Mandragora: Ler Sea (Rewritten)

People mysteriously arrived in Mandragora seven generations ago when t’ha indigenous creatures still roamed freely. Since t’han, t’north has been dominated by t’ha Draarimerorckrai people while t’ha south hass been dominated by t’ha Fairt’hall people. T’ha Ler Sea hass never been completely soaked up.

My resilient ancestors were fishermen an’ad a great respect for t’ocean. My fat’har wass a diver, he dove t’hroughout hiss life t’earn enough money t’buy a hydrofoil boat. After inheriting t’ha hydrofoil t’was my lively hood an’ I do now take diving contracts t’hat bring me far out int’ parts of t’ha Ler t’hat many oth’ars avoid because o’t’he treacherous weath’ar.

T’Airmaid islands were first sought out an’somewhat established by Draarimerockrai outlaws six generations ago. T’ha pirates were never able to centralize t’heir control in t’ha area. Tw'ere many feuding tyrants who battled t’spread t’hair influence. T’ha conflict pervaded t’ha south of t’ha Ler for a long while. T’ha quarreling wass lucrative for t’ha divers but poor for trade.

My ol’ grandfat’har wass on many boats t’hat came under siege like when he wass diving for pearls off t’ha coast of Magaera Island. His ship wass pursued by a dangerously equipped Draarimerorckrai war ship. Hiss ship fled int’a secluded bay. T’ha attack ship circled t’ha island but all aboard knew t’was only a matter of time before t’hey would be discovered. T’was a matter of attrition an’eventually everyone‘ad t’abandon ship. Some of t’hem tried t’bring t’ha pearls wit t’hem but t’ha fierce barracudas being attracted t’such shiny things attacked t’ham an’many drowned.

My grandfat’har saw t’ha long lasting campaign t’hat drove t’hair oppressive sovereignty out. T’ha pirates ‘ad long since severed t’hair ties wit t’hair Draarimerockrai brot’hars who ‘ad settled in t’ha north. When t’ha Fairrt’halls arrived t’hey were organized and well equipped with distortion fields and re-orienting powder. Although t’ha Pirates were fierce an’well trained t’hey often wasted t’hemselves on indecisiveness. T’hey couldn’t agree on anyt’hing and t’here wass feuding for leadership. Planning to take t’heir ships t’was easy but t’ha undertaking was arduous. T’hey would swipe out with precision even when disoriented. T’heir wass an instinct for such feuding t’hat wass deeply ingrained in t’hem. T’heir cutthroat mentality still lingers.

Ass a boatman I do see an’ear a lot. Sometimes it’s best noa t’have any spoken beliefs. It’s easier t’get along. Besides, you wouldn’t ever catch me swimming where t’ha bott’m hides. When you can’t see land you’re at ‘er mercy and she commands respect. You can’t buy your way t’shore. It’s just you an’her an’she chooses her confidant t’ha moon.

Last rainy season I wass on assignment in t’ha Ler Sea, for a group of specialist divers. T’ha rainy season requires more skill hence it steers in higher paying contracts. Although t’heir route led t’hem outside t’ha shelter of t’ha windswept islands wit’ eroded banks through what is amongst t’ha most perilous routs, I needed t’ha pay.

One o’t’ha specialist divers on board wass named Adair. He never talked much about hiss past or anyt’hing for t’hat matter. T’wass whispered t’hat he wass of pirate lineage cause of hiss flat nort’hern accent. He wass a private man an’didn’t like t’speak. He didn’t force himself not t’ speak; Noa t’was simply part of hiss mystique. T’ha divers knew noat t’ pry. Adair‘ad a strong build an’wass as staunch ass t’rest of t’hem, however one man felt he wass justified in confronting Adair about hiss heritage because t’hay were assigned diving partners.

Adair just stared past hiss silhouette wit frozen ice-cold bluish eyes deeply sunken in hiss hard-set face, waiting until the bow lurched up from a wall wave. He t’han raised hiss mallet like fist an’busted hiss nosy partners jaw knocking him down. Since t’han t’hey’ve gotten along quite well.

