The Legend of SeaWalker
By Wyland
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Wyland
Marine life artist Wyland saw the ocean for the first time when he was fourteen years old. On that fateful day, two gray whales broke the surface less than a hundred yards from where the young artist stood. More than four decades later, Wyland is world-renowned for his life-sized marine life murals, paintings, sculptures, photography and his commitment to the conservation of our blue planet. An avid SCUBA Diver, award-winning filmmaker, and educator, he has been hailed a "Marine Michaelangelo" by USA Today and recognized for his art and conservation efforts by the United Nations and on the floor of Congress. With over a million art collectors around the world, his artworks have been featured as part of two Olympic Games, major stamp issues for the United Nations Postal Administration, and large-scale art projects, including a mile-long marine life mural installation at the U.S. National Mall. He has hosted numerous television programs, including the series, “Wyland’s Ocean World,” on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet Network, an hour-long documentary, “Wyland: A Brush With Giants,” and “Wyland’s Art Studio,” his current series for American Public Television. His non-profit Wyland Foundation, which he started more than a quarter of a century ago, has set the standard for environmental outreach, using art, science, and community events to inspire children and families around the world to become caring, informed stewards of our oceans, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands. Wyland currently resides in Laguna Beach, California.
Read more from Wyland
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Reviews for The Legend of SeaWalker
442 ratings23 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Praise to Sarah J. Mass for this amazing ending to this beautiful series! It made my laugh and it really made me cry, more than once, and I am so glad to see it end in such a lovely way. I have loved Aelin from the minute she appeared as Celanea Sardothien and I am happy about how far she has come since. Please read this series in all of its glory because it has given me much joy in reading it!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5"It was the siege that would not end. It just went on and on my friends." There were so many times when I almost DNF'ed this book, including when I hit the last 150 pages or so, but I wanted to see it through because Maas is so popular. The action was just so drawn out because of the multiple points of view and the repetitious nature of the character's inner motivations. None of the action was compelling. I'm going to take a very long break from Maas.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This felt more like it should have been two books, but the ending was quite satisfying.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/54.5 stars
This is probably the best fantasy series I've read since Abercrombie's First Law series, and it couldn't be more different.
Where Abercrombie grinds hope under his heal with the royal torturer, Maas's King's Assassin leaves us with a LOTR level of hope for the future.
This series in many ways reminds me of Lord of the Rings, but as Tolkien who wrote for his little boys, and having been a little boy I remember that I never wanted to read books about girls and always wanted the hero to be about my age, Bilbo and company worked perfectly.
Now grown old, I love to read books about strong cable women, the cast of this series is the flip side of LOTR. It's the women of ToG that save the day.
My biggest criticism of this book was, that
I wasn't happy that the torture and captivity of Aelin went on for so much of this last book but love that Cairn pissed himself, a scared little boy just like bullies all over the world, when things don't go the way they want. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An epic finale to an incredible series! I cried, laughed, and yelled at this book more times than I can count - and any book that makes me feel emotions /that/ strongly is a ten out of ten in my eyes! Everything from the tiny call out to the ACOTAR series, to the incredible depictions of the epic battles went above and beyond everything that I expected from this series. I often find that the conclusion of long series disappoints. But that was certainly not the case with this book! The only complaint I have is that there isn't more!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why do you do this to me, Mass?
Why is this series over?
I stuck with it for so long... and now it's finished.
But, wow. Everything tied together really well. This series... is unexpected. I mean, who was expecting 'Celeana' to get together with Dorian or Chaol? EVERYONE!
I just wish that we got more time with Dorian and Manon so I could actually understand their relationship better.
But, this series has a slow start but an incredible finish!
