Hello everyone!
Ha… how long has it been since the last update? Two weeks? Three weeks? OMG.
Well, here's the excuse corner! :D
I have become obsessed with rping. I will just flat out say it – I am now officially obsessed. –shakes head- It's insane. XD And I'm making an rp for a guild I'm in on Gaiaonline – the owner of the guild's a really good friend of mine, and he put me in charge of the rp, so… -grins- I've got 9 factions and over 50 subfactions, I need to make the map of the world, come up with different scenarios that the factions can take part in that all lead to a massive full-scale war. XD I KNOW! –squeals-
I'm also taking a couple of online courses to help me get on track for graduation. I've got a full year to do them, but whatever. XD
And I also have English summer work that I have yet to start. –rolls eyes- Oh joy.
That, and I'm working on something extra duper SUPER special for you guys. It's just that I want to write up at least like, twenty chapters before I post it.
By the way, please nominate me and my stories for livejournal's Naruto Fanfiction Awards. Please see Nao Angel's profile for a link to the Fanfiction Awards site and details on how to nominate. :D I'd nominate myself, but… that's against the rules, so… XD
I hope you enjoy this chapter you guys! Thanks so much for being so patient! I'm trying my best! :(
Creation of Bloodlust
Chapter Seven – Sea of Souls
Naruto and Kiba had to put their legs into overdrive – nearly at a jogging pace – to keep Shadow in their sights as he exited Calypso's chamber and continued along, the entity's eyes alight and watchful.
"My lord."
Shadow immediately stopped and looked to his right to see Mila again, waiting for him. She bowed.
"I have been instructed to lead you to the docks," she explained to the silent question. Shifting to stand from her sitting position, she bowed her head. "Follow me, Lord."
She turned and began walking down the hall she came out of, and as she guided them along a complex route of twists and turns, Kiba and Naruto – two people who could navigate the vast oceans like the backs of their hands – became officially LOST.
The thought made Naruto nervous.
Man – what if Mila decides to ditch us now that her master is free? If she does that, we're dead!
"We can't lose them, Kiba!" He murmured before quickening his pace to where he was not a step behind Shadow, his first mate following. It was frustrating to the sea-captain – as fast as he made himself go, Shadow was ALWAYS at least one step ahead of him, and Mila was having no trouble staying in front of the group – small, squat legs and all. Naruto glared at her from around Shadow's form, wondering enviously how she managed to go so fast.
After about twenty minutes of walking, Mila turned and entered a particularly decorated archway – one that seemed to glow whenever someone stepped through it.
Shadow – without even looking at the blonde – caught the other's questioning look.
"It is an alarm system," he replied simply. "This archway alerts my sister to whoever enters and exits this world, therefore nothing can catch her by surprise."
Kiba blinked.
"This world?" He repeated. "What do you mean? Are you saying we're in another world?"
Shadow graced him with a sly smirk.
"You could say that," he replied simply before turning back to the front and walking through the archway, which glowed striking silver. Glancing at each other curiously, Kiba and Naruto followed, the blonde noticing how the archway glowed green as they passed.
They shifted their attention to the room they had just entered – which looked like a large, sheltered boardwalk and dock made of stone and water. There was no opening to the ocean – simply an endlessly deep pool of water, surrounded by an unbelievably high dome of solid stone.
In the middle of the pool was a huge ship – a least three times the size of the ship Calypso's maelstrom had sunk.
Kiba and Naruto's eyes widened as they took in the mighty vessel, turning their heads to stare at each other in awe.
"Maybe coming down here wasn't so bad," Kiba breathed quietly.
One part of Naruto believed him. Vigorously, he shook his head against the thought, remembering the crew he had lost.
"Don't think like that," he murmured quietly before going forward to where Shadow stood, who was also sizing up the vessel at the foot of the ramp that was there to take them up to the deck. Mila was at his side.
"Here is the vessel the Lady reserved for you, my lord," the creature stated. "Hand-crafted with the finest magic. There is no other like it in the world."
A proud half-smile appeared on Shadow's face.
"I wouldn't doubt it," he replied. "She always goes through great lengths to impress me." He gave a small nod. "The effort is much appreciated, little sister."
As Naruto and Kiba looked on in amazement at the ship, they couldn't help but agree.
Hand-carved out of the finest wood, the ship's entire bulk was massive and beautiful and no-doubt heavy. Brilliant runes – Naruto and Kiba both recognized them as seamen runes for protection and good weather – decorated the hull in dazzling colors that seemed to change in front of their eyes. The ship – one Naruto's sea-worn eyes recognized as a modified cog – had elevated decks at the bow and stern, with a lower-leveled middle section.
But a cog is a WAR ship. Naruto thought. Why did the Lady Calypso give Shadow a WAR ship? By the way they spoke, I would've thought they needed speed – like a clipper – not a cog. Those things are slow.
