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Post by spasticjazzhands on Apr 13, 2020 20:31:58 GMT -8
HE AHA KĒIA KEIKI? ('A'OLE E KA JOSH GROBAN) " WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (NOT BY JOSH GROBAN) " ( 015 ) TW: short post but setting up for some fun times
| Hawaiian Terms | | | English Meanings | | | Hawaiian Names | | | English Meanings | | | Scottish Terms | | | English Meanings | | lua wai moku hau'oli māhū pō 'enlelo ma'alahi 'aka'aka moe 'ino 'oe iā 'oe kā'oki 'ia mele loea kēnā kahu kauwa e hele i ka 'oki 'ala he aha ke ano o kēia? scum hele pela! pīhoihoi mawaena | water cave happy ship night vision siren language fuck damn you to hell dipshit song immortals siren guardian servant go to hell bitch what the hell is this? scum bug off! dumbass between | Kanikau Hilahila Ōpala Nani Huhū Paakiki Ikehu Huki Anaia Bale Olakino Wahi Nahesa Piha Gula Keleawe Koe Keiki Leoū Polū 'Aukā Kekolu Ōma'oma'o Kawa Ululā'au Lani Nalu | lament confusion garbage beaut nervous stubborn energy drawl merit barley health spot serpent parrot gold bronze remain child roan blue fleck third green bitter forest sky waves | mo stóirín | my darling |
Was it pathetic that Ikehu idled behind boulders and algae to eavesdrop on her ex-girlfriend chatting with Piha? Probably but Ikehu was too sad to care. While Koe was attractive and a mostly kind siren, there wasn’t anything terribly special about her. She might have been the most serious relationship Ikehu had ever had, but six months of surface-level dating was close to nothing. Ikehu had grown too attached and still managed to screw it up. She shut her eyes grateful that tears blended in easily under the water and focused on Koe’s soft words.
“I don’t know what sect of mele loea Paakiki was in…” Koe chuckled, “It must have been one of the more…traditional…ones. My sect split us into small pods based on common interests and ages, and the smaller numbers dissuaded big arguments. I was the youngest of my pod with Tristan being a year older than me. Mara, Cessaire, Brennan, and Deirdre were all a few years older that him. Even though I was younger, we got along perfectly. They always said I was mature for my age, but I think that was just a natural side effect of being turned. The closest we ever got to fighting was when Tristan was being a bit of an arse, but Mara was best at putting him back in his place. God, I miss them,” A soft patting could be heard and Ikehu assumed it was Piha doing his best at comforting her. “It’s bittersweet thinking of all the memories we made together. None of us ever remembered much of our above-world lives so we lived as normally as we could underwater. I’m glad I had the time I did with them, but it was snatched away too suddenly.” Her voice sharpened. “Piha, never forget what we truly are deep down inside. As much as we pretend we are only morally skewed, deep down, we are only monsters parading around in a half-human form.”
Let’s go to the Loch, Nessie brought Ikehu out of her daze, it’ll be nice to have some freshwater for a change.
Alright, Ikehut reluctantly agreed. She knew Nessie would take her there voluntary or not. I’ll be just as sad in Scotland.
Gula and Keleawe had gathered a small portion of sirens to witness the hatching. Kanikau didn’t attend; she was only concerned with the status and bragging rights of being claimed by a gold fire-lizard. Trevor had excitedly drug Olakino along; Olakino was hoping to score a favor and staring at eggs in the sand for a few minutes seemed like an easy way to earn it. Huhū enlisted Piha’s help to carry Keiki to the beach to break the monotony days of hanging out in the medical alcove. “What’s even going on?” Keiki crossed her arms and pouted. “I don’t wanna watch sand.”
“LOOK! THEY’RE HATCHING!” Trevor yanked on Olakino’s arm. There was no time to explain, the fire-lizards were emerging.
The first to peek their head out was a small blue snout. She was a much darker blue than Polū and much smaller. The sirens looked at each other, not knowing who she had chosen to bond with. When the blue finally found Keiki’s small head resting slightly under the water, she carefully perched and curled up in her hair. One down, five to go. The next fire-lizard to emerge was a dark mint color and immediately bothered Olakino. “That’s a mouthful of a name,” He muttered, “I’m not calling you Ōmaʻomaʻo.”
“Ooo!” Trevor whistled jealously, “You have a green one.”
“You can have him,” Olakino popped a hand out of the ocean and shooed the fire-lizard away. He had seen Keiki’s fire-lizard and assumed the medic would also like a new hat. “He’s already complaining about being hungry.”
A deep bronze one was the next to hatch and Huhū waved cheerfully at him. “Kekolu,” He greeted, “You look just like your father.”
“Lani,” Piha let the new sky-blue fire-lizard rest on his hand stump, “I have the perfect perch for you.”
The last two greens hatched at the same time; a sickly green and a pine green fire-lizard joined Ōmaʻomaʻo in diving in the shallows and nipping at Olakino. “FOR FUCK’S SAKE!” Olakino sank deeper where his new friends couldn’t bother him, at least physically.
“I can’t believe you have three and I have zero,” Trevor actually sounded pretty ticked off, “I’m upset.”
Anaia listened to Trevor rant about not bonding to a fire-lizard for the third time…well, she pretended to listen to the best of her ability. In reality, she was exhausted. She had been getting less than two hours of sleep a night, spending most of her time staring at the rocks surrounding her alcove. She couldn’t complain about not sleeping though, since sleep brings dreams, and dreams bring nightmares, and nightmares bring back the billowing clouds of blood and flesh.
“I heard you bonded with a fire-lizard today.” Keiki was surprised to see Kanikau joining her on the overhang. She was secretly glad it wasn’t Huhū since he would try to cheer her up and she wanted to feel upset at the moment. “I thought you’d want to sit up by the surface to enjoy the sun.”
“No,” Keiki said, “I like feeling sad and cold. I’m left out of everything anyway.”
“Me too,” Kanikau pulled her knees to her chin to rest her head on, “Trevor’s ideas of sunshine and rainbows making everything better is such bullshit.” Keiki giggled. She wasn’t used to hearing all of the swears the older sirens uttered. “It’s healthy to feel the entire range of emotions.”
“Are you sad all the time?” Keiki rarely saw Kanikau smile or laugh. “You don’t go to the surface either.”
“Bad things happen up there,” Kanikau played with one of her curls.
“What bad things?” Keiki argued, “I got hurt down here.”
“No one likes being a siren,” Kanikau explained, “And the above-world is where everything starts.”
“If bad things come from the above-world, why do we go near there? Wouldn’t it be better to stay deep in the ocean?”
“Yes,” Kanikau pondered, “I don’t think anyone would complain if sirens died out. No one is welcoming to sirens.”
“Did I come from the above-world?” Keiki asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what it was like?”
“Nothing at all,” The two sat silent for a while. “I had to find another pod to take care of me like you. I was very young when I was turned.”
“Did you find Trevor then?” Keiki asked.
“No, I only met Trevor maybe ten years ago.” That seemed like an eternity when she said it out loud. “I found a pod of merfolk called Sereia. They were more traditional merfolk and lived deeper underwater.”
“I thought Ikehu said we couldn’t go very far down.” Keiki said.
“We can’t,” Kanikau’s voice grew bitter, “They could though. They were born from fish and could handle the depths and darkness. While they cared for me, there was always a clear barrier between me and them. And they made that barrier impenetrable.”
“I’m sorry,” Keiki couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Why are you sorry?” Kanikau snapped.
“I…don’t know,” Keiki wished for Huhū’s comforting voice instead now.
“Then don’t say it.” Kanikau left leaving the little paralyzed siren all alone. Keiki debated on whether their talk had made her feel better or not. She still wasn’t sure.
Piha stayed near the fire-lizards sand dune as he spent time with Lani. To be honest, he was just a smidge tired of hearing about all of Koe’s old friends. He was glad she had such a great life before Abyssi, but he remembered virtually nothing before being turned by Huki (barf) and his stay here wasn’t peachy either. Thankfully, his stomach had settled by now, but he was very reluctant to return to patrolling. As Lani attacked a large tree leaf that looked at her wrong, Piha screwed up his eyes and tried his very best to remember anything at all from the above-world. Even his body seemed to scrunch up with effort until he realized that his body was becoming smaller. Wishing that he had returned to camp with the rest of the sirens, he thrashed in fear as he finished transforming into an African gray parrot and started to drown. Lani noticed splashing and left her leaf behind calling Nalu and Kawa to help her lift the panicked bird onto the sand. “Thanks,” He squawked and did his best to cough up all the water that had travelled into his lungs. He laid on the beach to dry out until he eventually faded back into his siren form. This new trick could become useful if he learned how to control it again. At the time being, he was terrified shifting into a parrot deeper in the ocean since that was surely a death sentence.
Huhū retrieved Keiki at dusk and carried her back to her alcove. “Do you want me to stay in here with you? Sit with you until you fall asleep?” He ran a hand through her hair; Gina used to love that. He subconsciously grasped the pouch of teeth around his neck with his free hand.
“I’m fine,” Keiki rolled and pushed him away, “You don’t have to worry about me.”
That caused him to worry even more but Huhū listened to her request and left. Instead of returning to his nest, he snuck out of camp and towards the cresting waves. The water was becoming restless possibly hinting at an upcoming storm for the night. Huhū watched the moon rise underneath the churning sea though one section seemed more disturbed than what would be considered normal. He thought his tired eyes were playing tricks on him, signaling that his brain needed rest, but a flash of pale flesh turned his attention away from dreams. It seemed a child had paddled out to look at the colorful coral and had strayed into a current. Huhū quickly scooped up the child, she couldn’t have been older than three, ignored the screams of fear, and swam closer to the shore. But…even the above-world would be unsafe during a storm for a child so young. And the sea wouldn’t be safe unless…and Keiki had to be terribly lonely…and…and…and the child’s neck looked rather soft and tempting…
“I can breathe underwater!” A weak protest came too late. Huhū brought back a new friend for Keiki.
The morning came just like any other day, though with a new addition to the pod. That still didn’t stop the fact that the sirens were now outnumbered by animals which worried Kanikau. With so much bloodshed and general wild activity the sirens naturally created, the hunting patrol was having to stray further and further away from main Abyssi territory. Soon, it would start affecting their rations. A new problem was on the horizon and for once it wasn’t another siren.
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Post by spasticjazzhands on May 11, 2020 9:38:41 GMT -8
'O KA PAPA WAI O KE KAUKA " THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA " ( 016 ) TW: some lore, also sadness
| Hawaiian Terms | | | English Meanings | | | Hawaiian Names | | | English Meanings | | | Scottish Terms | | | English Meanings | | Carmina Abyssi Anima Rapientem lua wai moku hau'oli māhū pō 'enlelo ma'alahi 'aka'aka moe 'ino 'oe iā 'oe kā'oki 'ia mele loea kēnā kahu kauwa e hele i ka 'oki 'ala he aha ke ano o kēia? scum hele pela! pīhoihoi mawaena | songs of the deep soul snatchers water cave happy ship night vision siren language fuck damn you to hell dipshit song immortals siren guardian servant go to hell bitch what the hell is this? scum bug off! dumbass between | Kanikau Hilahila Ōpala Nani Huhū Paakiki Ikehu Huki Anaia Bale Olakino Wahi Nahesa Piha Gula Keleawe Koe Keiki Leoū Polū 'Aukā Kekolu Ōma'oma'o Kawa Ululā'au Lani Nalu Mahalo | lament confusion garbage beaut nervous stubborn energy drawl merit barley health spot serpent parrot gold bronze remain child roan blue fleck third green bitter forest sky waves acceptance | mo stóirín | my darling |
Anaia kept her eyes fixed on the flying shadow that occasionally dipped into the water in front of her. Keleawe was on the hunt but for what, he wasn’t telling. It’s a surprise, he insisted as he sensed her doubt, okay, okay, look between those two rocks. Keleawe hovered above the waves as Anaia dove deeper down. There was an old rusted fishing boat that had been capsized with a rusted iron sword peeking out from under it. The writing that was painted on one of the sides read “Adventures of the Speckled Boat”, but the handwriting was shaky and childlike. Anaia ran her hand over the words and some of the paint flaked off. A fishing pole could be seen peeking out from the side, but she focused on the sword. That was what Keleawe brought her here for anyway. The sword itself wasn’t fancy, it was a standard sword, perhaps slightly lighter than the usual ones meaning it was forged for a female. I don’t have any use for a sword, Anaia said. It’d be better than a rock, Keleawe argued, less traumatic. Anaia shivered, I don’t want to think about that. She wiggled the sword out of the rocks and held it in front of her. It wasn’t unlike her old fencing foils and was studier than her wooden spears. See? Keleawe said, it’s perfect.
The waters grew colder as Koe and Piha swam eastward. The autumn waters grew colder the further they got from home and the two looked at each other with unease. Did they really want to risk their lives for the Abyssi? Piha rubbed his arms and Koe hugged her shawl closer to her chest but they continued. They were on the very outskirts of known Abyssi territory on orders straight from Kanikau herself. There was a decrease of new sirens and animals, along with food, which required longer trips. However, this stretch of ocean was chillingly empty with nothing but the open waters all around them. “You know which way camp is, right?” Piha scratched his head nervously. Koe turned and thought she saw distant rocks. “That way,” But she didn’t sound terribly confident. Luckily, she didn’t need to be confident as all hell broke loose as the two found an unforgiving current and were swept down to the depths below. Koe wasn’t sure when she lost consciousness for sure as the next few moments were filled with darkness and pain.
Anaia discovered Mahalo the same way she discovered Olakino: by pointing a sharpened object his way. “Sorry,” Anaia quickly said as she drew back the blade. “I wasn’t paying attention.” “I’m glad you weren’t paying attention while swinging a sword around,” The mohawked siren said. “I’m a warrior so I can handle it,” Anaia responded grumpily. She wished Huki was here to hurl back a snarky remark, but she could only blame herself for his disappearance. “I feel so secure,” The siren sarcastically said. “You wouldn’t happen to have any smokes, would you?” “Can you even smoke under water?” Anaia rolled her eyes. “I don’t think fire and water work that way.” “You can if you try hard enough,” The siren smirked. “If you know enough, you won’t have any problem. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Maybe he can breathe fire, Keleawe suggested.
“Thank goodness I’ve saved this little bottle for a time like this,” Olakino shook a small vial that contained a powerful antibiotic. “Koe will be much better off with this.” “What is that?” Kanikau asked. “Antibiotics,” Olakino explained, “Could cure about anything.” “Anything?” Kanikau tapped her chin a few times. “Are we sure we should waste it on this then?” “Waste?” Trevor cut in. “I’m no doctor but even I can tell her face is a disaster. I can’t think of a better use for a cure-all medication.” “I cannot guarantee her safety without it,” Olakino set it down, “though keep talking. I will stabilize her the best I can and see what truly will be necessary.” “The sooner the better, right?” Trevor paused seeing Kanikau’s unbothered face. “Right?” “In theory,” Olakino looked to Kanikau while fussing with gauzes and cloth being dabbed and wrapped around the cuts. “We never know when Sereia will strike,” Kanikau twisted one of her curls around a finger, “War is inevitable. Who can tell what it will bring?” “I don’t feel that’s a valid enough reason.” Trevor said. “There’s always going to be a worst-case scenario.” “Better to be prepared,” Kanikau shrugged. “It’s up to you Olakino, but I trust you’ll make the correct decision. And what does Koe do around here anyway? You just finished fixing up her cuts from the last round of patrols. Is she really that worthy of such a high-level treatment?” Kanikau drifted out of the medical alcove leaving her words hanging in midair. “I have her all cleaned up,” Olakino said to Trevor who was staring daggers at Kanikau’s disappearing form, “If I use basic medical herbs and keep infections under control, it would be possible to save the vial.” “Is it necessary for her to suffer longer for the same result?” Trevor frowned. “Kanikau is captain around here,” Olakino hissed, “and she brings up valid points.” “Is that who you’re going to listen to now?” Trevor snapped. “Some egotistical ‘ala with a feud with Koe over your boyfriend? What about the Hippocratic oath?” “While I took that oath, I’ve never had the opportunity to practice under it,” Olakino argued, “I don’t owe anyone anything down here and keeping this medicine saved or a possible upcoming war seems to be the smartest thing to do. Koe won’t die without it…probably.” “Probably?” “The possible infection might flare up worse than originally thought, but I’ve done precautionary measures. It won’t spread to her brain,” Olakino assured. “It might leave her scarred.” “I can’t believe you’d let that happen,” Trevor scoffed, “You’re a doctor.” “A medic,” Olakino corrected, “I lost my chance at being a doctor. I’m nothing official down here. I just have more medical knowledge than the rest of you guys.” “You better stay in your medic’s alcove tonight with your new patient.” Trevor crossed his arms. “And don’t expect for a minute that I’ll join you.”
“What’s that?” Keiki pointed excitedly to Anaia’s new toy. Tiana sat behind her with widened eyes as the sword came clearly into view. “We can play pirates!” “It’s not a plaything,” Anaia scolded, “Any weapons are not to be messed with; they’re not toys. Right Huhū?” She wrangled the nearby siren into the conversation. Huhū kept his eyes on the sword. “Where did you find that?” His voice was hoarse. “Keleawe led me to a small boat wreck,” Anaia explained, “The boat was in rough conditioned and looked very old. That’s why this is so rusted, but I’m going to try and clean it.” “Where was the boat?” “Oh,” Anaia gestured wildly, “off to the west. It was pretty far.” Anaia swiped the sword with a finger. The rust was pretty stuck on. “Oh!” She grinned as she remembered the name of the boat. “It said ‘Adventures of the Speckled Boat’, though that was really faded.” “She really loved that story,” Huhū said so quietly Anaia almost missed it. “Did you know the…boat?” “She named it after her favorite Sherlock Holmes story,” Huhū ignored her only reminiscing out loud. “We saved up two summers worth of allowance.” “Who is ‘she?’” “And the sword was our pretend harpoon,” His eyes were misty, “It was our first ocean fishing outing.” “Did you get turned around here?” Huhū clutched his pouch of teeth. “I’ll have to take Gina to see our boat sometime if you would care to show me the wreck.” A faint smile flickered on his face before disappearing once again, “She’ll be glad it’s not lost forever.”
Mahalo wasn’t used to being around young people, especially children. Above-world he connected with older people easier and was the youngest in his family, so school was the only time for him to socialize with other children his age. His mother used to call him an “old soul” but now there was a small green child following him around camp. He was starting to get irked as he didn’t appreciate a new shadow and just wanted to get acquainted with camp quickly and alone. “I like your hair,” The child piped up. “Thanks,” Mahalo said in monotone. He was going to compliment something of the child’s but couldn’t find the energy to do so. “Can you cut my hair like that?” “No.” “Why not?” “Go away and bother someone else.”
“She’s regaining consciousness,” A male voice sounded warbly in Koe’s groggy mind. She tried opening her eyes but was apparently having difficulty. Did she somehow forget while fighting off infection? Was that possible? Supposedly, you could never forget how to ride a bike, opening and closing your own eyelids surely fell under the same reflex, right? “Koe, you alright?” Koe’s fingers brushed against her face searching for a blindfold of sorts keeping her in the dark. There was only a cloth bandage of sorts on the raw stretches of skin. “Can you help me open my eyes?” Her voice was hoarse and quiet from being unused. “They’re open,” Olakino’s smooth fingers were immediately on her face pulling and looking at her eyes. This is when Koe realized that the burry vague shapes in front of her weren’t from light coming through her eyelids; it was what she was able to see now. “You really can’t see anything?” “I can see blobs of movements,” Koe whispered. How unfair, she thought angrily, I get a bit scratched up on a patrol and I’m blind? “…blobs are a good start.” Olakino said weakly. “Barely any blobs.” Koe felt a tear slip out. “Barely anything at all.”
A small child’s hand startled Koe out of her dozing state. “Are you pair-E-lazied like Keiki?” Tiana stumbled over the word ‘paralyzed’ but Koe got the just. “No,” Koe didn’t feel like explaining the difference between major injuries to this random child. “I can’t see. Keiki can’t swim.” “Huhū said he was starting to build something to help Keiki swim. Maybe he can build something to help you see too.” Tiana suggested. “That’s stupid,” Koe turned away from the annoying child, “Don’t bother him with your ideas.” That seemed to do it, Koe thought happily. Tiana left her alcove crying, so Koe could have some peace.
“Can you tell me more about Sereia?” Keiki had finished testing with Kanikau for the day. She learned leadership or whatever Kanikau classified as leadership. “I’d like to know more about this Sereia as well,” Trevor had joined the two in the alcove. He had a pissed off expression. “I doubt anything Sereia did was harsh enough to permanently damage Koe.” “It’s not what they did do,” Kanikau crossly said, “It’s what they didn’t. They raised me mostly as their own and kicked me out to start my own pod filled with sirens. They were amendment that I find others like me. But when I started having territorial issues with another larger siren pod, they refused to help and just watched as we were completely wiped out. Then to rub salt in the wound, Mateus moved into moku hau’oli. My old home.” “So Koe got caught in between the spat of you and the…” “Anima Rapientem,” Kanikau frowned, “though I wouldn’t put it past some of the Sereia to take out a couple sirens from the sidelines.” “Anima Rapientem?” Keiki was much better at sounding words out. “The Soul Snatchers,” Kanikau translated, “You think I’m ruthless,” She looked pointedly at Trevor, “Just you wait.”
