Tales of Cascadia: Chapter 4~ Black Tides
Chapter 4~Black Tides
The world around him seemed to swirl and churn, the taste of salt and copper was in his mouth and his eyes burned as he frantically clawed upwards, mind reeling as he realized there was a light above him, inviting to his burning lungs. He felt an odd current pushing him up from below, an odd occurrence in his 10 years of sea life, but what was stranger was the face he could actually feel, something, following, rising underneath him till the thing rushed up faster then the drowning man could swim and pressed him up to the surface like a man holding up a newly found coin or gem and he was on a solid floor again, coughing and clutching at his soggy and torn shirt, coughing up one mouthful of water after the next, not even trying to piece the mystery together, lower on his list of priorities with breathing at the very top.
As each sweet lung full of breath eased is mind, it began to wonder to the very last thought he had, he was climbing up beside the mast of the Sunchaser pulling frantically at the knots as the world fell apart around them and as he looked up at the piece of heaven, or hell for all he knew, he did the only thing he thought of at the time, he jumped. No one could call Draxus a coward, he was called many things, chum, womanizer, gallant, knave, even rogue especially when tales of his privateer days of old were passed around the tavern he was in at the time, but never a coward. His features were like the sea, bold yet gentle at times and when he defended his cargo along side his fellow shipmates the same handsome features could be seen like a growing storm, some say he relived a war that he could not forget, or maybe the would be pirates reminded him of a past he rather forget, but no one ever asked the fair skin and black haired sailor, especially after his eyes seemed to drift off into his own little world as everyone else celebrated their good fortune with a freshly opened case of ale.
But it seemed his last minute thinking might have only spared his life for a few more days, no ship, no water, no food and long off from any real land or port, it would seem he would finally fall into the embrace of his mistress sea for the last time. But the present continued to tug on his mind as he realized he must have been pulled aboard a passing ship, he smiled with triumph and looked up to thank the savior that was the crew and his jolly features melted into confusion, and a growing fear that maybe he did die. All around him was familiar yet strange, of the ship he recognized without a doubt, spending countless days on the deck of the Sunchaser gave him an intimacy of the flaws that only seemed to bring out the beauty of the retired warship, but what he didn't or couldn't recognize made his skin crawl.
Where he knew for a fact the ship was torn in two, holding and fastening the planks together was some sort of, the only thing he could think to compare it to was barnacles, smooth and bumpy, like strange vines that seemed to spread over the undamaged parts of the flooring and he swore he could see it pulse slowly. He turned to look up, even the sails seemed to have the strange stuff growing on it, yes growing was the best word for whatever this was. It was spreading on the hull, thick spike like spines protruding outward and the wood under his bare feet seemed to hum low, making his body shiver with the vibrations.
"I see we have a new addition on board, good I do love fresh blood" He turned towards the soft music like voice, eyes wandering to the raised section of the wheel searching for the face that belonged to a voice that seemed to caress his ears from all direction. "Who's there, show yourself!" He heard a laughter like jingling bells and a soft touch stroke the back of his neck, and before he could turn completely around they were gone, his frustrations growing at the thought he was the butt of someone's game, especially a woman, for a moment forgetting the fact just being on this once sunken ship shouldn't be happening.
"Mmmmmm, such passion, so delicious my sweet Draxus, but if you want to find me, all you have to do is come down and get me" the voice seemed to fade and echo from the large knotty alien material that filled the space where the cargo door belong. He turned and looked over at the door leading down into the belly and guts of the ship and squared his resolve as he watched it open on it's own, and strode forward and down into the dimly lit corridor, no one played Draxus as a fool, no one, and he would teach them that lesson in crowns.