《Dead men tell the best tales》


 Chapter 1

    Bones crested the hill overlooking Lullaby Cove, a fitting name as the only thing in the vicinity was a sleepy out-of-the-way fishing village. He¡¯d heard the screams of the residents before making it to the top but now he saw the madness unfolding below.


    Horrific creatures that were half-men and half-fish, or in some cases half-crustacean, were barging into the villager¡¯s huts or chasing those making a run for it. Those unlucky enough to be caught by the tall, bulky and deformed sea creatures were dragged to the shores and had their heads forced into the salty water until they stopped trashing. That is if they weren¡¯t gutted by rusty blades with barnacles for ornaments that some of these monsters had found at the bottom of the ocean on their way here.


    The enemies were fewer here thanks to village being small and relatively hidden. The main forces of the invaders were coming in swarms from the depths but headed straight into the island center. The last island in the archipelago.


    Bones himself had needed to take the long way around to avoid being spotted as he ran across the sea floor, chasing them. That delay may have cost the world everything.


    Bones sighed at the display, or tried to. Even now, after months of roaming the world in his new form, he still forgot he had no lungs. Or nothing else for that matter. He put a skeletal, sun-bleached hand in the left pocket of his torn and faded blue knee-high watch coat to stroke the shell of the crab that had made his home there, an anxious gesture shared with his only companion. He then began is descent.


    As he ran down the slope leading to the village entrance, Bones looked towards the ocean¡¯s horizon, more specifically, the giant shape far off in the distance.


    It would be understandable if one initially mistook it for an island but it was no landmass.


    The seas were places of power connected to the souls of people. Beautiful and bountiful with life. They were also places of loss and calamity. A lot of people died on them, or because of them; drownings, dehydration, hunger, storms, crushing tidal waves that swallowed land whole. As much as people love the seas, many a soul have cursed them.


    Those negative emotion, those curses, just like water, pooled together and from beneath it¡¯s surface came a being. Hatred and sadness taken form, surrounded by a mass of black seaweed bigger than an island and taller than a small mountain.


    It was this dark evil thing that Bones was looking at with resentment, and it to, was undoubtedly looking back as it bore witness to the destruction it sowed. Even now, it¡¯s weedy tendrils were reaching into the depths, touching any sea life it could, transfiguring them into something vile and twisted.


    Behind the entity was the prison it had escaped, the Alteya triangle. It was as if someone had taken a knife and cut a triangle from sea level to sky and yanked out the piece, leaving a gaping hole blacker then a moonless and starless night sky.


    But today might be it¡¯s last. He only need one more. If he could find one survivor, he could make things right.


    Bones picked up speed, one hand holding down his worn tricorn hat so it wouldn¡¯t blow away in the wind, the other placing the knife he carried between his teeth. In normal circumstances, he¡¯d try a stealthier approach but there was no time left to waste.


    It took but a moment for one of those creatures to spot him as he reached the village. It had a humanoid body but from the neck up was the undulating form of an eel. It bellowed a warcry that alerted all the others of Bones presence while waving a cutlass over it¡¯s head. Bones wiped out his own sword from the scabbard on his hip as it ran to meet him.


    As they closed the distance, the feather on Bones¡¯ hat began wiping back and forth erratically as if blown by non-existent gusts of wind. Once both fighters got into striking range, the feather suddenly became rigid and darted off Bone¡¯s hat with incredible speed. It struck the Fishman in one of it¡¯s eye with perfect accuracy despite the neck¡¯s serpentine weaving, making it falter. In that defenseless moment, Bones slashed at it, separating head from slimy body. As the body fell, the feather returned to his hat as though controlled by invisible hands.


    The dead Fishman¡¯s allies, half-a dozen of them, were almost upon him. Bones ducked behind the nearest hut, made of wooden boards latched with jungle vines, then jumped and caught the edge of the thatched roof before hoisting himself up.


    Ever since waking up in this current body, which technically was his original one but in a let¡¯s say, ¡°minimalistic state¡±, he was still perplexed by the fact the he could do all these physical actions. How could he do something that required muscles when he had none? Not only that, he was stronger now then when he had a beating heart. He was also very light, having no skin or organs weighing him down. It made him fast and agile. Strength and speed were a deadly combination, as the nearby Fishmen were about to learn.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Bones ran along the roof, took the blade from his mouth and jumped down on three of the six advancing enemies that were directly below him. He slammed the smaller blade on top of the first creature¡¯s head, killing it instantly, then the moment his feet touched the ground, he spun around the falling body, slashing his sword in an arc. The blade lobed off the top half of the second Fishmen¡¯s head.


    Bones¡¯ back was turned when the third opponent struck down vertically. The feather burst forth and caught the edge of the blade with the tip of it¡¯s quill, stopping the downward momentum like it had met a stone wall. Bones took that moment to yank his small knife from the corpse¡¯s skull and swiftly slammed it underneath the Fishman¡¯s lower jaw and straight into it¡¯s brain. The other three rushed in and met the same fate.


    No time to rest. Another group, double the size of the prior one, was already on it¡¯s way and trailing behind them was a brawny giant of a crustacean with a crushing claw half his size. Bones¡¯ best guess was that it had been a lobster before it¡¯s transfiguration. Crustacean-men like it where not only stronger but their shells was a tough as armor and made it extremely difficult to get a killing blow. They were on the slower side fortunately.


