Ones long ago, a proud father whom was known for being a gracious lord of his people, had three sons.
All brought up to one day follow in his foot-steps and become young lords themselves.
He wanted them to rule his land, and the oceans around it that he had conquered with his great ships.
Rulers of the ocean around them, that's what he wanted his sons to become one day. It all belonged to him and he would pass it on to the three of them.
The oldest son, was the spitting image of his proud father, tall, broad shouldered stoic and strong, he was sure to be the leader of all of them, and pave the way for his two brother, it was as if destiny itself had made sure the oldest brother would be the greatest. His name was Odan.
The second brother was also noble, though his presence just slightly less impressive, he was a bit more calm and collected than his older brother, a little less assertive, but also a little more thoughtfull about his actions, he was to become a fine leader to one day. His name was Tatsue, and Tatsue more than any-one else, had been the one to be protective over the youngest brother.
Every family would have a black sheep, and here the youngest brother seemed to be it, unlike his two brothers he seemed very strange by nature.
His body was tall, lanky and awkward, he moved on land with a weird clumsiness that people had a hard time not to chuckle at.
He was a very fretting person, often stammering and tripping all around the place, he had a great distaste for violence and conflicts as they made him nervous.
He was bookish and studious, rather spending his time with the old library books than practising fighting and leadership along-side his brothers, people sincerely doubted that this youngest brother would ever become any kind of great leader of these oceans… he was to awkward, not nearly assertive enough, not nearly strong enough.
That weird Fujimoto, whom needed the constant protection of his brothers and his father to even get by in life.
He couldn't even handle one single little storm out at sea without getting sea-sick, it would make him speed for the deck in a incredible speed, and spill his entire gut content down in the ocean, before he stood up again looking beyond pall and sick.. there was no way, absolutely no way at all. This young man would ever become any ruler of any ocean any-where.
Or that was what people thought, it went thought to proof, that no one could ever know what the future plans for the people involved.
Right now, Fujimoto looked being pall and miserable as he looked up from the railing, where he had just thrown up all of his food from the last day, his hair that black like his brothers fathers, and every-one else in japan. But thick unlike any of them, had worked itself out of his form horsetail and now stood up in all weird directions.
Without holding the hair in a horse-tail it became unmangable, but some-times, even that was enough like now. "Urgh.." he groaned.
"Hey Fuji, are you all-right?" Tatsue asked blinking as he quietly approached his younger brother.
Only for Odan to realise what had happened as he laughed loudly. "HAHAHAHA! Fujimoto! Son of the worlds greatest sailor taken in by a tiny little storm like this? HAHAHA! You never seize to make me laugh brother dearest."
"Haha." Fujimoto laughed dryly as he turned to look at his older brother. Then his eyes widened as he turned around again, and even more stomach content escaped his mouth out into the ocean making Odan laugh even louder as he pressed a hand against his forehead.
"HAHAHA! Oh Fuji, what are we ever going to do with you?" Odan asked.
"Leave me alone perhaps?" Fujimoto asked a little annoyed glancing at his brother.
"Don't fall into the water now." Odan blinked. "A sea wizard might find you and take you!"
"A what?" Fujimoto asked.
"A sea wizard!" Odan told holding up a hand. "The guardians of the oceans, part fish which is apparent by their cold blood, and part human as you can see by their appearance, and all magic." He told. "Even though they look like humans you can recognise them on the bright red hair, so bright that it looks like fire!" he told. "And they'll have no problem, no problem at all, grabbing a little weakling like you, take you under the ocean and use your blood for their magic potions!" he told pushing Fujimoto so the lanky young man almost tripped.
"Hey cut it out!" Fujimoto exclaimed as he tripped around. "You're trying to feed me lies, you know the goddess of mercy is the guardian of these oceans around here." He frowned annoyed. "I never heard of such a ridicules concept as a sea wizard." He groaned.
"Easy now you two." Tatsue sighed in the middle of the two, pushing them away to each their side. "You know dad don't like it when you two fight."
Odan rolled his eyes. "Don't need to tell me that, I am always the one getting the lecture." He commented, offering Fujimoto a glare.
"Maybe that's because you are being such a thick-head all the time." Fujimoto snapped right back crossing his arms.