Recommended!!! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow... just, wow. I'm partially confused and partially sad. Its not everyday that you read a book were all the characters that you've come to like don't make it to the very end; its both refreshing and heartbreaking. I'm happy to finish this long journey with the characters that made it, though I would also love to have a small continuation, like some short stories, were some of the other ones get a more complete ending.I'll be looking forward to any more books that Sarah J. Maas releases. As of now, she is my favorite author and I will gladly recommend her books to my fellow readers.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is close to a 1000 pages so it took even me a while to get through. I have very mixed feelings about this series. In many ways I enjoyed it a lot but I didn't love it. I always find these novels hard to get into at the start, then I really enjoy before I find my interest waning at the end. And this followed the same pattern. I enjoy the more character based sections but I was bored by the battles at the end. I mostly liked the characters too despite some issues of development. I still think Aedion is a prat and Lysandra deserved much, much better. Manon is still the most interesting character and Dorian grew on me too. Ultimately, I am glad I read this series but it won't be a favourite & I suspect I will soon forget much of it. Series as a whole gets 4 stars.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow! What a fantastic ending! This was one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. It ranks right up there with Lord of the Rings. I loved everything about it. From the prose to the world building. So so good! Other readers have already been over all the various elements of the book with a fine tooth comb and I have nothing new to add to the discuss. Therefore, I will no bore you with things already said. However, I do want to again express how truly outstanding this book and series is. If you have not read this book, or the series, I don't know what you are waiting for.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Full review to be posted after a second reading. Def read it lightning speed this first time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The angst that I felt that this was the last on the series, only made me ws.t it to be over.All if this finally coming to a close, was fine for me. That being said, the antihero Munan, and her team of 13, made me cry like a baby and only appreciate the character transition of our favorite witch so so much. I fell in love with her and wanted more of her story. . . Maybe a spinoff tale???
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I was a bit lost at first, too many characters were thrown at me and it had been too long since I had read the previous books, so I had to Google the plots of the rest of the series. After that this book flew by, it was a little bit predictable but still really exciting. More adult content then I remember previously, though.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love this series. Book brings much together, along with all out war.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5January 9th edit: yall I totally forgot to rename this. Here are all the previous books in case you forgot too:
0.5 The Assassin's Blade AKA Celaena Sardothien and the Cross-Country Murder Spree
1 Throne of Glass AKA Celaena Sardothien and the Weakest Love Triangle
2 Crown of Midnight AKA Celaena Sardothien and the Most Mood-Swings
3 Heir of Fire AKA Celaena Sardothien and the Book She Remembered What Her Real Name Was
4 Queen of Shadows AKA Aelin Galathynius and the Sudden Romance With a Previously Platonic Character
5 Empire of Storms AKA Aelin Galathynius and the Horniest Road Trip Ever
6 Tower of Dawn AKA Chaol Westfall and the Book That Was Good Because Aelin Wasn't In It
7 Kingdom of Ash AKA Aelin Galathynius and the Deus Ex Army-Out-of-Nowhere Machina
(original review before I read it)
What I want to happen:
~Aelin dies and stays dead (good riddance)
~Dorian stops being a gross sexist pig, or dies
~Rowan can die too tbh
~Manon kills her grandmother, unifies the witches, and returns home
~Aedion and Lysandra stay okay, I guess, idrc about them much tbh
~Maeve dies
~Chaol is finally happy and stays happy, with Yrene
~Elide finds something to do
~Lorcan grows as a person without his blood oath to Maeve holding him down
What I think will happen:
~More gross sex scenes between Manon and Dorian
~More Rowan being obsessive
~More Chaol worrying about everyone
~More Aelin being ~the most important, most speshul girl in the whole wide world~ whose absence will prove how necessary she is, unlike Chaol in Empire of Storms
~Elide and Lorcan quickly make up and have grossly and unnecessarily descriptive sex
~More Queen Maeve being one step ahead of the court
~More obvious or groan-worthy "plot twists"
(review after I read it)
What actually happened:
~An obnoxious amount of perspectives, locations, and last minute army-out-of-nowhere saves
~The purplest prose you've ever seen. And no paragraphs longer than 3 lines unless they were dialogue. And even then...
~An overabundance of repeated exposition every time a new perspective character (all 13 of them) learned any piece of information whatsoever, even if 5 of them were in the same scene together. They must all describe how that makes them feel, even though the reader has known this info for 200 pages already! They must!!!
