I wonder about the other Dark Lords, Deep Sea Dolphin thought, sitting down on a chair made of pearl. She was twirling a piece of coral in her hand, and staring at the ceiling of her cave. Let's see... There's the Ha-ou, the Mary-ou, and the Mei-ou. I wonder what they're like...
"Mistress, the Ruby Eyed has sent an invitation for a banquet he's hosting," an imp said, bowing before her.
"Hmm... Do you know if any other of the Dark Lords are going to be there?"
"I am sure that they all will."
The Kai-ou smiled slowly. "Then send word to the Ruby Eyed. I accept the invitation."
The banquet was stifling dull.
Deep Sea Dolphin took a sip from her goblet, and made a face. Blood. Ningen blood. She wasn't a hunter, except when humans foolishly swam in her sea. But even then, she didn't eat them. She sighed, and put down her glass.
Ha-ou Dynast Grausherra looked impassively over at her. "Don't like it?"
She shook her head. "I don't usually hunt and eat ningen."
"Hm." He turned away from her.
Deep Sea Dolphin deflated slightly. None of the other Dark Lords were very nice. Mary-ou Gaav and Mei-ou Phibrizzo were long winded jerks, and Dynast was cold and aloof, not connecting with anyone.
"Welcome, my Lords. First, a toast to the two new, and only female Dark Lords, Kai-ou-sama Deep Sea Dolphin and Juu-ou-sama Xellas Metallium. Unfortunately, Juu-ou-sama couldn't make it. A toast!"
All the Dark Lords raised their glasses. Deep Sea Dolphin took a deep breath, then downed her glass of blood. She made a face, and put the goblet down quickly. What the Ruby Eyed had said stuck in her mind. Another Dark Lord, who is female? Just who is this Xellas Metallium? Maybe... she'll accept me? Deep Sea Dolphin started playing with the stem of her glass, her blue hair swinging to hide her face. I can't wait to get back to my domain. And my dolphins.
Gaav started talking, and the Kai-ou sighed. It was going to be a long evening.
"Aa! Help! Killer dolphins! Aa!"
Deep Sea Dolphin snickered, swishing her dolphin tail. Oh, that was tasty. Ningens were so easy to scare. The dolphin/shark mix dove after the human, closing her jaws close to the heel.
"Aa!"
She played cat and mouse with the human for a few more minutes, drinking in the panic eagerly, before she finally let the ningen go. Satisfied, she swam to the opposite shore, wondering if there was anything to scare over there.
Deep Sea Dolphin took complete dolphin form, diving in and out of the water. The only thing that remained from her life as Sai was the thing that amused her the most. Even now, it was highly relaxing. And in any case, most humans didn't consider dolphins dangerous until it was too late.
The Kai-ou floated to the surface, and took human form, surveying her coastline. She frowned in disappointment. Nothing. She was about to turn back when something caught her eye. Deep Sea Dolphin smiled evilly. Someone had made a huge mistake. She took her Mazoku form, and started stealthily swimming to the shore.
Closer, closer... Suddenly, she stopped, startled. The movement was a wolf. With tentacles. It was obvious to Deep Sea Dolphin that this was another Mazoku. Perhaps... even the other Dark Lord.
The Kai-ou took her humanoid form, and tested the depth of the water. It was low enough that she could stand, and the surface of the water met her breasts. She walked to the wolf until the water was calf high. The wolf melted into the form of a young, blond woman.
The woman's lupine eyes scanned over Deep Sea Dolphin. She smiled back. "Konnichi wa. I am Kai-ou-sama, Deep Sea Dolphin. If I may ask, what is your name?"
Suddenly, the woman smiled. "I am Juu-ou-sama, Xellas Metallium. It is an honor to finally meet you, Deep Sea Dolphin."
The Kai-ou bowed her head. "I must admit, Juu-ou, I was interested in meeting you too."
"You're different that the other Dark Lords. For one, you're much quieter. Quite the change from the longwinded Mary-ou and Mei-ou," Xellas teased slightly.
Deep Sea Dolphin laughed. Someone that thought the way she did. "What are you doing in my domain."
"Looking for you." Xellas was serious this time.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I'm nothing. No one interesting, Juu-ou."
"Oh, let's drop the formalities. Please, call me Xellas." The woman motioned for Deep Sea Dolphin to come closer. "May I call you Dolph?"
Deep Sea Dolphin gaped at her. No one had wanted to shorten her name before. Not even the Ruby Eyed. "S-sure!" She walked out of the water to stand next to Xellas.
Her lupine eyes sparkled. "I have a lot to talk to you about. For one, do you know there was a town outside of the forest?"
"That would explain the increase in humans swimming in my sea," Deep Sea Dolphin mused.
"Well, not for a while."
The Kai-ou's blue eyes sparkled. "You didn't..."
Xellas giggled. "Yep! They were tasty too."
Deep Sea Dolphin tried not to make a face. When Xellas looked at her oddly, she said, "I don't like to eat ningen. They taste bad."
The Juu-ou patted her shoulder. "I guess it's just a hunter thing." For the next few hours, Xellas and Deep Sea Dolphin talked. It was when the sun was setting when Xellas looked up. "I'm sorry, Dolph. I should probably get back to my home."