    Bones ran to them and jumped into the fray, blades and feather whirling in swift and deadly arcs. He managed to dispatch eleven of them in short order, with only one Fishman, and the crustacean who had finally reached them, left. Both attacked at the same time.


    Since starting his journey, Bones had come to understand his opponents. Although they were many and strong, they had lived as simple aquatic animals before they had been turned into monstrosities, and that transformation had been recent which meant they weren¡¯t used to their bodies and they had little experience in combat, especially on land. Their tactics revolved around swarming their victims and using brute force.


    On the other hand, Bones had been fighting all his. From nasty brawls over scraps of food against other street urchins to cutthroat bladed combat as a pirate before his untimely demise. And he¡¯d jumped from one battle to the next in his crusade against this threat after his resurrection. Through all that, one of the many things he¡¯d learned was that often times, simplicity was the best policy.


    Bones grabbed the hand of the Fishman before his blow landed while simultaneously shoving his other hand into the gill-slit on the right side of it¡¯s neck then jumped back, pulling it into the path of the incoming crusher claw. The creature shrieked has the claw slammed shut on it¡¯s upper body, snapping it¡¯s spine and making internal organs erupt out of it¡¯s mouth.


    Bones used that opening to dodge-rolled between the Crustacean¡¯s legs. In the time it took it to let the dead Fishmen drop to the ground and slowly turn around, Bones had wiped his coat open and reached inside his thorax. There, nestled inside his cage of bones, were two things; a small coin purse containing a flint and a memento from his old life. The other was a heavy sledge hammer he¡¯d found in a stone quarry on another island.


    He slipped it off the metal hooks he had attached on his shoulder girdle, then, once free, wound up and brought it down as hard as he could on the nearest leg joint. The limb snapped with a sickening crunch. Hurt and unbalanced, the Crustecean fell to the ground. Bones rushed to were it¡¯s head was then struck twice more; once on the protective outer shell and the second on the now exposed softer flesh beneath. It¡¯s skull crumpled inwards, leaving it to jerk and trash for a moment before it died.


    With roughly half the total force of the sea monsters in this area taken care of, Bones ran around the rest of the village to finish the job. It was quick and dirty work but with that finally done, he¡¯d bought himself some time. Now came the hard part. He needed to find someone still breathing.


    ¡°IS ANYONE ALIVE,¡± Bones screamed. ¡°THE ENEMY IS GONE FOR NOW. YOU CAN COME OUT AND REGROUP.¡±


    Nothing.


    He dashed from one end of the village the other repeating his message but there was no response nor any movement from anyone. Everywhere he looked, he only as saw bodies littering the streets. He ran in the shacks were residents had lived but the same story repeated itself. The few villagers that had managed to run away would surely die soon when they¡¯d stumble on other groups of Fishmen.


    With a sinking feeling, he ran to the shore praying for some luck but the only people there were floating face down in the water.


    ¡°You were too late,¡± he told himself. He fell to his knees on the sand, defeated. He punched the ground in frustration then sat there for a minute to recompose himself.


    Eventually, he stood back up, resigned. He¡¯d have to head further into the island and wade through countless enemies in the hopes of finding a singular person left untouched. If he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d never be able to keep up with the hordes as they spread from this chain of islands to the rest of the world as their numbers continually swelled up. He could fight smaller groups of Fishmen but wading through throngs of them was a different game. He didn¡¯t like his odds.


    Although Bones didn¡¯t have eyes anymore and wore an eye-patch over his right socket, whatever magic allowed him to walk around also allowed him to ¡°see¡±. It was more akin to sensing the world and having it reproduced faithfully in his mind.


    From were he stood on the shores, he scanned the dead village one last time then began to march forward. He stopped a moment later when he noticed a peculiarity. On the beach was a upturned rowboat. That in itself wasn¡¯t strange but the trail of blood leading under it was. He made his way to it and lifted it up.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± said the man hiding beneath it¡¯s shade. The man had a nasty gut wound and was scared out of his wits but he was still of the living.


    Thank the gods.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡± was the only word Bones managed to get out before the wounded man shrieked in terror and scrambled backwards, throwing the word demon in the mix as he did. The harsh movements exacerbated the deep gash in his stomach, turning his shouts into pained moans. His strength quickly left him and he collapsed back on the ground. In a last ditch effort, he grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it at Bones¡¯ face while shouting ¡°Begone,¡± then curled into a ball.


    Bones shook his head. Sure, talking skeletons weren¡¯t exactly a normal occurrence and meeting one after your village was attacked would be traumatic but this was just insulting. Kinda embarrassing as well.


    ¡°As I was trying to say,¡± Bones said as he took off his hat to shake the sand off, ¡°don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I know I look like something out of a nightmare, and that¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯m here to help. I killed all those creatures in the village.


    The man peered from behind his arms which he¡¯d brought up to shield himself. As if that¡¯d do anything.


    ¡°Listen, we need to get off this beach. I know you¡¯re hurt but we have to work together if we¡¯re going to make it through this. I¡¯ll explain later but for now, I¡¯ll go look for something to help transport you. When I do, I¡¯ll bring you to the big building over there. While I¡¯m doing that, take a moment to calm down and compose yourself. More importantly, I need you alive so conserve your strength. Be right back.¡±


    With that, Bones got up and left. Hopefully, exiting the conversation quickly and walking away would give the man time to process things and he¡¯d be a bit more trusting when he came back.


