Chapter Text
-15 years ago-
"What if I don't...what if I don't want to marry her? What if...What if I don’t want to go through with the ritual?"
The question their son cowardly asked was more of a back-handed insult than a question at all. Cyreus and Talia stared at him in disbelief and disgust, glancing between each other with a confused gaze.
"You what?" Talia seethed.
"I-....I don't...love her. I can't be with someone that I don't love, and the ritual would just tie me to her--I can’t do it. I’m--I’m afraid."
"What does it matter if you 'don't love her?' Who cares if you’re afraid?" Cyreus cut in before his wife could answer. "This match has been decided when you were at the age of three. This marriage is of utmost importance to our families for the base of wealth and to create more of us."
Marius's face soured. "You-...You just want us to get married because of status and reproduction?! What am I to you? Am I your child or a piece of property that you think you can sell?"
Cyreus's veins were bulging from his neck, fists clenched and shaking at his side and chest puffed. His eyes spoke of nothing but outrage and authority. His authority, however, was being doubted by his own son, a step that he did not permit him to take.
"You are my son, and I will tell you what to do and you will follow it without any questions! Do you hear me!? You will never speak to me that way again!" A hand raised from his side and pointed at Marius with such iron grip, Talia was sure he was going to pop a vein. "You are to be loyal to your parents and respect them!"
"Why should I respect people who don't even respect ME!?"
WHAP!
The force of the slap whipped his head so hard that he faltered backwards. Utter shock and betrayal was written all over Marius's face, and a red mark slowly took the shape of the back of Cyreus's hand. It stung like nothing Marius has ever felt before.
He held his cheek in his hand, tears swelling in his eyes. He couldn't feel them flow from his face. No one could ever cry underwater. It's just impossible.
Talia was at Cyreus's side, urging him to lower his arm. She set her piercing gaze on Marius, to injure him more with the daggers from her eyes.
"If you don't want this to happen again, you will marry Neema and forget this whole conversation." Talia spat.
Marius was silent for a moment. They couldn't see his face. They couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. An idea had popped into his head. It was the only way out of this and he wasn't willing to endure a lifetime of depression from something he had no say in.
He muttered his response back to them.
"What did you say?" Talia squinted her eyes and strained her ears to hear him, letting the venom settle first before she struck again.
"I said," his voice louder and with more structure. "You can't make me."
His mother looked confused and glanced at her husband, and back to Marius. "What do you m-"
"I never want to see either of you again."
The look of realization washed over Cyreus's face. He cracked a snarled grin. "Are you banishing us? You can't do that, you have absolutely no auth-"
"I never want to see either of your hideous, worthless faces again," his voice grew to a shriek, "Because you are no longer part of my life! I'm taking the next current out of this abyss you call a 'home' and don't you dare try to follow me because I will kill you!"
His nostrils flared, spit flew from his mouth, he huffed and puffed from the energy that coursed through his body. His heart pounded in his chest. But the thing that got under his skin the most was his father's crooked, amused smile. It broke something in him.
"'You'll kill us?' Am I supposed to be threatened by that? What are you going to do, throw a crab at me?" Cyreus sneered.
That's all it took. Just one sniveling remark from his father, and he rushed at him like a tidal wave. Marius dug his shoulder into Cyreus's stomach, and the latter bent to recoil. It was enough force to push him to the floor, and Marius used it to his advantage. Claws slashed at his face, finding their way to his neck. A streak of red crossed his eyes, and he closed his hands around Cyreus's neck, pressing his hands down onto his trachea.
Cyreus struggled beneath his son's rage, tearing at his arms to let go. He gasped and choked. His gills were covered by Marius's hands, and his throat was being closed by said assailant. Sand kicked up around them as they wrestled each other, though Cyreus was already defeated.
Nails dug into Marius's shoulders and pulled at him to get off. He shrugged her off with a snap of his teeth. Yes, teeth. Talia dove back in and sunk her sharp teeth into her own son's flesh. He yelped and his hands left Cyreus's neck, searching to now find his mother and attempt to loosen her teeth from his skin. The attack was successful and she let go. She swam over to Cyreus, who was coughing and gasping.
Marius wiped a hand over his shoulder and it swept up blood. Blood.
They both looked at him in profound shock. They were dumbfounded, immobilized.
Marius backed away, his livid gaze never leaving either of theirs. He passed a clawed hand over his throat and snarled at them, and spat on them. They didn't budge, they didn't say anything, they just watched him leave, breathless and injured. He took nothing with him. He didn't need anything from them anymore. He left with his back turned to them, and not once did he look over his shoulder.