The water grave

Prologue

The evening was unlike any night Outset had seen in years. To start, there were no clouds present in the night sky and the bright stars of far, far away, along with the moon still couldn't be spotted despite of this. All that was above this small landmass was black and without a candle or lamp, one could hardly notice their own hand in front of their face. The salty wind came from the south and was faint at best, but occasionally it picked up ever so slightly, which would send a deathly feeling of freezing cold to anyone unlucky to be present. A small group of modest stone houses gathered close to the edge of one of the few sandy beaches surrounding the island. All lights were vanquished and all inhabitants were fast asleep. As eerie and awkward this night seemed to be, it couldn't be even strange enough to cause the islanders to be bothered from their pleasant dreams. Not until something very unexpected would happen and even if something of the like did, many if not all would still be unlikely to care.

When the many clocks of the sleeping island stroke midnight, the constant soothing sound of the nearby waves were silenced in almost an instant, along with the sounds of all nocturnal wildlife and any wind that came from the never ending sea. It was as if time itself had refused to continue. This happening caused an aging islander to awake suddenly in a cold sweat. Orca found himself to be lying on his bare backside in his small, one room home. The house was unusually dark and cold, causing him to shiver with a yawn. Normally the moon would send some light through the windows, but tonight it was completely absent. But that wasn't what woke him up, it couldn't. He quickly lighted a candle and gave a thorough search of the entire house for anything unfamiliar. After a while he put his hands on his hips and sighed.

" Strange.." He muttered under his breath when coming to the conclusion that not a thing was out of place.

Orca had a itching nerve to alert his brother, but he knew how angry that would have made Sturgeon, so he quickly dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. After a few moments more, he gave up on his strange feeling of urgency and headed back to his cot before a sudden realization hit him half way. His eyes squinted in confusion and in a split second he reached for one of his many polished swords he had hanging on the stone walls. Orca's alertness was caused only by the lack of sound, something that many of the other villager's would fail to notice, but he had been on this island for far too long. The constant sounds of the ocean waves were quickly taken for granted by his few neighbors, but not him. Now there was no sound at all, even when he ventured outside.

He reached the edge of the beach and looked deeply at the ongoing motion of the sea. No sound still.

"What in hell?" he said to himself. Louder this time.

He walked barefoot across the damp, darkened sand and stopped as the salt water touched his toes.

"No sound..." he said as he kneeled closer. "Doesn't make sense..."

" Strange, isn't it?" a young voice called behind him.

Orca whirled around, his fist clenching hard onto the hilt of the blade. There was no one behind him, only a short sword, floating and waving in midair.

"Who's that?" he asked in a non threatening tone.

The waving weapon floated slowly toward him silently.

"Time itself stops it seems..When I command it. Very strange.. Brings back memories." the voice continued, ignoring the question. " Not a sound, not a sign, just like death itself."

Orca instantly got into an attack posture, bending his legs, awaiting an attack from the invisible foe.

"Hey, If your looking for a fight, you'll have it friend! But it'll be far from fair, I can't even see you! Have some decency and show yourself." he shouted.

The voice halted from speaking for a short moment as the nonexistent wind began to return, along with the sounds of the wildlife and sea. This return to normalcy made Orca hesitate and lower his sword. He looked around bewildered and didn't catch the tip of the floating sword, shooting toward him with incredible speed. Orca must have sensed the incoming danger and raised his sword in defense, even before his sight returned to the weapon. Seconds before the blade pierced his flesh, he witnessed the sword gleam as the vanished full moon reappeared.

He flinched, awaiting the pain, but he felt nothing. All the sounds of the world disappeared, but It was different this time though. Instead of his surroundings being darkened by the night, there was nothing. He was blind and only saw black. His body lifelessly fell onto the ground without a sound as the cold wind began to howl ferociously. The black tunic man brushed back some wet, blond hair covering his eyes before returning his bloody weapon to his side. Lucky the old man hadn't seen him, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

"Death is unfair." he replied to the dead man's last words. "Before it and after."

He turned away and began slowly wading into the vast, cold, endless ocean. Things had sure changed since his recent return to the mortal world. The land now was nothing but continuous water and the long lost kingdom he had sworn to protect his whole life was gone forever. All those many people who failed to give him any praise or thanks for his countless sacrifices. Worthless beings, he thought. They don't respect anything or anyone. They never did and they never will. Now he was a nothing but a slave. Killing people, innocent or not, at random for someone else's enjoyment...mercilessly. He wouldn't stop either. No, he couldn't if he wanted too...and besides...he wouldn't want to anyway. He owed this mysterious person, this master, his life. For this being gave it back to him and it was far greater than whatever he'd seen in the afterlife...far, far greater.

" Things haven't changed." He corrected himself with a sigh before his head disappeared beneath the waves.

He traveled under the ocean with unlimited quickness, not tiring a tad. Hundreds of miles of sea passed by him every few seconds...What a life, he thought.