4.

Standing on deck, Morrigan walked with Strand to the wheel. It was a piece of art. The spokes were carved with twisting branches, and the whole thing was made of the finest bone ivory. Grasping the handles firmly, he began to inject his mana. As the wheel became saturated, so did the whole ship. Special holes opened on the sides, allowing the red water to pour in, flooding the entire hull except for the captain’s cabin and special pockets for cargo. Slowly, the ship began to sink into the water. As it sunk, the masts and sails reclined until they were lying flat on the deck out of the way. When it was all the way submerged, flippers began to peel off from the sides, waving and sending the ship gliding deeper into the dark. Dark, until the eyes opened. Hundreds of eyes, no pair the same, opened along the bottom. Connected to Morrigan with his mana, he could see hundreds of fathoms deeps. In the front, two huge eyes opened, their diameter almost a meter wide. Bright as searchlights, they illuminated the way for the House of Life to traverse underwater. Eliza watched the whole thing from the cabin, once again speechless. She had never heard of a ship that could travel underwater, not even the barest notion had ever crossed her mind. On Earth, the Blood Sea was a place of nothingness, no life lived in its waters, no one survived out there for too long. Crossings were only made at the closest points, anything else was risking death. A ship that could go underwater… This changed everything. Naval blockades were a thing of the past if you could sail underneath it. Eliza was giddy with the excitement of going home and being the inventor of such a novel concept, until she remembered that her country would probably learn of it when the House of Life came to take over. ‘I must not let that happen!’ She reassured herself with clenched fists.

Up ahead, there was the first and only structure in the entire Blood Sea. Morrigan smiled. Haven. They were home. Welcoming them was a massive skull, large enough to swallow ten ships without them even brushing its teeth. It was a Mondragon, the largest being of the Raging God Era, and every era after that. It was personally made by the Raging God, a massive sea eel with flippers large enough to turn over navies, with tentacles that could shield it from any attack, and massive teeth and a bite strong enough to take the peak off a mountain. It was the perfect gatekeeper. Morrigan sent out his mana to talk to the Mondragon,

“Hildra, good to see you again.” Its vast, reconstructed mind pushed back a message to Morrigan. “Welcome home.” The mouth opened, and the House of Life sailed through it, and then up again until they broke the surface. Eliza was surprised when Morrigan’s voice echoed in the cabin, “Welcome to Old Port, most southwest point of Haven, come join me on the surface.”

Eliza tried the doors, finding them unlocked. Pushing her way out, she walked up a spiral staircase that had not been there previously. All around her, the ship shifter as workers carried out cargo and made small repairs. As she finally reached the top, she breathed in the sweet air, and her eyes widened. Before her stretched a rising sun on an unfamiliar horizon. It was a small port, just big enough for the House and some smaller fishing boats. Above the port lay a winding road, leading to a large town with a lighthouse standing in the center.

“Well,” Morrigan said from beside her, “Still think we’re just ‘dumb monsters?’” Eliza didn’t respond. Spread out before her was a sight only seen before the Extinction Wars. It was a town of monsters.

“What are you standing there gawking for? Get a move on, we have places to be.” He gave Eliza a light push down the gangplank. Morrigan turned to Strand who had appeared beside them. “Take the girl to the Sailor Inn. I’m going to check up on Bowen.”

“Roger captain!” Strand bowed and began to drag Eliza off. As they disappeared down the street Morrigan could faintly hear Eliza’s shouts and Strand’s laugh. Chuckling to himself, Morrigan turned his gaze up to the lighthouse. ‘Maybe Bowen will be happy to hear we might be able to see the real sun again’. He chuckled to himself again. ‘I’m sure he would think it was some God’s twisted sense of humor’.

While Morrigan was contemplating, Strand was striding next to Eliza along the main street. It had a kind of medieval look to it. Cobblestone roads. No buildings over three stories and every creature was walking. Or flying. “And that over there,” he gestured, “Is the best food to be found outside of Tourant. Their pizzas are to die for.”

“Pizzas?” Eliza asked confusedly.

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“God’s food.” Strand responded. Looking to his right, he noticed her doubtful stare. “No, really. The god in the Burning Era was a huge foodie. She is one of the reasons there is such diverse recipes available. Think a meat pie but thin with vegetables and cheese.”

“Ah, I see.” Eliza nodded in understanding. Taking the initiative, she pointed at a squat building made of unpolished blocks. “What’s that?”