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Post by spasticjazzhands on May 11, 2020 9:39:28 GMT -8
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Adventure Eight: The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle listen here On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which presented more singular features than that which was associated with the well-known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran. The events in question occurred in the early days of my association with Holmes, when we were sharing rooms as bachelors in Baker Street. It is possible that I might have placed them upon record before, but a promise of secrecy was made at the time, from which I have only been freed during the last month by the untimely death of the lady to whom the pledge was given. It is perhaps as well that the facts should now come to light, for I have reasons to know that there are widespread rumours as to the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even more terrible than the truth.
It was early in April in the year ‘83 that I woke one morning to find Sherlock Holmes standing, fully dressed, by the side of my bed. He was a late riser, as a rule, and as the clock on the mantelpiece showed me that it was only a quarter-past seven, I blinked up at him in some surprise, and perhaps just a little resentment, for I was myself regular in my habits.
“Very sorry to knock you up, Watson,” said he, “but it’s the common lot this morning. Mrs. Hudson has been knocked up, she retorted upon me, and I on you.”
“What is it, then—a fire?”
“No; a client. It seems that a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement, who insists upon seeing me. She is waiting now in the sitting-room. Now, when young ladies wander about the metropolis at this hour of the morning, and knock sleepy people up out of their beds, I presume that it is something very pressing which they have to communicate. Should it prove to be an interesting case, you would, I am sure, wish to follow it from the outset. I thought, at any rate, that I should call you and give you the chance.”
“My dear fellow, I would not miss it for anything.”
I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations, and in admiring the rapid deductions, as swift as intuitions, and yet always founded on a logical basis with which he unravelled the problems which were submitted to him. I rapidly threw on my clothes and was ready in a few minutes to accompany my friend down to the sitting-room. A lady dressed in black and heavily veiled, who had been sitting in the window, rose as we entered.
“Good-morning, madam,” said Holmes cheerily. “My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my intimate friend and associate, Dr. Watson, before whom you can speak as freely as before myself. Ha! I am glad to see that Mrs. Hudson has had the good sense to light the fire. Pray draw up to it, and I shall order you a cup of hot coffee, for I observe that you are shivering.”
“It is not cold which makes me shiver,” said the woman in a low voice, changing her seat as requested.
“What, then?”
“It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror.” She raised her veil as she spoke, and we could see that she was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal. Her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature grey, and her expression was weary and haggard. Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive glances.
“You must not fear,” said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. “We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt. You have come in by train this morning, I see.”
“You know me, then?”
“No, but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station.”
The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment at my companion.
“There is no mystery, my dear madam,” said he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver.”
“Whatever your reasons may be, you are perfectly correct,” said she. “I started from home before six, reached Leatherhead at twenty past, and came in by the first train to Waterloo. Sir, I can stand this strain no longer; I shall go mad if it continues. I have no one to turn to—none, save only one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be of little aid. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you helped in the hour of her sore need. It was from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think that you could help me, too, and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness which surrounds me? At present it is out of my power to reward you for your services, but in a month or six weeks I shall be married, with the control of my own income, and then at least you shall not find me ungrateful.”
Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, drew out a small case-book, which he consulted.
“Farintosh,” said he. “Ah yes, I recall the case; it was concerned with an opal tiara. I think it was before your time, Watson. I can only say, madam, that I shall be happy to devote the same care to your case as I did to that of your friend. As to reward, my profession is its own reward; but you are at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be put to, at the time which suits you best. And now I beg that you will lay before us everything that may help us in forming an opinion upon the matter.”
“Alas!” replied our visitor, “the very horror of my situation lies in the fact that my fears are so vague, and my suspicions depend so entirely upon small points, which might seem trivial to another, that even he to whom of all others I have a right to look for help and advice looks upon all that I tell him about it as the fancies of a nervous woman. He does not say so, but I can read it from his soothing answers and averted eyes. But I have heard, Mr. Holmes, that you can see deeply into the manifold wickedness of the human heart. You may advise me how to walk amid the dangers which encompass me.”
“I am all attention, madam.”
“My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with my stepfather, who is the last survivor of one of the oldest Saxon families in England, the Roylotts of Stoke Moran, on the western border of Surrey.”
Holmes nodded his head. “The name is familiar to me,” said he.
“The family was at one time among the richest in England, and the estates extended over the borders into Berkshire in the north, and Hampshire in the west. In the last century, however, four successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition, and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the days of the Regency. Nothing was left save a few acres of ground, and the two-hundred-year-old house, which is itself crushed under a heavy mortgage. The last squire dragged out his existence there, living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper; but his only son, my stepfather, seeing that he must adapt himself to the new conditions, obtained an advance from a relative, which enabled him to take a medical degree and went out to Calcutta, where, by his professional skill and his force of character, he established a large practice. In a fit of anger, however, caused by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house, he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence. As it was, he suffered a long term of imprisonment and afterwards returned to England a morose and disappointed man.
“When Dr. Roylott was in India he married my mother, Mrs. Stoner, the young widow of Major-General Stoner, of the Bengal Artillery. My sister Julia and I were twins, and we were only two years old at the time of my mother’s re-marriage. She had a considerable sum of money—not less than 1000 pounds a year—and this she bequeathed to Dr. Roylott entirely while we resided with him, with a provision that a certain annual sum should be allowed to each of us in the event of our marriage. Shortly after our return to England my mother died—she was killed eight years ago in a railway accident near Crewe. Dr. Roylott then abandoned his attempts to establish himself in practice in London and took us to live with him in the old ancestral house at Stoke Moran. The money which my mother had left was enough for all our wants, and there seemed to be no obstacle to our happiness.
“But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time. Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our neighbours, who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of Stoke Moran back in the old family seat, he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path. Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather’s case it had, I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics. A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court, until at last he became the terror of the village, and the folks would fly at his approach, for he is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger.
“Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream, and it was only by paying over all the money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure. He had no friends at all save the wandering gipsies, and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate, and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end. He has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent, and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon, which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the villagers almost as much as their master.
“You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I had no great pleasure in our lives. No servant would stay with us, and for a long time we did all the work of the house. She was but thirty at the time of her death, and yet her hair had already begun to whiten, even as mine has.”
“Your sister is dead, then?”
“She died just two years ago, and it is of her death that I wish to speak to you. You can understand that, living the life which I have described, we were little likely to see anyone of our own age and position. We had, however, an aunt, my mother’s maiden sister, Miss Honoria Westphail, who lives near Harrow, and we were occasionally allowed to pay short visits at this lady’s house. Julia went there at Christmas two years ago, and met there a half-pay major of marines, to whom she became engaged. My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and offered no objection to the marriage; but within a fortnight of the day which had been fixed for the wedding, the terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only companion.”
Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and his head sunk in a cushion, but he half opened his lids now and glanced across at his visitor.
“Pray be precise as to details,” said he.
“It is easy for me to be so, for every event of that dreadful time is seared into my memory. The manor-house is, as I have already said, very old, and only one wing is now inhabited. The bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor, the sitting-rooms being in the central block of the buildings. Of these bedrooms the first is Dr. Roylott’s, the second my sister’s, and the third my own. There is no communication between them, but they all open out into the same corridor. Do I make myself plain?”
“Perfectly so.”
“The windows of the three rooms open out upon the lawn. That fatal night Dr. Roylott had gone to his room early, though we knew that he had not retired to rest, for my sister was troubled by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which it was his custom to smoke. She left her room, therefore, and came into mine, where she sat for some time, chatting about her approaching wedding. At eleven o’clock she rose to leave me, but she paused at the door and looked back.
“‘Tell me, Helen,’ said she, ‘have you ever heard anyone whistle in the dead of the night?’
“‘Never,’ said I.
“‘I suppose that you could not possibly whistle, yourself, in your sleep?’
“‘Certainly not. But why?’
“‘Because during the last few nights I have always, about three in the morning, heard a low, clear whistle. I am a light sleeper, and it has awakened me. I cannot tell where it came from—perhaps from the next room, perhaps from the lawn. I thought that I would just ask you whether you had heard it.’
“‘No, I have not. It must be those wretched gipsies in the plantation.’
“‘Very likely. And yet if it were on the lawn, I wonder that you did not hear it also.’
“‘Ah, but I sleep more heavily than you.’
“‘Well, it is of no great consequence, at any rate.’ She smiled back at me, closed my door, and a few moments later I heard her key turn in the lock.”
“Indeed,” said Holmes. “Was it your custom always to lock yourselves in at night?”
“Always.”
“And why?”
“I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetah and a baboon. We had no feeling of security unless our doors were locked.”
“Quite so. Pray proceed with your statement.”
“I could not sleep that night. A vague feeling of impending misfortune impressed me. My sister and I, you will recollect, were twins, and you know how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied. It was a wild night. The wind was howling outside, and the rain was beating and splashing against the windows. Suddenly, amid all the hubbub of the gale, there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman. I knew that it was my sister’s voice. I sprang from my bed, wrapped a shawl round me, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door I seemed to hear a low whistle, such as my sister described, and a few moments later a clanging sound, as if a mass of metal had fallen. As I ran down the passage, my sister’s door was unlocked, and revolved slowly upon its hinges. I stared at it horror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue from it. By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping for help, her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of a drunkard. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at that moment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to the ground. She writhed as one who is in terrible pain, and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed. At first I thought that she had not recognised me, but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out in a voice which I shall never forget, ‘Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ There was something else which she would fain have said, and she stabbed with her finger into the air in the direction of the doctor’s room, but a fresh convulsion seized her and choked her words. I rushed out, calling loudly for my stepfather, and I met him hastening from his room in his dressing-gown. When he reached my sister’s side she was unconscious, and though he poured brandy down her throat and sent for medical aid from the village, all efforts were in vain, for she slowly sank and died without having recovered her consciousness. Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister.”
“One moment,” said Holmes, “are you sure about this whistle and metallic sound? Could you swear to it?”
“That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry. It is my strong impression that I heard it, and yet, among the crash of the gale and the creaking of an old house, I may possibly have been deceived.”
“Was your sister dressed?”
“No, she was in her night-dress. In her right hand was found the charred stump of a match, and in her left a match-box.”
“Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her when the alarm took place. That is important. And what conclusions did the coroner come to?”
“He investigated the case with great care, for Dr. Roylott’s conduct had long been notorious in the county, but he was unable to find any satisfactory cause of death. My evidence showed that the door had been fastened upon the inner side, and the windows were blocked by old-fashioned shutters with broad iron bars, which were secured every night. The walls were carefully sounded, and were shown to be quite solid all round, and the flooring was also thoroughly examined, with the same result. The chimney is wide, but is barred up by four large staples. It is certain, therefore, that my sister was quite alone when she met her end. Besides, there were no marks of any violence upon her.”
“How about poison?”
“The doctors examined her for it, but without success.”
“What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of, then?”
“It is my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock, though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine.”
“Were there gipsies in the plantation at the time?”
“Yes, there are nearly always some there.”
“Ah, and what did you gather from this allusion to a band—a speckled band?”
“Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of delirium, sometimes that it may have referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation. I do not know whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which she used.”
Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied.
“These are very deep waters,” said he; “pray go on with your narrative.”
“Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to ask my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage—Percy Armitage—the second son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. My stepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and we are to be married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairs were started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror when last night, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which had been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room. I was too shaken to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I slipped down, got a dog-cart at the Crown Inn, which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come on this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your advice.”
“You have done wisely,” said my friend. “But have you told me all?”
“Yes, all.”
“Miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather.”
“Why, what do you mean?”
For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace which fringed the hand that lay upon our visitor’s knee. Five little livid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printed upon the white wrist.
“You have been cruelly used,” said Holmes.
The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist. “He is a hard man,” she said, “and perhaps he hardly knows his own strength.”
There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire.
“This is a very deep business,” he said at last. “There are a thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide upon our course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose. If we were to come to Stoke Moran to-day, would it be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?”
“As it happens, he spoke of coming into town to-day upon some most important business. It is probable that he will be away all day, and that there would be nothing to disturb you. We have a housekeeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily get her out of the way.”
“Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?”
“By no means.”
“Then we shall both come. What are you going to do yourself?”
“I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am in town. But I shall return by the twelve o’clock train, so as to be there in time for your coming.”
“And you may expect us early in the afternoon. I have myself some small business matters to attend to. Will you not wait and breakfast?”
“No, I must go. My heart is lightened already since I have confided my trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing you again this afternoon.” She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room.
“And what do you think of it all, Watson?” asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair.
“It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business.”
“Dark enough and sinister enough.”
“Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound, and that the door, window, and chimney are impassable, then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end.”
“What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the very peculiar words of the dying woman?”
“I cannot think.”
“When you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the presence of a band of gipsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor, the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has an interest in preventing his stepdaughter’s marriage, the dying allusion to a band, and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard a metallic clang, which might have been caused by one of those metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into its place, I think that there is good ground to think that the mystery may be cleared along those lines.”
“But what, then, did the gipsies do?”
“I cannot imagine.”
“I see many objections to any such theory.”
“And so do I. It is precisely for that reason that we are going to Stoke Moran this day. I want to see whether the objections are fatal, or if they may be explained away. But what in the name of the devil!”
The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open, and that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture. His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the agricultural, having a black top-hat, a long frock-coat, and a pair of high gaiters, with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway, and his breadth seemed to span it across from side to side. A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, and marked with every evil passion, was turned from one to the other of us, while his deep-set, bile-shot eyes, and his high, thin, fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey.
“Which of you is Holmes?” asked this apparition.
“My name, sir; but you have the advantage of me,” said my companion quietly.
“I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran.”
“Indeed, Doctor,” said Holmes blandly. “Pray take a seat.”
“I will do nothing of the kind. My stepdaughter has been here. I have traced her. What has she been saying to you?”
“It is a little cold for the time of the year,” said Holmes.
“What has she been saying to you?” screamed the old man furiously.
“But I have heard that the crocuses promise well,” continued my companion imperturbably.
“Ha! You put me off, do you?” said our new visitor, taking a step forward and shaking his hunting-crop. “I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler.”
My friend smiled.
“Holmes, the busybody!”
His smile broadened.
“Holmes, the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!”
Holmes chuckled heartily. “Your conversation is most entertaining,” said he. “When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draught.”
“I will go when I have said my say. Don’t you dare to meddle with my affairs. I know that Miss Stoner has been here. I traced her! I am a dangerous man to fall foul of! See here.” He stepped swiftly forward, seized the poker, and bent it into a curve with his huge brown hands.
“See that you keep yourself out of my grip,” he snarled, and hurling the twisted poker into the fireplace he strode out of the room.
“He seems a very amiable person,” said Holmes, laughing. “I am not quite so bulky, but if he had remained I might have shown him that my grip was not much more feeble than his own.” As he spoke he picked up the steel poker and, with a sudden effort, straightened it out again.
“Fancy his having the insolence to confound me with the official detective force! This incident gives zest to our investigation, however, and I only trust that our little friend will not suffer from her imprudence in allowing this brute to trace her. And now, Watson, we shall order breakfast, and afterwards I shall walk down to Doctors’ Commons, where I hope to get some data which may help us in this matter.”
It was nearly one o’clock when Sherlock Holmes returned from his excursion. He held in his hand a sheet of blue paper, scrawled over with notes and figures.
“I have seen the will of the deceased wife,” said he. “To determine its exact meaning I have been obliged to work out the present prices of the investments with which it is concerned. The total income, which at the time of the wife’s death was little short of 1100 pounds, is now, through the fall in agricultural prices, not more than 750 pounds. Each daughter can claim an income of 250 pounds, in case of marriage. It is evident, therefore, that if both girls had married, this beauty would have had a mere pittance, while even one of them would cripple him to a very serious extent. My morning’s work has not been wasted, since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for standing in the way of anything of the sort. And now, Watson, this is too serious for dawdling, especially as the old man is aware that we are interesting ourselves in his affairs; so if you are ready, we shall call a cab and drive to Waterloo. I should be very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your pocket. An Eley’s No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel pokers into knots. That and a tooth-brush are, I think, all that we need.” holmes and watson looking at the ground
At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching a train for Leatherhead, where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes. It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens. The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me at least there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged. My companion sat in the front of the trap, his arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest thought. Suddenly, however, he started, tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed over the meadows.
“Look there!” said he.
A heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope, thickening into a grove at the highest point. From amid the branches there jutted out the grey gables and high roof-tree of a very old mansion.
“Stoke Moran?” said he.
“Yes, sir, that be the house of Dr. Grimesby Roylott,” remarked the driver.
“There is some building going on there,” said Holmes; “that is where we are going.”
“There’s the village,” said the driver, pointing to a cluster of roofs some distance to the left; “but if you want to get to the house, you’ll find it shorter to get over this stile, and so by the foot-path over the fields. There it is, where the lady is walking.”
“And the lady, I fancy, is Miss Stoner,” observed Holmes, shading his eyes. “Yes, I think we had better do as you suggest.”
We got off, paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on its way to Leatherhead.
“I thought it as well,” said Holmes as we climbed the stile, “that this fellow should think we had come here as architects, or on some definite business. It may stop his gossip. Good-afternoon, Miss Stoner. You see that we have been as good as our word.”
Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a face which spoke her joy. “I have been waiting so eagerly for you,” she cried, shaking hands with us warmly. “All has turned out splendidly. Dr. Roylott has gone to town, and it is unlikely that he will be back before evening.”
“We have had the pleasure of making the doctor’s acquaintance,” said Holmes, and in a few words he sketched out what had occurred. Miss Stoner turned white to the lips as she listened.
“Good heavens!” she cried, “he has followed me, then.”
“So it appears.”
“He is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him. What will he say when he returns?”
“He must guard himself, for he may find that there is someone more cunning than himself upon his track. You must lock yourself up from him to-night. If he is violent, we shall take you away to your aunt’s at Harrow. Now, we must make the best use of our time, so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to examine.”
The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin. The central portion was in little better repair, but the right-hand block was comparatively modern, and the blinds in the windows, with the blue smoke curling up from the chimneys, showed that this was where the family resided. Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall, and the stone-work had been broken into, but there were no signs of any workmen at the moment of our visit. Holmes walked slowly up and down the ill-trimmed lawn and examined with deep attention the outsides of the windows.
“This, I take it, belongs to the room in which you used to sleep, the centre one to your sister’s, and the one next to the main building to Dr. Roylott’s chamber?”
“Exactly so. But I am now sleeping in the middle one.”
“Pending the alterations, as I understand. By the way, there does not seem to be any very pressing need for repairs at that end wall.”
“There were none. I believe that it was an excuse to move me from my room.”
“Ah! That is suggestive. Now, on the other side of this narrow wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open. There are windows in it, of course?”
“Yes, but very small ones. Too narrow for anyone to pass through.”
“As you both locked your doors at night, your rooms were unapproachable from that side. Now, would you have the kindness to go into your room and bar your shutters?”
Miss Stoner did so, and Holmes, after a careful examination through the open window, endeavoured in every way to force the shutter open, but without success. There was no slit through which a knife could be passed to raise the bar. Then with his lens he tested the hinges, but they were of solid iron, built firmly into the massive masonry. “Hum!” said he, scratching his chin in some perplexity, “my theory certainly presents some difficulties. No one could pass these shutters if they were bolted. Well, we shall see if the inside throws any light upon the matter.”
A small side door led into the whitewashed corridor from which the three bedrooms opened. Holmes refused to examine the third chamber, so we passed at once to the second, that in which Miss Stoner was now sleeping, and in which her sister had met with her fate. It was a homely little room, with a low ceiling and a gaping fireplace, after the fashion of old country-houses. A brown chest of drawers stood in one corner, a narrow white-counterpaned bed in another, and a dressing-table on the left-hand side of the window. These articles, with two small wicker-work chairs, made up all the furniture in the room save for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre. The boards round and the panelling of the walls were of brown, worm-eaten oak, so old and discoloured that it may have dated from the original building of the house. Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat silent, while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down, taking in every detail of the apartment.
“Where does that bell communicate with?” he asked at last pointing to a thick bell-rope which hung down beside the bed, the tassel actually lying upon the pillow.
“It goes to the housekeeper’s room.”
“It looks newer than the other things?”
“Yes, it was only put there a couple of years ago.”
“Your sister asked for it, I suppose?”
“No, I never heard of her using it. We used always to get what we wanted for ourselves.”
