Some fled in terror, the sight of Gilah invoking a primal fear that made them want only to preserve their lives. Mothers abandoned their children; Fathers abandoned their wives. Humans pushed against one another to get as far away as possible. But while some fled others fell to their knees and held their hands up high in prayer. The sight of such a powerful being was enough to make them abandon whatever previous faith they believed in, now wanting nothing more than to offer their new goddess praise, lover, and most of all sacrifices.

The worst were those who managed to catch a glimpse of Gilah’s eyes. In the back of their eyes, they saw it. Flashes of what lay within the deep. Unspeakable horrors waited in the Depths, all ruled by a queen who cared little for the ‘apes’ that had come to call their measly little planet home. Images of worlds they had brought to ruin, entire star systems erased, flashed through their minds like images within a camera reel. They tore at their scalps, wanting to free themselves of the horrible images. Nothing could save them from the coming madness that would plague them for the remainder of their days.

Jason could say nothing as, even from his distance, he could still hear the screams of those on the pier. It was something words could not properly encapsulate. From her shoulder, he looked up towards Gilah only to see that she was just as terrified as he was.

No…even more…

She was broken. Gritting her teeth so hard that the sound of them struggling to not crack could be heard. Gilah was fighting back her tears, struggling to keep herself composed as her very presence broke the minds of so many.

“I hoped…I prayed…that they were like you…” Gilah explained solemnly. “That they wouldn’t break just by looking at me…I’m…” she didn’t even know if there were any words in the human language to describe just how much sorrow she felt. “I’m…I…”

“Sorry?” a voice broke through the screams as, all around them, the world came to a standstill. The clouds above ceased in their movements. The crowd of terrified onlookers stopped in their tracks. Those who praised or cried out in anguish were found to be silent. The entire city halted whatever activities were transpiring within it. Or rather, the entire cosmos was forced to a halt. Time itself had ceased moving.

Gilah turned around, not putting any effort to struggle against what was bound to be the biggest earful she’d likely receive this millennium.

To say Cathay towered over the titanic Gilah would be a massive understatement. She was positively monstrous compared to her much smaller companion. Even if this were some avatar of hers, an extension of Cathay’s true self, they were still large enough to wrap their fingers around Gilah’s torso without any difficulty. Their wings only added to their height, encompassing the sky so that everything below was cast in the shadow of the Tyrant of the Deep.

Above her, the sun-filled sky tore open, revealing countless gates that all lead back towards the deepest part of the Depths. A tear in reality that had allowed the Great Terror to arrive. Had she decided to travel the natural way then things would have only ended up more catastrophic than they already were.

Cathay paid little mind to the city or its screaming denizens. Those upon the pier would be dealt with in time. For now, her only concern was the two troublemakers who went against her orders.

“Why do you THINK I have rules in place, hmm!?!” Their kind, hers and Gilah’s, were not something made for natural eyes to view. True, they seemed normal enough to those who could acclimate themselves to their forms, but even in their restrained states, they could plunge a world into madness. The actions that have occurred this day only proved that.

Her anger was such that, even with time frozen, Cathay was affecting the mortal realm as well. It was breaking away, shards of creation streaming upward like plumes of flame before being reduced to nothing. She would have to repair it, of course. Human lives were so easily replaced, as were the structures they made. But a lesson that goes ignored was not something so easily remedied.

Cathay wanted to scream. She wanted to rip this world in half for what Gilah and Jason had done behind her back. Instead, when she saw the defeated expressions of the couple, she calmed down. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Cathay sighed in annoyance. Were she to do things her way then matters would be so easily solved. But then Gilah would likely never wish to speak with her again. She cared for humanity. More than any creature of the Depths had. All because her one lover was one of those little ‘apes’.

She moved her hands to her forehead, lightly massaging her temples as she tried to form a plan.

“You two understand you’re in so much trouble, right?” Cathay’s rage softened, if only slightly. Her wings curled to wrap around her shoulders. The couple nodded, any fire to continue with what they had planned gone. It was honestly disheartening to see.

Cathay reached down and lifted Gilah out from the ocean, her fingers gripping the titan’s torso tightly enough that, even had they the desire to flee, they could not. There was no fight in them to even resist any sort of reprimanding that may come their way. They completely understood what they had foolishly done. No punishment she could swiftly deliver could compare to what they’d now have to live with.

“Neither of you are coming back to the surface for a VERY long time,” Cathay’s eyes fell not just onto Gilah but upon Jason as well, a single eye dominating his entire world. She was comparable to a living and breathing landmass. It was a terrifying thought to imagine that this wasn’t truly her. Cathay’s true self was something that needed to be experienced rather than spoken of.  And as far as she was concerned he was the whole reason why Gilah had committed to something so stupid.

The Great Terror’s lips curled into a wicked grin. One that was enough to pull both Gilah and Jason out of their depression. It terrified them to see those malicious gears within her head turn. “Oh, but your punishment doesn’t end there. Oh no, it’s just getting started. You two are gonna be the source of so much stress these coming days, and you’re going to offer me much-needed aid. Understood?”

Both nodded, much to Cathay’s pleasure. This was something of a hollow victory, however, seeing as she needed them to be in such despair for them to comply with simple directions. Even if it was cruel to say, this was as good a lesson as any. They needed to learn that, even if some things were desired, they just weren’t possible. This was not a world meant for them any longer.

Cathay was just about to depart with Gilah in hand when she remembered. “Oh, right. The humans.” With a snap of her fingers, those afflicted by Gilah’s presence were transported to the now outstretched palm of the Tyrant’s waiting palm. It did not just extend to them, however, as even those who had recorded and received videos of Gilah were taken as well. Hundreds who were on the pier, and hundreds more who were unfortunate victims of circumstance found themselves upon a hand so large they could probably themselves underneath its nails, unable to scream as they too were frozen much like the world.

“I suppose I’ll just need to take these with me.” Cathay did not possess Gilah’s fondness for mankind. At most, they were a nuisance she was forced to let live. She hoped she had a container on hand to keep them all in.

With nothing keeping her back, Cathay dived beneath the water’s surface, with both prizes in hand. Her wings unfurled one final time as both the city and the sky above were repaired of whatever damage was done. It was as if nothing had ever happened to begin with. The only things lost were the lives taken.

The last any would likely see of the two colossal beings was a large, serpentine tail that quickly plunged beneath the waves with such speed that had none been paying attention it would simply appear to have never existed at all.

***

But one did see the large serpentine tail. A single woman who had come to the amusement park upon the pier every month in the hopes of finding her little brother. The very same little brother who had spoken of a beauty unlike any other in the world before his disappearance. She thought him mad, even during her wild searches for him. Even when her father believed him to be fine, after a whole year of absence, she still believed he was insane. That was until she saw it for herself. A gargantuan woman with traits befitting a shark, though not like any she’s seen. And she’s hunted plenty.

When others saw her, they went mad with fear, devotion, or worse. But not her. She stood her ground even as people began to claw their eyes out. All the while she called out her little brother’s name, now fully believing the madness he had spoken of.

And then, just as quickly as the titan had appeared, she vanished. As did all the people who surrounded her. What was left behind was the tail of a serpent so large it defied reason. And soon after, even that was gone.

Valerie was the only one who remained. The single witness to a massacre the world will never know of. All she knew now was that her brother was right. Her father’s stories were true. And if that was the case…

“Is Jason alive?”

She needed answers. She needed a sign.

“What I need is a boat.”