Long before the world above the oceans knew the rise of mighty kingdoms, there existed a great and ancient city beneath the waves. This city was called
Valluris, a realm where the Mermen ruled, a civilization of grace and intellect, their golden scales shimmering in the light that pierced the deep. For eons, they thrived in the depths of the ocean, safeguarding secrets and treasures forgotten by the land-dwellers above. At the heart of Valluris was an ethereal figure known as
Draco, the High Seeker, a Merman of unrivaled power and ambition.
Draco was a being of great wisdom, his silvery-blue hair flowing like the rivers of the sea, his eyes as sharp and piercing as the fiercest storm. He was not merely a ruler; he was a scholar and a dreamer, often lost in the study of ancient texts and forgotten prophecies. It was on one of these journeys of learning that Draco uncovered a secret that would set the course of his fate - and of Valluris - on a dark path.
Deep in the heart of the ocean lay the
Fountain of Nereos, a mystical spring that could grant healing so profound it could mend even the deepest wounds, restore life to the dying, and grant eternal youth to those who drank from its waters. The Fountain of Nereos was said to be hidden beyond the great Abyssal Chasm, where no living being could pass. It was a place that even the mightiest of oceanic creatures dared not venture, for it was guarded by the Leviathan, a monstrous serpent whose eyes held the power to drain one's very soul. The legend of the Fountain had been passed down for centuries, but no one had ever found it.
Draco, however, was not deterred. His obsession with immortality and the idea of perfect health clouded his judgment. His kingdom, Valluris, had suffered greatly in recent times, the mermen plagued by illness, the great coral reefs withering, and their power waning. The young High Seeker believed that the Fountain of Nereos was their salvation. With its waters, he could cure his people, restore the city to its former glory, and, perhaps, achieve a kind of immortality to rule for all eternity. But Draco did not tell his people of his discovery. Instead, he planned in secret, driven by a thirst for power that no mere healing could quench.
He sought out three of his most trusted allies -
Eryx, the Warrior of the Reef,
Thalassa, the Mistress of the Abyss, and
Aeris, the Healer of the Deep. Together, they had once been the closest of friends, united by their love for Valluris and the ocean's depths. But Draco's obsession would soon tear them apart. He promised them the Fountain's powers, the chance to restore Valluris to its prime, and the possibility of eternal life. In return, he asked them to accompany him on a perilous journey to find it. They agreed, unaware of the treachery Draco had already begun to weave.
The journey to the Fountain of Nereos was treacherous. The group descended into the Abyssal Chasm, where light ceased to exist, and the waters grew cold and suffocating. Creatures of darkness slithered in the shadows, but Draco's resolve was unwavering. Eryx fought off monstrous sea serpents, Thalassa summoned currents that guided them through the dark, and Aeris used her healing arts to keep the group strong. But it was Draco who led them, and his mind grew ever darker, for he knew that the true power of the Fountain could only be unlocked by one - himself.
As they neared the Fountain's location, a great storm erupted around them. Waves of power, as black as ink, roared above, sent by the Leviathan, who sensed their approach. The sea itself seemed to rebel against their journey. But Draco, blinded by his desire, urged his companions onward.
When they finally reached the Fountain, it was more beautiful and terrifying than they had imagined. The waters shimmered with an ethereal glow, a soft pulse that beat like a heart. The Leviathan, a massive creature whose scales gleamed like obsidian, rose from the depths to guard it. Its eyes burned with a celestial fury, and the mere gaze of the beast sent shivers through the Mermen's spines. But Draco, in his madness, called upon the power of the ocean itself. He cast a spell so dark, it made the Leviathan falter for a moment.
In that instant, Draco seized the chance to dive into the glowing waters. The Fountain's magic wrapped around him like a lover's embrace, and for a moment, Draco felt he had conquered the ocean itself. But the moment he drank from the Fountain, a terrible truth unfolded. The waters did not grant him immortality, nor eternal youth. Instead, they poisoned him, binding him to the very essence of the ocean, making him an abomination, neither living nor dead. His body twisted, his mind shattered, and his soul became forfeit to the deep.
As Draco's transformation began, his companions, horrified, tried to pull him from the water, but it was too late. The magic of the Fountain had claimed him entirely. With his final breath, Draco whispered a curse upon Valluris - he would return, but not as a savior. He would return as the harbinger of destruction, and the ocean would rise to swallow them all.
Eryx, Thalassa, and Aeris managed to escape, but their hearts were heavy with the weight of Draco's betrayal. They returned to Valluris, and they found it in ruins - torn by storms, the coral reefs destroyed, and the Mermen dying from an unnatural curse. Draco had sealed their fate with his selfish pursuit, and the city they had once ruled with honor was lost.
Thus, the myth of
Draco, the Betrayer of the Healing Fountain, spread throughout the oceans, a warning to all who sought power above the needs of their people. The Fountain of Nereos still exists, deep in the Abyssal Chasm, but none who seek it will return the same. Some say Draco still dwells in the waters, a twisted being, neither Merman nor monster, forever bound to the curse he sought to escape. Others claim that one day, he will rise again from the depths, bringing the ocean's wrath with him, to finish what he started - a kingdom of shadows beneath the waves.
And so, the legend of Draco lives on, a tale of ambition, betrayal, and the eternal cost of desiring more than one can bear.