Devil's Rise

In the peaceful waters of a quiet sea lies the wreck of the Starling, a ship that had last been reported as lost hundreds of days ago. She's in fairly good shape, at least if you ignore the gaping hole in the center of her hull.

She belongs to the salty waters now and they're far from kind, but a few large, aquatic creatures see her as their new home. They often hide behind wooden beams and in shadowed corners. These new inhabitants aren't eager to share, neither with newcomers nor with each other.

The Starling doesn't make for a pretty sight, especially not from further away. Like discarded waste, she seems to not belong in these waters. She's barely standing upright and the absence of a crew leaves a deafening silence.

A rusty cannon, a few crates, and a single chest leave the remnants of a shipment that will never be delivered. Only a few have cracked open and nothing remains inside.

Fleshy remains and various bones are scattered around the ship, they belong to whoever the crew of this ship was. A dead whale was also stinking up the top of the hull, a good deal of carrion birds surrounding its corpse. It was most likely the perpetrator of the wreck.

Scavenging this shipwreck was the merfolk Flick. Flick was young and adventurous, always looking to make his next buck. He had heard rumors that this shipwreck might house a great treasure.

This shipwreck had been here for many weeks, however, Flick would give it a go. Flick was an adventurer, although most merfolk enjoyed grouping in tribes and war, Flick was a free spirit. As a teen, they banished him from his clan for his antics.

Now Flick sought to explore all the oceans in the world! Flick loved treasure and adventure. This shipwreck was his latest catch. He would take anything he could get his webbed claws into!

Flick remembered when he was young and was in front of the tribe chieftain.

"De sea ah moda," (The sea is our mother) said the Chieftain.

"Sea gives wi food." (The sea gives us food)

"Wuk fah sea always ave full belly." (Work for sea and always have a full belly)

'Dis is cool mon.' thought Flick as he listened to the chieftain speak.

Flick however didn't want to 'wuk fah sea'. He wanted to explore! His adventurous ways eventually got him into hot water with the tribe.

He was clumsy and derelict in his duties. His clumsiness destroyed the town's fishing nets, which they depended on to feed the village.

They banished him from the tribe never to return!

"No wuk fah sea! Nuh live inna tribe!" (No work for the sea, No live in the tribe) said the Chieftain as he banished Flick.

Now Flick was free merfolk, he lived in the sea! It was rough for Flick, with no tribe he had to feed himself. But he rather be free than live under their archaic rules.

Flick scoured the ship, and at first, found nothing of note.

Flick continued to search the ship, hoping to find his next big lick. Soon he came upon a spiked blade.

'Was a dis?' thought Flick as he examined it.

'Issa new shinie!'

Flick grabbed the blade, hoping to put it into his bag. He could sell this off to the dwarfs for good money! Unfortunately, a seagull came along and wanted the blade.

"Issa mine!" said Flick as he struggled to grasp the blade. It was a silly scene, the merfolk struggling to take the blade from the seagull.

A lightning bolt came out of the blade and fried the seagull.

Soon a large sparking turtle was before Flick.

'Get away, get out of here,' said the turtle.

"Was dat?" said Flick.

'You almost got yourself killed are you brainless?' said the turtle.

"I spak!" said Flick, disgruntled this Great and Powerful Turtle was looking down on him.

'The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here,' said the turtle.

"No no, me stay, Missa called Flick. Missa your humble servant," said Flick as he bowed to the turtle.

'That won't be necessary,' said the turtle.

"Oh but it is, it is demanded by the gods it is!" said Flick.

'You wish to serve this Thunder God Mortal?' said the turtle.

"If Missa cans explore da the seas, Mi sa serve!" said Flick.

'Do you give your mind, body, and soul to the Lightning of Freedom for the ability to explore the seas?' said the turtle.

"Yes, mi sa give it!" said Flick.

Lightning soon engulfed Flick as the power of Freedom embraced him. Out of the lightning came a merfolk emitting lightning in his wake. Flick was no more, consumed by the cursed weapon, there stood Freedom.

'Go spread faith in this Thunder God' said the turtle.

"No, no head there no," said Freedom.

'What's the problem?' said the turtle.

"It's em… embarrassing, mi must a been banished?" said Freedom.

'You hear that?' said the turtle.

Thunder soon blotted out the sky.

'That is the sound of many terrible things happening to you if you don't find a proper saint or saintess to start the Wanderers of Thunder.'

'If I find you not enacting my, will I will crush you, grind you into tiny pieces, and blast you into oblivion,' said the turtle.

"Oki Day, Missa Free!" said Freedom as he shot off into the sky.

\u003cRide the Lightning\u003e

"Missa musta spread faith," said Freedom as he rode through the lightning.

"Issa freedom," said Freedom loudly as he landed near his old village.

"Missa back!"

All the merfolk saw Freedom land at the town riding lightning. They knew their delightful days were over. This calamity had come back!

~~~

"Damn it, I think I recruited the wrong curse bound," I said as I sat near my altar.

For a lightning weapon to work, I had to have someone with a free spirit. However, that damn merfolk was a blubbering idiot. Ah well, what's the worst that can happen?

Hell, I didn't even offer him anything. All he wanted to do was 'explore the seas'. The most basic tenant of any curse binding weapon was to give them the ability to move about and enact my will.

I gave him nothing, while he gave me everything he had. Whatever, only time will tell if that idiot can do a suitable job. No point in me crying over a spent blade.

Hopefully, he can find someone to spread the faith of my second religion.

The Wanderers of Lightning will soon appear in the Earthen World!