The Unofficial First Chapter of The Willow’s Weep!
Hi everyone! Happy Withering Coast Wednesday!
Below is an excerpt from the first chapter of Pirates of the Withering Coast Part II: The Willow’s Weep! This is unedited and from the first draft of the story so there may be mistakes and a lack of detail, but it’s just for fun 🙂
‼️WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ PIRATES OF THE WITHERING COAST PART I: THE SIREN’S CALL THEN REFRAIN FROM READING AS THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS IN THIS EXCERPT!‼️
‼️SPOILER WARNING: THIS EXCERPT IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS FOR THE SIREN’S CALL!‼️
‼️SPOILER WARNING: THIS EXCERPT IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS FOR THE SIREN’S CALL!‼️
WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED AND MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR…
EXCERPT OF CHAPTER ONE:
Arjan paced back and forth before the comatose Human Siren— the dark cove he had taken refuge in was awfully quiet and he wasn’t quite fond of that— the rocky structure had given only the slightest glimpse of light through a broken crevice in it. And there was a still lake in the middle of the ground.
Across the lake, on the other side of the cavern, was his old setup, all his alchemy tools still as he had left them. In good working order too; still smoking after he had just finished using them.
He looked down at Labyrinth and grinned… the boy had taken on his face. Leaning his head to the side, he studied the silver waves that were upon his head. “This is being so much hair,” he said to himself. He reached for a handful of his own hair— he was one to talk… now Arjan’s hair was not as wavy, wayward and thick like Labyrinth’s but it was long, it had laid gently on his waist. He sighed, slightly impatient in an innocent way, hoping that the child would awaken soon. Again, he began pacing. He stopped, took another look at Labyrinth and then released piercing screech that jolted the Human Siren back to consciousness.
Labyrinth panicked, looking around the room and then met eyes with Arjan. “Y-you w-wh…” he panicked, his eyes rolled back in his head as he prepared to pass out again.
“No, no,” Arjan begged. “Everything be good,” he soothed. “Everything be good. Let us not do that, the falling to sleep,” he requested. He reached down to the stump beside them, taking hold of a small rounded wooden cup. “Here. Be drinking this,” he offered.
Still distraught, Labyrinth pushed the cup away— his silver eyes, glistening with fear and confusion. “You were the… you were in the,” he struggled. “I saw… you d-dead, you were dead, I’m gonna…”
“Yes, but not really,” Arjan assured. He lowered the cup onto the ground. “Labyrinth, I promise all is being good. Just allow me to be of explain to you.”
Labyrinth panted, staring into the turquoise eyes of the Siren— something familiar… so familiar; it wasn’t just the deceased son of Ithica, but rather someone he knew. “H-here he comes,” he told Arjan.
“Here he comes?” Arjan asked, baffled.
Labyrinth shut his eyes and shook his head. “No,” he whined as the Human side of him pushed his way forward. His silver hair wisped away into dark brown and when he opened his eyes, they were emerald. Trevor leaped up and threw his arms around Arjan. “You were dead, Bloo! I thought you were dead!” he cried. “I knew it wasn’t a dream,” he said, shaking his head. His body trembling with exhilaration and tears of joy sneaking their way out. “I-I knew it wasn’t a dream. I knew, I knew all of it was real! The picnics on the shore, the lullabies! All of it!”
Arjan chuckled, hugging Trevor back and feeling himself beginning to shed a tear.
Clearing his throat, Trevor embarrassedly took a step back. “Forgive me,” he entreated. “Wh-what happened?” he asked. “I saw you in that casket, Ithica said you were dead.”
“The story you ask me relate is one of length. As the wind chimes in a secret that one is sharing… act,” Arjan replied.
Trevor laughed. “It really is you!” he shouted.
“Shhh,” the Siren instructed, shifting his turquoise eyes up and around the rock mass.
Trevor too looked around and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. “Where are we?” he whispered.
“Still upon Whudipau,” he replied.
“Whudipau,” Trevor repeated, recalling the name.
“You da pau,” Arjan replied, followed by an outbreak of laughter— his laugh melodious and contagious.
Now, Trevor didn’t laugh only due to the fact that Siren laughter was highly contagious, but because he genuinely found the joke funny— his laughter ceased, turning to Arjan and looking up at him. “What is a pau?” he asked.
