Part 4: Sunland
- Aug 29, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Nov 29, 2023
Umiko is transformed into a dwelling now and she is able to reunite with her father. They both tell one another how much they missed each other. Umiko regrets causing him more stress, but Yasuki regrets not sticking up for her. He had raised her to be more free than his own miserable childhood, and he had only felt ashamed of both of their choices when he couldn’t fit in the mold he was placed in. It didn’t matter now, as no matter what Umiko did or destroyed he will always love her.
The ship navigated through the tumultuous waves, as the Gobbler wishes to conserve most of the pearls’ powers for himself. As a result- after days upon days of travel through the three territories- the crew themselves grow tired. They started to talk amongst themselves and question whether the Gobbler would really wish for something that would benefit them all... or would they be cast aside? The Hunter and Mugger speak up to shut the accusations down, saying that merfish are the enemy, not themselves. The demons recall that it was part of the fault of the previous Sunland emperor that there was poverty in the land before the droughts. Perhaps they didn’t have a bright future after reincarnation after all.
Being out of the water and having failed several merfish put a toll on Umiko, and she felt worthless as a princess. To comfort her, Yasuki sang an old lullaby he used to sing to her. Upon singing such a lovely song, he is able to enrapture the attention of the demons. Finding this as an opportunity to win over the demons, Yasuki becomes brave enough to sing and tell a tale for the demons, just to quell the dark energy around him...
It was a song about a sad sea dragon prince who did not want the crown. But he fell in love with a prince from another kingdom, yet their love forbidden and tragic, as he succumbed to his fate nonetheless.
Yasuki knew this tale too well. Through the song, he saw himself... as he reminisced falling deep into the abyss, wishing to fade into salt. Below was a hidden kingdom, and the abyssian prince captured the sea dragon. He forced the sea dragon to be his servent, planning to use him as a way to get the sea dragon throne in the ocean zone above.
However, bonding over the difficult expectations of being princes, the two fell in love. The sea dragon would gift the prince his Heaven’s blessing, abdocating the throne. However, before he could, the sea dragon had a vision from the Heavens, seeing destruction of the sea for throwing away his responsibility.
Unable to live with the guilt, the sea dragon prince left his love. Heartbroken, the abyssian prince vowed to destroy what the prince was crawling back to. Now the two lovers lived apart, forever divided by duty and leagues of sea.
…unfortunately the song was highly depressing, so Yasuki would sing a happier song that gets the crew in high spirits. The music and ruckus caused the Gobbler to shut it down and separate Yasuki and Umiko.
During the separation, Yasuki was checked up on by the Hunter. Less apprehensive now, Yasuki is able to relax and wish that the demons would find peace. He can see that they were terribly hurt, no matter what kind of people they were in the past. What they were doing is wrong- but he won’t dismiss the troubles they believe they’ve gone through under corrupt rulers. Hunter was glad Yasuki understood… and he apologized for putting him through this.
Yasuki inquires about their friend Budi swinging his sword arm and dancing up a storm up on the deck, and the Hunter agrees he hasn’t seen him dance like that in a long time… which gives Hunter pause.
Yasuki gives him a knowing smile, and they both knew that by now they recognized each other. Yasuki was able to see through the masking magic- a familiar face. Yasuki fully relaxed, telling Keej that he missed him. Keej returned the sentiment and expressed his regret for not taking Yasuki’s side on that fateful day. Perhaps things would’ve turned out different. Budi comes in, showing surprise at the two being close, but after realizing Yasuki recognizes him… he joins in, reuniting the friends.
…most of the friends. The Gobbler eavesdropped outside of their cabin, a mix of anger and ache evident in his form as he listened to the three catch up. He visits Umiko in the lower decks, and after having a near brawling match with her, he learns about Yasuki’s strife under the sea. Umiko explained father hated being an emperor, but he knew the responsibility could only be done by the right person, and even if he wasn’t the best, he was the only one there. If the Gobbler hated the other sea dragons, she wouldn’t blame him- but her father did nothing wrong.
The Gobbler is unable to come up with a valid argument, but he agreed in a sense.
Enough of the conversations, the Gobbler dragged Yasuki back down to Umiko’s level, cutting him off from the rest of the crew. He threatens the lives of Keej and Budi, who are upset that they cannot speak with their friend. However, they all will still go through with the mission.
Now alone, Umiko inquires about the Gobbler. Yasuki decides it’s time for her to know.
The Gobbler was Makisig to Yasuki. His Makasig.
His, because he was the first friend he made on land as a child. After Yasuki had been born, he learned that his father had him shoved to a far corner of the East Sea to be raised by another village. Tired of others looking down on him and himself feeling wrong in his skin, Yasuki escaped to the surface.
He was supposed to be there to be alone in his thoughts, but a certain dwelling found him- and was too curious for his own good. Makisig had never seen a merfish before, and the boy quickly tried to enlist Yasuki as his friend.