“Indeed, it seemed unnecessary to put so nice a bell-pull there. You will excuse me for a few minutes while I satisfy myself as to this floor.” He threw himself down upon his face with his lens in his hand and crawled swiftly backward and forward, examining minutely the cracks between the boards. Then he did the same with the wood-work with which the chamber was panelled. Finally he walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it and in running his eye up and down the wall. Finally he took the bell-rope in his hand and gave it a brisk tug.
“Why, it’s a dummy,” said he.
“Won’t it ring?”
“No, it is not even attached to a wire. This is very interesting. You can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where the little opening for the ventilator is.”
“How very absurd! I never noticed that before.”
“Very strange!” muttered Holmes, pulling at the rope. “There are one or two very singular points about this room. For example, what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another room, when, with the same trouble, he might have communicated with the outside air!”
“That is also quite modern,” said the lady.
“Done about the same time as the bell-rope?” remarked Holmes.
“Yes, there were several little changes carried out about that time.”
“They seem to have been of a most interesting character—dummy bell-ropes, and ventilators which do not ventilate. With your permission, Miss Stoner, we shall now carry our researches into the inner apartment.”
Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s chamber was larger than that of his step-daughter, but was as plainly furnished. A camp-bed, a small wooden shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an armchair beside the bed, a plain wooden chair against the wall, a round table, and a large iron safe were the principal things which met the eye. Holmes walked slowly round and examined each and all of them with the keenest interest.
“What’s in here?” he asked, tapping the safe.
“My stepfather’s business papers.”
“Oh! You have seen inside, then?”
“Only once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of papers.”
“There isn’t a cat in it, for example?”
“No. What a strange idea!”
“Well, look at this!” He took up a small saucer of milk which stood on the top of it.
“No; we don’t keep a cat. But there is a cheetah and a baboon.”
“Ah, yes, of course! Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a saucer of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants, I daresay. There is one point which I should wish to determine.” He squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat of it with the greatest attention.
“Thank you. That is quite settled,” said he, rising and putting his lens in his pocket. “Hullo! Here is something interesting!”
The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash hung on one corner of the bed. The lash, however, was curled upon itself and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord.
“What do you make of that, Watson?”
“It’s a common enough lash. But I don’t know why it should be tied.”
“That is not quite so common, is it? Ah, me! it’s a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all. I think that I have seen enough now, Miss Stoner, and with your permission we shall walk out upon the lawn.”
I had never seen my friend’s face so grim or his brow so dark as it was when we turned from the scene of this investigation. We had walked several times up and down the lawn, neither Miss Stoner nor myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he roused himself from his reverie.
“It is very essential, Miss Stoner,” said he, “that you should absolutely follow my advice in every respect.”
“I shall most certainly do so.”
“The matter is too serious for any hesitation. Your life may depend upon your compliance.”
“I assure you that I am in your hands.”
“In the first place, both my friend and I must spend the night in your room.”
Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment.
“Yes, it must be so. Let me explain. I believe that that is the village inn over there?”
“Yes, that is the Crown.”
“Very good. Your windows would be visible from there?”
“Certainly.”
“You must confine yourself to your room, on pretence of a headache, when your stepfather comes back. Then when you hear him retire for the night, you must open the shutters of your window, undo the hasp, put your lamp there as a signal to us, and then withdraw quietly with everything which you are likely to want into the room which you used to occupy. I have no doubt that, in spite of the repairs, you could manage there for one night.”
“Oh, yes, easily.”
“The rest you will leave in our hands.”
“But what will you do?”
“We shall spend the night in your room, and we shall investigate the cause of this noise which has disturbed you.”
“I believe, Mr. Holmes, that you have already made up your mind,” said Miss Stoner, laying her hand upon my companion’s sleeve.
“Perhaps I have.”
“Then, for pity’s sake, tell me what was the cause of my sister’s death.”
“I should prefer to have clearer proofs before I speak.”
“You can at least tell me whether my own thought is correct, and if she died from some sudden fright.”
“No, I do not think so. I think that there was probably some more tangible cause. And now, Miss Stoner, we must leave you for if Dr. Roylott returned and saw us our journey would be in vain. Good-bye, and be brave, for if you will do what I have told you, you may rest assured that we shall soon drive away the dangers that threaten you.”
Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn. They were on the upper floor, and from our window we could command a view of the avenue gate, and of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House. At dusk we saw Dr. Grimesby Roylott drive past, his huge form looming up beside the little figure of the lad who drove him. The boy had some slight difficulty in undoing the heavy iron gates, and we heard the hoarse roar of the doctor’s voice and saw the fury with which he shook his clinched fists at him. The trap drove on, and a few minutes later we saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as the lamp was lit in one of the sitting-rooms.
“Do you know, Watson,” said Holmes as we sat together in the gathering darkness, “I have really some scruples as to taking you to-night. There is a distinct element of danger.”
“Can I be of assistance?”
“Your presence might be invaluable.”
“Then I shall certainly come.”
“It is very kind of you.”
“You speak of danger. You have evidently seen more in these rooms than was visible to me.”
“No, but I fancy that I may have deduced a little more. I imagine that you saw all that I did.”
“I saw nothing remarkable save the bell-rope, and what purpose that could answer I confess is more than I can imagine.”
“You saw the ventilator, too?”
“Yes, but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to have a small opening between two rooms. It was so small that a rat could hardly pass through.”
“I knew that we should find a ventilator before ever we came to Stoke Moran.”
“My dear Holmes!”
“Oh, yes, I did. You remember in her statement she said that her sister could smell Dr. Roylott’s cigar. Now, of course that suggested at once that there must be a communication between the two rooms. It could only be a small one, or it would have been remarked upon at the coroner’s inquiry. I deduced a ventilator.”
“But what harm can there be in that?”
“Well, there is at least a curious coincidence of dates. A ventilator is made, a cord is hung, and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies. Does not that strike you?”
“I cannot as yet see any connection.”
“Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed?”
“No.”
“It was clamped to the floor. Did you ever see a bed fastened like that before?”
“I cannot say that I have.”
“The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same relative position to the ventilator and to the rope—or so we may call it, since it was clearly never meant for a bell-pull.”
“Holmes,” I cried, “I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at. We are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible crime.”
“Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession. This man strikes even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shall be able to strike deeper still. But we shall have horrors enough before the night is over; for goodness’ sake let us have a quiet pipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something more cheerful.”
About nine o’clock the light among the trees was extinguished, and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House. Two hours passed slowly away, and then, suddenly, just at the stroke of eleven, a single bright light shone out right in front of us.
“That is our signal,” said Holmes, springing to his feet; “it comes from the middle window.”
As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord, explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance, and that it was possible that we might spend the night there. A moment later we were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowing in our faces, and one yellow light twinkling in front of us through the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand.
There was little difficulty in entering the grounds, for unrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall. Making our way among the trees, we reached the lawn, crossed it, and were about to enter through the window when out from a clump of laurel bushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distorted child, who threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs and then ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkness.
“My God!” I whispered; “did you see it?”
Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a low laugh and put his lips to my ear.
“It is a nice household,” he murmured. “That is the baboon.”
I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected. There was a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders at any moment. I confess that I felt easier in my mind when, after following Holmes’ example and slipping off my shoes, I found myself inside the bedroom. My companion noiselessly closed the shutters, moved the lamp onto the table, and cast his eyes round the room. All was as we had seen it in the daytime. Then creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand, he whispered into my ear again so gently that it was all that I could do to distinguish the words:
“The least sound would be fatal to our plans.”
I nodded to show that I had heard.
“We must sit without light. He would see it through the ventilator.”
I nodded again.
“Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your pistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the bed, and you in that chair.”
I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.
Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness.
How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear a sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness.
From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one and two and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.
Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Someone in the next room had lit a dark-lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible—a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull.
“You see it, Watson?” he yelled. “You see it?”
But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low, clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing. He had ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened. It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the sleepers from their beds. It struck cold to our hearts, and I stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me, until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose.
“What can it mean?” I gasped.
“It means that it is all over,” Holmes answered. “And perhaps, after all, it is for the best. Take your pistol, and we will enter Dr. Roylott’s room.”
With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from within. Then he turned the handle and entered, I at his heels, with the cocked pistol in my hand.
It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood a dark-lantern with the shutter half open, throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott clad in a long grey dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding beneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. As we entered he made neither sound nor motion.
“The band! the speckled band!” whispered Holmes.
I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear began to move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squat diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.
“It is a swamp adder!” cried Holmes; “the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. Let us thrust this creature back into its den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner to some place of shelter and let the county police know what has happened.”
As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man’s lap, and throwing the noose round the reptile’s neck he drew it from its horrid perch and, carrying it at arm’s length, threw it into the iron safe, which he closed upon it.
Such are the true facts of the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran. It is not necessary that I should prolong a narrative which has already run to too great a length by telling how we broke the sad news to the terrified girl, how we conveyed her by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow, of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly playing with a dangerous pet. The little which I had yet to learn of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we travelled back next day.
“I had,” said he, “come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. The presence of the gipsies, and the use of the word ‘band,’ which was used by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match, were sufficient to put me upon an entirely wrong scent. I can only claim the merit that I instantly reconsidered my position when, however, it became clear to me that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not come either from the window or the door. My attention was speedily drawn, as I have already remarked to you, to this ventilator, and to the bell-rope which hung down to the bed. The discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt that I was probably on the right track. The idea of using a form of poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical test was just such a one as would occur to a clever and ruthless man who had had an Eastern training. The rapidity with which such a poison would take effect would also, from his point of view, be an advantage. It would be a sharp-eyed coroner, indeed, who could distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where the poison fangs had done their work. Then I thought of the whistle. Of course he must recall the snake before the morning light revealed it to the victim. He had trained it, probably by the use of the milk which we saw, to return to him when summoned. He would put it through this ventilator at the hour that he thought best, with the certainty that it would crawl down the rope and land on the bed. It might or might not bite the occupant, perhaps she might escape every night for a week, but sooner or later she must fall a victim.
“I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his room. An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in the habit of standing on it, which of course would be necessary in order that he should reach the ventilator. The sight of the safe, the saucer of milk, and the loop of whipcord were enough to finally dispel any doubts which may have remained. The metallic clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant. Having once made up my mind, you know the steps which I took in order to put the matter to the proof. I heard the creature hiss as I have no doubt that you did also, and I instantly lit the light and attacked it.”
“With the result of driving it through the ventilator.”
“And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master at the other side. Some of the blows of my cane came home and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience.”
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Post by spasticjazzhands on Jun 9, 2020 20:49:09 GMT -8
KA HAPAHA " THE QUARTERMASTER " ( 017 ) TW: children bullying children
| Hawaiian Terms | | | English Meanings | | | Hawaiian Names | | | English Meanings | | | Scottish Terms | | | English Meanings | | Carmina Abyssi Anima Rapientem lua wai moku hau'oli māhū pō 'enlelo ma'alahi 'aka'aka moe 'ino 'oe iā 'oe kā'oki 'ia mele loea kēnā kahu kauwa e hele i ka 'oki 'ala he aha ke ano o kēia? scum hele pela! pīhoihoi mawaena | songs of the deep soul snatchers water cave happy ship night vision siren language fuck damn you to hell dipshit song immortals siren guardian servant go to hell bitch what the hell is this? scum bug off! dumbass between | Kanikau Hilahila Ōpala Nani Huhū Paakiki Ikehu Huki Anaia Bale Olakino Wahi Nahesa Piha Gula Keleawe Koe Keiki Leoū Polū 'Aukā Kekolu Ōma'oma'o Kawa Ululā'au Lani Nalu Mahalo Mangō | lament confusion garbage beaut nervous stubborn energy drawl merit barley health spot serpent parrot gold bronze remain child roan blue fleck third green bitter forest sky waves acceptance shark | mo stóirín | my darling |
Keiki sullenly plopped one of her pebbles into one of the squares of the three by three grid Olakino had carved into the stone floor. Tiana put her pebble on the grid, seemingly at random. “I win,” Keiki said with no enthusiasm, “Do you even remember how to play?”
“It’s hard,” Tiana complained as she scratched her head, “You took the spot I wanted.”
“Too bad, so sad,” Keiki crossed her arms as Tiana lashed out her arm and sent the pebbles scattering across the floor. “Don’t be such a baby,” Keiki scolded the younger girl.
“Babies can’t swim,” Tiana shot back, “and I can swim.” She swam away, a bit unsteady as it was difficult to unlearn paddling with both legs. Keiki stayed in place as she couldn’t swim. Luckily her tears blended in with the surrounding water. Eventually her tears dried up and left her with an empty heart and empty stomach. Speaking of which, she didn’t think she had eaten anything that day and it was almost noon. Laboriously, she army crawled to the edge of her alcove and heaved the largest rock she could find down onto the sand slightly below. The sudden rock caught the attention of one of the sirens thankfully, but Keiki immediately regretted it after seeing a head of navy curls heading her direction. The captain was hard to read and hard to please; frankly, Keiki had grown to have a respectable amount of fear towards her.
“What do you want?” Kanikau got straight to the point.
“I’m hungry.”
“Fine,” Kanikau sighed as if feeding a child was the worst thing in the world, “I’ll bring you back a snack.”
“I don’t want a snack,” Keiki pouted as she knew Kanikau’s snack would consist of a piece of rubbery kelp. “I want meat.”
“Guess what, buttercup?” Kanikau flipped a curl behind her shoulder. “You ain’t getting that. Meat is for dinnertime only.”
“Since when is that a rule?” Keiki was turning into a teenager and was learning the wonders of backtalk.
“Since I made it,” Kanikau was the master of backtalk but there was an underlying nervousness in her mannerisms, “These decisions don’t concern you.”
“It should when it affects what I eat,” Keiki shot back.
Kanikau regarded her with a strange look; it seemed she was both annoyed and impressed at her arguing skills. “You know you’re getting old enough to start pulling your weight around here. What do you think you’re interested in?”
“I can’t do shit,” Her voice shook as she swore for the first time, “You think Trevor wants me floundering around trying to take down sharks?”
“Don’t be stupid,” Kanikau dismissed her with a hand, “First of all, there’s not a lot of prey to hunt at the moment. Secondly, if you wanted to hunt, you could find a way.”
Keiki frowned. She wasn’t sure if she enjoyed Kanikau’s “pep talks” or not. “I don’t want to hunt down animals anyway.” She muttered and picked at her nails.
“You have to choose something, freeloader,” Kanikau urged, “Come on, you weren’t very good at gathering. You found patrolling the territory with Anaia too boring. You didn’t even consider helping Olakino with medical treatments.”
“He wouldn’t even want me around,” Keiki protested.
“So what’s left?” Kanikau crossed her arms.
“I spent a day with you,” Keiki said, “we spent a lot of time with the animals and a little bit sharpening tools. And argued with Trevor seeing if dolphins or sharks were better.”
“Sharks are obviously better,” Kanikau sidetracked, “A dolphin isn’t as badass as something with three rows of teeth. Anyway, wasn’t that day fun?”
“As fun as it could be, I guess,” Keiki shrugged again. It was fun in between moments of intimidation from being around all the adults.
“Then, you’re helping me.” Kanikau decided for her. “You’ve become the captain’s apprentice. A quartermaster if you will.”
“A quartermaster?” Keiki sounded out the word. It was quite long for something in ʻenlelo maʻalahi.
“Trevor never shuts up about ships,” Kanikau explained, “A first mate is the second in command on a ship; they take over if the captain is unable. But we’re no navy, are we? No, quartermasters were second in command on pirate ships. You know pirates: looters, thieves, bandits, scoundrels? We’re a bit more like them, wouldn’t you say?” Her sharp teeth flashed in a sort of twisted smile. “Now that that’s decided, I’ll grab you the kelp you wanted.”
While she was turning away, Keiki tested her new position. “Surely if I am quartermaster, I may have meat.”
Kanikau chuckled. “I am still captain, shark-bait, my word is law.” And sure as can be, Keiki got a small fistful of kelp to munch on to pass the time until dinner.
Anaia had been avoiding Huhū as much as she could, or at least she tried not to be stuck alone with him. He was getting really pushy trying to get her to take him to the shipwreck she had stumbled across last year. She first tried to give him directions but Huhū only returned in the dark confused and upset that her directions were vague at best. “I’m sorry,” She had defended herself, “The ocean looks the same everywhere you go.” She started to give him hopefully better and different directions, but he insisted on actually following her. After a month of nagging, Anaia finally gave in, now coming up with varying excuses each night he wanted to find the boat. Now two months out, she could not come up with reasonable sounding events and was roped in to spending the entire day tomorrow searching for the Adventures of the Speckled Boat. She didn’t have any clear reason why she wanted to avoid that area, but it left an uneasy stone in her stomach.
The saying that all the other senses become stronger to compensate for the lost sense was a bunch of bull in Koe’s opinion. Her senses stayed the same, but the sounds bothered her more. What good is hearing random noises and guessing what they are? Koe thought. All she knew was Huhū was banging pieces of driftwood together and it was giving her a headache. Feeling her way down to Olakino’s medical alcove, she brushed her hand across her face to feel the knots of scar tissue not unlike the tissue binding her legs together. She was greeted by another annoying sound coming from the medical alcove: a slow sloshing sound. “Stop that,” She snapped, “I have a headache.”
“I don’t come into your alcove and start bossing you around,” Olakino muttered but the sloshing noise did cease. “Why did you bless me with your presence tonight?”
“I have a headache,” She repeated, “I want medicine.”
“There ain’t ibuprofen in the ocean, sweetie,” Olakino said rather condescendingly, “The closest thing I would have to that would be this.” He shook the liquid again to show her what he was talking about. “But I wouldn’t waste it on such a trivial headache.”
“What’s so special about some random liquid in a bottle?” Koe rubbed her temples. “Is it just freshwater instead of seawater?”
“It’s an elixir,” Olakino explained, “Good to use on practically any injury or illness, so a headache won’t cut it.”
“Any injury?” Koe asked. “Would have been great last year when a current attacked Piha and I.”
“I’ve had this saved for years; you never know when it’s going to come in handy.” Olakino stated.
“Years?” Koe screeched. “And what would classify as such an emergency? Maybe smashing your face in the rocks and almost bleeding out? Perhaps when you’re muttering that poor Koe was lucky to pull through?”
“Kanikau didn’t see it necessary,” Olakino sounded a bit uncomfortable now, “and I stand by the captain. You’re alive.”
“You disgust me,” Koe snarled as she threw her hands out in front of her finding the exit.
“There’s no Hippocratic oaths down here,” Olakino defended his unethical actions.
“Now it’s obvious why Trevor spends all of his time hunting,” Koe spat from the alcove opening, “He doesn’t want to sleep with a potential murderer.”
“Don’t bring Trevor into this,” Koe felt a small amount of water displace and figured his swung his fist, “And it would have been manslaughter at worst!”
“Call it what you want, coward,” Koe turned again to leave, “If my life can be thrown into the depths without caution, I’m sure yours could as well. As you mentioned before, you are no doctor. One kooky homeopathic siren could come along and deem you useless.”
“If some hippie takes my place, you are all as good as dead anyway,” Olakino argued. They both wanted the last word based on Koe’s reluctance to be out of earshot.
“Good,” Koe pushed her thick bangs out of her eyes out of habit, “I’ll make sure to avoid you when we’re all in hell.”
“Who says this isn’t hell?” Olakino said.
“Did the spirit of Huki possess you or something?” Koe was leaving for real this time, making sure Olakino couldn’t get another word in. “Lose the existential crisis and I’ll take you seriously.”
Keiki watched the sunrise from the shallows by the coral reef. Kanikau was right about one thing; she needed to figure out how to get around without her legs. It wasn’t going particularly well as swimming with only her top half with the lower half threatening to drag her down was exhausting. Before she succumbed to her fate of tumbling past all of the rocks and outcroppings into the deep ocean, Nalu dove down and ripped her back up to the surface to take a break. He drug her to the sandy dune where she now resided while Nalu recovered from diving much deeper than usual and hauling a seventy-pound siren. Her fingers brushed across the bite marks the fire-lizard left on her arm but preferred that to the alternative. The shallows turned out to be the perfect place for Keiki to practice swimming now that the looming threat of being crushed by major ocean pressure was far behind. She spent the morning army-crawl-swimming and watching different colorful fish darting about the coral. Two dark flashes caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. It seemed like Anaia and Huhū were travelling somewhere. Keiki let out a small sigh of relief. Huhū became overbearing at times as if he associated her with someone else. Now she knew she had an entire day to herself.
Huhū ran his hand over the port side of the boat that still had enough paint for the name to be readable. “Adventures of the Speckled Boat,” Huhū murmured to himself. Having a closer look at it, there wasn’t any spots of major damage and he was surprised by how well it held up all these years. There was just the large hole on the underside along with claw marks but all that was covered up with the algae and moss reclaiming the boat. He then saw where the sword had been wedged in between the rocks since there was no plant growth there. He turned planning to ask Anaia where she had stored the sword, but she wasn’t anywhere nearby. Oh well, he thought, she brought me here. That’s enough.