After a night o’biscuits an’potatoes t’ha cook’ad a go of keeping plates from sliding it was ass rowdy a dance ass t’ha last day of winter in Magaera Island pub. It was because we we’re entering a long fetch and the wind howled so. One o’t’ha crew on t’ha deck scrambled up t’ha mast amongst shivering ropes to tighten t’hem an’wass caught in a great blat o’wind t’hat loosened his grip. He was hanging high above the deck swaying from the off kilter bearing of the ship. “Sh’es got anot’her bone in her teeth.” He yelled before hiss feat of strength unlocking hiss elbow an’ pulling himself back up before t’ha slunking aft.

That night I didn’t sleep. We were caught in a meddling white squall an’t’ha ship tossed and swayed violently. It needed constant tending. Everyt’hing needed t’be checked an’rechecked. We hauled in the halyards an’ adjusted let the center boards out. T’ha rain fell hard an’t’ha patter against t’windows made it impossible t’see past t’ha window below deck. T’ha sound of doors slamming in t’ha wind was worrisome. T’wass a dark blue faced night. T’ha divers slept poorly down in t’ha cramped sleeping cabins. T’ha lofty waves crashed t’ha hull until first light when t’ha storm clouds broke away.

Like any ot’har day t’ha divers woke up wit t’ha sun. I t’hen dropped t’hem off in groups of two. One after anot’har, each at t’heir assigned dive locations where t’hey took t’heir plunge into t’ha open waters.

T’heir swaggering foreman always stayed on board t’over see t’ha operation. He wass a burly man who‘ad gained weight since giving up diving several years back. Occasionally he would slur an’stumble asking: “Do you know t’ha difference between a land lover an’a seafarer?” T’which noa answer wass ever t’is liking. Noa one would t’hink twice about it, ass its normal behavior for a veteran diver. Too much diving an’inert gasses are dissolved into t’bodies liquids an’tissues, he would often scratch his rattled back an’legs. His skin‘ad become chronically irritable an’so‘ad he. He would plan t’ha rout an’map out t’ha dive spots. T’wass obvious he‘ad developed a keen sense for t’ha most bountiful areas from all hiss years working beneath t’ha waves. He knew where t’he birds went an’where the shoals were. Hiss greasy black hair wass slicked back to t’ha top of hiss bulky neck.

Divers generally train in shallow water before getting contracts in t’ha deep blue. Adair's partner, Franil iss well known in every port town in t’ha Airmaid islands as san asset on any ship. He iss known for being able t’hold hiss breath for seven minutes. On a rare occasion of confession he mentioned t’hat he was trained by a legendary diver named Artur. Now I do remember meeting Artur.

T’was long ago when I was much younger t’hen today an’t’was t’ha only time I’ve ever sailed on the Boyne Sea. I was t’ha second cook on a steam ship leaving t’ha port town of Criel near lake Cyan. Ships on this rout pass by Ethniu is home to t’Adaquans who live underwater. T’hey have built their crystalline castles at t’ha bottom of t’ha sea. T’hey are locals of Mandragora an’have kept to t’hemselves- it’s a more effective way t’hen others. T’hey’re legs are long t’ha same wit’t’heir webbed toes an’fingers. T’hey’re skin iss a dark blue a camouflage for t’deep but t’hat’s a story for anot’her time.

All ships going south pass around Ethniu Island t’escape t’he Narkell straight an’to ride its perimeter drift. Now on t’his contract I met Artur his skin was slightly darkened blue an’t’was whispered t’hat Artur wass born in t’ha sea, t’hat he wass half Adaquan. Ass t’ha legend goes hiss mother wass an Adaquan an’she fell in love wit’a free diver who would spend hours alone in t’water because he enjoyed it. T’his free diver could hold his breath for over ten minutes an’he would do underwater yoga. He would swim wit’ t’dolphins an’inspect t’he plant life. He wass a teacher o’divers but never dove for money. Arturs fat’her wass a Draarimerorckrai who’ad lived amongst t’locals in Criel. He‘ad noa family an’noa ties to t’ Draarimerorckrai culture

Artur wass on board on t’same ship ass me because he wass traveling t’Mider Island North, where t‘iss said t’here iss a lost tribe of ancestors. T’only people who go t’here are a few scientists who study t’ha strange geology of t’island an’it’s t’hem who’ve reported seeing t’ha strange tribe, noa one is sure if t’hey’re crazy from t’ isolation. We didn’t know why Artur wass going t’here an’we didn’t ask.

