The Lord of the Plains

by Sarah Chapman

Chapter 34

  Vann checked the clock tower that rose above the Blocks again. He glanced back at the boat-filled bay and started heading towards the dorms.

  He’d only waited five minutes past the hour, but submariners were not late for patrol. As he walked through the mess of buildings he was mostly alone. Everyone who was on duty today was already gone. Everyone who was off wasn’t going to be spending their free time in the Blocks, that was for sure.

  He came to Adeis’ dorm and opened the door, stepping inside. It was exactly the same as every other dorm, except for one thing. The room was filled with rows of neatly made beds, lockers at the foot of the bed and a table at the side. There were a few personal touches here and there. Some of the men who lived here had been here their whole lives, for others this place was new.

  Vann wasn’t the only orphaned submariner.

  What was different about this room was that it wasn’t empty.

  On a bed halfway down the left hand row a half dressed person snored loudly.

  Vann strode down the middle of the hall to his soundly sleeping partner. ‘Adeis!’ he called loudly, ‘wake up!’

  He didn’t. Vann grabbed him and pulled him into a sitting position, ‘wake up!’

  Adeis just kept on snoring.

  Vann slapped him, hard. ‘WAKE UP!’

  Nothing.

  Vann stood, looking down at the sleeping submariner.

  Vann had walked back to the Blocks with him last night. He’d made sure Adeis hadn’t been drinking. He’d reminded him of the patrol. How and when had he managed to get into this state?

  Even if he woke him up he wasn’t likely to be much help. But that wasn’t the point.

  Vann strode to the bathroom at the end of the hall. He picked up a mug from someone’s side table on the way.

  No one else was willing to go on patrol with Adeis anymore, and for good reason.

  The mug filled with cold water, Vann strode back to the blissfully unaware Adeis.

  Vann poured the cold water on the sleeping man’s face.

  Adeis made some spluttering noises but that was it.

  Vann set the mug down. He rolled Adeis onto his side and left.

  They were supposed to take a boat out to Arling Island and back. The fact that his partner was sleeping like the dead didn’t stop Vann.

  Coastside grew smaller behind him. Wind played with his hair. The only sounds were ocean sounds, and the sound of the motor.

  This wasn’t exactly his first time coming out on patrol alone, though he was well aware it wasn’t allowed.

  Personally, he didn’t think it would be any more dangerous than coming out with Adeis.

  But he didn’t think about that now. He was out on the ocean alone, the wind in his hair and a boat that could take him wherever he chose.

  The trip out to Arling Island was a good two hours. It was mostly uneventful. He spotted some ships moving up and down the coast. He knew beneath the water would be submarines, making sure the ships got wherever they were going safely. A few sea birds were out flying. They were always very wary near the water.

  Watching them, he supposed the skies must be safer than the water. Perhaps gemengs didn’t fly, or at least not very well. Or perhaps fewer flew than swum.

  As he approached Arling Island he narrowed his eyes. The waters looked rough today. Coming closer he was stunned to see it wasn’t waves making the waters so foamy, but a gathering of fish people just off the island.

  The fish people were common around Coastside, however the submariners usually ignored them. The ocean was full of enough gemengs that needed killing, no need to bother with the one type that didn’t want to kill you. Yet Vann had never seen so many fish people in one place before.

  Vann, avoiding them carefully, landed on the island and hopped out. Arling Island only had one beach, the rest of the shoreline was cliffs. Vann pulled the boat up onto the beach, away from the water. Then he looked out at the swirling mass of fish people.

  He pulled his radio from his jacket and contacted Coastside. This was strange enough he felt he should report it now and not when he got back late in the afternoon. He wondered what the fish people were doing.

  That done, he put the radio away.

  He watched the fish people a little while longer before deciding to pull the boat further up the beach. The fish people never came on land, how could they? They had long, powerful fish tails and the upper body of a human. A slimy, mottled, greyish green human. They had rubbery lips and mouths filled with pointy teeth, their hands were webbed. Mostly they were bald, but some had what looked like seaweed for hair.

  Still, while he knew they wouldn’t come up the beach he felt it prudent to move the boat further out of their reach. He’d be gone from the beach for some time while he patrolled the island.

  As he was pulling the boat up to the trees the fish people began approaching the shore.

  Then they started climbing out of the waves and onto the wet sand.

  Stunned, Vann watched for a few seconds before he pulled his radio out again.

