Episode Six - Bonds (Part 1)
Chapter Song Suggestion "Nightsky by Tracey Chattaway"
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THE PAST | Florian
A prickle of dread ran down his spine as the blue-eyed man took in his pale face and anguished stare. He forced himself not to drop his gaze.
"My name is Captain Mickael Strauss," the man rumbled deeply. "What is your name, boy?"
"F-Florian Denari, sir!"
Strauss kept a straight face, fully aware of how intimidating he appeared to children. "Are you aware that your father has sold you to us?"
Florian's gaze flew to the Captain's, brows drawn. "That's not true!"
"You better believe it kid, because this is your life now." Strauss gestured to their surroundings. They were no longer at the camp but, in Ataxia, the military base for special kill hunters. "Welcome to Ataxia — your new home." Bending down so that they were at eye level, Strauss gently gripped his shoulders. "Listen kid. You look like a decent fellow, so I'm giving you this one chance."
Florian swallowed hard, not anticipating the Captain's next words.
"Do you want revenge against Councilman Denari?"
He couldn't believe his ears. "Wh-what?"
"Your father doesn't care about you. He's saving his own skin by offering you to us. Being a kill hunter means that you'll face death everyday and when you die — that's it. No one will mourn for you." The Captain's voice was deadpanned. "So, tell me. Do—you—want to have your revenge?"
Florian's mind was a jumbled mess. He didn't understand what was going on, or why he was here. But what if the Captain wasn't lying? Yesterday, when his father approached him, he found it strange because he was often ignored in the Denali household. Deep down, he had been foolishly happy that his father had sought him out. Now he knew why.
"Yes." He decided, taking a stand for himself. "I want it."
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PRESENT DAY
Eira was mesmerized by the ethereal beauty of Craole — the floating blue nation. There was water everywhere. In fact, the entire nation consisted of segregated islets and the better half of it was an island connected to the mainland. Irregular tectonic shifts contributed to its uneven plates and archipelagos, explaining the abundance of asymmetrical waterfalls. It looked like a dream out of someone's imagination brought to life. This was paradise.
Arriving at port, she was transfixed by the colossal waterfall looming overhead, at least two hundred meters tall. Her head tilted back until her neck started to protest. Sunlight passed through the heavy mist forming a beautiful rainbow arch. She'd never seen anything so magnificent. It stretched wide across the paved walkway, accommodating over hundreds of ships — including theirs.
Chuckling at her expression, Florian kindly closed her gaping jaw. "This is one of Craole's pride — Arcadia Falls Port."
"H-how is this possible?" She drew in a staggering breath. "This waterfall has to be more than nine hundred feet wide! I can barely see the end of it from here."
"Wait until you see the rest of Craole." A twinge of forgotten pride stirred within Florian's chest. "Every islander owns at least a boat or a ship because it's our only mode of transportation between islets."
Eira couldn't tear her eyes off Mother Nature's miracle as they descended the gangway. "How come the ships don't get swept away by the current?"
"This port was built to automatically dock arriving ships. On the other hand, we use the current's natural momentum to set sail. And it naturally keeps the predators away."
"How ingenious!" she exclaimed exuberantly, watching the milling crowds of tourists, merchants, soldiers, and nobility around them. It fascinated her how this port connected people from all walks of life. "Now I'm even more curious to see what the fishery looks like."
A sheepish look settled over Florian's face. "Before that, we need to ring up the Captain." He started towards a dome-shaped glass up ahead housing an abundant of greenery and individual buildings. Hexagon lines glistened as sunlight bounced off the panels. "We can use the communicator hub inside the terminal."
Like he expected, Lars gave him an earful for not checking in the night before, although he imagined their Captain was more concerned about their new teammate rather than Florian's welfare.
"I expect another report tonight, Vice-Captain Denari." Lars ended the call with a sharp click.
Florian winced. The Captain only used his title when he was mad. Hanging up, he sighed exaggeratedly. "That went as well as expected."
"He was mad, wasn't he? I could hear him over the phone," Eira snickered, her thoughts already on their mission. "What do we do now?"
Grabbing her hand, Florian tugged her to a nearby deli. "First, let us grab a bite to eat. I'm starved and Craole's famous for fish sandwiches."
Her stomach rumbled and she blushed. "I suppose a bite wouldn't hurt."
Fish supply was rare in the desert. Whatever she had before was often frozen or canned — never fresh. As Eira sank her teeth into the thick and crispy fillet sandwiched between two buttered buns with a generous slab of key lime tartar sauce, she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. "Oh my, this tastes delicious! Does everything in Craole taste this good?"