Back t’Franil, he wass slick an’lanky. He‘ad a sharp jaw an’ a t’hin horizontal eyebrows over cunning dark brown eyes. In t’ha deep water it’s easy t’get lost. During t’rainy season undertows often overpower wary divers an’stir up t’white sand enough to blind. It’s a gloomy season t’be out in t’open ocean. A diver iss constantly on t’ha fringe both mentally an’physically. Ass a boatman it’s important to develop t’ha virtue of enduring confidence t’hrough any barb’rous situation wheth’er it’s an aquatic saurus or riding t’ha path of t’wind. Ot’harwisse, it issn’t uncommon t’loose control of one’s own boat.

T’ha swaggering foreman assigned partnership every workweek. T’was five days on, one day off. Below t’ha surface divers catch fish an’pearls. On t’ha deck, Adair st’od tall in t’ha ravishing wind. Hiss head remained tilted slightly upward wit pride ass pellets of rain scrapped hiss t’hick face. T’ha clouds were dark an’t’ha waters upturning all waves crashing t’ha hall, t’hair spray dripping from our faces. Blasts of winds kept us stiff while tacking against the t’hrow of it. After I dropped everyone off at t’heir dive zones Adair broke his statuesque stance. He nodded at hiss foreman and’t’hrew hiss gat’har in t’ha water. A gat’har iss a large netted pouch tied to a sturdy balloon t’hat remains afloat. T’ha net an’balloon iss anchored to t’ha bott’m wit a hefty hunk of rock. Adair stepped to t’edge o’t’ha deck an’plunged straight in. Franil jumped afterwards. In t’air hiss body wass elegantly erect. On entry t’hare was noa splash whatsoever. Franil never worried about what was beyond hiss site. He knew very well t’hat t’unknown should remain undisturbed while on t’ha job.

Below, t’water wass tepid an’at t’ha sandy bott’m Adair an’Franil occasionally glanced at each ot’har ass t’hay navigated t’ha maze o’coral careful to avoid t’ha warm currents passing by so ass not to be pushed away. Sharks cruised overhead while Adair skimmed above t’ha sharp green-ridged brain coral. He spotted a splendid Akoya Oyster an’waited until he wass certain of hiss positioning. He t’hen struck out swiftly an’pried’t it open wit’a dagger. T’ha delicate pink tinge inside sparkled faintly. T’hare wass an elegant looking Akoya pearl. He carefully t’ok it and placed it inside a large leather pouch on hiss leat’har belt.

Meanwhile while searching under coral near a rock looming high off t’sandy bottom large orange fish and small pink ones darted away revealing a purple octopus rising above. T’was attacking an’Franil swiped out desperately ass its arms lashed out. Curving around with great pliancy. He lacerated a tentacle an’it sank. T’oct’pus quivered an’writ’hed. It flailed around wildly, head wobbling to it’s side. Franil collected hiss strength an’focused on its weak spot- it’s lower head. After sustaining a few swipes to t’head, blue blood spewed into t’water. It wavered an’he wrestled wit’it an’was tossed an’shaken. But t’was loosing strength an’he soon wass able to contain its dying corpse in a clear containment bag. He t’han brought t’ha t’hick transparent bag to t’ha netted pouch t’hat remained anchored to t’ha sandy bott’m.

At t’ha end of day ass t’ha sun dropped in t’ha sky, everyone wass picked up. One after anot’har t’hay changed out o’t’hey’re wet gear an’handed in t’hey’re tallies to t’ha foreman. Franil wass proud of hiss most bountiful day. Adair on t’other hand shook hiss head in disappointment. He wass a survivalist an’carried a barrage of knifes for all occasions. T’ha scars on hiss legs an’arms attested t’fights wit’saurus’s an’pirates. He wore a jagged tooth necklace ass a reminder of his tumultuous past. Judging by hiss hands, one would assume him t’be much older. Although he couldn’t hold hiss breath ass long as Franil, hiss acute awareness wass why he wass able to take t’most difficult of contracts.

From t’starboard bow came the foreman calling “Easter edge O’shoal you dolts, I hear her agin.”

The keel dipped beneath the waves as we past dark spits just rebounding off sand.

“She’s a goan quit your drawling.” Anot’her man called out from up in t’ha rigging.

