In his moments of despair, Thales paused for brief moment, yet in his mind played days, perhaps months of suffering.
It was his first nightmare.
A ship made of ruined wood sailed across the high seas. The fringes of it's sails were worn, and the wood of it's hull had been infested by barnacles. In some places, spots of red could be seen, resembling coral, or perhaps flesh?
It's size was daunting. Not enough to rival the great citadel that sailed the Stormsea of course. But enough to be considered a citadel of its own.
Nevertheless Thales stood on its deck. He wore a torn linen shirt and pants that had seen better days.
His spot on this ship was not grand, as he'd learned. He was merely a boy taken from the shores. His job was to clean the deck, and sometimes - hoist the sails if the captain was in a joyful mood.
Unfortunately, nobody had been capable of maintaining a good mood these days.
For weeks they had been stranded in a storm. If the storm were to be left to it's vices, Thales was sure it would reach a month.
Now due to the storm, everyone was in a bad mood. The crew was unruly, they're stench was sickening, and they're ale was running low.
'These drunkards won't last long without a drink to snuggle.'
Thales snickered in his mind. And he had every right to do so.
In the ruined ship filled with drunken sailors - akin to pirates even, they're favored deck boy was not hosted with a warm welcome.
In some days a drunkard would pass and then suddenly kick him in the shin. Pummeling him as he got down.
Thales' resistance was futile. Even he learned that in the past few days.
The legacy was strong. But that strength seemed feeble when a single man on the ship, had at least the strength of an awakened.
If they were normal sailors he would've stood a chance. But rather surprisingly they were strong and seasoned. And even if he managed to beat down one or two men, the vice captain would come down and discipline him for his 'arrogance'.
The man was strong. Thales believed him to be as strong as an awakened.
At first Thales was filled with pride. He was a legacy after all. He refused to be beaten by even one man when he arrived on this ship.
Yet when the vice captain arrived. Everything suddenly stopped. The men stopped fighting.
Was it fear? Or was it authority?
Thales did not know. Yet he still raised his hand in defiance. Getting into a battle stance.
He was humbled, right as his hands rose. The man blurred, a fist filled his vision. Soon after, darkness beckoned him.
His vision returned and he awoke to a decrepit room lit by a single lantern.
In the distance he could hear the moans and shrieks of women.
He shivered. He seemed to be near the women's quarters.
Although it was named as such, no women worked on the decks of this ship. As the sailors boasted ever so often.
The women's quarters was near the bottom of the ship. With the slaves quarters in the middle and the sailors quarters somewhere near the deck.
Regardless, these men were definitely pirates. No matter how often they called themselves sailors.
However, as much as Thales wanted to continue insulting the brazen men the door opened.
It revealed a gruff man with a messy beard, and teeth yellower than gold. It was the vice captain.
He carried a tray of tools that widened Thales' eyes. In that moment he finally understood what 'disciplining' meant.
It was a harrowing experience. Going on for a week at most. The vice captain was almost always drunk, and almost always mad. His weird habit of snapping his fingers whenever he had an entertaining thought drove Thales to near insanity.
His array of tools, were torturous. By the end of it, Thales lost two fingers, five nails and was chipped in the ear.
_________
Thales' sighed and his mind returned to the present, continuing to wipe the deck. Choosing to forget about the events of a few weeks ago.
Thales endured a plethora of hardship already, yet he still was unable to determine the goal of this nightmare.
Was it to kill the crew? Free the slaves and the women?
Thales was going insane. The melody of the waves was the only thing keeping him calm.
Eventually he forced himself to regain composure and check his runes.
He had done it multiple times already, but he still had a feeling that it held somewhat of a clue.
_________
Name: Thales
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Seafarer][Gentle Tides]
Aspect: [Calm Blue].
Aspect Description: [Since you were born you were kind to the sea. The sea shows it's gratitude.]
_________
His attributes puzzled him somehow. The [Seafarer] attribute was the most obvious of them whilst the [Gentle Tides] attribute could be tied to how the waves calmed him?
