By: Bryant R. Haake, Honors College, Presidential Honors Student, English Major
A ship without cursing and yelling felt odd to Jacob.
The red shades moved without word or thought, each face a blank canvas. At one point he tried to yell for one to assist him, but was met by an empty gaze and no correspondence. They looked almost the same as the green shades, but with a few differences. Like the green shades, they had no muscles—only bones—but they also didn’t have a heart at all. Instead, each had a hole through their chest where their heart should be. They all also sported a single scar, which he realized after some study was in the spot where the final blow of their death had been dealt.
Crimson had originally tried working with Georgiana to direct the shades correctly, but as it turned out all she had to do was tell them to, “Sail us to Wisdom Cove”—the actual closest port to Athens— and they went about their work naturally. She’d also found out she didn’t need to be holding the “shade reins” as she’d been calling them for her to command them, and they were just a way for her to establish an initial connection.
With the crew—minus the captain since Georgiana hadn’t brought his shade back—manning the ship, that left the three actual humans on board to relax as long as they had wanted. Jacob had finally given Georgiana the note from Sergi, which she had thrown overboard, stating she, “…didn’t want any apologies from that backstabbing lamp shade.”
Her insults were… creative, to say the least.
Despite having all the time he wanted to do whatever he wanted, Jacob spent most of his time up in the crow’s nest. Captain Leafy’s boat, which they hadn’t been able to tell the name of due to the side having faded so bad, had a much smaller space up top than the Forsaken had, but even still it was comfortable to Jacob. He’d always been small anyways.
The sea stretched for miles around them, filling his vision with blue and purple hues. The sky met the ocean in a perfect line in the distance, sparse clouds forming a barrier between his home and the sky. He’d always been able to see past the glare of the sun on the water, and the water had always been clearer to him than to others, letting him see a bit deeper than most. This far out into the ocean, however, there were no fish this high up, and luckily nothing bigger either.
He slung himself from his perch down the main mast, sailing through the shrouds and hanging off the side of the ship, keeping a tentacle wrapped all the way up on the boom—the beam holding the main sail. He let his other hand slip into the rushing water. Now that he was closer, he could just barely see a school of fish at the edge of his vision being attacked by a group of swordfish. The predators were already backing off, having caught their fill.
Do you see what I see, Jacobson?
“I don’t know what you see, Ren,” Jacob replied, earning a sigh.
Do you see the predators?
“You mean the swordfish?” Jacob asked. “Aye, I see them. They’re leaving, though. Why?”
I do not mean the swordfish, Jacobson. Look closer.
Jacob stared more intently at the water. Nothing looked different for a moment, until one of the swordfish suddenly disappeared in a flash of teeth, startling Jacob.
Do not be frightened. There are no invisible monsters lurking in this part of my ocean. Jacob didn’t like how he phrased that. These are merely sharks—big ones, yes, but just sharks nonetheless. Do you see how they use the color of the water to their advantage? The skin on their backs is darker like the depths, while their bellies are white like the sun. Sharks are incredible creatures, and the most primal of them are even older than I am. However, wait for one moment and you shall see a craftier creature.
Once more Jacob stared into the water. For a few minutes, the only creatures still following the ship were the fish and the sharks. The fish had been thrown into panic, abandoning their neat formation as their numbers dwindled. Just as the sharks were almost done picking away at the school, one disappeared, followed by another, and another. One by one, the sharks disappeared, leaving behind no trace.
“What happened?” Jacob asked, bewildered. He tried focusing more, but still he saw nothing.
There are beasts of the sea even more terrifying than the fearsome shark, Jacob. I should know, for I made them. Do you remember how I saved your life the other night?
“You changed the colors of the tentacles to blend with the sand, right?”
Yes. In nature, it’s called camouflage. There are some land creatures who have adapted this technique, but my creations are the pinnacle of it. Octopuses, squids, and all other cephalopods; these are the rogues of the seas, and the inspiration for the ability I put into your gift- Jacobson? Are you okay?
