Crimson Rebirth

Part 8

 As Kaiju led Genevieve back onto the deck, both tilted their heads as beautifully haunting moans began filling the air. She looked to him, rather confused, having never heard such a sound before.

 ".... God and Goddess, why do ye hate me." Varce grumbled as the duo came up behind him, the man with his arms crossed like a child throwing a tantrum. "I want jus a trip, just ONE where I don't have ta worry about anythin' or any animals!"

  Kaiju nodded and grinned. He knew what Varce was talking about. "Have you ever seen Tsu'Matsi whales, Genevieve?"  

Gene shook her head no. "This is only my second time ever being on a boat...." She sheepishly admitted, curiously moving to look at the whales.

 Kaiju nodded. He watched as a mother nosed what appeared to be a baby along the stern. He chuckled and pointed, "Tsu'Matsi whales are usually arctic-surfing mammals, hunting around the Glacier in the far north for food from schools of fish to other prey animals, seals and penguins at times depending on the abundancy. They're curious and ever diligent; they try to not turn over boats that are occupied."  

 "They're pretty....." Gene murmured, rubbing her wrist as she watched. "I assume they migrate?"

 She would never admit it, not willingly, that she was absolutely curious about these animals, from how they swam to how they 'spoke' to even their appearance. Gene watched them carefully, her emerald eyes sparkling in the sunlight.  

 The Tsu'Matsi whales were no doubt massive, twice that of a killer whale. They had blue-grey hide that made them almost ghost like in the ocean, with double dorsal fins semi-webbed and interesting pectoral fins, wide and rounded but still triangular in shape and also semi-webbed. Their bodies were long, meant for minimal movement yet great speed through the sea. Their faces were shaped like a superbly rounded almond, but with lips prehensile enough for simple feeding behaviors. The babies were inquisitive, mouthing everything, while their mothers nosed them along.  

 Genevieve giggled, watching the babies nose and mouth along the ship, tasting the oars. "They are beautiful....." She murmured, utterly enraptured. Watching them, she felt a million times better than she had, finding herself lulled into the simplistic beauty of nature. "And they sound so pretty."  

  Kaiju raised a finger. "Watch this."

 He clicked his tongue, and one of the mother whales stopped and raised her head. He whistled, and she responded in kind.

 "These whales have earholes," he explained, " Enough to pick up high frequency sounds among each other. However, when it comes to their songs, they can't make deep baritone sounds, so they compemsate with their singing being, well...loud. "

 The female gave a long whine, and Kaiju laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I did not mean to offend!"  

  Gene laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days. After listening to the whales for a moment longer, she practically mimicked one of their whistles, though not quite as loudly.

 When she realized Varce was staring at her, Gene ducked her head, slightly embarrassed. "One of the few things I picked up in certain days of boredom was how to mimic animal cries. Learned a wide variety of bird calls, and this isn't too different."

"Nearly there." Varce grumbled. "Have to pause when the whales come by, aye? Can't injure any o' them unless I want Barron to kick my ass. A pinpoint would be eh, fringes of the Capital about to edge into the Ridge."

He leaned against the side of the ship, scowling, clearly wanting to go by now. 

Gene raised an eyebrow, before letting out a small series of whistles.

One of the whales gently pushed on the ship, not enough to knock her off-course, but enough to knock the captain off the ship entirely.

"OI WHAT WAS THAT FER?!" Varce yelped, landing in the water below with a splash.

  Kaiju groaned. He muttered, "Aye...back to the capital then. I'm sure Shadow's angry with me for leavin' him behind."  

  Varce sputtered from the ocean. "LET ME GET ABOARD FIRST, AYE?"

 Gene covered a laugh. "Be nice to the animals, and they will be nice to you."  

 A female dove under and happily lifted Varce from the sea with her snout, making him fall.onto his ship, before ducking back. A male followed, this one with a spiraled tusk from his own nose like a horn. The whales sang and clicked, laughing at Varce.  

 "This is why animals ain't allowed on the ship." Varce grumbled, with a slight glare to Genevieve, who looked ten shades of innocent. "Maybe the rule needs to extend to redheads as well."  

 Kaiju shook his head. "Be mindful, Varce. You never know if a woman captain will take your place!"

 He sighed and asked Gene, "...shall we head to the Capital then and ride north?"

 She gave him the softest of smiles. "If you wish." Gene said, her voice lilting slightly like the music of the Tsu'Matsi whales.  

 Varce scowled. "Doubtful, considerin' I don't have plans on dying anytime soon."  

 Kaiju heard Gene's voice. There was...something sincerely enchanting about it that just held.his tongue from speaking, or sassing at Varce for the matter.  

  Gene tilted her head, watching him for a moment. "Mr. Kaiju....... You're staring at me." Her voice still held the lilt, more than likely from communicating with the whales as she had been.

 Varce even raised an eyebrow. "I'll get us docked...... And then CHANGE CLOTHES."  

  Kaiju shook his head and cleared his throat. He parted from Gene and made his way below, double checking his gear for...something. 

Gene shrugged it off, opting, for once, to stay on the deck, watching the whales swim by around the ship, whistling with them periodically, taking the chance to learn about the different whistles based upon the reaction of the whales.

 
 Varce took a step back from her, getting the sails prepared so that once the whales were far enough away, they could sail again. "She's an odd one....."