It had been simple, almost civil - the trip up to this point, that is. And at first it had seemed that way. Merely a svefra sailor bringing a passenger from the mainland across the Suvan Sea. That was it. Like good boat-mates, they chatted amiably with one another, sharing past history and other friendly remarks - it was so ordinary. And so...boring. Readers of such a tale might have long since left in search in other, more exciting, tales. That is, they would have if not for the fact one was not living - and the other had no idea. In that case...it was a tad more interesting.
On an ordinary day, the façade might have succeeded and Erik might have gone to bed thinking it was just another normal day at sea. Auldwin might have too made it to bed, happy he had succeeded one more day in hiding his true nature. But this was no ordinary day.
The first sign was Squall returning to the ship. The bird was frightened, his feathers ruffled. One might have thought the bird had seen some sort of danger, if he had squawked; but Squall did not. Instead, it seemed like some sort of ominous forewarning had possessed the seagull, something along the lines of a sudden and debilitating fear that something bad was going to happen.
The next sign was the subtle change in the atmosphere on the boat. All other sounds, that which made up the ambience of a gentle sea, seemed to fade away. Everything became quiet. Even the birds in the sky seemed to hold their breath. And then - something in the distance. A sudden image, there for a minute, gone for the next. If they concentrated, the occupants of Gale's Burden could see something flicker in and out on the horizon. It was perhaps the very same thing that had spooked Squall; the image of a man in the distance, striding across the sea. He seemed to pop in and out, disappearing only to appear a second later. Drawing closer.
At this point, Erik most likely had no idea what to know; but Auldwin was undoubtedly a bit more informed. As a ghost, he was probably familiar with the process of blinking, a fast way for ghosts to travel. So he might not have been surprised when the man suddenly appeared on deck of the ship, but whether that was the case for his fellow companions, it is unknown.
The dead man smiled, but there was no humor behind the grin. It was merely a twitching of his lips. In life, he had been a grizzly man, his skin tanned and beaten like old leather by the ocean. Hard blue eyes gazed out of the depths of his face with a piercing intelligence, his slate-grey hair buzzed to a point. He was dressed in the outfit of a sailor, which he might have been when he lived. But now - now, he did not live. It did not take a stretch of imagination to imagine the man was a ghost, especially when one was looking at the faded images of his stout form or the way he flickered in and out at any given moment.
Or when one looked at the bloody gash above his heart.
"Hello, seafarers. How are you this fine morning?"The dead sailor said dryly. "I can't say I've been well."
On an ordinary day, the façade might have succeeded and Erik might have gone to bed thinking it was just another normal day at sea. Auldwin might have too made it to bed, happy he had succeeded one more day in hiding his true nature. But this was no ordinary day.
The first sign was Squall returning to the ship. The bird was frightened, his feathers ruffled. One might have thought the bird had seen some sort of danger, if he had squawked; but Squall did not. Instead, it seemed like some sort of ominous forewarning had possessed the seagull, something along the lines of a sudden and debilitating fear that something bad was going to happen.
The next sign was the subtle change in the atmosphere on the boat. All other sounds, that which made up the ambience of a gentle sea, seemed to fade away. Everything became quiet. Even the birds in the sky seemed to hold their breath. And then - something in the distance. A sudden image, there for a minute, gone for the next. If they concentrated, the occupants of Gale's Burden could see something flicker in and out on the horizon. It was perhaps the very same thing that had spooked Squall; the image of a man in the distance, striding across the sea. He seemed to pop in and out, disappearing only to appear a second later. Drawing closer.
At this point, Erik most likely had no idea what to know; but Auldwin was undoubtedly a bit more informed. As a ghost, he was probably familiar with the process of blinking, a fast way for ghosts to travel. So he might not have been surprised when the man suddenly appeared on deck of the ship, but whether that was the case for his fellow companions, it is unknown.
The dead man smiled, but there was no humor behind the grin. It was merely a twitching of his lips. In life, he had been a grizzly man, his skin tanned and beaten like old leather by the ocean. Hard blue eyes gazed out of the depths of his face with a piercing intelligence, his slate-grey hair buzzed to a point. He was dressed in the outfit of a sailor, which he might have been when he lived. But now - now, he did not live. It did not take a stretch of imagination to imagine the man was a ghost, especially when one was looking at the faded images of his stout form or the way he flickered in and out at any given moment.
Or when one looked at the bloody gash above his heart.
"Hello, seafarers. How are you this fine morning?"The dead sailor said dryly. "I can't say I've been well."
