Drowning

By Melody Blue
Thump….Thump… Thump….
The depths of the ocean pulsed and a sound reverberated deeply. The golden eyes of the deep opened and the call went out. The creatures living within his abundance all stopped as if in trance hearing his words though not spoken in a known tongue.

She sat up in her bed, as the ship pitched and roll with the surf, the rigging singing with the wind. She clutched her chest tightly. Her eyes flashed a golden hue for a moment and she heard his voice,

“Child..” was all she made out, as those gold eyes seared into her memory caused immense pain and she fell deeply into her memory. Falling she remembered falling into the cool depths of the water. The sound of murky depths oddly soothing as she fell into the depth.

“I’m going to die.” she thought not even trying to struggle as she drifted down further feeling weightlessness of the sea. The surface looked like the night sky as the traces of light had disappeared. Her tiny form clutched her chest as her thoughts went back to the last few moments. Her father, a slaver, tossed her off the ship as if she was nothing. She could recall the hatred in his eyes, the disdain for every life, she was trash to him.

The sea had swallowed her whole as she drifted down into the depths. She felt the last of her life leaving her tiny body. Then everything stopped. She floated in the depths and saw a pair of bright yellow eyes. Golden eyes with flecks of sunlight in them. Had she died, finally, she kept thinking to herself, arms now out as she floated still in one place.

“You are not a sailor,” A voice said in a deep rasp that vibrated through her. She opened her mouth and no bubbles came out.

“ Am I dead?” She said as she covered her mouth shocked she could speak. Something coiled around her legs as if to hold her still.

“You are neither living or dead,” The voice said as the eyes moved off her a moment to watch something for only a moment then returned to her.

“What are you?” she remained still not fighting the odd grasp this thing had on her.

“I am the depths, the Sunken, name sailors whisper in their last moments”

“Th..e Sunken…” she stuttered out. A name she had heard before, the one who sailors met when they fell to the depths, The one who sea was controlled by, something she thought was just a sailor’s tale.

“Are you going to eat, me?’ she exclaimed suddenly. covering her mouth again as if she was being rude.

Some noise rumbled and she couldn’t tell if it was laughter or annoyance as she stood there trapped in the grips of a god. A child, tiny already at the mercy of the sea she could be dreaming all this. She could be dead already, yet it was laughing.

“I will offer you a choice” the word choice somehow sounded more clear and loud anything else. As its eyes looked deeply into her. Waters around her felt colder now she waited carefully for the Sunken to continue.

“I will let you live and grant you powers beyond your own beliefs, you will grow as my child and act as part of my will.” the voice said carefully he showed her a vision of what she could be. Powerful, beautiful and deadly but there was price, she felt the weight of those words. What would a god want from the child that she could give him?

“I could kill your father right now it would be easy” they rumbled. “He pollutes my seas with his filth!” The Sunken’s eyes changed to a fiery red suddenly and annoyed these words were spoken she could feel it squeezing her legs tighter.

“I want to kill him,” She said in a tone that caused him to change his focus.

“The price?” she squeaked out in reply. His grip was still tight around her legs.

“Your name!” it rumbled as he squeezed her legs tighter to bring her down to her death. The moment was happening quickly. She struggled and flailed her arms. Death or her name, her name was nothing, she could be something new.

“TAKE IT” she screamed out as any child, any being who wanted to live. She felt something ripped from her mind, her body, her soul. Something ripped from her very being. The eyes looked right through as it took her name. She looked back those eyes as painfully seared into her mind. She felt thrown by whatever was gripping her body. Then the darkness came to her and she was alone. It was as if she was walking through some strange twilight. Then the sun was beating down her body.

When she opened her eyes again she was in her quarters. The call she said felt in her bones meant it was time to commune with the sea again. Time to see her father once more. She reached for a hat and jacket she left on the chair near the bed. She hardly ever indulged in fully undressing for sleep. There was no need at sea. She fastened her heavy leather belt and tossed her dark black hair back. She emerged from her quarters as her sea breeze rustled her curls.

“To the Veil, I must make communion” She spoke in a stern tone as she looked at a tall man dressed in brightly colored silks. His skin was dark as night his eyes sparkled like emeralds. He laughs loudly as she bellowed out orders to the crew.

“To The Veil My Queen!!”

“Shut up, Blackmane.” she hissed, She took her place somewhere near the wheel of the ship as a small woman approached her. The small woman walked with a hunch and drug her left foot along. She was bedecked in jewels and coins. Her every step made tiny jingles as she moved closer.

“My Lady Nox, what stirs you from your Altar?” She added with a gentle tone

“Sanguine, don’t feed me your silver-toned seagull shit,” Nox said sharply.

“So we’re going to flirt?”Sanguine smiled as she tucked a piece of hair away.

“He stirs with hunger, Child “ Nox said as she reached Sanguine’s hand. “I know what he asks, I know the price better than any here,” she said leaning over the railing now watching something off in the distance. Nox hissed walked off muttering about her being a petulant child. Sanguine paid her no mind. This was her ship, the Crowe, one of many she was fast and she was feisty. The voyage to the Veil would be uninterrupted if it wasn't far from Sunderhome Cay. They had restocked on supplies. Sanguine spent most of the journey toiling away at ship's duties. Her dreams were haunted by yellow eyes.

Early portrait of Lady Sanguine.