Eluah slowly descended into the darkness. The cold touch of the ocean embraced his whole body, slowing his heart rate and perception of time. He did not rush, it would only make him run out of air faster. He swam down slowly, patiently - until the depths pressured his body enough that he naturally started to sink. As the world got darker, his pupils dilated wildly trying to catch the remnants of blue and violet light. He started caressing the rocks in front of him, looking for small crevasses. That’s where the silver eels lived. He only needed to catch one of these and he could afford a shelter for fourteen days in the upcoming storm season.

The rocks were cold and slimy. He was uncomfortable putting his hands into those dark places but it had to be done.He caught the presence of Aijin behind him. He did not see him, yet he somehow always knew when he was nearby. Aijin - the thoughtful one - as Eluah called him in his head, was a large and spectacular cuttlefish.

You’re around again Aijin? Are you interested in my hunting techniques? Or are my ways of hunting amusing to you? Why are you always around?

Eluah turned around and Aijin was indeed there peacefully hovering with its tentacles hypnotically wiggling in front of its head. His skin was yellow and orange-red sprites were travelling from top of his large head towards the end of the body. Strange. Usually, he was featuring a mix of green and blue. Orange meant he was recently disturbed. Or a warning to others. Eluah looked into his large, strangely alien eyes and Aijin disappeared in the darkness.

He did not think about this strange incident. Thinking needed energy, which was a very finite resource. He focused on his goal here - catching a silver eel. All the crevasses were empty though and he decided to descend deeper.

Sinking deeper, his physiology was further changed. The pupils started to widen, the blood rushed into the core of his body and his ears adapted to whole body vibrations rather than sounds. The utter stillness and void permeated his body. He did not think, he did not feel, he could only perceive.

There were no corals or seaweed anymore, only bare rocks - a very familiar environment. It was the ocean where he was the most peaceful and safe and where he actually was at home.

In the ocean, he felt different. In the ocean, he was in a different state. And only in that state, so deep in the ocean, embraced by darkness, he was able to catch the sudden glimpse of danger.

Something was off. His eyes, that still managed to harvest the last threads of light, allowed him to see a dark spot at the side that was quickly growing larger. The dark spot had gained shape and distinct, terrifying features. Big round eyes and sharp teeth stacked in multiple rows. In that moment of realization he thrust his whole body to the side in one powerful, yet elegant motion. The creature missed and disappeared into the darkness.

He waited, almost unmoving, only slightly waving his legs to prevent sinking.

A deep, animal instinct made Eluah turn around. Always protect your back!. Its terrifying features appeared yet again and the survivor’s instinct kept leading him on. He caught the creature by the fin and dragged himself close. He embraced the creature’s body, covering its eyes with his hands and its gills with his knees. The creature did not anticipate this, shaking violently to get rid of him.

He resisted and the creature started sinking further down into the abyss, slowly rotating its whole body. Eluah had never been so deep. He could feel the pressure strongly pushing on his lungs and head. As they were circling around, he could momentarily glimpse a faint light from the top. In those moments, he felt doubt and uncertainty. A sudden rush of adrenaline fought against the calming effect of the ocean.

He knew he needed to stay calm. He persevered and kept pushing on the creature’s eyes and gills. He put all his will to it and all he could feel was the strange, unnatural coldness of the creature’s body. Finally, the creature seized. Blocking the senses put the predator into a state of complete lethargy. The depths were peaceful again. He waited, perceiving a strange connection with the predator. It only hunted him so it could survive... right?. A familiar sensation distracted him from the nothingness. The beat of his heart. The feeling of being alive and a reminder that life is worth living. He finally let go of the creature’s cold body and started swimming to the top.

The journey back was long and demanding. In the depths, his body was heavy and would naturally sink if he did not put in the extra effort to swim. He did not look towards the surface, instead, he looked right in front of himself. Knowing how far the surface was would not help him. Instead, he focused on his form. Every tempo had to be perfect and no energy could be wasted. The ocean made him relax deeply so that he used only the very necessary muscles to swim up. His mind should have also been blank but it wasn’t.

He could not get rid of that strange feeling of being watched from the below - the image of those eyes appearing from darkness. Why did the Nakuru attack him? They were known for leaving humans alone.

He started seeing shadows in the water. Dark spots circling around him in the distance. Watching him, sensing him. It could be just his wild imagination, a hallucination induced by a fast ascent from the depths. He felt bubbles that tickled his feet. His whole body was tingling with energy. He felt the flow of blood in his veins and streams of electricity running up and down his spine.

The dark spots afar changed shape. Even started looking human-like. He felt they were there to... save him… but... from his life? You only need to let go, they said. It was tempting. He was so close and just when he could see the bright light of the sky piercing through the water, the world went dark.