Tatsue sighed deeply, it was indeed true, their father did seem to favour Fujimoto out of all of them, for some reason no one could figure out.
Afterall, Odan was every-thing any-one could ever wish for in a son, and Fujimoto was… well he was Fujimoto, but perhaps that was reason enough, they all felt a certain urge to protect the young man. Who was to know if he would ever be able to handle himself.. He certainly wasn't the one to demand any authority any-where.. at all.
And in comparison to Odan he looked tiny.. true they were about the same height, but where as Odan filled out his frame with a proud stature and good muscle, Fujimoto was nothing but a stick in the air.
A little twig that looked like it would break if the storm was to bad, and if his last bit of sickness proved any-thing, then it was that he was just as weak as he looked… oh dear.
"So, how are my dear boys enjoying this fresh little storm, HAHAHA!"
At ones all three young men stopped and stood straight up, to face a proud, strong looking man, all previous conversations were forgotten as they stood in one line on demand, and then all three bowed respectfully for him. "Father." they all spoke in unison.
"HAHAHA! That's what I like to see!" the lord of the ship and the oceans around them laughed. "Out and enjoying the little ride, standing strong as the ocean!
"This storm is nothing father, we are going strongly forward." Odan stated surely and proudly, only to make Fujimoto grimace as he send his older brother a deep glare.
"Feel that wind on your face and the waves beneath you boys! That's what make a strong master of the oceans!" The lords name was Hiyataka, singlehandedly had he raised his three sons to a respectful life, they were raised to respect him as their father, respect peoples positions and respect each other.
Well, two out three he had succeeded in at least.
Fujimoto though exhaled deeply by that little speech, only to find the rushing illness take a hold on him again, and he turned around to for the third them, throw up the empty contents of his stomach.
"Huh?" Hiyataka looked at his youngest son.
Tatsue sighed deeply. "Fuji hasn't been feeling well I'm afraid." He told his father. "It seems this storm doesn't agree with him."
"Few storm does." Odan pointed out in a slight eye-roll.
"Well." Hiyataka scratching his chin as he looked at the image of his youngest, right now very sickly looking son was hanging over the railing. "His strength sadly has never been…." Right there he stopped as Fujimoto groaned looking up from the railing, now truly looking like a person who had just risen from the grave or some-thing.
His big mane of a black hair falling down his face and eyes.
"Fujimoto, perhaps you better rest." Hiyataka then suggested. "It will be a couple of hours before we reach home."
"I rather not father." Fujimoto groaned. "The cabins are stuffy and makes me even more squishy, the waves wont go away just because I go below deck."
"Ah, I see." Hiyataka nodded. "You two will keep a close eye on your brother." He then nodded at Odan and Tatsue.
"Of course father." Tatsue nodded.
"Yes father." Odan sighed deeply, not looking all to pleased with this task.
Slowly Fujimoto looked up though. "The storm has worn off." He pointed out. "The waves are way smaller."
"Huh, you're right." Tatsue observed looking up at the suddenly clear sky. "That sure was a big turnabouted."
"OHOI!" The man in the crows-nest on look out duty yelled. "Bow down! Bow! The goddess of Mercy is approaching! She is the reason the storm suddenly stopped."
"The goddess of Mercy?" Fujimoto asked wide-eyed looking up. "You can actually get to see her?" he asked wide-eyed looking at his brothers and his fathers.
"Some-times." Tatsue smiled. "If you are very lucky, you can see her light. Not to forget, she is very merciful, sailors that should have been lost at sea has been known to be saved by her and carried safely to shore." He told. "If she finds that person worthy to be saved." He then commented in a smirk placing his hands on his hips. "She's just one out of many small goddess's like her, the sailors around here has given her the name Mercy, exactly because she is one of the more merciful ones of her her kind, she guards this ocean and every-one in it, human or sea creature, as if they were her children."
"You would know all of that if you sailed with us a bit more often." Odan commented dryly.
"Sailing makes me sick, didn't you pay any attention the last half an hour?" Fujimoto asked in a slight eye-roll, then wide-eyed turned to the ocean, where a wave of light seemed to be coming towards her. "Is.. is that?" he asked.
"Bow down you fool." Odan hissed grabbing Fujimotos head forcing him to bow down.