His aspect could have been better but he could not complain. The sea had been truly kind to him these days.
Yet unusually so, the sea had been filled with rage this particular evening.
The ebb and flow of the waves rang in his ears. It's tides smashing into the ships hull were akin to a war drum.
*BANG!*
Adding to the cacophony of sounds a bang was heard as the door of the highest room in the ship was forcefully opened.
A man with ebony long hair, wine red eyes, and skin as clear as a coral reefs' waters.
It was the captain.
The captain was the strongest man in the ship, and the most perceptive.
"Rise you drunken bastards! The deep has awoken!!"
The captain shouted. His voice reaching every crevice of his ship.
And soon right after, the ancient ship came alive.
Men crowded the decks. A few bumping into him. Although a few were not by accident.
"Raise your weapons!"
The captain ordered, and his men followed.
They had a variety of weapons. Some had harpoons, others cutlasses, a few wielded blunt weapons, and a few simply wore gauntlets.
Thales, without a weapon of his own decided to fashion one himself by snapping the head of his mop. Leaving a sharp tip as his makeshift spear.
Bracing for battle Thales was not disappointed. Soon grotesque bipedal creatures clawed their way to the side of the ship.
He held the railing with trepidation as he watched the monstrous creatures climb the side their ship.
Even more so when he saw the shadow of an enormous being below the waves.
It was long and harrowing. Resembling a leviathan in the records of his house.
Deciding he was too weak for this he calmly stepped back. Letting his brethren withstand the brunt of the initial assault.
He had no remorse for these brazen men after all.
Initiating the start of the assault a roar resounded from the deep.
The captain scoffed in reply and proceeded to sprint towards the edge of the ship. Jumping as he reached the railings. The strength of his jump swaying the ship to one side.
Thales mouth was left agape as the captain began to miraculously transform in mid air.
Turning into a massive humanoid sea creature. With his head akin to a shark and his legs replaced by a bundle of tentacles. On his back was a row of sharp fins, probably sharp enough to tear through the hull of the ship.
'Ah? The captain was a saint?'
Thales thought in his mind. His thoughts were churning once more. If the captain was a saint then his second in command could be no lesser than an ascended?
...
The strength of this ship was strong. It truly was like a citadel. But if the ship was strong, then what kind of threat was enough to make even the captain move?
It had to be corrupted at least!
What kind of first nightmare was this?!?
An Ascended, a Transcendent, and a Corrupted Nightmare Creature all at once!?
His clan was definitely going to go crazy over this news...
Nevertheless, his focus should be in the present.
That thought was even more highlighted when a Nightmare creature lunged at the guy in front of him. Immediately tearing of his head.
'Eh? Shouldn't these guys at least be able to contend with an awakened beast?'
The beast was like a mix between the monstrous fish creatures and rotten wood.
'Fuck, a Fallen nightmare creature!?'
Thales immediately ran backwards and throwing the nearest crew mate under the bus. Pushing them behind him.
The nightmare creature immediately tore a leg from the man and feasted on it.
'Yup, that's out of my league.'
Continuing to run backwards the destruction the beast was dealing could be heard like a breath behind his neck. In his heart he silently hoped the vice captain would die to the beast.
Running, he went to an area where a number of men were ganging up on a nightmare creature.
It was like a dark jelly fish of flesh. It had multiple tendrils with tipped spikes on its ends.
He thought for a moment then scanned the floor, where he found a dropped rusty knife.
Using the knife he threw it directly at the head of the nightmare creature killing it on the spot.
[You have slain the nightmare creature, "Darkened Dweller"]
[You have received a memory]
'YES!'
[Moth Thread]
Memory Description - [Many of the deep lacked something. So akin to a moth to flame, they reached for it. They yearned for it.]
It was a thread of dark slimy material. More so a rope than a thread.
What thrilled Thales the most though, was the jagged spike on its end.