Old Jarre was the Watcher of the Sea. He was too old for hunting and gathering in the depths and so he rarely went into the sea. Yet he still deeply enjoyed watching it and so it was his task to watch the Sea from dusk to dawn, to look over passing boats and keep track of those who left and arrived into the village. So then, when he could see that something strange flowed on the horizon and did not move, he stood up, stretched his arms, jumped on place to get the blood running and jumped head first into the ocean.

Jarre dragged Eluah onto the wooden platform. He realized something strange must have happened there. Eluah was young and one of the best divers. He put his wrinkled hand on his forehead. It was too cold. The lips and cheeks had an unhealthy blueish color. Jarre started quickly massaging Eluah’s hands, slapping his face and shaking his body. There was no response and no signs of breathing. A wave of helplessness went over him. He picked up the boy’s body and marched into the village as fast as he could.

“Stop”. The boy’s voice was weak but confident. Jarre’s heart jumped with happiness, but he kept going. His legs were weak, but his will was strong.

“Stop. They must not know”, Eluah continued. Know what? That he overdid himself and nearly drowned? Did he care about his reputation so much? Unless…

Jarre stopped. Gently putting boy’s body to the ground. Their eyes met. “Was it the Nakuru?” Jarre asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes”, said Eluah and there was silence. Eluah could see so much understanding in Jarre’s old and gentle face. But he could also see the concern. Eluah’s own fears mirrored in Jarre’s face. He could not return to the village. They would not understand. Those who were attacked by Nakuru did not survive. He should not be alive. Nakurus were servants of the depths, dragging their prey to the world of eternal darkness. His return would bring doom to the whole village.

“You cannot…” started Jarre, his voice full of worry.

Eluah interrupted him: “I know.” And there was another moment of silence. Jarre and Eluah looked into each other’s eyes both looking for words. Eluah’s face was strangely blank. Jarre was full of concern.

“The world is changing” Jarre’s face changed as he said that. “A lot of strange things have happened this year. There’s less fish. The clouds are … different”

“The ocean is warmer” added Eluah.

“And it seems like”, Jarre continued, ever anxious than before, “the eagles are not coming this year”. Eluah was struck with concern. The coming of Eagles was a holy event for all the villagers, marking the end of Spring and the start of festivities. These majestic birds were messengers of good times, coming from mythical hills from the continent. Not much was known about them, but they were revered. They arrived every year and flew high in the sky over the ocean and beaches. They did not catch prey, they did not mate. They were there, high in the sky and were a joyful sight for everyone watching.

“Maybe they’ll just come later” wondered Eluah.

“No. Never in my life, they have come late. This means something. Maybe things are different and the attack… was not what it seems like”

“No Jarre. If eagles are not coming that’s not a good sign. If Nakuru has attacked me, that’s no good too. I cannot be an extra burden in this village, especially now”

Jarre wanted to say something but he found himself in too much agreement. The boy could not stay. He looked at Eluah lying on the ground. His pupils were still dilated from the depths and from the shock. The skin was pale and hands trembling.

“I will stay in the village for three days to gather some strength and then leave”, said Eluah as if reading Jarre’s mind. “Please do not say anything to anyone”.

Jarre nodded silently and watched the boy stand up.

Eluah was sitting on a wooden platform. The sunshine was strong and the summer was nigh. Only the Eagles were missing. It was a market day and the sea village was hustling. He could hear the murmur of voices and excitement. The main articles were fish, muscles, wood and tools, but there were also fruits from the forest and clothing from lands far away. It was hardly affordable for the locals, but there still was a large gathering around a tradesman with silk dresses. Even though Eluah was a very skilled diver, it would take years of collecting pearls before he could afford such a dress. To marry a girl here in the Sea Village, he needed something to offer her family and this could serve well. He needed a well placed wooden house, a larger boat or a very prestigious gift. Those were the customs.

Over the sea, he could see the beach and the edge of the forest. During low tide, it was possible to go there by foot, but now the sea filled the channel. He tied a bag of provisions around his waist and went for his, maybe last, dive into the ocean.

It was strange to feel the sand between his fingers. Despite living in the sea village his whole life, he visited the beach only a few times. The sea near the beach was dull. Too warm with little fish. And the forest was scary and best to be avoided. He heard tales of people disappearing in there many times. It was a favourite evening story that was told during the sunset while drinking wine or coconut brews. He never fully believed those. But now, seeing the forest in front of him, he could not escape a dreadful feeling. All the dangers he met in his life were in the ocean and in the ocean he was calm. The forest was a different place.