Tempests raged without end. Twisting bolts of lightning fractured the night sky and cast the world in unnatural harsh brightness.
Nature's rage was constantly outpouring into the material world.
Traversing the world dominated by an endless blue that faded into inky darkness, The Darling carefully navigated the safest path through waves that soared hatefully to the roaring skies above.
Seated atop her throne high above nature reminded her subjects of her eternal reign.
Insignificance.
Sailors grit their teeth till their lips bled, straining desperately amidst the booming of thunder and tearing gusts of wind that lacerated their skin. Nature laughed wickedly as their shouts were swallowed up amidst the crashing and rising of the waves.
In the savagery of the world she desperately sought, only the sounds of her fury could exist.
'In the face of nature's wrath all things are truly helpless.' Jace contemplated.
Casting his gaze upwards Jace observed lords and politicians, their trembling faces pressed tightly up against the exquisite windows of the upper deck.
What did it matter if a lowly sailor, likely born from a poor harlot or useless drunkard vanished into the sea?
Reclining in their comfortable chairs while they pleasantly admired the long branching antlers of some unlucky fallen creature they would laugh and ridicule the lives of the poor. With perspectives warped by wealth and power they looked out onto the world.
But when they became that ridiculed soul, how could they stand for this!
"I am the advisor of King Brahma of Lenova! His majesty will be hearing of this foul tempest! I did not board this ship to have my life end clutching a floating piece of jetsam!"
Several important figures echoed his statement.
"Man should know his limits! These oceans are not suitable for us primates! You must make haste to the land at once! If this voyage continues for more than 3 moons my kingdom shall take up their swords!"
"I won't die here! Where are my beauties and my wine! I am going to my chambers to enjoy the last few moments of my precious life! Servants send women to my room, send all you have!"
Displeasure surfaced on the expressions of the 5 individuals seated at the center table.
"You pigs."
In the air hung sharp blades, resting snuggly against the necks of the guests. The blades existed only in one's imagination however the noble's felt as if cold steel was truly pressed against their bodies.
Try as they might to produce even a whisper of outrage, royal advisors and rich merchants found themselves frozen in place, unable to utter a word.
"This ship is safe. Far safer than the pitiful palaces you build. Return to your rooms. Perhaps there you will find a comfort similar to your mother's breast in your mouth." Spat out a tall and beautiful woman.
Less than a minute later the grand hall became desolate. Only the 5 guests remained.
The older man who had dissected the body of the invading beasts spoke tiredly, "Vanetta, you will be punished for your outburst."
"Then so be it. Watching those pigs with their stenches preening their feathers and stuffing their bodies; I will not stand for it any longer." Venom was evident in the woman's tone.
The other 3 individuals remained silent.
Faint sounds of sobbing, and even lust could be heard echoing within cabins below. The cowardly nature of nobles never changed.
'Something else is coming.'
The captain eyed the figure of his most outstanding crew. Within the tumbling chaos the two gazes met and a tacit understanding formed.
Beneath the waves swam countless creatures. Some had never known light nor felt the warmth of the sun. Provoked by the churning currents and piercing lights of a powerful storm, creatures of the black depth would thrash their twisted limbs and rush to the surface.
Straight into The Darling's path.
"It's been a long time since I saw a storm like this. I won't be able to guarantee my own life, nor yours.
Whatever means you have at your disposal, if the time comes, I request you use them. Your renumeration will naturally increase.
Wounds can be healed and blood can be replenished, but there is no cure for eternal sleep." The captain spoke. He made no effort to shout amidst the roaring of sea and sky.
Howling winds clawed at each syllable, roused into a fury at the defiance of the tiny being. The sailors' were not able to hear the skillful yet mechanical instructions that usually boomed out from the captain's mouth.
Not even the mages, residing safely in the warmth of the upper deck, could overcome the crashing of the waves.
Still, one soul heard the captain's words.
Relying on senses sharper than humans could imagine, Skitterer's carved out a place for themselves above the waves. Though his senses were restrained by the storm, no sound within a hundred paces could escape Jace's hearing.
After the captain's mouth no longer moved Jace nodded in acknowledgement. The two then no longer exchanged any communication.
'The captain can sense the danger too.' Jace thought solemnly.
'He has survived storms like this before without my aid. The dangers to come should not exceed my limits.'
Jace's eyes narrowed, 'But the sea is unpredictable.
I must also guard against malicious intent from the captain, to save his own life I have no doubt he would not hesitate to sacrifice mine.'
Lightning roared in the skies ahead. Sailors' clung desperately to anything they could hang on to as the howling wind lashed their minds and bodies. The moment they fell into the waves below, their life had been claimed by the depths.
Like the cold touch of death, the warmth would drain rapidly from their bodies. Struggling could only extend this torture by a few agonising seconds. Limply floating, tossed back and forth by the churning seas, the unlucky soul would soon vanish under the waves. No evidence, save a few flickering bubbles, would remain to show they had ever existed.
Tonight, the deck was destined to be coated in blood once more.