Jacob stared at the slaughter of fish. Now that the sharks were gone, all that was left were the bloody bits and pieces of the school. The water had turned crimson. Bodies flashed before Jacob’s eyes, making him dry heave. He’d woken up that morning with no appetite, and he was glad for it now. Throwing up was not something he wanted to feel right now.
Don’t lose your grip. Focus. Are you okay? What happened? All I can sense is… guilt? Jacobson, you have nothing to feel guilty for that I know of, and I am quite literally a part of you.
“It’s nothing, Ren.”
It is very much something. If there is something on your conscience which is going to inhibit your performance, then I must know. Now, try again. What is wrong?
“I’ve never killed a man before, Ren,” Jaocb admitted. “It feels… wrong.”
Hmmm. Yes, I can see how something like that would be troublesome to you. Look at the situation like this: if you hadn’t killed him, then Crimson would have, or he would have killed you all.
“You don’t know that,” Jacob retorted. “I could’ve found a peaceful resolution, or at least a way for them all to live. I could’ve done something. What’s the point of having this power if I have to use it to harm other people?”
I… do not know what else to say, Jacobson. It’s not something you can change now. Killing one man in self-defense does not make you a killer. Rest easy on that, at least.
Jacob nodded, unconvinced. “Can you just teach me how to do the… what’d you call it? Chemo-juice?”
Camouflage, Jacobson, and yes, we can begin your training, as I wanted to several days ago.
Ren instructed Jacob on the process of purposefully changing the color of his tentacles. It wasn’t difficult at first, but he had more trouble when Ren tried to teach him how to change individual sections into other colors, like how he had mimicked the texture of the sand.
What he also didn’t understand in the slightest was how he could change the actual texture of his tentacles. Ren had explained it was an ability he’d first tried on cuttlefish before perfecting it with octopuses, but Jacob didn’t even know they could do that. His only interactions with octopuses beforehand had been either eating them—Heilyn had joked he was a cannibal for doing so—and the one time he’d been able to visit an aquarium.
Captain Vexx had taken him when he was young to a larger coastal city which had prided itself on being advanced. He couldn’t remember the name of the city, but he did remember his Captain explaining how they had used pipes connected directly to the ocean to filter in new water everyday. Jacob’s favorite exhibit had, of course, been the octopuses. He’d had an active imagination and wanted to try talking to them. Despite his disappointment at not being able to do so, it was still one of his favorite memories.
Ren eventually called the lessons, ending by pointing out the fact that his tentacles hadn’t grown tired after nearly half an hour of hanging from the mast, something he called “greater stamina.” Jacob didn’t care much about his explanation, but was glad to know he could do something like that.
Crimson was busy in the ship’s small kitchen preparing some sort of meal with cubes of fish. Jacob was impressed with what she could do with her butcher knife. Georgiana was in her room. Well, as much of a room as they could all have. Crimson, being the largest, had taken the captain’s quarters, while Jacob and Georgiana had taken two small closet areas and turned them into bed spaces of sorts. They’d hung hammocks across the walls, and had hauled small lock boxes from the crew’s old living quarters to keep their few belongings safe. Jacob had wanted to keep the golden spearhead in his, but Crimson hadn’t trusted him with it. Georgiana kept her shell in hers.
Jacob entered his own room and flopped into his hammock. It wasn’t as comfy as his back on the Forsaken, but it was also just a hammock. Neither were exactly fluffy mattresses filled with duckling downy, but the difference made him miss his old ship all the same.
A knock sounded from the door, a mere five feet from his hammock.
“Aye, c’mon in.”
Georgiana peeked her head in and smiled sheepishly.
“Hey, can I talk to you?”
“Of course, always,” Jacob answered, sitting up and trying to awkwardly scoot over with little success. “Do you wanna go somewhere else to talk? There ain’t exactly much room in here.”
