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Clear Waters of the Ocean

They say a boat is better than swimming for everything, and Khato could just laugh in their faces.

Growing up along the sea-line, Khato always had a sixth sense when it came to anything related to the water. He found himself drawn closer to the sea by the day, only able to venture out a mile or two, hunting for food for the tribe to eat, before having to come back to the village a few hours later to present his catches (or catch, if he was having a bad day) to the chief who either rewarded him with one of the first bites or punish him by having to wait last.

But really, no one in the village went hungry, ever. Only two dozen small huts that could fit two people lined the shore with many fisherman and jungle-hunters to make up the people. The role of the common otter male was to hunt in the sea or in the jungle and either come back with a fresh kill, marking good honor, or come back empty handed and be shamed. Otter females were to be good wives and take care of crafting weapons, cooking the meals, then hunt on a basis the chief himself set. Younger otters sixteen and down were to learn from their fathers, if they were male, and train to be good hunters and warriors while the girls had to stay with their mother and learn their role as a good wife. Marriage wasn't until you were twenty-one, a legal adult in the tribe's customs, and nine times out of ten your marriage was already chosen for you and getting out of it was frowned upon and ultimately led to banishment.

Khato was eighteen, a very well-rounded hunter and warrior who was skilled with a bow and a natural with throwing a spear. Though not living under his parents' roof, he lives alone in a single hut he himself made just to govern over himself as opposed to being controlled by his parents. True, he still had to listen to the chief and his partners but not anyone else really. If you had a hut, you didn't have to listen to your parents anymore and you could do whatever you wanted, so long as the tribe allowed.

Lying on his back, laying atop the cool waters of the ocean, he just let his tail do the work and propel himself in circles, letting the sun's warm rays of light beam down on his body. He was calm and had every reason to be. He had already brought his catch in for the day, sharped his spear, and then crafted a few more arrows he had lost, leaving him bored without anything to do.

The otter opened his eyes then looked up at the sky, not directly at the sun though but just the area where there wasn't much brightness. The water lifted his thin leather loincloth, revealing his package to any fish that loomed under him, and washed over his lean and slim body. His messy dark brown bowl hair-cut swished in accordance with the waves, waving around while he let the waves themselves carry him with little help from his tail, which only kept him going in circles.

Not that he cared though.

The cool waves were like a lost home he never truly experienced until he was free to do whatever he wanted. Though some of the men preferred the boats to get to places over the classic old school style, plunging into the ocean, Khato just laughed in his mind at them. They were otters! What greater shame was it when they don't use their natural abilities handed down to them for countless generations by their ancestors? Boats could only do so much, and the tribe had made peace with the shark and orca tribes so the only thing to fear of were jellyfish. Piranha didn't even inhabit the waters of their shore or for miles, so there was literally nothing to fear about when it came to the ocean.

He sighed then proceeded to dive backwards into the clear ocean. Boats...as if. They were such a waste of time to Khato, using the natural abilities his ancestors gave him to his advantage, making him the most skilled diver and swimmer in the entire tribe. Even the chief couldn't out swim the teenager if he tried, and he had. No one could match his ability or his talent for the water, and dozens had tried and they all had failed to even come close to his level.

Think about it. An otter scared of the ocean? The idea sounded crazy in his mind but he lived through it every day. Kids would try when they were younger but eventually grew closer to boats--those monstrosities that hindered the village in more ways than one--and lost their love to play in the ocean even as adults. Most just give up when they're just starting their teenage years, but not Khato--he was the exact opposite when felt as though the wide waters were a second home to him. The tribe thought of him as some sort of disgrace, not using what could be made by hand and get them places with ease. Ease, as if, he told himself, knowing that boats could do only so many things before withering away into dust. Many members of the tribe tried to convert him to being a boat otter, having him give up his love for the ocean.

As if, he reminded himself. He continued to swim through the clear waters, gliding over coral fields and the sandy floor. With practice, he could hold his breath for a long time, so air wasn't even a problem to him as opposed to the other men of the tribe who couldn't even get half the time Khato had. The otter smiled, using his webbed hands to trace a line through the sand, letting the glassy floor swish this way and that as his tail propelled him forward along the ocean floor. Schools of fish scattered in every direction possible as he swam through, going even faster while doing flips, spins, and underwater handstands (which were very easy) that made him truly feel free.

A ping went off in his mind, telling him that he was running low on air. Gracefully, he pushed off from the sandy floor of the ocean and pushed upwards, moving his arms in one circular motion completely in contrast from each other. He used the strength from swimming to go even faster, rising to the surface quickly, like a shark stalking its prey just before the last moment when they strike.

Though the otter was running out of air, there was no greater challenge than waiting until the very last moment to grab that air, letting your lungs grow stronger each time. He took his time, performing a few spins through the water while letting his tail continue to bring himself closer towards the surface. All the while, the refreshing cool, calm waters of the sea continued to work their wonders on relaxing the dear otter further until he was fully calm just like the deep recesses of the ocean.

He looked up towards the surface, taking notice of the way the sun sparkled along the top then turned into some sort of kaleidoscope of white that went with the motion of the water. Beams of light that made it through broke through the slight darkness of the undersea and revealed the underwater world for any to see, everything retaining to the thirty-foot deep water. All the coral, the fish, the sand, and the creatures that walked the ocean floor could be seen in all their glory and beauty, Khato finding the sight just purely beautiful sight to behold whenever he wished.

Once he reached the peak of his air supply, he resurfaced. The otter gasped and took in as much air as he could, spinning his head until most of the water was gone and let him regain his sight. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before adjusting to the bright sun and its warm rays, smiling just a little for no apparent reason. He just returned to swishing his hair left and right, messing it up more and more until it looked like a complete mess.

Before he knew it was time to swim back to the village, the sound of wooden paddles caught his sharp ears. He quickly turned to see two of his tribe-mates paddling out in the water in their...shameful--in his mind, it was shameful--boat. It was water for crying out loud! The shark and orca tribes didn't even inhabit the waters around their village and the only thing that they should fear is drowning which shouldn't happen since they were water creatures known as otters. Khato had heard of some tribes that don't like to swim but it shouldn't be that way, they were the masters of the art of swimming until it came to the sharks or orcas.

He recognized both of them. Julianos and Yhu--twins with the same fur pattern (brown and tan in case some didn't realize) with only hair differences, Julianos with shaggy head hair and Yhu with braided hair over his shoulder. They weren't exactly the brightest torches in the bunch but they were good hunters, even though they used that disgraceful excuse of transportation. The young one, Yhu, had two tan lines under his eyes and on the shoulders of his arms while Julianos adorned three tan stripes on his muzzle and ankles, giving them distinctions from one another.

Luckily, they were long times friends of Khato even though he was pretty much the shunned one of the village. At least they didn't give up on him like some others the otter used to call his friends. Were they weirded out by his love for the water? Of course. Did they care about it? Nope, and Khato was glad.

He chuckled then swam over to them, moving his arms and legs quickly through the water. It was only seconds later they he reached them, the twins frightened at first--Khato could tell by the way they gasped and clutched their chests in shock--but then realized it was their friend. Never had they grown used to Khato or his surprise visits but nonetheless still loved him.