Anaia had slipped away to be the own main character in her story even though she was just one of few in the Abyssi Logs. Even though Huhū hadn’t said anything, she was pretty sure that is where Paakiki had turned him and murdered his sister. However, she didn’t want to stray too far away from Huhū as they were pretty far from camp and they could easily get turned around with little recognizable landmarks. If she swam a hundred meters away, she would fully be in open ocean territory with no idea with what could be lurking out there. It could be miles and miles of nothing at all or writhing with creatures both known and unknown by humanity; which would be more terrifying? Being alone or being anything but? That wasn’t important now as there was no way any Abyssi sirens would cross the seas in search for anything. Kanikau knew where Sereia resided and forbade anyone from trying to find them, though no one wanted to in the first place. The captain also had guesses where Anima Rapientem lie as well and they didn’t have to be warned about travelling there. She justified leaving Huhū alone by telling herself he probably wanted privacy to relive his last few moments as a human, but she knew he would rather have support. Anaia couldn’t bring herself to stay, however, she was haunted by her own demons. She balled her fists in anger, but they shook. Huhū was a killer, and in the above-world, he would have been charged with first degree murder as it was premeditated. What would Anaia been charged with? She was guilty, there was no doubt about that, but how would the jury view her? She swore she could still hear Huki’s surprised grunts as she held him down and…and…
No, the sound wasn’t in her head. There was a grunting noise and it was coming from below. Hands still quaking, she looked down and could barely make out a shape moving through the water. Taking a deep breath, which is mostly symbolic when you have gills, she carefully descended keeping in mind the increasing depth. By the time she was eye to eye with the trapped shark (only a Mako shark, nothing to be concerned about), she could feel some of the oceanic pressure pressing against her body. It was a rather young shark, female if Anaia sexed her correctly, but it was stuck in a trap. The chain that had connected the trap to whatever on the surface had snapped, most likely from little maintenance based on how rusty the metal had become. The main trap part had been forced out by the torso of the shark thrashing and the shark was mostly through, her dorsal fin was keeping herself from escaping. Anaia carried no tools with her anymore, even though she still maintained her warrior status, so she spent an hour soothing the creature and gently bending her fin around the metal.
“Anaia!” She heard Huhū calling her name in the distance. She wanted to respond but was using all of her energy on setting this shark free. With a great shove and a twist from the shark, she was free to dart off back into the open ocean. But she didn’t. The two stared at each other. For the first time in her life, Anaia felt slight unease while looking at an animal, especially a friendly one.
“Mangō,” Anaia named the Mako shark hoping that would personify her more and it did slightly. But the first time someone stares deep into a shark’s dead eyes is a very unsettling experience. However, much emotion they might feel is lost in their matte black eyes. Hearing Huhū call her name again, she swam towards him with Mangō following behind. It seemed like they had a new pet. “Sorry, I kinda wandered off, didn’t I?” Anaia moved her bangs out of her eyes.
“Not a problem,” Like Mangō’s eyes, Huhū’s eyes were vacant. Perhaps leading him to the shipwreck wasn’t a good idea after all. “Let’s go back, I have something I need to finish.”
“It’s almost dark.” Anaia pointed out.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I’m hungry,” Koe didn’t bother moving from her bed.
“Nice to hear,” Olakino regretted letting making a makeshift cot for her in the medical alcove. He didn’t want to admit that he felt slightly…guilty…so Koe was now kept nearby for soothing kelp and seaweed wraps. This didn’t mean Olakino was her butler, though.
“I request shark meat,” Koe continued.
Olakino’s stomach rumbled at the mention of shark. “It’s breakfast; no meat ‘til supper, you know the rules.”
“I figured since you could decide to save my vision or leave me blind, you could bend the rules.” Koe said.
“Alright, you’re out. I’m disassembling your cot immediately,” Olakino snapped, “We already had this discussion.”
“Kicking me out won’t bring Trevor back.” Koe reminded him.
“WE’RE ON A BREAK!” Olakino yelled. He was thankful Koe couldn’t see how flushed he had become. Most of the time he kept his temper under control…as in he used sarcasm instead of shouting, but she was testing his patience. “OUT!” He roughly grabbed Koe’s arm and yanked her out of her cot. She unsuccessfully tried to pull out of his grip, but he was stronger and shoved her out of his alcove. “You’re blind, not stupid,” He growled, “Get food yourself. Get seaweed yourself. Get out of my sight.”
A couple of days passed since Huhū and Anaia visited the boat wreck, and Huhū had shut himself away while working on something. Trevor knocked on Huhū’s alcove before entering with a handful of apples. “I don’t think you’ve eaten for a couple days,” Trevor said gently as Huhū wrapped his sore hands, “I’ve brought apples.”
Huhū shrugged him off. “Shouldn’t we be rationing food anyway?”
“Rationing doesn’t mean starving,” Trevor reasoned.
“You sure about that?” Huhū frowned as he sanded his project. Trevor wasn’t completely sure what he was building but it looked like some sort of chariot.
“Just eat,” Trevor crossed his arms, “I’m not leaving until you eat something.”
“Shouldn’t you be making up with Olakino?” Huhū rolled his eyes. “I’m not your boyfriend, go smother someone else.”
“You’re in a tizzy.” Trevor chucked an apple at the sulking adult and it hit him square in the forehead. “Sorry for caring.” This time Huhū ducked and the other apple smashed into the rocks behind.
Huhū clucked his tongue. “Wasteful.”
“Ratbag.” But Trevor gave up and left. He should go do the daily animal chores or rouse Ikehu for hunting, but he went back to his alcove and laid down instead. It seemed that he was missing a certain someone but refused to apologize for what he deemed morally right. Tiana snuck into Keiki’s alcove in the early light of day. She shook her awake. “I wanna play a game.” She whined.
“I don’t play games with babies,” Keiki turned away, grumpy that her sleep was interrupted. “I’m quartermaster now.”
“What’s that?” Tiana’s lower lip quivered. “Why won’t you play with me?”
“It means I’m important and don’t have time to play silly games.” Keiki still hadn’t let Tiana’s past remarks go. If she was honest with herself, she would rather spend the day playing “silly games” with Tiana than spending time shadowing Kanikau, but she couldn’t seem childish. If she was really quartermaster now, she had to act mature. She was fourteen after all, practically an adult.
“You’re a bully!” Tiana balled her little fists and punched Keiki. Since she was only five, Keiki wasn’t too concerned.
“You’re a nuisance.”
“I don’t even know what that means!”
Keiki was now sitting up, well, leaning against the wall in a sitting position. She caught Tiana’s flailing hands and roughly shoved her to the floor causing her to cry. “Go away, cry baby.”
“Yo-you hu-hurt me!” Tiana said between sobs. Both her elbows were scraped up and bleeding. She scrambled up and sped out to probably complain to Trevor or Huhū.
Keiki stayed where she sat, not like she had a giant choice in that matter. She really hadn’t meant to hurt Tiana; she didn’t think she even pushed her that hard. She certainly never wanted to make Tiana cry, and she guiltily hoped Tiana didn’t tattle. Tiana crying to Kanikau crossed her mind. Would she get reprimanded for lashing out at Tiana or…would Kanikau see this as an assertiveness of new dominance? And which one would Keiki rather happen?
Mangō was the perfect addition to the Abyssi for Huhū’s new craft. The Mako shark allowed Huhū to hook her up to a crude open carriage, the perfect size for a teenager. With a couple of small adjustments, allowing room for Mangō’s tail to flip, he was ready to present it to Keiki. He found her sitting with Kanikau sorting out the animal’s food for the day. Before he could unveil his creation, Kanikau analyzed his face with an intense glare. “You look awful,” She said.
“Thanks,” Huhū huffed. He wasn’t here for her, he didn’t care. “Keiki, I built a…a sort of wheelchair.” He called Mangō forward to show the women. “Mangō can pull you around so you won’t have to spend so much energy on…swimming.”
“Oh, that’s helpful, I guess.” Keiki feigned excitement. “Have you been sleeping well recently?”
“I thought you’d be excited.” Huhū whined. “I’ve been working all week.”
“It’s great,” Keiki said, “but you look like you’re about to faint. I didn’t ask for you to work yourself to death.”
“I’m fine, I did this for you, Gina…I mean, Keiki.” Huhū corrected himself quickly. “Whatever…do what you want with it.”
As Huhū left, Kanikau boosted Keiki into the seat of the chariot. She picked up the reins and Mangō enthusiastically darted forward almost unseating Keiki. “You’ll have to work on that.” Kanikau said, watching her apprentice with interest. “Do you think this will help you?”
“Maybe after practice.” Keiki wished for a seatbelt until Mangō understood she couldn’t dart back and forth whenever. “It’s a start.”
“Tiana can’t keep up with you anymore, huh?” Kanikau raised an eyebrow.
“So, you heard about our arguments?” Keiki sighed.
“It’s not an argument if you’re talking to a five-year-old,” Kanikau said, “Plus, we’re in charge; we’re always right. Our words are law. Well, not yours yet, but no one will want to be ‘arguing’ with you soon.”
Keiki didn’t agree with her first point as no matter the age, shouldn’t everyone have a voice? But like Kanikau said, her word was law and Keiki was not about to contradict it. “You argue with Trevor a lot. And Olakino too.” She instead pointed out.
“And guess what? Now, they’re at odds with each other and not me,” Kanikau grinned. “It pays to be on top.”
But what was the price?
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Post by spasticjazzhands on Jul 11, 2020 18:06:30 GMT -8
KAHI E HĀNAU MAI AI NĀ PĒPĒ " WHERE BABIES COME FROM " ( 018 ) TW: alcoholism
| Hawaiian Terms | | | English Meanings | | | Hawaiian Names | | | English Meanings | | | Scottish Terms | | | English Meanings | | Carmina Abyssi Anima Rapientem lua wai moku hau'oli māhū pō 'enlelo ma'alahi 'aka'aka moe 'ino 'oe iā 'oe kā'oki 'ia mele loea kēnā kahu kauwa e hele i ka 'oki 'ala he aha ke ano o kēia? scum hele pela! pīhoihoi mawaena | songs of the deep soul snatchers water cave happy ship night vision siren language fuck damn you to hell dipshit song immortals siren guardian servant go to hell bitch what the hell is this? scum bug off! dumbass between | Kanikau Hilahila Ōpala Nani Huhū Paakiki Ikehu Huki Anaia Bale Olakino Wahi Nahesa Piha Gula Keleawe Koe Keiki Leoū Polū 'Aukā Kekolu Ōma'oma'o Kawa Ululā'au Lani Nalu Mahalo Mangō Makua Muli-iho | lament confusion garbage beaut nervous stubborn energy drawl merit barley health spot serpent parrot gold bronze remain child roan blue fleck third green bitter forest sky waves acceptance shark older younger | mo stóirín | my darling |
Ikehu poked at the small apple in front of her. She was supposed to be sharing it with Koe who sat in front of her, blind and silent. All of the weak brewed wine she had been consuming had ruined her appetite; it left her stomach churning in knots. She would have much preferred a much stronger alcohol, able to get her buzzed much more effectively. Ikehu bit a small amount off the apple and placed it in Koe’s hand. “Here’s your share,” She disguised a hiccup with a cough.
Koe felt the round apple with only a small amount eaten. “Do you pity me that much?”
“I don’t have feelings at the moment,” Ikehu said softly, “nor do I have hunger.”
“I can smell the booze on your breath,” Koe hissed, “I know your habits, this is exactly why we broke up.”
“It’s only gotten worse,” Ikehu forced a watery smile even though she knew it was lost on her ex, “But I’m handling everything.”
“When will you stop lying to yourself, Ikehu?” Koe ate half the apple in one bite. It really was a puny apple.
“I’ve lied so much I’ve convinced it’s true,” Ikehu noticed a stray hair floating in front of the siren’s face and it took all of her willpower not to tuck it behind her finned ear. “But really Koe, I am fine.” She assured. That was a lie too. “I’m finding what my purpose is down here. It’s just taking a little bit to find it.”
“We have no purpose down here,” Koe frowned, “The ocean isn’t meant for sirens; it is unkind.” She gestured to her facial scarring.
“Maybe not purpose then,” Ikehu thought, “Maybe instead a reason for living.”
“And getting drunk is a valid reason?”
“Until I find another,” Ikehu rose feeling Nessie pulling her towards her in her mind, “Nessie wants a word, you’ll have to excuse me.” Another snap and the rest of the apple was eaten. No farewells were exchanged. Nessie was waiting out of view from the main clump of alcoves. “You didn’t tell me what you wanted,” Ikehu said to her dragon who knew Nessie was fully capable of telepathically discussing plans.
It’s a surprise I think you’ll enjoy, the dragon cryptically said, hold onto my back. We’re going mawaena but we can safely get there if I concentrate without you. I’ve been exploring.
“We’re not going to the Loch?” Ikehu was slightly disappointed. The Loch Ness was a place they frequented quite often, usually to get away from the heated siren politics. While they tried their best to stay out of sight, Ikehu sometimes didn’t have much time to warn Nessie to dive deep underwater. Nessie could swim around fine with her echolocation but echoing sounds don’t say if eyes are prying or not.
Not today, Nessie cheerfully said, I’ve found friends.
Mahalo and Piha wrangled Mangō out of her pen shared with the hippocampi. They made a deal with Keiki and Kanikau so they could borrow the shark for their scouting patrol if they traded their meat ration for only fruits. Mahalo had quickly taken Kanikau up on her offer at Piha’s dismay. “Mangō isn’t going to cut that much time off our patrol,” He argued. “We need protein to keep our strength up.”
“I don’t know,” Mahalo shrugged, “I think it’s better to agree with the captain, especially since she’s so…neurotic.”
“That’s a reason not to,” Piha sighed, “Siding with Kanikau can be dangerous. You could lose your eyesight.”
“You exaggerate,” Mahalo waved a hand dismissively, “It’s better to get on her good side now, right?”
“As if there’s a good side,” Piha muttered. He patted Mangō about to tell the shark it was time to leave but living proof of Kanikau’s decision-making clumsily joined them. “Koe? What are you doing here?”
Koe was toting a sword. “I’m patrolling with you obviously.”
“Are you sure?” Piha stifled his surprise. “This doesn’t seem…safe.”
“I can patrol just as good as you,” Koe snapped, “And I can demonstrate how good I can,” She raised the sword, “if you want.”
“You know what,” Piha gently pushed the tip of the sword away from him, “You’ve convinced me.”
“People can live without their eyes, Trev…or,” Olakino had to consciousness add the last syllable on his boyfriend’s (hiatus boyfriend? kind of ex-boyfriend?) name. “Of course, it’s not ideal, and I would have preferred to keep Koe’s vision but what happens when something more serious occurs? I can assure you that facial tears like hers aren’t nearly as bad as some of the injuries I’ve dealt with.”
“Oh, are you an expert in trauma now?” Trevor retorted. “I was in the fucking navy.” Olakino was slightly taken aback; it wasn’t an everyday occurrence that Trevor swore. “At first I thought the siren’s curse didn’t completely work on me since I could remember the majority of my time in the above-world, but that was foolish. The curse worked just as intended; every night I go to sleep, I relive my old life. I don’t think you had to deal with too many cannonball injuries in medical school, though I guess even if you studied anywhere near a sea at war, there wouldn’t be much to do with a person blown into pieces, would there?”
“There!” Olakino threw up his hands. “You’ve proved my point. Think about this carefully without any emotion. Think about who we are actually dealing with. Do you think Kanikau is going to spend the rest of her days living here beside a nice and bright coral reef? Do you think currents and boulders are going to be the only threats she causes us to face? My god man, there’ll be war down here, maybe not this year, maybe not the next, maybe not even in twenty years! But, there’ll be a time when more difficult choices will have to be made. Koe’s sacrifice, however unwilling, may have inadvertently saved another from an even unluckier fate.”
The two glared at each other with their arms crossed, even the water grew cold between them. It was now a battle of personal dignity; who would be the first to relent and break the stony silence? Surprisingly, it wasn’t the friendlier of the two. “Look,” Olakino suddenly looked his age with middle-aged wrinkles and shadows accentuated on his face, “I am not proud of my decision. If Kanikau wasn’t present, I would have definitely used the vial to secure Koe’s health. I made a rash, unethical, and possibly incorrect choice, but I, and everyone else, has to now deal with it. I’m really sorry, Trevor,” His voice slightly shook, “I truly am.”
“While I shouldn’t really be the person you’re apologizing to,” Trevor’s mouth twitched, “I accept your apology. But you should probably tell this to Koe.”
“No,” Olakino shook his head, “I don’t apologize to anyone down here.”
“So what was that you just told me?” Trevor had a hint of a teasing tone.
“Nothing,” Olakino grit his teeth, “You’ve proven to be quite an annoying exception to be honest.”
“Can this exception stay a little longer? I’m afraid it’s getting to be nighttime.” Trevor’s heart jumped to his throat at his suggestion.
“If you must,” But the annoyance from Olakino’s voice had completely faded by now.
Koe was the first to hear laughter on the scouting patrol; maybe her hearing was starting to make up for her lack of sight. Mahalo had to duck from Koe’s wild swings with her sword. “Watch it!” He grunted.
“I can’t, that’s the point of the sword,” Koe figured out where Mahalo was hiding and poked him with a sharpened fingernail. “Don’t you hear that?”
“I hear voices,” Piha shushed the two, “They must be further out in the ocean since I can’t see any figures nearby.” It turned out that Koe wasn’t going crazy; a mile out into the open waters, the patrol came across two brother sirens; one tall and jovial, one short and angry.
“Hey-o!” The taller of the two waved a hand high above his head as they spotted each other. “Look, Makua, I told you we’d run into someone eventually.”
“I wanted to run into shore not others,” The shorter siren, Makua, frowned as his brother offered his hand for the Abyssi sirens to shake.
“Well, we can offer both of those things,” Piha said shaking his hand. “We live by a coral reef next to rocks, sand dunes, and alcoves.”
“I would still prefer just the shore,” Makua muttered but his brother grinned wildly.
“Best of both worlds,” He said, “I’m Muli-iho, and this is my younger brother, Makua.”
“I’m two years older than you,” Makua pulled his brother back signaling the friendly greetings were finished. “Must you insist on speaking to any stranger we meet?”
“They’re not strangers anymore,” Muli-iho insisted, “now they’re friends, right? Though friends should know each other’s names, don’t you think?”
Koe and Piha shared a look, figuratively of course. These brothers sure were sirens. Makua was a typical one: quick to anger and distrustful. Muli-iho was a prime example of a much more hidden siren trait: manipulation. Offering names to secure a feign sense of trust to get more names and a place to stay in return was much more subtle tactic but was still effective. “Piha,” Piha said and introduced the other two.
“Pleasure,” Muli-iho bowed with much flourish, “you are much nicer than that other woman we met earlier, though she was much more attractive, no offense, of course. It’s just that she wasn’t bound by scar tissue or have a stone lodged in her neck. Very strange.”
“Oh, really?” Mahalo had never heard of such a thing. “What was she then?”
“We got rocks thrown instead of an answer,” Makua spoke up, “She wasn’t one for words.”
“We could show you where she is,” Muli-iho suggested with an impish grin. “Maybe we’ll get more out of her with five of us, one carrying a sword.”
“She’s no interest to us,” Piha said.
“You never know,” Mahalo shrugged, “It might be nice to bulk up our ranks.”
“I say we try to find her and then go home,” Koe added, “We found two new sirens at least. We can cut our patrol short.”
Muli-iho nodded and started guiding them east. “Right this way, ladies and gents.”
“Where are we?” Ikehu shook off the void of mawaena and blinked in the warm light now surrounding them. They seemed to be in a large river surrounded by a sprawling city on either side of the banks. It was the most civilization Ikehu had seen since she was turned.
If I am correct, you have already met a couple of people who live here, Nessie said, this is the heart of the Black Rock Weyrhold.
“Oh,” Ikehu fought back a wave of nausea that come with traveling mawaena. To be truthful, she thought this surprise would be a tad more exciting. “These are the breeders of Keleawe and Gula.”
Yes, though if you recall, they have more than fire-lizards, Nessie reminded her.
“How do you know this?” Ikehu asked. “We travelled to the marketplace long before I met you.”
I overheard Trevor and Huhū discussing the trip. They also mentioned another human by the name of Ackerley, but I have not been able to locate them yet. They could be further inland, or I haven’t searched in the proper direction yet. But I wanted to locate the Weyrhold particularly as they have the largest dragon population that I am aware of…and I think to be aware of most dragon related things.
“More dragons…” Ikehu shielded her eyes from the sun and looked to the sky in intervals broken up by dipping underwater. “This is interesting. They don’t have any sea dragons?”
Unfortunately not, Ikehu could tell by her tone she was disappointed in not coming across her own kind, these are land-based dragons, or perhaps air-based dragons because they are capable of flight.
