Unspeakable

Chapter 2 ~

The ship was a massive, hulking creature. Its curved belly hung low, sunk deep beneath the surface and encrusted with creatures. Above, heavy masts groaned at the flailing wind, tall and thick, their brine-stiffened sails bloated with wind.

The ship was sailing near the coast, in a sort of no-man's-land between land and open ocean. The cliffs were raw and dark, naked and brutal. The water was rocky, with treacherous boulders that lurked beneath high tide. It would have sailed farther out, but new treaties with the Sea King kept it from the open ocean.

The men on board were slow and relaxed, passing time with idle games and chatter. A medley of the ship's crew and the Prince's bodyguards lounged sleepily. The harsh wind carried them north, back to their homeland.

Dark water rose, pressing the ship heavily to one side before passing beneath it. Playing cards and poker chips spilled off a table and spun across the deck as the ship leaned passively. A cry and a scrambling. Hardened men became young boys, chasing marbles across the floor.

Across the deck, at the far end behind the cabin, two figures stood by the edge of the ship. One rested his elbows on the rail, his body leaning, tilted, and his neck curved as he stared down at the thick, grey-green water. His skin was a rich, chocolaty brown, darkened during the voyage, and he had hair two shades short of black. The hair was cropped short and it whipped around like a dog at the end of its tether, chased by the wind. His gaze was oddly unfocused, mesmerized by the shifting of the water.

His companion stood a few paces back, swaying gently to keep his feet, his arms crossed and his eyes skittering along the distant cliffs. His stance was tense and pensive, habitually so, though he felt calm.

They were the Prince and the head of his guard. Childhood friends, they were raised together like corn and squash, one covering the ground and the other reaching for the sky. The two were dressed blandly, for traveling, and shared silence like one might share bread. Comfortably. A piece for each to chew on.

The man leaning on the rail shifted slightly, lifting his thoughtful gaze to the black protrusions of rock. Behind him, the guard dropped his arms from their pretzel and shrugged his shoulders, swinging his arms a little to keep circulation flowing. His blue eyes made one last sweep of the cliffs before they settled on the back of his friend's head. The Prince at the rail stiffened, surprise exhaling through his lips, and the guard tensed, striding forward protectively, ready to fight or defend.

"Look," the Prince hissed, his dark eyes wide.

The guard followed his gaze, wary and alert, to the sight of a body amongst the boulders.

Dead.

"There's someone down there," the Prince said quickly. The guard was shaking his head, but his charge called out, "Quick, a lifeboat! Man overboard!"

There was a great shuffling as the men on deck crowded noisily against the rail. Then a still silence crept in to smother the gathering. Wordlessly, the men turned away from the body at sea and shuffled back to their tasks. It was quiet, as though the ship had drowned.

The Prince ground his teeth in confusion. He turned to face the Captain. "We will take him onto the ship," he said coldly.

The Captain met the Prince's hard stare, a chilling expression on his weathered face. "It's a refugee of the Sea Kingdom."

"I want him on board," he said.

"All respect, but that thing isn't human. Think before you reel it in."

The Prince's face darkened. "You should know better than to patronize me with your superstitions, old man."

"Boy," the Captain said wearily, his eyes wandering to sea, "I've been sailing these waters longer than you've been alive. Heed an old man's words – these are troubled times, and to invite the devil home…"

"He will sleep in my chambers. Have a pallet prepared. Naruto," he signaled his guard, "go with them. I want this man alive."

The Captain watched him, resignation dimming his eyes. He turned to the eerily quiet crew and spoke. "Bring it to the deck," he said softly, and a few men followed the guard to the lifeboats.

The small dinghy plummeted with a smack to toss on the churning dark water, and the Prince watched the men row out. The crew and Captain had left him alone on one side of the deck. He rubbed a hand over his face, wondering if he'd made the right choice.

The Sea King controlled the oceanic trade routes, exacting tribute from traders – a feat that was severely damaging the economy of the Prince's kingdom. Never before had the entire sea been united under a single ruler, and the effects were staggering. The Sea King restricted the Land's zealous traders and consumers, making his kingdom independent while the Land kingdoms continued to covet oceanic commodities. As the Sea withdrew into itself, access to fish and oceanic trade and travel became severely limited above water.

But to venture onto land from the sea was a taboo of underwater culture – a shameful, damning deed. To find someone willing to transcend this alienation was uncommon, and rather than hate him for what he was – what he might be – the Prince hoped he might be able to use him to discover an in on the Underwater Kingdom.

The Prince watched for the dull gold of his guard's blond head as the dinghy was dragged aboard. It hit the deck and those aboard staggered out, the wind snapping around them and seawater slicking the floor. The crewmembers ignored the guard and his cargo as they finished securing the dinghy and slunk below deck.

Naruto was wet. His pants, rolled up to the knee, were soaked and speckled with sand from the waves, and the body curled into his chest was stained with white trails of dried salt.

He didn't look too different, the Prince thought as he followed Naruto and the limp body of their new charge to his chambers, than anyone else. His form was artful, built to swim, the skin pale as though it had never seen the sun.

"It's a good thing I saw him when I did," the Prince said, "Any later and the sun would already have set."

"He has hypothermia," Naruto said soberly. "He may not make the night."

The Prince tensed. "Come on, Naruto," he said quickly, "let's get him on the bed."

"Kiba," Naruto said and the Prince stopped. "Why all this? These men lost their livelihood when Orochimaru closed off the sea. If this is a lesson in humility, it is ill-timed."

With a quick glance around, the Prince closed the distance between them so they could talk with an illusion of privacy. "Think of the opportunities, Naruto. No one flees the Sea without a reason. This person, to know what he knows – imagine the power of that knowledge. We would no longer be known as the Kingdom of Dogs – what if we could put an end to Orochimaru's rule!"

"He's a child, Kiba, barely older than you are," Naruto said, arranging the boy's form beneath a wealth of blankets.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear you say that," Kiba said coolly. He watched as Naruto packed the boy with insulation and began to strip off his own clothing. "What are you doing," he asked.

"He needs to get warm," Naruto said, shucking off his rough travel shirt as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You should also undress. He'll need the both of us if he's going to stand a chance."

Kiba stared down at the figure that lay unnaturally still beneath the swaddling of blankets. The little bit of skin he could see was tinged with blue. Then the heir to a throne of dogs began to untie his tunic.