    Meanwhile, Bones made his way further down the beach where wooden platforms angled down diagonally stood. Stretched tight over them were coconut fiber mats used to sun-dry the fish caught by the villagers. He used is knife to cut one mat off it¡¯s frame, upended the fish resting on it then returned to the man with it over his shoulder.


    The villager jolted when Bones came back but he didn¡¯t seem as panicked as before. Bones unfurled the mat on the ground next to the overturned boat then stooped to peer inside.


    ¡°Hey again. Let¡¯s get you on this and I can get you to safety. Name¡¯s Bones by the way,¡± he said, extending a skeletal yet friendly hand. The man recoiled slightly at the gesture but after a moment, gingerly grasped it and shook it. ¡°Hazeel¡± was all he said.


    ¡°Alright Hazeel. Thanks for trusting me. I¡¯ll be honest, the longer we take, the higher the chance of more of these creatures coming out from the sea and more people on this island dying. We need to move right away so clench your teeth, clutch your wound and I¡¯ll drag you on the mat.¡±


    Hazeel was about to open his mouth, either to stall or ask questions out of nervousness but Bones grabbed his legs and pulled him before he could protest. With a yelp, he was yanked unto the mat.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Hazeel said, grabbing one of bones leg as he stood up. ¡°Tell me. Is anyone else safe?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­Sorry. I wasn¡¯t able to make it here in time. It¡¯s just you and me now buddy.¡±


    The man slumped back on the mat and began sobbing quietly moments later.


    Bones lay a hand on the man chest. ¡°I know your sad. I understand. But what I need you to be is angry and present. I have a way to stop all this madness and avenge the dead but I can¡¯t do it without you.¡±


    Hazeel glanced at him listlessly with teary eyes but he had heard him.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll want to close your eyes,¡± Bones said as he grabbed the edges of the mat and stated dragging it towards the village, weaving a path between bodies. Those of everyone Hazeel had known.


    They arrived at the biggest hut in the village. It was furthest away from the shore and build more solidly then other residences. Like in many other places Bones had visited, these were typically were the elders lived, and acted as spaces were villagers would hold marriages, festivities or important meetings. It also offered everyone a safe place to flee to during particularly strong storms.


    Bones had already entered the building once when he was clearing the village of invaders but he hadn¡¯t paid attention to small details until now. Carved on the thick logs it was built from were depictions of their histories, traditions and folklore. These had been painted with various pigments, making them colorful and vibrant.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    When Bones reached the front entryway, he could see on the left beam next to the door carvings of a fish swimming down a river against the current and up a waterfall. Over the door, the fish crossed a mountain lake, the hard trip transforming it into a strong, elongated sea dragon. Then on the right side, the dragon fell from the top of the mountain, through clouds and into the sea. All that history passed down over countless generations disappeared in hours, never to be told again.


    Bones shook his head. Having been orphaned in his previous life, and growing up not knowing were he came from, he could empathize.


    Bones went in first, leaving Hazeel outside, so that he could quickly remove the bodies of the Fishmen he¡¯d killed inside and those of a few slain villagers. The poor guy didn¡¯t need to see that.


    The building was a long and tall hall. Two rectangular sandboxes stretched three quarters the length of the room, with an empty space left over for what Bones assumed was for dancing or emergency sleeping quarters. Those sandboxes were surrounded by smooth coral stones acting as a barrier between them and the flooring made of thick smooth wood. Scattered around each sandbox were dozens of cushions for villagers when they gathered for feasts. On the sand itself were fire pits and metal racks for slow roasting meats.


    The roof was supported by two thick support beams and hanging from the rafters, hovering over the sand, were light sphere made of fish bones that burned fish oil when in use. The sides of the spheres had shapes cut into them that projected images on the walls by the slow burning flames.


    A few windows let in limited sunlight but allowed fresh air to circulate making it slightly less sweltering.


    Bones didn¡¯t have time to be gentle and pay proper respect. He shoved the creatures out the windows and quickly drug their victims into the nearest storage room to deal with later, leaving trails of blood behind.


    Once cleared, he brought Hazeel to the empty space past the sandboxes. The man was getting whiter by the second and had begun shivering. If he didn¡¯t do something, he be gone shortly.


    ¡°Can you do something about this?¡± Bones said aloud. The feather flew off his hat to hover in front of his face. It flapped up and down like a person nodding. ¡°Alright¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Bones said kneeling down next to the man. ¡°You¡¯re losing to much blood. My quill can help stem the bleeding. It¡¯ll give you more time but it won¡¯t take the pain away and from experience, the process is going to suck. We don¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Hazeel said with gritted teeth.


    Bones nodded to the quill then moved to pin Hazeel¡¯s shoulder down. ¡°Stay strong¡±.


    The quill zipped to the open wound then began glowing with magical energy. It¡¯s tip sank into the skin next to the injury and with quick precise motions wrote runic symbols unto the flesh all around it. Hazeel screamed a few times but otherwise endured. When the last rune was carved, it flashed once and the bleeding stopped. ¡°Good job,¡± Bones said.