“A fish,” Arjan replied.
“Oh…” Trevor said quietly, and again he was overcome with laughter.
“But this is being Whudipau,” Arjan told him. “Nothing of specialty here. Just being rock cave; outside rock cave though, that is being where beauty is. I was be always coming here to get away from…” he sighed and then turned back to Trevor. “Let us be speaking of you. Looking at how are grown!” he smiled proudly. “Be so tall, nearly to me,” he measured himself next to Trevor and stood about three inches taller. “Being around here for the last time I saw you,” he laughed, putting his hand at his knee.
Trevor laughed within himself at the broken English of the Siren— he spoke in such an elegant tone, and so posh although not sharing the same accent as Trevor. “I couldn’t help it,” he shrugged.
“Now you are be my twin,” Arjan grinned, baring his pearly white teeth. “Only just baby. I am having many years more,” he bragged.
“How old are you?” Trevor asked.
“Two hundred and five,” Arjan replied, keeping his grin… the grin faded… “Age of you?” he asked.
“Sixteen,” Trevor responded.
Arjan’s eyes widened. “Two hundred and sixteen,” he realized. “I am, two hundred and sixteen. M’louecia, Arjan, you are rising to the top,” he gasped. “Less being never, age will carry wisdom.”
“You don’t look a day over twenty-five,” Trevor assured with a laugh. His face grew sullen as he took a seat on a nearby stone. “Bloo, erm, I mean, Arjan; how are you… you know, here?” he asked.
Arjan sat across from him and placed his hands on his knees. “Simple. Alchemy,” he replied. “When you were of baby, we were knowing of the danger that was facing you,” he told him. “Less being never, your parents were allowing me to visit you,” he stood up to walk over to Trevor and put his hand on his shoulder. “We are being connected after I saved your life, like father and son.”
Trevor frowned. “You’re my real father?” he asked, his stomach turning at the thought that William wasn’t his true parent.
Arjan laughed. “No; only like one.”
“Hold on, so you used alchemy to bring yourself to life? Can you bring things back to life? Can you bring my grandparents back to life?” Trevor excitedly asked.
Arjan’s face saddened, placing his hand upon Trevor’s shoulder. “This is being a power belonging only to the Great One,” he told him. “I was never truly dead, Labyrinth. I was be using Alchemy to putting me into coma— I was making potion that would wake me up in year after this one; when your stages of molding would be beginning,” he explained. “But because you were of singing to me, you were waking me earlier,” he chuckled. “Is very powered, this voice of you.”
“Hmm, your family says it needs far more work,” Trevor frowned.
“And this is of truth. As will the case of all things. Working, working, working. This is what is make better. Hard working.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Trevor nodded. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his night clothing and frowned, wishing he could have changed. Once more, Arjan handed him the small mug and he accepted. He stared into it to see a black beverage, which emitted a nutty aroma. Sipping it, he grinned. “It’s good,” he said.
“Bean of the cocoa juice,” Arjan proudly replied.
“Coffee?”
“If you are liking to call it this. Is very easy to prepare over the crucible. Can make one get great energy.”
“Alchemist coffee,” Trevor snickered. “How do you fancy that?” A gust of chilly wind whistling through the cavern, caused him to again look upon his pajama-clad form. “Erm, how far are we from the Sirens home?” he asked.
“Hmm,” the Siren thought, tapping his nose with his finger. “Perhaps, twenty milones,” he said, hopeful that Trevor would understand the Algean term.
“Milones?” he asked. “Miles?”
“Yes!” Arjan clapped. “I was forgetting the English word for it,” he said.
“We’re pretty far,” Trevor stated, sitting down; he fiddled with the chest necklace around his neck and his eyes lit up. “The treasure,” he remembered. “Do you think you could help me find it?” he asked, holding out the necklace to Arjan.
Arjan’s eyes sparkled, staring at the trinket. “You holding firm to this for so long,” he gasped. He turned away and took a few steps forward. “I can try, but this journey may bring great trials,” he warned.
“That’s what I’m out here for,” Trevor laughed. “And then we could go back home to the Sirens.”
Arjan frowned and shook his head. “You shall not be returning there, Labyrinth.”
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