  More and more were coming ashore. They were pulling themselves up the beach with their arms, their long tails flip flopping on the sand.

  Soon the water was empty of them. They were all on the island and moving further away from the water.

  Vann put the radio away for a second time that day. His lightning rod was in his hand.

  The beach was covered in fish people.

  As he looked around he noticed they were all looking at the water.

  ‘Molk, molk, molk!’

  Vann, startled, looked to the fish person who was making that noise and pointing at the water. ‘Molk!’

  It was looking at him.

  Then it dropped its arm, looked at the water once, and began crawling towards him.

  Vann stood his ground. From the outside, he looked very calm. Inside he was thinking if he attacked this fish person the others would probably all come after him. His beliefs about the fish people had already been shown to be wrong today. He didn’t want to test if they could climb trees too.

  But he certainly wasn’t going to become gemeng food either.

  The fish person, who had green seaweed strips for hair stopped perhaps a meter away. It pointed at the ocean again. ‘Molk.’

  Vann glanced at the water. It was very calm now that it wasn’t full of writhing fish people. He looked back at the fish person. ‘Molk?’

  The fish person nodded in a way that could only be described as excited. Its thick, rubbery lips spread in a smile. ‘Molk. Eat us. Stay away. You fight.’ it pointed at the water again. ‘Molk.’

  ‘You want me to fight… Molk?’ Vann asked, confused.

  It nodded. ‘You friends. You fight things that eat us. Molk eat.’

  ‘You think we’re friends?’ Vann asked in astonishment, his mind tumbling around as he tried to make sense of this.

  It nodded again. ‘Kill bad things. Zap zap, dead. Friends.’

  Vann looked out at the still ocean. ‘What is this… Molk?’

  The fish person spread its arms out. ‘Very big. Ocean lord. Goes round and round Molk’s land. Was here long ago. Here now.’

  ‘Do you know where it is now?’

  The fish person pointed. ‘Close.’

  Vann looked again. The water was calm.

  Still… he raised the radio. Before he could talk something suddenly erupted from the water. It was long, like a pillar, and shiny. Then it crashed down, down.

  It took a second for Vann to realize it was crashing down onto the beach. Sand exploded. His vision was obscured but through the cloud of sand he could see fish people scattering. But they moved so slowly!

  Then the terrifyingly, impossibly large shape within the cloud got bigger and bigger. Like a giant worm it was wriggling up the beach.

  And up and up and it was still coming out of the water! He couldn’t see the end.

  It raised itself again, above the cloud. And down! Sand and fish p
eople went everywhere.

  He realised it was far too big for him to deal with alone.

  He turned and ran into the forest- surely it couldn’t come here! The radio was to his mouth and he was speaking. He glanced behind.

  There was a crash. He didn’t know what it was.

  And then… In disbelief Vann saw that trees behind him were falling! Above the canopy was a blue arc. It came down, arched up again. It was the monster, undulating, wriggling like a worm.

  He put the radio away- he needed to run!

  He ran clear across the island. The whole time he was thinking it has to stop now it has to stop now! But the crashing sound didn’t get further away. It kept coming.

  Then he was at the cliff.

  There was a dizzying drop before him and water beneath. Water was not his friend right now.

  He looked back. He could see trees disappearing from the canopy. The sound was getting louder.

  He looked to either side, this was the furthest point from the beach. Whichever way he went would lead him back to the beach. Back to that monster!

  Then he looked down.

  It was an easy decision, really. The only one.

  Despite his racing heart he was calm and careful as he began climbing down the cliff face, clinging to the rock.

  He hung on tightly, blocking the sounds of trees falling from his mind. He climbed down til he came to a small ledge. He looked up, he could no longer see the trees from where he was.

  In one hand he had his lightning rod. It was set to maximum.

  Then… then a blue, scaly tip appeared above the cliff.

  His heart leapt to his mouth but he stayed calm. He pressed himself flat against the cliff face, the lightning rod in his hand.

  Then it came over, over. It was falling past him, heading towards the water. The sandy, scale covered body was following. No limbs came off it, it was like a really, really big snake.

  He would not have to reach his hand out far to touch it.

  There was a crash and water arced all around. The thing had touched the water, yet it was still coming. Vann counted the seconds under his breath. Each second his eyes widened.

  There was an unbroken line of monster from the ocean at the bottom of the cliff to the top. And it just kept coming.

  A sick feeling in his stomach, Vann thought it must be as long as the island. He’d never seen anything this size.

