Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Fool

Chapter 1: The Fool

Above an ocean of endless green water, but below a perpetually grey sky, laid a single lone boat.

The vessel was made of visibly aged and weathered wood, and was small if not tiny by all accounts.

To set sail into the tumultuous ocean with such a ship was no doubt suicide.

But perhaps the captain of the ship was a genius, for the ship did not even have a sail.

Speaking of the two crewmates on the ship…one of them, finally opened his eyes.

Head laying on the wooden deck, her eyes were welcomed to swirling clouds suffused with white light. The clouds glowed beautifully in melancholy, and laying eyes on them, evoked odd feelings of an unfound nostalgia within the person.

Despite the current headache, his eyes scanned the skies, almost wishing to sear them into memory…or at least into written word.

Two brown irises wandered through the vast cloudy surface. There was not a trace of vibrant color up there— neither blue, nor orange or red, and the sun was of course blocked by the barrier of clouds.

Despite the monochrome color palette however, there was something…magically soothing about the scattered white light, that had pierced through the grey veil.

Although she had just opened her eyes, they started to close into a peaceful, eternal rest…that was, until a wooden thump suddenly echoed from the bottom hull of the boat.

“Ugh…” Visibly annoyed the person groaned, before rising groggily to sit up on the pitifully tiny deck.

“What was that? In fact…”

He rubbed his eyes. He could not remember how long he slept, or in truth…even remember ever boarding this tiny boat.

She looked to her right, at the endless sea of green water.

An expression of confusion swept across her face.

If her eyes weren’t deceiving her…there was a subtle glow to the green waters, one that felt almost supernatural.

She placed a dainty hand on the wooden rail, her head peeking over as she peered down from the starboard.

There she saw her reflection within the faintly, luminous waters, all but confirming their subtle glow. Along with the faint fog, the mysteriousness of the ocean surrounding her grew in folds. Was this…some kind of dream?

She continued to stare at her reflection.

One would think she was in deep contemplation…but that was not the case.

Yes, she had all but confirmed the water’s mystical nature, but more importantly…the young woman could not help but to look at her beautiful image! Admiring herself in the green waters, she noted her light-emerald eyes, that were even more beautiful and ethereal than the ocean that glowed, and her head full of cascading, silver-white hair that shined with the light of elegance.

“Hehe.” She giggled.

Before she could engage in vanity even further, however, the reflection in the water mirror shifted. Within the faintly luminous waters…there was now a surprised child with black hair and black eyes.

“Hu– Huh!?” A high-pitched, and noticeably innocent voice exclaimed.

He stumbled backwards away from the image, and likewise the luminous green waters. Was he…having delusions? Or maybe…the green waters were magical, and simply distorted the image of “her” reflection?

…Quickly he found, however, that that was not the case. He felt oddly that there was more space within the small boat, but it was not because it had grown bigger, but because he had grown smaller. And raising his hand towards his vision, he found it noticeably less slim, feminine, and graceful, but instead…cute and pudgy.

Confused, exasperated, but curious, the young child peeked his head over the wooden rail, peering down at his reflection once again.

What he expected to see was the same small child in the earlier reflection, but instead what met him seemed to be an older version of himself. There in the glowing green waters, reflected a man in his twenties, with a lion’s mane of black hair, and a long scar over his left cheek extending to the jaw.

Raising his hand to his vision again, it was broad, rough, and littered with callouses. Mysteriously, he even had the odd inkling that the callouses, were made from the relentless brandishing of a sword.

Dozens of thoughts passed through his head in that moment, and he almost wished it to be empty. But first, he had to confirm something…

He lowered his hand, letting his black irises meet the waters once again.

Unblinking eyes watched unerringly, the fluctuating reflection in the still green ocean,

What he found to be his form, was ephemeral, and ever shifting. At one instance, she was a beautiful young woman, and in the next he was a weathered adult man.

“What is going on…” He asked himself.

He asked the question rhetorically of course, not expecting an answer, but someone would rise to the challenge.

As if on cue, a shadow appeared from deeper below the water’s surface, one that grew larger by the second.

Splash!

The shadow tore through the water mirror’s reflection! It was…a tilapia fish that had leaped out of the water! It jumped directly onto the small boat, floundering and splashing water everywhere.

“Ugh…” She put her arms in front of her trying not to get wet, when suddenly in a casual tone the fish opened its little lips and replied, “I don’t know girl you tell me.”

“Wh– Whaaat!?” A feminine voice yelled out, staring wide-eyed at the fish’s mouth.

‘Am I…hearing things now?’

But she saw its mouth move again as it said, “Huh? What? You never seen a talking fish before?”

A breath of disbelief escaped the young woman, “This…is insane.”

“Uh. No. You’re the weird one that’s for sure.” The fish replied, seemingly taking offense.

