revivalproject | A Battle He Can't Refuse

WHO: Gladio, Open
WHERE: Deep Sea
WHAT: Sea Serpent Fighting
WHEN: Early September
WARNINGS: N/A

I. A Call To Action

While Gladio hadn't been prepared to wake up with memories missing and deep under the sea, that didn't mean he wasn't going to make use of the time that he was given here. Her Majesty had made it very clear that there was need for aid in this land, and Gladio was always the sort for taking on missions in this area. If he hadn't have been, then he never would have joined the Hunters, and never would have given ten years to them after he lost Noctis.

Therefore it's no real surprise that after a good meal Gladio had ended up investigating the task postings. And not that long after that had ended up speaking to a variety of guards. Which was what he was doing now with a group of guards that had a very sharkish look to them, much like Gladio himself. One of them was actively passing over a massive sword that seemed made of coral and studded with shark's teeth. A sword that Gladio was looking at with quite a bit of approval. The only thing that broke his attention from that was the passing of one of his fellows.

"Hey, we're about to go take on a massive sea serpent. Want to join?"

That was, in fact, quite a bit of excitement in his voice. Not shocking, given the twinkle in his eyes. The combination of getting to help someone and take out something massive that he had been told could be used to make quite a delicious meal was more than enough to get him on the metaphorical hook.

"They say they're willing to provide weapons. And of course, a lift out into the deep sea where the thing is bothering their schools. In the fish swarm sense. Oh, and the ride they're providing is an entirely different massive sea serpent. Sounds pretty cool."

II. The Show Down

This was the part where it got exciting. The elongated fin of Gladio's thresher shark like tail, swept through the water, churning it in his knee to stay still but eagerness to go forward. The atmosphere was full of intense energy, The water is lit by the faint glowing orbs that hung from little cages on the belts of the warriors ready for the fight. When they had been heading out, Gladio had thought that perhaps they would give away their approach with these lights. However, he'd been informed since then that this massive sea serpents saw their way more with sensing the heat and currents than they did from light itself. Which of course meant his own motion was a little bit of a beacon for the creature, which was, of course, the point.

"You ready for this?" he asked the companion at his side. Behind him to one side a guard nodded their head, but it wasn't from there that Gladio was expecting the question answered. " There's still time to head back. Our eyes should be circling back around within the next few minutes."

Granted, the milky white serpent that had hauled them all out to this depth was only supposed to be circling back to help join into the fight. Apparently the sea serpents were very territorial and this one was exceedingly offended that the deep blue serpent had been hunting in its home. Still, the possibility of retreat was there whether the serpent wanted to go or not.

Gladio's hand worked itself along the hilt of his borrowed blade, testing and retesting his grip as he prepared for the coming fight.

"I've taken down massive serpents like that before, but they say this one is bigger than the white that brought us here. Which would make this one of the largest creatures I've had to face in my life."

The white serpent had, by his reckoning, been almost half a mile long. They grew things big down here. It meant that their target was going to be quite the thing to go for. Especially with the thick scales it was supposed to have. Gladio had been warned that the best way to attack it would be to go for the gills or the eyes, and he only hoped that that proved true. If not, he was going to have to test his blade against other areas of the beast.

Astrals, what he would give for Noctis and his blade right now. But no, it wasn't time to think of that. It was time to be prepared for the battle ahead.