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Description
"Great, from one mess to another," Ilia grumbled to himself as lifted his sore body off the stony floor. First he was dragged along on this insane adventure, then they were all abducted by those creepy cave creatures and now here he was separated from everyone after taking a rather nasty fall! What an absolute disaster this trip turned out to be! He was at least thankful he wasn't hurt from the rough tumble and he still had his lantern, but that did little to lighten his sour mood. He didn't know a thing about these caves, or any caves for that matter! Dark, damp places were not to his liking, so it seemed perfectly acceptable to avoid them all his life. His traveling companions at least had experience in this department, but now he couldn't even rely on them!

"Why did I ever leave home? Why did I even choose to go on this stupid adventure!" He shouted to the darkness, kicking at the rock wall before him and then immediately regretting it. Now he could add an aching foot to his list of problems. Could things get any worse? he whined to himself. Such gripes, though, ultimately would do him no good. If he just sat around in this miserable little cave and complained, he would never see the light of day again. And he certainly couldn't rely on his friends finding him, as his tumble took him quite the ways down. Like it or not, he would have to try his best to navigate this labyrinth and find a way out.

"Who....who's there?" The voice that came from the darkness nearly made him shoot straight up the hole he fell out of. The silence of the cavern had made it easy for him to get lost in thought, plus he didn't imagine anyone else was around. One would have thought that the sound of someone's voice would have brought joy, but it only filled him with fear. He knew every one of his traveling mates, and none of them sounded like the thing that had spoken. It was a guttural and withered sounding voice, one that you would hear if a dead swamp tree could speak. They sounded short of breathe, as it had almost come out like a wheeze. Could it be one of those troglodytes that had attacked them before? One of those little monsters that saw him fall down that chute and came down to finish the job? No, it couldn't be. They weren't really the talking type, as all he had heard during the attack was horrible shrieking and jabbering. The sight of a faint blue glow growing in the tunnel before him was also proof that it wasn't one of those pale monsters. They had cowered at the presence of light before, so they wouldn't possibly carry a light source with them.

"Who's there?" The wheezing voice asked again, but Ilia was hesitant to respond. On one hand, he craved the company of another, as well as a comforting source of light. On the other hand, the stranger's voice was unsettling and his mind refused to trust it. "I can smell...smell you...where are you?" Those following words made his decision incredibly easy. The only time he had ever heard someone say that they can "smell you" was in fairy tales, and they were rarely nice people. He frantically looked about with what little light he had from his dying lamp, hoping to find an escape route. Sadly, none were to be found. The only way out of this rocky tomb was the tunnel before him, the one growing brighter with that blue glow. He tried to scramble up the rock wall, back up the chute he fell from, but he was no climber and there was nothing he could reach. Fate continued its cruelty when he found that there was no place to hide, just a few small stones and dripping mushrooms. All he could do was stand there and wait for the stranger and their light to find him. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade, but it did little to help. Right now he was feeling far from brave, and he was certainly in no shape to fight.

"Who has...has come....to visit? Who's there?" The aged, weary voice continued, until the light rounded the winding tunnel, and at last its bearer was within Ilia's sight. He had to hold back a cry of fear and disgust when he saw the speaker. His mind had come up with all sorts of horrible things, but there was no way he could have predicted this. It was a large humped creature, whose slick dark skin was draped in sticky mats of moss and slime. It walked, or more of limped, on fat stubby legs, struggling to carry a pot belly that bulged from its body. Long thin arms clung to a gnarled staff, using the twisted stick to help drag itself along. A reptilian face jutted forward, its snout covered in scars and dripping fungus. He stared in horror at its jaws, which were crammed with long needle-like teeth that sprung in all directions. With such a horrible smile, he wondered if such thing could even close its mouth, which may have explained the sickly drool that fell from its lips. At last now he could see where the light was coming from, and it was from the creature itself. A tangled mess of glowing tendrils fell from its chin, growing so long that it could almost trip on the knotted clump. Another appendage was sprouting from the tip of its nose, the glowing bulbs looking like bloated fireflies. Even the fins on its back let out a soft blue glow, despite how torn and ragged they were. It was a spectacle so horrid, he nearly just collapsed and gave up on the spot. Surely this was the end for him.

