Chapter Text
A ship sinking was nothing new. Two ships sinking within a month was strange, but not really noteworthy, as the local papers would forget the story and move on within a week or two. After all, the seas had always been treacherous. Five ships, however, was an entirely different story.
Fifth exploration ship lost in storm! Survivors found along southern shore! Sea monster may be at fault!
Wifies folded the newspaper, scoffing to himself. Sea monsters? Really? Nonetheless, he paid the newsboy for the paper and continued walking, continuing to skim over the contents. Supposedly, there had been some sightings of a mysterious black figure under the waves with many, if not all eyewitnesses swearing they’d seen a massive fish-like creature. As usual, the papers ate that up, blabbering on about mythological creatures and monsters.
Sea monster, my ass. Like those things existed. There was likely a perfectly logical explanation for all of this that people are neglecting in favor of a story.
Naturally, these tall tales excited the public mind, garnering the attention of sailors and politicians, lawyers and carpenters, the poor and the wealthy. To his annoyance, it seemed as if it was everything anyone would ever talk about.
“By the gods, Wifies, have you seen the news?” a colleague and friend of his asked, approaching him while he walked down the avenue.
Wifies held up the newspaper he had recently purchased.
“Ah, I see you have. Then you must have some interest in the topic, shouldn’t you?”
“Of course not. It’s absolutely ridiculous — that’s what it is. Sea monsters? Really? Is that the best they could come up with?”
“Well, couldn’t you admit it’s a little interesting, no? Don’t you eat up those kinds of mysteries?”
“It’s barely a mystery, since it’s just a bunch of speculation,” Wifies said. He turned the corner.
“Well, what about all the eyewitnesses?”
“When you’re in a state of panic, you think you see things. I doubt being in a sinking ship is any exception.”
“Well, when it’s one or two people, sure, but there’s over fifty of them now, all reporting the same exact thing.”
“A collective hallucination then. Perhaps the previous paranoia stirred up by the previous incidents had influenced what they thought they saw.”
“But all the accounts are so similar — there’s little to no variation in what they claimed they saw,” his colleague said, trying not to trail behind as Wifies walked faster.
“Parrot, for the love of the gods, whatever happened to empirical evidence? I refuse to believe in this so-called sea monster until I see some more concrete evidence. I want to see pictures, a tooth of the creature, something. How come this creature only appears in storms? If it really was sinking ships, wouldn’t it also attack regardless of the weather?”
“Well,” Parrot sighed. “Wouldn’t it be nice to humor the notion for a bit? A monster at sea. A mystery for you to solve, just like the good old days.”
Wifies stopped and faced Parrot, sighing. He glanced at the paper, then back at Parrot. “You know I don’t really do that anymore, Parrot.”
“I know. But would it hurt to try?
Would it hurt to try to get back into that old passion of his? Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to indulge, just a bit?
“Would you look at the time! It’s been nice talking, Wifies, but I’ve got something to take care of,” Parrot said, adjusting his coat and giving a friendly nod before briskly departing, leaving Wifies alone.
Wifies opened the newspaper, eyes skimming over the text one more time. His eyes drifted to the nearby trash can and he briefly considered tossing it. However, he’d spent his hard-earned cash on this, so he might as well save it. He neatly folded it and put it into his coat pocket before making his way home.
The following month it seemed as if the chatter surrounding the rumors was beginning to die down, with the public mind beginning to wander away from sea monsters. People had begun to preoccupy themselves with other things, and the mystery of the sea monster had begun to fade from the spotlight. However, on what seemed like an ordinary Thursday afternoon, a shocking headline shook the country.
A crowd had gathered around the newsstand, with people reaching over others to grab a hold of a paper. In the midst of it all, Wifies managed to snag a newspaper. His eyes widened as he read the headline.
Sea monster caught on camera as ship sinks! More sailors found washed on southern shores!
Below was a monochromatic picture of a strange black blob seemingly lurking just under the surface. He would have shrugged it off as a patch of seaweed if it weren’t for the fact that part of it had breached the water, sharp spikes emerging from the water. A journalist had supposedly been on the very fishing ship that sank earlier that week and had miraculously managed to snap a picture or two before the storm overtook the ship.
