The World Beneath The Waves
Flora was right. The seabed she glimpsed, consisting mostly of sand and marine sediments, lay not too far from the surface. Far enough for a fool to drown if they weren't careful, but not far enough to appear invisible within the shadowed depths. Multiple times, Flora had to rely on Jerry to return to the surface for breath, and then dove right back down to the bed when she was ready. The sea rushed at her like a gale every time they rose back to the surface. It was frightening the first few times, but once Flora knew what to expect, fear made way for cheer, and she couldn't help but whoop and howl almost every time they burst out from the sea, as she used to do during storms. A loud habit that both confused and slightly agitated Jerry.
The young sailor examined the seabed for hours, captivated by every little detail that she found from the rock formations, to the sea life either hidden beneath the sands or passing her by, watching her every move. For a moment she thought she spotted Stephen eyeing her alongside another crab, but when she waded over to investigate, they were gone.
Where do you keep going? Flora frowned, growing impatient with the crab's disappearing act with no answers as to why or how.
No matter how enamored the flower became with her discoveries, she never forgot the real reason why she was down there. When she was done sightseeing, she and Jerry traversed the seabed from port to starboard to find out which way to go. The starboard path, she soon learned, led deeper into the sea, with a sheer drop leading into midnight blue, with a tiny glimpse of the pitch darkness beyond like the center of an eye.
It was an unsettling sight and an even worse thought. A world of perpetual darkness where the creatures Athair described dwelled, and a sure way for unfortunate souls to suddenly find themselves in Davy Jones' Locker. Flora had been quick to leave the drop behind after gazing into it, unable to stop imagining the abyss gazing back into her, the tentacles and gnashing teeth of unimaginable beasts rising up from the void to take her when her back was turned.
Yet at the same time, her curiosity could not be contained. Did monstrous beings really live down there? How did Athair know? How did she know that he wasn't trying to scare her? It was All Hallow's Eve when he told her this, after all.
She didn't fail to notice Jerry staring longingly into the void either, and that only added more questions to the ever-growing list in her head…
The port path, meanwhile, held more promise. A steady incline was made present the further Flora explored that route, which could only mean that it led to a land formation somewhere. Even if it weren't an established island, it would more than suffice.
"Hard to port then…" By the time the duo finished their detours, a full moon had replaced the sun, and the both of them were in desperate need of rest.
While Jerry slept beneath the moonlight, although it was difficult to tell as he had no eyelids, Flora stood steadily on top of his head and was gazing through her spyglass down the port path. There were moments where she thought she saw the outline of land, but it could have been a trick of the moonlight. There was no way to tell until tomorrow.
A massive yawn escaped from Flora's maw, and she glanced down at Jerry. It was hard to describe her newfound bond with the sea serpent. When she used her instincts-or rather her ability-to connect to him, she'd get a glimpse of his mindset, strange as it was to say. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to make her shudder at the uncanny instincts that made up his conscious, as well as to get his attention and command him. It was like a door built in the back of her mind, all she had to do was open it, reach out, and holler.
It made Flora wonder. If she could use her link to the sea to connect to a sea serpent, could she do the same with all sea life…?
It was tempting, a sinister part of her wanted nothing more than to try, but she quickly tried to bury that part before it took hold. Jerry was enough, and she didn't even feel comfortable commanding him the way she did! She dearly hoped the debt the eel felt he had to repay wasn't her doing…
Build the bond overtime, the flower thought, thinking of Mildred. Let them learn to trust you…
Despite her efforts, however, the seed of temptation remained planted…
A sharp wind drawled by and Flora hunkered down to avoid it. I hope that wasn't Athair…She tucked the spyglass away and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible on the eel's head. She wasn't successful, and for once she wished the longboat were nearby. I'll get used to it…The girl grumbled as she tried to lie down. The sea rose up to meet her, and fear prickled the back of her neck. What if she fell from Jerry's head and drowned in her sleep? It won't happen! She growled, I'll make sure of it!