His gaze traveled upwards to the three huge masts – the main mast, located at the center of the ship, which carried four sails, and the two smaller one on both the stern and bow, with two sails each. The deck's railing seemed outlined in gold, and – even from below – Naruto could tell the railing was heavyset and solid, the finest quality available. And – craning his head a little – the blonde could see part of the figurehead, which seemed to be made out of pure gold. The sails shimmered with an unusual light – constantly changing colors and reminding the two seamen of their home – the sea.
That is a BEAUTIFUL ship. Naruto thought fondly.
Mila looked to her lord.
"It is to your liking then, my lord?" She asked. Shadow nodded.
"Yes, Mila," he replied. "It is more than enough for three – my little sister has certainly outdone herself this time. Yes, it will do quite nicely."
He nodded to Mila, and the creature nodded back.
"Very well, my lord," she answered. "Then I shall leave you in the care of the Lady's servants. You are safe in their care, my lord."
Shadow nodded.
"Very well then, Mila," he stated. "It is farewell then – until another day."
Mila bowed to him.
"Yes. Safe tidings my lord – it is such a joy to have you back here safely. I shall go stand guard."
Shadow dipped his chin in thanks.
"Yes," he breathed softly. "Safe tidings to you also. Stand guard well."
With a final bow to her lord, Mila swept past him to Naruto and Kiba.
"You have saved my lord," she stated simply, looking up at them with her glowing purple eyes. "And now he can save the world. For that, you have my thanks." She bowed to them – but not nearly as low as she did for Shadow. "Farewell. May we never see each other again, until you take that final step."
With that, she continued to walk towards the archway and – as the two watched – vanished into thin air.
Blinking, the two looked at each other, eyes wide.
What the FUCK –?
"Are you two coming?"
They both jumped, and they whirled to see Shadow gazing at them with a hint of annoyance.
"Come. You're keeping Calypso's servants waiting."
The two looked around the dock, but saw no one.
"Where… are they?" Kiba asked.
"We are here."
They looked to the water, and jumped in shock, clinging to each other when they saw who spoke.
They were looking at a miniature army of mermaids, all floating in the air about an inch above the water, their tales swaying melodically from side to side as their dark greenish blue hair floated around their faces. They all had the same layout as Calypso, minus the body art, jewelry and piercings. However, they all had small marks underneath their right eye; each one's different from the last. Their skin was tinted green, their fins the color of healthy seaweed and their eyes bottomless blue and their gaze empty. They all merely stared at the two seamen, and they both wondered eerily which one had spoken.
The one in the front of the group moved, curving her back in a bow and raising a hand to her heart.
"We are the servants of Calypso," she stated softly, blankly, her mouth unmoving. "We are the Sholafi. We are here to escort you back to the other world."
"So we ARE in a different world," Kiba breathed. He looked to Shadow. "What world are we in?"
Shadow smirked and shook his head, not looking up.
"You'll find out in time," he replied. Naruto glanced at the sword he still held, the hilt warm underneath his fingers.
I guess I'm bringing this with me. He thought to himself.
The Sholafi motioned to the ship.
"Please board the ship," she stated. Not a request – a command. "The Serpent Mage will be departing soon."
Shadow chuckled.
"The Serpent Mage, huh?" He breathed to the air. "Calypso my dear little sister, you STILL have it." Smirking at a joke only he understood, he glanced over at the two seamen – silently telling them to follow – before gliding up the ramp onto the deck of the ship. Slowly, Kiba and Naruto followed.
Once the three were all on the ship, the miniature army of Sholafi – over fifty members – simultaneously moved, floating above the water to encircle the ship with mermaids.
Naruto looked to Shadow, who was gazing to the upper right hand side of the room – towards the ceiling.
"So how do they plan on getting us out?" He asked. "I don't exactly see an exit sign in this place."
Shadow daintily shook his head, not looking at the blonde.
"Always so cocky," he murmured quietly before looking down at the Sholafi. "Sholafi!" He called. They all simultaneously cocked an ear towards him, still looking towards the front. "Come, servants of the sea! Let us depart!"
At his command, they all spread their arms so they made an upside-down 'v' with their arms, and spread their fingers wide. In unison, they opened their mouths –
And began to sing.
It was only one note – but so beautiful and so pure and so sweet that Naruto and Kiba couldn't believe their ears. In fact, the continuous, melodic note only reminded them of one thing.
"Sirens," they breathed to each other in awe.
At their barely murmured word, the water began to ripple underneath the hull of the ship, and a circle of power suddenly cut along the surface of the water in a complete, perfect circle, right underneath the floating forms of the Sholafi. Their hair began to slowly lift upwards away from their heads and body and – as their hair rose – so did their arms, until they were in 'v's about the mermaids' heads. The very air seemed to vibrate with their combined voices.
