Jalen sat in his quarters. His arms were wrapped around his knees, trying his best to prevent the shaking and tremors that ran through his body. The light sailors clothing did little to help in his plight, nor did the occasional spray of frigid sea water that showered him.

 

Then again, he sat in the corner of his room, as far away from the entrance to his abode as possible. 

 

Lightning flashed, brightening his surroundings, showing his sparse belongings and hammock all the way on the other side. Not a second after did the thunder peal, roaring in the heavens, challenging any who dared brave the skies above or seas below. It would frighten many a powerful person.

 

But Jalen was an honest man. 

 

He would rather fight the dreaded power and fearsome strength of them above then what he stood with. The very thing he underestimated until he learned better. A mistake he swore never to repeat, lest he finds himself in an early grave, or worse; in some asylum for the crazed and mad. 

 

He cursed his new master, the pompous noble with more money and good-will than sense, for sending him out on this cursed ship. More importantly, with whom rode this monstrosity. 

 

The thought that he and those of Pirate Jewel, Petrous, stood in opposition of this thing of nightmares made his tremors renew with greater vigor. 

 

Then the sign came. 

 

Cannons’ roared from above. 

 

“No.” Jalen covered his ears. “No. No. No! Please not again!”

 

What followed had him crying. He hoped to never hear it again, but that was a hopeful dream that would never come to pass. 

 

He fell to his side in a cradle position, unwilling to uncover his ears. But his attempts were still useless.

 

Laughter. 

 

The Devil’s cackle. 

 

Death would bloom as the Laughing Devil rode the seas high.

 

Kingdoms of the Archipelago would fall, one by one. 

 

And Jalen’s sanity would slowly be chipped away by what he had dismissed as a bubbly, fat idiot. Because, for the first time in his life, and hopefully the last, did he witness a being, neither immortal nor master strike with the power even the Sleeping Dragon would be proud of. 

 

The laughter got closer. 

 

Jalen could hear steps from outside of his room until they paused at his door. A flash of lightning created shadows under his door for his overactive imagination to feast upon. 

 

The cackle never stopped as the handle slowly squeaked, and the door opened silently. In came a devil with a smile Jalen had come to fear. Its long robes billowed and shoes snapped at the floor underneath. 

 

He caught sight of skin below the hundreds of layers of clothes, glossy and far too shiny to be human. This only made his suspicions become even more founded truths in his mind. 

 

Before him, in all its glory and red eyes, stood Humara The Laughing Devil. 

 

A creature. 

 

Non-Human. 

 

The avatar of the Great Beast. The blood-thirsty Leviathan. A living, breathing galleon bred for war and destruction. 

 

Only one person could stop this beast of mayhem. The same person who was his master.

 

“This one is surprised.” Said the Avatar Huemara. “Do you not find this exhilarating?” Its red eyes flashed in an eerie light. 

 

Jalen backed up into his corner. “St-stay away!” 

 

“Join this lowly one, as the great beast feasts above. It thinks we are unsuitable hosts to our guests.”

 

“I’ll never trust something like you! The children's stories speak of horrors you’ve committed…”

 

The Devil’s smile never faltered, but the telltale eye twitch was all present. “Our master has accepted you into our ranks. There is little to fear… comrade. We would never disappoint him.”

 

Jalen gulped. Disappointing the master was the only reason he wasn’t dead already. He knew it, and worse, Humara noticed that he recognized what was unsaid. 

 

“This one has failed to bring light to your clouded mind.” It closed its eyes, leaving its trademark grin plastered on its chubby face. “We near completion of our task, the golds have been collected and many an archipelago natives have been enslaved to the master’s cause. The many races will do well to bring glory to his holy name.”

 

It spun on its heels and left, closing the door in the same horrifying fashion it had come in, flashing lightning and all. Leaving Jalen to return to his tremors and flinching every cannon's blast he heard. 

 

“Father above. Save me from being eaten alive by this monster. Please save me!”