The Tamed and The Dead

“Here comes the calming zephyr this spot is famous for,” said the boy.

“Umm. I needed this fresh breeze after the long day of work I had. You don’t wanna hear about what all storms I had to face for just a cursed penny,” said the girl.

He didn’t want to hear. He wanted to melt like the sun, before him, into the endless horizon of the water’s body. So silky did the thin waves look, so mesmerizing were its sun-hued colors, he knew he was born here and ever since he has been watching it sink, but every other day it looked different and heartfelt to him. He knew the lost clouds will find each other and pour together soon, before dawn. He knew all the people around him were like the waves in the sea, changing their colors and motions.

“They say it was once called The Sea of The Tamed,” said the girl.

“It is not possible for humans alone to domesticate such voracious and dangerous creatures in the waters where no one is safe,” opined the boy without looking away from the half-swallowed sun.

“Your words are so bedraggled. I don’t understand a thing,” scoffed the girl.

Sitting down on the edge of the cliff, the boy sighed and ordered, “Ina, go home and tell my mother that I will be late. And try not to get lost or ripped apart.”

“What if she asks me where you are?”

“She wouldn’t do that. What makes you think she would ask you about me?” rhetorically asked the boy. Too tired to argue, Ina left her neighbor/childhood friend on the edge of the low cliff and wandered back home.

The boy stared out at the open body and thought to himself, ‘I wished swimming with the sharks were legal. What makes them so dangerous? I hope I find one near the shore tonight… Maybe Ina and Kuda will help me but I’ll have to convince them or else I am on my own.’

He stood up, dusted his clothes and strolled back to the few permanent food and pharmaceutical stalls they referred to as the night bazaar. Just past the night bazaar, he and his mother stayed in a mud house surrounded by many other mud houses which were the closed the shore but the view of sunrise was not visible from there.

When the boy reached his hut, he drank some water and was stopped as he was instantly about to leave again. He looked at his mother who glowered back at him. He commented, “You’re staring as if you’re about to throttle me. What is the matter?”

His mother didn’t reply; she simply kept glowering. Ignoring her, the boy walked out to Ina’s house and asked her mother if he could see her. When Ina appeared on the door, the boy asked, “You wanna catch some fishes with me and Kuda on the shore right now?” Ina turned her head and shouted if she could go get some fishes with Lorem and Kuda right now to her mother which came back as a resounding yes.

Walking down the web of mud huts, Ina and the boy chatted about their work. Suddenly, Ina asked, “I thought you liked sharks. I thought you were taking me to one so that you could feed me to it and tame that one, but then I was confused to hear that you want Kuda to come with us too…Lorem, just tell me what you want.”

The boy stopped and looked at Kuda’s house. He wanted to tell Ina that she will be fine, but he knew whatever he said wouldn’t make her believe him. He stepped forwards and knocked the usually open door. “What?!” snarled a strong woman’s voice from the darkness of the house. The boy looked at Ina with a puzzled-embarrassed expression and said, “It’s Lorem and Ina. We want Kuda to come with us for some fishes.” “On the shore,” added Ina.

A tanned young man of seventeen or eighteen stepped out of the open entrance and greeted them with an unenthusiastic grin. Waiting for them to say something, the young man closed the door behind him and indicated them to walk on. The boy asked if his mother was sick again but the young man didn’t answer.

“Kuda! Why are your arms and back whipped like that? Was it a bad day at work?” dramatically gasped Ina.

Looking at his arms and core, Kuda shed a tear and sighed, “It’s not related to work. My ah…”

The boy patted a hand at Kuda's shoulder and blinked his eye, to which Kuda nodded, shedding the last droplet of tears as his eyes dried because of humidity.

They thought they were all alone when they reached the shore of the glinting moonlit sea. ‘So beautiful,’ thought the boy.

“What fishes are we here for today?” asked Kuda, looking at the boy.

Enchanted by the dark glittery water and the colossal full moon, the boy gazed at the picturesque view, wishing to drown in the freedom before him.

Snapping her fingers, Ina scowled and shrieked, “Hey! Snap out of it and tell us what you want or else-”

“What do you mean?” objected Kuda.

“You know about his crazy obsession with the blood-thirsty fishes, right? Well, I think he wants us to be eaten by one so that he can have a bloody shark friend!” shouted Ina.