    Shaking, Hazeel asked for water. Bones went rummaging around the building to fulfill the request. He searched to the sound of Hazeel¡¯s  intermittent groans and the dead silence of a place that used to hold so much life. He wasn¡¯t sure which one was loudest.


    In the kitchen, he found clay urns holding previously collected rain water and rags that could be used for bandages. He returned to the dying man and lifted his head with slight protest to give him a drink then began wrapping his wounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it, am I?¡± the man said as Bones finished and sat back looking at his handy work.


    ¡°No. The wound his deep. But your remaining time here can save everyone.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you said that before. What can I do like this?¡±


    ¡°You can tell me a story. That¡¯s all I need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­ and you want¡­ me to tell you a story?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Have you heard of the saying ¡®dead men tell no tales¡¯ before?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have.¡±


    ¡°Good. You see, there is power in words. More then you can imagine.  Positive words can embolden people just like negative ones can destroy civilizations. Mix that with powerful magic, and other things can be affected. That giant thing in the distance, it knows that too and it¡¯s scared. That was the reason these monsters attacked your village, their purpose. This thing is using them to silence the living so that this power vanishes.¡±


    ¡°And if I tell you a story, we can stop them?¡±


    ¡°As strange as it sounds, yes. But it as to be a positive story about the sea that is freely told. To seal up that thing once again, I needed to find 99 of them. Your the last one.¡±


    ¡°Magic words? Seals? It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    Bones chuckled.¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? The reason why and how it works is a long story. My story. But we don¡¯t have enough time for me to explain. You just need to trust me again friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a simple fisherman. I¡¯ve lived a quiet life. I have never done anything worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°The tale doesn¡¯t have to be one of adventure and treasure. A personal anecdote is enough. Perhaps a memory of your youth or one that as been passed down from your ancestors. Everyone has a story.¡±


    Bones saw the man¡¯s mind work as he tried to come up with something but then he¡¯d lose focus when his body shook with pain.


    I¡­ can¡¯t think ¡­clearly. It hurts so bad.


    ¡°Maybe I can help. Is there a healer in the village? I used to know a good ship doctor who taught me things. I can make something to numb the pain if I can find the proper ingredients.¡±


    ¡°A woman¡­ north of the village. Just before the jungle. She helped people. Gave us medicine.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Bones said standing up. I¡¯ll go check if I can find something helpful. Sit tight and don¡¯t go dying on me.¡±


    Hazeel gave a weak nod and closed his eyes, his face scrunched up in pain. He didn¡¯t seem like he was going to give up so neither would he.

 Chapter 3

    Bones exited the building and looked towards the sea to make sure another wave of Fishmen hadn¡¯t landed on shore. None had but countless forms swam far off in the distance on a collision course with the island.


    ¡°Defensive ward,¡± Bones said to his quill, nodding towards the hall. The feather zipped to the nearest wall and wrote a string of runes. It then went around the building doing the same thing to all sides as he waited impatiently. He had to wrap this up as soon as possible but couldn¡¯t leave without securing the hall first. It was a delicate balance of prudence and urgency.


    There was a flash of light behind him as the magical protective field activated. With that done, he began his trek towards the healer¡¯s house, feeling the weight of the quill as it settled back on on his hat.


    He goes there to find something to help the man be at ease (numbing plant). There a fishmen inside the house. Hard to fight inside so he goes behind the nearest tree next to the house and shouts a random woman¡¯s name. Are you there maria. He hides weapon under dead and fallen palm leaves. The fishmen run to is location but only sees a skeleton. When they appraoch him he kills them. He runs to the hut and seaches for plants and finds what it needs. He leaves but hears a noise. There is a well nearby.


    Pov switches to girl who is ironically also called maria. She is clinging to the well wall, out of energy, her teeth chattering due to the cold. She is drifting in and out of consciousness after the constant high of fear and adrenaline she felt while escaping. She hears somoone shouting and calling her name (bones when he attracts fishmen) He finds the little girl hiding there. She hears shouts then silence. A while longer she sees a light above her and when she looks up, she sees a skeleton looking down the well. She tries to scream but is mute due to shock. The skeleton says he took care of the monsters and says hell find a rope to get her out. He leaves but then is head pops back over the well, my name is bones by the way. Whats yours. She cant speak. He says no worries, ill be back. She was scared but somehow felt panic when he left her again. He come back with a rope. Says to not scream or run when she comes out because there are mor monsters on the island. When she comes out he says that he will take her back to the village. He lifts her and carries her on his shoulder. As they start walking away, she sees the lifeless for of her father in front of the cabin. She tries to yell is name but only tears and a croak comes out. Bones realizes why she is agitated and says sorry.


    Bones crested the hill overlooking Lullaby Cove, a fitting name as the only thing in the vicinity was a sleepy out-of-the-way fishing village. He¡¯d heard the screams of the residents before making it to the top but now he saw the madness unfolding below.


    Horrific creatures that were half-men and half-fish, or in some cases half-crustacean, were barging into the villager¡¯s huts or chasing those making a run for it. Those unlucky enough to be caught by the tall, bulky and deformed sea creatures were dragged to the shores and had their heads forced into the salty water until they stopped trashing. That is if they weren¡¯t gutted by rusty blades with barnacles for ornaments that some of these monsters had found at the bottom of the ocean on their way here.