"Who's there? Where...where are you?" It asked again, despite the fact Ilia could see the glowing beast quite clearly. It continued to shamble forward, seemingly oblivious to the cowering figure before it. His confusion brought his sight to the creature's eyes, and he saw the dull empty look within them. Perhaps there was hope for him still, as it seemed vision was not this creature's strong suit. He hoped that its failing sight would allow him to sneak past it, but fate continued its cruelty. The beast let out some strangled sound and suddenly stopped its advance.

"Oh....there you are...you gave me quite...quite the scare..." it gave a syrupy chortle as its malformed mouth attempted to smile. With its sights now locked on him, Ilia was frozen with fear. He could only stand there with bulging eyes and quivering limbs, his mind unable to help him in the slightest. "You should know....know not to frighten an...an old woman like me..." she wheezed out.

"Uh, sorry..." was all Ilia could squeak out of his lips, unsure what to even do in this scenario. The withered creature let out another choked sound, and her faded eyes widened for a brief moment.

"It talks...oh, how curious...they usual don't....don't talk..." Ilia believed this sound was supposed to be her being surprised, but it only sounded like she was struggling for air. Despite how weary and broken this creature appeared, her voice and words were terrifying him. But if he wanted to escape this place alive, he would have to stifle his fear and be brave. It certainly seemed impossible now, nearly nose to snout with this foul beast, but he had to do it.

"T-that I d-do," he tried to respond, doing his best to keep the stuttering fear from his voice.

"How...how lovely...we haven't had anyone to talk to for....for a very...long time..." she let out another wet hiccup of a laugh. "Not much in...in sakes of company...only me and my...my dear husband...but he hasn't been much for...for chit chat..." Her head turned to the side, almost motioning to her hip. In the pale blue light, Ilia could make out some fish-like creature on her side. Its hide and fins were much like hers, but the critter was only the size of his forearm. Though it was tough to see, it almost seemed like the creature's face was fused to her flesh, its eyes the only remnant. Looking at its dull eyes and limp body, Ilia wondered if the thing was even alive.

"What a-a-a a sh-shame," he said, the sympathy either for her lack of chatty company or for her possibly deceased husband. Though he was trapped in a life-or-death scenario, he figured manners wouldn't hurt.

"Yes...yes...." she slurred to herself, losing herself in thought. Then the eyes widened again, and it seemed like her glowing tendrils brightened for a brief moment. "But you can come and...and give me some company....I make a wonderful....wonderful soup....how nice it will be..."

"Oh that isn't necessary!" Ilia immediately blurted out, perhaps a bit too quickly and loud to be polite. Going with this creepy character sounded like a quick trip to a horrible demise, especially with the mention of soup. It didn't take much of an imagination to figure out what the main ingredient to this stew would be. "You see I, uh, I am just waiting for my friends here. We got separated-but they are coming to get me real soon!" He quickly threw in the last part, as he didn't want to admit he was lost and alone to her.

"Oh?...Friends?...More of you...strange things?" She puzzled to herself, stroking her pulsing beard. Ilia wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed like the foul drool began to drip faster from her malformed jaw.

"Yes! More of them! They will be here real soon! They know these tunnels quite well! They are warriors, you know! Real tough and with swords!" He prayed that his pathetic bluff wasn't too obvious to her slow mind. She cocked her head quizzically, and the antenna on her nose bobbed like a lazy fishing pole. There was a long awkward pause, the only sounds being her ragged breathing and his chattering teeth.

"We can go back to...to my place and eat...." she rambled, apparently ignoring his attempts at intimidation. "It will be so nice..."

"That is alright! I wouldn't want to impose!" He tried again in vain. She lurched forward a step, causing him to scramble back before she collided with him. His mind immediately interpreted this move as an attack, and his hand flew to his blade. But as he watched and waited, she made no other move. She just clung to her walking stick, wheezing with her wet, ragged breath.