The Kai-ou's eyes went wide. "Oh, really. You know, I enjoyed talking to you. Maybe... we can have dinner sometime?"
Xellas thought about that. "Sure. I found a nest of rabbits near my home, and the mailman recently dropped a recipe trying to get away from my wolves. I could try cooking that." She hugged the Kai-ou. "That was a great idea, Dolph!"
She started slightly when she felt Xellas's arms go around her, but she tentatively returned the hug. Deep Sea Dolphin could feel her emotions, and unlike when humans got ecstatic, the happiness warmed her heart. Then it hit her. She had been accepted. By Xellas.
The Juu-ou stepped back, smiling. "Tomorrow night?"
"Sure. Um, where do you live?"
"Wolf Pack Island. I'll see you later!" With that, she teleported away.
"Wolf Pack Island," Deep Sea Dolphin repeated. "How... apt."
True to its name, Wolf Pack Island was full of wolves. Deep Sea Dolphin walked back a pack, ignoring the growling. She looked around the little cave, then said loudly, "Xellas? Hello?"
"Dolph! Hey, I'm almost done. Take a seat in the dining room," Xellas yelled from another room of the cave.
Deep Sea Dolphin found the dining room, and took a seat in the bone chair, picking at a non-existent spot in her sea colored breeches. Nerves, she chided herself, and folded her hands neatly in her lap.
"Hey, Dolph," Xellas said, carrying a bottle of wine in her hands. Behind her, two dishes of food and two wine glasses floated behind her. "You were a little early. Here. I hope this is good." The Kai-ou took the floating plate and glass in front of her, and placed them on the table. "Wine?"
"Please."
After the Juu-ou had settled herself in her chair, Deep Sea Dolphin picked up her rabbit, and took a bite. Then, she raced for her wine glass. "I'm sorry," Xellas apologized. "Guess I went overboard on the spices."
After nearly draining her glass, she said, "It's alright. I wasn't expecting it." The Kai-ou picked up her rabbit again, and took a smaller bite. For a few minutes, they ate in silence. Then, "Do you have any minions yet, Xellas?"
The Juu-ou put down her rabbit. "No. I haven't had the time yet."
"Oh."
Both the women finished close to each other. "It was wonderful, Xellas," Deep Sea Dolphin said, sipping the rest of her wine.
"Thank you." Xellas looked around. "Would you like to take a walk, Dolph?"
She put down her glass. "I'd be delighted to."
On their walk, they passed by another pack of wolves. "You must love wolves," Deep Sea Dolphin said, looking at the hunters.
Xellas smiled at her, teeth sharp. "Of course. They're wonderful to hunt ningen with."
Deep Sea Dolphin shrugged. "I find just scaring them is more filling."
Xellas smiled at her, then glared playfully. The Kai-ou giggled, flipping back a lock of errant blue hair. They kept walking, and eventually Xellas led them to a cliff. "Here," she said, looking over the cliff. "Look."
She did, and gasped. "S-sugoi," she said, amazed. The view was incredible. They sat down, and stared out over the sea. Deep Sea Dolphin whispered, "It's beautiful, Xellas."
"I'm glad you think so, Dolph," the Juu-ou replied. Sighing, she continued, "Before I became a Dark Lord, I never really had friends. My only friends were a pack of wolves outside the forest."
Deep Sea Dolphin touched the other woman's shoulder. "Not anymore, Xellas."
She turned to the Kai-ou. "Thank you, Dolph." Xellas gave her a hug. "I'm glad to have a friend like you."
"Heere fishy, fishy, fishy," Deep Sea Dolphin chanted, plunging her hands into the water. "Heere fishy, fishy, fishy. Damn it, come here! Aha!" She pulled out an angelfish, and quickly dropped it into a bucket. "Ooh, Xellas will love this!"
"Angelfish?" Deep Sea Dolphin turned around to see Xellas standing there, head cocked.
She picked up some seaweed, and showed it to her friend. "When eaten raw with this, it's pretty good."
Xellas looked at it, then at the fish. "If you say so."
She passed some seaweed to Xellas, then an angelfish. "Well, you don't know until you try it."
Xellas took a bite, then her eyes widened. "Wow. You were right, Dolph!"
She nodded, then took a bite of her own angelfish. "It was a recipe I remembered from centuries ago. I wasn't quite sure that you would like fish."
The Juu-ou finished off her fish in record time. "It was fine, Dolph."
Deep Sea Dolphin finished as well, and reclined into a rock. "Go ahead, Xellas. It won't hurt you." When she reclined as well, Deep Sea Dolphin sighed. "I'm glad that I met you."
"Same here," Xellas agreed, placing a hand over the Kai-ou's.
She looked down at the hand, then gulped. "Um..."
"Oh! I'm sorry." Xellas blushed, and removed her hand.
"N-no. It's alright," Deep Sea Dolphin said. She was feeling strangely light headed.
"Oh." They sat there for a while, then the Juu-ou said, "I hope you won't hurt me for doing this but..."
Deep Sea Dolphin turned to her. "What?"
With a deep breath, she kissed the Kai-ou. Her blue eyes widened in surprise as Xellas sat back. "I'm sorry. I... don't know what came over me."
"Xellas." She placed her hand on the other woman's. "Don't be sorry." Then, tenderly, she kissed Xellas.
And things went from there.