Chapter 1: Its gazing towards me!
'Ever since I was a child, I had a dream. To sail across Endeia and join an Anax hunting faction to hunt down Leviathans all across the hundreds of sea yet to be explored. Being an Anax hunter was the most prideful job one person could have, validation, respect and stories being of you being passed down to generations after your death... But of course... things don't go as you'd like...".
***
–Thud–
A cup fell down onto the wooden flooring, scattering several pieces across the floor.
"W-What did you say?"
The low voice of a young horrified child was heard through a small rundown house on the outskirts of a neighboring village. Sitting on a chair across from him an old couple in their 60's. a old woman with wrinkles and drying skin, beside her sat her an older bulky man with a full gray beard and big forearms that tells his years of hard work.
"I'm sorry Solan, We tried everything... Your father and his crew is gone". The old woman spoke with sincerity.
Solan sat there quietly tears running down his eyes. A boy at the age of 8 years old. His body well nurtured, His skin lightly dark tanned, hair jet black like the darkest hour and two pair of black deep eyes.
"Your Father and his crew are no longer with us and the villagers… There's nothing we can do about it". the man expressed in a uninterested tone, almost like he didn't care at all.
-Solan's father lived by the legacy of Anax. A small part of humanity that dedicates their life on the sea slaying the "Leviathans" attacking sailors and travelers. His father was amongst the many hundreds of groups within the Anax order.
"Our useless village finally got rid of those bastards…". The old man muttered under his breath with no remorse about the crying child Infront of him.
"He's a child dear…!" the older woman shouted furious at her husband
"Like you'd ever care? Those Anax people are insane in their head.. They waste all our village resources to hunt leviathans". The old man uttered angrily in his tone.
***
"Have you heard anything from Solan recently?" One of the townspeople asked.
"No, his father's death must've impacted him greatly… He hasn't left his house for days now". Another man said.
"He just lost his father... what do you expect you idiot?"
***
–Bang bang–
Within Solan's house he stood throwing things around in the basement where his father used to store his equipment. His expression seemed of wrath and determination.
"I will kill that beast… No matter what….". he muttered under his breath.
--Clank--
The sound of something metallic dropping, Solan turned his direction to see a Ritual knife of some kind. Getting a hold of it, its blade was made out of green metal, not just any green metal... It was made out of the same material as the Jade necklace that Solan had. It's handle was made with tight strings and brown leather.
Its serrated blade was engraved with some old symbol, a yellow lighting. Though Solan didn't give it too much of a thought.
His finger caressed its blade lightly before sheathing it.
"Dad…. I will avenge you". His voice gleamed of determination, Solan knew well himself if someone didn't kill that beast, the entire village would become a buffet for the Leviathan at some point.
***
I don't know a lot about my family, but my mother died due to illness when I was 4 years old. Nothing more than that the only thing she left behind was a jade necklace she used to wear. My parents were both of the Anax and From what I know my father and mother were both pride hunters by the "Anax"
Later that evening Solan went down looking through old shelves.
"There it is…"
He said, grabbing a picture necklace of his father, mother and when he was a baby.
***
[A few days ago]
"Do you like the food?" A strong voice uttered in the living room. A well built man of decades of training. His hair a dark black shade and a slight tanned skin.
[Gunjo: Solan's father]
"Yes… It's good….". Solan said with a cheering and happy smile now that his father was not working.
Gunjo gazed at Solan in silence for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of tiredness.
"...I'm truly sorry son… This is the best I could manage today…". Gunjo's voice was laced with disappointment knowing he couldn't afford much due to the recent failed hunts.
My father's hunt recently hasn't gone well. Around the island region we live in there was not one leviathan to be spotted or seen at all. The only reason the villagers accepted us in the first place was of my father's skill and crew... we expected that there would've have been leviathans during this season of the year... but almost not one leviathan had been seen.
Gunjo looked at Solan in silence again for a moment before asking
"Solan… if you want… I could change my job to something more sustainable, like moving to the Imperial capital"
"What? "Why?" Solan asked in disbelief and confusion.