Yhu, the younger one of the twins, just clutched his chest and let out a sigh of relief. "Jeez, man, do you honestly have to do that to us all the time?"

Khato nodded, snickering. "I wouldn't have to if you guys weren't so scared of the water." The otter shot back, smiling at the both of them.

Julianos just rolls his eyes and tried to hit Khato with his paddle, missing as the otter went underwater then swam to the other side of the boat. He just sighed and rubbed his eyes, giving up trying to win against the swimming otter.

"Look," he said. "We're not as...experienced as you are, and I'll bet an entire week's worth of salmon that we'll just drown if we try." The otter said turning around to see the half dozen fish inside his basket then turned back to the otter in the water. "Besides, if we came back all wet, no one in the village would even talk to us since we went into the water."

"There's nothing wrong with it, though," Khato responded, lying on his back while doing circles around the twin otters' boat, making both of the non-swimmers a little nervous. "I just don't get what the big deal is with everyone about not swimming. The sharks and whales won't fight us and there's nothing to be scared of, unless everyone is just scared of a salmon."

Julianos sighed. "It's not that, Khato. It just...something the chief doesn't want us to do, for good reason."

"Like what?" the otter asked, draping his arms on the walls of the boat, looking both of the other mustelid's eyes questioningly.

They both just looked at each other. Khato watched as their ears fell flat against their heads, looking away from each other for some odd reason. Julianos rubbed his arm nervously while Yhu fidgeted with the necklace around his neck just like his older brother. They both seemed to be hiding something from the ocean-lover and the otter just frowned and rocked the boat a little, grabbing their attention once more.

"You're hiding something," he said. "Tell me."

Julianos looked as though he was about to say something, but his younger brother cut him off. "It's something the chief told us a year ago but never told anyone else."

"Why? No way it can be that bad, right?" Khato asked, raising an eye at the both of them. They were definitely keeping something under taps without the sea-lover-otter knowing about it, and it was actually beginning to bug Khato a little bit. These were pretty much the only friend's he had in the village and knowing that they were keeping something secret from him made him feel betrayed.

Finally, guilt hit Julianos. "The chief said something about many of our people, the sea-lovers like you, disappeared one day." Before Khato could even respond to that, he went on. "Believe it or not, but our tribe used to be filled with people who loved to be out in the ocean more than anything, and it was during a time were we didn't use boats either."

"Sounds like my kind of time then," Khato joked, chuckling before he looked at the older otter, stopping himself. "Sorry, continue."

Julianos sighed and looked out at the horizon, letting his ears press flat against his head. "Well, one day many years ago, many of the sea-loving otters ventured out during a terrible thunderstorm--I can't exactly remember the number, maybe thirty or so I guess--and...well, they never returned. Bits and pieces form their clothing had actually washed up on our shores weeks after, giving the then chief a complete answer as to what had happened." He sighed and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "But that wasn't it. Not long after, the last of the sea-lovers set out to search for their lost brethren to see if they were either dead or alive. Sadly though, another massive thunderstorm hit them and you can only guess what happened to them as well."

"How does an otter that can swim as easily as I do get lost at sea? Wouldn't they just swim back?" Khato asked, looking over his shoulder towards the same horizon that he had seen many times.

Yhu broke in and shrugged. "No one knows and all we just know that they were never found. Only torn clothing and tribal necklaces, anklets, and headdresses. No bodies or anything other than those."

Khato continued to look over at the horizon, unsure of whether or not to believe his friends. They hadn't ever lied to him before so he had no reason to distrust them now. Everything they said seemed to be true, but the sea-lover just found it hard to believe that the people he got his love from were gone because of a freak thunderstorm.

Still, these two wouldn't just lie to him out of the blue for no apparent reason, but there was one person who couldn't lie. The chief. If anyone could confirm what these two were saying then it was the man in charge of the entire village. If his story didn't match up with theirs then he knew that he couldn't trust these two, even if they were his only friends within the tribe. He would rather be a loner than be friended to tribe-mates who will just lie to him in front of his face then be okay with it.

He hoped that they were telling the truth.

Bidding the brothers adieu, he swam away towards the shore. If he could get the chief's story to match up with theirs then he had to take their word for it and live with it. If not then he was going to be friendless completely without believing a word from the people of the tribe.

He was too busy to think about whether or not to believe his friends to take heed of the cool waters of the ocean. On a regular day, he would rather be swimming around the undersea than searching for answers about a tale he was unsure was true or not. There really used to be sea-lovers like him? The idea of them getting lost at sea because of some sort of thunderstorm felt weird to him, knowing that they could swim just as swiftly and easily as he could. They could have drowned if the waves had been too much though which was a possibility but the same storm mysteriously took the rest of the sea-lovers away at the exact same time they left seemed unlikely.

He reached the shore ten minutes before the twins had and was already making his way towards the chief's hut, knowing good and well he was inside. The two guards posted on the entrance of his large hut allowed him inside but only if they accompanied him as well. Khato sighed and allowed them to follow him inside. They were both very strong warriors with a dozen years of experience, but the two foot smaller otter had no clue as to why they needed to follow him inside. They were the same dangling loincloth around their groin but adorned a great deal of war paint on their faces, arms, legs, and chest. One of them even had a bone necklace from each species of feral animal that he had killed.

The smaller otter just gulped, hoping to not be a part of that necklace.

They led him through the small tunnel into the chief's section, finding him sitting beside a very large bonfire in some sort of meditation position. He was old but could still fight, even at age fifty-nine. The man was leanly muscular with grey hairs sticking out in a few places yet adorned markings almost similar to warriors'. He wore a feather headdress that trailed all the way down his back along with his dark brown flowing hair tied into some sort of braid.

The old otter turned his gaze towards the three males and sighed, using his webbed hand to beckon the two warriors away, leaving Khato alone with the chief otter of the tribe. It was awkward at first but eventually the chief beckoned, without a word, for the younger mustelid to take a seat with him close to the fire. Khato hesitantly took a seat far away from the male, looking away in a sort of embarrassment.

"Young Khato," the chief said, using a long stick to provoke the flames. "Why have to come to my...humble abode on such short notice?" He asked the child, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

Khato tried to find the words but all he found was himself failing to do so. The otter just sighed and gathered his confidence, trying to explain everything he possibly could to the chief without stumbling too much. He had no idea why he was so scared all of the sudden since the chief was one of the few people that wouldn't hurt him and would treat him as a close companion rather than an outsider. As the otter told his story, the chief stroked the long hairs on his muzzle-chin, humming a soft tune yet seeming to think about what the boy was saying.

He finished explaining things in which the chief took over. "I see, I see." The old otter sighed then tapped his stick against the fire once more. "Well, what the others say is true, unfortunately. It was around fifty years ago actually, when I was nine years old. Those who were alive during that time, the elders these days and myself, call it the Deep Loss. Most of our population was sea-lovers--those who, like yourself, loved to swim in the waters of the ocean without any fear of what lurked inside--and when they were lost to us our numbers suffered and we struggled to survive." He sighed again and clutched his heart. "I lost many friends those days in just a short amount of time and, well, none of us really recovered from it. To say the least, it was an odd tragedy."