~Not as smutty as I was expecting, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good that I only wanted to vomit three, maybe four times. Bad that I even had to feel that way
~Dorian surprised me by not being entirely disgusting. Only a little bit horrible. But the personality that evaporated from him in Empire of Storms came back a bit and he was finally doing anything besides gnawing on Manon's mammary glands for ten pages straight
~Aelin was not as annoying as usual. Mostly because she was suffering from PTSD, but still
~All personality was stripped from Chaol and Nesryn
~Some decent enough shocks and plot twists (and one actually good one!)
~Characters that seemed to fade away into oblivion once they were no longer important to the plot
~980 pages for no reason whatsoever when it read like 400 or 500 and probably was, given the idiotic paragraph lengths
And it still utterly baffles me that there's a bad guy named Cain in the first book and a bad guy named Cairn in this one. How does a fantasy author run out of names? Aelin, Elena, Cain, Cairn. At least it's better than Isaac Hale, the worst fantasy name of all time - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This has been the most Epic journey for me in a fantasy world. This series was everything from romantic, thrilling, adventurous to inspiring and poignant. Aelin was a kickass heroine always taking every hurdle and difficulty in her stride. She was never stuck on a tragedy for too long but always ready to turn the tables around on her enemies. And her enemies were many. I also loved her self deprecating sense of humour and that she was aware of her strengths and vulnerabilities. She knew she was powerful, the best trained assassin there is but she never let it go to her head. She knew the stakes were high and you can never be sure you will be the last man standing after the war. She was smart, brilliant in using her strengths to her advantage and never taking anything for granted. She always had a plan A and plan B in motion in case things went sideways. What I loved the most was she did not want to be the sacrificial lamb as I had assumed when I realized the story was moving in that direction. Most of the times, writers just turn the characters into miss-goody-two-shoe without giving us an insight into what they really want. No one wants to die if their is a chance to survive. Sarah J Mass showcased that conflict amazingly. Aelin does not want to just sacrifice herself even when she know she will need to do it to save her people and her kingdom if the worst came to that. She tries her best till the last moment to save herself from that outcome. She damn well wanted someone else to take her place. There were also many other characters in the series worth mentioning but Aelin's character will stay with me for a while. In addition, the book is filled with some very beautiful and inspiring thoughts that touches you raw. I would say this a must read for fantasy book fans and for anyone who loves a kickass heroine.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The final novel in the Throne of Glass series, Kingdom of Ash delivers a solid ending. With this being novel #7, I plan on being vague so that I don’t give anything away.Aelin is trapped in the coffin and is tortured relentlessly. She is torn apart and rebuilt each time--which is why I love fantasy. That wouldn’t be cool in real life! Until she can escape--IF she can escape, everyone is on his/her own to convince the people that Aelin is fighting with them for freedom. Rowan, Lorcan, Elide, and Gavriel are supposed to find and free Aelin. The scenes with Lorcan and Elide are heart-wrenching. Fenrys is with Aelin and their relationship is forged by the torture that she must bear and he must witness.Aedion has the most difficult story of all the characters in my opinion. He fights throughout the entire novel without knowing if Aelin is alive or if she’s coming. Lysandra must pretend to be Aelin, but she isn’t capable of fighting like her. Their relationship is difficult to witness because of how he treats Lysandra. The despair of this storyline encompasses you--I wanted to tell them to run, to wait, but those aren’t choices.Manon and Dorian are an interesting pair. Dorian’s job is to find the third ring, which is the most dangerous task because he has to enter Erawan’s stronghold. He’s already been under his control; he would rather die than be in that situation again. Manon has to pull all the witches from all the tribes together out of their war to fight this war. Not an easy task.Chaol, Yrene, and Nesryn with Sartaq and his fighters are trying to arrive in time to help fight Erawan and save Aelin’s people. Yrene’s powers are amazing!There are scenes in this novel that will pull you apart because these characters have been developed over the previous six novels. There’s so much to love about this novel. Fenrys’s and Aelin’s relationship. When Chaol and Dorian see each other again. When Aelin sees Chaol walking, Manon and her bravery to fight. Elide’s inner strength eclipses Lorcan’s physical strength as she tries to save him.. The little folk. Evangeline softening Darrow’s heart. Sacrifice. Love. Strength. Bravery. It’s all here. The only criticism I have is a character from book one returns and plays a role that made me smile, but I don’t remember him at the end of the novel. I think he got dropped.Everyone will have to do his/her part and then they have to come together and then they have to defeat darkness. There’s a lot to do. Can it be done? Who will be sacrificed? What are the consequences of their choices? What can the future hold? Hope or despair?This series is so worth your time if you like fantasy. Take time and enjoy these seven novels. The world building and the character development will become your world and your friends for a brief, beautiful time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Doorstop ending to the Throne of Glass series. A series of last battles, thrilling escapes, brutal victories, and heterosexual couplings. She finished as she began, with lots of power and fights and references to “males,” which never failed to make me flinch—I mean, just call them Fae if you can’t say “people” or “men,” ok? Still, it kept me reading, and King Dorian and Manon Blackbeak in particular did good work.