Not entirely convinced, Flora removed her belt sash and used it to tie her hand to one of the spikes on Jerry's head just in case, and then settled down the best she could. In truth, she wasn't sure they will reach land by tomorrow, but regardless of what happened, both she and Jerry needed as much rest as they could for the days to come…
A brilliant canvas of orange, yellow, and red-pink greeted them the following morning, as though the sun were wishing them luck for the journey ahead. Flora thankfully did not tumble down into the sea in her sleep, although she did wake up sore to the bone, and once both she and Jerry were ready, they set out at once for land, and hopefully salvation.
For the first couple of hours, Flora rode atop of Jerry's head, embracing the sea air as it buffeted against her and sent her matted hair flying. It was nothing like riding a horse, but in a sense it was almost better. Stranded out in the middle of ocean, astride a beast many believed only existed in legend, was something out of an old dark fairy tale, and despite the very real dangers that were present, she was living it. It was almost like being back on the Glory, when she had time for herself or on look out. The sailor narrowed her eyes at the thought of the merchant vessel. Would it have made port by now? What happened to everyone aboard? Where would she be had her guise never been revealed?
She shook her head. She didn't want to think about her old life as a cabin boy right now.
At one point, Jerry started to lower his head back into the ocean in order to breathe. Flora was debating wither she should stay astride him or not when she noticed they weren't alone.
"What in the-?" The girl waited for Jerry's head to dive in, and then peered eagerly into the depths.
Moon jellyfish. Smacks of the iridescent jellies floated beneath them like tiny stars. Flora's heart stirred, dazzled by the sight. Half of her wanted to dive in for a closer look, while the other half remained cautious, out of fear of getting stung. However, upon closer inspection she noticed the stingers on these jellyfish were much too small, and Jerry was passing through them without concern. If he was getting stung, then they weren't enough to bother him.
"Blimey…!" Flora's whisper of wonderment was lost to the wind as they traversed through the luminescent smacks. As otherworldly and glorious as they were, the moon jellyfish could not compare to the extraordinary sight that lay ahead.
Flora's head perked when she saw it, and immediately, she started climbing down from Jerry's head. "Hang on…"
The serpent bobbed his head in confusion, wondering what the girl was up to when she suddenly leapt into the sea once the jellyfish were behind them.
Up ahead was a coral reef, the bane of many a vessel, and when Flora first saw it, she thought the sea had swallowed the sunrise.
Twin coral tube peaks welcomed her like gatekeepers, and beyond, the ecosystem thrived with mounds of coral of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Life flourished wherever Flora looked. Sea urchins crawled over algae coated rocks; young lobsters lingered under the protection of sea grass while starfish lounged nearby. Reef octopi and crabs lingered in plain sight while fish went about their business in harmony, anemone tentacles wavered in and out, and reef sharks patrolled the outskirts of the atoll, only to be scared off by Jerry's presence, the sea serpent too large to join Flora in her discovery.
To many coral reefs were either a pain, something pretty to look at, or a source of food and nothing more. To Flora, it was a treasure trove of everything she loved. So memorized and awestruck was the child of the sea that she could hardly think! There was so much to see, and so much to uncover! What was more: this reef appeared to stretch on for leagues without end! It was sitting atop of a sandy rock formation with declines on either side. One appeared to lead into a massive kelp forest, while the other lead into murky midnight waters, their contents unknown.
Sheer love and appreciation for what she beheld ignited in Flora's veins and burst in her chest like fireworks. She wanted to dive in closer and see more of what this reef had to offer!
Is that a stingray? She moved in for a better look while still keeping her distance. Sure enough, a yellow stingray was gliding away from the reef, and Flora quickly lost sight of it the moment it slid into the sandy outskirts. The teenager beamed with delight, and gazed upward as a school of butterfly fish wavered by. She raised an arm toward them and a smile cracked across her face as the fish swept past her, untutored by her presence. Never had she felt so joyous before! Not since days long past! For so long she's dealt with the sea's unforgiving nature, and it was only thanks to the unexpected help of friends that she was able to survive. This coral reef was one of the few forgiving elements of the sea, and she felt she could stay within its protective walls and observe the fauna forever!
Unfortunately a familiar, burning numbness brought her back to reality.
DAMN IT! The flower made way for the surface, thankful that it wasn't too far this time. She burst into the open air, glaring as she exhaled as much back into her lungs as possible. She had found one of the many extensions of the seas she loved, and yet she can't study it for long without struggling to breathe….