She nodded and left the doorway. Jacob got up and followed her abovedeck. The red shades, which Crimson kept referring to as her “Crimson Crew,” were still moving around, directing the ship without mistake or flaw. Jacob grabbed two benches and sidled them up next to each other so they could talk face-to-face.
“So… something on your mind?” Jacob asked awkwardly.
“Yes, I-” Georgiana’s face scrunched up, and her eyes moved past him. “Shut up, I’m telling him whether you like it or not!” She refocused. “Sorry, that wasn’t for you. It was… uh, I don’t know how to tell you this, but-”
“You’re hearing voices?” Jacob asked, getting slightly excited. “Well, a single voice, at least, right?”
Georgiana looked surprised. “Yeah, how’d you know? Do you have one, too?”
“Aye!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t wanna sound crazy so I’ve been keeping it to myself, but yeah, I’ve got a voice in my head. He calls himself Ren, but he’s actually just the Kraken.”
Kraken, Jacobson, Ren sighed. My name is Kraken. How many times must I repeat myself? You don’t call Moby Dick the Moby Dick, or Charybdis the Charybdis. It is my name.
“He’s complaining about me calling him the wrong name, but- what’s wrong?”
“You have… the Kraken in your head?” Georgiana squeaked.
Ren sighed.
“Aye, he speaks to me quite often actually. Why?”
“Does that mean I’ve been talking to…” Georgiana’s eyes unfocused again, then became hard. “You didn’t think to mention that before? How daft do you expect me to be, Pep?”
“Alright,” Jacob said after a second. “So… I’m assuming you have Apophis in your head?”
“Yes!” Georgiana yelled angrily, expression softening quickly. “Sorry, I’m not mad at you, Jakey. I’m simply baffled that Pep would have kept this from me for so long! Did she not think it pertinent to tell me the first time she spoke?”
“I mean, Ren didn’t tell me his real identity until well after my dream, so I guess it’s not just her… what?”
“You had a dream, too?” Georgiana whispered.
“Aye, I did. Did you?”
“Yes, and it was terrible. There was this fight, and a giant red snake was attacking a woman who had this huge golden headpiece, a mace, black makeup… does that sound familiar?”
“Not in the slightest,” Jacob said with a smile. “I would guess the snake was probably Apophis though, ‘cause my dream was a similar battle between Kraken and a man with a trident. Did you have… Weapons in your dream?”
“Hold on,” Georgiana interrupted, “Pep is talking.” She listened for a minute, staring off into the distance while Jacob waited awkwardly—something he felt he was doing a lot of recently—before she refocused on him. “Pep said to ask you- er, to ask Kraken if he was… ready to be sorry?”
Well, I guess that means she’s still mad at me, Ren said with a sigh. Tell her I apologize and will do whatever she wants to make it up to her, but that we are immortals and keeping a grudge like this is very unbecoming of us.
Jacob repeated the statement, causing Georgiana to giggle.
“Are we really acting as mouthpieces for two deities having an argument right now?” she snickered.
Jacob grinned. “I guess we are. That’s funny.”
Quiet, Jacobson. This is important.
“Anyways,” Georgiana said, pulling herself together, “Pep went silent. I don’t think she’s too happy with… what’d you call him? Ren?”
“Yeah, he told me to call him that before he actually told me who he was.” Jacob studied the shades for a moment, unnerving himself, then turned back to Georgiana. “Georgie, was there anything else in your dream?”
She looked confused for a moment, then made a weird expression.
“Yeah… at the end, there was a snake. I thought at first it was just the red one—Apophis—again, but now that I think about it, it wasn’t the same fiery-blood red as her. It was… smaller, too, and had yellow eyes, which Apophis didn’t have. Her eyes were more like the moon, and she was way bigger. Honestly, I thought she had been Jormungandr for a moment before it clicked who she really was.”