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Note: There are spoilers for previous books in this series.This is the final book in the Throne of Glass series.Kingdom of Ash, as noted above, is the conclusion of a series, and it seemed like the author hated to let it go. Not only is it 980 pages long, but the ending stretched out over several chapters, as if an orchestra concluded a symphony with multiple crescendos. I don’t think fans of the series will be disappointed however, as they probably feel the same reluctance to leave the story as Maas apparently did.Most of the book is devoted to the efforts of Aelin, the heir to the kingdom of Terrasen, to escape the clutches of the evil queen Maeve and get back to her own people to defend them, and the efforts of her friends and supporters to help her. She doesn't know it, but help is coming from all directions.Aelin’s mate Rowan, as well as his Fae compatriots Lorcan, Fenrys, and Gavriel, are searching along the east side of the Kingdom to locate where Aelin is being held captive. They are accompanied by Elide Lochan, who is trying to deny her feelings for Lorcan.In the north, close to Terrasen, Aelin’s cousin Aedion is fighting against the soldiers of Morath who are made up of Valg, a race of malicious demon parasites who have taken over human bodies. They serve their leader, Erawan, who wants to destroy the world. Aedion is greatly assisted by Lysandra, a shape-shifter. Aedion and Lysandra are also loathe to admit their feelings for one another.On the sea in the south, Chaol, who is sworn to Dorian - the heir to the kingdom of Adarlan and Aelin’s friend, is heading toward Terrasen with fighters from the Khaganate to help. Chaol has gotten word that Morath is planning to destroy Chaol's homeland at Anielle; it is on their way to Terrasen, and he feels compelled to stop there and help defend Anielle. With Chaol is his new wife, Yrene, who is a powerful healer.And in the western mountains, Dorian is traveling with Manon Blackbeak, a witch who has broken with the malicious Ironteeth witches and is searching for the more peaceful Crochan witches. She wants to convince them to join the cause of saving Terrasen and making a better world for everyone. Dorian has his own mission: to find the missing key that will lock the Valg back in the dark world from whence they came. Lest any group not have a romantic entanglement as well, Manon and Dorian are dancing around their attraction to one another.Some of the characters get broken; some get killed, and some get stronger, albeit in ways they had not anticipated. The questions for this book are who will survive and how, and whether the forces of darkness will succumb to the combined might that stems - in this story, anyway, from loyalty, goodness, and love.Discussion: There were less sex scenes and more battle scenes in this book, and a clear emphasis on wrapping up the story. I was fine with that; I feel the author's descriptions of sex are the weakest part of her writing. She is quite good at battle scenes, however. As I thought in the previous book, the portrayal of the relationship between Elide and Lorcan stood out for its romanticism and emotional depth. Aelin, despite clearly being the heroine of the series, never seemed as “real” or sympathetic to me as did the other women, especially Elide and Yrene. The characters of Dorian and Aedion saw more development in this book, and each of them became more interesting.Alas, it would appear the series is over. It is not out of the question, however, that Maas could pick it up again one day; there are plenty of aspects to the story that could be continued.Evaluation: Maas really is a master of fantasy, or what one hopes and wishes is fantasy: her descriptions of the intentions of the evil Valg to change the world for the worse seem all too real at times. She gives them some nuance too, which is laudable. She also has her heroic characters reveal their fears and failures. In addition, I like the way the story reflects her own experience and feelings as a new mother, and shows her commitment to demonstrating, as she says in her dedication, that “girls can save the world.”These books are definitely not standalones, but should be read in order.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I made to the end! Wow, this conclusion to the Throne of Glass series was long and I couldn't help but feel that it could have been a bit shorter. That said, I was happy with how the story concluded, with several battles that bring together the characters I've been following for several books now. Aelin had a slow start in this book, spending a good portion imprisoned, but she does break free in time to reunite with her friends and meet her army as she fights to take back her home. A good conclusion to a series I've really enjoyed - I'm interested to see what Sarah J. Maas writes next!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My last book of 2018 finished on News Years Eve. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous series. I will miss these characters, they have become fictional friends over the years. Thank you Ms. Maas.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I am okay and this was a good closure to this series.