"You mean...with the storms happening exactly as they left?" Khato asked, leaning closer in order to listen.

He nodded. "Yes. At first, we thought it was some sort of coincidence, but our opinions changed once we gave it some thought. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that we had angered the sea yet we still do not know why. You are proof however that this may not be the case and the gods of the sea may not be angry at us. But..."

"But what?"

He sighed. "We still don't know what to think. Maybe the gods of the ocean are still angry at us for some reason, even though they have done nothing to you. So, as a precaution, I want you to stay close to the shoreline where guards can see you if they pass by."

"What?" Khato gasped, unable to comprehend those words form the chief. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. You want me to do what?" Panic rushed throughout his entire body, unsure if what he heard was true.

The chief sighed. "I'm sorry, Khato, but since you have brought this up to my attention, I cannot stand by and wait for you to get swept out to sea as well and possibly get killed as well. You are special and losing someone like yourself would be a great loss for the tribe to take."

"It's not anyone likes me anyway!" he shot back at the elder, beginning to grow frustrated now since the elder was starting to sound like everyone else.

"Khato, please understand. I'm doing this for your own safety." He stated, shaking his head grievingly. "I know you love the water, dear one, but I will not risk your safety because you decided to swim far out to sea."

"But, sir you just can't--!"

"That is enough, Khato!" The chief exclaimed, shutting the younger otter up completely. He looked at his younger mustelid companion and sighed once more, tapping his stick against the tarp of the hut, summoning his guards once more. "Please escort young Khato to his home."

Before the guards could even grab the boy, he was already up on his feet, slapping the warrior's hands away. He turned back to the chief with tears welling in his eyes and said "And I thought you weren't like the others. I guess not."

And like that, he stormed out of the hut in a pent up rage. Tears ran down his eyes and fell onto the dry sand just trying to make it to his home. He passed by his fellow tribe-mates who puzzlingly looked at him as he ran into his hut then dropped the leather tarp around the entrance.

He just wanted to be alone now.

Hours passed by before Khato realized he had missed dinner. He didn't even care though since he was still angry at the chief, at his friends, and at the entire village. The people of the tribe didn't even like him because of his love for the water, his friends kept a dark secret from him that he had the right to know, and now the chief was telling him to practically stay out of the water in fear that he might be lost as well.

"To the fires of the Underworld with all of them," he muttered, leaning against the wall of his hut while holding onto his legs. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone else within the tribe, lest he get everything blown back in his face.

He could still smell the fresh burnt firewood that had cooked tonight's dinner. They had served roasted venison with cooked salmon stew, making even Khato's stomach gurgle in need of food. Fish was his one weakness but his will forced him to stay where he was and think about his next move before anyone else knew about it. He already knew no one in the village could be trusted, and no one would ever side with him no matter what the circumstances were.

But where could he go?

Great, he didn't even have a back-up plan. No other clans lived on the island other than his own tribe and there was no telling whether or not the orcas or sharks would take him in. Most likely not since they probably lived mostly underwater, whereas Khato could only live under for a short period of time.

His only choice was to leave the village and try to find somewhere else to go. No one here was to be trusted. He didn't even feel as though he belonged here with these other people--these same people that hated to swim in the water, fearful that the seas might overtake them. They hadn't overtaken the young otter, which was probably because he swam in the seas as a pup, but they should all still be able to swim very decently. But no, they denied their abilities and made the teen the outcast of the entire tribe, marking him as some sort of traitor just for not abiding by their customs.

He made his decision, knowing it was better than nothing.

Sighing, he took the only thing that made him a member of the tribe off his neck--a bone necklace that was in the shape of an oval with three claw marks on the inside. It was all they needed to know to get the picture that he was done with them entirely. He said his goodbyes, knowing that even though they didn't show him much respect, he still gave them what was left of his for them. He said his final goodbyes to his two friends--Yhu and Julianos--then said goodbye to the chief and to the people, not directly but whispered to himself. Tears welled in his eyes again, forcing him to wipe his eyes and stop his goodbyes.

He set his necklace down on his roll up mat then proceeded out of his hut. Carefully, he looked around for any warriors guarding the area around him. Once he found none, he made his way towards the ocean, finding no warriors patrolling the dark waters. Typical, even the warriors who went against vicious jungle bears bare-handed already injured were still scared of the now cold waters.

Slowly, he stepped into the water. Instantly he felt the cold hit his senses, making him shudder before he stepped deeper and deeper into the depths of the sea. The wind picked up speed little by little each second, making the waves against the shore pick up in intensity. They didn't seem to affect him though, almost as if they weren't trying to harm in but pull him closer into the deep end. A sort of trance appeared to take him over as he continued to make his way further and deeper, almost as if the water was making him walk forward without even trying.

He could feel the waters rise as he walked deeper. They were up to his knees...to his thighs...his waist...his ribs. Deeper and deeper he went into the murky waters without a care in the world, knowing for some reason that the cooling liquid would guide him further without hurting him. His entire body seemed to relax as the water reached his shoulders, like some sort of healer was calming his body--along with his organs--to the point where he didn't even feel he was in control. The waves that splashed against the shore pulled him forward, forcing him to dive in with what was left of his willpower, if he even had any to begin with.

Khato didn't even look back. He was tired with the village, the people, and the hate towards him. The only things he felt like he was going to miss were the only two in the village who cared about him, Julianos and Yhu. Even though they kept that secret from him, he couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving them without some sort of goodbye before departing.

They would've just tried to stop me, Khato told himself, spinning his arms in quick strokes underwater to get farther and farther away from the camp so they couldn't see him. He knew they could get the chief or the warriors or the people to stop him from leaving, but he still felt horrible for leaving them.

Guilt washed over him like the water but he continued to swim further...and further...and further away. There was no way to tell how far away he was from the camp but he knew he had to be far enough away for them to not see him. So, without a second thought, he resurfaced only to be greeted with the bright light of the full moon. It blinded him for a moment but soon regained his sight.

He turned towards the tribe along the shoreline, finding the island very far away even for a two minute dive into the water swimming at a moderate speed. No way could they see him now which meant he was in the clear as far as he could tell. He stationed himself in the same spot for a few moments, finding himself unable to move even further away from the beach. Perhaps it was fear of angering the people, especially the chief, of his desertion or it was the guilt of not saying goodbye to his only two friends before leaving that made him stay in the same spot.

The thoughts running inside his mind were soon cut off by the rush of wind that blew the waves higher and him lower. Where had that come from? He turned to the open sea to find dark clouds amassing along the horizon, growing closer with every passing second he floated there. Lightning sparked in the distance, showing that the storm itself was a big one, a storm that could do some very serious damage. Yet for some reason, it wasn't as scary as Khato thought, even though it looked extremely scary from a distance to most others. The waves rose then fell gradually, growing in size and intensity with the passing seconds, telling the young swimmer that the storm would soon be upon him.

_At first, we thought it was a coincidence..._those words from the chief rang inside his mind like the screech of a bald eagle swooping down on its prey.

_Many of the sea-lovers ventured out during a thunderstorm..._the words from his friend also hit him like a brick, causing him to grunt and look into the darkest parts of the storm.