This one has some sense, Jacobson. Additionally, Jormungandr would have been even larger than Apophis. She is the World Serpent, afterall, and a true shapeshifter, even among the gods and monsters. She could do amazing things with that ability-
“Ookay, I think that’s enough of that, Ren,” Jacob said, ears burning. “That was far too much information for me. Never talk about that again.”
Georgiana giggled and blushed at his discomfort. Either she’d guessed what he’d been listening to, or Pep had told her.
“Well, I’m just glad I’m not alone in this,” Georgiana admitted, “especially since it’s kinda your fault I’m in this predicament in the first place.”
The words stung a little, but Georgiana smiled, no malice behind her jest.
“Aye… I’m still sorry about that, Georgie,” Jacob said. “I really was jus’ tryna help, and-”
“Hey, you’re alright, Jakey!” she interrupted. “I’m not actually mad, and honestly I’ve been having a bit of fun learning how to use my new gift. I mean, I wouldn’t have chosen this-” she gestured at the shades with a look of unease “-if I’d had an actual choice in my own gift, but it’s an interesting ability, nonetheless. I’ll be fine.”
Jacob smiled at her and nodded, but something behind her caught his eye. One of the shades looked like it was staring directly at him. He looked closer, and almost threw up again as he did so, once more thankful he hadn’t eaten yet.
“Jacob, are you okay?” Georgiana asked, her previously joyous tone filled with concern.
“Uh… aye, Georgie. I’m fine, just a little… seasick?”
“Seasick?” Georgiana raised a brow. “Liar. What’s really going on?”
Don’t push her away, Jacobson. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Ren actually sounded panicked.
“Ugh… yer’ right, Georgie. It’s that shade right there.” He pointed at the shade.
Jacob noticed it hadn’t been staring at him, but had merely been staring at the sea behind him. Jacob turned and looked at the water but didn’t see anything. He shrugged and turned back to Georgiana.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the one I killed… the first man I’ve ever killed. It didn’t feel right, and I didn’t even use my gift. I panicked and used a weapon, and that somehow feels even worse.”
Georgiana took his hands in hers and said, “Hey, you’re not a bad person for protecting me. That’s why you did it, right? He was about to attack me, so you killed him. You were protecting someone else, not killing out of spite or anger.”
“Aye, I know,” Jacob admitted, “but it still feels wrong to have done it. Like… like I’m a bad person for having done so.”
“I also killed people in that fight,” Georgiana said, eyes welling up a little despite her comforting words. “Do you also think I’m a bad person?”
“Rivers, no, of course not!” Jacob exclaimed. “No, you’re one of the best people I know.”
“Good,” Georgiana said. “At least you’re head is still on straight. I know I’m not a bad person, and I know you’re not a bad person, either, so don’t think anything more about it. You didn’t kill—you protected.”
Jacob nodded wordlessly. Georgiana had inched closer the longer she talked, making him uncomfortable and happy at the same time. He was blushing profusely, something Georgiana seemed to notice as she also blushed and backed away quickly, letting his hands go.
“I think I’m going to go see if Crimson needs any help in the kitchen. Have fun with… whatever it is you’re going to do.”
Jacob nodded. “I should probably also help. She said it’d be a good idea for us both to cook, right?”
Georgiana nodded and walked off silently. Jacob followed her closely, glad for the dimmer light of the kitchen as they entered. His glare resistance was only good for so much sunlight, and he’d been outside for a long time today. He got to work, trying to tune out everything else.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. They finished cooking, Jacob did a little more training to very little avail, and he helped around the ship. The rest of the day after that he spent up in the crow’s nest, keeping a lookout for anything on the horizon. Nothing appeared aside from a pod of whales, and soon he slid back down the mast and tried to go to sleep. As he was close to drifting off, listening to the sounds of distant thunder, Ren decided to offer some insightful wisdom.
You know she wanted you to kiss her, right?
“WHAT?”