I hardcore ship Elide/Lorcan and they are okay at the end of this so I'm really good with that. It was a little too dragged out also. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I have NEVER loved a series so much. This story held strong from the beginning of book one through the end of this nigh on 1,000 page finale. There never came a point where I was no longer surprised, where I was no longer rooting for Aelin and Rowan and Manon and Dorian and everyone else. I cried for the last hundred pages, not because I didn't want it to end, but because Sarah J. Maas did such an amazing job of stringing my heart along for such a long journey. There was no disappointment, no regret. My ONLY critique is that I think I could have done without all of the characters finding love and getting married in very heteronormative ways, but that doesn't mean I wasn't rooting for those pairings all the same. I would have also liked to see some more queer characters. But a fantasy series who finally FINALLY had women as the primary heroes, women as the drivers of the story and the catalysts of change, women who literally save the world... I will come back to this series again and again for as long as I live. ❤️❤️❤️
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What can I say about this one. ????? this was me through this epic ride. I felt a bit of everything including not being able to read fast enough. This was an amazing conclusion to an incredible series. I’m sad that the series is over, but am thrilled with how Maas wrapped everything up. ????? 5 big ones for this one.
Book preview
The Legend of SeaWalker - Wyland
CHAPTER ONE
STORM
It was another perfect morning in the little town of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Islamorada is a small drinking town with a big fishing problem, the locals liked to say. A young, married couple was planning to sail to the Caribbean for a short vacation like they had done many times before. Steve, husband and Captain, was a writer specializing in murder mysteries with three books published in the last few years, although he still made a living as a reporter for the Miami Herald. His bride of eighteen months, Ocean, had given them their first child, a beautiful little boy they would call Walker, Steve’s middle name. They were water people; Steve liked to sail, and Ocean was a competitive college swimmer. Both were divers. They were even both water signs, he a Cancer and her a Pisces. In the eyes of many, they were the perfect couple, and now they had Walker.
This morning they would set sail for the Bahamas to introduce their new baby to the wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Steve knew that dolphins were very curious of babies, and the couple was excited to share their love of the sea and dolphins with their new baby. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day to sail. The conditions were ideal: flat sea, bright blue sky and pillow-like clouds swept by gentle breezes. The warm teal blue waters reflected the clouds above and revealed the coral reef below. The water was so clear that they could look over the side and see schools of reef fish and a green sea turtle that swam near the bow. They were also treated to several black frigate birds slowly drifting above, effortlessly flying in the airstream. Nothing was better than sailing these calm, warm tropical waters.
Steve and Ocean felt truly blessed as their forty-foot schooner, a boat they had named Celebration, left Florida Bay for an easy eight-hour voyage to the Bahamas. They met in college at the University of Miami during their freshman year. A mutual friend had set them up on a blind date and from that moment, it seemed they were never apart. Best of all, they shared the same deep connection to the sea. Sailing had been in Steve’s family since his first ancestors came to America from their native home of Wales. So, it was only natural that the first major purchase they made as a couple was the vessel they had spent so many hours restoring. The couple enjoyed sitting together at the wheel gazing at the night sky as the Celebration glided through the calm waters of the Caribbean. They dreamed of the day when they could retire off of Steve’s success as a published author. They had each other, their family and the future ahead of them. Life was about as good as it could be.
