"Be careful my son." Mama said in Hausa as she kissed Ekon's cheek. They lived in a small village near the coast, and fishing was their livelihood. People tend to avoid the coast, which led to plenty of exiles, including Ekon's family, wanting to avoid the various warlords and their militias. More specifically, Ogun and his war against Adroa here in Nigeria with rumors that Moord Nag herself was attempting to move in. The fighting was getting closer to the village, but none of the warlords wanted to move towards the coast from fear that Leviathan might appear. A lot of nonsense in Ekon's opinion since Adroa made Lagos his capital.

"I will Mama." Ekon replied and gave his Mama a tight hug. It was his turn to go on the fishing voyage with the other men from the village. It was time he made his Mama proud. Papa had lost a leg on a previous trip, so it was up to Ekon to provide for his parents and three younger sisters. The ocean provided them the food to live, as well as allowed them an escape should that Ash Beast come close.

"Go on and tell ya Papa you're leaving." Mama said, wiping a tear from her eyes. Ekon nodded and kissed his Mama's wet cheek. She tried stopping him from going saying that the voyage would be dangerous, but then the drought came. They desperately needed the food.

Ekon walked outside of their hut, and looked at his Papa who was sitting on an old wooden chair. Papa had never been the same since he lost his leg. Before the accident he was happy, loving and always full of joy. Now, he seemed like a shell of himself. He rarely smiled, and barely left the house too.

"I'm going Papa." Ekon said as he kneeled in front of him. Papa gave him a blank stare, and reached out to grab his shoulder.

"Don't make the same mistake I did." Papa caressed Ekon's cheek. His hands felt rough, but still held a certain gentleness. Ekon nodded and kissed Papa's forehead. "Be strong like your name."

Ekon left afterwards so his sisters wouldn't find out. Along with Mama, they disapproved of the thought of him joining the fishing trip. He soon arrived where the other fishermen would be preparing. An older man caught sight of him.

"Ahaha are you ready Ekon?" Ade was only a decade older than Ekon, and he was one of the best fishermen in the village. Ade's family and Ekon's had come from neighboring villages before their arrival here.

"Of course." Ekon grinned as he grabbed a net Ade handed to him. They were almost done with preparations, and then they would head out to sea.

There were plenty of fish to catch.

-*-

The voyage had started off well. After about an hour or two of traveling, they cut the power to the motor and threw their nets out. According to Ade, a reef was nearby which meant plenty of fish to catch. The first hour of fishing, their nets came back empty.

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"Dont ya worry about empty nets Ekon. Every good fisherman knows that you lose more than ya catch." Ade smiled as he helped the other two villagers with them.

"Ah ok." Ekon threw out his net again. His feet felt unsteady on the rocking boat, but he wouldn't fall.

"I'm more worried about them clouds." Ade looked up from the net and looked towards the distance. "Remember this, the sea may provide for us and protect us, but it is also harsh, untamed, and always changing."

Ekon paid close attention. He would need to learn all he could so he could provide for his family. He pulled the net back onto their small boat.

Ekon grinned. He caught some small fish.

The ocean would always provide for them.

-*-

What Ade said eventually came true. The sea was always changing, and could never be tamed. Even the most experienced sailors could never predict what would happen. A few hours after casting their nets, the weather changed. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun. The once calm waves turned wild and against them, like turning your back on a lion.

"Hold on tight boys." Ekon and the other two fishermen held onto the boat as Ade manned the motor, he had the most experience after all. The heavens then started releasing its water.

This would be a battle between fishermen and nature, and nature rarely lost. The sound of thunder, waves, and the motor filled Ekon's ears. Ade rode the waves like one rode a horse or bicycle. Ekon was terrified and probably peed himself, not that he could tell since he was soaking wet.

"Here comes another one!" Ade grinned as the boat met the wave head on, and they came out the other side completely soaked. All of the fish they had caught had been thrown overboard. Ade said that it would only weigh them down.

"We're not gonna make it!" Ekon screamed. He was never going to be able to see his family again. Mama would be so heartbroken, Papa wouldn't be proud of him, and his sisters...they would probably try to resurrect him just to mirder him again!

"Not with that attitude."

Suddenly, the biggest wave Ekon had ever seen in his short career as a fisherman appeared right in front of their small boat. Ekon wasn't a catholic, yet he made the sign of the cross on his chest.

Ade angled the boat towards the wave and sped up. "Hold on tighter than before!" He shouted. The rogue wave just looked taller as they drew closer. Ekon closed his eyes and started to pray to anyone who might hear.

Then, his nose was flooded with water and he went flying. Ekon opened his mouth to scream, but the seawater muffled it as his insides filled with it. Ekon opened his eyes which burned from the salt and tried swimming towards the top of the water.

His head made it above for a few seconds.

"HELP!" He coughed up water and the waves pulled him underneath again. The battle of fisherman against nature was brutal. The ocean didn't tolerate weakness. It did not tolerate being soft. Ekon struggled against the water, waving his arms to try and stay afloat.

Then, something appeared right in front of him. It looked like the jaw of a monster, with wicked looking teeth, and it was coming straight for him. Bubbled erupted from Ekon's wordless scream. The monster went right past him, when he felt something grab him.

Ekon's lungs then felt relief as he coughed up more water on the deck of a ship? After a few minutes of taking several deep breaths,Ekon looked up. It wasn't a monster, but some old ship with seaweed sails. What stood out the most to him however, was his saviors form, a figure with the features of a hammerhead shark with disgusting crab legs on their back.

"AH!" Ekon screamed as he tried backing away from the evil creature who simply grinned, revealing sharp teeth. He backed up into someone, and when he turned around, he saw two soulless pits of walking coral. This- this was a nightmare! It was only enhanced by the storm still raging around them.

"Spare my life!" Ekon started to beg, when a figure dressed in a red coat walked up to him. She was obviously a female, with long curly hair and glasses. She was also white with a slight tinge of green to her and had a sword at her side. They must've been some type of cape pirates. Ekon's eyes still burned from the water and looked down as she approached.

"Tell me…" She spoke in perfect Huasa, causing Ekon's eyes to widen. He stared up at her in shock as she kneeled down to touch the top of his head.

"Do you fear death?"

She flashed him an evil looking grin. Ekon passed out after pissing himself again.