Florian smiled, wolfing down his second serving. "Food tastes best when it's served fresh, and that's something you will hear from every Craolean chef. If you like seafood, then Craole is your ultimate destination."
"You sound like a tour guide," she giggled, wiping the corners of her mouth. "Thank you. You didn't have to go out of your way to indulge me."
He took another hearty bite. "Think nothing of it. We still need to eat even when we're on a mission. And I don't mind showing you around. I'm happy to have the first privilege."
Her smile widened. "Then I hope we can make more happy memories to take back with." Craole was too beautiful a place to be condemned by an unhappy childhood. She quickly finished her sandwich. "How will we get to the fishery?"
Swallowing the last bite of his sandwich, he threw away the wrapper. "We'll take the toot-toot dinghy. I think you'll enjoy the experience."
To Eira's amusement, the toot-toot dinghy was a small plywood boat operated by an oarsman. Garbed in a striped shirt with a red scarf around his throat, the weathered oarsman tipped his straw hat. "Salud! Where can I take ye' lovely bunch?"
Florian assisted Eira — who was awkward and unused to the gentle rocking — onto the dinghy before settling on the opposite bench. He tossed the oarsman a gold coin and said, "The Craolean fishery, please."
"The Craolean fishery it tis'," the oarsman echoed, pushing off and steering the dinghy into a moving current.
Eira was fascinated by how he expertly maneuvered the small boat so that they wouldn't collide with the other seafarers, using the current to take them to their destination without having to row all the way.
"Is tis' ye' first time in Craole, missy?" the oarsman asked, noticing Eira's rapturous stare.
She blushed lightly. "Kraz. Yes. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. I'm amazed by how well you're steering and using the currents to your advantage."
The oarsman's teeth gleamed under the sunlight, revealing a golden tooth. "It takes at least thirty years to be as accomplished as I am. I'm the best oarsman in Craole. Me' name's Gaia."
Eira returned the smile. "It's nice to meet you, Gaia. I'm Eira and this is my partner, Florian."
"What business do ye' folks have with the fishery?" Gaia asked with undisguised interest. "That place has been dead for months. Heard the fish supply be completely gone."
Florian wondered if this man knew something. "What else have you heard?"
Gaia rubbed his chin, recalling what his drunken mates told him. "Something about an unknown predator terrorizing the place. It only appears at night and some of the smaller ships that have set sail never returned."
Eira exchanged glances with Florian. That sounded like what they had experienced last night. Were the two cases connected?
"Either way," Gaia shrugged idly. "Without any fish, the fishery's bound to close down." He eyed the reaper on Eira's arm. "I don't know what ye' folks can do to help the place. No one's seen what the predator looks like…something about a white ghostly figure."
Clearly, rumours about the fishery's dilemma have circulated and yet the Craolean hunting division couldn't be bothered. Florian wasn't surprised by their lackadaisical attitude. The truth would soon reveal itself.
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"Thank you for coming, Vice-Captain Denari. I'm Esa, the fishery council manager." He pumped Florian's hand rigorously. Tall and gangly, Esa looked to be in his mid-forties. "We weren't certain if you received our message. I understand that we didn't appeal through the proper channels but, our problem couldn't wait any longer. I was directed to Captain Verhelst by an acquaintance." He looked torn. "I truly hope you can help us."
"Can you tell us more about the situation? When did it begin?" Eira inquired with patient understanding, observing the bluish circles under his tired eyes.
"It started three months ago when our marine livestock abnormally disappeared before it completely dried out. Even the ocean fishes we used to haul in are depleting rapidly. The fallout has become dire." Anxiety wrinkled his tanned forehead. "Our request to the local kill force went unanswered and to ensure our livelihood, I cannot allow this problem to persist."
Based on how Craoleans revered achievements, it was no wonder the fishery's inconsequential problem wasn't prioritized. At this rate, they would never be entertained by the military kill force. Florian pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Have you identified the predator responsible?"
"No, it's an unknown and it's very evasive — intelligent too." The last one was said distastefully.
Florian was curious as to what kind of ocean predator it was. "Can you show us where it was last seen?"
"Certainly." Esa escorted them to the back of the building where the fishy stench was undeniably strong. "Right this way. Our fishery is divided into two sections. The first is our remote aquaculture pools located here out back, and the other is our deep-sea aquaculture located in the reefs below." He brought them to the pier overlooking the desolate aquaculture pools. "This is where the predator was last seen. It was dark so we couldn't quite see what it was but, I think it was searching for food," he generously explained. "After we failed to catch it, it ran off into the night."
"When was this incident?" Florian bent to trace the scuffed planks, certain the marks weren't human. Could this predator be of amphibian descent that allows it to live on land and in water?