"Tear down the sails! Quick! Load all canons!"
In the dark, vast eye of the stormy seas, the raggedy ship swayed above the ocean's turbulent waves. The dark, cloudy, and mistifying sky spared not a single merciful light on to the anxious ship, leaving the weary sailors to lead around blind on top of the ship. The only moment within the dark when they would be able to tell the target from the ocean was when lighting rumbles in the sky.
"Captain, all canons are locked and loaded! Ready to fire!" The sailor turned to the bearded man, their captain, who had insisted to travel across the Botenver Sea. Botenver had been sanctioned off by major authorities for it's dangerous waves and terrifying rumors. No ship would dare pass by these waters after the unforgettable cases of lost ships that had attemted to pass through these waves. But Aralaak was determined. Determined and proud with a craving for the taboo. A terrifying mix of a personality for sure. And now his fellow sailors might have to pay the price of his decision. For the only way to starve out pride is be the blame for mistakes. The sky rumbled in fury from high above, and lightning crackled soon after, leaving a second of light in the cold void. Then there is was, the Botenver's most beloved son, Garahev. The terrifying sea monster. It stood about 50 feet from the waters surface, towering over them, making it so only Garahev could be seen in that second of visibility. A shadow of a mountain goat's head flashed before their eyes. Its horns riddled with barnacles and green moist from being drowned under the ocean for so long. Those sickly, moss-like slits for eyes blinked in fury and hunger at the Aralaak's Ship. With a long, scalely arm, Garahev raised it high above the his head. The fins in between his fingers extended like wings of a bat, withered and old. Dark green and dangerous, like the oceans below.
"ON MY SIGNAL!" Aralaak braced for his falchion in one hand, with gritted teeth, he dared glare at the god before them. This sea monster.
Watching this monster before them, deep down Aralaak lmew they would be no match. Yet, they had to try. To survive. To come back home. To live!
Aralaak raised his own falchion high in the sky. "READY, Aim..."
With vengeful rage, Garahev struck down at the ship. The wind blowing stronger with every second with the storm. One sailor froze in shock and fear, his sword in one hand, dropped to the wet floorboards with a clang as he fell to his knees. There was no way they could dodge this. Even if they fired the canons, will is even be able to kill a god?
Another sailor, took notice of him as he drew his arrow. His feet too were shaking in fear, his body cold and shivering from the weather. But he dropped his arrow and stomped over to his friend. The fearful sailor only then snapped out of his trance as he was swept up from his feet, the floor he sunk on was no longer stuck beneath him.
"Are you trying to die!? Get up and fight!" This brave sailor bellowed, teeth bared in fury, or was it fear? Fear that they could die at any moment, but so long as everyone was fighting, he too had to fight. He nor other sailors should have the luxury to drop down and fret like his friend. The feaful sailor slowly shook his head, then as he watched Garahev's image behind his friend, his actions became more frantic, scratching the arm holding him hostage as he screamed.
"No! We can't take him down. It was a mistake to come here! We are going toâ" A clenched hand came flying at his face before he could finish that sentence. The brave sailor had struck him on his cheek. Dark eyes staring down at him with rage.
To fear is to lure failure, but to accept failure is to guarantee it.
"Cut your tongue and swallow it with your words! Do you think we're fighting here for you to say that? Get up right now!" With no more words left to say, this brave sailor brought out his arrow once again and aimed at Garahev. With shaking hands, the fearful sailor, still cold in fear, crawled to grab his sword. Ready to fight.
"FIRE!" Aralaak drew down his sword at Garahev. A canon shot at Garahev with a defeaning boom, and hitting his extended hand. The canonball exploded with a million bomb, the magic infused ball burned right through his scales, scarring his fins and arm. Five other canons soon followed. With every bomb landing a hit at Garahev's exposed body. His furry goat's neck, his arm full of scales, and his horns.
Hurt and angry, Garahev let out a shrill of a scream before diving back within the water, enticing huge waves on the ocean. The sailors, seeing his retreat, all engaged in joyful cheers. Even the fearful sailor dropped once more in relief and joy as he tearfully turned to his friend, the brave sailor, who smiled in return, giving a smug 'I told you so,' look as he huffed out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Captain, we did it!" The Captain's second in command cheefully ran up to him with joy, "Years of the lost ships stories and we'll be the first to survâ" The cheerful second in command looked at their captain with a baffled smile, his cheers cut short as he watched his captain raise a hand to shut him up. The look on their Captain's face was terrifying. His hairy, unkempt brows knit together in focus, his dark eyes shut with his yellow teeth bared, lips pulled into a sharp frown. Hand still high up in the air. By now, everyone had noticed their Captain's strange demeanor and fell silent. Not even seagulls were present to cry. Something is off.
"No... It's not over yet,"
Just as those words left his mouth, the ship swayed uncontrollably, inducing stunned gasps from the sailors. Garahev was no where in sight. How could this be?!
