Crimson blood, the colour of red, mixing with the blue of the ocean, the blood of the ships, that was black as night, thick, sticky and called oil, bleeding into the ocean.
And the Ocean itself seemed to gasp for air, scream, as the many creatures that lived within it was fleeing for their lives.
Fujimoto could see it in front of him, the red seeping into the blue, the black swallowing up the pure water, the humans screaming and roaring their babarics yell, the desperate calls from the ocean went straight in under his skull.
Maybe he really was going insane! He had to be, because no human, no human at all, should be able to hear the ocean like this, it made the icing go up Fujimotos spine, and he tried to close out the sounds by pressing his hands towards his ears, but it just wouldn't go away!
Fujimoto was right of course, no ordinary human would be able to hear these sounds like he did right now, no human should be able to understand a sea goddess as if she was talking to him, even though she didn't speak any human words as of yet.
But even such thoughts there were no room for among all these sounds and clashes around him, as he stood in front of the ship, in the middle of a battle.
Beforehand, Fujimoto had been a part of these things, like his brothers, he was supposed to be able to lead such a battle attack, so his father had deemed it necessary that he exsperience battle up close. It had always made him a bit uneasy, but never before sick to his stomach like that.
And a burning wish took form inside of Fujimoto, the burning desire of having the power to some-how make these people listen, or just.. the power to stop it!
He saw his father, the man whoms blood he shared, standing proudly as he cut down in enemies, and sank another ship, letting the oil spill out every-where..
It was only a slight comfort that Granmammare wasn't any-where near the place, Fujimoto would have been able to sense her now if she were.. and if she had been, no power on earth would have been able to stop Fujimoto from jumping down from the ship and into her welcoming embrace, just to escape this mindless waste..
At last Fujimoto just couldn't take any-more, it made him sick to his stomach, so he turned around, stood up straight, straightened out his jacket, and went below deck, which no one questioned at all.
In fact, that Fujimoto had been on deck for that long doing a battle, was out of character for him.
But still, under the deck, Fujimoto could still heard it, still feel it.
Groaning he grabbed his hair and looked down, squinting his eyes.
If some-one had walked in, they would have seen a very peculiar sight, they would probably notice, how the water in side of the water glass on the table, was squilbing up and down, but not in the rhythm of the ship, as if some other force was forcing it to move, Fujimoto, lanky and tall as he was, would be sitting there, grabbing his big main tight as he hissed.
The main, which started to seem just a little bit.. reddish.. especially by the tips.. though soon, Fujimoto passed out, due to sheer exhaustion, laying flatly on the little bunk bed, and his hair turned back to its old black with him, for as long as that lasted.
"Fujimoto my son, how nice it is to see you."
Fujimoto stood up straight, with his hands on his back, and a face that didn't look all the happy or accepting of his fathers otherwise warm gesture. "You called for my father." He simply stated. He was standing in his fathers quarters, it was just, him and Hiyataka there, no one else.
"Is that so weird my boy?" Hiyataka asked. "it feels like I rarely see you any-more, granted it's rare I see any of my boys, but you more then most." He commented, lifting a bottle of fine wine from his table, pouring up in one glass, and then another one. "Now now, what is it with the long face my son, yesterday we had a great victory, we must celebrate."
Fujimoto didn't comment, the so called victory had been on the cost of three sunken ships, two of them the iron oil ships, and thirty dead men whos bodies would now rot up on the ocean floor, fools whom had been happy to die for this meaningless battle.
Hiyataka looked at his youngest sons stern face expression, then he frowned slightly. "Come now, it is rare we have the time to speak. So let us." He gestured, reaching one glass of wide to the young man.
Fujimoto glanced down at the dark red substance, and had to admit, it was extremely tempting to take it, he had felt like he needed a drink for days on end! Finally, Fujimoto sighed as he accepted, and took the wine, only to half empty the glass almost at ones. Then shook his head as he grimaced. "Urgh,"
"To strong for you?" Hiyataka asked. "It's difficult for me to see if my sons are boys or young men, in my head, you are all still tiny boys, so I force myself to assume you are indeed young man." He smirked amused.
"No, it is not to strong at all." Fujimoto told, and then took another drink as if to demonstrate. "My head has just not been very kind to me lately." He murmured.
"Ah." Hiyataka nodded. "There are still some remains from your illness?" he asked. "Well I suppose that is to be expected."