Flora sighed, her heart sinking. I can't stay out here, she reminded herself. Have to reach land…and find a way to join the war from there…
Memories of the Glory razed through her again, and a lump caught in her throat. Will she still be welcome on land after what happened? If the Glory made port by now then word will have spread of her, no matter what became of Milo and the others. No doubt there will be wanted posters all over with her face drawn on them, as though she sailed under a black flag…
Her head hung low, the lump plummeting into her chest as she reflected on all of her choices of late. What should I do…?
What do I really want…?
The tides shifted, a red fin broke through the surface, and Flora lifted her head up as Jerry arose from the sea. "Hey, boy…"
The serpent's jaw fins rattled and the girl stiffened. He was irritated. "What is it…?"
Jerry garbled from the back of his throat and angled his head. Flora narrowed her eyes. What was he trying to tell her?
She tried to examine his facial features, but his gaze gave no indication of what he was thinking. Bollocks…
The flower closed her eyes and reached out with her ability. A pleasing image of blood red waters and toothy jaws ripping into flesh greeted her, and she pulled away with a violent shudder. Jerry was hungry.
"I see…" Flora said, downcast. It had been some time since the serpent ate. "Go on then."
Jerry's expression brightened and he wheeled around to leave when Flora perked up. "Hang on." The girl waded over to the serpent's side and climbed back aboard his head. Maybe seeing how her friend hunted will cheer her up and give her an answer…
Jerry slithered his way into the kelp forest where towers of the giant seaweed loomed like ancient trees, making the serpent appear small in comparison. The algae-coated weeds extended like outstretched fingers, and traversing through and under the protective strands was an endless amount of flora and fauna, including schools of fish.
The serpent fixed onto a particular school wading deep into the kelp bed and crept closer like a wolf stalking its prey. Flora kept one hand on one of his spikes, daring not to move. If the hunt went wrong because of her, then she could easily become Jerry's morning meal instead of the fish .
Jerry swam forward, his prey leading him into deeper waters outside of the kelp forest. Flora's eyes widened. If he went too deep now, she won't be able to reach the surface in time!
Let go right now and stay back! Her mind begged, before it's too late! Go!
She didn't move, she didn't think she could. Not without disturbing Jerry at least.
Instead she waited, scrutinizing and studying every one of the serpent's movements as he hunted to take her mind off the potential crisis.
The school exited out of the kelp bed and Jerry followed. An ominous, dark forest green light consumed the waters the further the serpent went. Flora took a gander around, twitching nervously. Was this the result of the sunlight shining against the kelp behind them? She didn't know.
What she did know was that the green merged to black further beneath them, and Jerry was suddenly dragging her into it.
NO!
Pressure started popping in Flora's ears as the serpent dove deeper and deeper into the consuming darkness. Jerry, stop! That's far enough!
The serpent ignored her. He was diving into depths to blend in with the bottomless void, so nothing would notice his presence until he lunged out and attacked from below.
Between the growing pressure and the cold darkness reaching out to devour her, it was too much for young Flora to handle.
ENOUGH! TAKE US BACK! She roared with all her might through their connection, desperate to make the serpent stop. The plea fell on deaf ears, Jerry was too focused on the hunt to pay any heed to her words, command or not.
With a cry of despair, Flora released the sea serpent and watched him disappear into the abyss below. She looked up. The surface was a tiny green dot, barely visible from this vantage point. She couldn't even see the school of fish Jerry hunted from here!
The cold crept under her skin, her heart hammering faster and faster as the void closed in around her like solid black walls.
SWIM! Her instincts screamed. SWIM!
Flora shot for the surface, fear and panic driving her forward. Not even a few seconds into her ascent, the burning numbness returned.
NO! Adrenaline drowned out the girl's wail. Please no…!
The weight of her supplies doubled, her mind dimming to fog as she poured all of her heart and strength into swimming for the surface. Make it! I have to make it!
It was no good. The surface appeared to be getting further away instead of closer!
The numbness grappled her lungs and spread like a tidal wave, burning out not only her breath but her muscles as well. Her arms turned listless, her eyes bulging with bloodshot. Even when the sea slowly brightened around her, an agonizing truth dawned upon her.
She wasn't going to make it.