He was a sea-lover. The thunderstorm had arrived just as he decided he no longer wanted to be one with the land-lovers. It wasn't a coincidence. The sea was beckoning him to venture out even more and search for his kin. The chief was wrong, the people were wrong, and his friends were wrong.

Without any more hesitation, he leaned forward and swam towards the storm that still built itself up. A very faint shouting hit his ears, the voice sounding eerily familiar--the chief or his friends possibly. He wasn't going back though, no matter how many times they called out to him. There was nothing waiting on that island for the otter other than a slap to the face and a scolding from the chief, making him some sort of complete outsider of the village while being locked in his hut.

No, nothing on that island was bringing him back.

The swimmer continued to swing his arms in circular motions, going as best as he could with the motion of the ocean while the current and pull of the waves brought him closer towards the massive storm. The waves grew in size and force, blasting water all over the otter while he swam, causing him to go under many times. Then, the rain settled in and started to make things worse, getting in Khato's eyes, forcing him to gasp for air while trying to keep his vision completely clear at the same time.

The wind only made things worse, blowing the waves in all sorts of directions. One second, the otter found himself being blasted from the back and then the next he would find a wave hitting him square in the face. Gasping for air, he tried his best to keep his head above the water and take in as much air before being forced back down.

Khato spit out mouthfuls of salty water, using the waning strength in his arms to keep himself floating above the large waves. The rhythm of the waves themselves was impossible to determine, making the male's job of not drowning ten times harder even with all of what was going on. He coughed and gasped, finding his mouth and his insides burning with the taste of salt water, making his vision grow weak.

Was this it? Was this how his ancestors died? Did they drown during the thunderstorm because they didn't want to be chained to the land like everyone else on that forsaken island? Was he finally going to meet his kin in death?

He didn't want to die. It was too soon for him. He hadn't even found a suitable mate to live with (as if anyone in the tribe would take him as one) and spend his time with. There was still so much he wanted to learn, there were things he wanted to do, people he wanted to meet, and places he wanted to go.

As a last ditch effort, losing complete visual of the island, he called upon the last of his strength and swam forward towards the center of the storm. Raindrops stung his eyes, the waves that crashed into his face made him spit out more salt water, and the wind gave him the worst pounding of his life. The otter couldn't even spot an eye of the storm, looking to his left then his right but still finding nothing that looked like the calmest part of the storm. The forces of the ocean and the sky continued to best him like he was some sort of rag-doll, throwing him this way and that with force that felt unbelievable and foreign to him.

While trying to make one final move, he was caught off-guard with the blast of a wave coming from his right. The wave crashed into him and sent him under, gasping for air, and even the undersea felt like it was battling against him. More and more of his air supply was practically punched out of him, soon causing him to cough and strain under the sea for air.

His vision grew foggy as he drifted towards the bottom of the ocean. Twos and threes of everything he could see seemed to fill his hallucinating vision, making him give up the last of his air. Just before he blacked out completely, drifting into the darkest depths of the ocean just waiting for death to claim him, he felt arms grab him and pull him further down.

Were these the angels of death pulling him closer to the Underworld? Had he finally pushed his luck and now was he going to die in the very place he called his home? He felt the irony hit him and wanted to cry his eyes out, but without the air and strength to give him that ability, he let the hands drag him further down.

Then he finally gave in and blacked out.

Khato had known he would die someday, but not in the domain he called his home.

It felt so wrong, as if he was the wrong person the sea took as its latest victim. He had done nothing wrong, at least, nothing he was aware of that was wrong. The sea had been his true home for as long as he could remember, and now it had taken him down and killed him with what little hope he had left.

For some reason, he almost felt as though he was lying on something hard, yet very smooth. Was this the bottom of the ocean? He didn't remember it feeling so...smooth and comforting, more like rough and sandy.

Suddenly, he began to lift his eyelids open, allowing a bright light to hit his eyes like the morning sun. He covered his face with his webbed hands and--

Wait, his hands?

The otter looked at his arms, flexing his fingers and forearm muscles. He could feel his muscles tense up then contract, telling him that he wasn't exactly dead. Just to make sure he wasn't just seeing things, he pinched his wrist and hissed out in pain. Yep, he was definitely alive. Even though he could see his arms, his vision was still foggy and he still couldn't see much around him or in front of him. Everything looked aquamarine in color and sparkly, almost like they were some sort of super-reflective crystal with a ball of light inside creating the light to illuminate the room.

Khato gasped then rubbed his eyes, trying to restore his vision to the point where he could make out where he was. After taking a few minutes to let his eyes adjust to the new setting, he was finally able to see. The light was still bright on his eyes but he could still see enough to make out where he was.

The mustelid gasped.

The entire room was made of stone, but some sort of aquamarine-colored stone. Crystals hung off of the ceiling as torches, maybe, but were much brighter than a regular torch and illuminated the entire room. Not a single corner was shrouded in darkness. It also looked pretty the way the light reflected off of the other crystals and made them sparkle like diamonds held up to the sun. As he looked to his left and right he also found more of the stone/crystal tables similar to the one he was on--the top completely smooth crystal while the bottom was stone. A white fur cover was placed on the tables, which Khato also found was on top of him as well, very warm and cozy as well.

He was nearly lost in all the beauty this place had, yet he still wondered how he ended up here. He remembered drifting to the bottom of the ocean, not falling asleep on some sort of crystal bed. Someone had to be here, the tables and cloth were placed neatly apart from each other, which told the otter that he wasn't the only one around.

Suddenly, he felt a paw land on his shoulder. Without even thinking, he jumped off of his table and landed on the floor, scrambling away from the figure that was walking towards him. He had no clue who it was; a member of the tribe trying to bring him back possibly? He didn't want to go back there, if would only end up making his life ten times worse.

"S-stay...back!" Khato shouted, finding a corner. He nestled himself into the corner, finding that he had nowhere else to go with that figure still walking towards him.

Just then, the person spoke. "Please, calm." It was a male, Khato realized. The voice was deep, yet very smooth and wise and made the otter relax a little. "I am not here to harm you, my friend."

He blinked a few times, feeling his vision restore enough. He gasped once more. It was an otter, just like him. However, this otter was much different than he was. The other male had grey fur with a white underbelly, completely opposite to Khato's dark brown with a tan underbelly. The other otter also had sea-green eyes that Khato nearly lost himself in, finding his own ocean blue eyes inadequate to meet the guys'. He also wore nothing other than a grey loincloth that wrapped around his groin area (kinda like a speedo) but yet also went well with his fur, completely unlike Khato's brown loincloth that just dangled in front of his groin.

The brown otter couldn't deny that he was attracted to the male. The otter had flawless fur that looked like it had been groomed by the gods themselves, completely void of any imperfections. His body was just so lean with slender muscles that had to make him really fast in the water. A wrist bracelet and an anklet made out of fur caught Khato's eyes, perhaps as a way to identify the otter as part of some other tribe the brown mustelid had never heard of. Everything about the other male made Khato feel inferior, somewhat inadequate to the white otter's standards.

Khato was at a loss of words which the white otter found out quickly, smiling. "My name is Orsis, my friend. You have no need to fear me, for I will not harm you in the slightest." The male named Orsis stood up, holding his webbed hand out to Khato, the embarrassed brown otter just took the hand and stood himself back up.

