CHAPTER 1
Present Day
Early morning mist lies thick over the coast. A seagull looks into the far
distance, waiting for the sun to make its first appearance. Offshore far into
the breaking water, a ship approaches the island, just out of sight. Thick
black sail doesn't catch wind at all, yet the ancient crew ship gains speed as
waves slash at its port. In the darkness of the mist, a wave lashes over the
side at more than seventy creatures, which scream, call, howl, and fight.
Several members are busily tearing a young humpbacked whale apart as
others fight to get a share. Each member looks extremely underfed; bones
stick out everywhere below their fur or scales. A member grabs another by
the neck and rips its throat out. The blood barely fell on the deck before
it drained into the wood. The closest members to the fallen immediately
start to eat the dead. In this chaos, the only member standing still is a tall
figure wearing a fedora hat, looking out over the members while steering
the ship. His long, crocodilian jaws are partially open as he breathes
out small clouds of fog. His tail swishes from side to side behind his
tall slender body. 'We have reached destination,' he says softly to a lady
hovering an inch off the floor behind him. Her skeletal body is hidden
behind a liquid black gown; her long beak stands prominently sharp. Her
large single eye turns deep blue as her feathers, resembling hair blowing
back with the strong gust. She nods slowly and links her frail arm with
his. His bloodshot green eyes look at her for a second. He flicks his long,
thin tongue over his left eye, cooling it for a few seconds. 'This is close
enough.' The tall lizard nods and pulls on the massive wheel as one would
pull on reigns. Halting the ship completely, the entire crew look up to the
captain. He says softly, 'Go now. Be careful.' She lets go of his arm and