Slightly though, as Fujimoto was forced to bow down, he managed to look up and gain a glimpse as the wave of pure light floated right towards them, it washed under the ship, lifted them up slightly and gently to make way and then down again, making it tickle inside of Fujimotos stomach and then… it was gone.
Every-thing was quiet.. wide-eyed Fujimoto stood up and looked the other direction, the way the wave of light had disappeared to as he blinked. "Was that really.. her?" he asked. "It only looked like a wave with light in it."
Odan exhaled deeply impatient. "Do I have to tell you every-thing? Her body is the ocean, she can change shape and seize as she pleases. She was born from ocean sea-foam just like all other sea-goddess's and will one day become sea-foam again, the day there is no need for her any-more, probably long after all of us have died."
"I know that." Fujimoto muttered annoyed. "Most of it any-way." He sighed deeply just as the heavy rain fell down upon all of them, soaking them in two seconds flat.
"Great." Fujimoto muttered. "I hate being wet. ATCHU!" he sneezed heavily, which didn't look to pretty as among Fujimotos many odd features, his nose was kind of big.
Defeated Hiyataka looked at his youngest and right now, quite miserable son. "I suppose you better get out of this rain and dry up." He sighed. "We can't have you getting ill."
Odan rolled his eyes and then looked to the ocean as his eyes widened. "FATHER!" he yelled pointing. "ENEMY SHIPS!" he yelled.
Tatsue squinted his eyes as he looked at the ships floating their direction, then he gaped. "It looks like lord Bushido is out on a ambush! How could he have known we were all on this ship?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter." Hiyataka hissed at ones into his professionial military mode. "So he intends to play it dirty, take us down on the ocean to leave my land without a leader, ready to be taken over. Well not on my watch!" he yelled. "ODAN! TATSUE!" he yelled at the two oldest son. "Make ready for battle! We wont let them take us down that easily."
"What about me father?" Fujimoto asked. "What do I do?"
"You erh.." Hiyataka looked hopelessly at Fujimoto. "Get below deck." He then asked. "This is no place for a person like you."
Fujimoto blinked as Tatsue sighing grabbed his shoulder. "Respect our father, just do as he says." He asked. "He has a point."
"I suppose so." Fujimoto at last admitted in a deep sigh.
Though they didn't have any-more room for talk, as a big cannon ball fired and landed right next to their ship, making the whole thing tip and Fujimoto loose balance. "WOAAAH!" he exclaimed waiving his arms falling down, as the next cannon ball came and landed right in front Fujimotos feet's splintering the woods in front of him, making Fujimoto gasp, shocked by the sight.
Though he had no time to compose himself before he was grabbed and hauled up to suddenly stand face to face, inches apart from Odan. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING FUJI!?" Odan yelled into his wide-eyed face. "GET BELOW DECK! NOW!" he demanded.
"Ha.. Hai!" Fujimoto exclaimed, making Odan let go of him so Fujimoto fell down again.
It was absolute chaos on the deck now though, Fujimoto had no idea what was going on, there was to much noise, to much running and to many people!
He couldn't tell the enemies apart from the sailors who worked on the ship, it was all the confusing!
Soon Fujimoto found himself being pushed further and further away from the entrance to the cabins as he had been aiming for, instead he was pressed against the back of the ship, shocked Fujimoto had to dug and jump to avoid a sword, and then suddenly found himself, balancing on one of the rails.
That was the very moment, that Odan and Tatsue realised that Fujimoto had been left alone and unprepaired like that, as they saw him, standing there, cornered, barely balancing on the upper railing, nothing but the big waves of the oceans behind him, and a enemie advancing.
It was almost as if every-thing went into slow-motion as a sword was raised and Fujimoto wide-eyed looked at it.
Gasping both Odan and Tatsuo reached for him as they both screamed, with all the air there to be found in their lungs. "FUJIIII!"
But it was to late, the sword was brought down and hit Fuji in the chest, coursing him to loose balance compleate, and then fell backwards, down in the black darkness of the big waves.
"FUJI!" Odan roared as he in a massive sweep of his sword, got three enemies away from him, jumped to the enemy that had slashed Fujimoto and slashed him as well so blood flew all over the deck, then desperately grabbed the railing to look down at the water.
But there was no sign of Fujimoto.. none at all, it was like the waves themselves had swallowed the young man. He was gone.