The Anger of the Sea

  They stood their ground, detaching a huge crossbow with a harpoon from one of the boats, gripping it tightly in their hands.

  “Get its attention!” the Sunflower yelled over the chaos.

  Rosso moved beside him, a smaller crossbow slung over his shoulder, rain streaming down his face.

  “Are you insane? That thing is the size of a mountain! What do you plan to do—poke it with a toothpick?”

  Roa ignored him, his gaze locked on the glowing mass of the creature’s heart, throbbing like a heartbeat deep within its translucent body.

  “It’s distracted. If I can get close enough, I might—”

  One of the monster’s tentacles whipped across the shore, shattering a stone pillar and sending debris flying. The Sunflower dove to the ground, the force of the impact ringing in his ears. He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline surging through him.

  “Get to higher ground—give me some cover,” the boy screamed.

  “I swear, I need to have more boring friends,” the heretic swore under his breath, giving him a reluctant nod.

  He climbed the cliffs, as Roa sprinted toward the beach, his harpoon clenched in his hands. Each step felt like a battle against the growing storm. The jellyfish loomed ahead, its gelatinous form shimmering with an eerie light. Its black eyes, like bottomless pools of ink, swiveled toward him, and Roa felt his stomach drop.

  It had noticed him.

  The beast let out a sound—a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through the boy's chest and made his vision blur. Tentacles shot toward him, slicing through the air like whips. He rolled to the side, sand and water spraying around him, as one of them slammed into the ground where he’d just stood.

  “Now, Roa!” Rosso’s voice cut through the chaos.

  A bolt whizzed past, striking the creature's skin, implanting an arrow. The jellyfish flinched.

  "Great—poked the giant with a pin needle" complained Rosso above.

  The Sunflower took the chance to close the distance, his feet splashing through knee-high water. The harpoon felt heavy in his hands, shifting left and right as he made his way closer. The creature reared its back, its poisoned appendages curling as if ready to strike again. Roa gritted his teeth.

  “Come on,” he muttered, his heart hammering in his chest, “just a little closer.”

  The tentacles snapped in his direction. He dove forward, rolling on the wet sand as one grazed his shoulder, searing through skin, fizzing like acid. Pain flared, sharp and hot. He forced himself to his feet, grabbing the harpoon on the ground. He was beneath the creature now, its massive dome blocking out the stormy sky. Roa glanced up just in time to see the creature lowering its body toward him. He dodged to the side, the jellyfish’s weight crashing into the sand with a deafening thud. Water and debris erupted around him, and he was thrown off his feet, landing hard on his back. The air was knocked out of his lungs, but his hand was still on the weapon. He glanced at it. The monster loomed above him, its glowing heart exposed.

  “Got you,” he said.

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  He raised the harpoon, aiming for the pulsing center of the beast. He shouted and released the weapon.

  The giant arrow flew true, whizzing as it cut through the air, piercing through the skin of the monster, sinking deep inside of it. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Did it work? The creature let out a piercing shriek, a sound so high-pitched it felt like it could shatter the air itself. Its glow flared, blindingly bright, then dimmed as the monster convulsed, its appendages flailing chaotically. Its glowing body crashed against the cliffs where it remained, the light fading as the waves crashed against it. Roa didn’t have time to celebrate, however. With its last drop of energy, the monster thrashed one of its tentacles at the boy, sending him flying into the surf, like a cannon ball shot into the sea. Water filled his mouth as he hit the waves, the cold shocking him back into focus. He struggled to the surface, coughing and gasping for air. He staggered to his feet, his legs trembling until he collapsed onto the shore, his cheek to the sand, panting for air. He turned toward his friend, who was now scrambling down the cliffs.

  “You’re a damn fool,” Rosso said with a stern voice.

  “Yeah, but we did it,” the young man managed a shaky grin.

  The two of them sat there, drenched and battered, as the villagers began to emerge from their hiding places. The storm seemed to ease, and the wind softened to a whisper, as if calmed by the death of the monster.

  The next morning, Roa stood before the elders again. The devastation of the previous night was plain—destroyed huts, fishing boats smashed into splinters, and families huddled together, their eyes filled with fear.

  “This is what happens when we refuse to see reality for what it is,” Roa said, his voice raw. “No one wants to leave home. You have a hard choice to make. If you stay, you will watch your people perish. Leave, and you will have a chance to build a new, safer home. Nature is sacred— it must be respected. These floods, the rising sea waters, the jellyfish—just like the deserts in other places, they're all the biproducts of our own actions—our errors. We must work with Nature, not against it. After all, we are a part of it too. This sea now belongs to the creatures that live in its depths.”

  The elders exchanged glances, their resolve faltering. Slowly, the leader nodded.

  “You’ve given us much to think about, outsider.”

  That night the whole village danced around a fire on the beach as people prepared food to celebrate the heroes’ defeat of the giant beast. The boy from Earth glanced at his friend, raising his index finger in the air, arching his eyebrows.

  "I know!" he smiled.

  He pulled out the magical ocarina, manifesting enough instruments for the whole village to play something. They danced and sang, making noise all night long, sometimes even managing to play some decent tunes as their notes synchronized together. The Sunflower beamed. As the others were enjoying themselves, he stared at their smiles, and more importantly, their bonds.

  "Music—it brings people together,” he muttered to himself. “It transcends language and culture. Music is—emotion, and emotion is universal.” At that moment, Roa felt his loneliness disappear, and he found himself lost in thought as he tried to understand why. “Humans need each other. We’re built this way. We need to be together. We need—community,” he said, realizing he had none. “We need community. Life’s better—together.”

  Days later, the villagers packed their belongings and all that they could salvage, setting sail for safer shores.

  "Well, our turtle left a long time ago. Any ideas on what's next—transportation-wise? Maybe a whale is scheduled to pass this afternoon?" Rosso said with a snooty tone, as the two sat on the beach, alone.

  The warm sun was shining again, when one of the women approached them with food, supplies, and two bright-yellow tickets.

  "We will bring you to shore. There is a train there that will take you to where you want to go. Please take these as a symbol of our gratitude."

  The Sunflower glanced over at his friend.

  “Trust in the process of life,” he said with a taunting smirk. “The Universe provides.”

  As Roa watched the islands fade into the horizon, a swell of pride filled his chest. He had never imagined himself capable of such courage. They had chosen the right path, once again, and in doing so, they discovered how to tap into the strength hidden deep within themselves. Rosso nudged him, crossing his arms as he tapped his foot on the ground.

  “Do we really need to help everyone we meet?"

  Roa laughed, the salty breeze filling his lungs as he grew more serious.

  “Not everyone, but sometimes we have to do our part so that we—and I mean all of us—don't have to live in a hopeless world,” he pulled out the tickets and smiled again. "Plus—you help others, and eventually the others—help you,” he said with a warm smile on his face.