He took the fish and bit into its cold slippery flesh. It tasted good. More fish was offered and Mirrortac accepted it all with pleasure. Fish was a rare delight. The taste surpassed even the slups he had eaten from the Waters of Three back home. The beings continued to offer him fish until he could eat no more. They seemed friendly enough and silent, even peaceful in their manner. Mirrortac noticed that they wore necklaces supporting metallic silver pendants in the same diamond shape as their bizarre headdress. He lifted himself up, gripping the timber structure for support against the motion of the vessel. Beyond the bow he could just see the blue backs of four large sea creatures, flipping up their tail flukes before dipping downwards again. He gasped as he remembered the dream. Where was he? How did he get onto this strange vessel? How could he see this all in a dream? He wished for the constancy and predictability of Eol. The blazing sun of Luma held dominion in the sky above. The day was well advanced and on all sides the waters of the endless lake frothed and sloshed.
Mirrortac soon felt strong enough to stand, albeit with a precarious clutch upon the low timber walls of the vessel. Just beneath his feet, the stout timber offered a narrow space between him and water that receded into unknown depths. All three beings were at the bow now, resolute and serene in their composure. ‘Who are these?’ Mirrortac asked himself. Unless he could extract enough speech from them the power of the Yu-essence would not loosen the communication barrier. He edged slowly towards them, stopping to hold on whenever the vessel ploughed into a wave. He breathed in the refreshing mist as the breeze caught the spray of the water and blew it in fine droplets across the vessel. The flood of the waves was drenching the beings but it did not perturb them. The water streamed back off them much as Mirrortac remembered the rain did with the faugs.
One of the water beings sucked in a deep breath through its nostrils and gushed the air out again with a sigh of pleasure. It was clear to Mirrortac that they felt at home with the surge of the great waters, delighting in its embrace. The design of the vessel attested to a skill of timber craft that matched the work done by the daughters of Greenfaug. Whorls and carved circles were carved along the side decking while the bow rose up into the form of a sea creature such as those that swam before them. The creature had a beak like a bird but one that grinned up into its oval friendly eyes. A long continuous series of fins extended in a crest from its high forehead and down in a slope into its back while its piscine tail parted in a horizontal fan, ending in twin filaments that extended out from the edges of the tail. A line also extended in a pattern from behind the eye of the creature, drawing into a slight curve that ended with the familiar diamond shape that seemed to be a symbol for these people.
Mirrortac compared the carved likeness of the creature with its live counterparts in the water. The crest of their fins emerged gleaming upon their arched backs and as the creatures dipped their tails drew out of the water in a graceful slice of movement, exposing the trailing filaments at their edges. He realised then that the creatures were clasping loops of woven twine within their beaks - the twine being attached to the fore sections of the vessel. One of the water beings squealed an unintelligible whine and the sea creatures seemed to respond, changing course to tow the vessel in a new direction. Mirrortac watched with a growing interest as the sea creatures and beings communicated in the secret language of beasts.
The rich deep brown timbers of the vessel were from trees unknown to Eol or the Faug Forest. The vessel was fully four-and-a-half erfin-lengths from end to end, beginning in the sharp ‘V’ of its bow through to the wider stern that sloped in underneath. The broad timber planking of its deck did not let in the water nor did it become soaked to any extent. Shallow wells containing water and live fish were spaced at intervals towards the rear of the vessel while enclosed wells and spaces were built into the double walls. These had not been opened and Mirrortac was curious as to what lay stored within. The combined bitter mineral taste of the waters’ spray and the warmth of Luma dried out the erfin’s lips and tongue.
Mirrortac knew he could not drink of the waters of this endless lake and hoped there was fresh good wet stored somewhere upon the vessel. He would have to find some way of asking the beings and approached them on stumbling feet, standing near one and speaking to gain attention.
‘Begging my interruption,’ he ventured, then felt silly, as the being would not be able to understand him.