Ikehu now did recall seeing a younger lady hopping off of a green dragon so long ago. She giggled remembering how Trevor tried to bargain for one of them but only receiving fire-lizard eggs in return. Now it was all coming back to her, and she felt the most sober she’d been in a while. This is also where all her wine was coming from, though a middleman was involved for the transport. “So you knew these flying dragons were here?”
This particular species is the Pernese Dragon, Nessie explained, and yes, I could sense traces of dragons far off in this direction. One day I followed it and ended up here. I’ve talked to a few of the lower ranking ones when they notice me.
“Even though you aren’t Pernese, you can communicate?” Ikehu asked.
They’re quite witty, Nessie said, pleasant to converse with. The fire-lizards here, however, are quite dull. Only really communicate by expressing emotions. I suspect our more engaging environment back home allowed Gula and Keleawe a better development, thus allowing them speech.
“Oh!” Ikehu’s hand shot out of the water and pointed at a distant flying shape. “I think I spotted one!”
I figured it might be fun for you to watch some different kinds of dragons for a little while, Nessie sank lower in the water to a colder current. She preferred icy temperatures. I doubt we’ll speak to anyone today; they seem busy with regular patrols. But perhaps one day, we can meet one face-to-face. Ikehu nodded vigorously. Every child imagined flying one way or another and the wish was still buried deep in every adult; no one was immune to insane rushes of adrenaline. Even though Ikehu was cursed to remain in the water for the remainder of her days, she could take in the sights of flying creatures and imagine the sensation.
The scouts knew they had arrived at the strange woman’s location when a rock hit Mahalo’s chest. Hearing him grunt in pain, Koe swung her sword. Luckily Piha already was missing his left hand as the blade passed where his wrist would have been. “You brought more of your friends, you spineless cowards!” Even at a shriek, the woman’s voice was silky smooth, very enjoyable to listen to actually.
“They’re not friends of ours, don’t get that idea in your head,” Makua huffed and dodged another rock.
“See, look!” Muli-iho hissed quietly so the woman couldn’t hear. “She has gems and scales. Very flashy.” He was correct; it seemed beautiful stones were jutting out of her shoulders and arms.
“We’re just sirens patrolling our territory,” Piha said, hoping to ease the amount of rocks being thrown.
“Sirens?” She swam out from the darkness, “You beasts aren’t sirens. I’m a siren.”
Muli-iho whistled, “Oh boy!” He chuckled, “An actual siren! I never thought we’d ever meet one of these, Makua.”
“She’s not one of us,” Piha whispered confused.
“No, she’s an actual siren, naturally born,” Muli-iho explained, “She’s not ‘cursed’ like the rest of us are.”
“I’d prefer it if you’d stop muttering about me,” The whole siren crossed her arms, “Did you happen upon three divers and turn them into beasts in the past hour?”
“Of course not,” Makua caught one of the rocks and chucked one back at her. It hit her in the shoulder. “They’re reinforcements for getting you to stop hurling projectiles at passerbys.”
“You could come with us,” Mahalo offered trying to keep the peace. “Natural born siren or not, you’d be able to live with us.” He turned to Koe and Piha to speak under his breath, “Won’t Kanikau be pleased to examine this other form of siren?”
“Why do you care about what Kanikau thinks?” Koe frowned.
“Isn’t it best to keep the one in charge happy?” Mahalo asked. “It’s a survival method.”
“Trust me,” Koe grabbed his hand and lifted it to her facial scars, “there’s no survival method with Kanikau.”
Keiki snapped the reins of her chariot after Piha’s patrol returned; she didn’t want to bother with the newcomers staring at her. She and Mangō were both getting accustomed to the strange contraption Huhū had built. She felt a bit guilty for snapping at Huhū the last time they talked as she knew he only did this with good intentions, but deep down, she also felt something…off. She didn’t know Huhū before Paakiki’s death, but the newest frown lines of Kanikau’s face told her that the captain was becoming slightly concerned for her tentative friend as well. Anaia had taken him on a day-long trip last year and after they returned, he didn’t seem like the same easy-going Huhū from before. Now Keiki frowned and turned Mangō towards the reef and sandy beaches. She knew she could talk with Nalu telepathically, but it was still just so weird to be having a conversation underwater with someone flying in the clouds. She also knew that Nalu would have zero applicable suggestions for dealing with a spiraling Huhū but talking about feelings with Kanikau or Tiana wasn’t an option. Tiana was a tiny child and Keiki was pretty sure Kanikau fell into the sociopathic spectrum somewhere. And she didn’t feel close enough to anyone else to talk about Huhū.
Nalu, she called out in her mind as they arrived at the beach where the fire-lizards slept, do you have time to talk?
I’m far away at the moment, Nalu responded. She even sounded a little more distant in her mind. Anything urgent can still be discussed. I’m listening.
That’s fine, Keiki huffed, hoping Nalu could sense her teenage angst, I didn’t know you’d be off on your own little adventure. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.
A few of us are conversing, well, sort of, with other fire-lizards, Nalu said gently, they don’t use words…so it’s interesting. I can return…
Whatever, Keiki cut her off, continue having your play-date. She grabbed Mangō’s reins once more and snapped them a little more aggressively than Mangō liked. The mako shark shook the chariot with her tail and about unseated Keiki. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings anyway she decided. It was for the best. Compartmentalize and continue. Keiki repeated the phrase she heard Kanikau mutter, most of the time in her sleep. It should become the Abyssi’s motto honestly. Compartmentalize and continue, compartmentalize and continue, compartmentalize and…a warbling sound interrupted her self-therapy. She quieted Mangō and they slowly drifted listening closely. A flash of pink hair told her Trevor was here too among the coral and apparently was singing. It wasn’t a proper siren song as it sounded god-awful and Keiki couldn’t imagine anyone being drawn towards his melody. “A boy to me was bound apprenticed Because his parents, they were poor. So, I took him from Saint James’ Workhouse For to sail on the Greenland shore.
One day this poor boy, he did annoy me. Nothing to him did I say, But I rushed him to my frozen yard-arm And I kept him there ‘til the very next day.
When his arms and his legs did bow down low, And his hands and feet likewise, And with a tarry gasket I killed him For I would not hear his cries.
Now all you sea captains who go out a-navying, Take fair advantage by me And don’t abuse your young apprentice boy Or it’s hanged you sure will be.” Keiki felt goosebumps flood her entire body. “That’s not a very nice song,” She whispered.
Trevor jumped and gave a regretful smile. “Sorry, lass, just a tune from my navy days.”
“Did you have to hang your naval captain?”
Trevor chuckled, “Not ours, no.” He cracked his knuckles. “It was based on a true story, though. Just nobody we knew personally.”
Keiki processed this information as Trevor pat Mangō. “That happened?”
“Oh, it’s an old folk song,” Trevor waved a hand, “I’m sure it’s embellished, but…it wouldn’t be unheard of. And many captains were hanged for many different reasons, some including certain verses.”
“I’ve become the captain’s apprentice,” Keiki said glumly, “if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Kanikau wouldn’t do…” He trailed off after him and Keiki shared a look, “Well, we wouldn’t let her do anything like that to you.”
“Reassuring,” Keiki rolled her eyes, but it really was reassuring to hear. Though, at the moment, Kanikau seemed to enjoy having a young impressionable person hanging around her constantly. “Also,” She wanted to turn this conversation into something unmeaningful and basic, “You sound like a dying whale.”
“I’d prefer that than leading divers to their demise…or whatever limbo this is,” Trevor’s goofy smile returned, “I’ve never tried to properly sing, and I never will. I can sing more if you’d like…”
Keiki had already snapped Mangō’s reins again. “Definitely not!” But they both were laughing as the shark pulled her away. Maybe the motto should be compartmentalize, laugh, and continue instead.
“I spy with my little eye something…blue!” Tiana clapped her hands thinking there was no way Huhū was going to guess her object.
“Let’s see,” Huhū glanced around on their sand dune. The dunes shifted a bit every day with currents, but they were always pretty close to their alcoves. “Is it the water?”
Tiana’s face fell; it was obvious that was what she was “spying.” “Sorry, you can go again.”
“I don’t wanna play this game anymore.” Tiana crossed her arms and huffed. She had been getting moodier by the day.
“Oh, here’s Keiki coming,” Huhū pointed out the approaching quartermaster. “Maybe she’ll play with us.”
“I don’t want to play any of your baby games,” Keiki had heard his last suggestion.
“It would be good for Tiana,” Huhū quietly said.
“I don’t owe her or you anything,” Keiki said harshly, “You can quit acting like my dad.”
“I-I never meant to take your father’s place,” Huhū stammered.
‘Well, you sure as hell ain’t my brother!” Keiki rebutted. “You’re like FORTY YEARS OLD! I don’t need help from an old man.”
Huhū’s expression darkened as his eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t let Kanikau hear you say forty years is old,” His voice had dropped to a hushed monotone. “I don’t think she’ll appreciate that.”
Tiana glared at Keiki as Huhū left. “You ruined our game,” She grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it at her. The sand hit Mangō instead and the shark thrashed almost throwing Keiki to the dunes.
“Too bad, so sad,” Keiki gripped the sides of her chariot rebalancing herself. Her new contraption had given her an amount of freedom she hadn’t thought she’d ever regain after getting paralyzed, but a terrifying thought flittered through her mind. What would happen if she was ever thrown from her cart and wasn’t by sand dunes to fall on? Would she continuously fall into the ocean’s abyss? It was an unnerving thought for sure.
Marisa staked out an alcove out of the main clump. She didn’t want to seem above these weird sub-species of siren, but she felt like she was. They looked, pardon, horrifying, all riddled with scar tissue and jagged gills. They must have one hell of a singing voice, she thought, there’s no way any sailors would be lured by their appearance. She rearranged an old pile of driftwood stacked in a crevasse towards the back. Underneath one of the larger pieces was a torn Stenson. Marisa inspected it before tossing it aside. It must have belonged to a former occupant, but that didn’t concern her now. Hearing more voices outside, she wandered out to the rock outcropping. The Mako shark that had sniffed her out earlier was now hitched to a cart toting a teenager around. Interesting. A sullen man with mint hair was sulking by the dwindling supply of food. A very happy pink-haired man was now holding hands with the siren she knew was Olakino. And a little green-skinned child trailed close behind trying to persuade anyone to a game of “I spy.” The green skin and gray hair combo jolted something in her memory. She swore she had seen the child before and was convinced that she was a missing child from Sitria. Marisa would know as she had participated in many patrols in a great effort to find said child that had gone missing after a storm. What was her name? Marisa only remembered the description of the child, not the name; she was never one to hang around the nursery, especially the one on land.
“Go away, Tiana,” The teenager was busy undoing the shark’s harness and shoved the child away.
Tiana, if Marisa’s memory was correct, this was the missing Sitria child, daughter of Freya, Pike, and Kamryn. “Tiana,” She tried to make her voice gentle. She wasn’t sure how to talk to children. “Tiana, do you remember me?”
This got the attention of the child who stared up at her with big eyes. Tiana shook her head. “I don’t remember anything before the Abyssi,” She paused, “well, I guess I remembered my name but that hardly counts.”
The bossy siren interrupted them. “That’s another trait of a siren.”
“A cursed siren, sure,” Marisa already didn’t like Kanikau. “Tiana, you came where I used to live,” She ignored the captain and tried to explain Tiana’s origin. “We used to live in a mostly underwater village, Sitria, together. You disappeared one day and I, along with your parents and many others, searched long and hard for you.” Marisa glanced at the other sirens listening in. The sulking siren had a certain guilty expression. Perhaps it was him who had cursed Tiana that fateful night.
“Parents? I don’t have parents.” Tiana surprised her with a statement. “I ate them.” A shocked silence fell over the group.
“E-excuse me?” Piha stammered, slice of orange now forgotten in his hand.
“That’s what Olakino said,” Now all the eyes were turned to the medic that was now trying to slide Trevor in front of him.
Trevor was not having any of that, however. “Why on earth did you tell Tiana she ate her parents?”
“I-I don’t know,” Olakino said meekly. “She started asking me questions and I didn’t know how to answer them.”
“I think there may have been a better answer than that,” Trevor said, “Did she ask if she was a shark or something?” Mangō looked rather offended.
Olakino held up his hands in a surrender stance. “She asked if she had parents and how children are made. It’s not like her parents are going to waltz in here, so I said that every child eats their parents when they’re old enough.” Everyone seemed horrified. “Look, I don’t know! She didn’t bother me after that, so I wasn’t terribly concerned. It’s not like sirens are popping out kids; it should have never come up again.”
Trevor hissed something in his ear that looked suspiciously like “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“So…I didn’t eat my parents?” Tiana tugged on Marisa’s hand.
“You did not.”
“Can I meet them?” Tiana’s eyes shined with excitement.
“Actually…” Marisa didn’t know how to talk to children. She certainly didn’t know how to give a child really disappointing news. “I don’t know where they are anymore. That’s why I left; they were moving, and I didn’t want to follow.”
Tiana sniffed and swam slowly towards the alcoves. No one followed her. “How the hell was ‘you ate your parents’ not the worst thing she’s heard this week?” Winter was harsh and unforgiving for Carmina Abyssi; there were no more meat rations for dinner, patrols mainly looked for food, and a good day was classified as a day when everyone got a few bites to eat. Tempers were running short, well, shorter than normal, and certain sirens got into small scuffles. The issue became so pressing that Kanikau called an emergency meeting.
“Trevor,” She started off singling out the senior hunter, “What the hell, man? Where’s the food?”
“You know just as well as anyone else that there is no prey to be found.” Trevor was no longer his happy-go-lucky self. “I doubt another pod of sirens this size could survive unless they were nomadic and were constantly travelling. Our potential food knows to avoid us.”
“We never had problems finding food,” Marisa pointed out.
“You could go back to Sitria anytime, doll,” Trevor huffed, “The term siren here is used to describe everyone else except you.”
“Take it easy, love,” Olakino murmured in Trevor’s ear and pulled him back, “It’s me who’s supposed to be annoyed, remember?”
“Huhū,” Kanikau spoke over the bickering two, “are you finding anything? You’re hardly bringing back food from patrols.”
“I’m as thorough as possible,” Huhū had sunken bags underneath his eyes, “but it’s hard to comb the surface of the ocean alone.”
“Well, I’m not sending Piha on another gathering patrol,” Kanikau muttered, “This needs to change; we need food. Instead of continuing our winter patrol routes, we’ll just have to return to our summer routes.”
“But we’ll be out long after dark then,” Anaia piped up, “We’ll be freezing.”
“We can all ask our fire-lizards to fetch possible pelts that we can cover up with,” Kanikau said, “It’s either being a little cold or starving.”
“I, for one,” Mahalo put an agreeable finger up, “think this new plan will work.”
“Suck up,” Koe hissed in Piha’s ear and they both tittered.
“Alright,” Kanikau gave Mahalo a strange look. She wasn’t used to people agreeing with her. “Let’s go find some food then.”
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Post by spasticjazzhands on Jul 11, 2020 18:16:00 GMT -8
Keiki woke up with a note and a little box next to her. She unfolded the note and read:She put the note down and looked closer at the plastic box. She pressed a button and Trevor singing The Cruel's Ship Captain filled her alcove. She grimaced but listened to it once before stopping the recorder. Smiling, she folded the note and stuck them both underneath the moss and kelp she used as a pillow.
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Post by spasticjazzhands on Nov 11, 2020 20:16:55 GMT -8
tw: cannibalism implications, brief starvation symptoms, sad boy CARMINA ABYSSI DON YOUR SOUL ON YOUR SLEEVE KEEP IT HOLY UNTIL YOU LEAVE LEARN HAWAIIAN TERMS 〈Carmina Abyssi | songs of the deep
Anima Rapientem | soul snatchers
lua wai | water cave
moku hau’oli | happy ship
māhū pō | night vision
ʻenlelo maʻalahi | siren language
ʻakaʻaka | fuck
moe ʻino ʻoe iā ʻoe | damn you to hell
kāʻoki ʻia | dipshit
mele loea | song immortals
kēnā | siren
kahu | guardian
kauwa | servant
e hele i ka ʻoki! | go to hell!
ʻala | bitch
he aha ke ano o kēia? | what the hell is this?
scum | scum
hele pela! | bug off!
pīhoihoi | dumbass
mawaena | between
limu kai | seaweed
〉 | LEARN HAWAIIAN NAMES 〈Kanikau | lament
Hilahila | confusion
Ōpala | garbage
Nani | beaut
Huhū | nervous
Paakiki | stubborn
Ikehu | energy
Huki | drawl
Anaia | merit
Bale | barley
Olakino | health
Wahi | spot
Nahesa | serpent
Piha | parrot
Gula | gold
Keleawe | bronze
Koe | remain
Keiki | child
Leoū | roan
Polū | blue
‘Aukā | fleck
Ōmaʻomaʻo | green
Kekolu | third
Kawa | bitter
Ululā’au | forest
Lani | sky
Nalu | waves
Mahalo | acceptance
Mangō | shark
Makua | older
Muli-iho | younger
Maemae | pure
Kipi | rebel
Lanakila | victory
Hanohano | glory
Luku | destroy
Metala | metals
Koko | blood
〉 | LEARN SCOTTISH TERMS 〈mo stóirín | my darling〉 |
Marisa dug her gem crested hand deep in the ocean sand and let it filter through her fingers. She hated it here. Save for a few, all of the relationships between the cursed sirens were only surface level. Kanikau and Koe were both primary school level petty, and their arguments usually dragged others into them. Huhū was too busy having a dead sister complex to do anything other than poke the small growing shoots of kelp. Trevor and Olakino acted better than everyone else because they had somehow discovered how to rekindle their ability to express human emotions other than upset, neutral, or angry like most of the cursed sirens. Ikehu kept disappearing with Nessie in between alcohol binges though Marisa swore she was becoming a bit more sober. And Marisa found Kanikau’s decision to have the second in command, Quartermaster, being a moody teenager dealing with physical and emotional trauma was a sound one…not! The only siren Marisa felt partly attached to, mostly out of guilt, was Tiana, the seven-year-old child also from Sitria. She thought perhaps if she stayed close by, the child would pick up normal, healthy habits and emotional stability, but she might already be too late. From what she had witnessed in the last year, Tiana was withdrawn and craved interaction from other young children. But lately, Tiana had taken up shelter in Olakino’s medical alcove, so weak and shaky from the lack of nutrients. Olakino’s only prescription was food and the Abyssi had none. Marisa picked up another handful of sand and threw it as angrily she could underwater. No, she mustn’t let all this negative energy stay pent up inside. The cursed sirens were living proof of what happens when negativity took over and she wanted none of that. She drifted up towards the sunlight and rested in the shallows by the coral reef. Being a natural siren, her gills could barely function in the above-world’s oxygen unlike the others that had maybe three to five minutes of possible air conversion. It was enough, however, to pelt the beach of small pebbles and broken bits of shells. “Hey!” A startling squawk came from the shore. Marisa peered through the water to make out a distorted African gray parrot. Marisa stared at the parrot. The parrot stared at Marisa. She sensed a recognition in the parrot’s eyes and strangely felt like she knew the parrot herself. The parrot hopped backwards in a clumsy haste as if found doing something wrong. “Come back!” Marisa yelled but was muffled because she was, of course, underwater. So instead, she threw another handful of rocks. The parrot didn’t speak again but ruffled its feathers in what it hoped was a threatening way. Marisa noticed something odd about one of its wings, however, more specifically the left wing. It seemed to be missing a fair amount of primary feathers causing the parrot to be slightly lopsided. It noticed her staring and shuffled its left wing out of her line of sight. Who else liked to remain out of the spotlight but Piha, the scout who never disclosed how his missing left hand came to be? Before she could do anything else, the parrot took to the sky, wobbly in flight and seemed to unite with Lani, Piha’s blue fire-lizard. Convenient, Marisa smirked, someone has a dirty little secret.