    The enemies were fewer here thanks to village being small and relatively hidden. The main forces of the invaders were coming in swarms from the depths but headed straight into the island center. The last island in the archipelago.


    Bones himself had needed to take the long way around to avoid being spotted as he ran across the sea floor, chasing them. That delay may have cost the world everything.


    Bones sighed at the display, or tried to. Even now, after months of roaming the world in his new form, he still forgot he had no lungs. Or nothing else for that matter. He put a skeletal, sun-bleached hand in the left pocket of his torn and faded blue knee-high watch coat to stroke the shell of the crab that had made his home there, an anxious gesture shared with his unlikely companion. He then began is descent.


    As he ran down the slope leading to the village entrance, Bones looked towards the ocean¡¯s horizon, more specifically, the giant shape far off in the distance.


    It would be understandable if one initially mistook it for an island but it was no landmass.


    The seas were places of power connected to the souls of people. Beautiful and bountiful with life. They were also places of loss and calamity. A lot of people died on them, or because of them; drownings, dehydration, hunger, storms, crushing tidal waves that swallowed land whole. As much as people love the seas, many a soul have cursed them.


    Those negative emotion, those curses, just like water, pooled together and from beneath it¡¯s surface came a being. Hatred and sadness taken form, surrounded by a mass of black seaweed bigger than an island and taller than a small mountain.


    It was this dark evil thing that Bones was looking at with resentment, and it to, was undoubtedly looking back as it bore witness to the destruction it sowed. Even now, it¡¯s weedy tendrils were reaching into the depths, touching any sea life it could, transfiguring them into something vile and twisted.


    Behind the entity was the prison it had escaped, the Alteya triangle. It was as if someone had taken a knife and cut a triangle from sea level to sky and yanked out the piece, leaving a gaping hole blacker then a moonless and starless night sky.


    But today might be it¡¯s last. He only need one more. If he could find one survivor, he could make things right.


    Bones picked up speed, one hand holding down his worn tricorn hat so it wouldn¡¯t blow away in the wind, the other placing the knife he carried between his teeth. In normal circumstances, he¡¯d try a stealthier approach but there was no time left to waste.


    It took but a moment for one of those creatures to spot him as he reached the village. It had a humanoid body but from the neck up was the undulating form of an eel. It bellowed a warcry that alerted all the others of Bones presence while waving a cutlass over it¡¯s head. Bones wiped out his own sword from the scabbard on his hip as it ran to meet him. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    As they closed the distance, the feather on Bones¡¯ hat began wiping back and forth erratically as if blown by non-existent gusts of wind. Once both fighters got into striking range, the feather suddenly became rigid and darted off Bone¡¯s hat with incredible speed. It struck the Fishman in one of it¡¯s eye with perfect accuracy despite the neck¡¯s serpentine weaving, making it falter. In that defenseless moment, Bones slashed at it, separating head from slimy body. As the body fell, the feather returned to his hat as though controlled by invisible hands.


    The dead Fishman¡¯s allies, half-a dozen of them, were almost upon him. Bones ducked behind the nearest hut, made of wooden boards latched with jungle vines, then jumped and caught the edge of the thatched roof before hoisting himself up.


    Ever since waking up in this current body, which technically was his original one but in a let¡¯s say, ¡°minimalistic state¡±, he was still perplexed by the fact the he could do all these physical actions. How could he do something that required muscles when he had none? Not only that, he was stronger now then when he had a beating heart. He was also very light, having no skin or organs weighing him down. It made him fast and agile. Strength and speed were a deadly combination, as the nearby Fishmen were about to learn.


    Bones ran along the roof, took the blade from his mouth and jumped down on three of the six advancing enemies that were directly below him. He slammed the smaller blade on top of the first creature¡¯s head, killing it instantly, then the moment his feet touched the ground, he spun around the falling body, slashing his sword in an arc. The blade lobed off the top half of the second Fishmen¡¯s head.


    Bones¡¯ back was turned when the third opponent struck down vertically. The feather burst forth and caught the edge of the blade with the tip of it¡¯s quill, stopping the downward momentum like it had met a stone wall. Bones took that moment to yank his small knife from the corpse¡¯s skull and swiftly slammed it underneath the Fishman¡¯s lower jaw and straight into it¡¯s brain. The other three rushed in and met the same fate.


    After the last Fishman fell, Bones noticed his quill scratching words on one of the corpses forehead. ¡°Hurry it up. And watch your back, fool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m faster then you ever were,¡± Bones replied. ¡°And my back is safe as long as you don¡¯t mess up.¡± The quill flew towards Bone¡¯s skull and hit it lightly on the side; the equivalent of a flick.


    The conversation trailed off as another group, double the size of the prior one, was already on it¡¯s way. Trailing behind them was a brawny giant of a crustacean with a crushing claw half his size. Bones¡¯ best guess was that it had been a lobster before it¡¯s transfiguration. Crustacean-men like it where not only stronger but their shells was a tough as armor and made it extremely difficult to get a killing blow. They were on the slower side fortunately.


    Bones ran to them and jumped into the fray, blades and feather whirling in swift and deadly arcs. He managed to dispatch eleven of them in short order, with only one Fishman, and the crustacean who had finally reached them, left. Both attacked at the same time.