The being turned its face towards him and regarded him with its brown marbled eyes. Mirrortac opened his mouth and cupped his hand in a mime of drinking. The being raised its eyebrows and a gentle smile emerged upon its lips. It motioned to him to follow as it strode at ease towards the stern. Mirrortac stumbled behind, swerving and shielding himself from errant waves. The being slid open a small door to one of the enclosed wells and withdrew one of many urns that lay within. Portrayed upon the glazed exterior of the urn was a design of exquisite beauty in a craft that the erfin did not know. Somehow, without carving, figures of sea-creatures, vessels and these beings had been etched into the clay, reflecting in blue under the pearly glaze. Indicating the urn, the being passed its webbed fingers across its lips then nodded to the erfin. It repeated the gesture until Mirrortac understood the sign. The erfin mimicked the gesture and was rewarded with a smile and what sounded to him to be a squeal of delight. It placed the urn into his hands and urged him to drink. Mirrortac drank the cool fresh water in large gulps, allowing the soothing taste of it to fill up his mouth and roll down his mineral lined throat.
When he had satisfied his thirst, Mirrortac passed the urn to the water being who also partook of the water then gave the urn back to the erfin. It glanced to the urn enclosure as if telling the erfin to ‘Put this urn back’ and he complied, replacing the urn in its place among the others and sliding closed the small doorway. The being smiled at him and winked with kindly eyes, then it moved right up to him, put its arms around his shoulders and pressed him to it with a forceful but affectionate hug. This was one custom Mirrortac decided he liked. It was as though a warm feeling of friendship passed between them. They embraced for a time then the being released him and patted him on the head before it returned to the others at the bow of the vessel.
Comparing anatomy Mirrortac guessed that two of the beings were male while the third, the one who had just left him, was a female. The gold sheen of their helmets glared up in sharp reflections as the blazing fire of Luma descended towards the horizon on their left bow. The ceaseless motion of the waves continued while the vessel came to a stop. There was an exchange of squeals as more of the servile sea creatures appeared around them and changed places with those that had towed them for so long. The female water being withdrew some large fish from a well at the bow and threw them out to the creatures. They leapt clear of the water to snap up their rewards, displaying the dark diamond pattern of their sea-smoothed sides before plunging back into the waters, the fish firmly clasped within their beaks.
The sea creatures splashed and leapt and dived, squealing and bobbing their crested heads at the beings standing at the bow. More fish were cast out and the sea-creatures snapped them up, flipping the fish into the air before gulping them down with a few swift motions of their grinding beaks. The ones at the bow took the twine into their beaks and began to tow them again while the others dipped and swam about the sides of the vessel. The beings leant over the sides, patting and stroking the creatures with affection. Mirrortac had never seen such a bond between animal and people – the creatures were free yet acted to serve these serene and amiable beings.
Dappled reflections of yellow and orange and red peeked up from the gliding crests of waves, providing a broken vision of the face of Luma as the ball of golden fire descended into the sea. The breeze was still warm in the dusky glow of evening and the rolling hills of water frothed onwards in their endless march towards unseen shores. The sea creatures glided in silent formation around the vessel, occasionally ejecting a spurt of water in a flush of noisy spray. The three bei
ngs stood unmoving, with their bodies silhouetted against the crimson band of sky near the horizon. Moon-drops began to appear in the indigo veil of night, winking their unspoken language to earth and sea.
Weariness overcame the erfin and he was soon sleeping fitfully in a sheltered part of the vessel. Sleep came to the beings also until only the sea creatures and the waves moved onwards towards the new day. Every now and again the smashing weight of the vessel’s plunge into a large wave would stir Mirrortac momentarily from his slumber before he would glide away again into his place of dreams.
Come the morning Mirrortac awoke to a curious calmness about the vessel. He could hear the slop-plop, slop-plop of the water as it gently rocked the vessel, and the plash of fins slapping against the surface of the sea. When he looked up, he was startled to see no sign of the beings. Jumping to his feet he searched every corner of the vessel but they were nowhere to be seen. The vessel was empty and becalmed - even the sea creatures from beyond the bow were absent. All around him the water rippled, rising and falling in a totality of unhurried motion. The frothing wave crests were replaced now by a translucent gloss through which a thousand silver flecks glided in and out in a single movement. Three grey shapes appeared out of the cobalt deep, speeding into the cloud of silver, causing it to disperse in a noiseless explosion. The three shadows pursued the silver fragments, weaving in upon the fleeing pieces with rapid accuracy. The shapes took form as they ascended, grasping their catch of fish.