Trevor tightened his grip on his hunting spear to will away a fit of tremors that ran through his hands. Ikehu twitched as well from her position but their shakes were from different causes. Ikehu had dedicated herself to sobriety and was experiences the joys of withdrawals. The first day or so was always the worst but she was getting better and better, relapsing less and less. She noticed that she was starting to have more energy and she wanted to regain the spark of life again. Trevor happily saw a new resolve in her, but another round of trembling sent his thoughts back to the affliction affecting all the sirens: extreme hunger. As Olakino explained, the stress of their hunger along with the following biological reactions caused their new tremors, headaches, weakness, and irritability. Well, their irritability enhanced. Luckily the two managed to corner a small cod while twitching and proudly presented it to the cluster of sirens hanging out in the alcoves. “Roast it, please,” Trevor tossed the fish (as well as he could in water) to Mahalo who conjured a small flame in the palms of his hands. Cooking meat wasn’t required for sirens, of course, their teeth were sharpened to rip flesh apart, but it was a fancy touch. “The first portion of it goes to Tiana,” Olakino said firmly with a harsh glance towards Kanikau. She nodded in agreement; she wasn’t that heartless to deny a sick child the food they needed. “I think we still have a few old coconuts left to share later tonight.” “Something needs to change,” Kanikau interrupted. There was an underlying tone of desperation in her voice. For once she wasn’t an unwavering force of spite; she was vulnerable and open to change. “We could move,” Makua said, “Muli-iho and I had spent the past two years just moving around wherever the schools of fish went.” “The problem is that we’ve flushed out all of our prey sources,” Trevor agreed, “There’s a reason large pods of sirens don’t exist. They aren’t sustainable.” “And murder,” Olakino pointed out, “We’re prone to murder.” “That too.” “Wait,” Kanikau held up a finger, “Anaia, you remember the bundles of food we received a good few years ago? You and Huki would bring boxes back from patrols for a good month or so.” Anaia flinched at the mention of Huki. “We would,” She said in a quiet voice, “A stranger would leave them for us. Even the times we didn’t see him, we knew where they came from.” “But who the hell did that?” Kanikau pressed. “And how do we get them to do it again?” “We never got a name,” Anaia replied, “He was bipedal but was more reptilian-esque in features. We referred to him as Turtle Man,” The corner of her mouth twitched as she remembered Huki panicking and calling him “dad” the first time they saw him. Turtle Man apparently mirrored the disappointment Huki must have caused his parents as a human. “And?” Anaia shrugged. “That was it. He never spoke or even got too close. Just watched and marked notes down on a clipboard. I think you were too angry at the possible stranger to notice he left the first package at first.” “So a way to get his attention is needed,” Kanikau quietly mused, “A grand gesture.” “I think that’s a great idea,” Mahalo finished evenly cooking the cod, “Do something he can’t ignore.” “Kiss-ass,” Koe hissed just loud enough for Mahalo to hear. “Then what’s the plan?” Olakino narrowed his eyes. “How would this Turtle Man even know of our doings? And what would he do?” “He seemed…different.” Anaia rubbed her arms as if she was cold. “Not…mortal. Otherworldly.” “We are basing our lives off of a mystical turtle?” Olakino looked at Trevor incredulously. “Or we can just leave and fish somewhere else!” “I. AM. NOT. MOVING. AND. LETTING. ANIMA. RAPIENTEM. WIN. AGAIN!” Kanikau’s eyes flashed with rage. “I fled once and will never again.” “Alright, so we throw him a party,” Olakino rolled his eyes, “Should Trevor and I go out and buy some party streamers?” Kanikau let out a groan of frustration at the lack of seriousness of the medic. “We’ll do something no one can ignore.” She turned her back to the pod and snarled, “Don’t you have a child to feed?” Olakino relented, only because Tiana really did need to eat. “Thanks for all the backup,” He muttered to Trevor as they took a chunk of cod to the medical alcove. “Well,” Trevor shrugged sheepishly, “It was nice to not be the one arguing with Kanikau for a change.”
Anaia set out on her territory patrol hastily after the arguing ceased. While solo rounds of borders were long and tedious, she was thankful for the silence it brought her. Though, it wasn’t always completely silent as the thuds of stone against skull hammered in her mind throughout the day. At night, she swore the currents whispered in a familiar southern accent. She both was haunted by and dearly missed her warrior counterpart, regardless of his overall personality. A lot of things could be said about Huki, but boring was not one of them.
Another makeshift spear twirled in her hands. As much as she never wanted to touch a weapon again, she understood that certain siren politic tensions were high. The spear rested naturally in her hand like so many times during her fencing classes, but those times were long ago. There were no foils in the ocean, only sharpened spears made to maim. And rocks, but she didn’t like to think about those.
Blinking hard, she realized that she was once again automatically pointing her spear at annoyed pairs of eyes. The first pair belonged to a lanky girl, certainly not older than 21, with hardened black eyes and long violet locks pulled into a messy ponytail. The girl pushed away the point of the spear with one finger with grace unnatural for her age. “Sorry,” Anaia let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, “I get lost in old routines.”
The girl didn’t say anything, leaving Anaia feeling quite awkward in the silence. Her grip tightened on something mostly in her shadow, and Anaia turned her attention now to the child. The child’s eyes were a dusty teal, also harboring the mistrust their sister mirrored. “I’m Anaia; I really don’t mean any harm,” Anaia pointed the sharpened edge down and away from everybody.
“Your actions say different,” The older girl had a gravelly voice which Anaia wasn’t expecting, “isn’t that a saying? Actions speak louder than words?”
“I’d like to think I follow through on my words,” Anaia said quietly, “I don’t want to hurt you and didn’t.”
“So, there was a time when you did hurt somebody?” The child spoke from behind the girl’s tattered coat she donned. Their face peeked out into the light, enough that Anaia could estimate their age to be around 10 years, much older than she originally thought.
But back to the question at hand, “I’ve hurt someone, someone close to me,” Anaia slightly bent, allowing both her figure and voice to become less opposing, “but they also did a very bad thing to deserve it. I told them so, then my actions proved them right.”
However true it was, her last statement was interrupted as a threat and the girl quickly shoved the child behind her. “I said stay behind me, Maemae.” The girl hissed out of the corner of her mouth.
“Maemae?” Anaia racked her brain for Kanikau’s rare ʻenlelo maʻalahi lessons. For an unknown reason, most sirens awoke or are given their names in an older dialect of ʻenlelo maʻalahi and learned a modified “modern” version for everyday use. It was simply another fact about cursed sirens that no one, living at least, had the reason known; it just was. So, if Anaia wasn’t mistaken, Maemae would mean, “pure.”
“And I’m keeping them that way,” The girl’s eyes narrowed and jaw set. It was clear she would be willing to sacrifice anything for Maemae. In such trying times, would she have to back up her unspoken promise as well? “Where’s your merit?”
“I like to assume I’m constantly trying to become worthy. Now worthy of what is an answer I’m still searching for,” Anaia said, “So much talk about names, yet I know not yours.”
“Kipi,” The girl said curtly. “And if you are going to address Maemae, which I would prefer not to happen, please stick with neutral pronouns. But really anything you feel like you need to share with them, you’re wrong and need to refer to me instead.”
Anaia fixed Kipi with a long look. She herself had no memories of above-world siblings and would never feel the same burning fire that families shared. Perhaps it would make more sense if she equated it to the passion she held for animals but still felt it wasn’t as much after she looked deep into Kipi’s eyes. “I’ll remember that,” Anaia relented, “Does that mean you plan on staying with us?”
“As long as ‘us’ is only a couple other sirens,” Kipi held Maemae back as they strained against her iron grasp.
“More like a few,” Anaia held her spear aloft once more and the two shrank back, “It’s just standard for my daily patrol,” She assured them, “though the waters have been quite empty recently.”
“I’m hungry,” Maemae complained. Kipi looked to Anaia expectantly.
“We might have a couple rations.” Anaia hoped she was correct. She was quite hungry too.
Muli-iho pulled his long curls and twisted them around his finger in thought. His brother was a tricky one, he would readily admit, but he wouldn’t be so easily bested due to the five-year age gap between them. Makua let out an exaggerated sigh to let him know that his patience was waning. Muli-iho wouldn’t be pressured to hurry his next move as his fingers trailed lightly along the tops of the game pieces. He wouldn’t even be distracted by the arrival of Piha and Koe.
“What are they doing?” Koe hissed in Piha’s ear. Piha scrutinized the scene before them: Muli-iho’s intense focus and Makua’s indifference.
Before the gatherer could report what he had gathered, Makua burst out, “It’s just checkers, man! Move a goddamn piece.”
“I’m thinking!” Muli-iho protested. “I have to think of the different possibilities of my potential moves.”
“It’s been ten minutes,” Makua grumbled, suddenly sticking out his hand and grabbing one of the darker smooth stones and moving it diagonally one space. “Now it’s my turn,” He moved a lighter stone, “Didn’t think of that possibility, did you?”
Muli-iho tapped his chin and slumped back into his pondering position. “I guess not.”
Surprisingly, Trevor could be great at keeping secrets ranging from avoiding to mention that Piha was called limu kai, meaning seaweed, regularly behind his back all the way to an elaborate scavenger hunt based on puns leading to a fancy magnifying glass for Olakino’s birthday. Nevertheless, it took about two minutes of Trevor whispering into his jacket for Kanikau to demand he turn out his pockets. “Please be gentle,” Trevor hovered over Kanikau like a concerned parent.
“We can’t have more mouths to feed,” Kanikau raised a hand to rid the Abyssi of the three small creatures on the rock before her, but Trevor’s arms quickly wrapped around hers.
“No, no, no!” He desperately shouted, “They’re just tiny sea slugs! They eat plankton and algae and nothing that we would!”
Kanikau lowered her hand, mostly to cease the manhandling. “What’s their purpose?” She supposed they could be considered cute once her face was inches from them. The biggest slug was maybe as big as a grape.
Trevor shrugged. “I thought they were neat,” He gently scooped one up and let it swim back and forth in his palms. “If you look closely,” Trevor held the sea slug up in a way both Kanikau and him had their heads together to look at their floating new friend, “they almost look like sea bunnies! Just like the above-world mural Hilahila did of her little farm creatures.”
An uncomfortable mood descended upon the sirens at the mention of Hilahila. Trevor quieted and gathered up his three sea bunnies to watch them swim circles around his arms. Kanikau was oddly docile, pulling up her scarred legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. “You think yourself above turning,” It was meant as a statement but was a hidden question.
“I’ve never turned anyone, no.” Trevor said quietly, “Not…” He took a shaking breath, “not successfully.” The words barely crept past his lips. He had spent the last thirty or so years trying to bury his deepest and darkest secret in the forgotten cervices of his mind. After all, Trevor was great at keeping secrets, especially when everyone else assumed he was an open book.
Kanikau loosened her grip on her legs, just enough to allow her shoulder to lean against the hunter. “Sirens are built to live alone but the human part that is left in us, however minuscule, still craves for company. Someone like ourselves.” She remembered how hopeless she felt before meeting any other sirens. After losing her home, who she thought was family, and a few security blanket podmates, she would, and did, do anything for another familiar face.
“My crewmates had long since killed each other. I didn’t know if I’d ever see another person again,” Trevor trembled uncontrollably, though not because of hunger, “But what could I do with just a human?” His hands went from rubbing together, to fiddling with his jacket, to raking through his hair, and back to clasped together.
“They don’t understand.” Kanikau abandoned her leaning position to avoid being jostled. Her comforting meter had reached its limit.
“I sang,” The words that had been boarded up for decades came tumbling out; the waters finally surged over the weakening dam, “I lied. I lied to ‘kino. I lied to Keiki. Olakino was right the day we met; I’m a filthy hypocrite. I sang, I sang, I sang!” Trevor’s voice rose unsteadily, “And somebody came. Well, an entire boat, I suppose, but a lad a year or so younger than me jumped overboard.” Trevor’s hands jumped to his temples frantically as he unraveled further. “He never had a chance. How could I know what to do? I sang, he was in front of me, and then before I knew it, he was bleeding in my arms and asking for his mother. His mother!” Like the mental dam that was left in pieces, one tear was quickly followed by steady streams from both eyes and nose. “And I was too much of a coward to end it, to put him out of his misery. It only took an hour for him to bleed out. And here I am saying ‘only’!” A dry laugh clawed its way out of his chest and ended in a hacking spell as he choked on snot. “An hour for me, a lifetime for him. Him! I don’t even know his name. I killed a man, I took away a life, and don’t have the decency to memorialize him properly.”
Finally, the heavy sobs drowned out his voice and for the first time in her life, Kanikau clumsily slipped her arms around Trevor and lightly squeezed. The hug might have even been half pleasant if she wasn’t hugging a siren unraveling to his very soul. She didn’t say anything; even if she had any social skills, he was past the point of no return.
“I followed their boat,” Trevor’s voice was raw when he could speak again, “I told myself it was to get closure, to possibly let them know that the boy was confirmed dead. I knew deep down that I wanted someone else to tumble down to the sea and into my clutches. I wanted a second chance!” He hastily wiped his eyes like that would also wipe away the past. “Thankfully, I got a hold of myself before I could open my mouth again. I continued in the direction the ship was heading, and eventually could see the shoreline for the first time in two years. But I couldn’t trust myself anywhere near potential victims. I was even more lonely, but the price was too high. I already owed a debt I could never repay. And no one was around to explain the intricacies of living as a siren. Was turning essential? If so, I was fine with…” Trevor trailed off, “Whatever happened to me didn’t matter as long as I kept everybody else safe from myself. I was a ticking time bomb for all I knew.”
“Then you came across another siren,” Kanikau guessed. She wanted to get this ball rolling. She was the one who wanted to discuss her mental state, but Trevor had made the day all about himself.
Trevor moved his head slowly side to side. “No, not yet. You see, I still had my journal I first started still in the Navy. I continued to document what daily life was like as a siren.”
“Hilahila never mentioned this when she first discovered your book.” Kanikau frowned. She once again was reminded she could not read and wouldn’t be able to learn without admitting a weakness.
“She didn’t ever get past the first ten pages,” Trevor explained, “and I left out…that…event.” His tears had finally ceased. Instead he looked like a tired man who had lived five lifetimes past his original intended death date. “Out of sight, out of mind? Though it didn’t work, it kept my purgatory tolerable. But I intended my journal to fall into human hands; I fancied becoming a hard-hitting journalist after my Navy stint, and it seemed like me chucking my book on the piers could be the first source of cursed sirens.”
“Let me guess,” Kanikau said dryly with an implied eye roll, “You couldn’t stand going near humans again.”
“I went to shore,” Trevor responded curtly, hints of annoyance creeping into his tone at her blasé attitude, “and a new era of ships and construction. I had no frame of reference for time passed from my two years swimming around in the open ocean, so at the time I didn’t know ocean time and above-world time differed. While I was gawking at the new machines, a small fishing boat clipped a large rock near shore and hit an otter sunning. I forgot about leaving my journal in a findable place and took the otter back to my temporary shelter to rehabilitate her. I named her Ausonia after my old ship.” A faint bittersweet smile appeared on his lips. “Her eyesight was quite poor so I took up dying my hair bright colors so she could always find me. It was this neon pink when she died.”
“All that work for an otter?” Kanikau loved animals as much as she could but never put in extra work.
“She kept me from wanting another companion. She kept me sane. She helped me regain the piece of humanity I thought I had lost forever.” Trevor took a shaky breath. “I have never felt an urge to turn a human since that year and try every day to repent for the mistakes I’ve made.”
The two sat quietly for a while, watching the swimming sea bunnies absentmindedly. It was strange such innocent little creatures had brought up Trevor’s darkest secret. “Why did you tell me this?” Kanikau’s voice broke the silence.
Trevor fiddled with the buttons on his naval jacket. Even though he cleaned them every night, over thirty years in the saltwater let rust creep around the edges. “Someone had to know,” He decided, rubbing at the rust. “Even if it dies with the both of us, someone needs to know.”
“Not Olakino?” Kanikau raised her brow.
Trevor lightly scoffed at himself. “It’s horrible, but I don’t think I could face anyone if they knew.”
“And I’m too far gone to care?” Kanikau’s voice dropped to almost a growl, unfortunately able to contribute to her point, but she was more hurt than anything.
“No,” Trevor reassured, now using a sharpened fingernail to pick at the buttons’ rust, “I feel you’re the only one who would understand.”
Hearing this also caught Kanikau off guard, “I’m not nice,” She argued, “I haven’t turned my life around, and as much as Hilahila’s end…shocked…me, I do not regret my actions.”
Trevor finally met her eyes with a shy smile, “You haven’t turned anyone else either.”
“Bale,” Kanikau shot back, “I instructed Hilahila on how to turn Bale.”
“Instructed, yes,” Trevor let out a small huff of victory against a tiny fleck of rust, “because you didn’t have the guts to do it again.”
Kanikau twisted a curl of hair around her finger, “I thought it would make both of them happy.”
“In another story, it might’ve,” Trevor conceded, “Should we rejoin the pod for dinner rations?” He sat up straighter, recollecting himself before facing the others.
“There are no rations,” Kanikau remained where she was, “We ate the last bundle of seaweed last night. We’ll have to all go out to hunt tomorrow and forget any other patrols.”
“We’re all going to starve to death.” It was a statement, not a question. “And we can’t find another place to live? A place with food?”
“No one is trapped here,” Kanikau rested her head on her knees, “I don’t know why you all stick around anyway. No one particularly likes each other.”
Trevor stopped rubbing his eyes to look like he had not been crying for a while, “A good question. I imagine someone would have fled by now.”
“Misery loves company,” Kanikau decided, “But I should come back with you anyway. A captain shouldn’t starve without their crew.”
“If our skeletons are found,” Trevor brought the mood down even more; wholesome boy was not up for wholesome-ness today, “will we look like regular human skeletons?”
“You can ask Olakino,” Kanikau rose and lightly held Trevor’s head between her hands and inspected him. Her touch was gentle but firm allowing to keep him steady when he flinched at the sudden pressure. “Hmph,” She ran her fingertips underneath his eyes, “I guess you could pass as tired.” They locked eyes, amber meeting dark brown, both fully vulnerable in the open. “You’re more than the worst thing you’ve done,” Kanikau said softly.
“Kanikau,” Trevor’s voice was pleading, “It’s not too late for you. We’ll move to a whole new ocean and start over. No Anima Rapientem, no skeletons in the closet, we don’t even have to bring Koe if that’ll continue petty fighting.”
Kanikau’s amber eyes took on a sympathetic shine, “I know it’s not too late, but I’ve chosen my path. Don’t follow me down it.”
“Unfortunately, doll, I think we’re all here for the long haul,” Trevor removed her hands from his cheeks and squeezed them before letting them fall to her sides, “I appreciate you becoming my forced therapist.”
“It is never happening again,” Kanikau quickly melted back into her old role of distant leader. “And that’s an order.”
The next few months were filled with back to back hunting and gathering patrols, acquiring enough food to live but just barely. There were required Sunday meetings, first meant to discuss prey finding methods and possible connections to Turtle Man, now turned into a weekly gripe session with sporadic arguments. All the sirens acknowledged they needed to work together to find a solution to their starvation, but the course of action was highly debated. “If we cannot get the attention of Turtle Man,” Kanikau raised her voice above the disgruntled voices, “we’ll need to find an alternative source of food.” The din quieted as the implication sunk in.
“Definitely not!” Olakino cried, outraged at the idea. His words were quickly followed by the others voicing their contempt.
Kanikau waved her hand dismissing them but secretly was a bit relieved until… “It makes sense to me.”
“He’s insane,” Koe stage whispered.
“We gotta do what we gotta do,” Mahalo shrugged.
“We’ll cross that bridge if we get there, I suppose,” Kanikau fixed the scout with an unnerved stare. Now she knew why Trevor and most of the others annoyed her but was tolerable: someone very agreeable seemed insincere.
The coral reef never slept; diurnal fauna soaked up the sun and sheltered as the nocturnal fish emerged, giving the appearance of a bustling city no matter the time of day. The reflection of the moon twinkled on the calm surface of the ocean, leading possible onlookers to assume the regularly scheduled coral city was taking place beneath the waves. Those people would be foolish to think anything about the ocean would be peaceful. In the dark waters, no fish were in sight and even the shoots of kelp wanted to freeze in place. The cause of their fears took the forms of three stockily built sirens of the cursed variety.
The siren leading the way was the shortest of the trio, but his hair helped him maintain the illusion of a more intimidating height. His cherry toned hair was shaved on the left side, leaving a breaking wave of thick locks down to his shoulders laying on the right. His light gray eyes gave his eyes a translucent appearance, allowing his gaze to slip side to side without one noticing, although a large chunk of skin missing over his nose and cheeks helped draw attention away as well. Resting on top of his matching translucent māhū pō was a tangle of mismatched chains, slightly hindering total stealth, but they were worth the badass aesthetics.
A teal mohawk slicked back into a ponytail bobbed as the only lady of the three made sure to keep close to the captain’s heels as second in command. Her murky green eyes and otherwise plain appearance was overshadowed by the large amount of sparkling gold jewelry hanging from her finned ears. Studs, bars, chains all dazzled in the moonlight and her hand brushed against her newest piercing. “Do you think I should pierce my septum next?” She carelessly wondered out loud.
“Shut it, Metala!” The final siren emitted a growling hiss that could send even the most senior warrior quivering to their bed. Metala, the teal siren, shot him a loathing look but stayed silent.
“You reckon a couple of clown fish are going to set off an alarm?” The red captain’s voice was surprisingly nasally, “You can’t be going senile on me, Koko.”
Koko adjusted his cracked glasses with an indignant huff, “Nothing in the ocean should be trusted, Luku, and you should know that more than anyone here.” The captain took a playful swipe at one of Koko’s long, silver cornrows which the medic swiftly blocked with a fist and a sneer. Luckily, he really only had to put up with this kind of ribbing from Luku as his stoic nature and blood red eyes easily dissuaded criticism.
