‹ Prequel: Ninety Days of Water
Status: Active.
Tundra
Chapter III – Ill Tides – Part III
Aais stood on scaly legs, watching the god disappear into the distance, becoming just another spec of sand on the shore. There were so many specs; too many to contemplate. He had never seen anything like it before, and it was overwhelming. He felt both his hearts beating up in his throat. He had encountered the god Hassis!
Back he dove, into the water, forsaking Hassis’ offer to show him around upon the land. He was not worthy! Back he swam serpentine, into the inky depths to where his people’s shoal had migrated. There, he found his brothers and sisters frolicking together where there was only open ocean, and the fish were aplenty.
‘Brothers! Sisters!’ he cried. ‘I have seen the god Hassis!’
He expected shock, even awe. He did not expect his declaration to be greeted with such familiarity.
‘Aais, where have you been?’ asked an older karakos, with flaking scales. ‘I, too, have seen a god! Resticlos appeared to me by the sunken wreck, two tails from here.’
‘And I,‘ came another voice, ‘have seen Opharra, the Sea Queen, hunting amongst the schools of cloudfish.’
‘I have seen Akirru, the god of death!’
‘And I have seen Thuffu, the god of life!’
Everywhere, fins flashed and gills fluttered agitatedly. Everyone, it seemed, had seen a god. But it was not the time for gods. Not the season. This was unnatural rather than sacred, frightening rather than special. Despite being saved, Aais soon found himself wishing he had not met Hassis at all.
Back he dove, into the water, forsaking Hassis’ offer to show him around upon the land. He was not worthy! Back he swam serpentine, into the inky depths to where his people’s shoal had migrated. There, he found his brothers and sisters frolicking together where there was only open ocean, and the fish were aplenty.
‘Brothers! Sisters!’ he cried. ‘I have seen the god Hassis!’
He expected shock, even awe. He did not expect his declaration to be greeted with such familiarity.
‘Aais, where have you been?’ asked an older karakos, with flaking scales. ‘I, too, have seen a god! Resticlos appeared to me by the sunken wreck, two tails from here.’
‘And I,‘ came another voice, ‘have seen Opharra, the Sea Queen, hunting amongst the schools of cloudfish.’
‘I have seen Akirru, the god of death!’
‘And I have seen Thuffu, the god of life!’
Everywhere, fins flashed and gills fluttered agitatedly. Everyone, it seemed, had seen a god. But it was not the time for gods. Not the season. This was unnatural rather than sacred, frightening rather than special. Despite being saved, Aais soon found himself wishing he had not met Hassis at all.