After a leisurely seven-hour sail, they entered the Bermuda Triangle off the Bahamas. The stories of mystery appealed to the writer in Steve, which included tales of lost ships, flight squadrons and huge freighters disappearing without a trace. Of course, there were simple explanations for everything, Steve thought. But he had to admit that strange stories abounded here. He had learned never to take the sea for granted. As he thought about this, a gust of wind slammed against the sail. The boat jolted hard. He called down to Ocean, You guys okay?
Yeah. What happened?
she answered.
Wind’s picking up.
He checked the horizon. The sky had darkened, as if someone had flipped a light switch. The once calm waters rippled and then churned with whitecaps across the horizon. Steve fought his impulse to turn around. Just go forward he thought. This will clear. But as the boat moved into the rough waters, a sense of dread flooded over him. The further the Celebration headed into the churning water, the more the sea raged and boiled. The boat turned, and they were thrust into an ear-piercing whirlpool of raging water covered by ominous skies. The beautiful, white animal shaped clouds that had kept them company all day had now turned low, dark and menacing. When Steve saw the approaching squall line, his heart sunk. The winds from squalls were very strong and savage, and they were as destructive as tornadoes. There was thunder, lighting and stinging sheets of rain. There was no time to warn Ocean before the storm hit. They could only hold on and pray. He yelled to Ocean, "Hang on!
Steve looked through the window. Ocean closed the hatch and swept the baby up into her arms. The Devil’s Triangle
, as the area had often been called, was living up to its legendary reputation. Whatever this was, it was real. Now the question: would they make it through? The swells grew by the minute. Ten feet. Twenty feet. In minutes, it seemed the sea pitched in all directions. The swells were at fifty feet now and growing. Each moment it seemed the sea became angrier and darker. They were in a giant whirlpool, swirling like a washing machine in a category five hurricane.
Adrenalin fired through Steve’s body. There was no time to think, no time to bring the sails down, no time to secure the ship. He couldn’t even get a position. The needle of the ship’s compass was spinning madly. The Celebration rose and bucked against the waves. Nothing Steve had learned prepared him for this. Everything– the sky, the sea, the wind – screamed with incomprehensible fury. He managed to feel his way to the radio to alert the Coast Guard or anyone listening on the ship’s radio, turning quickly to the emergency frequency. The radio squeaked and wailed. Mayday! Mayday!
Steve yelled. This is Captain Steve Walker Jones of the schooner Celebration! We have an emergency situation! Please send immediate, emergency assistance! We are taking on massive amounts of water, and our engine is failing! My wife has a baby! Can you read me? Please respond!
As the radio squeaked louder, a strange voice came on with perfect clarity, Please maintain your position,
the voice said. We are watching you.
Steve didn’t understand. How was he to maintain position? There was no way to control the boat. No way to do anything. Ocean asked, are we going to be okay?
She was frightened and scared as she opened the cabin door. Steve looked at her trying to hide his concern.
We are going to be okay,
he said. We’re going to be okay. I think they’re sending a rescue vessel. Just take care of the baby.
But he knew they were too far out. They needed help now. It was everything he could do now to save the vessel from going down. The sea was pitch black, and the billowing clouds of dark gray and fiery red told him that everything was decidedly not okay. A large shadow passed over the boat as a giant, tornado-like water spout sucked up the ocean and moved toward the Celebration. Another spout formed off the starboard side. The winds tore at what was left of the sails as the mast gave way and fell into the raging sea. It was as if the entire ocean was pulling at the vessel, trying to roll it over and drag it into the abyss. The seas had grown into rolling mountains that crashed relentlessly against the hull. The unthinkable was happening. Steve had to tell Ocean. we’re going down!
he shouted.
At that moment, the Celebration rolled over, and the sea began to devour it. In less than a minute, the vessel began to sink into the deep. Steve and Ocean were immediately separated by the unforgiving water. It was then that Steve was lost in the raging sea, pulled into the depth with unsustainable pressure.