Could this be fake? He contemplated it before reading the paper. The Mariner's League Commissioner had supposedly given a speech the previous day, with parts of it being transcribed in the newspaper.
“…this creature, or as some are calling ‘The Leviathan’, could potentially pose a threat for all we know. We, like the rest of the world, know little to nothing about this entity. We don't even know if it really exists. In times like these, it is imperative that we learn as much as we can regarding the 'monster', for our sake. As such, we will be offering a handsome cash prize for whoever can provide us information regarding this Leviathan.
They then proceeded to answer whatever questions the press had asked, which was nothing to note, really. What actually intrigued Wifies was the fact that they claimed to have little evidence, yet they were willing to spend their resources to put out a statement, and as mentioned later on in the speech, allow civilians to travel on League ships, which was something they never did.
There were two possibilities: either they were simply responding to public hysteria, or they knew more than they were letting on. Wifies was willing to bet it was the latter. After all, why would they only now send out a response? Why would there be a journalist aboard a fishing vessel? And how could one manage to take such a picture in such a small time frame? Sheer luck? He doubted it.
He recalled countless tales of great squids pulling ships to the depths, of sea monsters biting through steel, of sailors being lured to their deaths. Innumerable legends of monsters who ruled the seas, legends he had always brushed off as myths. However, a part of him began to wonder if those tales had some substance to them after all. If this so-called Leviathan was real, who was he to pass up such an opportunity?
His mind wandered back to what Parrot had told him the month before. He picked up his pace, maneuvering around the crowd of people and hastily making his way to his flat. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside, hanging his coat and setting down the paper. Sighing, he read over the article again.
6th ship claimed by sea monster!
Nonsense, he told himself. They didn't even have the ships to prove the sea monster had sunk it. They'd twist anything into a good story, wouldn't they? His eyes wandered back to the photograph. His gaze lingered on it, examining each and every aspect of it, from the shape of the spikes protruding from the water to whatever minuscule details he could make out from the blurry silhouette.
He scrutinized the photograph for longer than he should have until he suddenly stood from the chair. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed his trunk, dragging it from the corner of the room. Too big, he told himself. He pushed it back and found a much smaller luggage. This would do.
Before long, he had retrieved his items, carrying them in a relatively medium-sized luggage. He did not require much, as he didn’t expect to be gone for longer than a month. However, he was a practical man, needing only a few changes of clothes and a handful of possessions, of which he mostly used for logging. He had taken with him a book and quill, where he had already begun logging the date.
The year of the first sighting.
July 30 —
He approached the harbor, where a small group of travelers had congregated — presumably to get on the same ship that he himself would be sailing on. The ship itself was a fine ship, armed with harpoons and a gun deck, and powered by steam engines and sails. It had temporarily been repurposed to be a passenger ship of sorts, with much of the cargo being removed from the top decks. However, the people’s paranoia towards the seas had resulted for there to be much less people attempting to board.
"Bring nothing large with you! We will be sailing to the southern fishing port and no further! You will be provided with nothing but passage!"
These announcements were repeated frequently, each time with a slight variation or with a few words changed. Thankfully, he'd brought a decent amount of food with him in the case they'd be at sea longer than anticipated. He boarded the ship, taking care to not bump into anyone. He held his luggage in his left hand, sitting down near the ship's edge. He watched as sailors manned the rigging, raised the anchor, and untied the mooring lines. He would have kindly offered to help if he knew anything about ships. Unfortunately, that was far out of his expertise, so he sat there feeling rather useless.
Many of the civilians also sat nearby where he himself had , with many looking out inland. The fellow who had situated himself directly to the right of Wifies was waving out to no one in particular. As the ship departed from the harbor and the sails shot up to catch the wind, Wifies began logging in his notebook.
I have made a very hasty and impulsive decision — I am going to investigate the southern shores myself. As most men, I find myself intimidated by the deep blue. However, the allure of whatever is hiding underneath the surface is much stronger than whatever fear had taken hold of me.
Whatever this thing is — whether it be myth, monster, or man, has become the focus of my attention. If anyone is to properly prove the existence of this 'sea monster', then it shall be me.
As of today, the search begins.