“UTUMMION!”
Carl roared as ferociously as he could, droplets of blood issuing from his mouth. At once the sky above the Marlin King’s head thundered downwards; it struck its head and brought it down as a titanic hammer to a fish, and the Marlin King felt its head plummet through the air onto the splintered deck of the ship.
Carl called upon the winds for one last time to sharpen into a blade, to claim victory, but when he did so, the school of lesser marlins that had waited for their King jumped out of the water onto the deck to take its strike instead.
Seeing its kin about to be slaughtered, the Marlin King expended the last dregs of its energy to flounder its head to shield its kin; the blade that was flying to the neck missed and sliced away a portion of its cheek, whereupon it flung off and came to rest upon the deck with a heavy thunk.
The rushing waters and mist quietened around them; the winds slowed to a crawl, both sides possessing battle-thirst no longer.
Elwin peeked over his father’s shoulders, to see what had become of the Marlin King, to see if they had won.
But the great creature was still alive; its enormous sword-billed head, occupying the bow, took rhythmic breaths at the air which they could hear. Next to it lay a portion of its cheek, which looked to weigh at least a hundred pounds.
It turned its fiercely intelligent eyes to face both father and son. It shimmered like the star-studded night, pooled in them a knowledge and repose of centuries, conveying in a single gaze the dignity of its being. Had that gaze been seen when it was swimming freely, all on Earth would see only majesty. But here now, coming from its sprawled head and absent cheek, Carl witnessed true grandeur: for it had lasted through the entirety of the struggle without losing a single scale or fin, but so readily sacrificed its own dignity to protect that which it held dear.
He looked to himself, his son on his back. Carl’s clothes were ripped and tattered, his spectacles broken, blood upon his mouth, his body sizzling with the power of a hundred spellsongs he sung.
“Dad, are you going to finish it?”
Having expended the finality of its strength, there was no way now for the Marlin King to resist slaughter. They could bring its body back to shore and feed many people, sell its body and flesh on the market for unimaginable sums. Its bones could be donated to the Grand Library of Ascension, and would expand upon the taxonomy of the world they knew, and earn him countless medals and honors.
But that was not the way of the hunt.
“No, Elwin,” Carl replied. “The Marlin King belongs to the sea with his people. He was indeed a great adversary, the greatest I’ve ever fought. I respect him; and he too would, had I done the same.”
Elwin did not yet understand the true meaning of his father’s words. After all, Elwin did not fight; he was only a witness. But just from the way his father and the Marlin King fought, he too felt that it would be unjust for them to slaughter the noble being like any other creature. So he nodded.
Carl laid out a gentle spellsong upon the wind, which weaved itself around the Marlin King like a hammock; with great effort and care, he hoisted it off deck and onto the waves, whereupon it slowly took to the depths once again.
Beyond father and son, the Sun was rising in the east.
* * *
“Welcome home!” greeted his mother, kissing Elwin and Carl on the cheek, dusted by chips of wood and freckles of sea-foam, evidence of an epic encounter that was secret between father and son.
Andre was asleep in his crib next to the dining table.
“We,” said Carl playfully, “have earned ourselves a haul of the century. Let’s bring it in together.”
“Can I help?” asked Elwin. He was starving to the bone, but his job wouldn’t be complete if he couldn’t show his mother the prize which they had earned.
“Of course.” The three hauled the gigantic cheek-meat that once belonged to the Marlin King into the house in a comedic fashion, banging it against the door frame and the chair all the way into the kitchen, while his father Carl took great care with air to ensure that Elwin wasn’t scratched accidentally by its razor-sharp scales. Anna looked rather quizzically at what sort of giant marlin such a flesh would have come from.
“Is it a secret between you and dad?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Elwin, sheepishly scratching his head.
“Then I respect it,” she said, ruffling his hair.