The child was ripped from his mother’s arms and enveloped in a blue light bubble that seemed to shield him from the ravages of the storm. He couldn’t understand what was happening as his mother disappeared into the darkness, flung from the broken vessel. A quiet fell over the baby as he descended into the water, alongside the Celebration, which fell like a rock deeper and deeper into the bottom of the mysterious sea. The boy was now floating in a cocoon-like air blanket as the Celebration raced beside him toward the depth of the sea and finally crashed. The baby gasped the very last vestige of air in a black unforgiving sea.
The Bermuda triangle now suddenly turned into the Devils triangle taking another ship and three more souls…
W
CHAPTER TWO
GENESIS, BOY IN THE BUBBLE
The Celebration came to rest on the edge of a deep water canyon. The cocoon-like bubble that had carried the child gently landed on the soft bottom a hundred yards away. The bubbles’ air was now replaced with the very gases that formed the first life on the water planet. It seemed to calm him, even as the elements inside the bubble began to rapidly change. There was no way to tell how much time had passed. The air felt different now. It was heavier and denser, but comfortable, as though he was born to it. His senses opened to faint sounds around him. Far away, he sensed movement and life. Slowly, the boy was becoming something much different. He was metamorphosing into a completely different being.
Despite the pleasant way the bubble made him feel, he still felt he had lost something terribly important. He reached outward for the hands that had always responded lovingly, but this time, there was nothing to hold him. Something inside told him to let the feeling go. There was no need to remember it anymore. But the sadness overwhelmed him, and perhaps for the final time, he began to cry. And, as he did, he saw large shadows encircle his bubble. The shadows grew larger until they filled the child’s vision. He felt curious. When he touched the side of the cocoon, one of the shadows pushed gently in response. This call and response continued. Every time the boy touched the side, the shadows would push, as if it were a game. With a flash, the cocoon pulsed a warning. Whatever was out there was not welcome. But the boy felt differently. He sensed the mind of the cocoon claiming him and the presence of the shadows outside beckoning him in a completely different way.
The shadowy creatures now worked quickly as a group before the cocoon could flash again. They tore at the cocoon to free the boy. The smile of an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin appeared, then another, then another. In seconds, the boy’s entire world was filled with dolphins. They lifted him and nudged him, and the boy responded instinctively by kicking his legs. Each time he kicked, he zoomed through the water at an incredible speed. As his vision adapted, he glanced at his legs and his arms and noted the silvery scales that seemed to sparkle with their own light. The cocoon had transformed him into a creature of both the land and the sea. On his back, a distinctive dorsal fin had grown and fin-like appendages emerged from his arms and legs. His skin, eye and hair color were transformed like a sea mammal’s dark and light shades used for camouflage. He breathed naturally in his new element as the dolphins watched curiously. What was this thing? The dolphins darted under and around it. The boy turned and spun with equal ease. He seemed to have no problem among them. Where they went, he followed.
The leader of the pod clicked rapidly. He knew humans. They could be friend or foe. He had seen the wrecks of their ships that littered the sea bed, the product of their wars, and the great clouds of muck that floated from the mouths of their rivers. But this was something different. It seemed human, but no human could live in the sea. Already, it had the speed and agility of the fastest dolphin. Were there more? What could a fully grown one of its kind do? What could a thousand of its kind do? A trio of dolphins clicked at the leader. The creature should not live, they protested. It would bring harm. As they moved in to strike, the leader, a powerful dolphin named Cronos, hurled his body between the creature and the charging dolphins. No!
he said. The creature shall have his life. It is not a man.
It’s worse!
the dolphins said. You’ve seen what it can do, and it is just a child!
Cronos held his position. He looked gravely at the creature. Perhaps they were right. If they waited too long, there could be no turning back. Again, he eyed the child, but rather than defiance, it merely smiled broadly. It had a curious twinkle in its eyes. Perhaps it’s a sign from the Gods, Cronos thought. Why else would it have been left alone in the open sea? But he suspected that whatever this man-thing was or would be, it would certainly be something that all the creatures of the sea may one