Now Luku turned his attention to their surroundings, analyzing the muted reef in the night light. He tore a chunk of purple coral from its rock causing a few fish to scatter. A high, unforgiving laugh carried through the waves and into the rocky alcoves.
Kanikau awoke from a nightmare, glad to be ripped out of the terror she was experiencing in her dreams but didn’t know why the feeling of unease stuck with her throughout the dawn light.
“Hey, Trevor?” Piha called to the senior hunter while rubbing his hair with his one hand. He caught Marisa staring at his left arm and turned so he was facing his discovery totally. Trying to ignore the feeling of being silently blackmailed, Piha swept his hand over the pile of bones he had discovered. “If we can find prey this size, shouldn’t we be set?” Trevor shifted uneasily and only inspected the bones closer, but the word “prey” drew the attention of the few other sirens in hearing distance.
“Some sort of shark?” Huhū offered.
“Sharks don’t have bones.” Olakino said. “The number of ribs indicates…”
“Hold up,” Piha held up his hand and arm stump, “I think we really need to go back to the whole ‘sharks don’t have bones’ thing.”
“They only have cartilage like we have in our ears and noses,” Olakino hurriedly explained, “Calcium deposits from their diet help strengthen it when they get older but…”
“Okay, wait, let’s get back to what the number of ribs indicate,” Trevor interrupted but before any more bone discussion could take place, Kanikau pushed her way to the front of the group.
With distain, she picked up a long bone, almost femur looking, and ran her finger across the uneven cuts. “Anima Rapientem have been here,” Her grip on the bone tightened and a fracture appeared, “They hunted in our territory and left this here to taunt us.”
“Where are they finding the fish, then?” Piha felt a glimmer of hope in his chest, “There’s obviously food still around!”
Kanikau tossed the femur back onto the bone pile and scoffed, “Don’t be stupid,” She spat, “Anima Rapientem don’t eat fish.”
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GUARD EACH PRECIOUS BREATH
Marisa discovers Piha's secret. Anaia reminisces about the benevolent Turtle Man. Kipi and Maemae are found on patrol. The brothers pass time by playing board games. Trevor finds some sea bunnies. The sirens are starving. The first three Anima Rapientem are introduced. Kanikau's old enemies leave a little gift behind..
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DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'LL GET ONE NEXT ⟡ captain 〈female | 41 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - F11 / HS - AC / HC - 47 / EC - E8 / X 〉 Kanikau
⟡ quartermaster 〈female | 16 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - D1 / HS - S / HC -55 / EC - E10 / X ↪ paralyzed from waist down ↪ mentored by Kanikau ↪ 2 successful training sessions 〉 Keiki
⟡ medic 〈male | 53 y | 5 KP | cursed siren ↪ ST - E7 / HS - HW / HC - 27 / EC - G10 / Y〉 Olakino | ⟡ warrior 〈female | 41 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - D9 / HS - LC / HC - 24 / EC - C10 / X〉 Anaia⟡ gatherer 〈male | 43 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A7 / HS - S / HC - 48 / EC - E8 / X〉 Huhū
⟡ gatherer 〈female | 20 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A9 / HS - LW / HC - 31 / EC - E6 / X 〉 Kipi | ⟡ hunter 〈male | 51 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - F11 / HS - S / HC - 29 / EC - H6 / Y〉 Trevor⟡ hunter 〈female | 35 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A9 / HS - S / HC - 52 / EC - C7 / X〉 Ikehu⟡ hunter 〈male | 29 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A7 / HS - S / HC - 4 / EC - G2 / X〉 Makua⟡ hunter 〈male | 24 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - B7 / HS - AC / HC - 5 / EC - H11 / X〉 Muli-iho | ⟡ scout 〈male | 39 y | shifting-cursed siren ↪ ST - F5 / HS - AC / HC - 21 / EC - A1 / X ↪ african gray parrot shift ↪ missing left hand〉 Piha⟡ scout 〈female | 39 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - C11 / HS - LW / HC - 2 / EC - E2 / Y ↪ completely blind〉 Koe⟡ scout 〈male (afab) | 32 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - E10 / HS - S / HC - 17 / EC - G5 / X〉 Mahalo | ⟡ tester 〈non-binary | 10 y | cursed siren | AFAB ↪ ST - D8 / HS - AC / HC - 2 / EC - C2 / X〉 Maemae⟡ young 〈female | 7 y | powered-cursed siren ↪ ST - L8 / HS - HW / HC - 19 / EC - H3 / X ↪ able to breathe anywhere〉 Tiana |
| fish 〈21 | Cod | 3 servings 16 | Mackerel | 3 servings 2 | Tuna | 6 servings 11 | Shark | 10 servings〉 stored vegetation 〈2 | Kelp | 5 servings 12 | Seagrass | 3 servings 1 | Seaweed | 5 servings〉 stored fruit 〈9 | Coconut | 3 servings 12 | Apple | 2 servings 15 | Orange | 2 servings〉 stored | seeds 〈3 | Coconut Seed 2 | Kelp Seed 1 | Orange Seed 1 | Seaweed Seed〉 stored items 〈1 | Backpack | 6 uses left 1 | Compass | 2 uses left 1 | Iron Sword | 2 uses left 1 | Saddle | 20 uses left 1 | Saddlebag | 8 uses left 2 | Staff | 4 uses left (total) 1 | Steel Dagger | 1 use left 1 | Steel Sword | 1 use left 1 | Stone Dagger | 1 use left 1 | Vial of Medicine | 1 use left 1 | Wagon bag | 10 uses left〉 stored materials 〈3 | Copper | craftable 3 | Cotton | craftable 4 | Gold | craftable 1 | Iron | craftable 2 | Leather | craftable 7 | Sand | craftable 2 | Silver | craftable 6 | Steel | craftable 4 | Stone | craftable 2 | Twine | craftable 1 | Wood | craftable〉 stored | ⟡ sea dragon 〈NAHESA • female | 249 y | 0/2 bred | Ikehu ↪ increases chance of catching an extra piece of prey ↪ reduces chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 30% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post if taken with a party of 10-15 villagers〉⟡ hippocampi 〈WAHI • mare | 11 y | hybrid | 2/2 bred | Trevor ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post ↪ increases the chance of more items from planted crops by 30% LEOŪ • stallion | 11 y | 2/2 bred | Kanikau ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post AUKĀ • stallion | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Anaia ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post LANAKILA • mare | 1 y | 0/2 bred | Kipi ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post HANOHANO • stallion | 1 y | 0/2 bred | Kipi ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post〉⟡ fire-lizards 〈GULA • female | 10 y |1/2 bred | Kanikau ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KELEAWE • male | 10 y | 1/2 bred | Anaia ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols POLŪ • male | 7 y | 0/2 bred | Koe ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KEKOLU • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Huhū ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ŌMA'OMA'O • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KAWA • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ULULĀ'AU • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols LANI • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Piha ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols NALU • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Keiki ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols〉⟡ otters 〈AURUNCI • sow | 7 y | 1/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill ↪ 30% chance of catching 1-4 mice worth ¼ serving each TRIESTE • sow | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill ↪ 30% chance of catching 1-4 mice worth ¼ serving each TERGESTE • boar | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill〉⟡ mako shark 〈MANGŌ • female | 3 y | 0/2 bred | Keiki ↪ increase the chances of catching an extra piece of prey on hunting patrols ↪ guarantee +1 hunter on border patrols〉 | deceased sirens 〈HILAHILA • female | 27 y | cursed siren | bled out ↪ ST - A9 / HS - LC / HC - 11 / EC - F6 / X BALE • male | 37 y | cursed siren | killed by Hilahila ↪ ST - F11 / HS - HC / HC - 10 / EC - F2 / X PAAKIKI • female | 77 y | cursed siren | killed by Huhū ↪ ST - E8 / HS - LW / HC - 30 / EC - H9 / X HUKI • male | 32 y | cursed siren | killed by Anaia ↪ ST - A8 / HS - HW / HC - 34 / EC - C3 / X ↪ tail torn, slower〉deceased animals 〈NANI • mare | 14 y | hippocampus | killed by Huki〉 |
RAZZ ♦ ADOXOGRAPHY
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Post by spasticjazzhands on Mar 13, 2023 18:50:51 GMT -8
tw: "human" sacrifice CARMINA ABYSSI DON YOUR SOUL ON YOUR SLEEVE KEEP IT HOLY UNTIL YOU LEAVE LEARN HAWAIIAN TERMS 〈Carmina Abyssi | songs of the deep
Anima Rapientem | soul snatchers
lua wai | water cave
moku hau’oli | happy ship
māhū pō | night vision
ʻenlelo maʻalahi | siren language
ʻakaʻaka | fuck
moe ʻino ʻoe iā ʻoe | damn you to hell
kāʻoki ʻia | dipshit
mele loea | song immortals
kēnā | siren
kahu | guardian
kauwa | servant
e hele i ka ʻoki! | go to hell!
ʻala | bitch
he aha ke ano o kēia? | what the hell is this?
scum | scum
hele pela! | bug off!
pīhoihoi | dumbass
mawaena | between
limu kai | seaweed
〉 | LEARN HAWAIIAN NAMES 〈Kanikau | lament
Hilahila | confusion
Ōpala | garbage
Nani | beaut
Huhū | nervous
Paakiki | stubborn
Ikehu | energy
Huki | drawl
Anaia | merit
Bale | barley
Olakino | health
Wahi | spot
Nahesa | serpent
Piha | parrot
Gula | gold
Keleawe | bronze
Koe | remain
Keiki | child
Leoū | roan
Polū | blue
‘Aukā | fleck
Ōmaʻomaʻo | green
Kekolu | third
Kawa | bitter
Ululā’au | forest
Lani | sky
Nalu | waves
Mahalo | acceptance
Mangō | shark
Makua | older
Muli-iho | younger
Maemae | pure
Kipi | rebel
Lanakila | victory
Hanohano | glory
Luku | destroy
Metala | metals
Koko | blood
〉 | LEARN SCOTTISH TERMS 〈mo stóirín | my darling〉 |
LUCK OF THE DRAW Kipi hovered near Maemae while they ate a meager breakfast. She was already regretting her agreement to stay with this new pod. There was hardly enough food to have a full meal the entire day, and she had seen the state of the youngest, Tiana. Tiana was bedridden in Olakino’s medic den. What hit home the hardest was Tiana was only three mere years younger than her own sibling. Frowning, she ran her fingers through Maemae’s curls much to their annoyance though they didn’t pull away. “What do you think of these people?” Maemae’s words were muffled by a mouthful of kelp. “Do you like them?” “This isn’t permanent,” Kipi promised, dodging the question, “We’ll find a permanent space to claim as our own once we get back on our feet.” “Come on,” A clear voice rang from behind her as a large hand rested on her shoulder. Kipi slapped it away and Muli-iho pretended to pout as he drifted to sit on a rock in front of the siblings, “You gotta answer the kiddo’s question. What do you think of us? My brother? Me?” Kipi scowled and clucked disapprovingly at Maemae. They had stopped eating and were watching this interaction with wide eyes. Seeing Kipi’s glare, they went back to picking off the edible parts of their kelp. “You haven’t been in the pod long either,” She rebutted, “Why would you care?” “I have a deep desire to be liked,” Muli-iho shrugged but his carefree smile stayed on his face, “And I think you’re a total hard-ass that needs to lighten up and live a little.” He held up a long finger to silence her grumbling, “You can’t deny it; Makua is exactly like you.” “Makua is your younger brother?” Maemae didn’t have any reason not to join in the conversation now, they had finished all their kelp. Kipi examined the male siren as he tossed his head back and ran a hand through his thick, curly hair that was longer than her own. A belly laugh shook his entire body and had to wipe his eyes of tears. “You’re going to have to ask Makua that,” He responded once he finally regained his composure. “He’ll love it.” “You’re obviously younger,” Kipi rolled her eyes, “I can tell based on maturity level alone.” “I just don’t have a stick shoved up my ass,” Muli-iho easily hurled back, “but back to the topic on hand. What do you think of the sirens here…honestly?” Kipi caught the hint of sincerity seeping into his tone and relented, “Most are okay, I guess. No one that I’d voluntarily choose to hang out with for a long time, though.” “I’m hurt,” Muli-iho’s voice turned playful again as he exaggerated bringing a hand to his chest, “I hope I made it on the ‘just okay’ list at least.” “We’ll see,” Kipi turned to face Maemae under the guise of cleaning up after their meal but really wanted to avoid Muli-iho’s expressive gray gaze. There was something obnoxious about how sincere they remained the entire conversation. Emotions were so much easier to deal with if they were ignored.
Trevor fought to keep his tears in his eyes even though the water surrounding him would immediately wash them away. He shakily dotted his last “i” and carefully shut his notebook. Still clutching the notebook to his chest, he leaned to his left until his head rested on Olakino’s shoulder. “We’ll get them back, dear,” Olakino softly smoothed Trevor’s hair, “I’m sure they’ll be happy to return if we leave some of their favorite fruits out.” “They’ll come back, sure,” Trevor said, “but I don’t like the fact they left in the first place.” “Wahi and Aukā just wandered off exploring,” Olakino reassured, “probably spotted a small patch of seagrass to munch on.” “That’s another problem,” Trevor sighed, “How can I convince everyone that fruit rations are needed for animals and not for themselves?” “We feed all the other animals already,” Olakino said, “It’s the same principle.” Trevor rubbed his eyes with the back of one fist, “There’s just too many things to worry about, ‘Kino,” A whine snuck into his complaint, “It’s not fair that we can’t just live a regular life together.” “This is as regular as we can make it, I’m afraid,” Now it was Olakino’s turn to sigh. “Doesn’t feel very regular to me,” Trevor mumbled and the two sat with their hands entwined watching the sun filtering through the gentle waves. The sea was calm today. Olakino waited for a few minutes before eventually shifting his weight enough to wake up his snoring boyfriend. “Something big is looming before us. I’ve never been a spiritual man, but I can feel...the end approaching.” “Don’t scare me like that,” Trevor’s voice was quiet. “It’s not meant to be scary,” Olakino mused, “but I don’t have a positive prognosis of the Abyssi.” “I feel the same,” Trevor admitted, “I only hope we don’t lose ourselves in the process.”
Koe “led” the gathering patrol the day the water was eerily still. She led in the sense that she was a bit further in front than the others. At first, she was thankful for the almost stagnant feel of the ocean; the quiet was a nice change from the usual rolling of the waves. She felt like she could sense movement better with the calm water, which might have been the reason she hesitated for a second before rounding a rocky corner. As the patrol turned, an almost familiar pain pierced through Koe’s side as she felt teeth pierce her skin and hold her against the rocks. As claws dug into her sides, Mahalo and Piha shouted in surprise. “Sea otter!” Piha managed to sputter out. While Mahalo hovered in the background wringing his hands, Piha swam to help the blind siren before more of her face was bit off. However, Koe wasn’t going down without a fight. With a grunt, she swung the long, steel sword in a large arc first seemingly connecting with a stone that made a cracking sound and finally rested in between the giant sea otter’s shoulder blades. As the otter lost its grip, she wrapped her hands around her torso that was ripped open. Luckily, she was already leaning against the rock formation so she had something to lean against as she fought against fainting. Koe wasn’t going to lie; she was majorly pissed at the lack of concern the two other men were showing. Neither Piha nor Mahalo was at her side. She tightened her arms over her abrasions and pushed herself away from the rocks. “Excuse me, assholes,” Her voice came out in a warbly rasp, “I could use a bit of help here.” Koe couldn’t tell but Mahalo did look up at her and observe her injuries. “Keep pressure on those,” Mahalo said but made no movements towards her. His attention was focused on the semi-conscious Piha in his arms. Koe’s wild swing of her sword had made a shallow cut in his neck as he bolted to heave the otter away, but Mahalo was mostly concerned about his māhū pō that had been shattered by the steel clashing against it. The māhū pō had already lost its baby blue shine that matched Piha’s eyes, now reverted back to the dull rock in which it was formed. The only indication that the stone had once been used as a māhū pō was the remnants of the light blue crystal still sparkling in the crack cut by the sword. “I’m bleeding out here,” Koe snapped, “I know you lot don’t really care about me, but this is just plain cruel.” “I’m going to have to carry Piha back to Olakino myself,” Mahalo explained, “You can wrap a hand around my arm or something and drift along behind.” Koe feebly reached out a hand in which Mahalo guided it to his jacket sleeve. She clutched the fabric to her abdomen as a much more effective bandage than just her arms. “What’s wrong with Piha?” Her voice was a bit stronger now as they started their slow journey back to camp. “You shattered his māhū pō with that sword swing,” Mahalo simply said, “It’s mostly just a rock now.” Koe was silent for a few minutes. “I did that?” She hoped the clarification would prove her innocence. “Unfortunately, yes,” Mahalo tried to move a bit faster, but it was difficult essentially carrying two adults at once. “I don’t know what happens when a māhū pō is broken…I guess we’re going to find that out.” A wave of guilt the size as a tsunami washed over Koe and pushed her heart down into her stomach. “I really didn’t mean to.” “Of course not,” Mahalo reassured, “but that’s just the truth.”
Olakino watched his medic alcove grow clouded with blood. Fuuuuuuuck. This was way above his pay grade. He graduated medical school, but never practiced medicine. A rogue siren made sure of that. Sure, he could half-ass his way through refixing Huhū’s broken wrist but repairing a high amount of internal damage with a blood transfusion that was also going to be required was a more trauma surgeon thing. “I can stop the bleeding, maybe?” Olakino frowned as he pressed swatches of fabric against Koe’s side, “Huhū, can you take Tiana somewhere else? We’re gonna be suffocating in blood in a second.” The starving child grunted when heaved up into a fireman’s carry but didn’t regain full consciousness. “Kanikau, can you guys gently move Piha somewhere else too? His cut has already clotted up.” Kanikau poked Piha’s face with a sharpened nail and peered at his māhū pō with a curious look. “But like will he be…okay?” Murmurs from the onlooking sirens told him that everyone else was wondering the same thing. What did happen when a māhū pō was cracked? “He’s alive?” Olakino threw the blood-soaked linens on the ground and replaced them with new ones that quickly started to turn scarlet as well. “I think,” Kanikau pressed two fingers on Piha’s neck (not where somebody trained would check for a pulse) and the pressure caused him to cough. “Yeah, he’s alive.” “That’s a good sign,” Olakino said. “Good sign?!” Marisa exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be our doctor!” “And you think Anatomy 101 covered māhū pō’s?" Olakino snarled. He had no fucking clue what to do currently, but at the very least, bleeding was universally bad for living things, and Koe’s bleeding had lessened. “Fine, then how is Koe doing?” Marisa flipped a chunk of hair behind her shoulder. “Eh,” Olakino removed the cloth from her side, “Sheesh.” “That’s not a good sound to hear from your doctor,” Marisa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, this isn’t a good thing a doctor should see,” Olakino frowned and measured the depth of Koe’s wound. “But this isn’t treatable, at least with the supplies we have now.” “Isn’t treatable?” Kanikau was conflicted. Of course, she hated Koe with all of her might but she hadn’t expected her to die from such a lame injury. “She lost too much blood,” Olakino was glad Koe was unconscious for this discussion. He would have to tell her the bad news if she awakened, but now he had more time to brainstorm ways to break the news. “Her body will try to replenish it but when she can’t keep up with the demand, she’ll grow weaker until she dies.” Kanikau grimaced but felt no remorse. “Well, what about this one then?” She waved her hand towards Piha. “He’s alive but...” She trailed off as they turned their attention to Piha’s chest that was heaving up and down, each breath laboriously drawn in. “He might have a harder time breathing and generally getting around?” Olakino tapped his chin in thought. That made sense in his mind at least. Thankfully, the majority of the mystery was solved as Piha twitched and made a great effort to open his eyes. He rubbed them with the heels of his hands and blinked a few times forcefully. His breathing was a bit better now he was sitting upright but his face was twisted. “I can’t see!” Piha exclaimed. “What happened? What’s wrong with my eyes? I can’t see anything!”
