Water sloshed against the hull of the ship, slapping against it as it cut through the waves. On the deck, groups of people walked, their feet trudging on the slightly damp ground, rows of cargo neatly stacked around them, their contents rattling slightly with the pitch of the boat. The people were abuzz with a quiet, fervent chatter that droned like a swarm of bees.

At least, like theoretical bees. The captain could only assume what vague descriptions such as ‘buzzing’, ‘droning’ and ‘humming’ would sound like, but as the ship reverberated with the notes of speech and machinery, he was confident it was close. They were all similar to bees anyways.

The crew was stirred because of an encounter with a horror, a large barbed tendril that snaked out of the water and blindly stumbled on the side of the ship. As it rose from the water and approached the deck, the patrols quickly noticed it and took precautionary action. With a single command, a bolt was fired, decimating the arm, its charge exploding into a flash of white sparks that scorched the darkness. That wasn’t enough.

With a second command, another bolt was fired, this time directly downwards. It pierced the water, lancing the pale visage that glowed faintly far beneath the ship. Around it, the water boiled and bright, orange light engulfed it.

Horrors had the advantage of the water, but humans had the advantage of being smart enough not to go into the water. No… humans had the advantage of knowing what the water was, turning it into weapons that cut itself. That was their greatest accomplishment.

The captain sighed deeply. The cargo ship wasn’t equipped to retrieve the body, so it would be wasted on the ocean. The flesh of horrors always fetched a good price. Truly, it was a pity.

******

Once again, the water had returned to darkness. Before the creature sat a large pile of translucent slime that writhed slightly and sparkled dimly. The jellyfish was already dead. Dragging a rock over to the pile, the creature raised it far above its head. It brought down the stone with fervor, its bones resonating with the tone of anger as they were smashed together. It mashed the mass, making it a mess that squelched and squished. This was a rock hit rock world.

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Reaching out an emaciated hand, it grabbed a handful of the mush, shoving it into its mouth and swallowing it whole. The taste was slippery, and a warm tingling sensation emanated from its stomach, quickly spreading into the rest of its body.

Water swirled around the scene, hissing silently into its ears. ‘Congratulations… are you happy now?’

The voice rang out in its mind as it grappled over everything that happened. It was confused, frustrated, fearful, but now something else entirely new: whole. In its hand, the rock began to blacken and crumble.

Truth be told, it didn’t know how it felt. It didn’t know how long it wandered the reef, how long it stayed under the watch of the jellyfish. It simply existed, acting out the same monotony as it gathered glimpses of something different. That way of living was unfulfilling, unsatisfyingly pathetic. It was free from that life now, but did it deserve to be? It did nothing, being trapped was its punishment for lethargy, and yet, the same fate that cast it there suddenly decided to free it. Was the world truly that fickle, changing its mind on sudden whims?

Pale light rained down from the rippling water above, illuminating it dimly and catching on the bubbles and rock suspended in the water. As it ascended it felt pressure escaping through its ears, its movements becoming more lively and animated. It broke the surface in a rush.

It took a deep breath in. The air was sweet, and it bubbled with the water inside its lungs. As it exhaled, it began retching violently, coughing up a viscous, murky brown liquid. Far off in the distance, black pillars loomed, dwarfing the sky. Between them, webs of metal were cradled, catching the moonlight and blooming into patches of white. Tall, metallic buildings stood solemnly, basking in the silent night. It was beautiful.

Water rippled endlessly around the creature, caressing its bare chest. It was a lot colder above the water. Leagues behind it, the ship sailed gently, moving steadily as it fell off the horizon. The moon was large, winking down at the sea as a fat crescent that waned, almost in full bloom. There were no creatures above the waves, and so the only sound was of crashing water. The world was at peace, it was calm.

With a swift, sudden movement, it dove back under the waves. Not yet. It needed time, time to find weapons that weren’t feeble, that it could bare to the world. It needed time to hone itself. It needed time to build up courage.

But first… it needed a name.