"Its because I promised your mother that I would give you a good future… even if you cannot follow in my footsteps-"
Before he could finish his sentence he was shortly interrupted.
"I want to become a captain like you! I don't want to work like villagers nor the city people! My dream has always been to one day lead an Anax crew!"
Gunjo contemplated in silence before chuckling and patting his head.
"Haha Alright then… if you really want too, then there's nothing i can do about it"
This was the last conversation I had with my father before he went off to his own death.
***
returning to the back to the present Solan was breathing heavily. Under the night skies stood the calming ocean, a breezing wind going through Solan's body and the moon reflecting into the abyss beneath then waters.
"Huff!...Huff!"
In the middle of the dark ocean was a lone rowboat. Solan was rowing towards the area that his father and crew had been last seen according to the villagers. Sweating through his shirt as he had sailed at least 60 Kilometers away from shore alone.
"...I don't have any more water…I" he said standing up taking a break from the constant sailing that felt like years.
He looked over the dark waters and felt the chilling wind passing him.
--Whoosh--
The sound of movement coming from under the water made itself present.
He stayed silent as slowly grabbed a spear stored in the rowboat.
The sea around him was slowly being clad in a light sea-green color. A ominous mist surrounding his small rowboat out of nowhere causing confusion in his mind.
Splash!
Solan turned fast to the sound and could only see a faction of a second silhouette of something eerie behind the mist. Sweat started to form on his forehead, his anxiousness starting to take its toll.
"SHOW YOURSELF YOU DAMN LEVIATHAN!"
"I know you're here! You took my father's life you bastard!" Solan's voice was furious, he was enraged and would do anything to slay the beast that had caused him all this anger.
He gripped his spear tight and just a moment later echoes started forming in his mind.
"Help us… Help us…"
Solan was confused, his mind almost going crazy.
--Whoosh--
Suddenly in front of the rowboat a bright glowing sea green came towards him.
It came closer and as he put his guard up two levitating forms of serpents came towards him slowly. Its body was seen through almost like a forcefield of some kind.
"W-What the!"
The beasts flowed past him like nothing and didn't even attack until they disappeared into the mist again.
"...W-What is going on…!"
Suddenly the rowboat started to shake like something was bumping at his ship.
Solan tripped but got up again before he started shouting again.
"SHOW YOURSELF BEAST. YOUR THE ONE WHO KILLED MY DAD!"
Suddenly the levitating serpents from before charged him as he barely dodged.
The second leviathan came in a rush directly headed his way. Seeing how fast they were, Solan barely dodged the dashing serpent.
"...I've never heard of levitating phantoms before…!."
-Smash!-
Suddenly the rowboat flew into the air, broken into two parts and Solan was knocked out cold, falling into the dark and cold water.
"U-Urghh!"
***
Waking up deep under water there was nothing but an abyss beneath him.
It was cold, Solan's body was freezing and it felt like frostbite was swallowing him whole.
Solan looked around himself before swimming towards the spear sinking above him about to go right into his hand.
"Where's that damn beast-"
just before he reached the spear the same echoing from before appeared.
"Urgh-!" His voice muffled under water leaving small bubbles of his own air.
"Help us… Help us"
The Echoes kept getting louder then the other.
Suddenly the echoes started gathering in one direction. Solan turned down before him, levitated a beast unimaginable so big that Solan's entire body froze in shock, his eyes widened by what he was seeing.
A mud cat of a beast stared right into Solan's soul. It's eyes glowing an eerie dark sea-green color Most of its body hid within a silhouette in the dark water A gigantic mouth with thick lips that could almost swallow your average village house in one go.
Not knowing what to do, the Mud cat opened its gigantic mouth creating a powerful pressure which made Solan unwillingly move to it.
"I-I can't swim away!"
Solan thought succumbing into its mouth. Trying to swim away but with no luck he was getting closer to its huge belly.
It came to no success. His eyes closing knowing his death would be here and now.
"Im sorry…. Dad"