Paddling with one arm was uncomfortable, but the sorcerer wasn't about to throw away his precious loot. Amon lay on his side, lifted the sack above the surface, and slowly swam toward the shore. The cool, dark water gently caressed his body, carefully touching his half-submerged head. The fresh salty wind teased Amon's nostrils, bringing with it the scent of coastal grass, fish, and seaweed.
The sorcerer swam steadily and rhythmically, moving his legs and free arm smoothly. The repetitive motion dulled his vigilance, and he didn't even notice how he began to drift off into thought, listening to something splash a few dozen meters away.
'I wonder what happened to the Dark Truth,' the sorcerer thought. 'It must have burned up in the atmosphere or failed to reach the planet at all. If it had, the collision would have left no stone standing. It…'
At that moment, the water suddenly churned ominously, and something grabbed his leg, yanking him down with force. Amon didn't even manage a gasp before he was submerged.
His eyes, accustomed to the dark, immediately fixed on the silhouette of a sea creature eager to feast on his flesh. At first, Amon mistook the attacker for a shark, but when two arms flashed in the dark water, he realized he had encountered something else.
The creature had a tail covered in bluish scales, with a broad fin at the end. Above the waist, the monster's scales transitioned into a flat belly with light skin, a small, well-defined chest, and a human-like head with blue hair.
'A sea mutant!' was the first thought that came to his mind. Meanwhile, the creature opened its mouth wide, stretching its lips into what resembled a smile, and gently bit the Space Marine's leg.
It was as if an electric shock ran through Amon's nerves. Every cell in his body contracted with unbearable pleasure. The sorcerer shuddered convulsively, arching his back. For a split second, he lost consciousness, and when he came to, the creature was already pressing his head to its chest, its swollen nipples brushing his cheek.
Not releasing the sack, the sorcerer forcefully embraced the monster and tensed his muscles. He expected to feel the creature's bones snap and crush under his hands, sending it into oblivion, but the deathly grip, capable of easily breaking an orc's ribs, was surprisingly weak. Instead of finishing the creature off, Amon gently pulled it closer.
The monster flicked its tail, and Amon's hands slid down its waist and then to its firm, rounded buttocks. The creature's face descended to the same level as Amon's, and its arms wrapped affectionately but firmly around his neck. Amon released his grip and, with a quick motion, swung the edge of his palm at the creature's neck.
He meant to strike. His hand seemed to take on a life of its own. Just a centimeter from the mutant's neck, his palm stopped and gently rested on the back of her head. The creature sweetly smiled. Only now did Amon realize that this strange mix of shark and human had an enchanting feminine face.
The sight threw him off balance completely. Amon let out a cry of surprise and fury, forgetting he was underwater. A powerful stream of bubbles shot from his open mouth and floated to the surface. The strange girl seized the moment of his weakness.
Before Amon could clench his teeth, a hot, long tongue slid into his mouth. It coiled around the sorcerer's serpentine fangs, pulling him into her, then greedily licked his gums and teeth. Amon choked on the indescribable sweetness of the kiss, relaxing for a moment, surrendering to the stimulating movements of the mutant's tongue. He felt an urge to give up and stop resisting.
But the desire, foreign to any Space Marine, instead snapped him back to his senses. Amon realized the creature was using some sort of neurotoxin, and he had little time before he lost his will. Struggling, he tore himself away from the girl, turning his head to the side. He landed several crushing blows, but with no success. His fists always stopped just short of the mutant's body.
'I can't harm her!' Amon thought in shock. 'What should I do?!'
Meanwhile, the girl slid her tail between the sorcerer's legs and, coating his groin with oily slime, pressed herself tightly against him. Amon felt a strange warmth in his lower abdomen and a sharp itch where the monster's scales had scratched him.
With every passing second, the situation grew worse, but blood from the wisest of Primarchs ran through Amon's veins. The sorcerer was skilled at adapting and changing tactics on the fly.
Amon untied the sack, spilling its contents into the water. The coins and jewels sank like stones to the bottom, but in such a desperate situation, money was the last thing on Amon's mind. Taking advantage of the moment, he quickly pulled the sack over the mutant's head and tightly tied the knot.
To his surprise, the maneuver was successful—the blinded creature grabbed the strap and released the Space Marine. Amon immediately shot to the surface, leaving the mutant to struggle with the sack alone. He swam as fast as his enhanced body would allow, putting as much distance between himself and the creature as possible.
***
POV Mershark
Mershark gave up on trying to untie the strap. She pressed the sack to her face and tore it open with her sharp teeth, then surfaced.
The mamono glanced toward the shore. The man was already far away. He was quickly increasing the distance, cutting through the water in a fountain of splashes.
"Idiot!" Mershark shouted after him in annoyance. She flipped over, gave her tail an angry lash, and dove back underwater.