The area was quiet and serene. Barely a cloud in the sky, the high sun shined its uncensored light upon the ocean that consisted of gently bobbing waves so far away from shore. Amid the massive blue expanse was a single fishing boat that bobbed and weaved with the current, a gentle breeze pushing at it from the West. It was a vessel maybe twenty feet long equipped with a powerful motor and deck for leisure fishing, though that certainly wasn't the purpose of this one in particular.

Standing near the bow and just behind the boat's wheel was it's single captain, a thin yet muscular girl. She was an otter, and like many other otters she was a bit short but strong and more than able bodied to handle the rigors of her chosen career path. All across her form on top of her traditional brown coat was a swirling pattern of tattoos that wove together in what looked to be some sort of traditional tribal intricacy. The only thing she wore was a cloth binder across her practically non-existent breasts and the lower part of a black bikini.

Not many might have known what those markings meant but those few that did knew she was apart of a band of treasure hunters. Though rather peculiar, she was out on her own and far away from her companions, of whom were likely looking for her. She followed a GPS as best she could as she held down the throttle and kept the vessel going straight ahead. Hours had gone by since she disembarked the dock but eventually a blinking red light on her device said she was coming up on her destination.

In a location that had absolutely no distinctive markings or ways to make it look different from any other spot, the girl let off the gas and allowed the boat to drift to a stop. With the key turned to shut down the boat's engine the girl meandered over to a small case that contained a few amenities for the day. She searched about the bottom of the container and pulled out a pair of large glow sticks, each about a foot long and two inches thick.

She cracked them against her knee and observed as one lit up as a vibrant yellow and the other a blinding sapphire. She made quick work to connect them with a thick twine as she made her way to the edge of the boat and gazed out at the seemingly endless blue horizon. She paused for only a moment as the full gravity of the situation took hold.

Here she was all alone out in the middle of nowhere, following the cryptic message of some deep ocean dwelling being that was once thought to have been a myth. Well, she thought, I've come this far, no reason to wimp out on it now. She twirled the glow sticks on the twine and then released them in a high arch that sent them several yards away from where she was. They landed with a splash and quickly dropped beneath the surface.

She sat back on a chair and secured the other end of the twine to the boat's side railing. From there on there was nothing left to do but wait. For a while she watched as the roll of twine unraveled and followed the glow sticks but eventually it came to its end and silence took hold of where she was. She didn't know how long she was going to be there, but she figured she'd head back when she'd run out of food.

The thought made her glance over at the container that held at least two days worth of rations that she had prepared. It wasn't much but she thought it was the most effort she would dedicate towards this particular cause. Her eyes eventually turned up towards the clear blue sky to see that the sun was beginning its descent. In a few more hours it'd be dark out.

In her haste to secure the boat and make sure she had her essential supplies she hadn't bothered to pack a blanket, pillow, or even any entertainment. That's what she was kicking herself the hardest about. Not even a book! This would have been the perfect time to catch up on some reading! She folded his arms across her flat chest and sighed under her breath. This was going to be a long day and night.

Indeed hours raced by and the young girl was left with only her own thoughts. She delved into her past memories and a few particularly cringe inducing times came to mind that she hoped no one else remembered but her. The time was slow going and she was reduced to scrounging around the boat for anything to keep her mind or paws busy.

To her enjoyment the hours began to go by fast and before long she was looking out at a crimson sunset. With a small filleting knife she had come across, she tried to whittle at the wooden handle of a broom. She had become engrossed in the activity until there was a sudden hard bump against the underside of her boat.

She yipped in surprise and almost dropped her knife. She stood and whirled around, brandishing the blade like she had her own daggers many times before. She pivoted and took up a crouched stance, awaiting anything to come after her. At first her mind began to race, thinking that some creature had mistaken her boat as some sort of prey and intended to upend it, in which case she glanced at the controls and thought to make a dive for them.

A splash suddenly caught her attention and she spun around to see that her boat had been boarded. The new creature was vaguely humanoid in shape and had a size that was much greater than her own. She held the knife out at the new entity as her eyes began to adjust to the low light, her heart pounded and her breaths came in shudders. More detail was revealed and soon the creature that lied sprawled out on the floor of her vessel was discovered to be a familiar one.