EIGHT YEARS AGO
Three figures were sitting at the edge of a cliff on an island devoid of any other humans. A built man with half his face burned off, a young woman with blonde hair and a black ribbon, and a little boy with golden eyes and a crimson scarf far too large for him all sat on fallen logs, face deep in the cards in their hands.
Naren looked at his cards aggressively. He had no idea how to play this game, but was in the competitive spirit. It was his first time playing a game with others after all. Though, even with this new experience he still had a very pressing question at hand.
"How do I become a shaman?"
Alice moved three pebbles forward.
"Call, bitch."
Bjorn did the same without saying a word and Naren followed suit, mimicking Bjorn's exact movements.
"Aliiceee, howw?"
"I'll tell ya if you win."
She aggressively placed her two cards face up for the other two to see.
"Yeah! That's a straight Bjorn! Looks like you gotta wait another game Naren!"
Bjorn looked at his cards then placed it down too. A flush.
Alice grabbed her head in exasperation. Already ready to whine.
"Aw come on! Why do you even bring these shitty cards!"
"Because both of you are awful."
Pulling the pebbles to his side, Bjorn glanced at Naren. His face was still buried in his cards trying to figure out what they meant. Eventually, Naren put them down as well.
Alice burst into laughter. Falling back.
"Hahaha, who's awful Bjorn?"
She pat Naren's head, roughing up his hair.
"Good job shrimpy."
"Come on, answer now Alice."
Alice gave one more aggressive scuffle before falling back onto her hands. Deep in thought.
"A shaman is what you call someone who makes a pact with a beast. When you make the pact, you'll get some kind of power, a fable, like your affinity to reflections. In return, the beast will take something from you, a spite. In your case your perception of identity. Though it seems those with conviction and closer to you can bypass it slightly."
Then she paused and smiled gloatingly as she pointed at herself.
"Or someone strong like me."
Naren fell back, looking at the sky.
"Yeah yeah, but I want to know how to be a shaman."
Alice flicked him on the forehead leaving a red bump that Naren immediately grabbed. Yelping in pain.
"I was getting to that. Don't rush me...Anyways, I remember when I became a shaman. I was twel—"
"Naren, you made a pact with your sister, a witch. Well, the pact has a third clause as well."
"Don't cut me off, you thug."
Alice grabbed Bjorn in a chokehold, but he continued to speak regardless.
"You're to complete a task — a Marchen — for the beast, one specific to you. Only then will you be acknowledge as a Shaman. Now as for finding the Marchen, whenever the beast sees fit, it will speak to you unconsciously."
"I don't get it. Why can't I just look for my sister now. Why do I have to go to a Marlen."
"You'll get two years after discovering your Marchen—"
Alice jutted in, overlooking Naren ominously with a creepy smile
"And if you fail. That sister of yours will gobble up your soul from the inside."
Then she made a firework motion with her hands.
"And a soulless body will explode into nothingness."
But none of those words had mattered to Naren. He was still hung up on one specific remark. As his eyes glimmered, he stared directly at Alice.
"I'll talk to my sister?"
—————————————————————
PRESENT DAY
Eight years had passed. Alice only stayed for a year after. Saying she had things to take care of before leaving Naren alone on that lonesome island. On the beach of that same island, a crudely built raft was pushed onto the obsidian black waters.
Yawning, Naren grabbed his makeshift paddles. If you can even call them that.
"Like I'm gonna wait for that damn sister to talk to me."
As he paddled, a couple kilometers away from the shore, he became increasingly more annoyed. Yawning he fell down onto the raft. A strange sound had been buzzing in his ears. Like a lot of water being displaced. A lot.
"Urgh, it's so damn loud. I'm sleepy as is."
He stretched but in the process an even louder sound arose, scaring him.
"Shut up already! I'll beat your ass!"
The water around him circled into a vortex. In the middle an island sized shadow loomed, with it's maws open.
He took a long breath through his teeth.
"Maybe I should've just waited. She's a good sister isn't she?"
With that the whale collapsed onto Naren's raft, swallowing him whole.
—————————————————————
Among dark murky waters, a ship sailed, rough in course. The water was in itself alive. Currents bending in ways it shouldn't. The ship already had crude repairs around it, but with no land in sight, it sailed on reluctantly.
On the deck, a little girl sat with a slightly oversized button up shirt and a long skirt. Akin to a school uniform. She was short for her age—couldn't be older than nine. Dark hair fell just past her shoulders, uncombed, tangled. Her face was pale, almost sickly.
Her eyes were staring in silent resentment, directly at a man holding another in his sight alone.
The man's hair was fully buzzed, a little tattoo of a broken crown completely ensnared by a rose wrapped around it peeking through his neck. The same symbol was etched into an emblem on his coat along with three chevrons and one rocker underneath.
"You lost the map to Thera?"
Vera watched, the private facing the man tremble. For a second they made eye contact, but he averted it right away.
"I-I'm sorry Sergeant. I didn't mean to lose it. I just-"
The Sergeant patted his shoulders before letting out a Hearty laugh.