Elwin’s mother, Anna, was adept with the Element of Earth – Gurun it was called – and therefore also with tools of metal. With speedy hands and incisive eye she got to work, slicing and dicing the colossal marlin flesh in an exquisite display of culinary craft. Feeling the water and the density of fat in the flesh through the metal blade as it cut through them, Anna partitioned the meat to classifications of her own with a speed that could drive professionals to tears. Her eyes met Carl’s just like that serendipitous evening of many years ago, and with that brief glance both understood how they should prepare the haul for the whole family, their thoughts in rhythm – marlin steak for the most tender parts of the cheek, glazed marlin fillets for the balanced cuts, and golden battered fish and chips for the rest.
Without wasting a beat, Carl fired up the charcoal stove as Anna commanded the cast iron skillet into her hands.
“Your finest rendition of oil, please,” requested Anna. Carl poured the oil on the skillet in graceful spirals, and finished it off with an impromptu dance of an opera performer from Utopia; Andre, now awake, giggled excitedly in his crib, flailing his tiny arms and legs emulating his dad’s dance the best he could. Elwin giggled.
“The marlin now,” and Carl requested the air about to carry the cuts of marlin steak from the metal tray onto the skillet, globules of suspended juice striking the pan with crackles of oil and roasting fat.
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“Ready?” said Anna, and Carl and Elwin hid behind the counter, peeping at the show about to commence. “Let the fire-show begin!” declared Anna, as she snapped her fingers and a spark came to life on top of the sizzling marlin steak, enveloping the skillet and the air above it with a glorious display of roaring fire. “One more time!” She snapped her fingers again, and again, each time with greater power and precision. Though her Maht was Earth, she also knew how to control Fire too, and there was never a time it wasn’t handy.
“Okay, Elwin – begin Operation Tablecloth!” announced his mother and father. Elwin said, “Right away!” giving the best impression of a salute he saw the champions of the Games do in their newspaper photograms.
Elwin tamed the hunger in his belly as he unfolded and set out the white-laced tablecloth, bringing out the large dinner and salad plates. His hands were still small, so he took great care not to drop any by accident; but it was such a small task compared to the endeavor against the Marlin King that he no longer felt as anxious as he once did. Setting out the plates, and smoothing the creases of cloth in the corners of the table, Elwin declared the operation a resounding success.
Before long, the Eramir household was flowing with the fragrance of roasted fish and roaring laughter. Elwin took to the glorious marlin steak, tender beyond measure, and then to the chunks of thinly sliced potato fries that were oh-so perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside; his hunger was now little more than memory, banished by his mother’s hearty creations. To little Elwin, his mother seemed also a master of a realm, a realm that was entirely different from his father’s – together, it felt as if they could do anything and everything in the world. To be in their loving arms was something that the word ‘happiness’ could not adequately express. Elwin savored the blissful moment, hoping it to last forever.
“Honey, when does the expedition begin?”
“A month from now,” Carl replied, the pleasant expression with which he savored the marlin steak interspersed by hints of concern. “We’ll set sail from the port at the zenith of summer. The winds and the sea should be amicable.”
“Wait, what expedition are we talking about?” asked Elwin, eager to join in on his father’s adventures again.
“It’s an expedition to Terra Incognita, the great lands beyond the sea.”
“But isn’t that the Empire of Jin?” asked Elwin.
His mother tousled his hair. “Only seven and you already know so much!”
Carl smiled. “Our Republics have reason to believe that there lies lands even beyond that great Empire. There is a greater ocean still, and beyond that, an ultracontinent of epic proportions.”
“How big is it?”
“We don’t know for sure, but –” said Carl, stretching his arms to embrace Anna and Elwin – “It’s thiiiiiiiis big!” They all laughed in his embrace.
“But if you are journeying that far, will the expedition – will you be safe?” Anna inquired, brows furrowing lightly with concern. “Doesn’t it escape the scope of your previous expeditions?”
“Well, it’s an occupational hazard to be an explorer and an experimental philosopher. Plus,” he continued, clearing his throat, “how can I turn down those in our Republics who trust me to lead them?”
“You are not forced to go, honey. Do not feel compelled because of the wants of others.”
“I understand, Anna,” replied Carl, kissing her on the cheek. “But like I’ve mentioned before, this is a mission of my own volition. The brave mahn and frhi await me and share in the same dream of discovering that continent. We will find it.”
