The Birth of Kraken Isles

The smell of smoked fish and incense filled the air for miles, despite how far inland the celebration was. People all around them hurried towards the festival, their backs carrying more seafood and presents. Unlike the other travelers though, August Tsunaria carried nothing on his back. Captain Wellington had forbid it. August felt uncomfortable about arriving on time for the closing meal and celebration, but not having any offerings for Otis. He wanted be spending the birthday he shared with a god by honoring that god, rather than confronting him, but Wellington was his boss, and he was only eighteen-well, nineteen now-but he was still not in a position to have any say in the matter.

The festival grounds were packed full of mortals. Dancers adorned in coral crowns held the attention of most of the crowd. New arrivals placed trays of cooked fish, kelp dishes, and other sea related foods, along the series of tables at the center of the grounds. They stood in line behind the entrance to the fairgrounds. At the end of the line, a large yellow canopy tent sat, incense smoke billowing out the corners.

Their captain held their place in line with a firm frown. It was normal for crews to attend ceremonies, and even meet the gods together, but Wellington would be the first to challenge one, and he was making his crew stand with him. Tall and exceptionally muscular, he was an Ogre that had grown up sailing between the port towns on Wibix's coast. A shrewd captain and one of the best, no one in all of Kritharh dared question him on the price of his goods. He was a fair boss, with clear work expectations, who did things how he wanted and no other way. This is why August had asked to join his crew two years before, but now, he was questioning that decision.

Finally, the guards by the tent motioned for the crew to enter, but Captain Wellington had different plans. "Tell Otis I want to address him before the crowd," he said.

The soldiers appeared befuddled but entered the tent on the crew's behalf. August held in a groan, knowing that the last night of the festival always had the largest attendance. People from the whole world would hear his captain. A moment later, Otis stepped out in his white and gold robes, holding a pipe. On his head was a golden diadem in the shape of common seaweeds. He was tall and skinny, and like most gods, his head and build were a little bit larger than the average mortals'.

"You have something to say to me?" Otis asked, "Why not say it in the tent?" The throng of people now quieted, and spoke in hushed whispers.

"I believe that the public will have a vested interest in what I say," Wellington replied. He stepped up to where Otis stood, and it became apparent that even as a mortal, he compared in size.

"And what is that?" Otis asked, smiling and using his two inches of superior height to look down on the captain, who sneered in return.

Stepping back and waving his arms around, he said, "Look at all this! You take all these people's wealth! You take offerings! You demand food! And why? Because it's your birthday and you live in the sea. Otis, I don't believe that you actually guide our ships, or help with safe passage and greater hauls. Just this year, I lost ten men, including me first mate! I demand that you return everything you have taken from these people, and stop demanding that we worship you when you don't even help!"

Otis frowned, but it did not appear to be from anger. His brows furrowed, and he seemed to be thinking for a long while before he said, "I understand your concerns, Captain Wellington, and I will make a deal with you, if you would like, but first hear what I have to say."

The captain grunted; August and the rest of the men shuffled nervously behind him.

Otis made eye-contact with August before addressing the captain again. "What you may not realize is that I am not the only god of the sea." Gasps and murmurs carried on the wind throughout the crowd.

Otis continued: "I am only the head of the sea. I know all her secrets, and that is why I guide ships through clear waters and make challenging passageways easier. However, I am not her heart. The heart of the sea is fickle. She does not commune with you, like I do. There is no reasoning with her, and she views herself as superior to all you beings. You are toys to her. It would be no use praying to Shea, because she can't make up her mind, which makes her incredibly dangerous. I keep her in check. I make sure Shea is out of the way when boats take routes across her territory. With that said, I will let you traverse her realm alone, and if at the end, you are alive, I will give back every offering I have received for the past ten years. However, if you choose not to take this offer, you can back down with no repercussions; I will just expect two-fold in offerings from you and your crew next year.

"I am not afraid of a fickle-hearted god," said Wellington.