The three water-beings broke the surface almost together and leapt half clear of the water as they cast the fish towards the vessel. The fish splashed into the prepared wells without one hitting the deck. The accuracy of the beings amazed the erfin. All three gave a squeal and dived down again, swimming with accustomed ease into the watery depths of the endless lake. A stream of fine bubbles spilled up to the surface, churned up in their wake. Mirrortac watched as they swam in and out of the silver shoals, returning to the surface regularly as they caught more fish. Their aureum helmets blinked up gold in the gloom of unseen depths, confusing the silver pulses of the fishes that mistook them momentarily for their own kind.
When all the fish wells had been replenished, the water-beings hopped back on deck, dripping and puffing from the vigorous task that they had just performed. They all shuddered violently, spraying water about them. Spying the erfin they approached him with smiles of satisfaction.
One of the males picked out one of the larger fish from a well at centre deck and placed it into Mirrortac’s hands.
‘Blulloop’, it sounded, still holding his hands on the fish. ‘Blulloop’, it repeated, watching the erfin with intense patient eyes.
Mirrortac formed his lips and made the sound.
‘Blulloop’, he mimicked.
The being grinned with obvious satisfaction, and patted the erfin on the head before rejoining the others as they recalled the sea creatures.
Mirrortac was filled with a sense of excitement as he looked down at the squirming silver fish in his hands. He realised that he could give it a name. He was learning a new language. Realising too that he was hungry, he ate the fish with glad munching and called over to the three beings nearby. ‘Blulloop!’ he shouted and the three nodded and grinned at him, throwing him another of the silver fish.
The others settled down to join him in the morning feast as the boat began to move, towed on by the obedient and loyal sea creatures. Mirrortac served himself more fish and some fresh water to wash it down. This it seemed is what was expected upon the vessel as each attended to their needs in silence. One of the males patted him on the head then led him to the bow where he regarded the four sea creatures that dipped and pulled at their twine ropes. He pointed towards them and let out a sharp ‘Eeep!’ then waited for Mirrortac to mimic him.
‘Aaap! er.. Eep! aaap!’ Mirrortac croaked.
‘Eeep!’ it sounded again.
‘Ee-ap!’ Mirrortac answered.
One of the sea creatures let out a sharp ‘Eeep!’ and Mirrortac suddenly understood the sound. ‘Eeep!’ he broke out at last. The being patted him and squealed happily. He realised now that this was no ordinary language that was verbalised but a language of sound - the sounds of the creatures and inhabitants of the endless lake.
Mirrortac wanted to learn more but was content now to observe and relax in the company of these gentle and mysterious people. The waters of the endless lake were still as calm as a pond and the day was warming fast. Without the breeze or the cooling spray of the water, it was very hot. Even the three water-beings displayed discomfort in the heat.
As the fireball of sun rode up into the day the air gathered a duskiness that weighed upon the breath and sapped away all energy, leaving the erfin languid and dazed. He made frequent visits to the fish wells, cupping his hands into the cool water and splashing it over his face and body. The beings cast backward glances at him, their brown eyes blinking with concern. At last the female whined out in a soft voice to him and motioned him to come to her. Mirrortac stumbled up to the bow and the three stood up, preparing for some unknown task. The two males mounted the skirting board of the bow and dived into the sea. They clambered upon the backs of the Eeeps and squealed with joy as they were taken into the water, emerging wet and refreshed astride the playful sea creatures.
The female tugged at the erfin’s arm, urging him to follow her into the sea but Mirrortac was suddenly alarmed and stood his ground, looking down into the awesome depths. He had no wish to be swallowed up in so much of the liquid. Visions of ugly erfin-eating Lorcs appeared in his mind and he imagined his feet dangling into the unseen, the unknown, while below lurked Lorcs – slimy black monsters with protruding eyes and cavernous gulping mouths. The female looked at him with confused pleading eyes then turned and dived in to accompany her companions upon the Eeeps.