NO! I HAVE TO! The girl bellowed in both fury and defiance. I WILL NOT GIVE IN!
She can't give up! Not now! Not when she's come this far! I can't…!
The world became a green-black blur, and all feeling slowly evaporated as shock and exhaustion set in. N-no….!
The burning started to force her mouth open, and little by little, her will began to fade…
Let go.
Teeth were bared. No!
LET GO!
Water began to leak into her mouth, and dark bubbles started to pour out in return. I-I can't…!
You're going to die if you don't!
Memories tore through her. Her grandfather's attempts to keep her away from the sea for a role she did not want, the elders and citizens from around the world accusing and calling her strange names, the wedge between her and the Glory's crew, their reaction to her true identity, and Wilbur's declaration for her to walk the gallows because of it and her web of lies…
It doesn't matter now! You have always been different and you shouldn't be ashamed of it!
Th-the others…
It is who you are, regardless of what others have told you! If you keep denying yourself, denying what you can do to appeal to others, you will lose yourself! You will not survive!
But if you embrace it, embrace what you are, ya can go on! You can live!
Silence.
Put aside the doubts, the names, and the accusations! It is what Milo would have wanted!
What your mother and father would have wanted!
A small flame kindled.
What YOU want!
The flame traversed, reigniting her will and bringing life back to empty eyes.
It is time. Let go!
LET GO!
And so, drifting between the darkness of the abyss and the light of the surface, Flora opened her mouth and finally let go of the chains that bound her to humanity…
Hot, sheering pain stabbed into her neck and a silent scream of agony took the remaining air out of her lungs. It was as though someone had taken a molten blade and was slicing it across her neck!
She clawed at her face, clawed at her throat, begging for the pain to end. She would rather have death over this!
Then, as quickly as it started, the agony ceased and Flora was floating within the sea, inhaling and exhaling the briny water as one would breathe air.
The teenager thrashed and tore the remaining bubbles away, confused and appalled as to how this was possible.
It wasn't until she grasped her neck and all the color and sanity drained from her being did she get her answer.
Gills.
They were right. They were right all along…
Flora sat in a hidden clearing within the coral reef, shaking from the trauma of her experience. Trembling hands were raised, and she looked at them as though they weren't her own. They were right…
Harridan! Demon! Witch! Spawn of the Devil! Sea Spirit!
Follow the path to the sea, and you shall be free...!
Child of the Sea…!
With weak resolve, she let the echoes of the past continue until their words and insults lost all meaning. Yes, they were true to an extent, but they no longer mattered now.
I am who I am…
She reached out to touch her gills again. There was a single slit on each side of her neck, each one taking in the saltwater which she exhaled out of her mouth. It was all too reminiscent of the octopus watching her from a small opening in the coral.
Flora bared her teeth and glared until the octopus slunk away, and then buried her head into her hands. Half of her was weeping with joy at this revelation, while the other half was crying out in anguish. Upon accepting herself, something long dormant had awakened inside of her, not too different from the nightmares of losing her heart and the corruption that followed after.
Had it always been there? Or had it developed over time until she reached the proper age for it to awaken? The answer eluded her.
All she knew was that the old Flora everyone knew, whom she tried to be, died back in that void, and a new one had emerged in her place.
The girl shivered and clung to herself, sniffling and sick to her stomach. She gazed about the reef. Everything suddenly looked and felt so different. It even smelled different! A number of her senses were more acute now; she could see a little farther, and thus, the shadowed depths were no longer as murky. Hell, if she focused hard enough she swore she could feel the creeping and the wading of the life around her as though she were the sea! An unsettling sensation that made her skin and insides crawl just thinking about it.
And then of course, there were the gills…She was more than grateful for their presence as they helped save her life, but was that the end of her mutations? Was there anything else to come? What if she sprouted scales, webs, fins, or tentacles next?!
The never-ending list of questions expanded ten fold. It was clear now that she was not fully human, she never had been. From her blood, seawater healing as though it were medicine, her taste for raw fish, her abilities and senses, and now this…
What does this mean for my parents then? She suddenly wondered.
Who were they? What were they? What was she!?
A mermaid? Was her first guess, but she immediately brushed it off. If she were a mermaid her legs would have fused into a tail a long time ago, according to the stories at least…
Gillmen? She had too little information on them to go by. A sea nymph then?
