The Fall Of The Sea

Aaron sat on a small stone bench across from the Hunters' headquarters, staring at his guild badge.

Lucky me! And the reward is perfect! Now all I have to do is find a way to kill it…

As he continued to think, he heard a small pop to the left of him.

Hidden in the shadows was a blue crab whose body had shrunk significantly from when he was on the ship.

"Mr. Crab!? Are you alright?"

Aaron bent down to try to touch the crab; however, all the creature did was hit his hand away with its small peg leg.

No need to be rude… I was just trying to help you.

Mr. Crab tilted his head to the side before jumping directly at Aaron without hesitation.

"What the…?"

He watched as the small crustacean nearly headbutted him before vanishing in a plume of blue mist.

Isn't he able to disappear anywhere now? Is he not able to vanish for the same reason he's so small?

Aaron scratched his head in confusion before standing up and stretching his arms high above his head.

"Well… That's not any of my business right now. I need to focus on getting to the rogue sea terror."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small piece of paper that had the mission information written on it.

So the location is north of the island… Hopefully, the signs will be easier to follow this time, so I won't have to follow a kid faster than me again…

He shook his head, wondering when children had gotten so fast, and began his trek following the directions, careful not to mess up again.

… 

"Is this it?"

Aaron stood in front of a small wooden shack that he had come to after walking for three whole hours.

I guess that's what happens when you get lost at the first turn...

He sighed while walking towards the shabby door that was nearly falling off its hinges.

Slowly raising his hand, he prepared to knock; however, before he could draw back his wrist, the entry burst open, smacking Aaron in the face, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Dammit! I'm not buying your stupid fish!"

Aaron looked up from the ground, witnessing an elderly woman swinging a cane violently above her head.

"M-Maam… I'm not selling anything. I'm here about a mission from the Hunters' Guild."

He spoke calmly while scratching his head where a throbbing red bump was forming.

The elderly woman looked down at him before speaking curtly.

"Oh. You must be that brat they sent to deal with that tiny terror at the pier."

She raised her wrinkled finger and pointed across the street at the short wall that blocked the view of the ocean.

"Hmph, go over to that wall and jump on top of it, and you'll see the problem. Come back when you solve it."

Aaron looked up at the woman as she waved her cane and slammed the door behind her, leaving him confused at what had just occurred.

Not even an apology…

He placed his palms on the ground and pushed himself up onto his feet, careful not to make the mistake of getting too close to the easily swung door.

Staring at the disheveled shack, he sighed and turned towards the short wall that obstructed his view.

Just gotta climb over that wall and summon the Ghostship, then I can easily take down that tiny sea terror in no time.

Putting his plan into motion, he began to sprint at the metal wall, attempting to scale it in one try.

C'mon, C'mon, C'mon…

As he reached the wall, he pushed with his legs to jump… but they barely responded.

"Huh?"

His untrained legs managed a pitiful hop before giving up entirely.

He slammed into the barrier, knocking him over for the second time that day.

Aaron hit the ground with a thud before he groaned in pain.

"Ouch… I really should've just looked for a way through it..."

… 

Eleanor stood above a small grave in the regional cemetery, holding a tiny porcelain jar against her chest.

She removed the lid, gently dumping the contents of the container into the shallow hole she had dug.

A single flake of ash-black char drifted from inside, floating softly towards the soil in its final moments of fresh air.

Eleanor reached for the shovel to her right and quietly scooped a small pile of dirt into the hole.

"You taught me well; however, in the end, you left me alone just like everyone else."

Staring at the gravestone engraved with Godrick's name, she wiped her eyes sluggishly before walking through the gates as the sun set slowly behind her.

… 

"Here it is…"

Aaron stood facing a large metal archway that revealed the brilliant blue water behind the wall.

Floating off the shore was a dock smaller than what he had arrived on, however, still large enough for small fishing vessels that hunted in the area.

If I can make sure nobody is looking, I can tap the ring and summon the Ghostship. Though the problem is…

Before Aaron stood a silent line of soldiers, rifles at the ready, bayonets gleaming in the sunlight, their eyes fixed on the waters ahead.

"Ready… Hold… Fire!"

The man who seemed to be the commander stood in the center of the formation and uttered a loud command, causing rapid bursts of gunpowder to ignite in small waves.

Watching the water, the soldiers aimed once again; however, the commander scoffed and turned away.

"At ease, someone is here to deal with this problem."

They all turned around slowly, facing Aaron without a shred of emotion, leaving him feeling a little shy.

He watched as the commander walked towards him at a firm pace, arriving at his location in only a second.

"I heard that the Hunters' Guild was sending a rookie to help. Our normal weaponry is no use against that monster, but you certainly must have the equipment for this, correct?"

Aaron studied his gaze, noticing pieces of curiosity and doubt hidden within; nonetheless, he knew that he couldn't reveal his Ghostship to any of these citizens, much less actual soldiers.

They've likely seen Lepaie Quinn at one point or another, so they must be aware of the Ghostship's appearance…

Deciding to tell the man a partial truth, Aaron spoke calmly and firmly with confidence that made him sound like a professional.

"That is correct, Sir. I am here currently to analyze the situation, and I will return after the sun has set completely with adequate tools for the job."

After hearing Aaron's confident remark, the commander smiled and patted him on the back gently.

"Well, you certainly sound professional. I will give you the key to this area, which will allow you to enter after it's closed for the day. Please do not do anything shady in the area, and be sure that we have surveillance patrols."

Aaron nodded at the commander while observing him more carefully.

Located directly above his right eye was a deep scar, likely from the war six years ago that nearly destroyed the entire capital.

His hair was a salt-and-pepper mix, with his eyes being a peaceful green that reflected Aaron within them.

The commander waved his hand towards his soldiers, ordering them to head back to the barracks for the day and await further orders, while a small group was to patrol the wall in case of emergency.

Aaron watched the situation with awe as the man's sheer commanding tone seemed to carry power with every word.

I wish I could be like that…

He smirked and shook his head silently while looking at the dark pavement below his feet.

After he confirmed that the dock was void of all life, he carefully approached the shore while tapping the sapphire gemstone embedded inside the ring on his index finger.

Pulsating blue tendrils sprouted from the band, forming a structure ahead of him.

Aaron had never witnessed the process of shipbuilding; however, as he watched, he noticed some oddities.

The first thing that formed was a small blue sphere that absorbed the blue tendrils that had been pulsating from the ring.

From that orb, a chamber formed around it with the wood of the hull slowly appearing below as the base layer of the vessel was built.

Aaron watched as the other rooms were slowly built; however, before he could take a closer look at what was happening inside, the hull encompassed the sides, obstructing his view.

As the deck was steadily constructed, the large mast began to fade into reality like before, splitting into two separate segments that draped regular white sails.

Oh right… Since I deconstructed it while in the disguised state, it must be rebuilt in that form instead of reverting to the bright turquoise Ghostship that I'm used to.

Finally, a bright light was emitted from the helm, and the vessel fully landed within the waves, creating a splash that soaked Aaron.

"Oh…"

He frowned, looking down at his dripping clothing, and thought back to his hard day.

First, I was getting lost in the morning, then an old lady hit me in the head with her door, which led to me running headfirst into a metal wall.

"Maybe I should go get my vision checked…"

Imagining himself waiting in a queue for glasses, he laughed and instinctively looked for Eleanor, who always scoffed at his jokes.

Oh yeah… I forgot that today was the day we split up. I wonder what she's up to right now…