    Since starting his journey, Bones had come to understand his opponents. Although they were many and strong, they had lived as simple aquatic animals before they had been turned into monstrosities, and that transformation had been recent which meant they weren¡¯t used to their bodies and they had little experience in combat, especially on land. Their tactics revolved around swarming their victims and using brute force.


    On the other hand, Bones had been fighting all his. From nasty brawls over scraps of food against other street urchins to cutthroat bladed combat as a pirate before his untimely demise. And he¡¯d jumped from one battle to the next in his crusade against this threat after his resurrection. Through all that, one of the many things he¡¯d learned was that often times, simplicity was the best policy.


    Bones grabbed the hand of the Fishman before his blow landed while simultaneously shoving his other hand into the gill-slit on the right side of it¡¯s neck then jumped back, pulling it into the path of the incoming crusher claw. The creature shrieked has the claw slammed shut on it¡¯s upper body, snapping it¡¯s spine and making internal organs erupt out of it¡¯s mouth.


    Bones used that opening to dodge-rolled between the Crustacean¡¯s legs. In the time it took it to let the dead Fishmen drop to the ground and slowly turn around, Bones had wiped his coat open and reached inside his thorax. There, nestled inside his cage of bones, were two things; a small coin purse containing a flint and a memento from his old life. The other was a heavy sledge hammer he¡¯d found in a stone quarry on another island.


    He slipped it off the metal hooks he had attached on his shoulder girdle, then, once free, wound up and brought it down as hard as he could on the nearest leg joint. The limb snapped with a sickening crunch. Hurt and unbalanced, the Crustacean fell to the ground. Bones rushed to were it¡¯s head was then struck twice more; once on the protective outer shell and the second on the now exposed softer flesh beneath. It¡¯s skull crumpled inwards, leaving it to jerk and trash for a moment before it died.


    With roughly half the total force of the sea monsters in this area taken care of, Bones ran around the rest of the village to finish the job. It was quick and dirty work but with that finally done, he¡¯d bought himself some time. Now came the hard part. He needed to find someone still breathing.


    ¡°IS ANYONE ALIVE,¡± Bones screamed. ¡°THE ENEMY IS GONE FOR NOW. YOU CAN COME OUT AND REGROUP.¡±


    Nothing.


    He dashed from one end of the village the other repeating his message but there was no response nor any movement from anyone. Everywhere he looked, he only as saw bodies littering the streets. He ran in the shacks were residents had lived but the same story repeated itself. The few villagers that had managed to run away would surely die soon when they¡¯d stumble on other groups of Fishmen.


    With a sinking feeling, he ran to the shore praying for some luck but the only people there were floating face down in the water.


    ¡°You were too late,¡± he told himself. He fell to his knees on the sand, defeated. He punched the ground in frustration then sat there for a minute to recompose himself.


    Eventually, he stood back up, resigned. He¡¯d have to head further into the island and wade through countless enemies in the hopes of finding a singular person left untouched. If he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d never be able to keep up with the hordes as they spread from this chain of islands to the rest of the world as their numbers continually swelled up. He could fight smaller groups of Fishmen but wading through throngs of them was a different game. He didn¡¯t like his odds.


    Although Bones didn¡¯t have eyes anymore and wore an eye-patch over his right socket, whatever magic allowed him to walk around also allowed him to ¡°see¡±. It was more akin to sensing the world and having it reproduced faithfully in his mind.


    From were he stood on the shores, he scanned the dead village one last time then began to march forward. He stopped a moment later when he noticed a peculiarity. On the beach was a upturned rowboat. That in itself wasn¡¯t strange but the trail of blood leading under it was. He made his way to it and lifted it up.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± said the man hiding beneath it¡¯s shade. The man weakly held a hand up in a defensive position while the other clutched a nasty gut wound trying to stem the blood leaking out. He was injured and scared out of his wits but he was still of the living.


    Thank the gods.

 Chapter 4

    Bones exited the building and looked towards the sea to make sure another wave of Fishmen hadn¡¯t landed on shore. None had but countless forms swam far off in the distance on a collision course with the island.


    ¡°Defensive ward,¡± Bones said to his quill, nodding towards the hall. The feather zipped to the nearest wall and wrote a string of runes. It then went around the building doing the same thing to all sides as he waited impatiently. He had to wrap this up as soon as possible but couldn¡¯t leave without securing the hall first. It was a delicate balance of prudence and urgency.


    There was a flash of light behind him as the magical protective field activated. With that done, he began his trek towards the healer¡¯s house, feeling the weight of the quill as it settled back on on his hat.


    He goes there to find something to help the man be at ease (numbing plant). There a fishmen inside the house. Hard to fight inside so he goes behind the nearest tree next to the house and shouts a random woman¡¯s name. Are you there maria. He hides weapon under dead and fallen palm leaves. The fishmen run to is location but only sees a skeleton. When they appraoch him he kills them. He runs to the hut and seaches for plants and finds what it needs. He leaves but hears a noise. There is a well nearby.