"Captain! There's something within the waters!" A sailor up on the crow's nest bellowed. Confused, Aralaak stepped towards the edge, the lump on his throat was filled with dread and urgency, a feeling he never even had when he heard his daughter was getting married. Within the darkness of the waters, something glinted in their sight, a motion of some sort. Aralaak stared with confusion. What is that? He didn't know. By now, all the other sailors leaned down to gaze with the Captain. All of them had the same thing in their minds. What is it?
Then, with a crack of lightning and thunder, it clicked within the Captain's mind.
"Hold on to the ship now!" Aralaak urged as he headed towards for the ropes.
"Tie yourself on to the ship if you must! Brace yourselves!" Aralaak ordered. With the words of their captain, they all sprung on to action with no idea of the current situation. Garahev, who had dived down the waters, had not gone to retreat.
"Captain, what's the matter?" His second in command asked in urgency as he too, tied himself to the ship. Aralaak paid him no mind as he tied his hands on to the ship's helm, swerving and maneuvering the ship before it tilted upside down. Without looking back at him, Aralaak stared at their problem straight ahead.
"Do you still not get it, boy? The ol' thing is trying to whirlpool us to our deaths! You better pray for a miracle now or else we all drown to our deaths," Aralaak braced on to the helm, his efforts and hold being the only thing keeping their ship afloat as the waters around them began to twirl with Garahev beneath them. Garahev whirled faster and faster with every second, bringing the waters with him into a swirl.
Aralaak laughed softly, "So this is how he managed to make al' em ships disappear. Not even strong ol' Arvy came back from 'ere,"
"Captain, what should we do?! Can we even stop him?" His second in command asked? His hands tied to the rails behind him as he turned to his Captain. He held in a glimmer of hope that their Captain had a plan. Their capable and respectable Captain Aralaak always knew the answer to everything, after all. But Aralaak didn't answer him, he merely held on to the helm tighter. His second in command, even in the darkness, could see the strain and tension in his arms as he fought to keep the helm steady. He swallowed thickly, his hands too, tensioned around the wooden rails.
"Oh heavenly spirituals, divine beings, powerful art thou, I pray to thee, let us see tomorrow's day... for today is not the end."
The waters only grew more and more frustrated by time, and the ship spun round and round non-stop in it's wake. Garahev, faced with no exhaustion, cackled with great enthusiasm at his prey's actions. Soon, they too will face their deaths as he feasts, just like his other prey's.
In the midst of his triumph, a bright, green light, slim as arrow and fast as lightning, shot through in the waters, and slicing open a fresh cut on Garahev's furry neck. The wound bled a golden liquid as Garahev ceased his actions. In his pain, he shot through the waters surface and cried an earpiercing shriek. Surprised and confused, the sailors and Aralaak all blinked at each other in question, just as another figure shot through the waters. With the speed of a million arrows, the figure bolted through the sky. As if time had stopped, the figure froze mid-air, and with his cutlass, he ran his blade down Garahev's neck, damaging more than all five canons combined. Jumping off Garahev's neck, this unknown figure then landed safely on to the steady ship.
A young man had emerged from the ocean. His athletic body adorned with a loose white shirt, exposing his chest. The dark blue vest he wore offered no help to fitting his clothes at all, as his short cape hung on one shoulder. His baggy pants tucked tightly within his boots, leaving a ruffled look at his feet. His black hair became a distorted mess against the rough nature of the wind, yet his eyes, a dangerous blue, turned to the injured god with mischief and glee.
"Elijah, my boy!" Aralaak spoke with new-found relief. His words were only met with a glance and a teeth-barred smile as this man spun his cutlass sword in his hand.
Garahev snarled. Yellow teeth barred in frustration. "You think you can take down a god?" Then he laughed, slits for eyes focusing down on the cutlass in Elijah's hand. "With that tiny blade?"
Everyone on board seemed to freeze at those menacing words as they all turned to the sword mentioned. If even with their magic infused canons, they could barely injure this sea monster, how far can this young man really hold off until they are all torn to shreds or eaten alive?
But Elijah, calm as the steady waves of summer's seas, fretted nothing more than the speck of dust at his feet. "This blade?" He asked, smooth voice laced with a sense of mockery, "This blade that let you bleed a god's blood?"
Garahev snarled, he did not like this answer one bit. And coming from a mere mortal no less.
He growled before falling into deafening silence, "This is the face that will take me down?"
"If it's to save the lives of these people, then yes." Elijah answered, "Remember it well," His confidence unfaltering like the rushing rivers of Gael, even leaving this god astonished when suddenly, a chiming of a bell rang across the ocean, stunning both sailors and Garahev who all turned the ocean's horizon. There, rapidly nearing them was another ship, bigger than Aralaak's own. The ship armed itself with far more canons, locked and loaded, ready to fire, with sounds of determined sailors ready to fight.
"Don't worry, dear! Help is on the way!" A woman's voice rang across the sea as Menonna boarded through the water's surface like a blade. The ship became clearer and clearer to the naked eye, and the sailors all got up with joy as they untied themselves from the ship and braced their weapons.