“Oh that?” Strand glanced over. “Good eye. Can’t pronounce it in their native language, but my mole friends translate it as the ‘Caves of Pleasure’.” Eliza blushed furiously, and Strand leaned in and said teasingly, “We could take a tour if you really insist.”

“NO!” Eliza shouted, face flushed dark red. Strand didn’t move. Seeing all the looks from passersby from her outburst, she lowered her voice and asked, “Can we just get to the stupid inn already?”

“Alright, alright. If you really want to. It’s just up here on the next corner.” “Humph!” Eliza marched off angrily and Strand followed behind trying to contain his laughter.

The Sailor Inn was a three-story building located two streets up from the waterfront. It faced a four-way intersection with a fountain carved out of flowing bone in the center. Eliza barged in banging the door open. Strand entered and closed the door gently behind him. The cozy interior was revealed. A roaring fire crackled on one end, and a bar ran across the back with a staircase in the corner. The only person present was a figure behind the bar focused on something in her hands. “Hey Cindy, got a guest of Morrigan’s here I need you take care of.” A middle-aged human looking lady looked up from the glass she was polishing at the bar.

“Strand! So glad to see you again dear, and you brought me a guest this time!” She directed her gaze to Eliza. “What a pretty little thing! I would’ve thought she’d stay with Morrigan.” Strand shook his head.

“Not this time. She’s a hostage for now. Eliza, meet Cindy.” Eliza stepped forward and looked Cindy over before turning back to Strand.

“Humph! You expect me to stay in a tiny inn like this! I’m royalty!” Strand’s expression crumpled somehow.

“Eliza, watch what you—"

“No! I’ve been given none of the proper respect from the second I met you! First you kidnap me, and now you make me stay in this town full of monsters. Which shouldn’t even exist! I demand you let me go!”

Strand shrugged and sighed. “Whatever. You’re Cindy’s problem now.” He looked at her with pity. “And for your sake, I hope you stop with all this anti-monster stuff.” Eliza snorted.

“Why should Cindy care, she’s human too!” Cindy who had been relatively quiet during this exchange finally spoke up. “Eliza.”

“What? Don’t interrupt me!” Eliza shouted.

“You seen to be mistaken Eliza.” Cindy smiled. “I’m not human at all.” Before their eyes Cindy began shifting, breaking apart into thousands of thin branches before reforming as a dryad. With bark instead of skin, and vines running from her head down her back, Cindy the dryad opened her blue eyes and locking onto a panicking Eliza. “And I’ll make sure you’re completely taken care of until Morrigan needs you.” Eliza turned around and tried to run past Strand but found her foot tied to the floor. She screamed as she yanked her foot, but the vine wouldn’t let go. Many more vines came behind Cindy and latched on, slowly reeling her backward as she struggled with all her might.

“Strand! Help me!” Eliza screamed at Strand, but he just shrugged and scratched his head. “No, no no no no!” Finally, the vines scooped Eliza off her feet and cocooned her, muffling her cries for help. Cindy turned to Strand,

“Well, I’ll be off then. Tell Morrigan I say hi.”

“Sure, I’ll try and convince him to come down one of these days.” Cindy waved him off.

“Don’t worry about it. We spent two eras together, time apart is just what we need right now. Strand shrugged.

“Whatever. Try not to break her, will you? She is an important hostage. Our ticket to the surface.” Cindy laughed, patting the cocoon. It shook slightly, barely audible noises coming from inside,

“No promises, but I’ll do my best. Now go on, get out of here!” Still a little concerned, Strand left the Sailor Inn. ‘I’m sure she wouldn’t break that easily, right?’ Shaking his head, he put Eliza out of his mind. ‘Time to get to work!’

Morrigan knocked on the door. Bowen spent most of his time cooped up in the top room. He said he enjoyed looking at the horizon, but Morrigan knew he just wanted to get as far away from everyone else as possible. “Come in.” The voice came through the door. Morrigan pushed it open and stepped inside. Sparsely furnished, containing only a bed, table with two chairs, and weapons rack, it was very utilitarian. Four windows in each cardinal direction were wide open, letting the air flow freely through the room. Bowen was standing in the middle of the room, going through forms with his spear. Morrigan stood and watched for a moment as the wooden spear bent and curved, almost like a snake, flashing with red light and unpredictable striking any angle. After a powerful thrust, Bowen set the spear on his shoulder and turned to Morrigan. “Still up for a round of sparring? You can’t have gotten that much worse, even with your obsession over magic.” Morrigan smiled.

“Even before I started down the path of a mage, I still couldn’t defeat you, Brother.”