    Pov switches to girl who is ironically also called maria. She is clinging to the well wall, out of energy, her teeth chattering due to the cold. She is drifting in and out of consciousness after the constant high of fear and adrenaline she felt while escaping. She hears somoone shouting and calling her name (bones when he attracts fishmen) He finds the little girl hiding there. She hears shouts then silence. A while longer she sees a light above her and when she looks up, she sees a skeleton looking down the well. She tries to scream but is mute due to shock. The skeleton says he took care of the monsters and says hell find a rope to get her out. He leaves but then is head pops back over the well, my name is bones by the way. Whats yours. She cant speak. He says no worries, ill be back. She was scared but somehow felt panic when he left her again. He come back with a rope. Says to not scream or run when she comes out because there are mor monsters on the island. When she comes out he says that he will take her back to the village. He lifts her and carries her on his shoulder. As they start walking away, she sees the lifeless for of her father in front of the cabin. She tries to yell is name but only tears and a croak comes out. Bones realizes why she is agitated and says sorry.


    Bones crested the hill overlooking Lullaby Cove, a fitting name as the only thing in the vicinity was a sleepy out-of-the-way fishing village. He¡¯d heard the screams of the residents before making it to the top but now he saw the madness unfolding below.


    Horrific creatures that were half-men and half-fish, or in some cases half-crustacean, were barging into the villager¡¯s huts or chasing those making a run for it. Those unlucky enough to be caught by the tall, bulky and deformed sea creatures were dragged to the shores and had their heads forced into the salty water until they stopped trashing. That is if they weren¡¯t gutted by rusty blades with barnacles for ornaments that some of these monsters had found at the bottom of the ocean on their way here.


    The enemies were fewer here thanks to village being small and relatively hidden. The main forces of the invaders were coming in swarms from the depths but headed straight into the island center. The last island in the archipelago.


    Bones himself had needed to take the long way around to avoid being spotted as he ran across the sea floor, chasing them. That delay may have cost the world everything.


    Bones sighed at the display, or tried to. Even now, after months of roaming the world in his new form, he still forgot he had no lungs. Or nothing else for that matter. He put a skeletal, sun-bleached hand in the left pocket of his torn and faded blue knee-high watch coat to stroke the shell of the crab that had made his home there, an anxious gesture shared with his unlikely companion. He then began is descent.


    As he ran down the slope leading to the village entrance, Bones looked towards the ocean¡¯s horizon, more specifically, the giant shape far off in the distance.


    It would be understandable if one initially mistook it for an island but it was no landmass.


    The seas were places of power connected to the souls of people. Beautiful and bountiful with life. They were also places of loss and calamity. A lot of people died on them, or because of them; drownings, dehydration, hunger, storms, crushing tidal waves that swallowed land whole. As much as people love the seas, many a soul have cursed them.


    Those negative emotion, those curses, just like water, pooled together and from beneath it¡¯s surface came a being. Hatred and sadness taken form, surrounded by a mass of black seaweed bigger than an island and taller than a small mountain.


    It was this dark evil thing that Bones was looking at with resentment, and it to, was undoubtedly looking back as it bore witness to the destruction it sowed. Even now, it¡¯s weedy tendrils were reaching into the depths, touching any sea life it could, transfiguring them into something vile and twisted.


    Behind the entity was the prison it had escaped, the Alteya triangle. It was as if someone had taken a knife and cut a triangle from sea level to sky and yanked out the piece, leaving a gaping hole blacker then a moonless and starless night sky.


    But today might be it¡¯s last. He only need one more. If he could find one survivor, he could make things right.


    Bones picked up speed, one hand holding down his worn tricorn hat so it wouldn¡¯t blow away in the wind, the other placing the knife he carried between his teeth. In normal circumstances, he¡¯d try a stealthier approach but there was no time left to waste.


    It took but a moment for one of those creatures to spot him as he reached the village. It had a humanoid body but from the neck up was the undulating form of an eel. It bellowed a warcry that alerted all the others of Bones presence while waving a cutlass over it¡¯s head. Bones wiped out his own sword from the scabbard on his hip as it ran to meet him.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    As they closed the distance, the feather on Bones¡¯ hat began wiping back and forth erratically as if blown by non-existent gusts of wind. Once both fighters got into striking range, the feather suddenly became rigid and darted off Bone¡¯s hat with incredible speed. It struck the Fishman in one of it¡¯s eye with perfect accuracy despite the neck¡¯s serpentine weaving, making it falter. In that defenseless moment, Bones slashed at it, separating head from slimy body. As the body fell, the feather returned to his hat as though controlled by invisible hands.


    The dead Fishman¡¯s allies, half-a dozen of them, were almost upon him. Bones ducked behind the nearest hut, made of wooden boards latched with jungle vines, then jumped and caught the edge of the thatched roof before hoisting himself up.


    Ever since waking up in this current body, which technically was his original one but in a let¡¯s say, ¡°minimalistic state¡±, he was still perplexed by the fact the he could do all these physical actions. How could he do something that required muscles when he had none? Not only that, he was stronger now then when he had a beating heart. He was also very light, having no skin or organs weighing him down. It made him fast and agile. Strength and speed were a deadly combination, as the nearby Fishmen were about to learn.


    Bones ran along the roof, took the blade from his mouth and jumped down on three of the six advancing enemies that were directly below him. He slammed the smaller blade on top of the first creature¡¯s head, killing it instantly, then the moment his feet touched the ground, he spun around the falling body, slashing his sword in an arc. The blade lobed off the top half of the second Fishmen¡¯s head.