"T-thank you, Orsis," Khato thanked the male, blushing crimson. "My name is Khato." He introduced himself.

Orsis nodded, smiling towards the male. "Khato. I like that name. I'm sure the others will as well." He went on, still smiling at the blushing brown otter.

"Others? What do you mean by that?" Khato asked, raising an eyebrow at the white otter confusedly. "You mean...there are more like you here?" He almost didn't want to believe there were nearly perfect white otters like Orsis around these parts.

Orsis nodded, beckoning Khato to follow him onward. He followed Orsis out of the room and out of the open passageway to the left. As they walked down the hall, Khato took notice of the aquamarine -colored walls with the tiny bits of crystal lodged inside. The hallway didn't even need those orbs of light and was clearly seeable all the way down before Orsis took another left down another corridor. There, Khato saw three more perfect white otters talking to one another, instantly turning their attention to Khato and Orsis as they both passed the group by. Khato couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed while they walked by, knowing that they were now following the duo down the hall.

Embarrassment just filled the brown otter. He couldn't help it. He stuck out in this new group of white otters like a sore thumb, or a ripped web. Maybe they had never seen a brown otter like him and were just curious. Maybe he was some sort of outsider to them, walking right into his doom.

Should he trust Orsis? The otter gave him no reason to discredit his friendly nature. Sure, he had scared the poor otter just at his introduction but that was mainly Khato's fault for not being prepared. The other otters behind him didn't even had a weapon on them yet wore the same type of loincloth wrapped around their groin (for the females, also around their breasts), and the same fur bracelets and anklets Orsis had on, making them also a part of the same tribe Orsis was.

Was that a good or bad thing though?

He continued to follow Orsis regardless. They past more duos and trios of otters along the way, getting even more weird looks while Orsis walked on. The white otter didn't even seem to mind the stares he was getting, or the fact that they were following and murmuring behind his back. Khato sure felt like he was out of the ordinary, completely brown and tan in contrast to their grey and white. Orsis just walked on, completely ignoring the crowd of otters picking up the rear.

Then, they rounded another corner, making Khato awe. Large spike-shaped buildings rose out of the ground and towered over the people. It looked like the entire city--Khato used the word city because it was much larger than a regular tribal village--was built inside an underwater cavern, completely apart from the surface world. The buildings ranged from the two people tall, to the dozen people tall, all the way to the two dozen tall. The spiked-shaped buildings were also very wide, making it appear that more than a regular family (of four) could fit inside. The spikes also had holes along the different levels, allowing the otters inside the look out and enjoy the view of the city whenever they chose.

Even the other tribe didn't have a community like this, Khato thought to himself, remembering the leather huts with only enough space for two to three people, and even then it was a tight fit. The spike buildings were also placed in rows, giving the people plenty of room to maneuver around and walk--Orsis called them "streets" and "sidewalks". The huts back at the other village were usually placed staggered without much space to move besides the wide open area in the middle. The concept was completely new to Khato who just found everything so marvelous and beautiful.

Couples with their kids and pups walked along the sidewalks with smiles on their faces, obviously happy with the peace they had. Warriors carrying crystalized spears with leather handles patrolled the streets, looking very happy themselves while the other village's warriors were stone-faced without any emotion.

Was this the anti-village or was this heaven?

But Orsis didn't stop. Khato realized where they were heading even before they arrived. At the far end of the city was a large "castle"--Orsis called it--made for the two chiefs and the lord, which was the high ruler of the entire community. It was basically three of those medium-sized spike buildings with one larger one in the center, shining a brought light all over the entire city like some sort of sun. Each building's tip, including the peoples' buildings were topped at the tip with some sort of glowing, crystal orb that illuminated the streets and sidewalks.

Orsis explained it as like everything had to go through the two chiefs then make it to the lord, who could then accept whatever was brought to the two chiefs' attention or say not to it. If it never made it to the chiefs, whatever it could've been wasn't allowed. Or, if the lord didn't allow it, the chiefs could go to the people and get their opinions and then the lord would be forced to either rethink or stay with his decision. Khato found it odd in a way, but then he lived in a tribe where once ruled, and his word was law. It was probably just because of the environment in which he grew up, compared this this much more efficient and peaceful one.

Not long after did they reach the front gates of the castle. Two guards wearing matching feather headdresses, wearing in the same type of loincloth Khato wore (except grey) guarded the front gates, holding some menacing looking double-ended crystal spears. They both looked muscular yet lean, showing some muscle definition and visible six pack abs, looking completely gorgeous and perfect like everyone else.

The sight nearly made Khato's mouth water.

Orsis snapped him out of it, snickering. "Try not to get an erection, Khato." He advised the brown otter, making Khato himself press his ears flat against his head embarrassingly.

He didn't want to mention it, but he did have a small boner there for a second. Better not let Orsis know about that though.

The guard's looked at Orsis then at Khato, raising their eyebrows in curiosity. Orsis asked for passage inside to see the chiefs and the lord. The warriors looked at one another then nodded, tapping the bottom ends of their spears against the stone ground, causing the two people high doors to slowly open up. Orsis led the confused otter inside, chuckling, as Khato looked around the interior of the large spike. The walls were bright and shiny, almost as crystalized as the bed he laid on. The floors were a mixture of stone and crystal, yet a very long fur carpet led all the way to the set of stone stairs, that led up to the three thrones , most likely for the lord and his chiefs. The room was tall and rose about stories high and right at the center top was a very large crystal radiating a warm, majestic glow that brightened the entire room up as if the sun itself was in the room with them.

Only it didn't burn them to a crisp.

More of the (hunky) guards were stationed along the walls of the throne room. Two were placed at each door of the chamber, making the area very secure when it came to battle standards. Up ahead at the three thrones were four people, three of them being adults while the fourth looked...teenage.

The first was a male white otter, completely void of any imperfections like everyone else in the city. He wore something different though; a set of fur trousers covered his legs white a piece hung at his groin while a sort of grey fur vest was fasted at his leanly muscular chest. He looked pretty young as well but was by all means an adult, showing that by the black markings around his shoulders and ribs. He had sea-green eyes and short, grey hair, still looking absolutely hunky.

The second chief was a female (very odd), and a very gorgeous female at that. Shame Khato played for the guys, not the girls. She was slender and slim, revealing her curvy body while wearing a grey fur top that covered her breasts and shoulders and a skirt that wrapped around her own groin and midway down her thigh, revealing her flat stomach. She also had the markings of a village chief, her marks being stripes wrapping around her waist, ribs, and under her eyes. She also had sea-green eyes and long, grey hair that flowed down her back, showing all its flawless beauty for every male to see.

The older male, who was the lord Khato guessed, looked slightly older than the other two chiefs. He was just as muscular as the warriors yet wore an outfit similar to the male chiefs', yet being different as in the fur was darker and he adorned a bone necklace with a dozen teeth from fallen prey. He also had darker markings around his shoulders, ankles, and under his eyes, topping everything off with a headdress very different from the other warriors'. Finally, he had the same sea-green eyes like everyone else along with shoulder length grey hair that was sleeked back to reveal his forehead and flawless face.

