Shrouded Seascape

contemporary romance

Chapter 281. Shaving Fangs

A thin layer of eerie purple mist enveloped the Albion Isles. From afar, the entire island resembled a giant cocoon and looked extraordinarily bizarre.

No sane human would want to approach an otherworldly sight like this, yet a colossal ship was slowly inching her way into the mists.

Clad in a bright red, form-fitting dress, Anna stood at the bow of the ship like a personified figurehead.

As the vessel neared the island, sailors with their ears plugged and eyes bandaged writhed in agony on the deck; their mouths were agape with unintelligible screams.

Anna cast an indifferent glance at them briefly before turning her gaze back onto the island ahead.

The mist didn't cover a large area, and soon Anna was greeted with the chaotic aftermath of the war on Albion Isles. No, it should be more aptly named the Albion Archipelago now. The once-might landmass had fractured into sections, with some submerged into the water and others askew on the water's surface.

Every object on the island was covered in a layer of hair-like black silk. The matter was a strange substance between solid and gas. When Anna tried to lift it up for closer inspection, the black "silk" dissipated into a black mist and dispersed rapidly.

In addition to the countless tilted or crumbled buildings, Anna saw human bodies in abundance. She could sense that these people were still living, yet they showed no response to any stimulus.

With a tentacle, she picked up a body that was hanging off a car tire and threw it into her monstrous maw. She only took a single bite and spat it out again.

"The soul is gone..." Anna mumbled.

She chose another body on the streets and sampled it. This time, she finished her food.

"This one still has a soul.... Are Divinities picky eaters too?" she pondered.

Standing amid the apocalyptic scene before her, Anna closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Such tremendous power," she remarked. "This is what true strength ought to be, isn't it, Sparkle?"

Several air bubbles rose from the murky waters next to her in response and popped as they reached the surface.

"Baby, do you think Mommy will possess such power someday?" Anna asked and opened her eyes. Her svelte figure grotesquely expanded into a monstrous mass of flesh tendrils, and her mouth flashed a ghastly grin, revealing the sharp teeth within.

"Baby, Mommy has found something she truly, truly wants to do. I wonder if I can succeed. Maybe it's worth a try."

While Anna was conversing with Sparkle under the water, her giant yellow cross-shaped pupils suddenly swiveled; she had spotted movement.

Her monstrous form rapidly shrank and she returned to her human form. "There's a woman over there. Sparkle, bring her to me. What's a woman? A human who looks like Mommy," Anna instructed.

With a pitiful expression, Anna held the retrieved person in her embrace.

"What a poor little thing. All your family is gone, your island is taken, and to have such a long scar marring your pretty face now. Well well, I guess I'll play the good Samaritan and save you."

The woman in Anna's arms was Margaret. She was frozen stiff but yet trembling violently.

Carrying the icy Margaret, Anna stood at the ship's bow. Her eyes darted around in search of something.

Initially, Anna was still in high spirits but as her ship circled around the Albion Isles, her mood darkened with every moment.

Thud!

Margaret's body was tossed aside like a log onto the deck with a loud thud.

"How can it be! How can a huge thing disappear just like that? Impossible!" Anna's voice grew increasingly agitated.

Bubbles on the water's surface rose up and popped, seemingly posing a question.

"Sparkle! Help Mommy look underwater for a big machine. A really, really big one with long legs. It's very important to me!"

***

Standing before a mirror, Charles stared at his own reflection with a grave expression. While his face remained ordinary like a human, he noticed two small white tips protruding from each side of his lips.

The corners of his lips slightly curled up and a pair of fierce fangs was revealed.

"Anna is right. I can't use the Bat Mirror any more," Charles muttered.

A firm resolute flashed across Charles' eyes. He grasped a fang with his right hand and the chainsaw in his left prosthetic whirred to life. He wanted to saw off these teeth.

Out of his expectations, his fangs were unexpectedly tough. Sparks flew as the chainsaw struggled to cut through. Yet the real trouble only started when he had gotten through the enamel and dentin to reach the nerves.

He hadn't even blinked an eye when he was slashing off his own arm but this time, he found himself in so much pain that tears were involuntarily streaming down his face.

The pain was not only unbearable, he even felt extreme soreness and a chill coursing through him. When he finally managed to saw off the entire tooth, the agony had been so intense that half of his face had gone numb. It was an excruciatingly uncomfortable experience.

Just as he was hesitating if he should saw off his other fang, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who?" Charles opened the door with a sour expression, startling the sailor at the door who had come to pass a message.

With trembling lips, the sailor stammered, "Gov...governor, Admiral Feuerbach requests for your presence on S.S. Banana. Something has happened."

Charles pushed the sailor out of the way and headed toward the balcony, S.S. Banana was a mere three hundred meters away.

He leaped off the ship and his booted feet landed on the water. He felt like he was stepping on soft jelly. Although it was a little slippery, he didn't sink.

Regardless how dangerous the Haikors' gods were, their gifts were rather beneficial.

"What happened?" Charles inquired as he reeled in his anchor and approached Feuerbach.

"The captured guys are on a hunger strike. They wish to negotiate with you, those shipbuilders."

Charles soon arrived at the cells holding the ship designers. Despite calling them "cells", their living quarters were rather decent. Charles had not mistreated them since he needed them to carry out his commission after all.

"I'm Charles, Governor of Hope Island. What do you want to say?"

As soon as Charles spoke, a cacophony of agitated voices rose in the room.

"Governor, what is this all about? Why have you captured us?"

"We want to go home! You can't expect us to work for you like this!"

"Governor Swan is invincible. You will regret crossing him!"

Clearly, these people were unaware of the events that had happened on the island after they were captured.

Charles remained silent and waited. When the noise finally died down, he then said, "You want to return to the Albion Isles? Sure! Build me the ship I need and once it's completed, you're free to go."

"Are you going to keep your words?" A middle-aged man asked as he pressed his face against the bar, almost deforming it.

"As a governor, how could I possibly deceive you? The faster you get it done, the sooner..."

Charles' voice trailed off; the harsh truth was that they no longer had a home to return to.

But at the thought of 319 that had sunken into the deep sea abyss, he steeled himself.

"The faster you get it done, the sooner you can return home!"

done.co