"So be it." Otis said, and August felt his gaze again. This time, Otis was directly addressing him. "You are blessed under my star, son. How old are you today?"

His cheeks burned and he answered with abashment, "I'm nineteen, today, Sir." As he said so, he bowed slightly to the deity.

"And what do you make of this treaty?" Otis continued.

August bowed his head again before speaking: "Otis, you are a Great One, more than that, you are the patron of my birth, and I am indebted to you. With that said, I have worked two years in service to this man, who has been more than a leader to many of us, but a father figure as well, who took me under his wing when I had no experience. I am also indebted to him. I will stand by the terms of this agreement, and I will make no judgments until the completion of it."

Otis smiled at August. "You are wise. I am glad to be your patron," he said, then resumed his conversation with Wellington. "From this port town, sail across the middle of the sea to the main port of Capaceptan in Hulm. You must go through the center, since that is where Shea lives. If you can pass through her territory, then you don't need my assistance. I will be waiting for you in Hulm."

"I look forward to meeting you there," said Wellington.

Otis raised his hand and spoke again, "My other demand is that you must take the boy. Born on this day, he is blessed by the sea. He will testify to the truth in the end."

"Deal," said Captain Wellington, as he extended his hand, and they shook on it.

The crowd murmured. Otis returned to his tent, and gradually people resumed their activities. The rest of the night was filled with the usual celebrations, but August observed that many of the attendees seemed to be dull-spirited after the confrontation, and several went home early.

Three days later, Captain Wellington's crew had resealed the entire ship, updated all their supplies, and prepared for their voyage. Upon boarding, the sailors blew kisses to the women they had spent the past week with. August scoffed as he made his way to the crow's nest. He had no time for such things; women that stayed on land could never interest him. He would rather spend all his time gazing at the open sea.

"We clear to sail, Lad?" The captain called from below.

"All clear, Sir," August yelled back.

The sun was hot on August's back. There was a distinctly Northern breeze, blowing cold air into the sails. The land was behind him, and before him was the cerulean blue of the eternal sea. Below him, he saw the captain discussing with Noelind, the chief magic official of the voyage. He watched the other crew mates were adorn themselves in triangular, silver necklaces set with lapis lazuli. The dark blue matched the sea, and as such, it was used to focus wave and water magics. The crew were both responsible for manning sails and oars, and following Noelind's directions. August had not received any jewelry for conducting magic, because until he was "One with the sea," the captain had said he could, "not be trusted to make appropriate sized waves." Though, he felt that two years of training prepared him for greater responsibilities than just being a lookout. August refocused his thoughts on the clear skies and sea before him. Besides, he thought this voyage was much more important than his status among the crew.

Wellington's vessel fared well for the next week, but as they approached the center of the sea the crew grew nervous. Tiger's Eye, an angry one-eyed Avian, sang the captain's praises, exulting him for being so wise and for putting Otis in his place. Many other crew-mates, not confident in the captain's decision, whispered about Otis' warning, and drank frequently to manage their fears. From his perch, August watched Tiger's Eye proudly walk about the ship eavesdropping, and fighting anyone that expressed fear of Otis. Drunken fights broke out whenever the captain was in his quarters. Meanwhile, Noelind, a gambling man, bet on Tiger's Eye, and took possession of the majority of gold on the boat. Despite the calm seas, the growing turbulence of the crew caused unsteady sailing, but as the voyage edged into the second week and passed the center of the sea, tensions eased and sailing eased as well.

As the second moon was setting, August arose and made his way to the crow's nest. Milo, the night-watch waved to him, and headed down to sleep. August always enjoyed seeing the dark colors of the night sea transition to the golds of sunrise. However, this time, the higher the sun rose the more certain August became that there was a dark lump on the horizon.

"Captain?" he called out.

"What is it Lad?" Wellington shouted back.

"There appears to be something large to the south of us." The captain climbed up to the crow's nest, and taking the looking glass, peered out onto the horizon.