"I....I insist...." She almost hissed, the words sounding very much like a threat to his ears. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly, as he knew there was no talking his way out of this one. But as he prepared to pull out his blade, he hesitated. Despite her terrifying appearance and dreadful words, he didn't want to kill her. He was no warrior, and he found the idea of killing another absolutely abhorrent. Perhaps he could just fend her off, giving him enough time to slip past her and run. She certainly wouldn't be able to pursue, seeing how she struggled to walk. Her awkward gait and slow mind should be easy to exploit, even for a novice like him. Even so, something in Ilia's head was worried about such an attempt. Though she came off creepy and scary, she so far hadn't done anything to him. For all he knew, she was being genuine about this offer of food and shelter. All his worries so far came from her appearance and voice, which was quite unfair. Sure, her words were suspicious and worrisome, but perhaps she didn't mean to sound so threatening. Seeing her choice of home, social interactions weren't very common for her. For all he knew, she was just terrible at conversation. And even if she did mean ill, could he really beat her in a fight? Yes, she seemed slow and feeble, but was this all an act? A ruse to trick fools like him, giving her the advantage when they charged forward to strike? Could a creature as withered as her truly live down here for so many years in this condition? Her teeth were crooked, her legs were wobbly, but her stomach looked quite full to him. Despite her age, she certainly wasn't starving down here. How many had underestimated her and tried what he was thinking of doing? The scars on her snout were a testament to many fights, but her presence at this very moment told him who the victor was in these ancient quarrels. His mind raced for a decision, and at last he made his choice. With a hesitant hand, he let go of his blade.

"Very well," he said weakly, hoping this wasn't his final mistake. "Lead the way..."

----------------------------------------------------------

If you are sitting here thinking, "say that scenario above sounds a lot like that one scene from The Hobbit," then you are quite correct. The entire inspiration behind this withered walking anglerfish comes from the Gollum encounter. You see, a while back I wanted to some more deep sea inspired creatures, and I stumbled upon the bizarre looking Linophryne arborifera. I liked the look of the fish, but I couldn't settle on a design or creature I wanted to make from it. While browsing Tumblr, though, I saw posts talking about the various interpretations of Gollum from The Hobbit, and how some give him a more animal or amphibious look. Seeing that gave me the idea to kind of combine the two to make some gnarled cave hermit that comes off menacing, but somewhat pathetic. Some aged, busted up creature that has wallowed away in the darkest pits of the earth, hardly aware of the outside world or much of anything. Thus, writing the stuff above. Is there a point to any of it? NOPE! I WROTE IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO! HA!

While this certainly isn't a mermaid, I figured this month was water themed so she kind of still fits with the whole thing.

Description
"Great, from one mess to another," Ilia grumbled to himself as lifted his sore body off the stony floor. First he was dragged along on this insane adventure, then they were all abducted by those creepy cave creatures and now here he was separated from everyone after taking a rather nasty fall! What an absolute disaster this trip turned out to be! He was at least thankful he wasn't hurt from the rough tumble and he still had his lantern, but that did little to lighten his sour mood. He didn't know a thing about these caves, or any caves for that matter! Dark, damp places were not to his liking, so it seemed perfectly acceptable to avoid them all his life. His traveling companions at least had experience in this department, but now he couldn't even rely on them!

"Why did I ever leave home? Why did I even choose to go on this stupid adventure!" He shouted to the darkness, kicking at the rock wall before him and then immediately regretting it. Now he could add an aching foot to his list of problems. Could things get any worse? he whined to himself. Such gripes, though, ultimately would do him no good. If he just sat around in this miserable little cave and complained, he would never see the light of day again. And he certainly couldn't rely on his friends finding him, as his tumble took him quite the ways down. Like it or not, he would have to try his best to navigate this labyrinth and find a way out.

"Who....who's there?" The voice that came from the darkness nearly made him shoot straight up the hole he fell out of. The silence of the cavern had made it easy for him to get lost in thought, plus he didn't imagine anyone else was around. One would have thought that the sound of someone's voice would have brought joy, but it only filled him with fear. He knew every one of his traveling mates, and none of them sounded like the thing that had spoken. It was a guttural and withered sounding voice, one that you would hear if a dead swamp tree could speak. They sounded short of breathe, as it had almost come out like a wheeze. Could it be one of those troglodytes that had attacked them before? One of those little monsters that saw him fall down that chute and came down to finish the job? No, it couldn't be. They weren't really the talking type, as all he had heard during the attack was horrible shrieking and jabbering. The sight of a faint blue glow growing in the tunnel before him was also proof that it wasn't one of those pale monsters. They had cowered at the presence of light before, so they wouldn't possibly carry a light source with them.