"That's not.. urgh." Fujimoto hissed grabbing his forehead. "I'm fine, in fact, I've never felt better. It's just.."
"Just that you are not feeling that well?" Hiyataka asked. "I understand." He then nodded.
"You.. you do?" Fujimoto asked looking up at Hiyataka.
"I've been asking to much of you, haven't I?" Hiyataka asked. "You're just not like your brothers, I'm sure you have your own talents, but they just lie else-where, so maybe we should be more patient and start looking hm?" he asked. "You got a good head on your shoulders after-all, ones you decide to listen." He pointed out, pointing a finger from the hand that was holding his own wine-glass at Fujimoto.
"Oh.. thank you.. I suppose." Fujimoto hesitated.
"Between you and me, I think out of all three of you, you're the one who got your mothers smarts." Hiyataka commented.
That made Fujimoto blink very surprised, this certainly wasn't the turn he had expected the conversation to take. "I.. can't say I remember her that well. Was she very intelligent?" he asked.
"Oh yes, sharp as the finest sword in the world she was. Reading all those old books I couldn't even begin to understand. She knew about almost every-thing between the skies and waters." Hiyataka commented. "But also she was full of pride and stubbornness, oh it wasn't her spirit that lacked in the least. Her poor body just couldn't keep up I'm afraid." He sighed, turning to the wall, and there hung a portrait.
A painted family portrait, on it was a younger Hiyataka, and there was a woman.. she looked extremely tiny beside Hiyataka wide frame, because she was lanky on the verge of skinny, her hair was thick and fell over her shoulders, in her arms, she was holding a little baby.. a baby that Fujimoto knew to be himself, as on her left and right, stood two young boys, looking very formal and strict in their formal attires, standing with hands on their backs.. all modelled for the painter to paint. "Hmm, her hair actually wasn't that at all, it was much more untameable." He smiled amused.
Fujimoto slightly pouted, so he had his mothers hair.. Not that that had much to do with this conversation at all.
"You left us way to soon my dear." Hiyataka stated raising his glass of wine at the portrait. "I'm sure you would have been much better at handling a lot of things than I." then he turned to Fujimoto, looking at him. "Wouldn't you say, Fujimoto."
"I can't tell, I don't remember her." Fujimoto then had to answer, just a tiny bit confused over this conversation.
"Hm." Hiyataka smirked. "It might surprise you, but neither were she to fond of the conflicts sourrounding these waters, she even suggested that we might leave it all behind and start again further in on land."
That surprised Fujimoto a lot. "Truly?" he asked. "And did you consider it?" he asked.
"It was a ridicoules concept of course." Hiyataka sighed. "All-ready then, we were far to involved in the conflicts of these shores, Tatsue could barely walk one step and you were in her stomach. We had to do what was safest for all, you'll understand that when you get a child of your own, suddenly every-thing but your childs future stop mattering."
"Hm." Fujimoto smirked a little amused. "I think that would take a while for me to experience." He commented. "Why not marry off Odan off first before you start considering my future in that regard?"
"HAHAHAHA!" Hiyataka laughed loudly, in his signature booming laughter. "Now that is a point!" he commented. "And you are not easily fooled! As is to be expected from you Fujimoto." He stated.
"So you were trying to suggest that I be married off?" Fujimoto asked. "Why?" he asked.
"Because, I believe it would be good for you." Hiyataka commented in a frown. "A good nice wife to take care off, a good place away from here, perhaps raise a family."
"Wait a minute, are you trying to get rid of me?" Fujimoto asked.
"Don't say things like that Fujimoto." Hiyataka frowned. "I only want what is best for you."
"Well thank you I appreciate that, but it does sound like you want to sweep my under the carpet." Fujimoto frowned annoyed. "No you are quite right, I don't care for these conflicts. I am glad you would allow me to speak freely, father.. I erhm.. I know that, people think I have gone mad. Is.. is that what you think as well?" he asked.
Hiyataka blinked. "I believe you have been through quite the ordeal."
"What I mean, if I try to tell you.. would. Would you listen?" Fujimoto asked.
Hiyataka looked stunned at him. "Yes." He told. "Of course, I will always listen to my sons."
"Really?" Fujimoto asked. "Oh, perhaps I really should have come to you at ones." He swallowed. "I mean, Odan didn't want me to talk to you."