"Dear Otis!" Wellington quietly exclaimed under his breath. "Don't worry Lad, we'll steer clear of that." He returned to the deck and started shouting orders.

Since the wind was blowing towards the south, the captain slacked all the sails, and then called on Noelind to command wave crafting. August watched the crew create gentle waves to separate the boat from the distant creature. Gradually, the boat began to move north-east, until the creature grew more distant, before finally disappearing below the horizon. August kept careful watch, and there was no sign of the creature into the afternoon.

When the sun reached the last quarter of the sky, and the first moon began to rise, a large, deep-purple triangle rose up on the port side. Boat lengths of the purple flesh continued to rise, until yellow eyes peered over the railings. Color left the flesh of the crew a pasty white, and even the captain paled. Noelind commanded the men to make propelling waves to put space between the ship and the creature, but it was no use. The men were frozen with terror.

"Shea," August said under his breath.

What little hope the men had of using waves to push away from the monster, were soon dashed. Great tentacles appeared on the starboard side of the boat and began to constrict around the hull. August crouched down in the crow's nest, using his feet to pin him to the mast. Below him, men were screaming and jumping into the water, and worse, they were being pinned down and grabbed by giant tentacles. Each time the boat crunched, the crow's nest right over top of Shea's huge eyes. Then, a second later it would swing away. Due to his low positioning, August was fairly certain that Shea hadn't seen him, and he could tell the boat was going down fast. If he wanted to survive, he would have to dive as far away from her as possible and hope that she was too preoccupied by the other sailors to catch him. He waited for the mast to swing away from her ever watching eyes, then, using the edge of the crow's nest as a spring-board, he pushed off and dove into the sea, intentionally swimming under the waves. Cries of men being captured by tentacles and crunched into Shea's large open beak, carried through the waves, and even into the water. August didn't pause to look back; he knew that would be a death sentence. He swam as fast as he could until the gruesome scene was in the distance. Terrified and exhausted, August looked for driftwood but couldn't find any, so he took off his pants, blew into them and tied them into a life preserver and floated adrift in the sea.

The next few days August kept an eye out for the monster, but she didn't resurface. Parched, sun-burnt, and hungry, August reserved his strength by floating. Eventually, finding a large piece of driftwood, he stretched his stomach onto it, letting his back become crisp. It was another several days before he washed-up on Capaceptan's sandy shore. Nearly unconscious, and in too much pain to be able to feel, August lay where the water met the shoreline. He didn't move when he felt a shadow block the sun, nor did he move when that shadow picked him up. He lay there silently, days from death.

August awoke in a raised bed. He was in an extravagant tent, loaded with pillows, water, and food. The Drometaur woman tending his wounds indicated to him that he had made it to the desert continent of Capaceptan. Seeing the water on the small table to his right, he took it and drank heartily. The Drometaur woman left without a word, and a few moments later, Otis entered. No longer in gold and white robes, he donned a full length garment of a shale-blue with vibrant green and coral highlights.

"You survived," he said, stepping to the left of August's bed. He looked him over, smiling, and added, "I'm sure you've worked up an appetite too. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"I'd like some fruit and some more water please," August replied.

"Definitely. Lydia? Fruit and water please?" August hadn't even noticed that his Drometaur nurse had stepped back into the tent. "I knew you'd make it," Otis said, still smiling.

"How did you know?" August rasped, then coughed. His mouth was still dry from salty dehydration.

"Shea is your patron too, you know. Shea and I were born with the sea and our births caused it's creation, and every being that is born on the day of the sea shares a distant kinship with us. I'm sure you can feel it in your blood. Whether Wellington's ship would make it or not, I knew you would survive. It was only a matter of finding you. I've been speaking with all the creatures and walking the shores on your behalf."

"You knew Shea would destroy our ship?"