  And it kept coming.

  For so long Vann began to think it would never end.

  And then there was another tip. The same as the head of the beast. Blue sky was above instead of blue monster. He turned his head and watched it disappear under the waves.

  He waited perhaps another minute. When there was no sign or sound he began climbing back up the cliff.

  When he was up he fell, hands and knees on the ground. He was trembling.

  He closed his eyes, swallowed. Then he stood up. He was a submariner.

  He pulled the radio out once again. Then he looked at the forest.

  There was a swathe of trees down, a corridor through the forest. He could see all the way to the other side of the island.

  Gingerly he began walking through that corridor. He took note of the width.

  About twenty meters wide and so terribly, terribly long.

  How could anything be that big?!

  When he reached the beach the first thing he noticed was his boat.

  It was not so much a boat any longer but scraps of twisted metal.

  His gaze lingered on it for a moment before roving over the rest of the beach. There was a deep furrow in the sand, from the ocean up to the corridor through the forest.

  It was when he noticed the dark stains in the furrow that he remembered the fish people.

  He looked around quickly, taking a step forward.

  The beach was empty. If there had been bodies, and remembering how the creature, Molk, had crashed down onto the beach above those slowly moving fish people, that that there must have been, they were gone now.

  He wondered, feeling an unexpected moment of sorrow, what had happened to the talking fish person.

  He pulled out his radio again and walked closer to the water’s edge. He stayed out of the furrow and avoided the dark stains that could only be blood. He didn’t get too close to the water.

  He finished speaking, a patrol nearby would come pick him up. And come examine the island. He’d remained calm, his voice had not betrayed his feelings, still, the base did not quite believe his story.

  The radio was once again put away.

  There was a splash. Alarmed, Vann whirled, his lightning rod coming to his hand.

  Green seaweed caught his eye first.

  Calming only marginally Vann realized it was the talking fish person. It was approaching the shore. It looked like this one was the only fish person around.

  ‘Friend, friend, not eaten, not eaten!’

  ‘Why are you here?’ Vann called, ‘it’s dangerous!’

  ‘Friend’s boat died! Zap zap take friend back! Friend fight Molk.’

  ‘We’ll fight it.’ Vann acknowledged. They couldn’t let something that huge and dangerous roam around Coastside. That thing could probably swallow a submarine whole!

  The fish person flipped its tail and drifted closer to the shore. ‘Zap Zap take you back.’

  ‘Zap Zap?’ Vann asked. ‘Is that your name?’

  The creature nodded. ‘Zap Zap. Friend zap zaps creatures and kills them.’

  ‘My name is Vann.’ Vann replied. ‘But…’ he hesitated, the creature had warned him about Molk (and expected him to kill it), but there was no way he was getting in the water with it. It was a risk not worth taking. And there was no need anyway, a patrol would pick him up before nightfall.

  ‘Another boat will come pick me up.’ he said. ‘Thank you, but I don’t need your help.’

  There was a flash of silver and a splash of water as Zap Zap flicked his tail.

  ‘Zap Zap stay. Make sure Vann doesn’t get eaten.’

  ‘It’s not safe here. I’ll be fine.’

  Another splash.

  ‘Vann be safe?’

  ‘I’ll be safe.’

  Vann felt a moment of relief as the tail splashed one last time and the fish person disappeared. Right now, he didn’t feel like dealing with any gemengs, no matter how friendly they appeared.

  The patrol arrived. They examined the island. They measured the corridor and the length of the cliff. Vann watched, not able to feel amused as the colour drained from their faces.

  Vann helped them salvage the scrap metal that had once been his boat.

  The ride home was uneventful. It was just past sunset when he stepped off the patrol boat and onto the piers at Coastside.

  The night was his, tomorrow morning he had a meeting with the Commander.

  Vann intended to spend his night in the company of a beautiful woman. He set off immediately after a quick shower to find one.

  The next morning Vann was standing in front of the glowering Commander of the Coastside Submariners. The situation felt pleasantly familiar to Vann, who had known the Commander all his life. Today, Commander Lart Reista was looking less murderous than usual.

  ‘Submariner Vann Hilyard, how are you? Enjoying your shore time?’ Commander Reista asked from behind his desk.

  Vann didn’t respond.

  ‘You realise, don’t you, that patrols are done for the safety of Coastside, not so you can enjoy a solo pleasure cruise around the islands? Or did you miss that in basic training?’

  Vann remained silent.