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“Me? Weird? You shouldn’t even have the functions to talk! When did you learn human language even!?”

“…Hah.” The fish scoffed, in disbelief at this girl’s rudeness and casual disrespect.

“Are you calling me dumb? You’re calling me dumb and uneducated.”

“Let's look at the facts. Aren't you the real weird one, talking to a fish?”

Hearing that, the young woman shook, visibly taken aback.

“If someone saw you what would they think?”

The tilapia was relentless, continuing in a sarcastic and mocking tone, “This is insane! This fish is crazy!”

“Well who's to say you’re not the crazy one, shapeshifter?”

He paused in disbelief.

This fish…was making too much sense…

‘Did I…drink some seawater and forgot I even did? Causing hallucinations?’

“By the way, you’re male again.”

“And a kid most importantly.”

“Respect your elders! You should be talking to me in a reverent tone now, young man.” The fish spoke condescendingly.

“Get with the times! Not only is it tradition to respect your elders, in modern times, the young should give up their futures for us too!” It continued to spout. His tone hiding a slight jab at some unrelated circumstance.

Even though the fish’s words were obvious drivel, a hint of irritation welled up in the young child. His small, red, and puffy cheeks appeared quite adorable, yet he swallowed his anger and impulse to argue.

The child sighed, “Okay, so you can talk.”

“I don’t know how or even why…” He grumbled lowly.

‘Or if this is even real…’ He thought to himself.

“But could you… at least answer some of my questions then?”

“No.”

“But I think your crewmate can.”

“My crewmate?”

He turned his head, and there, on the other side of the small dingy boat, laid a skeleton in tattered black robes.

“Wha–!?”

He had been so centered in his own world, that he never even realized the dead body on his boat.

The small child staggered backwards, except of course, there was not much space to do so and he almost fell into the water.

Green waters splashed as the small boat rocked about. The young child, who had now turned into an adult man, was forced to calm down lest he overturn the vessel.

“How long has it been here…”

Again, a rhetorical question that came with a not-so rhetorical reply.

“Probably as long as you’ve been here.”

“And…how long is that?”

The tilapia fish hummed a comprehensible, “Ion’ kno,” before falling silent. It was important to note, that fish did not have vocal cords to speak, much less hum.

The man’s eyes bounced back to his first mate, studying the dead body in detail.

The skeleton wore a tattered black robe, the same one often found on dark mages, or cultists of evil gods.

Why they wore such conspicuously suspicious outfits was a mystery to her.

And maybe it was because the person was dead…but she didn't seem to get that vibe off of the skeleton.

Instead of an unholy malevolence befitting of a possible undead lich, she found the skeleton in black tattered robes to hold…a surprising air of benevolence.

Not in the same sense as that of a priest or saint, but…that of a kind stranger.

Perhaps, in due part, to that weathered book he embraced to his left breastbone.

The book was large and thick. Two fat leather covers encased the thousands of ancient pages, and perhaps for extra measure, the book was bound by an individual leather strap, that coiled around the book like a guardian snake.

Apart from its size and age, the book actually appeared quite ordinary. So ordinary in fact, that the young woman was led to believe that the skeleton was more “down-to-earth,” and approachable, than that of a mage or religious devotee.

Her eyes pierced further: The skeleton held the book close to its heart even after death, which spoke volumes about its value despite its ordinary appearance.

Yet, it neither resembled a holy book nor a demonic grimoire; in her mind those were quite important books to hold onto even after death.

Wait. Could it be then that the book…was the skeleton’s life diary!? She definitely wouldn’t want someone reading that.

And yet oddly enough, the more the young woman stared at the book, the more she could sense it was not of mundane origin…

While the book neither felt sacred nor wicked it felt…profound, in a manner he could not verbally describe.

Well, at least he could assume the skeleton was not some dark mage that used trapped human souls for spellpower, or some follower of an eldritch god that routinely offered human sacrifices.

Could this dead body really have just been a normal person? Somehow…he didn’t think so.

“Who…are you?”

Silence pervaded. The talkative fish, just off to the side, did not make any remarks.

“In fact really…who…am I?”

BOOM!

At that question a heavenly crash shook the skies. An aged and old figure atop the boat looked up, seeing bright white light rumbling and pounding on the obscuring clouds. The scene was both grand and apocalyptic.

“Tch. Now you’re old too.” The fish started talking again.

“Don’t ask me for your social security, it’s all dried up!”

“Pension? None! Hmph. Should’ve worked more as a youngin! So irresponsible!”

The young woman ignored the fish’s nonsensical ramblings. What even was a social security? But as she turned her head, she was welcomed, and frightened, to an odd sight.

The skeleton was now standing up. Still clutching the thick brown book, its empty eye sockets stared directly at her ethereal green eyes.