Lastly, but not in the least to Khato, was the teenage otter. He looked just as old as the brown otter was, but yet so flawless, handsome, and gorgeous. His fur had no flaws, being completely sleek and neat, and his shaggy grey hair was neatly combed to one side of his face, almost covering his right eye. Khato found himself swimming in those sea-green eyes, finding it nearly impossible to take his gaze away from them no matter how hard he tried. He wore the same type of loincloth (grey) like Khato wore with the same fur anklet and bracelet that Orsis adorned. On his tail though, he wore a golden tail bracelet, making him completely different from the rest of the otters. He and Khato had the same lean, slender build with a flat chest and tight stomach.

Khato found himself in love.

While falling for the teenage otter, he failed to notice Orsis walking forward towards the thrones. He quickly caught up with the white otter and walked beside him on the way, carefully keeping his eyes locked on the white otter that looked to be about his age, if not younger or older. He combed through his hair, making sure he looked his best in front of the four people, not wanting to look bad in front of them. Certainly, he didn't want to look bad in front of that _other_otter either.

They finally reached the stone steps to the three thrones a short time later. Orsis knelt down with one hand crossed over his heart. Khato realized that he should do the same and followed Orsis' move, mimicking his position as best as he could without looking too awkward. Was this how they addressed their ruler? The idea was really weird to Khato, who would just sit down next to the chief and start talking, but then again that was back on the surface world where everything was different.

"My rulers," Orsis announced, grabbing all four pairs of eyes instantly.

The lord looked down the steps to meet Orsis', smiling warmly. "Ah, Orsis, you return. A pleasure to have you back in my throne room, my friend." The voice was smooth and suave, lightly rough with a gentle touch of bass that made Khato feel even more awkward, as if he wasn't already.

Orsis rose, gesturing Khato to stay knelt in the same position. "My lord, I have brought the person you have requested to see--I believe it was the one who drowned? The brown furred one?" He asked the leader, gesturing to the kneeling Khato.

The lord otter stood up from his throne to look at Khato, taking a few steps down his stone ones. The teenage otter followed behind him, as if that made Khato feel any better about himself. As the lord otter drew closer, Khato could almost feel his presence grow stronger for some odd reason, almost as if the lord had some sort of radiant power manifesting off his body. It wasn't just the lord otter either, even the teenage otter had some sort of presence radiating off of his body, making Khato feel almost anxious and nervous to a full extent.

The lord otter stopped in front of the kneeling Khato, the brown otter noticing the gold tail bracelet he adorned that was similar to the teens'. Could it be that they were related of some sort? The teen could be the lords' son, an heir to the throne Khato guessed outright in his mind.

Just great, he was in the presence of a king and a prince.

"Rise, my friend," the elder mustelid commanded, making his voice soft and gentle, yet deep and smooth. Khato gulped before rising to his hind-paw feet, slowly meeting the lord otter's sea-green eyes. Inferior feeling, activated. As Khato was about to go into full out nervous mode, the leader placed his webbed hands on the brown otter's shoulders, chuckling lightly. "My name is Lord Shadnir, high lord of the city of Clear Water. This is my son, Lazarus." He gestured at the otter standing next to him.

Lazarus smiled gently, making a small wave towards Khato. "Hi." He said, sounding very shy towards the otter. Khato also saw a hint of, well, what he called lust that the fellow mustelid showed him.

"And what might your name be, my friend?" Lord Shadnir asked, raising an eyebrow at the question of the otter.

Khato snapped out of his trance to respond. "My...name is Khato."

Shadnir smiled. "Khato...such a fitting name for such a fine young man. I have a good feeling about you, and my son thinks the same as well."

Khato himself hadn't even noticed his tail was slowly wagging from side to side. Luckily, he noticed and stopped himself, feeling completely embarrassed once more towards the high rulers. Such a great way to show a first impression, don't you think? Of course it wasn't.

"He...he does?" Khato asked, rubbing his arm in nervousness.

Lazarus nodded, smiling. "Mmm-hmm. And...if I may, father, could I show him around the castle?" The young swimmer asked.

Lord Shadnir chuckled, patting his son's head. "I see no trouble in that. It will give me and my chieftains some time to commune for a while, so I have no problem with that in the least." He turned back to Khato. "As our esteemed guest, if there is anything that you desire, please inform any of our many servants and they will take care of it."

Khato felt his cheeks burn, but he nodded. "Y-yes, my lord."

"Oh, Khato, please just call me Shadnir," he insisted, holding out his webbed hand towards the younger otter in a friendly gesture. Khato nodded, accepting the handshake generously then letting Lazarus grab his wrist and pull him into one of the corridors.

It was all so sudden. Everything before he met Lazarus' eyes felt like a blur, like when he nearly drowned not that long ago. Or, had it been long ago? How long had he been out or, more importantly, how long had he been here? It felt like he had just nearly drowned only a few hours ago, but based on his knowledge of blacking out; he figured it had to have been longer than that.

Still, he couldn't stop his feelings from going at war with one another whenever he met the teen's eyes. Yes, he tilted more to the guy side than the girl side, and accepted it but he was practically falling in love with a prince. A prince! From what he had been told, only children of royal blood could mate and marry others with royal blood. Not to mention he was a guy and it was usually frowned upon in a lot of cases, but not all of course. He heard of some cases where tribes allowed it but none of them had ever been confirmed, so he just assumed it was a lie.

But Lazarus's touch felt too good. It was warm, firm, yet somehow gentle even with the grip he had. He wasn't even listening to what the white otter was saying, just staring into his eyes like they were the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Everything about him seemed flawless. Everything, from the tip of his ears, down to his tail tip, all the way to the tips of his stubby hind-paw feet claws. His eyes were like the morning and setting sun, so warm and inviting that they just made Khato well up inside with a refreshing radiance that had him nearly seeing stars. His fur was neatly groomed, almost like he had been born the son of a sea god, or a sky god, or any type of god meant to be the most absolute perfect creature in existence. Khato sure believed he was flawless, even his voice--oh, his voice was like the voice of an angel singing a wonderful tune without any imperfections or mistakes--was like a sweet honey that couldn't be tainted no matter what might happen. His body looked like it had been sculpted by the greatest blacksmith, absolutely void of fat and was just lean muscle, flat chest and stomach, flat sides, thin thighs, and slim calves.

He. Was. Perfect.

Did he love Khato though? Did he just think of Khato as some sort of outsider that he needed to show the ropes? Was he just going to abandon the otter and leave him to figure things out for himself, or was he leading him to his doom? He had already nearly died already, and him being killed by someone just so perfect felt so wrong...yet so right actually. It was someone he had already fallen for and dying at his webbed hands wouldn't be so bad actually. It would be sad but fitting though.

Khato didn't think Lazarus was doing that though. The male was just too damn nice and honest. There wasn't a hint of evil that made Khato think otherwise, and he didn't even care. So long as he could stay close to the white otter he was just fine, but not as fine as Lazarus though.

Okay, that was actually a tad perverted.

The white otter chuckled, stopping the duo at the entrance of another room. He let go of Khato's wrist (sadly). "I...have something I need to show you, but do you accept it?" He asked, fidgeting with his hands a little.