A nymph was more likely, although their legends seemed to change every time she read about them, and she couldn't remember if they had both gills and the ability to command sea life. I am not that beautiful, either…
Flora rolled through the list of possibilities in her head, and all of a sudden, she found herself thinking of the robed woman from the long lost memory.
A sense of peace and warmth overcame her. Who is she…? She asked. Is she real after all? Does she know who or what I am?
She tried to push for more answers, more possible repressed memories, but she was met with a dead end. More blank spots in her mind. And then she found herself thinking of Athair.
Her gills itched, and she hesitated before scratching at them with a sunken gaze. Does he know….?
It hit her then. The countless times he berated her whenever she swam up on deck choking on breath. She'd wondered why he acted that way for so long, and now she finally had the answer.
He knew her gills would form if she drank in seawater. He knew this would happen!
You knew…Fury boiled her inside and out as she clenched her fists. You KNEW!
Numerous fish darted away as Flora leapt to her feet. "ATHAIR!" she roared into the world beyond the reef. "GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! I KNOW YE ARE THERE! YE'VE KEPT SECRETS FROM ME!"
Bubbles churned out of her throat instead of words, and yet the tides above seemed to thrash about more violently…
"ATHAIR!" Flora continued to thunder in rage regardless. "WHAT ELSE ARE YA KEEPING FROM ME?! DO YOU KNOW WHO OR WHAT I AM?! I NEED ANSWERS!"
The currents grew more agitated, writhing faster and faster. Flora stepped back, anger merging into uncertainty. Did she go too far? Was Athair going to show up right here instead of in the dream world?
A shadow loomed over her, and the girl swiveled around.
It was Jerry, the sea serpent finally returning from his long hunt.
The girl sighed, uncertainty easing to relief. Ah, it's just you…
The serpent tilted his head, appearing confused at her presence down here.
I…I found meself. Flora smiled, grimly, No thanks to you….
Jerry tilted his head the other direction, and then opened his mouth. A few small fish corpses floated out to her, a remnant of the school he devoured from his hunt.
Flora angled her head and carefully took the offerings into her arms. An apology?
The serpent grumbled, which Flora assumed to be a yes. Th-thank ye…
Jerry looked pleased and started lounging around the outskirts of the reef, as he was unable to join Flora where she was.
The teen smirked, dimly, and shot a few more glares at the animals interested in her meal nearby before sitting down to eat. She closed her eyes as she ate the day's fill, taking in all that has happened today, and listening to the blue world around her. The scuttling of crabs, the weaving of the seaweed and anemones, and the wading of the reef sharks eager to get back to the outskirts. It created a harmonious rhythm, the most tranquil Flora had ever heard. A hunt between predators and prey often interrupted it, but somehow, it made the rhythm more soothing. It added a little more complexity to the sea, a reminder that it can be both cruel and beautiful at once.
You could stay here, you know.
Flora opened her eyes before this new rhythm could cradle her to sleep.
Stay right here, live your dream and become one with the sea. You're halfway there already.
Her torso clenched, and then blossomed with temptation.
Could she? Live the rest of her days in this reef?
Maybe not in this reef forever, but the sea itself. The entire ocean…
The entire ocean…Emotions swelling, the sailor lifted her head and peered outside of the atoll. If it was true that she was no longer welcome on land, and she certainly won't now with her gills, then she could stay with the sea, like she always wanted. It was possible since she embraced her potential. She won't have to worry about reaching the surface in time for air or getting lost. She could go where the whim and currents carried her, and if she got hungry, she could rely on Jerry until she taught herself how to hunt.
A new world, one which many a sailor had never experienced or seen, right at her feet, just waiting to be explored and charted by her hands!
It was tempting, oh so tempting! All she had to do was give up her desire for war, revenge, her vow, and say yes!
The mere thought of it made Flora's heart want to burst, and she very nearly gave in when something caught her eye.
She paused and then brought her full attention to it. The murky depths on the starboard side of the reef, she hadn't been able to see anything before, but now with her more acute vision, she could see a familiar shape anchored in those waters.
The shape of a sunken vessel.