    Bones¡¯ back was turned when the third opponent struck down vertically. The feather burst forth and caught the edge of the blade with the tip of it¡¯s quill, stopping the downward momentum like it had met a stone wall. Bones took that moment to yank his small knife from the corpse¡¯s skull and swiftly slammed it underneath the Fishman¡¯s lower jaw and straight into it¡¯s brain. The other three rushed in and met the same fate.


    After the last Fishman fell, Bones noticed his quill scratching words on one of the corpses forehead. ¡°Hurry it up. And watch your back, fool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m faster then you ever were,¡± Bones replied. ¡°And my back is safe as long as you don¡¯t mess up.¡± The quill flew towards Bone¡¯s skull and hit it lightly on the side; the equivalent of a flick.


    The conversation trailed off as another group, double the size of the prior one, was already on it¡¯s way. Trailing behind them was a brawny giant of a crustacean with a crushing claw half his size. Bones¡¯ best guess was that it had been a lobster before it¡¯s transfiguration. Crustacean-men like it where not only stronger but their shells was a tough as armor and made it extremely difficult to get a killing blow. They were on the slower side fortunately.


    Bones ran to them and jumped into the fray, blades and feather whirling in swift and deadly arcs. He managed to dispatch eleven of them in short order, with only one Fishman, and the crustacean who had finally reached them, left. Both attacked at the same time.


    Since starting his journey, Bones had come to understand his opponents. Although they were many and strong, they had lived as simple aquatic animals before they had been turned into monstrosities, and that transformation had been recent which meant they weren¡¯t used to their bodies and they had little experience in combat, especially on land. Their tactics revolved around swarming their victims and using brute force.


    On the other hand, Bones had been fighting all his. From nasty brawls over scraps of food against other street urchins to cutthroat bladed combat as a pirate before his untimely demise. And he¡¯d jumped from one battle to the next in his crusade against this threat after his resurrection. Through all that, one of the many things he¡¯d learned was that often times, simplicity was the best policy.


    Bones grabbed the hand of the Fishman before his blow landed while simultaneously shoving his other hand into the gill-slit on the right side of it¡¯s neck then jumped back, pulling it into the path of the incoming crusher claw. The creature shrieked has the claw slammed shut on it¡¯s upper body, snapping it¡¯s spine and making internal organs erupt out of it¡¯s mouth.


    Bones used that opening to dodge-rolled between the Crustacean¡¯s legs. In the time it took it to let the dead Fishmen drop to the ground and slowly turn around, Bones had wiped his coat open and reached inside his thorax. There, nestled inside his cage of bones, were two things; a small coin purse containing a flint and a memento from his old life. The other was a heavy sledge hammer he¡¯d found in a stone quarry on another island.


    He slipped it off the metal hooks he had attached on his shoulder girdle, then, once free, wound up and brought it down as hard as he could on the nearest leg joint. The limb snapped with a sickening crunch. Hurt and unbalanced, the Crustacean fell to the ground. Bones rushed to were it¡¯s head was then struck twice more; once on the protective outer shell and the second on the now exposed softer flesh beneath. It¡¯s skull crumpled inwards, leaving it to jerk and trash for a moment before it died.


    With roughly half the total force of the sea monsters in this area taken care of, Bones ran around the rest of the village to finish the job. It was quick and dirty work but with that finally done, he¡¯d bought himself some time. Now came the hard part. He needed to find someone still breathing.


    ¡°IS ANYONE ALIVE,¡± Bones screamed. ¡°THE ENEMY IS GONE FOR NOW. YOU CAN COME OUT AND REGROUP.¡±


    Nothing.


    He dashed from one end of the village the other repeating his message but there was no response nor any movement from anyone. Everywhere he looked, he only as saw bodies littering the streets. He ran in the shacks were residents had lived but the same story repeated itself. The few villagers that had managed to run away would surely die soon when they¡¯d stumble on other groups of Fishmen.


    With a sinking feeling, he ran to the shore praying for some luck but the only people there were floating face down in the water.


    ¡°You were too late,¡± he told himself. He fell to his knees on the sand, defeated. He punched the ground in frustration then sat there for a minute to recompose himself.


    Eventually, he stood back up, resigned. He¡¯d have to head further into the island and wade through countless enemies in the hopes of finding a singular person left untouched. If he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d never be able to keep up with the hordes as they spread from this chain of islands to the rest of the world as their numbers continually swelled up. He could fight smaller groups of Fishmen but wading through throngs of them was a different game. He didn¡¯t like his odds.


    Although Bones didn¡¯t have eyes anymore and wore an eye-patch over his right socket, whatever magic allowed him to walk around also allowed him to ¡°see¡±. It was more akin to sensing the world and having it reproduced faithfully in his mind.


    From were he stood on the shores, he scanned the dead village one last time then began to march forward. He stopped a moment later when he noticed a peculiarity. On the beach was a upturned rowboat. That in itself wasn¡¯t strange but the trail of blood leading under it was. He made his way to it and lifted it up.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± said the man hiding beneath it¡¯s shade. The man weakly held a hand up in a defensive position while the other clutched a nasty gut wound trying to stem the blood leaking out. He was injured and scared out of his wits but he was still of the living.


    Thank the gods.