We were leaving an unnamed chain of keys t’hat started off t’ha shores o’Magaera Island an’ended more t’han halfway t’Iole island. Magaera Issland iss t’ha most populated o’t’ha isslands. T’here iss a road one mile inland t’hat circles its perimeter. T’was where divers trained, and t’was also a wayfaring center for merchants. People meet from all over t’ha Ler Sea t’do business an’restock supplies an’t’indulge. It’s my home an’a reminder that sea fairers are a people unto themselves. Iole island on t’ha ot’har hand iss nefarious for it’s sporadic an’torrential weat’har. Currents clash an’storms are born off its deceivingly paradisial shores.

T’ha crew were a well-behaved bunch. In t’ha two weeks we’d been cruising t’hare’d only been one drunken incident an’t’ha foreman—a bear of a man—knew precisely how t’deal wit’him. T’ha culprit wass forcefully put int’a decompression chamber. Just long enough t’get t’ha message across.

T’was clear t’hat Adair could never admit defeat. T’ha following morning he refused t’dive wit’anybody. After much hesitation hiss foreman gave him to t’ha sea, alone. Before diving in, Adair spotted a sparkling wall of large silver back fish just beneath wandering waves. He looked t’ward t’ha humid sky o’fleeting storm clouds an’a soft golden sun peering t’hrough, before diving in to t’white capped wavess.

Adair wass caught in a school of jostling speckled fish. T’hey whirled t’get’har an’encircled him ass if caught in t’eye of a storm. When t’hey swept beyond him t’here wass an escarpment t’hat faded below, int’t’ha dark distance.

He decided to take a risk an’look for caves on t’ha side o’thiss ominous drop off. He descended t’ha face o’t’ha escarpment an’plummeted deeper. T’ha pressure wass heavy an t’was pressing hiss temples inwards. Everything darkened an’cooled. A shadow moved below hiss feet. An’ass he looked around he saw only t’he lonely absence of light. Something he‘ad become strangely familiar wit’h. But thiss time t’was different. Hiss breathing became shallow an’weak. He fought t’regain control.

Out o’t’ha veil o’t’ha depths an enchanting Merian floundered before him wit’a face of profound sorrow. T’ha Merian‘ad a shining torso of a parrotfish. T’ha bott’m tip wass shaped like a crescent moon wit’a strip o’blue an’red wit’hin emerald green. T’ha larger top portion wass t’ha colour of aquamarine. Her eyes were solid green an’her skin t’hick an’freckled- t’ha colour of a woman's, only wit’a hint of grey. She was sad because o’t’ha dynamic beauty assigned t’her. All t’ha coral in thiss part o’t’ha Sea was under her care. T’way she moved wass like a dance- gently fanning t’water wit’her tail.

At first, when she wass appointed steward o’t’coral she wass overwhelmed enough by it’s presence t’lie blissfully for days on end allowing t’ha magnitude o’t’ha corals' love t’soak her lonely heart. T’ha day came when she was fordone an’wanted nothing more but t’share what she felt wit’anot’har.

She had lowered her vibrations t’reveal herself t’ Adair. He wass filled wit’awe an’his breat’hing quickened. He wass taking in too much oxygen soa she put her hands out t’calm him. Merians don’t cry she told him—t’hey mourn in song. She told him t’hat she also had legs an’t’hat her tail wass removable. She‘ad watched hiss careful touch an’admired t’ha sureness of hiss movements around t’coral an’fish.

She made him an offer. If he would love her an’keep t’ha secret, she would teach him t’develop heightened awareness to t’higher vibrations. All sea creatures use t’water to communicate. She told him he would learn t’listen to t’ha pull o’pearls. She told him thiss power would yield t’ha most plentiful harvests and would allow him t’love her where t’ha colours always swayed. Merians tend t’ha corals an’t’ha corals provide t’ha Merians wit’potions of all kinds.

T’ha Merian couldn’t reveal too much about her culture because t’was forbidden, but in t’heir interaction she taught him t’ha secret ways of t’ha sea. Merian ways are ancient. T’heir culture hass lasted because it iss strong. An’t’here wass a time when people interacted wit’hem, but t’hat changed wit’ha arrival of t’Alpha Draconian colonists- ancestors of us all.

Noa one knows how or from where t’hey came but t’hat t’hey first landed on t’Eire plateau wit’ha first people. T’here were two groups of t’hirteen. Each group wass a different breed. Each breed wass transported wit’flying ships to a different part of Mandragora.

When Adair surfaced, he did so a changed man. He felt new coalescing forces drawing hiss fingertips. Hiss heart felt larger t’han ever ass it melded wit’new sensations.