"Not exactly, but that is one of the main ways I keep my followers safe. I make sure that Shea is preoccupied when ships pass near her. I do other things too of course, but keeping Shea happy is the most important. Now, my dear boy, our work is not finished. See, you said you would stand by the treaty that was made, and now Wellington is dead, and I have a proposition for how you will defend the truth."

"What do you ask, Great One?"

"As you sail from port to port, be sure to tell the story of Wellington and Shea to the townsfolk and children that live there. It will help all mortals to know that we gods do serve a purpose, and we indeed help when requested."

"Aye, sir, I can do that, sir" August said and bowed his head.

"Wonderful." Otis said, further adding, "It has been good to make your acquaintance, August Tsunaria. Now, I must return to my duties in the sea, but Lydia will take care of you until you are well again. When you are ready, she will take you to your ship. I have had a special ship crafted, blue as night to help you sail inconspicuously among the waters. The crew that is waiting for you, are all born under the star of the sea, and they will be heartier seafarers than you've known. I look forward to seeing you again, Captain Tsunaria." August's mouth hung open while Otis drifted out the tent. He was still trying to take it all in, when he fell backwards, again asleep.

Captain Tsunaria wore all blue and gold except for a black, tricorn hat. He wore, on his neck and arm, gold jewelry embedded with lapis lazuli. With gold compass in hand, he approached The Blue Lady, his ship. He had just returned from buying supplies for their first voyage. Otis had left the ship finely outfitted, with only the best equipment. The crew he had invited were all true sea-lovers, even the cat-folk twins, Thetchry and Ficklish. Captain Tsunaria stepped on board with confidence, knowing that he had been appointed by Otis himself. The only thing he had added to his ship was a pair of shrines bolted to either side of the mast, one for each sea god. A small box held incense and gold for Otis, and the other held rare fish for Shea. Ready to sail, Captain August Tsunaria demanded the mortals make their prayers for safe travel before they embarked on their journey.

Just shy of a week after setting sail, Thetchry spotted land in the distance.

"There's no land here. I was just here a few weeks ago!" Captain Tsunaria said, as he climbed to the crow's nest. Through the looking glass, he saw large empty masses that looked a lot like land in the distance. Confident that Otis was protecting them, he steered nearer to the masses. These masses, large enough to be islands, seemed to be made out of pearl. Captain Tsunaria had his crew drop anchor so they could explore the islands by rowboat. Now, they could get close enough to feel the hard, smooth texture of pearl. When rounding the last island, Ficklish pointed to a large shape at the top of it. Captain Tsunaria used the looking glass and saw a bit of wood sticking up out of the pearl, and attached to it was a torn portion of Captain Wellington's flag. This confirmed that truly the Goddess had created beauty from her own destruction.

Warned by the ship's remains, the crew returned to The Blue Lady, where Captain Tsunaria told them of how Shea had cracked the hull of Wellington's ship and eaten her men. From then on the men began to refer to Shea as the Kraken, the goddess monster, and they called the masses the Kraken Isles. Stories of the sea gods became tales of monsters, and legends went around of the gods-fearing captain that had survived the goddess monster. Because of his bravery, people began to call it the Tsunarian sea, and by the time the pearly Kraken Islands had become livable, the name had stuck. However, the passing of time is kind to no one, and as the ages passed, the gods had fewer festivals with mortals, and even Otis stopped communing with them. Captain Tsunaria, by then an old man, no longer saw the need to dock in the port towns, and the townsfolk claimed he was lost to the sea. Still though, folks say that sometimes, when the first moon sets and the second moon rises, a blue ship can be seen on the distant horizon, blending in with the sea in the dimming of moonlight. Stranger still, the inhabitants of Kraken Isle, tell of an old crew that takes port on foggy nights, and enters the mainland only to trade rare fish, corals, and other sea bounties, and if one is lucky, they may see the Captain sit on the shore, praying, singing, and throwing fish, incense, and gold into the sea. All who have seen this swear by it, and by the truth that the sea takes care of the mortals she calls her own.