"Who's there?" The wheezing voice asked again, but Ilia was hesitant to respond. On one hand, he craved the company of another, as well as a comforting source of light. On the other hand, the stranger's voice was unsettling and his mind refused to trust it. "I can smell...smell you...where are you?" Those following words made his decision incredibly easy. The only time he had ever heard someone say that they can "smell you" was in fairy tales, and they were rarely nice people. He frantically looked about with what little light he had from his dying lamp, hoping to find an escape route. Sadly, none were to be found. The only way out of this rocky tomb was the tunnel before him, the one growing brighter with that blue glow. He tried to scramble up the rock wall, back up the chute he fell from, but he was no climber and there was nothing he could reach. Fate continued its cruelty when he found that there was no place to hide, just a few small stones and dripping mushrooms. All he could do was stand there and wait for the stranger and their light to find him. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade, but it did little to help. Right now he was feeling far from brave, and he was certainly in no shape to fight.

"Who has...has come....to visit? Who's there?" The aged, weary voice continued, until the light rounded the winding tunnel, and at last its bearer was within Ilia's sight. He had to hold back a cry of fear and disgust when he saw the speaker. His mind had come up with all sorts of horrible things, but there was no way he could have predicted this. It was a large humped creature, whose slick dark skin was draped in sticky mats of moss and slime. It walked, or more of limped, on fat stubby legs, struggling to carry a pot belly that bulged from its body. Long thin arms clung to a gnarled staff, using the twisted stick to help drag itself along. A reptilian face jutted forward, its snout covered in scars and dripping fungus. He stared in horror at its jaws, which were crammed with long needle-like teeth that sprung in all directions. With such a horrible smile, he wondered if such thing could even close its mouth, which may have explained the sickly drool that fell from its lips. At last now he could see where the light was coming from, and it was from the creature itself. A tangled mess of glowing tendrils fell from its chin, growing so long that it could almost trip on the knotted clump. Another appendage was sprouting from the tip of its nose, the glowing bulbs looking like bloated fireflies. Even the fins on its back let out a soft blue glow, despite how torn and ragged they were. It was a spectacle so horrid, he nearly just collapsed and gave up on the spot. Surely this was the end for him.

"Who's there? Where...where are you?" It asked again, despite the fact Ilia could see the glowing beast quite clearly. It continued to shamble forward, seemingly oblivious to the cowering figure before it. His confusion brought his sight to the creature's eyes, and he saw the dull empty look within them. Perhaps there was hope for him still, as it seemed vision was not this creature's strong suit. He hoped that its failing sight would allow him to sneak past it, but fate continued its cruelty. The beast let out some strangled sound and suddenly stopped its advance.

"Oh....there you are...you gave me quite...quite the scare..." it gave a syrupy chortle as its malformed mouth attempted to smile. With its sights now locked on him, Ilia was frozen with fear. He could only stand there with bulging eyes and quivering limbs, his mind unable to help him in the slightest. "You should know....know not to frighten an...an old woman like me..." she wheezed out.

"Uh, sorry..." was all Ilia could squeak out of his lips, unsure what to even do in this scenario. The withered creature let out another choked sound, and her faded eyes widened for a brief moment.

"It talks...oh, how curious...they usual don't....don't talk..." Ilia believed this sound was supposed to be her being surprised, but it only sounded like she was struggling for air. Despite how weary and broken this creature appeared, her voice and words were terrifying him. But if he wanted to escape this place alive, he would have to stifle his fear and be brave. It certainly seemed impossible now, nearly nose to snout with this foul beast, but he had to do it.

"T-that I d-do," he tried to respond, doing his best to keep the stuttering fear from his voice.

"How...how lovely...we haven't had anyone to talk to for....for a very...long time..." she let out another wet hiccup of a laugh. "Not much in...in sakes of company...only me and my...my dear husband...but he hasn't been much for...for chit chat..." Her head turned to the side, almost motioning to her hip. In the pale blue light, Ilia could make out some fish-like creature on her side. Its hide and fins were much like hers, but the critter was only the size of his forearm. Though it was tough to see, it almost seemed like the creature's face was fused to her flesh, its eyes the only remnant. Looking at its dull eyes and limp body, Ilia wondered if the thing was even alive.

"What a-a-a a sh-shame," he said, the sympathy either for her lack of chatty company or for her possibly deceased husband. Though he was trapped in a life-or-death scenario, he figured manners wouldn't hurt.

