Author's Note: I am working on Envenom, I promise… another 15minuteficlet for you, based around the word 'quest'…
A salty spray of sea water shot upward from the waves, and the young man smiled, arms resting, crossed, on the cool railing as the open breeze whipped lightly and playfully at his blonde hair. Down below was the object of his fascinated focus; a pod of whales almost danced alongside the Nautilus, and to watch them made him feel carefree… even happy. Happiness seemed a rare gift on the submarine at times, with loss and chaos ever present in everyone's minds, from death to responsibilities; from inner demons and outer alike. Everyone had their shadows; real or imaginary.
Tom Sawyer was no different; over his head hung two deaths, for which he felt he was responsible. His best friend and brief mentor had both perished to save his life, and normally, grief would eat away at him… gnawing slowly as it tried to consume him.
But not today… not now. Watching those whales, with childlike awe and intrigue, the green eyes danced with hope and prospect. Watching the wonderful animals made him realise just how precious life was, and just how much of a gift he'd been given… twice. Huckleberry Finn and Allan Quatermain had died, yes… there was no changing that; but they had given him something so special. And he'd never truly realised before, always too busy blaming himself to notice. He felt somewhat foolish for the time it had taken him.
A young whale swirled up beside its mother, breaking the surface and shooting up a spray from its blowhole, and Tom couldn't help but wonder where it was they were heading. They were moving with drive and purpose, as if on some great quest. Watching them made him feel such excitement that he couldn't help but smile and even laugh as they bumped against one another. He almost imagined he could hear noises from them other than the splashing as they broke the waves and dove once again; almost a whistling, high pitched, eerie… like a song. Perhaps he would ask Captain Nemo later; surely the seafaring Indian would know. There seemed to be little he didn't know, especially when it came to all things marine and aquatic, alive or otherwise. Tom was always fascinated by whatever Nemo had to tell him.
Standing up a little straighter and using his palms to prop himself against the conning tower rail, Tom cocked his head as he watched. He was trying to count how many there were, but they kept shifting and slipping under the waves, their smooth skin camouflaging them against the sea's depths as it slipped over their bodies when diving. As they broke out, he could see the fine details and characteristic differences between some of them; unique points that made them what they really were. They were individuals; each with their own personalities and emotions. He only wished he could find out more about them, but obviously, such a task was beyond his reach. A shame, really.
But he could see one thing about them. They were moving as a unit; close and united. They were a group… a pod… a family. They were one great family, moving together and watching out for one another. The outer whales spied for danger, and the juveniles were herded to the middle for safety. It was astounding to see; such amazing instinct built in; the whales moved around one another without thinking, always wary and protecting; always loving.
In a way, the creatures reminded Tom of the League… in their own way, the Extraordinary Gentlemen – or the remainder thereof – were a family. A kind of mother and father figure… Mina and Nemo… Tom was at the bottom; the youth they all shadowed and herded to the middle. He'd had his fair share of scrapes and near-misses in the League, but now that he thought about it, there was always someone there to get him right out of trouble again; someone to save him. The smile returned… he leaned softly against the rail again, thinking, ever-pensive now. His eyes were bright with curiosity and thoughtfulness.
Slowly but surely, the whales started to dive and shift their course, moving away. Sighing, he watched them, sad to see them go, but almost thankful towards them in a way. Silently, they had shown him things he had never realised; things he should have known from the start. Simply by swimming alongside the great vessel, they had shown him there was a precious value to every moment of life; they had shown him the true meaning of family.
They had shown him a new meaning to the League.
Fin