"Really?" Hiyataka asked. "How disappointing, you may speak freely, you have always been allowed to speak freely."
"Tha.. Thank you." Fujimoto swallowed. "Urhm.. I suppose, this does sound wild, and even a bit mad, but father please. When I fell over-board, it was the goddess of Mercy, Granmammare, whom rescued me." He told. "Though first, she took me to her kingdom, at the bottom of the ocean, and I saw.. I saw the destruction your war is doing to her ocean." He told. "I spend five days down there, cleaning the things she couldn't touch out of fear of getting stuck herself, I saw it all. Your iron ships are hurting her ocean! But she's powerless to stop you, father, this must stop! These oceans doesn't belong to any human, it belongs to the spirits that dwells in it, and the creatures in it. If you don't stop, they'll grow angrier and angrier, we'll all suffer in the end!" he told. "See those storms, always coming!" he asked gesturing at the window, where the sky indeed was dark as it often were on those waters, filled with thunder, the waves clashing up against shore. "It's the people living inside of the ocean screaming! They're angry! Why am I the only one able to hear that?" he asked.
Wide-eyed Hiyataka looked at Fujimoto. "You say… you hear the voices of these oceans?" he asked.
"Urh.." Fujimoto swallowed as he looked at Hiyataka. For some time there was quite, Fujimoto looking at his father as he bit his lip, then he swallowed. "Yes." He then told.
"How often?" Hiyataka asked.
"In the start.. never.. now.. all the time." Fujimoto told quietly. "They are speaking to me father, I'm the only one who even hear them and.. it's driving me crazy." He told falling down on his knees, squinting his eyes together. "I don't really know what is happening." He told grabbing his hair. "But it hurts.. A lot." He then admitted.
For a moment Hiyataka looked at him, then gently, put his glass on the table, and then walked to Fujimoto, gently putting his own hands on Fujimotos shoulders. "I see." He told. "I see, just relax, bring your head together." He told.
"You mean, you believe me?" Fujimoto asked looking up.
"What father wouldn't believe his distressed son?" Hiyataka asked. "Tell you what, now I want you to relax, bring your head into order, and then we'll find out, what to do. Together." He told.
"Father." Fujimoto exhaled. "Thank goodness." He exhaled as he slowly stood up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Thank you."
For a while, Fujimoto stayed with his father, they talked a bit, mostly about old times, Fujimotos childhood, his brothers, just silly stuff, they even laughed a little bit, and finally Fujimoto left to rest as he had promised, though the moment he was gone, Hiyataka called for the guards, and his other two sons.
"Now listen closely." Hiyataka frowned standing with his back to all of them looking out of the window. "Fujimoto just tel me, the oceans has been speaking to him."
Odan gasped. "What does that mean?" he asked.
"If I weren't convinced before, I certainly am now." Hiyataka stated to turn around. "Fujimoto has become a victim of these oceans, it's trying to claim him for its own. But I wont have it." He stated. "From now on, Fujimoto is not to go unantended any-where! Some place, the ocean is speaking to him, we must find out where that is so it can be stopped."
"Actually father, I think you needn't worry about that." Odan commented.
"What's that boy?" Hiyataka asked. "Speak up."
"I wouldn't take the honour, it's Tatsue whom discovered the place." Odan told, making Tatsues eyes widen.
"Odan!" Tatsue objected. "That's not.."
"Tatsue the time has run out, our brother is in danger, now is the time to speak up!" Odan stated.
"Yes but.." Tatsue tried.
"Tatsue my boy, are you aware of where the sea spirits are talking to fujimoto?" Hiyataka asked looking sternly at his son. "Answer me." He hissed sternly.
Tatsue swallowed as he looked at his father, then he exhaled deeply. "Yes." He then admitted. "Yes I know of the place, at least I think I do." He sighed deeply.
"Good." Hiyataka stated, nodding sternly. "Now tell me every-thing." He demanded. "From the beginning, I am let to believe that I have been kept out of certain matters. And I do not care for that." He commented sternly.
"I'm sorry father." Tatsue bowed his head. "It wont happen again."
"I certainly hope not." Hiyataka frowned. "Now, begin your tale, if you please." Though it was way more of an order than it was a suggestion, and sighing deeply, Tatsue took in a deep breath before he began his tale.