Was it his death sentence or marriage? One way led him either six feet under or at the bottom of the ocean while the second led to spending the time he wanted with Lazarus and loving him to death. Oh, what was he thinking? There was no way this prince was going to ask his webbed hand in marriage, and the idea itself was just so far-fetched that it was impossible.

Still what exactly was he accepting?

"Um, what is it exactly?" Asked Khato, looking at the doorway and dark entrance.

Lazarus folded his ears, looking nervous. Wait, shouldn't that Khato? "Well...it's a special place that only people I absolutely trust are allowed it. And...that's never happened until now...until I met you." He rolled his thumbs over one another nervously, looking away from Khato in embarrassment.

Khato looked down the dark hallway. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It was so quiet, other than the sound of Lazarus's fidgeting, that he could hear the swishing of water not that far away. The sound came from the light at the end of the dark corridor, making Khato unsure of what to decide. Water sure felt homey but the darkness leading to the light made him feel unsure of whether or not to follow the otter.

Did Lazarus really only trust Khato going into this place? There could have been more that he wasn't telling the brown otter, but he wasn't sure and the feeling of truth washed over Khato's body.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Khato asked, looking at Lazarus questioningly.

The white otter looked away from Khato, blushing. An internal debate seemed to go on inside the boy, making the brown otter feel horrible after saying what he said. Why didn't he just believe the teen? The otter gave him no reason to distrust his words, but Khato just went on and had to make Lazarus feel terrible.

"I'm so sorry," Khato apologized. "I didn't mean to--"

He was sharply cut off when Lazarus firmly pressed his lips against the brown otter's own. Khato had been caught off guard but luckily he was pressed against the stone wall, keeping him from falling. He couldn't even describe what he was feeling anymore. The warmth of those lips just pressing against his own made him...warm and comfortable. His vision went foggy again, but he could only see Lazarus's eyes, keeping his own locked on them as he soon fell into the embrace of the male.

He regretted nothing.

The moment felt just so right, just so inviting and...electrifying. Lazarus just leaned even more forward, pressing Khato flat against the wall while moving his webbed hands all over the brown otter's body. The otter himself just leaned forward into the male, softly moaning in pleasure only breaking the deep kiss to gasp for air but only until Lazarus locked his lips against the male's again. They tongue-danced with one another passionately, wrapping their own tongues around each other before exploring one another's mouths, perhaps searching for a weak point.

No such point was found though, yet they remained locked in a warm embrace, keeping the make out session going for as long as they possibly could. Lazarus only delved deeper into his lover's mouth, moaning and gasping as he tilted his head to the side, wrapping his arms around his lover's neck affectionately. Khato finally fell into it, placing his hands at the white otter's hips, making gentle squeezes that made the white mustelid moan and squeak out in pleasure. He just loved it, finding it nearly impossible to let go or even stop, reveling in absolute pleasure as he had never felt before.

His first kiss...and he cherished every moment of it.

Times seemed to go by slowly while the two embraced one another. The swish and sway of water the only other sound audible other than their moans, gasps, and squeaks of pleasure.

It was minutes later did Lazarus finally break the kiss, staring into the eyes of the otter he had fallen for even before meeting his eyes for the first time. True, the brown otter's fur was messy and needed to be brushed, but those eyes...oh, they made the white otter just warm up inside as if they were the sun radiating with a loving heat that he never wanted to part with. The way they kissed felt like it had been long overdue, making the time they spent ten times more worth it, and then some.

But there was still one thing left to do.

He took the brown otter's hand and smiled. "Do you trust me now?" He asked, getting a quick nod and blush from the mustelid in return. "Come on then, my love." He tugged on the swimmer's wrist, pulling him into the dark tunnel.

Khato felt his tail wag quickly after those words. My love. Those same words were never directed towards the surface dweller, ever, before in his life. Hearing them made his insides just knot up but in a good way that made him smile cutely. He felt as though he was seeing stars and hearts swirl around in his vision, but that was probably just love anxiety. That or he was just whipped.

The darkness seemed to pass by quickly, very quickly actually. Khato found himself and Lazarus in the middle of a stone room that actually looked like the size of the huts from above. However, it wasn't exactly homey but it did have a medium-sized hole big enough for the both of them filled with water. Khato guessed that there was much more water deeper down, just filled with fish and other sea life.

Lazarus gestured into the deep water. "Follow me, and...take that off while you at it." Khato noticed that his lover had stripped himself of his loincloth, revealing his sheath and family jewels to the other male, completely fearless. The brown, half-naked otter blushed towards the other male, Lazarus blushing back before beckoning the otter to follow just as he dived into the clear waters. Khato looked behind him to make sure no one was watching before he dropped his loincloth then dived with the white otter into the waters as well.

Something felt strangely different. First off, the underwater looked beautifully crafted, as if an angel had placed everything in accordance. Seaweed swished through the calm waters like they were being tugged on like a harp, the coral and crystalistic stones glistened through the vibrantly clear waters, and very few fish--seahorses, salmon, and koi fish--swam through the waters in a very peaceful way, like no one was even inside the water. They sea life didn't even pay attention to the two sea-lovers swirl and spin around inside the cavern, completely lost in the pleasure and love that they had for the water.

_ The water...it feels...unreal..._ Khato thought to himself, spreading his arms out like wings. He could feel the cool liquid run along his fur and skin, as if it was like the smoothest of silk. There was no restraint. The water didn't even move, and it just stayed where it was, moving with the otter inside of against it. If Khato wanted to go up, he could push himself up without much effort. If he wanted to descend, he would just aim lower and some sort of current from out of nowhere would aid him down.

He finally realized he had been underwater for a long time. Many minutes had passed by with just swimming below the surface without any breaths needed to be taken, making the experience ten times more enjoyable. Was this water magical? What sort of spell was this? Never in the otter's life had he heard or been to a place like this. It was water that didn't require you to breathe, and if you wanted to take in air then you just need to gulp down water and its automatically converted to air.

Unbelievable.

"Where are we?" Khato asked, finding it amazing that he could also speak while he swam through the water. He coughed once but found it had no effect on his lungs or stomach, allowing him to continue breathing while underwater.

Lazarus turned around, smiling. "This was said to be a gift given to us by our god of the deep sea Aquateos." He swam towards the confused brown otter and grabbed his wrist, tugging him further down the large cavern. "It was a special gift after the first members of our tribe found the city, clearing the waters of any waste while restoring the sea-life to better condition. Aquateos smiled down upon us and gave us this pool called 'Clear Water Deep'. This water allows us to swim freely without the need for air, and gives us a sort of...lust that some of us crave when we meet someone we love. Sometimes it...takes us over and makes us do the things we've always wanted." He spoke slowly, pulling Khato forward, walking his fingers along the otter's flat chest.

Khato felt his cheek blush darkly, if that was even visible in the water. Was it? He finally understood what the fellow otter meant then looked down, watching as Lazarus's cock slowly slid out from its sheath. He looked down at his own to find it was doing the same exact thing, revealing its brown foreskin and pink head. He could see Lazarus's uncircumcised cock and pink head as well, licking his lips almost in a hungry manner.