From t’hat day for’ard hiss tallies were highest on board the ship. Franil took t’well an’hiss foreman wass only happy to see heightened production. T’rest of t’ha divers didn’t trust him. Hiss loner personality didn’t help t’heir suspicions eit’her.

Day after day ass we approached Iole Island Adair seemed t’bring in more and more. T’here were Abalone pearls, highly treasured for t’heir distinctive horn shape an’blue rainbow colours. T’here were all kinds of lustrouss Akoya pearls: white oness, black oness an’even golden oness. He noa longer bot’hared wit’fish. T’here wass magic in t’ha reactions it sparked, reactions that wallowed in t’hearts of competitive divers.

T’ha sunset was particularly beautiful t’hat night. T’here wass strokess of pink an’t’ha few billowy clouds silhouetted wit’far reaching golden light. Franil wass restless an’left hiss narrow bunk an’cramped chamber an’climbed to t’ha deck- to t’ha starboard bow to take in t’ha calmed open sea. T’was a muggy night wit’h energy in t’ha air. T’was clear t’hat a storm wass brewing. T’ha waves sounded out over t’boundless sea while t’ha keel of t’ha hydrofoil squeaked under pressure it’s pressure. He arrived just in time t’see Adair dive into t’ha moonlit water wit’hout any equipment- something strictly shunned.

After enjoying enormouss success below t’ha surface, it didn’t take long for Adair to become over confident. Although he contained hiss sentiments starkly, t’ha night before arriving at Iole Island when he returned from hiss usual night dive he couldn’t resist joining t’ot’her men in t’heir tipsy debauchery. T’was clear he wanted notoriety.

Although he didn’t say much he did drink himself into a stupor. T’anxious men pressed him about hiss success. Hiss whimsical smile revealed hiss flattered heart. Franil asked where he went at night. An’hiss surreptitious quietude was surpassed in t’ha air of excitement. In a moment of weakness hiss words formed, propelled by hiss will t’be recognized ass t’ha very best diver. He told briefly of how deep over t’edge he’ad gone an’t’ha pact he‘ad made. He assured t’hem t’hat he couldn’t tell t’hem any more an’although t’hey continued t’heir inquisition he fled toppling t’bed.

T’he next morning Adair wass hung over and late rising. He‘ad to be beaten int’wakefulness. I wondered if he wass too hung over t’dive soa I gave him a swig of beer. Because he‘ad t’ha highest talliess hiss foreman didn’t complain. It wouldn’t have been good luck to do so. Adair wasn’t close t’anyone. He kept hiss emotions secret an’maybe wherever t’hey were kept was full. Nobody could relate t’him because t’hey didn’t know him.

Iole Island appeared at t’edge of t’ha horizon ass we approached t’ha final diving zone. T’was barely visible but enough t’get t’ha foreman singing ol’ hymns of her profound majesty t’sea. He wass flushed wit’anticipation.

At t’ha end of t’ha day wit’a bronzed dusk approaching, we arrived at t’ha final pick up dive zone but Adair wass not to be seen anywhere. All t’ha divers were consistently timely at t’ha end of t’ha day including Adair. Hiss foreman began t’worry. We sent two divers t’look for him while on board everyone remained silent. But t’hay didn’t find any trace. Not an aberration in the oncoming waves, snaking together forever out of t’ha bursting gloaming.

We waited in t’ha vicinity for anot’her hour an’finally left to t’ha tenebrous edge of a shadows spill. A few men let quiet tears drop. Lost at sea wass a hard way t’go. In t’ha graveyards back home, whole families have been lost to t’ha sea. A lost soul remains out o’touch with Lyra.

Somet’hing t’hat noa one on board will ever forget happened shortly after giving up t’ha search. Several pods of slick frolicsome dolphins spurted t’hrough t’ha water just below t’white capped waves. T’hey lunged about followed by schools o’jumpy fish, a handful of whales an’all kind o’birds t’hat squawked an’gawked all followed behind t’ha hydrofoil. T’ha birds however did not lunge for t’ha fish. Noa one‘ad ever seen so many fish toget’her, t’was a parade an’t’hey followed us for hours. T’ha commotion brought a childlike wonder to t’ha scruffy divers. T’hey were enchanted, reminded of why t’hey return to t’ha blue eternity contract after contract. An’till thiss day noa one hass matched t’ha tallies of Adair.

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