Jamais Changeant
I get to the deck, ready for a battle, but not ready for what I see. Monsters spring up from the ocean of the likes even tales ain't never heard of. Tentacled, spiked, glittering beasts from the deep all chose their targets without remorse. I felt my feet buckle below me when I turn to face the ocean.
I've seen anger in my opponents. I've seen worry. I've even seen pain. But the look in that creatures face wasn't one I'd ever had to face before. It was smiling a gleeful, demented smile that sent a shiver down my spine. It's big bulging eyes stared me down like it was lookin' at a new toy. I couldn't look away. Somethin' drew me towards it. I think it was that darned glowin' bobble hangin' betwixt its eyes.
It knew it had me in a trance. I could feel it's laughter as I lowered my rifle and let my rapier fall to my side. It came towards me. Seemed to float right up on an invisible wave. It swayed like the ocean. It's body swishin' about like a fish, but like a fish made of metal...
My mind was screamin' at me. "LOOK AWAY FOOL!" It laughed aloud now. An eerie sound that cut through what I realized had previously been an immense silence. Unfortunately for that monstrous creature it's laugh was just what I needed. I blinked and looked down from the glow that had previously paralyzed me.
I now saw the enormous claws hangin' at it's side, holdin' a sword of coral. It's smile never faltered as it swam through the air towards me. It still thought it had me. It tried to stop when it saw my expression suddenly change. If I could look in a mirror I know my face woulda looked just as demented as it's.
In one swift move I raised my sword, slicin' through it's neck as I went up. I'd only studied it a moment before that. But I could tell. It's body was like armor. No way I coulda pierced its chest. I went for the soft spot, for the neck. It's head popped off just like any other fish I'd ever chopped up for dinner. The eyes never blinked. It's head landed at my feet, those big eyes still starin' up at me.
[~Swift~]
The Rain had created a black day the morning after. Even in my cabin the blackness crept. It was as though the sun had gone out and in the place of warmth there was dampness. It was a miracle the crew still had the strength to do rounds in the gloom. It had been three days since she'd fallen ill, and she had finally regained her health. As she labored atop the planks lightning flashed and illuminated her surroundings, it was eerie the way you could see into the waves. Suddenly the ship began to tremble and shake, like a quake on the waves. As she peered into the deep sea she was able to see the underwater mountains below. Except they seemed to be moving closer the peaks stretching higher and hire as though they'd pierce the vessel. Then came the splintering of wood and an obsidian horn pierced the belly of the ship. Up and up and up it rose, when the ship seemed to near the clouds they were able to see the monstrosity on which they rode. You could only see it for an instant before the overwhelming stench forced your eyes shut, the rotting flesh of whale carcasses decorated the peaks on which they were perched. "Its no use" came a whispy voice. Achiles. His hair tossed by the winds.
"If we don't hurry we'll never survive, at least now while she's tired from her accent she won't notice you've vanished."
"But Achiles, where can we go? We would never escape such a behemoth."
"In the hands of a lover and in the hands of the sea we may yet survive, its our only chance. Close Your eyes love" And as their lips touched so gently he tipper Marianna sideways and they plummeted off the side of the mountain and into the awaiting sea.
Black_Daisys
When I was finally up high enough I turned and looked down to see the fighting. My eyes widened as I realized that the ship had not been a ship at all but a giant sea monster – with many other monsters flooding onto our deck as it roared. For a moment my heart stopped and my breath caught in my throat. What was going on here?!
Just as I snapped out of it and raised my gun to try to shoot some of those monsters down a dense fog rolled in – far too quickly to be natural – and I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. I knew that I should be scared but for some reason my mind was going blank. I could barely muster the will to move my legs. I slumped against the main mast, completely dumbfounded, then a brilliant white light shone through the fog. However, it wasn’t blinding. It warmed me to my core and melted away all the anger and frustration I felt towards Jamais, the Captain, Fiona. Everyone. Then a beautiful woman stepped out of that light.