It had been a few days since the giant otter attack, and Piha had been left in the dark ever since. It wasn’t from malice or neglect surprisingly; it was due to the fact that Piha’s eyes just didn’t work anymore. His mind reeled with fears, both of hostile sea creatures that could easily make him a meal and hostile sirens he lived with that were now in charge of his safety. Pretending to sleep in the medical alcove, he even heard hushed arguments regarding Koe and the reasons to keep her alive. During one of these discussions between Olakino and Kanikau, a bony finger tapped Piha on his shoulder, and when he opened his mouth to scream, a clammy hand clasped over his mouth. “I know you’re awake,” Koe waited a moment before releasing her grip, “We need to talk.” Once she felt Piha settle, she released his mouth, “I think we should escape.” “Escape?” Piha hissed. “You’re actively dying!” “Exactly!” Koe insisted, “I don’t want to die here with everybody I hate. And aren’t you tired of everyone always moaning about each other? Not to mention, there is not enough food for all of us to logistically stay.” “Logistically? Let’s talk about logistics,” Piha retorted, “we’re both blind, you’ll be dead sometime soon, and we’re supposed to just find a brand-new home? I don’t like living here but that doesn’t mean the grass is greener somewhere else.” Koe held a finger to his mouth as he got louder and Olakino in the other space got quieter. “Fine,” She moved closer to his ears with effort, “then, you bring me somewhere else and...you know...I’m just going to be in pain. There’s only so much Olakino can do underwater with seaweed. And then you can do whatever the fuck you want.” Piha started to reply but her hand was back on his mouth. “Just think about it.” Koe said, “please.” As Koe laid back down, just in time for Olakino to come change her bandages, Piha settled against the rock wall. He understood where Koe was coming from though putting her out of her misery wasn’t his favorite thing to imagine. But then...would he come back? He really had no ties to these sirens and apparently there were even worse ones out there with some axe to grind with Kanikau. Piha just wanted to survive! He even had to worry about Marisa knowing about his african-gray parrot shift. She had been catching his eyes (when he had sight) and smirking after discovering him on the island. Then he had the most brilliant idea of his entire life. Piha hid his grin with his hands as Olakino finished checking over Koe with worried tuts before he swam back to her. “I’m in.” His words brought tears to Koe’s eyes. “Gather whatever you’ll need,” Koe replied, “I just want to die someplace peaceful. That’s my only request.”
Makua drug Mali-iho by a fistful of hair. “We’ll be late for the meeting.” He said as his younger brother still had a black pawn in his hand. “We can finish the game later, Kanikau will have our heads if we miss this.” I don’t see how it’s so important,” Mali-iho untangled himself from Makua and spun the chess piece between two fingers, “She just said something about a turtle.” It’s a god or something,” Makua shrugged. “Then let’s find a way to eat that god,” Mali-iho cackled, “I love turtle stew.”
Keiki watched all of the Abyssi sirens gather around Kanikau from her makeshift carriage Hūhū built. Knowing what was to come, she shifted uneasily with her hands gripping a fistful of waterlogged sticks. She found the smallest one and inspected it. There were no differences other than it being shortest. “I’ve come to a conclusion to our food issue!” Kanikau started her planned speech and Keiki let all the sticks drop back into a big pile. “After a lot of thought and patrols failing to spot the Turtle Man once again,” she shot a glance at Anaia who refused to meet her gaze, “I’ve thought of a way to get his attention.” “How are you so sure this turtle will solve all of our problems?” Kipi gripped Maemae’s hand. She was mostly angry at herself for bringing Maemae into such an unstable environment. “We believe,” Kanikau ignored Anaia’s reluctance and drug her to the front with her, “that he is a Being that will help us.” “Huki saw him too,” Anaia bit her lip, “he’s just not here to tell you. But he really did gift us food months ago.” “And if we can’t find him,” Kanikau continued, “we will just have to get his attention!” Now the rest of the sirens were starting to look mildly interested. “And how do we get the attention of a god?” Marisa crossed her arms. It would take a lot more to impress her. “Keiki, the sticks please,” Keiki gladly passed the sticks to her captain. “Twigs?” Mali-iho couldn’t help himself from blurting out. “We’re going to throw twigs at him?” Kanikau’s grin grew wider and...much more sinister. “Not exactly. But please, everyone be my guest. Draw a stick!” Kanikau, in all of her kindness, let Keiki pick first. Keiki let out a sigh of relief when she got a medium length one. She watched with her fists balled up on her scarred knees and saw Mahalo with the smallest one. Kanikau noticed and pulled him up like she did with Anaia. “We have a winner!” Mahalo’s stomach dropped. That didn’t sound good coming from Kanikau. Trevor and Olakino exchanged worried looks. “And what do I win?” “Well, maybe it’s not exactly what you win. But the rest of us do.” Kanikau threw her stick off to the side and Mahalo watched it drift down to the bottom of the sea. He shoved his short stick in her face. “What the hell do you mean by that?” Mahalo huffed. “Come to think of it, we don’t know for sure if Turtle Man is a god or not.” Kanikau said, “But what do gods love? A good sacrifice!” Mahalo sputtered, “Sacrifice? There must be a different way...a better way!” “You said it earlier yourself, Mahalo,” Kanikau’s eyes flashed, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
Piha burst into the medical alcove which startled Koe, the only one allowed to miss the meeting, awake. “We need to leave. NOW!” Piha said as he felt for his small bundle of cloths and seeds. He didn’t have any more time to gather supplies he might need. “I thought we were leaving tonight?” Koe rubbed her bandaged sides. It was almost time to change them. “Kanikau is planning on doing a fucking sacrifice to the gods. I didn’t sign up for this shit,” Piha made sure the seeds were still all there and cut a fingertip on the dagger Koe had added to his stash. He sucked at the blood as he bundled the dagger back up. He didn’t want to think about what he would have to do with the dagger in a little while. “What the fuck?” Koe shook her head. “Honestly, it makes sense, but I don’t want to watch...or you know what I mean... when Mahalo gets gutted. He didn’t seem too thrilled at the idea.” Piha now was helping Koe into a sitting position. “Who would be?” Koe mused. “Too bad she hates me, otherwise I’d be the perfect candidate, you know?” “We had to draw sticks to ‘decide’,” Piha frowned, “Automatically picking you wouldn’t be as dramatic as Kanikau rolls.” “Love that I’m the boring option,” Koe rolled her blank eyes, “though I’m not too pressed. I’m ready if you are.” Piha glanced at the entrance out of habit. “Well, we will know if someone spots us if they stop us, I suppose.” He supported Koe who let out a sharp breath as they started to move. “Everyone is preoccupied though.” He could hear Trevor talking very quickly, only guessing at what he could be saying. “Onwards.”
"You didn’t think of running this idea of yours by us first?” Trevor had taken it upon himself to drag Kanikau, Keiki, and Olakino to a quiet alcove while Mahalo was in the midst of a panic attack. “Why would I need to run anything by you?” Kanikau ran a hand through her hair haughtily. “Keiki, the Quartermaster in training, knew.” Keiki crossed her arms. “You only told me what was going to happen because I wouldn’t collect sticks until I had a reason.” “And this was a good reason?” Trevor rubbed his temples. There was a headache coming on. “I’d rather do something than starve sitting down!” Keiki said, noticing her tone was coming close to Kanikau’s, “I’d love to hear another idea.” “Sacrifices have been done in ancient civilizations,” Olakino tapped a finger to his chin, deep in thought, “though I don’t know their success rate...other than killing someone, of course.” “I don’t know what year it is exactly, but we sure aren’t an ‘ancient civilization’!” Trevor said. “I feel like I’m the crazy one now, but this is insane!” “You can call me insane all you want,” Kanikau smirked, “but in the end, it’s happening.” “I’m morally opposed,” Trevor nudged Olakino, “right?” “I’m morally neutral,” Olakino shrugged, “As long as it’s not Trevor.” “True love,” Kanikau fake gagged and Keiki giggled, “you can have a cute sunset date while Mahalo is being stabbed in the heart.”
Piha washed the blood off the dagger in the salty water. He ended up bringing Koe to the small island he found earlier, telling her of the palm trees and vibrant fronds. After the dagger was as clean as it would get, he made his way slowly back to Koe’s body. He felt for her eyes to make sure they were closed and was comforted by the content expression she still had on her face. Feeling the dagger would be better off with Koe, perhaps she could fight off a ghost otter or something, he finished laying her to rest the best he could with her hands clasped around the hilt on her chest. Finally, it was time to leave her, half still in the sea, half on the warm beach. After one last long (metaphorical) look to the ocean, Piha shifted into the African-gray parrot with some primary feathers missing on the left wing, shook out the seeds stolen to eat, and flew into the air. Perhaps someday he would encounter a siren again, but Piha would settle for never turning back into a siren ever again.
Mahalo once heard the trick of tensing your muscles while being tied could make enough room to wiggle free if being kidnapped. “What are you doing?” Kanikau poked him hard in the ribs, causing his concentration to drop with a grunt. “You look like you’re trying to explode.” Perhaps if he hadn’t dropped muscle mass from months of being underfed, the kidnapping trick could help. Mahalo twisted to direct his hateful gaze towards her. “Untie me,” He ordered as Marisa passed the kelp rope to Kanikau’s hand. Marisa giggled and pressed her finger adorned with a painted nail to his nose, “I don’t think so. I’d love to have a nice big meal soon, whether it’s a blessing from the gods or you.” “We’re not eating him,” Kanikau smacked her hand away, “He is for the Turtle Man.” “Insanity!” Mahalo spat, “Trevor!” He knew the medic (which one would think would be soley against this) was strategically standing aside, but the former navy personnel still had some morals. “You’re going to fucking let this happen, Trevor?” Kanikau cackled, “He’s the one sharpening the spear, your spear.” Her hand vaguely gestured, “Something about a quick, painless death. But I don’t know about painless.” The two women had his body completely entwined now, and he was forced onto his stomach face-down. He slowly turned his head. Mahalo could make out shapes of other sirens watching on but doing nothing to help. “Just glad this isn’t you?” He snarled. A couple of the shapes shifted closer to one another; clearly Mahalo was right. “Do you think this will stop with just me?” “Don’t worry,” Kanikau reassured the onlookers, “Our main threat is Anima Rapientem. Mahalo is just doing us the service of wrapping the starvation arc up nice and tidy.”
Ikehu was the most sober she had been in quite some time. Her wine stores had been empty for some time now and trading shells and corals with beach-goers for maybe a beer or two was becoming less of a priority for her. The tone in the Abyssi alcoves had been souring over the past few months, causing her to feel the need to be more cognizant of the events unfolding around herself. Finally, it had paid off, though she was sure Mahalo wouldn’t turn down a nice tequila sunrise currently. He was still laying on his stomach, throat raw from yelling at all of the sirens that were actively ignoring his increasingly desperate pleas. Ikehu felt an uncomfortable tug in her chest. She supposed if she was still human, she would have more of a draw to cut the rope that kept him tied, protest at how ridiculous an actual sacrifice sounded, or especially talk back to Kanikau and all of her ideas that had led them to this point. But another important note was Ikehu wasn’t a human anymore, and each day under the ocean was another day that the harsh realities of siren life tore away her humanity. If she somehow managed to save Mahalo today, would she just be placing herself in harm's way? This is why sirens are typically lone creatures; there cannot be much loyalty and trust when the most important person is yourself. Biting her lip, wanting to still feel some resemblance of humanity, she turned her back on the beggar sentenced to death and found Olakino’s alcove. The medic himself was helping Huhū and the brothers setting up some sort of altar near the surface, but Piha and Koe should still be resting inside. Well, Piha should be resting up, and Koe would slowly be dying. To Ikehu’s surprise, however, the alcove was barren. She started to swim to Keiki or Kanikau in concern but drifted to a stop. In an act of mercy, she kept the information to herself. Running away, she assumed, didn’t seem like that crazy of an idea after all.
Makua wiped sweat off his brow. It was difficult work arranging stones into a presentable altar in the shallows while also avoiding breaking off many pieces of coral. That’s right, even savage sirens give a damn about the environment, mostly because they are the ones living in it but still. “Are we done yet?” Muli-iho rested his head on top of Makua’s head...which he knew Makua hated. “Get off,” Makua swore and removed his brother, “Huhū, we are finished, right?” Huhū nodded, “This should be good enough. Now we just need the body.”
Keiki pressed the tip of the spear to her pointer finger. With little pressure, a drop of blood ran down her finger, leaving a scarlet trail on her arm. The spear was quickly snatched away. “What are you doing?” Trevor frowned and cleaned the glistening tip. “It’s going to get a lot bloodier than that,” Keiki watched as the blood started to dissipate into the water around her. “You got it nice and sharp.” “I want this to go as smoothly as it can for Mahalo.” Trevor passed the spear to Olakino who held the sharpened point up to his eyes. He shrugged with approval. “We’ll kill him for sure, but do you think this will work?” Keiki picked at her shirt, “That a Turtle Man Anaia and Huki once saw will really take pity on us?” “If not, we’ll probably split up into more factions...Koe and Piha have already fled.” Olakino said casually. “WHAT?” Trevor and Keiki exclaimed at the same time. “They were acting suspicious and it’s not hard for the sighted to spy on the blind,” Olakino smirked, “and why should I stop them? Them leaving is better for everyone in the long run. More fun to be shared among us and a slim chance of survival for them.” “Koe will die,” Trevor frowned. “And I’m sure that is her reasoning for leaving,” Olakino said, “and I wouldn’t be surprised if another won’t defect. It’s either flee or stay for the war Kanikau is building up in her head.” “And you’re staying?” Trevor raised an eyebrow. “You are,” Olakino gripped the spear hard, “you’ve made that decision a long time ago and I’ll stay with you.” Trevor’s body relaxed slightly, “And you, Keiki?” “I have nowhere else to go,” Keiki said, “I’m grateful Huhū created this chariot for the hippocampi for my mobility, but living alone would be difficult.” “We’ll always be here for you,” Trevor nudged Olakino who also nodded in agreement, “If you need anything...maybe after all of this we can branch off in our own mini-pod.” Keiki chuckled softly. “Yeah...maybe...” ••• The sun was setting. For another other society, it was just another autumn day, the few clouds in the sky darkening around the sun as it was creeping to the horizon line. Mahalo had been gagged to keep his screams at bay, but the fight had gradually seeped out of him throughout his thrashing and protesting during the day. Trevor and Huhū were on either side of his shoulders, carrying him to the altar. Makua and Muli-iho were on either side of the altar, mostly to make sure all the rocks stayed in place. Olakino and Keiki, with the spear, were on either side of Kanikau behind the altar. The altar itself was made up of various sized rocks, the rocks getting flatter towards the top. Muli-iho found a perfectly sized piece of driftwood to make the top level. The surface of the altar was above water by a couple inches. During the actual sacrifice, Kanikau and Mahalo will be in the fresh open air. Mahalo let himself drift along the path to the altar without much struggle; he had already resigned himself to his fate. He hoped Kanikau would be generous and kill him quickly. His podmates were on either side of the route and then trailed behind, though Kipi had her hand firmly over Maemae’s eyes and she dragged her along. Ikehu lingered towards the back with Anaia with Koe and Piha still unaccounted for. Trevor and Huhū counted down to synchronize heaving Mahalo onto the altar. The change from water to air forced a gasp out of him. Keiki solemnly handed the sharp ceremony spear to her mentor which Kanikau accepted with one hand. “Thank you all for joining us today for a very special moment in Carmina Abyssi’s history!” Kanikau clapped her hands together and a very scattered applause was heard. “Mahalo will always be warmly remembered for his noble sacrifice for all of us podmates that he cares about so, so much.” Kanikau chuckled at her joke while the rest were silent. “Now let us begin-” She burst out of the ocean and flipped her tight curls over her head, “-and let us offer one of our very own to the gods!” Her speech out of the water was the normal series of clicks and squeaks of siren-speak and with a flourish, the spear entered Mahalo’s body smoothly. She had aimed between his ribs and struck his heart. After a couple of feeble beats, Mahalo’s heart stopped and with one last twitch, he was dead. His blood seeped into the driftwood, rocks, and finally the sea. The sun was now touching the edge of the sea and seemingly turned blood red, right along with Mahalo. Kanikau didn’t duck back into the ocean yet; this was a magnificent sight, gods or not. It was like a giant ruby eye was looking down upon her. “We need help,” She pleaded and unrolled a note she secretly found on the outskirts of their territory earlier today. It was pierced by a shiv carved from bone. She made Keiki read it to her, so she knows what it says: “Kanikau, we know you are alive. We know where you are. We know, Kanikau, watch out. Signed, Luku.” Anima Rapientem was coming for her. |
GUARD EACH PRECIOUS BREATH
The sibling pairs bond. Two hippocampi run away. Koe's patrol gets attacked. Koe and Piha are wounded. The sirens are still starving. Mahalo is chosen by lottery for a sacrifice to the gods. Koe and Piha desert the Abyssi, Piha mercy killing Koe. Ikehu ponders running away. Anima Rapientem leave a threatening note.
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DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'LL GET ONE NEXT ⟡ captain 〈female | 41 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - F11 / HS - AC / HC - 47 / EC - E8 / X 〉 Kanikau
⟡ quartermaster 〈female | 16 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - D1 / HS - S / HC -55 / EC - E10 / X ↪ paralyzed from waist down ↪ mentored by Kanikau ↪ 2 successful training sessions 〉 Keiki
⟡ medic 〈male | 53 y | 5 KP | cursed siren ↪ ST - E7 / HS - HW / HC - 27 / EC - G10 / Y〉 Olakino | ⟡ warrior 〈female | 41 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - D9 / HS - LC / HC - 24 / EC - C10 / X〉 Anaia⟡ gatherer 〈male | 43 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A7 / HS - S / HC - 48 / EC - E8 / X〉 Huhū
⟡ gatherer 〈female | 20 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A9 / HS - LW / HC - 31 / EC - E6 / X 〉 Kipi | ⟡ hunter 〈male | 51 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - F11 / HS - S / HC - 29 / EC - H6 / Y〉 Trevor⟡ hunter 〈female | 35 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A9 / HS - S / HC - 52 / EC - C7 / X〉 Ikehu⟡ hunter 〈male | 29 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - A7 / HS - S / HC - 4 / EC - G2 / X〉 Makua⟡ hunter 〈male | 24 y | cursed siren ↪ ST - B7 / HS - AC / HC - 5 / EC - H11 / X〉 Muli-iho | ⟡ deserter 〈male | 39 y | shifting-cursed siren ↪ ST - F5 / HS - AC / HC - 21 / EC - A1 / X ↪ african gray parrot shift ↪ missing left hand〉 Piha | ⟡ tester 〈non-binary | 10 y | cursed siren | AFAB ↪ ST - D8 / HS - AC / HC - 2 / EC - C2 / X〉 Maemae⟡ tester 〈female | 7 y | powered-cursed siren ↪ ST - L8 / HS - HW / HC - 19 / EC - H3 / X ↪ able to breathe anywhere〉 Tiana |
RAZZ ♦ ADOXOGRAPHY
sea dragonNAHESA • female | 249 y | 0/2 bred | Ikehu ↪ increases chance of catching an extra piece of prey ↪ reduces chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 30% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post if taken with a party of 10-15 villagers hippocampiWAHI • mare | 11 y | hybrid | 2/2 bred | Trevor ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post ↪ increases the chance of more items from planted crops by 30% LEOŪ • stallion | 11 y | 2/2 bred | Kanikau ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post AUKĀ • stallion | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Anaia ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post LANAKILA • mare | 1 y | 0/2 bred | Kipi ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post HANOHANO • stallion | 1 y | 0/2 bred | Kipi ↪ 20% chance of catching extra piece of prey ↪ reduces the chance of injuries on scouting patrols by 20% ↪ reduces the chance of death on scouting patrols by 50% ↪ reduces the market travel time by 1 post fire-lizardsGULA • female | 10 y |1/2 bred | Kanikau ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KELEAWE • male | 10 y | 1/2 bred | Anaia ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols POLŪ • male | 7 y | 0/2 bred | Koe ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KEKOLU • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Huhū ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ŌMA'OMA'O • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols KAWA • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ULULĀ'AU • male | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Olakino ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols LANI • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Piha ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ↪ with PihaNALU • female | 5 y | 0/2 bred | Keiki ↪ increase chances of finding materials and items on patrols ottersAURUNCI • sow | 7 y | 1/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill ↪ 30% chance of catching 1-4 mice worth ¼ serving each TRIESTE • sow | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill ↪ 30% chance of catching 1-4 mice worth ¼ serving each TERGESTE • boar | 6 y | 0/2 bred | Trevor ↪ reduce chances of getting villagers ill mako sharkMANGŌ • female | 3 y | 0/2 bred | Keiki ↪ increase the chances of catching an extra piece of prey on hunting patrols ↪ guarantee +1 hunter on border patrols sirensHILAHILA • female | 27 y | cursed siren | bled out↪ ST - A9 / HS - LC / HC - 11 / EC - F6 / X BALE • male | 37 y | cursed siren | killed by Hilahila↪ ST - F11 / HS - HC / HC - 10 / EC - F2 / X PAAKIKI • female | 77 y | cursed siren | killed by Huhū↪ ST - E8 / HS - LW / HC - 30 / EC - H9 / X HUKI • male | 32 y | cursed siren | killed by Anaia↪ ST - A8 / HS - HW / HC - 34 / EC - C3 / X ↪ tail torn, slower KOE • female | 39 y | cursed siren | killed by Piha↪ ST - C11 / HS - LW / HC - 2 / EC - E2 / Y ↪ completely blind MAHALO • male (afab) | 32 y | cursed siren | sacrificed by Kanikau↪ ST - E10 / HS - S / HC - 17 / EC - G5 / X animalsNANI • mare | 14 y | hippocampus | killed by Huki
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