“Always my brave Carl,” said Anna, running her fingers through his hair. “I know you’ll steer through the waves without a problem. But if there’s something that would cut the breath from you, retread your steps. Elwin and Andre need you, and so do the children and families of those brave mahn and frhi. Lead them home, too.”
“I will, through any tempest or divinity. And provided all goes well, I’ll be back sooner than you can say ‘marlin.’”
Elwin quietly observed the exchange. His mother’s worry remained unchanged, but she gave a smile nevertheless.
“I promised Elwin that I would tell him all about my adventures and the tales of the lands before the beasts and spirits roamed the world. And I don’t plan to miss it,” assured Carl, hoisting him up on his shoulders again.
“Yeah!” shouted Elwin, excitedly.
But just then, a flash of pain-stricken expression struck his father’s face, and disappeared as quickly as it came.
Elwin didn’t understand the meaning of it at first.
Elwin couldn’t understand the meaning at first.
* * *
The day came of the grand expedition, and great ships of metal far bigger than anything Elwin had ever seen were docked at the harbor. The wooden ship he and his father used to fish in the sea looked like a mere paddleboat in comparison to them – they were equipped with massive turbines and engines and with giant tubes which seemed like weapons, and when their horns blew it shook the very seas beneath them. His father would be the captain of the largest ship, and the commander of the entire fleet. But just where was the expedition going to warrant such ships, let alone a fleet?
“Elwin, c’mere,” said Carl, hugging his son closely and for a long time. “Dad’s going on an epic journey, and he’ll come back to tell you all about it, okay?”
“Okay,” said Elwin, slightly taken aback. There was a break in his father’s voice, a cord of uncertainty which Elwin had never heard before. That unsettled him.
“Wait – dad – you didn’t tell me the stories of all the FOUNDERS. You only told me the story of MANASURA, the FOUNDER of Water.”
“Ah,” said Carl, tapping his forehead. “How could I have forgotten?” He glanced at the hands of his watch. It was almost time to go.
“Here, Elwin, a present for you to hold onto until I get back,” said Carl, pulling out his pocket-watch from his waistcoat and fastening it with a clip on Elwin’s jacket. “That’s on dad having forgotten to tell you everything.” It was adorned with a sigil of a shining star, with inscriptions in what looked like letters of an ancient language that Elwin did not yet comprehend.
“Dad’s expedition will uncover the things we still have yet to know about the FOUNDERS and the world, alright? I will tell you all about them when I return.”
Elwin was teary. His father normally wasn’t in such a hurry nor this uncertain.
Carl took out his handkerchief and gently wiped Elwin’s eyes.
“It will be just like any other expedition, Elwin. Dad promises to be back.”
“But why the hurry? Why the worry?”
His father was silent. Elwin couldn’t see because of the reflection of the sun in his father’s spectacles but Carl, too, was teary-eyed.
“I can’t explain now. Only when you are older. But that’s why I am coming back, so you can have answers to all of your questions. There must be times where a man must be strong. This is one of those times.”
“You have no need to worry, young Mr. Eramir. Your father is the best navigator and commander I’ve had the pleasure to follow,” added a man, who looked to be his father’s second-in-command. “Captain Eramir, it is time. Shall we start the engine checks?”
“Proceed,” said his father, as he embraced Elwin one last time. “I love you very much. Be there for mom and Andre while I am away. Dad will be back very soon.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
His father made a pinky promise, and set out into the great unknown, brave, courageous, and daring.
Little Elwin saw the great ships, all seven of them, as they blared the departure horn that shook the sky and scattered the birds. Tens of thousands of people watched as the fleet roared its way out of port. Slowly, the chimneys and metal-masts of those seven ships became more distant, and altogether disappeared on the horizon.
Little Elwin hugged his knee and sat on the dock, looking out into the great sea. Every afternoon without fail, he plopped himself onto the dock, waiting for his father’s ships.
Eventually, the summer passed, and the greenery began turning gold and red.
Then the leaves themselves began to fall, and autumn faded into winter. Gentle snow gathered on Elwin’s woolen jacket as he huddled alone on the wintry dock.
The snow too, eventually melted, and came the rites of spring.
And then the summer.
And then the fall again.
But his father never came back.