It was like the moon and the stars had been caught up in her hair and the ocean bubbled at her feet. . . but she also had sickly black horns and fangs that . . . but her eyes were as clear as ice. So beautiful. So mesmerizing.
“Dear child,” she said, her voice ebbing and flowing like the ocean’s tides, “How much pain you hold in your eyes. Come. Let me take it all away.” She reached down and touched my forehead (I could barely bring myself to move in protest) her hand brushing over my eyes as a tingling sensation surged through my body.
When I opened my eyes again there was no woman in front of me. Instead I saw my father. I scrambled to get up, clinging to the mast for support, my legs were still as heavy as lead and I raised my bayonet to his chest. “You!” I cried, my eyes narrowing. How was this possible? He shouldn’t be alive . . . this had to be a trick.
However, he didn’t yell back. He simply raised his hands and said, “Gabrielle please . . . I know I was a horrible father to you before but please . . . let me make it up to you now.”
His words stung my heart. How desperately I wanted to believe them, but still. . . “You’re dead!” I said, raising my gun higher, my voice cracking. “I killed you myself. . . I saw you!”
“No Gabrielle . . . I’m alive. Please. Come to me. We’ll be the family you always longed for” Then he spread his arms open for me. My aim faltered as my eyes began to well up. This couldn’t be real, even so . . .
“Gabrielle, darling, please believe us. Your father has changed . . . I have changed.” I jumped as the soft voice of my mother reached my ears and a hand gripped my shoulder. I turned to gaze in wonder.
“Mama . . .” I said softly. I could see it in her eyes. She was different. She wasn’t sobbing. She looked healthy – both my parents did – and they looked . . . loved. They looked happy. It was all too much. My heart was breaking as I watched my mother walk to the man I resented most and the one I had only now realized I always longed to be loved by. They were together arm in arm and looking at me so hopefully. But this couldn’t be real. It had to be a trick . . .
I began to raise my gun again when another voice came out of the mist around me. I knew it immediately when I heard it speak my name. “Luc. . . “ I whispered.
He appeared in front of my parents, his arms opened wide. “Come to us, Gabrielle. Come home. We all miss you. We love you.”
My gun fell slack in my hand.
Yes. This was what I wanted most. To be home in Marseille where I belonged, to be loved by the people I so desperately cared for. Slowly the mist melted away and I saw a warm, cozy home just off the main road. It was clean and dry and in the doorway stood my parents and Luc. My whole body felt warm and my eyes focused only on them as I began to walk towards them. But the more I walked the farther away the got. I began to walk faster, my heart speeding up. I just had to get there! I had to meet them or this place – this perfect place – it might be gone forever! I couldn’t let that happen . . . I was so close!
Then lightning flashed through the sky and the mist broke. The happy faces I saw melted away and I was at the edge of the boom – the beautiful woman looming in front me. I screamed and quickly backed up, almost losing my footing. Before I knew it tears were in my eyes again, blurring my vision as I raised my gun to the woman. “You lying, treacherous snake!” I cried with all the anger I could, but my heart was still lamenting over what it had seen.
She held up her hand and mist swirled around me again. I closed my eyes, trying not to be overtaken again. I listened closely, trying to figure out where she was so I could fire when I heard another voice call my name. My eyes flew open again and in front of me was Luc – but the younger Luc. He looked so sick and lonely.
“No . . .” I shook my head, lowering my gun again.
“Help me Gabrielle . . .” he begged, his lungs fighting so hard to breathe, “I need you. Come to me Gabrielle, please”
I began walking towards him my face blank and he smiled, opening his arms. His face was so full of delight . . . until I ran him through with my bayonet.
Silent tears rolled down my face as he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. “Why Gabrielle . . . ?” he pleaded as his face screamed of my betrayal.
“You’re not Luc . . .” I whispered as his form slowly faded away into the mist – into the wind.
I slid down the mast and let the gun fall from my hand as I curled up and did something I hadn’t done since I left Marseille.
I wept.