Ice gripped her. Had she been lingering near a shipwreck and not noticed until now?! She sat up, half of her wanting to go and explore, but the other half remained still. Something wasn't right.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she needed to go. Even if she found something disturbing, something else to haunt her nightmares, she didn't sense any unease. It should be alright….shouldn't it?
Flora swam up out of the clearing and made way for the surface. She was about to break through for air when she remembered.
Right, she had gills now.
Heat rushed up her back and into her cheeks, and she gradually lowered herself back into the sea. No risks yet. She turned back to the shipwreck and started towards it. She was wading over a mound of coral when something snagged her shirt. The girl jumped and swerved around expecting a shark, and found a distressed Jerry instead. The teen blinked. Jerry? What's wrong?
The serpent kept trying to pull her away, his expression wide with terror. He didn't want her to go.
Flora swerved back to the shipwreck, her insides torrid. No, there was something there she needed to see. She can't turn back now!
I have to go! She pulled her shirt away and a part of it ripped. It will be alright, I promise.
Jerry garbled and turned the other way, wearing an expression that appeared to say, I hope it's a promise you can keep.
So do I. Flora gulped and gripped the hilt of her knife. Her movements under the ocean were too slow for the sword to be of any use. She hadn't even practiced with it since she fled the Glory, so the knife will have to do.
Slightly assured, Flora examined her surroundings. Once she felt it was safe, she abandoned the coral reef, stepped onto the seabed, and started trudging her way to the shipwreck. Jerry growled, softly, and when it was clear his friend would not be turning around, the serpent slowly, and very reluctantly, followed after her.
Every step she took felt heavier than the last, the seas colder, and the waters dark and uncertain. Fear wrapped around her windpipe and tightened, but Flora continued onward. It was like a grappling hook had latched onto her heart and was pulling her toward the ship. She had to see it, whatever it was. No matter how petrifying it may be, it was important for her to look.
Crrrrrack!
The sailor froze mid-step and looked down. It was a broken beam; no doubt from the vessel that lay ahead. And that wasn't all. Flora examined her surroundings once more and felt her heart grow still. There was debris strewn about all over the sandy bed, many of which were buried while others were coated in barnacles and other ocean fauna, having been claimed by the sea.
It wasn't the sheer amount of supplies that shook her to the core, but rather their contents. There were clothes, personal affairs, nothing that belonged on a normal seafaring vessel. She was pondering on how this could be, when she finally approached the fallen ship.
It was gargantuan, the largest schooner Flora had ever seen, and it was cleaved to two as though someone had taken a giant axe to it with one swift stroke. All Flora could do was stare with a pale face and rigid limbs. Jerry rumbled anxiously behind her and glanced from left to right. A serpent such as himself was much too small to take down such an imposing vessel. Whatever destroyed this ship was much larger, and the two halves were too precise for it to be another vessel…
Flora examined the wreckage, trying to figure out what sort of monster was responsible for this, and let out a small gasp when she found something unscathed ahead of her.
She knelt down and carefully picked it up. It was a tiny ship, a wooden toy similar to the ones she used to play with when she was a toddler.
Nausea spiraled up her throat as she put the pieces together. This wasn't an ordinary schooner. This had been a passenger ship, filled with families, women and children no doubt searching for a better life somewhere in the world, only to meet with the jaws of something terrible that dragged them into a watery grave…
The sailor's arms shook, and she swiveled onto Jerry. Do-do you know what did this?
All the serpent could do was moan, the scent of the cause fresh in his nostrils despite a decades long absence.
Flora whirled back onto the wreckage, knelt down, and buried the toy in memoriam for the lost child who owned it. She gently placed her hand on the makeshift grave and then muttered, "May you find peace beyond the Locker…"
It was a strange phrase, she wasn't sure what made her say it, but it felt right.
The girl closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. She had shed enough recently, and she didn't want to stay here for much longer. Her back shifted uncomfortably as she stood back up, and made way for the stern half of the ship to find its namesake.
What she found instead struck her numb.
Flora took in the sight in for a few, agonizing moments before she swam up above the sunken schooner for a better look.
An entire graveyard of wrecked ships of all types and sizes lay before her, far too many to count. Most were ripped in half like the schooner, but there were a minor few that were blown to bits by the worst cannonball damage than she thought possible. All of these ships were coated in sea life as they have been down here for countless years, countless generations, to the point where many were barely recognizable as vessels.
