The water glistened and glowed as under it's sunlight layer a form moved effortlessly through the currents. Propelled by unseen motion Hakk moved forward, his body slender echoed the axolomeh of old, from the shovel-like head and rami stretched with the flowing current about him to the twin tails and tiny feet hunched under him. His body was a nightshade of cerulean speckled with the stars of the heavens and from it, a dim light emanated dancing upon the almost marble-like surface. Following a current beyond perception, he moved gliding along the way.
Above him, the world spun with the skies dimming and waves rushing against themselves. Rain poured down striking the surface with keen beads as the winds rushed the air with unmatched swiftness.
His eyes darted to and fro in the dusky virescent and blue world engulfing him. Behind, the land withdrew and began as he swarmed offshore. Scene upon scene remained fixed as miles and miles of coast rolled by covered in a miasma of growing plant life.
Rocks began to dot the space off the shore where he lingered. A reef of pitch night stones with jagged corners lay planted in the abyss hidden by the turmoil of the waves the collapsed upon them. Beneath it in the stupor of the sea life and coral banks, ships masses awoke in hollowed shells to fill the pits of the senseless.
The ocean continued to rage as the tides crashed against every solid object, violently engulfing everything in its path including himself. The waters shifted, muddled with debris. Hakk dove deeper as the force of the waves began to subside about him.
About him surrounded the mwani, extended from the rock-abyss beds below, it covered the pockmarked rocks in sprawling green patches that shoot up in tall stalks with tendrils leading from each like hands that floating weightless in the water about.
In the midnight before him, he floated as lightning illuminated the clouds above with the waters below filling with a heavy silence.
Beneath the storm break, Hakk followed distantly the shoreline. Through the groves of mwani, he crept bypassing the relentless ocean and its collection of crags that rose from its depths.
Distantly a faint light grew on the surface, a flash of light rang across the surface as a ripple raked through the depths. A shadow rolled past as he slowed to a halt just past his left a form sank, it's eyes matted and body froze. He locked sights as he watched the motionless form descend beyond. Wooden boxes began to fill his vision, the hull of a ship slipped into view as beyond it an orange-red glow grew.
The currants turned the wreckage as water rushed to fill the space in the sinking vessel. Broken bits of timber, metal, and textiles surged about him, half the ship sank sideways into the ocean beneath, as the mwani spread out received the new body to their tombs.
Hakk navigated the scene before him as he breached the surface. Four towers spread from the broken center of the ship and toppled to the sides as the metal twisted apart, a large explosion rattled the ship as the shock wave sent the water scattering momentarily away. Capsized lifeboats shattered on the reef rocks about, the ship burned crimson in the distance as a black plume of smoke rose heavily from its core the frame creaked and cried. At the port, the ship was bore into a large reef rock half resting and sinking beneath the tides.
Diving under Hakk made his way to the wreck. The craft ascended before him several stories and counting. Reaching out he pulled himself onto the broken ship. His form melted as it trespassed the wounded bows of the vessel. His bare form trod about the collapsing ship carefully wading through the wreckage and burn out portions. Rain poured sizzling against the heat of metal and wood. Waves of warm radiated from the middle portion of the ship. Contorted metal tanks, melted from the inside out, splayed out their guts as flames licked at any flammable structure.
Light filled the corner of Hakks eye, his feet quickly moved from the waterlogged ship to a sinking crate as fractals of electricity ran the surface of the water lighting it up as if it were day. A boom followed ringing in his ears.
Water continued to permeate the broken vessel, a few scattered bodies lay face first in the rising waters, scorch marks marred their clothes and flesh. The once lacquered wood now coated in a film of thick oil colored substance. The lower decks were marred by this with most of its cargo engulfed partially in the flames.
A faint cry rose between the crashing waves and thunderstorm. Hakks face turned skyward as his eyes narrowed, they darted about the split hull. The sound echoed again as part of the center hull collapsed into the ocean in a hiss of steam and choking smoke that mixed with the winds and rain.
Hakk crawled to the other side of the ship. Against the broken and burned portion, he climbed slowly, his feet digging into the jagged edges as the rest scraped against his exposed skin.
Climbing to the third story he reached to pull himself up but froze. Before him, with floor scorched black were littered bodies of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Barely clothed, some not at all lay in masses or spawled in a contorted form. Their feet were bound in shackles that ran the deck and were nailed to the floor in intervals. Hakk staggered to stand as the support pillars creaked under the top layer of the ship. Kneeling down he turned one of the bodies over. The face strained with eyes shut, upon the edges of their mouth eked yellow bile, a sour smell rose to his nose.
The ship settled again as Hakk grabbed at the side of the ship the bodies rolled to the motion as the bodies towards the end flowed into the ocean beneath.
The sound rose again, horse it echoed from the port side. Hakk waded through the bodies, a cold breath rode in as black umbrae played about at the edges of his perception. Carefully he stepped about the remains the expanse became heavy as smoke crept along with the ceiling of the hold.
To his right, the sound of metal stirred. His eyes caught a form a woman hunched over half a child as her body rested against one of the wooden columns. The small form seizing at the hair of the other, about its mouth and nose a dirty rag covered it. Hakk looked at the chains that shackled the child, no older than six, heavily dug at their flesh. Eyes bloodshot their small hands trembled.
Hakk began pulling at the chain, clanging to the ground it gathered around him until the melted end reached him. Pulling it through the shackles of the child he cast it aside.
The child looked up to his eyes, a film drifted over them Hakk lifted the body of the women off as the small one scurried back. Holding out his hand he kneeled to the ground. The child looked from the hand to his face, shaking their hand moved to grasp. Hakk scooped the small frame up as he held it tightly to his chest.
Hakk waded as he bore the child to the shore and under the cover of a tree, he hid it in branches of a bush. Swimming back in he continued to net out the scattered few breathing beings that remained. Hauling them to the shore even as the waves attempted to retreat.
The storm caught it's zenith as Hakk made another round for survivors, his ears strained as he carefully walked the remains of the ship. Through the corpses he waded stopping at a few and turning them over, the same expression wore on each of their faces.
The obscurations continued to grow, now with eyes that gawked and a purple hashed haze lingered upon the ground as the world became static. Goosebumps ran across Hakk's skin as his eyes averted from the menagerie gathering about.
His foot halted hurling him to the unbroken ground sprawling out. Picking himself up he gazed behind, a black shadow writhed along crawling at him as the wind thrashed it about. Past it a form lay bent, it's visible earthen skin marred with burns and scrapes, the thin raw ankles caked with blood bent and distorted at their joints. The rest of it lay half under the stairs leading to the deck above covered in a small loincloth.
Warmth, Hakks hands turned the body over, it rag-dolled to the side as he holed it up in his arms. More dried blood rested at the temple of the young man's head, a fire orange hair coated in layers of tar and smoke lay messily about a slender round face. Hesitating Hakk stood up, trailing up the stairs he made it topside.
The deck shuddered a bit as more of the ship failed. The area about shifted again as Hakk steadied himself against the railing of the ship. Bending at the knees he took form as the winds picked up in a moment he flung the two from the stern to the port side. The boat wailed as the motion unsettled the boat from the rock, behind them the stern broke. Bending a knee again he slightly winced as he grasped to hold the other firmly.
Winds began to pick up, the shore looked more distantly than it had, Hakk wavered, he drew in a large breath as the deck beneath him began to fail again he drove himself over the waves and raging waters. Underneath him the wind drove him higher, tumbling he shifted off course cascading just offshore.
The waters surrounded the two, kicking to the surface he discovered himself slipping earthward to the abyss.
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