“Ina, stop,” muttered the boy, “I just want you guys to catch one with me so that we can swim with it.”

“Swim with what?!” roared Kuda, “Why does everyone want me dead? Lorem, why are you so crazy!?”

“We need to get him outta here or else he will take us down with him!” shouted Ina.

“Ina, shut your mouth! Listen to me!” whispered the boy, forcefully grinding his teeth, “We don’t have the time to fight here; they could be coming anytime.”

“Who?!” Kuda and Ina shouted at the same time.

“People from some fish company or something are hunting down all the sharks we are blessed with in this island. They’re only blaming the sharks for attacks but they never say what causes the attacks, you idiots!” the boy tried to explain.

Without giving it a moment, Kuda asked, “How do you know all this?”

“I saw it happen. From the last few weeks, I have been watching men javelining down as many sharks as they can possibly find in the near the shore and they all do in at this time of the evening, when they think nobody is anywhere near.”

Kuda asked again with a worried frown, “Why were you here anyway? Oh yeah, for your fantasy swim. Wait, did they catch you?”

The boy whispered, “I think they saw me the last time I was here. It was a few days ago. I didn’t come back since, thinking what if they searched the place or something.”

Ina was staring at the open sea while the two young men were discussing. Ina whispered, “Kuda stop screaming at the top of your lungs! I know the murderers are nearby. Lorem, tell us what we have to do?”

The boy sighed. “We need to find out who’re killing them and why,” he instructed.

They creeped along the wet sand where the little warm waves washed their feet every now and then. Suddenly, Ina stopped and stretched her arm out as a gesture to not move a muscle. “Shh,” she raised a finger to her lips and waited. “Someone’s coming!” she warned.

A heavy and wet-sand-drenched footstep’s sound was heard by the boy. He closed his eyes and prayed for a chance.

“Hey! What are you kids doing here?” shouted a manly voice.

Kuda answered, “We all were craving a warm swim after such a day of work, sir.”

“Get out of here quick!” growled another course, stiff manly voice.

Ina spoke up, “We just wanted to see some fishes.”

“Oh! There is a girl with you? What will you two be doing here?”

The boy screamed, “We are not here for no disturbance. We are only minding our business, sir.”

Unbothered, the two men walked away from the moonlit surface.

“What the heck, Ina!” exclaimed Kuda, “They could’ve gotten you!”

Ina whispered, “I doubt they saw our faces but I know these men.”

“What!” rasped both young men.

“They work for the Reeves fish company. My mother works there and they are friends too. I remember hearing their voices some time ago,” informed Ina.

“We should follow them and be sure that it is actually them who are attacking the tamed ones,” suggested Kuda.

“Kuda, don’t call them the tamed ones anymore,” the boy said in a low, saddening tone, “All the tamed ones are dead.”

Ina and Kuda exchanged looks and returned their perplexed gazes to the boy. “Lorem, they are sent down in this world tamed by God. They are here to protect our land from invaders, right?” added Ina, “What made you say this?”

Before the boy could answer, a strong breeze filled with hot moisture dragged them across the beach, settling them near a cliff which was situated on water.

“This wind is bringing a storm! We should go home this moment!” ordered Kuda.

“Wait, look!” screamed the boy, pointing his finger at a thing moving under the dark water where there was no moonlight to clearly say what it was.

“It’s just a fish, Lorem!” shouted back Ina who was lowering her hand to grab it.

“MARINA!” growled the same manly voice from the top of the cliff. The man, above, struck a javelin right on the moving thing’s head.

“It’s still alive!” shouted the boy.

Another javelin was struck and the body of the moving creature began to flicker and twitch uncontrollably. The boy looked at it as its life was ending forever. Ina began screaming and shaking as the two men from the top of the cliff came down to where they stood.

“You kids don’t understand the dangers!” growled the stiff, manly voice.

“Sir, we are twenty-year-olds,” added Kuda, “Why are you people killing sharks?”

The man mumbled, “The emperor’s son was eaten by a very big one. His highness didn’t want anyone to suffer the same fate so he ordered the largest fish company on the island to execute all the sharks in two months. We came to your house to deliver that news only, Marina.”

“Aren’t these the blessed fishes? The tamed ones?” asked Kuda sadly.

“No, son. Sharks used to be tamed a hundred years ago. This is not The Sea of The Tamed anymore. Go home now and don’t get into any shark business again,” said one of the men.