lastshimmer

[lastshimmer]

To Whatever awaits

Blitzz

I looked at my compass, it spun around in circles. That's usual for a reality jump.

The Emberfin wobbled heavy in the dark blue light surrounding us. Then we shot out the portal into a fast, heavy ocean.

The water was black and slick like oil.

The sky above us kinda looked like shattered glass. With different colors radiating from it.

This was one of the cooler worlds I'd seen.

I glanced back at my compass it pointed in one direction again.

What was it pointing to?

No idea.

"You see anything yet?" Merra shouted from the helm.

"Nope" I called back.

I don't know if she's too lazy to look around herself or just likes asking me things. But she's our captain so I can't really argue with that.

Her coat flapped in the wind. I'm still not sure if its alive or not. Maybe one day I'l ask.

"Maybe next time pick a reality that doesn't look like it's dead." I said

"Well since I'm the only one that knows how to operate the portal cannon it seems it's my choice." She said with a smirk.

She was right Elric was always too busy to learn it. And well she didn't trust me with it.

I glanced at the cannon. It was located on the front of the Emberfin. It still sizzled from the reality jump we just took.

I heard the cabin hatch open behind me. Elric stepped out with his journal in his mechanical arm.

Elric took some water samples from the blackish sea and silently went back inside.

"Did Elric already take his samples?" Merra asked. While opening a bottle of whiskey

"Yeah he was fast this time, What is the longest you have talked with Elric" I asked Merra.

"About thirty seconds" she responded while adjusting the sails with one hand.

"Well thats longer than my record"

Elric was not the social type unless you are a special fish or algae. Then he would talk your head off.

I looked some more around while sitting down on the deck.

There was no sun visible in this world but there did shine light. It reflected nicely of the orange hull of the Emberfin.

The Emberfin was not big but it was big enough for us 3 and all the impossible things we catch.

While Merra worked in the helm. Her usual post.

I grabbed my fishing rod and slowly lowered it in the water.

The ocean looked dead but with some luck I might catch something. After all my compass was almost a lucky item to me.

I never missed a catch since I got it. I stole it from a old shop when I still lived on land. Not proud of it but the compass did grow on me.

Elric came out of the cabin again. He held his journal open in his hand. He walked further up the deck and spoke.

"The samples showed that there is life in these waters just not a lot. Also don't swim in the water Lio it might kill you.

He went back inside to continue his research.

"Well thats a bummer for you" Merra said.

Indeed it was that meant no swimming for me. Well not that this water looked nice to swim in. But I do like to occasionally swim in the ocean's.

Something started pulling on my hook. I stood up and pulled it back up. This fish didn't give much of a fight. I pulled the fish and hook over the railing on the deck.

"And what is it?" Merra asked from above.

"It looks like a bird that drowned in cheese" I responded

"You always surprise me with your descriptions" Merra chuckled.

Well she could laugh at me but it did look like a yellow bird mixed with a fish.

I put on a glove and grabbed the fish. I opened the hatch to the cabin and went inside.

I looked around the living room. It was filled with strange artifacts from past realities we traveled through.

"Elric I have a surprise for you"

"What is it this time, another bad joke?" he said sarcastic. While walking out of his room.

"Not quite" I said.

He looked surprised by the fish. Before i could say something else he snatched it from my hand and walked back to his room.

Well this wasn't new just Elric trying to avoid socializing again.

I went back up to the deck. Merra looked kinda tense.

"Whats wrong?" I asked.

"Huge leviathan behind us" she screamed while raising the sails to full power.

I looked behind and saw the head of a huge snake like creature jump above water.

It submerged again and started to swim towards us.

The mouth of the leviathan looked twice as big as the Emberfin. It had yellow eyes that glowed through the black sea.

The Emberfin went at full speed now.

Merra charged up the portal cannon. And shot a new portal in front of us.

It looked pink this time but is was still far away.

The leviathan was right behind us. Merra was trying her best to keep the Emberfin in the right path.

The wind blew hard against the sails. And the waves made the Emberfin swing.

"What are you standing there for?, throw a decoy." Merra shouted.

I ran toward the back and picked up a lump of meat. We used these to distract predators.

I threw it in the water behind the boat.

The leviathan didn't even flinch and swam right past it.

"I don't think we're making it" I said.

"I have sailed this boat for longer than you have been alive, trust me we're making it"

If I have learned one thing in my time on the Emberfin. Its that if Merra says something its the truth. She doesn't say things without being sure.

The leviathan indeed didn't keep up. The portal got close now.

I was already thinking of the possibilities. There could be a city or maybe another boat or just a new ocean on the other side.

This is what I liked the thrill of the unknown and the adventure of it.

"Brace yourselves" Merra shouted.

I held tight to the railing. And we flew in the portal.

Blitzz

There was now pink light all around us. The Emberfin shaking wildly.

I grabbed my compass and looked at it.

It was spinning in circles again.

Whatever it pointed to, I would find it one day. Maybe not soon, but that day would come.