"Darling?!" Aralaak pulled out his monocular for a clearer vision, staring in shock as the woman of his love steered through the harsh waters of Botenver like a madman.
Garahev paid them no mind, one injured eye bleeding as he stared fixatedly at Elijah, who was ready to strike at any moment. With his long goat-like neck, he leaned down closer to the ship, coming face to face with this young man.
"I will see you again," he threatened, snout curled viciously into a menacing smile, or was it a snarl, Elijah could barely tell what expression a goat's could make. Before sinking back deep into the ocean's depths, Garahev's voice rang in Elijah's ears. 'I will remember you well.'
As Garahev finally retreated into the waters, Elijah let out a breath of relief, turning to the crew before he received a knock on the head by Aralaak. He groaned in pain as Aralaak wrapped his bulky, muscular arm around his shoulders, laughing with immense joy as the clouds slowly parted for light.
"Atta boy! Ya see how he dealts with'a thing?" Aralaak laughed, dancing around in circles with Elijah tucked tightly in his grasp, leaving the poor boy to suffocate and grab around in desperate attempts to get away.
"If I can save these people, then I will even stake my own life!" Aralaak mimicked Elijah's words, embarrassing the young man even further. "That's not what I said!" Elijah shrilled, face red as apples. But Aralaak left him to pass through one deaf ear to another as the sailors cheered with joy.
"If it's to save these people, I'll give up my life!" One sailor jeered.
"If I can help these people then sure!" Another one joked. A sailor shook his head, "Haha! That's not what he said, it's more like: If I can marry the princess I'll take down even gods! "
At this point, Elijah was just about close to bursting into tears, "That's not even remotely close! Leave me alone!"
Aralaak laughed among them before a figure in his line of sight emerged from aside, and he made quick haste towards her.
"Darling!" Aralaak practically flew to her embrace. Menonna was just about the same size as Aralaak as she threw her hands around him, swinging him around in circles.
"Sweet Treasure, I was so worried!" Menonna said, arms wrapped tightly around him but before Aralaak could enjoy his wife's embrace, she slammed him down the hard floor, leaving him breathless in many ways.
"Don'tcha ever do anything stupid like this again." She warned. In a daze, Aralaak could practically see Cupid in his vision as he stared at her from the floor. He could only hum in agreement, "Mhm."
"My goodness gracious. Had it not been for Eli, you would have been the steak I had for breakfast today." Menonna said, arms crossed in front of her as her husband knelt on the ground. Aralaak couldn't help the strangled laugh that escaped on his lips. Even his fellow sailors all ran to her side, like a pack of chicks finding their mom.
"It's true madam! Captain said it would be fine to sail in this weather, it was so cold and treacherous!" The fearful sailor complained.
"Yes! It would have been fine, then we got lost and ended up in Botenver where he said we'd be alright if we crossed here, which we didn't!" The brave sailor agreed, crying as he clung to Menonna's feet.
"We were so scared, mum!" Another sailor cried.
"Some crew you are!" Aralaak yelled at his sailors betrayals. "I don't even know why I still sail with you all." Aralaak said as he sighed at the sight of his wife comforting his crew as if they were her children, then he turned to Elijah with a face filled with gratitude.
"Boy, I don't know how to thank you enough," Aralaak started. Elijah's face glowed with anticipation as he opened his mouth to speak but before any words could come out of his mouth, Aralaak spoke again. "Which is why I will show my appreciation to you another time," at this, Elijah's face fell as he whined. The sight was enough to pull a chuckle out of Aralaak. "Seriously, how did you know we needed the help?" He asked. Upon recieving the question, Elijah froze, a breath of uncertainty leaving his mouth as he turned his head away from Aralaak's knowing gaze. All jokes seeped away from Aralaak's face as he grew serious. It seems he already knew what it was about.
"Did you have another one of those dreams again?" Aralaak asked despite already knowing the answer to it. Elijah's silence only confirmed it all, and Aralaak could only give him a pat in the back for comfort.
"For what it's worth, your dreams or... premonitions of some sort, saved us today. That is the only thing I can think of." Aralaak spoke, for the first time in a while, his rough voice grew soft, and Elijah couldn't have been more grateful to hear it. Still, he coughed in the awkward silence that followed and forced out a laugh.
"Damn, all these dreams and no sign of my sister. What the heck! I don't want all you stinky men in my dreams." Elijah huffed. A sense of relief flooded over Aralaak's chest as he locked Elijah in his arm once more, rubbing his knuckles on to the young man's temple as Elijah struggled in his grasp. "One of these days, we'll find her."
"Let go of me first before I suffocate from your sweaty muscles!" Elijah muffled before being dragged towards the rest of the crew.
"Haha! Most would find that an honor!" Another day filled with jeers from peers is another day filled with cheers, a motto Aralaak fully lived by, and a motto Elijah had grown up with. As they set sail through the sea, they hoped this time would be a peaceful sail until they reach shore.