"Well then," Khato smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth. He grabbed Lazarus's shoulders and pulled them together, nose to nose. "Let's not wait then."

The white otter just murred and pressed his lips against his lovers own, returning to his passionate make-out that he wanted more of now than ever. He closed his eyes and let the surface one take lead, Khato pushing Lazarus dominantly against the sandy floor, gently though while not breaking his kiss with the otter. Lazarus's tongue explored his lover's mouth, moaning and panting already while lost in the pleasure.

Khato murred, grinding his cock against Lazarus's. He could feel the tingles and sparks of bliss course throughout his body in ways that had never been felt before by him. The sea-lover moaned deeply, roughly kissing the more submissive otter until he broke the kiss, letting out cries and moans of pleasure. Khato gently bit down into Lazarus's neck yet still being firm, lapping his tongue around the sensitive area, making the white mustelid moan even louder, wrapping his arms and legs around the brown otter in a passionate embrace that he didn't want to let go of.

He bit down a little harder, getting a delighted cry of pleasure from the swimmer under him. He chuckled, snaking one webbed hand down to the white otter's package, gripping the seven inch length tightly. He slowly jerked his hand up and down, rubbing his stubby claws against the cock head just to tease, flexing his hand while he jerked his lover off. Lazarus just threw his head back in pleasure, feeling the soft sandy floor cushion the impact his head made on the surface. He gasped, moaned, groaned, hissed, you name it. Slowly, he also started to buck into the otter's jerking motion, finding himself unable to restrain any lustful movement he had.

He continued to buck into Khato's paw without hesitation. Bliss shot throughout his entire body even as the more dominant otter picked up the pace, using a second hand to grab that ball sack and give it a firm squeeze, making the more submissive otter cry out again, his moans muffled as the water seemed to wake up and move. The current itself seemed to almost wrap around Khato's own cock then start jerking it itself, making the dominant otter gasp and pant, moaning while jerking off his lover. Bliss went throughout his entire body while he tried to contain himself, only releasing drops of pre into the water, letting the liquid mix with the clear water.

A newfound lust then went through him, nearly taking him over. His senses went almost into a primal state, wanting nothing more than to mount the otter underneath him and claim him forever. He smiled slyly, licking his lips before lifting Lazarus's legs onto his shoulders, placing his rock hard cock against the otter's tailhole, making the white mustelid whimper and hiss out in pleasure.

"You ready?" Khato asked, nudging the head of his cock against the otter beneath him.

Lazarus gripped his own length. "Y-yes...please, my love. Be mine...forever, please?" He almost begged the brown otter, looking deep into the swimmer's eyes for comfort.

Khato nodded, gently pushing forward, letting the water lubricate the entrance of the otter, making it easier to slide in still with a lot of resistance. Lazarus could feel his hole stretching far apart to welcome the fellow otters dick, letting it slip further and further into him. He winced, holding onto Khato tightly, feeling that cock throb and squirt pre-cum into his tail hole, making him shudder in pleasure.

Lazarus let his tongue flop out of the side of his mouth, backing his rear into the otter's cock, letting more and more of the length slip into him before he could feel Khato's groin press against his rump. The brown otter slowly pulled back then pushed forward, then back...then forward. He repeated this again and again, letting his lover get more comfortable with each loving thrust, allowing him to grow accustomed to his size and thickness.

Meanwhile, the brown otter felt the urge hit him once more, as if someone was helping push him forward. The new urge made him start pulling out faster, then thrusting in harder, letting his cock hit all the sweet spots inside the white otter's tail hole. He picked up his pace with each thrust, sending all of his cock forward then out, feeling the warm insides of the otter wrap around his cock, tightening up as tight as possible before contracting to let him go deeper.

"Yes...yes...oh, gods!" Lazarus moaned, jerking off his length. "Harder, Khato! Harder! Deeper!" He begged the brown otter, pulling his body closer so he could look into the one claiming him for the rest of his life.

Khato leaned forward and locked his lips with the mustelid, returning the kiss form earlier. He continued to hump and thrust into the otter, riding out any and all spots that made his lover moan and squirm. He heard Lazarus squeak and moan with each deep, hard, quick thrust he made, letting the otter feel his dick pulse and squirt more and more pre.

The two let their tongues dances once more in a heated passion that couldn't be extinguished even with the coldest of water or the driest of dirt. They roughly searched one another, letting their hands explore one another's bodies, allowing their tongues to delve deep into one another's mouths without hesitation. Khato wouldn't let up his thrusting in the least however, recklessly grinding his groin into the white mustelid's rump, feeling his cock throb frantically. Pleasure went through his body each time like a bullet of blissful electricity was surging through him, timing his thrusts with some sort of drum inside his mind that was just getting faster and faster with the beat.

Knowing he couldn't let his lover do all the work, Lazarus tightened his tail hole around the otter's cock, making him push harder and deeper while stretching the otter in the process. He continued to back into the beat of his otter's thrusts, feeling that thick and long cock push as far as it could. He didn't even care about how much time had passed by, this moment was just too good. He wrapped his tail around Khato's own, intertwining his with his lovers like a snake wrapping around their prey, not wanting to let go no matter how painful it was.

Time went by quickly, and soon Khato reached his peak. He made one final effort however, thrusting in as hard and fast as he could, grunting and panting like one of those canine beasts. The brown otter gritted his teeth and, with one final, forceful, hard, long, hard thrust, he send all of his cock into his lover. The otter cried out in intense pleasure, letting loose long streams of warm otter seed deep inside his lover. His balls tightened up, releasing all of the seed he had to give, letting his lover call out his name dozens of times before climaxing himself.

Lazarus let his own climax hit him. The white mustelid just moaned out, crying out his lover's name. "Oh, Khato! Khato! Khato!" He shouted, releasing his warm otter cum into the water, feeling his own balls drain of his seed as he let it float around in the clear water. He held onto his lover as tight as he could, panting along with him just trying to catch his breath after everything had happened. He felt Khato's seed deep inside him swirl around and swish and sway, making the white otter as his and the brown otter as his as well.

Minutes passed by in what felt like an eternity. Their pants died away soon, returning to mild gulps of water-air. Khato remained inside his lover the whole time, keeping his hands glued to the otter's back. Lazarus was exactly the same way, his claws buried into his kinds' back, yet not too deep to make him bleed.

They stayed that way for quite some time, just staring into one another's eyes. Each other thought the other was more beautiful. It was like a struggle, but a very loving one that made Khato place a webbed hand on his mate's cheek, caressing the soft and smooth fur-like silk. He stared into the eyes of the most beautiful otter in the entire world. Lazarus mimicked the brown otter, placing his hand on the otter's face like a loving mother's touch while not breaking eye contact with the god he was now mated to.

They leaned forward and pressed their noses together, both of them blushing crimson not from embarrassment but because they both thought it was cute on the other, and seeing it was adorable.

"I love you, my everything," Lazarus said, smiling warmly.

Khato smiled and leaned forward, kissing his mate's cheek. "No, I love you, my prince." He said, smiling back to the otter.

Without saying a word, they locked their lips together and lay there, waiting for the right moment to leave and rest. But for right now, they were perfectly fine in the clear waters under the sea, locked in each other's loving grip that was never going to break no matter what.