Worlds Away Book 1: Crucible

Chapter 3: Lessons on the Dead(Unfinished)

Everyone on our water-traveler freezes, unsure of what their ears have just heard. With a quick glance around us I realize all the other tribe's members have their attention set on pa and whatever this creature is.

“So you caused that atrocity and killed a tenth of our strongest men and women that day,” pa asks.

“I was not alone at first, of course, you're great belhum luck had run short when he came across my family when I was younger. He challenged my family, threatened my family, attacked my family, poor choice was made by this great belhum,” it sneers. “ he thought he could out wit I and have his henchmen come in for the kill while we, debated, if you will.” He pauses again as if considering something, “zounderkite forced my hand, he might have been the only one to parish that day, if not for his audacity to attack me.

“Belhum was an honest man, he wouldnt attack just to attack,” a voice crys out from a nearby water-traveler. Followed by shouts of agreements from surrounding water-travelers.

“No? do explain to me how I received this then,” he asks calmly. Still arm locked with Pa he leans his right shoulder down and pulls a couple scales away from the front and the back. Underneath his scales I can see a distinct gash that pierces clean through that's never properly healed. A stale silence ripples through the air for we all know what caused it.

Anyone of the Falconers can easily spot out that the wound was caused by a spear head. The hole is no larger then the wood we use for our Spears. But petruding from the wound is a cut straight down the middle where the spear head was thrust through.

Whether a Hunter or not every Falconer has witnessed a boy returning as a man after successfully completing his Trial, with a fresh kill being dragged behind him. A distinguishable mark left behind with every kill brought back to the village.

He puts his scales back on with his left hand while still pushing PA's back with only his right arm, such strength for someone floating in the water.

“Shall I learn you a lesson on the dead?” he coos.

“you see it all started roughly seven decades ago, give or take a few years. I had unwittingly disobeyed father and mothers command to swim as a family, along with my sister. We were all that was left of the Nepherions at the time. Father was still a young 145 years old at the time, I was merley 50, the prime years of my youth, and he felt the weight of our species on his shoulder.

Nepherions? I've heard that word before. But where have I heard it? Was it in the scribes writing? No, they hardly write about anything but the people in our tribe. I know I've heard it before I just can't place it.

And then it drops on me like a coconut falling from a tree. Like a door to my memories unlocked and flung ajar. Ma. I know where I've heard the name before, it was in the stories ma used to recite to Lenai and I when we would crowd around our fire avoiding the crisp cold air outside. The stories of our people, the stories of our God's. One story in particular that involves the Nepherions. They were, they are Mizu pawns. Dangerous creatures used to keep mortals in line. Killers, and nothing else. (Though she is the god of the earth she must protect herself from parasites that wish to bring her harm)

Damned that Fausina. She had to berate and tempt the God mizu, this is all her doing. Mizu is mad and we will have to pay all while she sails out of reach from the Nepherion. The wrath of the gods are unending, even once their vengeance is filled. This Nepherion is just the first of what we will encounter, if we even live to see past this day...

He goes on,“You see, our home, off the coast of the land you're so ignorantly traveling to, had just been invaded by pale men on crafts such as yours. They slaughtered everyone without a flinch. Only my family was able to survive through the cowardice of father. We swam. We swam as fast as we could as far as we could.”

Pale faces that couldn't have been anyone from our tribe…

As if reading my thoughts pa interrupts the Nepherion, “ as you can see we are not pale faced, we are all the tone of the Sandy beaches that line our island and likely the island that your kind lived near, how was belhum at fault?”

“Now now, I'm getting to it if you would only allow me too without interruptions,” the Nepherion says anger seeping into his voice.

“Where was I again, before I was so rudely interrupted?” He says pausing to think.

“Pale faces…” Shilo murmurs just loud enough for our water-traveler to hear, as all the other crafts have started to flow away with the currents. While we are anchored in place.

“Ah, yes, the pale faces,” the Nepherion echoes.  “You see, by the time we had gotten far enough to be safe I was seething with anger. Naturally, I seeked revenge from these pale faces who had slaughtered my people as if it were a game. Father and mother begged of me to stay with the family. But, I hadnt listened to him. I swam and I swam and when I couldn't swim any longer I swam further, pushing my body's limits.”

He takes a minute to look at each and everyone of us, save for Arthus who had returned to his Falcons nest just before the Nepherion arrived. Ezekials youngest rekoils and hides behind his dad entangled around his arm.

“Father did always say, ' Cypher, you can achieve anything you put your soul into’, so I poured my soul into a bottle of revenge. Though, I misplaced my bottle in your people,” says Cypher. “when I finally passed for a break, above me I noticed a fleet of crafts gliding above me like birds of the sea. I was about to get my vengeance. I sprung into action and erected myself directly in their path and locked arms, just as I am now, with this Great Belhum of yours. To my dismay this man was not pale faced at all, but as you put it, the tone of the sand of beaches.”

“I knew I had made a mistake and was willing to retreat but he kept screaming 'I AM THE GREAT BELHUM, WHAT ARE THEE’ so I showed him as I shall show you, now.”

Pas face starts to contort from pain, for the creature's grip is tightening on PA’s. For a moment I think the creature is going to pull pa into the water with him to be eaten, but then j see the creature for what it really is. Where the man's nipples once were, are now dead grey eyes staring out of it, amusement twinkling in them. What is this thing, he is no man, he is no squid, what kind of demon monster could he be?

Two slits appear from his belly button, crossing the length of his body on each side.

I don't believe my eyes what I'm seeing, it can't be real, can it?

His stomach slowly rips apart stretching the scales to their breaking point until they give, popping apart like a broken beaded necklace, leaving the remains scattering across the deck of our water-traveler. When I see what's underneath the skin I know this is our doom, the end of me, the end of our campaign, the end of our tribe.

Rows of sharp yellow stained teeth line the top and bottom of what I now recognize as his real mouth. “You see, when this “Great Belhum saw my true form his true form was revealed."