It started with sparks in the air above the ship – like the very air was crackling with energy – and suddenly a perfectly round sphere of power took form around the entire ship, sizzling and sparking and popping with an electrical charge. Naruto and Kiba – afraid that they would get shocked – leaped from the railing to the middle of the ship with identical yelps, clinging to each other tightly. Shadow shook his head and rolled his eyes, unmoving from his spot at the very front of the ship's stern. He raised a hand to the sky, and – with a mighty gesture down to the deck at his feet – roared:
"DESCEND!"
Immediately, the Sholafi brought their arms down in a sweeping 'X' and – before Naruto and Kiba could utter a sound of protest – the ship, surrounded by the crackling, massive sphere – plunged down stern first into the water below like a dolphin diving smoothly back into the water after taking a magnificent leap into the air.
Naruto thought for sure the pressure of the dive would cause the sphere around them to crack and water to pour onto the deck of the ship, but it held firm, the Sholafi moving to encircle the ship vertically instead of horizontally. The Sholafi themselves were horizontal as well now, and seemed to be swimming without moving a muscle as the ship continued to zoom downwards, torrents of greenish black seawater rushing by in gushing, endless waves.
The Sholafi's song was still present, but it seemed to be physically muffled by the water, instead vibrating – like a calming, quiet hum – in the back of Naruto's mind.
The ship continued its endless dive, the incredible slant of the ship having no effect on the three onboard.
Suddenly, the world shifted, and the boat didn't seem to be diving anymore. Instead, it seemed to have pulled out of the dive and was charging forward, never slowing down and seeming to constantly speed up, though the force – just like the angle of the ship previously – had no effect on the passengers.
The two seamen looked around in awe.
"Look at it, Kiba," Naruto breathed.
"Yeah," the brunette replied. "We're really underwater."
"Yes, but no."
They both looked to Shadow, who had spoken.
"What do you mean?" Kiba asked.
"The world we were in was not the world you know."
Kiba leaped forward.
"So I was right!" He exclaimed. "What world was it?"
Shadow turned his bottomless eyes to the brunette, the endless abysses ever-searching. After a moment, he closed his eyes, and looked to the right – past the starboard bow.
"Look for yourself."
The two others looked.
They gasped, their hearts dropping into their stomachs.
Fleets of the Sholafi were in the waters next to the sailing ship, great numbers of them surrounding separate hoards of rippling, ghostly white forms. The Sholafi were herding these shapes the way opposite of the ship – sending them back the way the Serpent Mage had gone. Endless masses of them, hundreds, thousands – maybe millions – were in sight. Turning around, Naruto could see the exact same scene past the port side of the ship.
The blonde felt an eerie feeling creeping over his flesh.
"Shadow…" he turned to the entity. "Those white shapes… what are they?"
The other didn't say anything for a moment before closing his eyes and crossing his arms, not even glancing the blonde's way.
"Those shapes you see…" he opened his eyes and stared out at the white and green masses. "Those are souls."
Naruto and Kiba's stomachs dropped into their feet.
"WHAT?!" They roared, making Shadow shoot them an annoyed look. "WHADDYA MEAN, SOULS?!"
There was a pause for a moment as Naruto and Kiba thought about it. Souls… going the way THEY had come…
Then it clicked.
"WHAT?! DO YOU SERIOUSLY MEAN THOSE SOULS ARE GOING BACK THE SAME WAY WE DID?!" They exclaimed. Shadow rolled his eyes.
"Yes. That's correct," he replied. "The Sholafi are Calypso's servants, yes, but they are servants in that they are the guides. They guide the souls lost at sea to the place where they all go."
Naruto and Kiba were in awe.
"You mean…" they breathed in unison. "They're going to Davy Jones' LOCKER?"
There was a pause.
"WHAT?! YOU MEAN WE WERE IN DAVY JONES' LOCKER?!"
Shadow closed his eyes.
"Correct," he replied simply, making the other two's jaws drop.
"B-b-but…" Kiba stammered. "The only way we could EVER get to Davy Jones' Lockeris if we…"
"Yes," Shadow responded. "In the maelstrom – in the storm my little sister created – you died. You were dead all along."
Naruto and Kiba could only stare at him in shock, the sea of souls swarming around them in an endless whirlpool.
"In fact, you're dead right now."
End Chapter Seven – Sea of Souls
Fuck I love my imagination. Can I marry it? Please? –smooches imagination and does other naughty things with it- XD
And this wasn't even in my general idea. At first, I was just thinking they were beneath the sea, and then my fingers moved on their own and the Sholafi demanded they be guides and then this came about. Isn't it amazing?! :D :D :D
And one of my very, very, VERY good friends is coming up to visit me Saturday, so I'm quivering with excitement for her! She'll be my first friend to visit me since I moved away, and I'm SO FUCKING EXCITED. :D :D :D
Thanks for reading you guys, and please nominate me and my stories if you think I and they deserve to be nominated!
And review, if that strikes your fancy.
Ja ne!
DDB