"Yes...yes...." she slurred to herself, losing herself in thought. Then the eyes widened again, and it seemed like her glowing tendrils brightened for a brief moment. "But you can come and...and give me some company....I make a wonderful....wonderful soup....how nice it will be..."

"Oh that isn't necessary!" Ilia immediately blurted out, perhaps a bit too quickly and loud to be polite. Going with this creepy character sounded like a quick trip to a horrible demise, especially with the mention of soup. It didn't take much of an imagination to figure out what the main ingredient to this stew would be. "You see I, uh, I am just waiting for my friends here. We got separated-but they are coming to get me real soon!" He quickly threw in the last part, as he didn't want to admit he was lost and alone to her.

"Oh?...Friends?...More of you...strange things?" She puzzled to herself, stroking her pulsing beard. Ilia wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed like the foul drool began to drip faster from her malformed jaw.

"Yes! More of them! They will be here real soon! They know these tunnels quite well! They are warriors, you know! Real tough and with swords!" He prayed that his pathetic bluff wasn't too obvious to her slow mind. She cocked her head quizzically, and the antenna on her nose bobbed like a lazy fishing pole. There was a long awkward pause, the only sounds being her ragged breathing and his chattering teeth.

"We can go back to...to my place and eat...." she rambled, apparently ignoring his attempts at intimidation. "It will be so nice..."

"That is alright! I wouldn't want to impose!" He tried again in vain. She lurched forward a step, causing him to scramble back before she collided with him. His mind immediately interpreted this move as an attack, and his hand flew to his blade. But as he watched and waited, she made no other move. She just clung to her walking stick, wheezing with her wet, ragged breath.

"I....I insist...." She almost hissed, the words sounding very much like a threat to his ears. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly, as he knew there was no talking his way out of this one. But as he prepared to pull out his blade, he hesitated. Despite her terrifying appearance and dreadful words, he didn't want to kill her. He was no warrior, and he found the idea of killing another absolutely abhorrent. Perhaps he could just fend her off, giving him enough time to slip past her and run. She certainly wouldn't be able to pursue, seeing how she struggled to walk. Her awkward gait and slow mind should be easy to exploit, even for a novice like him. Even so, something in Ilia's head was worried about such an attempt. Though she came off creepy and scary, she so far hadn't done anything to him. For all he knew, she was being genuine about this offer of food and shelter. All his worries so far came from her appearance and voice, which was quite unfair. Sure, her words were suspicious and worrisome, but perhaps she didn't mean to sound so threatening. Seeing her choice of home, social interactions weren't very common for her. For all he knew, she was just terrible at conversation. And even if she did mean ill, could he really beat her in a fight? Yes, she seemed slow and feeble, but was this all an act? A ruse to trick fools like him, giving her the advantage when they charged forward to strike? Could a creature as withered as her truly live down here for so many years in this condition? Her teeth were crooked, her legs were wobbly, but her stomach looked quite full to him. Despite her age, she certainly wasn't starving down here. How many had underestimated her and tried what he was thinking of doing? The scars on her snout were a testament to many fights, but her presence at this very moment told him who the victor was in these ancient quarrels. His mind raced for a decision, and at last he made his choice. With a hesitant hand, he let go of his blade.

"Very well," he said weakly, hoping this wasn't his final mistake. "Lead the way..."

----------------------------------------------------------

If you are sitting here thinking, "say that scenario above sounds a lot like that one scene from The Hobbit," then you are quite correct. The entire inspiration behind this withered walking anglerfish comes from the Gollum encounter. You see, a while back I wanted to some more deep sea inspired creatures, and I stumbled upon the bizarre looking Linophryne arborifera. I liked the look of the fish, but I couldn't settle on a design or creature I wanted to make from it. While browsing Tumblr, though, I saw posts talking about the various interpretations of Gollum from The Hobbit, and how some give him a more animal or amphibious look. Seeing that gave me the idea to kind of combine the two to make some gnarled cave hermit that comes off menacing, but somewhat pathetic. Some aged, busted up creature that has wallowed away in the darkest pits of the earth, hardly aware of the outside world or much of anything. Thus, writing the stuff above. Is there a point to any of it? NOPE! I WROTE IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO! HA!

While this certainly isn't a mermaid, I figured this month was water themed so she kind of still fits with the whole thing.