Scotland, 10th of August, 1888

From above the ridge Bethyinine stared down at the galleon. She smiled and watched in delight as the passengers boarded the vessel. Two of the passengers in particular caught her eye. One of them wore a set of slacks covers with netting. Bethyinine smiled, for she could smell the sea on his clothes. The other was adorned with an embroidered set of amber robes. She recoiled in disgust upon noticing the stench whisky that hung over him. Bethyinine smiled and shifted her form to that of a young woman before heading to join the pair.

On board the galleon, the bartender and mariner were adjusting to their cabins. While they were doing so, the mariner froze as a chill ran down his spine.

“My dear friend, what seems to be the matter?” The bartender asked, for the mariner had just fallen to the floor.

His friend was unable to speak as panic held him tight in its grasp. His deep blue eyes had now turned pale white in color. The bartender could just barely make out a single word upon his comrade’s lips “her”. The bartender’s pupils shrank as he lifted his friend onto the nearby bed. Quickly he went to bar the door to their room shut with a desk. A bell rang out from the hall signaling that they had just left port. Hours passed by and the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. By the time the moon had taken its place in the sky, the mariner had regained consciousness.

”I can hear her. I can hear her singing.” He whispered.

”Hear who? And what do you mean by singing?” The bartender inquired.

”Listen.” The mariner whispered.

So, the bartender listened, listened to the waves crashing against the boat. After a while he began to doubt his friend’s statement. Then he heard it, the twisted melody which drifted along the night’s cold air. He was made insane by it, utterly perplexed by it, and yet he was enthralled by it all the same. The bartender gazed at his companion as a crooked grin formed on his face.

”So, she has taken hold of you after all.” The mariner sighed.

The bartender slowly began to approach his friend and cackled all the while. The mariner jerked and recoiled in haste, only managing to pin himself up against the wall in his despair. In his final moments, the mariner let out a blood-curdling scream as his companion slowly proceeded to rip him limb from limb. Next door Bethyinine chuckled as she heard the muffled screams of her prey through the wall. She pulled the covers over herself and quickly drifted off to sleep as the screams echoed in her head.

The Abyss

Cassius watched as the creature freed itself from the last of the chains. Ice filled his veins as it exited through the portal that was once the eclipse. It stared at him with a burning curiosity in each of its thousands of eyes. The creature’s form was a hideous, Frankenstein-like combination, of a serpent and a centipede. He watched as its spindle-like legs made contact with the floor below. Despite that it still slithered along the ground and made its way towards the spire. The creature’s pitch-black scales were only illuminated by the dim orange light of the now bleeding eclipse.

It spread the tiny wings located at its midsection in delight before gazing towards the heavens. The creature then proceeded to let out a guttural roar that seemed to be some sort of greeting. It then craned its neck forward and lowered its head in a sort of bowing gesture. Cassius could only stare at the creature for a sense of shock and wonder had overtaken him. Slowly he managed the courage to walk out from under the cover of the spire and faced down the creature. Once Cassius exited through the doorway, he bowed and knelt on the ground. The creature lowered its head to the floor, almost as if it was mimicking him.

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Cassius chuckled and waited for the creature to speak. Yet when it opened its mouth, no words came from it.

”Hello.” It said.

”What are you exactly? The end made manifest?” Cassius asked.

”No, for if that were to be the case then you would be dead by now.” The creature chuckled.

“Well then, I guess a formal introduction is in order. I am-.” Cassius began.

”Cassius.” The creature interrupted him.

”How do you know what I am?” Cassius stuttered.

”My dear, I have been keeping an eye or two on you for a while now.” The creature cooed.

“Fair, but might I ask why?” Cassius started.

The creature nodded and smiled, exposing its thousands upon thousands of teeth in the process. Cassius titled his head in a mixture of both curiosity and confusion.

”I was just curious, that’s all.” The creature mused.

“Right.” Cassius sighed and simply rolled his eyes.

The creature almost seemed to shrug and slithered next to him. Cassius watched as its movement caused the water beneath them to ripple. He smiled and stared down at the tree below him. The creature merely glanced at him before turning its attention to the eclipse that was once its prison.

Wales, England, 11th of August, 1888

The bartender awoke the next morning to the sound of someone banging on his door. He got out bed with a stretch and slowly shuffled to the door. Opening it, the bartender was met with a British naval officer staring down at him.

”Sir, by order of the British crown, you are under arrest.” The officer declared.

”Arrest! For what! I didn’t even do anything!” The bartender hissed.

”Please sir, for both our sakes, remain silent.” The officer hushed.

The bartender stopped talking and was led off the boat by the officer. From her room, Bethyinine could see the blood on the bartender’s robes. She laughed upon realizing just what was happening. Quickly Bethyinine left her room and began to follow the pair off of the boat. The officer escorted the bartender into a carriage before closing the door behind him. Bethyinine frowned and watched as the carriage rode off down the street.

She walked over to a bench on the corner and sat down for a while. Thinking about how she was to chase after her prey in this moment. Then the scent of whiskey hit her nose again and she smiled. Bethyinine leapt up from the bench and quickly ran towards the source of the scent. She passed by several people on her chase, even managing to knock some over in the process.

”Oy! Watch where yer goin’!” One of them yelled.

Bethyinine chuckled as she darted through crowd after crowd. After taking several left turns, and a couple of right ones, she had finally made it to her destination; an old courthouse. She watched from a nearby alleyway as the officer exited the carriage with her prey in tow. Once they entered the building, Bethyinine shifted her form to that of a middle-aged woman and followed them inside.

Once inside the courthouse, the officer led his prisoner to a nearby bench, and two of them sat down. Bethyinine entered the building only a few minutes after them. By the time she had walked a few steps forward, the pair had already entered the main room of the courthouse. Bethyinine shrugged, simply entered the courtroom, and sat down with the rest of the jurors.

”Your honor, I’m innocent! Completely innocent!” The bartender yelled.

”Well then if you are innocent, then how exactly are your robes stained with blood then?” The judge inquired.

”I’m not sure.” The bartender stuttered.

The jurors started to talk amongst themselves as to what exactly was going on. Bethyinine just shrugged, watching and waiting for something.

”Officer Clemens, do you have any inputs on this case?” The judge asked.

”The crew told me that he strangled a fellow passenger to death. Though when I went to retrieve him, there was no body left, it was just him sir.” Clemens responded.

”Oh dear.” The bartender whispered.

”Due to a lack of proper evidence, the case has been dismissed.” The judge sighed.

”Yet according to the law, the accused is required to be kept with a member of the jury. So as to keep an eye on them while the authorities investigate the case.” Clemens stated.

”Yes, that is the case. Now would a member of the jury please step forward.” The judge bellowed.

Everyone in the jury remained still, everyone except for Bethyinine that was. Immediately she left her place with the rest of the jury and went to stand behind the podium.

”Miss Claire, how good to see you again. You shall be tasked with housing this man for the time being. I do take that such an arrangement is agreeable on your end.” The judge smiled.

Bethyinine nodded and walked out of the courtroom, gesturing for the bartender to follow her. She smiled as she led her prey outside and the two stepped into the carriage together. Bethyinine whistled as her prey shut the door behind him.

”Where are we heading?” The bartender asked.

”To see an old friend of mine, if you don’t mind, darling.” Bethyinine cooed.