  The Commander didn’t say anything for a few moments as he fixed his hard gaze on Vann.

  Then, ‘so, why exactly did you decide to sail off on patrol alone, hmm?’

  This time Vann replied, ‘my partner was indisposed. The patrol needed to be done and no one else was available. So I went alone. If I hadn’t-’

  ‘I am aware of that.’ Reista replied nastily. ‘And don’t change
the subject. Submariner Adeis has been discharged. I’m told he didn’t wake up til after noon.’

  Despite himself Vann was momentarily surprised, though he really shouldn’t have been. ‘Y-yes, sir.’ Adeis performance with Vann was not unusual, in fact it was what he did every day. No one would go on patrols with him anymore. Vann had thought the man would pull himself together for his one last shot. I guess I was wrong.

  ‘Sit down,’ Reista said testily, ‘you’re blocking my view.’

  Vann obeyed, sitting down in the chair in front of the Commander’s desk. Behind him was a window with a view of the bay.

  ‘You know, if you behave like this you won’t get any more promotions.’ the Commander said, glaring at Vann.

  ‘I don’t want a promotion.’ Vann said slowly. He’d been promoted to Second in Command of the Bad Luck kicking and screaming, so to speak. The Commander had given him the option of taking the promotion or leaving the submariners. Vann still didn’t think he was allowed to do that.

  Reista’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’ll take whatever job I damn well give you.’ Then he relaxed slightly. He leant back and slapped his desk. ‘It’s uniforms for the rest of your shore time! Without pay. And consider yourself lucky.’ the Commander eyed him, ’if you hadn’t discovered this ‘Molk’ and started having conversations with fish you’d be on a mine ship for the next year.’

  Very politely Vann said, ‘yes, sir, thank you sir.’

  The Commander grumbled something under his breath and leant back in his chair. ‘Very well, what did the fish people say, hmm? And why did they grace you with their conversation and no one else? Or do they think you’re as special as you think you are?’

  ‘I’m not sure why they spoke to me.’ He said honestly, ‘I think they were afraid of Molk. They climbed onto the beach.’

  ‘I see. What did they tell you about it?’

  Vann narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember and make sense of what Zap Zap had told him. ‘They called it an Ocean Lord and said it was going around Molk’s territory. They said it had been here before and was here now.’

  The Commander’s eyes widened slightly, Vann didn’t notice.

  ‘Hmph. Did it look like this?’

  Reista placed an open book before him. It was open to a hand drawn picture of Coastside.

  Vann had seen pictures like this before. The Military Library was full of them. They had pictures and descriptions of the gemengs around Coastside and records of attacks. He’d seen many pictures of the bay area after it had been destroyed in a gemeng attack.

  This picture showed a giant wave descending on a Coastside that looked a bit different to today’s version. Then he noticed, out in the ocean, a pillar.

  Cold descended on him.

  Vann pointed at the thick black line rising from the ocean. ‘That could be it.’

  Reista nodded and put it away. ‘Most of the gemengs in the records are bigger than what we deal with today. I wondered if they were exaggerations. Judging from Arling Island however, it would seem they are not.’

  Vann raised his eyes to Commander Reista’s. ‘How are we going to kill it?’

  ‘I imagine you have some ideas.’

  ‘I think I should try talking to the fish people again, find out what they know.’

  ‘Hmm…’

  ‘Commander, the fish people think we’re their friends.’

  He raised an eyebrow at that. ‘Really. Why?’

  ‘Because we kill all the dangerous gemengs around Coastside. Those gemengs attack the fish people too.’

  ‘Hmm…’

  ‘I think we should try talking to them. The fish people have never bothered us before. Maybe we could be…’ he hesitated, ‘…allies.’

  The Commander’s steely eyes bored into his. Then he shrugged. ‘Well, no harm in trying. Find out what they know.’

  Vann nodded. ‘I think we should treat it like a giant splitter.’

  ‘Probably best.’ the Commander nodded his agreement. ‘We wouldn’t want to blow the thing in half and have it turn into two giant monsters instead. Judging from the size we’ll have to alter the delay bombs. Very well. Anything else?’

  ‘No, sir.’

  ‘Dismissed then. Keep me posted.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Once he was given the task of talking to the fish people Vann realized he didn’t know how to find them.

  He stopped and leant against the sidewalk railing. He looked out across the bay and towards the side beach. The bay was gemeng free. Peaceful or not, the citizens of Coastside weren’t about to go swimming in fish people infested waters. Gemengs occasionally attacked him around the side beach. Vann thought perhaps the fish people might be there too.