A sharp spike of pain ripped through Flora's heart and bubbles carried her silent scream as she doubled over. Jerry raised his head and rushed to her side, but not even his presence could comfort her from the terrible sight.
This was more than a single sea monster's doing. This was the work of something worse, much worse...
Flora dug her fingernails into her chest as she writhed and gagged, saliva drifting into the depths as she waited for the horror of the wreckage to pass over. Unfortunately, shortly after it did, a different kind of terror emerged to greet her.
A shadow fell over the graveyard, and the world turned a familiar, sickly green….
Jerry lifted his head and snarled, while Flora's eyes widened with dread before looking up as well.
The underside of a war frigate was sailing above them. A war frigate surrounded by fog and a sickly aura…
Jolly Roger.
Flora gripped the handle of her sword, the fight or flight response taking over. One half of her wanted to swim up alongside Jerry and tear the Harkaway apart like the fallen vessels around her, while the other half remembered the burning settlement. The screams of lost souls, Gretchen falling from her mansion, and her grandfather rotting away before smashing to pieces against the shore….
The flight instinct took over, and Flora dove for the wrecked schooner and hid under one of its halves as the Harkaway sailed overhead. Jerry followed, staying as close to her as possible, baring his teeth at the passing shadow above them.
The duo watched. Waiting. Anticipating.
"Where are you, little Squidling…?" It was impossible, but Flora thought she heard Roger's familiar, slow craggy voice whisper into the depths. A voice a part of her hoped never to hear again.
"Wheeeeere aaaaaaare yoooooooou?"
The girl covered her mouth, daring not to breathe even though there was no point.
The Harkaway eventually voyaged on, but the abhorrent green did not go along with her. To Flora's dismay, more vessels of the same aura followed after the war frigate. The snarls, shrieks, howls and roars of many a beast echoed from a majority of these ships, irritating Jerry's hearing and causing Flora to balk.
It was Roger's armada, a vast section of his fleet and army, including the many animals he influenced to do his bidding, sailing through the sea as though they owned it.
H-how?! Why!? Where are they going?!
It was far more than she fathomed, too much to comprehend. How can anyone possibly stand up against such a force and live to tell the tale?!
It felt like days before the armada left, taking the paralyzing green atmosphere along with it, and leaving the colors of sunset behind. Flora waited until they were well and truly gone, and then made way for the surface. She didn't care what would happen now if she took in air. She needed to see where Roger was going!
The girl waited, counted to three, and then breached the sea. Salt water immediately coughed and hacked its way through her gills, and she had to cover her mouth again in fear that the fleet will hear her.
Flora continued to choke and gag until her mouth went dry, and then took the fresh air into her lungs. It felt strange in comparison to the water, out of place as though it didn't belong, but she shoved the unsettling feeling aside before she could dwell on it.
She swiveled in the direction of the armada. From here, they appeared like black flies on the horizon, crossing toward where Flora was adrift in the longboat. A lead weight plunged into her chest. If it hadn't been for Jerry and the decision to ride him, Roger would have found her...!
The girl staggered at the prospect, her heart pounding into her throat. It took a good while for her to calm down before she built up the courage to turn the way the armada came, afraid of what she'd find.
At the end of the port path Flora had been following, was a familiar cloud of fire and smoke spiraling into the air, tainting the sunset. From here, it could have be mistaken for a volcanic eruption, but Flora knew all too well what it truly was.
No…
She felt Jerry rise up from the abyss beside her and she didn't hesitate. "T-take me there, lad!" She waited for him to lower his upper body and then climbed her way up, hyperventilating. "Th-that way, quick! GO!"
A big turning point in Flora's life. One where she finally accepts who and what she is (whatever she is), her powers awaken as a result, she almost makes a horrible mistake, and gets a massive hint that her Dad was not a good person. Because, let's be honest, no matter how sympathetic Davy Jones is, to the point where one wants to give him a hug and be his friend, it does not excuse all of the terrible things he's done, and probably would have continued to do had he survived the events of At World's End. He is considered a villain for good reason, people tend to forget about that.
Anyway, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter! It was so much fun writing about the ocean, it got me to pick up and play Subnautica again.