Mirrortac gazed at the three beings as they sat squealing with joy in the all so cool waters. How refreshing the water seemed, he pondered. He speculated upon the Eeeps and how the creatures appeared to enjoy the game with their caring masters. Head reeling, Mirrortac was torn between the terrible fear of the waters and the joy of such a refreshing ride upon the back of a sea creature. Standing at the edge of the bow, he felt his stomach roll with the contemplation.
The female squeaked a command to one of the Eeeps then peered back at Mirrortac with a solemn beckoning. The erfin watched as one of the Eeeps fell back from the others and swam to just beneath where he stood, lifting up its back and retracting the crest of its dorsal fin as it waited for him to get on its back.
‘It is hot. Perhaps I will be safe,’ he assured himself, crouching down at the edge of the prow.
Mirrortac edged his feet over the side, letting them dangle before gathering the courage to lower himself further. The three beings watched, smiling and beckoning with reassurance. He swung around and grabbed hold of the skirting board, lowering himself towards the back of the patient Eeep. Hanging for a few moments, he felt for the back of the creature with one of his toes and retracted a little when he touched the slippery skin of the animal. The Eeep sunk down into the sea with a lunge and before he realised it, rose up with a heave that brought it well clear of the water. Suddenly he was sitting on its back and his hands slipped clear of the prow, which tugged up beyond reach as the Eeep pulled him away. He watched the vessel part from him as the waters rose up around his legs. A rush of panic overtook him. He grasped at the slippery body of the creature as it plunged deep into the sea, dragging him down with it into the immense wet. The waters rose up around his chest in a cool embrace. The Eeep lifted up again and he emerged, dripping.
The Eeep rejoined the others and the water-beings smiled and barked with what seemed to be laughter as they sighted the erfin, seated backwards, clutching the back of the creature. After a short time, Mirrortac started to relax and make himself more comfortable on the Eeep’s back. The water was invigorating in the hot still day but he would still not trust himself to turn around lest he fall into the
suffocating waters. He splashed water over his exposed head with one free hand, feeling the sliding graceful movement of the Eeep, its tail appearing and disappearing in rhythmic harmony along with the surge and sway of the great endless lake.
They passed much time in this way, playing in the waters and riding the Eeeps as they tugged onwards towards the edge of the earth. The lake remained calm all day and when they were satisfied, the water-beings swam back to the vessel and hopped back on, leaving Mirrortac alone. He did not know how they were able to swim as the fishes did, lacking fins and needing to breathe the air. As he stared back at the vessel, they glanced back at him as he sat forlorn and helpless amidst the sea. One of the males squealed a command and the Eeep that carried him fell back and positioned itself alongside the vessel. The being leant over the side and offered his hands to the erfin who gripped them and was pulled free of the Eeep and back on board the vessel. The being showed no hint of anger at the erfin’s helplessness and Mirrortac was amazed at his patience.
Dawn came with another day of stillness and heat ahead. Mirrortac awoke to a show of hugs then shared the Blulloop with the beings in their morning feast. A strange new phenomenon now appeared in the calm sea - a colouring of yellow and green that smudged the surface for many erfin-lengths around them.
‘Sllok,’ one of the males uttered in a whispering sound, pointing to the curious smudgy mass.
There was a movement and a rippling of fins in the distance. A large fish with a trunk-like snout was weaving its way through the smudge, waving its trunk and ciliated mouth just under the surface. The fish sucked and gurgled in the yellow and green matter. ‘Oorrrrgp!’ it went as it sifted up its feed of plankton. The vessel edged in closer to the fish, which was as large as three-and-a-half erfin-lengths. It was violet above with a yellow trunk and underbelly. A low ridge of dorsal fin ran almost the full length of its back while two bulging eyes peered up out of its forehead. Its swayed-back tail propelled it slowly through the water as it continued to fan its trunk in a motion under the surface. ‘Orgp!’ One of the males made the sound of it and the creature answered with its sucking call.
The Wizard's Sword (Nine Worlds of Mirrortac Book 1) Page 21