  With that in mind, he headed towards the side beach.

  When he reached the beach Vann sat down a safe distance from the water’s edge.

  He hadn’t been there more than ten minutes when a seaweed covered head broke through the surface of the waves.

  Though he had been waiting for Zap Zap, Vann was still surprised.

  Zap Zap swam close to the shore, riding the waves in. He kept his body submerged, only his head poking above the water, and occasionally, his tail.

  ‘You are safe!’ Zap Zap cried happily. ‘You kill Molk?’

  Vann approached the water, though not so close that he was in reach of Zap Zap, in case he did turn out to be dangerous.

  ‘Do you come to this beach often?’ Vann asked.

  The fish person nodded. ‘Yes. I watch. Go to other place too. Lots of friends. Learn language. Vann comes here lots.’

  Vann was more than a little unsettled to learn Zap Zap had been watching him unnoticed all this time.

  ‘Are you the only one that talks?’

  ‘Zap Zap only one talk Vanns talk. Others think Zap Zap strange.’

  ‘I see. What do you call yourselves?’

  ‘Vann calls us fish people. We call us,’ Zap Zap stopped speaking then and puffed up his face. It was a strange sight. Zap Zap fluttered his eyelids and opened and closed his mouth like a fish three times.

  Vann stared. Was that how the fish people talked? No wonder they had never noticed before. ‘Is it alright with you if we call you fish people?’

  Zap Zap nodded.

  ‘Zap Zap,’ it felt strange to Vann, using that as a name. But that was what he wanted to be called. ‘Do you know where Molk is?’

  ‘Molk easy to find. Big. Zap Zap find for you?’

  ‘Not right now. Does it have a lair?’

  ‘Molk always moving.’ Zap Zap said. ‘No lair. Move move move. Staying away from friend’s lair, but come later. Very bad.’

  ‘I know. We’re going to try and fight it. Whatever you know about it would help.’

  Vann was surprised to see that he could read fear on Zap Zap’s face.

  ‘Molk big. Ocean Lord. Old. Older than Zap Zap.’

  ‘What’s an Ocean Lord?’

  ‘This ocean is Molks. Molk Lord of this Ocean. Goes round and round his ocean. Takes long time.’

  ‘Do you know what the splitters are?’

  Zap Zap shook his or her head.

  Vann explained what they were. When Zap Zap said it understood Vann asked, ‘is Molk like the splitters?’

  ‘Don’t know.’ Zap Zap shook its head. ‘Haven’t cut off Molks head. But can find for you. So you can kill.’

  Vann nodded. This wasn’t as helpful as he’d hoped, but on the other hand if the fish people could find Molk for them it would make things a lot quicker and simpler.

  ‘Are there any other Ocean Lords?’ Vann asked suddenly. If there were other things out there as big as Molk then they needed to know.

  Zap Zap nodded. ‘Other oceans have Lords. Molk only Lord this ocean.’

  Vann wondered how far this ocean extended. ‘Would they come here?’

  Zap Zap hesitated. ‘If Molk dead, new position. Someone take it. New Ocean Lord. Also, Molk’s Lord, Lady Wal. Might come. Don’t
know.’

  ‘I see. Thank you, Zap Zap. I need to go tell the Commander.’

  ‘Vann going?’

  Vann was surprised to hear regret in Zap Zap’s voice.

  ‘Yes, why?’ he asked.

  Zap Zap’s silvery tail splashed against the water. ‘Vann talk to Zap Zap. Others not talk. Zap Zap afraid to talk. But Vann talks. Zap Zap wants to know.’

  ‘Know what?’

  Zap Zap pointed then at Coastside. ‘What’s it like? Strange place. Different from Zap Zap’s home. Zap Zap curious.’

  Vann felt a pang of empathy for Zap Zap. He had so many questions that he knew could never be answered. But what if they could?

  Then caution spoke up. He examined it. I can tell it about Coastside without revealing any military secrets. He would reveal nothing that would endanger his home should Zap Zap prove to be duplicitous. But he didn’t think it was.

  ‘I’ll come back. You’ve watched me, I come here often. I need to tell my Commander about this so we can fight Molk.’

  Zap Zap nodded. Its tail splashed. ‘Molk bad. We talk again. Zap Zap help!’ it said brightly, its mood improving.

  It waved at Vann as he walked away.