Sobs racked my body as rain began to fall all around me and soaked me to the bone. I hardly noticed. I could only think of all I had seen . . . and all I would never have. The past had once again come to haunt me . . . and it had been so terribly beautiful.
Suzu Yuudai
Fiona clung desperately to the mast, praying her grip would hold on until the ship righted it self again. She knew she'd be fine if she just dropped the sword, but like hell that was going to happen now. She'd be dead if she hit the water and she'd be dead if she had to try and defend herself against that thing unarmed.
As they'd drawn closer to the shadowy mass, some thought that perhaps they were just getting worked up over some rocky shoals. It was dark, and they were supposed to be passing by a small island according to the charts. But when the thing started moving...
As soon as they'd gotten close enough to make it out through the darkness, Fiona felt her rage drain away to be replaced by fear at the sight, and hoped that perhaps they could just slip on by without the monstrous creature noticing them. But luck was not with the crew, and with a terrible screech, the monster slid back into the water, no doubt heading their way.
This was confirmed as it suddenly resurfaced right off the side of the ship, sending the ship nearly on it's side. Fiona had just managed to grab a hold of something, and shut her hears to the loud splashes. She didn't want to think about if they were from crew or cargo.
Thankfully the ship did readjust itself before the creature attacked again. Whatever cannons hadn't been flung over were now being prepped, although no one was sure where to aim. Darting over to the nearest railing, Fiona peered down through the darkness, and made out what looked like a giant shadow growing under the water. "There! Aim there!" She yelled as loudly as she could, pointing in the general direction. Not all the canons were ready, and not all were ready to fire, but it was still better than nothing, and a couple of the iron projectiles hit their target when it arose again, causing it to utter yet another one of those ear shattering shrieks.
And now the tentacles came after them, shattering, ripping, and grabbing anything they could reach. Any hands that were not busy with the cannons, Fiona herself included, went after them, fighting not only for their lives, but to keep their ship intact. It wouldn't exactly be a victory if they couldn't move when it was all finished.
Can we even finish it though? How can a crew this small defend itself from something this huge?! Fiona only thought this once before forcing her mind to go blank, putting all her focus on simply staying alive and attacking every bit of the creature she could reach.
The battle seemed to drag on for hours, even though it couldn't have lasted any longer than one, and she was starting to feel woozy, nearly hitting a couple of her crewmates in the fight. It wasn't until a well placed canon blast dug itself into the creature's eye. It was by no means dead, but the pain apparently was enough to drive it away.
There was a drawn out silence on board, as if everyone was expecting it to return and didn't want to be caught off guard. But as the minutes ticked by, they one by one relaxed, a couple throwing up loud exclamations of relief at still being alive.
Fiona herself practically dropped to the deck, breathing heavily when she felt she could finally drop her guard. Start my life over and accept being a pirate? she found herself thinking. Sure...just remember that doesn't make you invincible out here...
Elphaba the Renthead
Arianne looked around the ship, but she was on her own to fight this creature of the deep. Her hand slipped suddenly on her blade and it clattered to the floor. She quickly picked it back up and held it loosely at her side. There was no telling how she was going to fare in this coming battle, by her lonesome, with no one at her side to protect her. She hadn't befriended very many people on the ship, and her one friend had been ordered up into the ropes.
The monster grew closer and closer to the ship, opening its maw wide as though it would swallow the entire crew. Her (Arianne automatically assumed it was female, for its colors and clothing were befitting for a woman) horns reflected the light from the sky, and Arianne was momentarily blinded.
When she could see again, the leviathan was upon them. It was chaos. Utter chaos. Arianne could hear screams coming from around her, and her throat was raw- she must have been screaming as well, though she could not hear herself over the roar of the battle. She was still not very experienced with her sword, but she lashed out against the creature, taking care not to hurt any of the other crew members. Every so often the creature lurched back, a bullet having hit it.
Sweat pooled down Arianne's face as she ran back and forth across the deck. She had to live. She could not die. For this was not her husband's murderer, no matter what her gut had told her before.
She still had to revenge her husbands death.