However, when Yasuki was much younger, he was extremely volatile and angry, so it was difficult befriending him. Though Makisig was stubborn. After surviving a few bites and gift-giving, Yasuki was won over… simply by Makisig promising he wouldn’t leave him.
Yasuki decided he would live as a dwelling and never look back.
He met Makisig’s best friends Keej and Budi, who quickly became his own. Life was good on land, and through the years Yasuki was able to call it home.
Umiko expressed joy for Yasuki finding Sunland to be just as interesting as for her, however inquires what made him leave.
Yasuki is saddened, and he only tells her that their love didn’t last. The story ends there.
Thunder cracked across a stormy sky. In order to avoid choppy waters of a cursed sea, the demon pirates traveled closely to the coastline of Sunland. However, rounding the corner past the Ashen Forest, there came a terrible roar.
A beam of light- a pillar of fire- erupted from the forest. A dark shape cut through the clouds, and before the crew could pin point its location, the creature landed on the bow of the ship.
A red, winged dragon.
It was in its true form, almost half as large as the ship itself. The dragon was hostile, hungry or territorial, and embers sparked between its teeth. The demons would fight against the dragon, however it scorches the ship, sending it ablaze.
The Gobbler uses the magic of the pearls to douse the flames, however the jostilng of the ship made it difficult to manage all of the magic of the dragon pearls. The dragon itself proved to be much too powerful even for a demonic being, its powers being beyond the sea's grasp.
With his ship and mission in jeopardy- and those on it- the Gobbler would travel back down the ship. The Gobbler stole Yasuki away, bringing him to the deck. There was only one solution.
Only a dragon could fight against a dragon in that form. Yasuki reminded him that he could not transform. He not only had half of a tail, but only half of a dragon body. Knowing this, the Gobbler uses his magic to repay a price. A debt.
He permanently trades out a body part of his- his eyes- for Yasuki.
When the ritual is successful, the demon threw Yasuki into the raging waters below the ship.
…and the entire ocean grew still.
The red dragon gave pause, and the ship rocked to a stop against still water. Only a single breath could stir its surface.
Then, all at once, the storm twists back into a terrible fury.
From the depths, a large shape bursts out from the sea, trapping the winged dragon in its maw and crashing back into waters. The form escapes the water again, coiling itself into the sky. The winged dragon wrestles itself free. The Gobbler, the crew, and the now escaped Umiko, witnessed an Eastern sea dragon duel against a draconian.
Yasuki easily fights off the winged dragon, dragging the creature off into the atmosphere and into the forest mountains.
It is some time later before Yasuki returned. Umiko was able to see that her father was different- his legs had returned, and his dragon features had fully bloomed. Truly, a dept had been paid, and he was much more powerful as a sea dragon now.
Even his pearl is perfectly detached from his body.
The Gobbler uses Umiko’s safety as leverage to take the pearl back. Yasuki asks the Gobbler again if all of this was worth it. The Gobbler reveals the reason is because he was Makisig, Yasuki’s ex-lover. He knows the pain the sea dragons have caused him.
At this, Yasuki attacks Makisig.
With each blow, Yasuki awakens a voice he had shut out long ago, calling forth a deep and dormant rage.
The pirate would be stupid to not think Yasuki did not know. Makisig was no better than the emperors. What of the pain Makisig caused to Yasuki? Makisig was swayed by greed. Yasuki taught him magic, and he used that magic to entertain the high class dwellings for money. The Sunland emperor, upon hearing of the merfish magic, had convinced Makisig to turn in Yasuki. The emperor made Yasuki travel back to the Azure Palace to warn the East Sea: If the East Sea did not provide adequate rainwater and resources, then Sunland would show their power.
Yasuki was forced to swim back to his broken home by Makisig, promising a reward of marriage. Emperor Takara was too lazy to lift a finger to help dwellings, and Yasuki's pleas would not be heard. Not even recognizing his own son, Takara sent Yasuki to the dungeons. Hisae had to help him escape, only if he promised to come back in the future. But that was not home, home was with Makisig... right?
A curse was put upon the East Sea. The sunland Emperor was able to use demonic magic to summon a leviathan large enough to kill the selfish Takara. The leviathan grew out of control, eventually attacking the land.
Yasuki had to save his friends by getting in the way, thus sacrificing his tail. He ruined a home to return to another ruined home. He had to live knowing his friends were punished by the other sea emperors and the Heavens- cursed to suffer in the underworld for their crimes against the earth.
Despite the pain, the Gobbler did not stop Yasuki's attacks. As Yasuki drains himself of energy, the Gobbler simply orders the father and daughter to be taken back down to a cell. He had no words to say against the truth.
As Umiko and Yasuki is locked away, Yasuki informs Umiko that she must not let revenge win. He tells her of a secret- of another childhood friend he had made on Sunland.
With the help of Keej and Budi, Umiko was able to slip off of the ship and into the waters. Finding out of her escape much later, the Gobbler punishes the two pirates, stripping them of their powers.
With the ship growing further and further away from her, Umiko would desperately swim towards the North Sea.
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