Then, the sound of flames roared as if an inferno was summoned. Within the empty eye sockets of the walking skeleton, two green undead flames manifested.

“Would you like to hear a tale?” A divine voice uttered, seemingly resonating from the undead body. The voice was layered— both with a god’s and goddesses’s voice, yet not sounding like either, but more so containing both sides of the same coin.

“Oh my goodness.” Her arms fell to the wooden rails, to which she leaned her falling body on. She was about to faint, feeling lightheaded. Good thing she was frightened young! Or else if she had been elderly, she may have had a heart attack, and died on the spot.

“Hey are you gonna answer em?” Replied the fish casually.

Rarely did it say anything helpful— or even something that was not frustratingly annoying…but its next words held infinite value.

“Maybe…it’ll answer your question.”

“...” She said nothing, choosing to ponder upon what the tilapia just said.

The young woman stood up, looking around at the endlessly luminous green ocean. She did not know who the skeleton was. She didn’t even know who she was. She did not know for how long she had slept, how she got onboard this suicide ship in the first place, nor when she would next see a trace of land, if ever.

“Do I…even have a choice?” She uttered somberly.

The fish opened its lips as if to quip, but…in the end held back. Only the faint sounds of her breathing accompanied the burning of undead flames, and the shifting of the sea’s luminous waters.

“...Why is the ocean green and glowing anyway!?” The young woman stomped her feet, puffing her cheeks up while sulking.

To this, the fish chuckled. Indeed the girl was riddled with many questions and no answers.

“If I say no, what happens?” She asked, hoping for at least a single definitive answer.

“...Who knows.” Said the tilapia fish.

“Worst thing that could happen— the skeleton kills ya.”

“Seriously!?” She snapped back in a tone befitting of youth.

“...Or maybe it doesn’t, and the guy just falls back dead.”

The young woman looked back at the skeleton, who stood there waiting with undying patience. A thought arose in her head: If she said neither yes nor no, would it wait there for her answer forever? The green flames in its eye sockets, seemed almost eternal.

“...Days could pass if you don’t starve.” The tilapia interrupted her thoughts.

“Or if you’re like me and don’t need to eat…”

“Months, years, decades will pass as you’re stuck in a limbo of endless sea and grey sky.”

“Do…whatever you want.” The fish ended, not spouting anything else further.

…In the end, the young woman…stepped forward. She was hesitant but knew what decision she had ultimately chosen. Between passivity and agency, she no longer favored the former.

As if sensing both her hesitation, and her resolve, the skeleton craned its head, asking once again, “Would you like to hear a tale?”

This time there was no hint of divinity. Only the crumbling, hoarse voice of a corpse.

She sucked in a deep breath.

“Yes.”

BOOM!

To that answer, the book from the skeleton’s hands emitted a wave of heavenly force. The luminous waters beneath the boat depressed an immediate hundred-eleven meters, before causing towering tidal waves to sweep forth from the origin. Up in the skies, the veil of clouds threatened to be torn open, but mysteriously they rushed in to gather shape before the white light could breach.

The seemingly ordinary book was now levitating in between her and the skeleton. It manifested a halo of white light— its pages flipping open madly, while lit aflame in a seven-colored auric essence.

Before she could ask another “What is going on!?” The sudden depression caused the boat to fall, as she screamed from the sudden drop.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!”

A crash was heard as wood collided with water. Miraculously, the shoddy wooden boat suffered not a scratch from such a steep drop.

Heaving heavily, the young woman opened her mouth, “I—”

—gasp—

Without pause, the luminous waters flooded back beneath her boat, elevating it higher and higher, swelling into a momentous, soaring tide. The tiny boat now rode a rising three-hundred foot wave, and the young woman atop it could be heard screaming all the while.

In the midst of the wave's crescendo, finally the mad flipping of the book stopped on one of its earliest pages.

“This tale is called…”

“__________“

A divine voice rumbled, the same one that contained all energies and essences.

Her ears were able to hear, “Once upon a time…”

Before the words became too archaic and profound for her mind to comprehend. A mind-splitting headache then overcame her as she clutched at her head, falling to her knees as green glowing waters splashed about.

Her body swayed dangerously left and right— just as it was about to fall out of the tiny boat and down three hundred or so feet, the tilapia fish leaped, thwacking her back into the vessel. An audible thud was heard as she crashed back onto the deck, and the tilapia fish disappeared into the tidal wave.

The young woman was still clinging to her head, unaware of her surroundings and deeply in the throes of agony.

Luckily, however, the profoundness of the skeleton’s murmurings elevated to dimensions and densities far above what the mortal mind could pick up on, and she was relieved of both her mental, and spiritual torment.

All words led to the fullness of silence, and her very consciousness seemed to be pulled inside a tale written in the once unassuming brown book…