"Come on. Vera's watching, you're going to make her think I beat you all."
The Sergeant brushed some dirt off the private's shoulders.
"Don't worry too much. Mistakes are what make us human after all."
The private, breathed a sigh of relief. Finally able to calm down. He gave the Sergeant a salute before leaving on his own.
"Thank you, Sergeant."
The Sergeant walked over to the little girl, noticing the untouched bowl of food in front of her.
"Are you not hungry Vera?"
She didn't respond, instead averting her eyes, refusing to look the man in the eye.
As a gentle breeze blew, the sleeves of her shirt ruffled, revealing freshly made bruises.
The Sergeant turned back towards a soldier mopping the deck.
"Bolka! Can you bring the others up please."
"Y-yes sir, Sergeant."
He then turned back to Vera, who was still showing adamant discomfort.
"There, you can eat with your friends now."
He bent down and patted her on her head.
"I'm worried about you. Eat more."
Vera's eyes locked onto the Sergeant with disdain.
"Go to hell."
The Sergeant eyes shifted. A flash of hatred in between the warm beats. He raised his hands.
Vera flinched, trying to protect her head, trembling, when a voice stopped the Sergeant from behind.
"Don't touch her, bastard!"
A sickly man with short white hair and wrinkles covering his face stood alongside many other prisoners, all shackled together. He had crude bandages lining every part of his skin not already covered by his clothes.
The Sergeant, turned back. His eyes cold as his lips curled in as one side of his mouth raised slightly. The kind of look you give to a dog that just peed all over your carpet.
"I'm sorry. I don't think you have room to talk here."
By the time he looked back, Vera had already slipped out. Running before she tripped on herself.
'Why do I always trip. Why can't I just grow up.'
The Sergeant walked over to her, undoing his belt in the process. He raised it high above his head, Vera's eyes shut tight to avoid the fear. She muttered something under her breath.
"Why can't you just die."
Just then, as if to answer her wishes, the ship began to tilt.
Way more than normal. In fact, it was almost completely parallel with the water. With it, the ship also began to pick up speed. Faster and faster.
People, supplies, anything loose tossed around the ship. At the mercy of gravity. One by one, bodies fell into the sea below.
Though, the ship didn't stop. It just grew faster. Spinning into a blur — sky, sea, sky, sea, sky, sea.
Vera grabbed the railing beside her, holding tightly.
'No no. I promised mom.'
Vera's grip tightened as she tried to keep her guts from spilling out. Her hands shook, as her eyes lost all prior conviction.
"Someone save me please."
But nothing happened. The ship continued spinning. Pulled fast into the vortex in the middle. Into the maws of the island-sized shadow just below the surface.
Complete darkness encapsulated Vera's world as her body was tossed around. Her hands still gripped around the railing, or at least what she hoped was the railing. She had long since closed her eyes.
Her grip finally let go, her body tumbling to a stop at last. As she opened her eyes, she saw an enormous cavern of fleshy walls. Bioluminescent glows emanating in pulsing waves. Somehow she was still alive.
Vera grabbed onto her head, getting to her feet, her eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. In front of her was fleshy shore. An oily, murky liquid crashing onto it repeatedly.
Several islands of debris filled up the waters, made up of lost wreckages, bodies, dissolving organic matter. And directly in front of her, twenty meters floating on the waters was the wreckage of the ship she had just been on.
It was perched on an island of debris, tilted, and half gone. From the bow, to the deck, to everything forward of the mast was torn off. The exposed interior gaped open. Splintered wood and metal hung loose, a couple bodies pierced or hung lifelessly, hollow eyes still stuck with a moment of fear.
Vera's eyes shook as she puked out everything she had been holding in.
"W-where?"
As she turned around a darkened figure was right up against her. Crouched down so they would be face to face. Their facial expressions were completely darkened, only two glowing yellow eyes visible.
"We're in hell."
Vera yelped as she fell back, crawling away in fear.
"L-leave me alone!"
The figure fell back laughing.
When Vera finally calmed down realizing what had happened, she stood up making out the figure: A boy drenched in sea water. Dark red curly hair plastered to his face, with a crimson scarf embracing him.
Her face turned into a scowl as she grew angry.
"Wh-what's wrong with all of you."
Vera picked up a loose piece of wood from the ground and held it over her head.
Naren sprang up, slowly stabilizing his breathing. Locking his golden eyes with Vera's. Her hands shook in the air. Naren didn't say anything. He was curious to see how far she would go.
A warm voice came from beside them. Throwing a shudder down Naren's spine.
"Vera."
Vera quickly hid behind Naren. Her legs shaking.
"Wh-what do you want."
Naren picked her up from behind him by the back of Vera's shirt.
"Whatcha think you're doing?"
The Sergeant walked up to Naren. A slight limp noticeable as Naren glanced at the blood stains around his knees.
"Who might you be?"
Naren made an annoyed face, refusing to look the man in the eye. Instead he scanned the new wreckage for any food. He'd been here for three days and was starving.
He threw Vera down, before reluctantly looking at the man. Yawning. His eyes half asleep.
"Naren, a shaman...almost."