Kreese and the Ocean God

When I was a boy, not much younger than shall we say nine my grandfather told of a world that he had to leave behind, a Mazzaken world. A world of fine works and sophistication hidden in a place that he doesn’t quite remember how to get to. Men at birth he would say were at least 15lbs, women 10lbs. People in those times he said would grow to be eight and nine feet tall – “Really damn big”, he would say with me on his lap even as young as nine. He spoke of floating cities that shimmered in the light of the sun suspended in the clouds. These huge marvels were powered by nuclear reactors far beyond our current understandings of Aerodynamics here on Earth.

You see Mazzaken was a lush and plentiful world he would say somewhere behind a glass window. When I would laugh at how confusing it all sounded, he would nod reassuringly that this was no joke. “I’d actually escaped to earth through a mirror in my powder room”, he said before always pointing to an old dusty mirror tilted against the sitting room wall.

Could you imagine owning a mountain, or an ocean? Well he told me of woman once, a beautiful woman by the name of Lola Manderley, and how she was the love of his former life there, sure to emphasize former when Grandmother was around to listen. He always told it the same way – full of emotion and conviction. I could always hear the rise and fall of personal triumphs and failures in his voice just the same as the first time I’d ever heard it.

Lola was the daughter of a God. I understand how it sounds, bear with me and I’ll make this statement make sense. In Mazzaken, men and woman owning great elemental troves no matter the height, no matter the floating city upon which they lived, or wealth that they possessed were called Gods in our common tongue. In fact they pretty much controlled the world and how the people in my grandfather’s time lived their lives. “If you wanted to eat you pay for earth rights and then food. Same if you wanted a drink of water or to fish”, Grandfather would say.

For hundreds of years, or perhaps since the beginning of their time this was the case. His father was a tall man of 8’9” and exceptional strength. He fished off the coast of a small run down town still attached to the ground. The town even for an old one was washed in advanced technology far along than I could comprehend as he explained. Yes, the answer to your next question will be yes – there were flying contraptions. “My father would arrive before dawn, and fish with big strong men like himself for all day until nightfall”, he would say triumphantly with pride in his voice. He would stamp his feet and look me in the eyes and say “Men worked for Gods even in Mazzaken.”

God’s owned all of it, even the oceans were my Great Grandfather fished. It was with the permission of the God John Manderley that he was able to make a living, as it was his ocean. It was the largest ocean In all the world and home to such a wonderful host of creatures. Some flew straight from the water’s depths and splashed the men in a joyful tease before soaring into the clouds. Days on the water were hard, considering that the work was done when John said and in accordance with his liking. A fight with John was a famine, families would starve and in that way the Gods could be vengeful and in some cases merciless. Grandfather would say, “With the stroke of a pen even the youngest of the God’s could decimate an entire community”, his voice full of sorrow and regret each time.

Huge flying tanks of carbon fiber and glass would hoist the fresh sea creatures up from the town fishery and up toward the clouds until the work was done daily. The people of the town had long since moved to Calsus, a poorer town in the floating city of Kreese. The city Kreese was one of 455 across the vast world of Mazzaken, and the one that my Grandfather and his family grew up in. It’s where I have roots, or some sort of long lost legacy. He would smile each and every time that he said this to me “My Father was a good man, and he took care of my brother’s and I in those times.”

My grandfather at the age of 21 would help him to fish on days of fair weather and good favor from John Manderley. They would laugh with their backs to the deck and sweat bustling from their foreheads. His brother – My great uncle would also help when he could. As the eldest boy my grandfather was expected to help out a bit more than the others. At day’s end as Captain of the voyage my Great Grandfather would be responsible for notifying John of great discoveries within his oceans – if any. Daily my grandfather began accompanying his father to the Manderley Dwelling to report nothing as John refused to accept any form of instantly transmitted communication.

The Dwelling was the Largest in all of Kreese. It would be insulting to the very headquarters of some of the Earth’s largest companies to estimate the size and value of the luxurious and famed Estate. It appeared as if an entire city within itself, lights of rainbow hue and clear glass buildings with gold lined trimmings. Gates that lined the neighborhood in ornamented silver rails and exemplary grassy green trees that decorated the yard. All of this just to be sent home upon delivery of nothing yet again for the day.

Lola was mentioned and it was with the greatest care that I mentioned her earlier. She was the daughter of a God and that meant to all commoners that she would as tradition dictated marry another God, or Goddess of her choice. These rules were the sort of iron bar kind, better left alone and unchallenged.

My grandfather after an abnormally challenging day stepped off of the Tank of Fish and onto Kreese soil awaiting his father to make another failed trip to the Manderley Estate as he did daily. “Fine, you may continue to use my ocean”, John Manderley would say with a huff. His father would nod and my Grandfather would follow. “This time was different, I could feel a pair of eyes upon me and in a second I’d found them”, Grandfather would say whispering as if keeping a secret. He’d bounce me and steadily as he pushed on. “They were the most amazing eyes that I’d seen at the time, as blue as her father’s ocean, and a face like an angle.”

Lola smiled at him and from then on it seemed as if the daily reports were a source of great anticipation for him. As their father’s would talk, day after day they would meet in the courtyard to laugh and talk a sort of business of their own. Her life seemed perfect – powdered in perfumes and oils in the morning, pampered with silks and fine linens in the evenings. “It was saddening her to hear of how the poorer relations lived. I’d tell her not to worry, and that we were going to be fine as long as dad could continue to provide for our community”, he said with a hint of optimism even now.

One day John high and mighty accompanied my Great Grandfather for a walking into the court yards where he found my Grandfather and Lola holding hands and leaning to one another for comfort. It was in that one instant where the wrath of a particularly powerful God was not taken lightly. “He screamed and attempted to kill me, but my father held him off of me and gave him a swift kick in the you know what for good measure” Grandfather said laughing with tears in his eyes. His smile turned sour as he recounted what happened next. “I couldn’t see her again, and worse… we could not use his oceans anymore for our community. We had to barter and buy fish at a premium that we couldn’t afford anymore. No money for food or housing our community turned to crime and violence.”

Many months passed and he’d begun to watch good people turn to a life of which there was no return. “I remember taking a nap one evening but before I closed my eyes I heard a tap at the window of our flat”, He said to me. “It was Lola, and in her hand she held a black leather-bound book thick with papers and ribbons. So, I invited her in”, he said cheerfully.

He explained that this book was in fact the deed to the ocean. Her father had never truly owned it outright and that in Kreese ownership of the elements belonged to the holder of said deed. It was there that night she confessed her love for him, and he for her.

“I asked her to be my wife. She said yes with no hesitation and as if possessed I took two loops from a basket and fastened them to our fingers and we wed that night”, Grandfather said with worry in his voice, not happiness. Like a trophy to his people he held the Black book to his heart, declaring to never restrict the ocean again. He freed his people and helped to restore their honor and pride. “Within my first day I’d made the equivalent of $20,000 USD just from owning the damn thing”, Grandfather boasted. John was relentless and made every attempt to re-acquire his lost book. When all else failed he resorted to violence.

Tears streaming from his eyes he whispered “John hurt people close to me, even turned my best friends against me. I had the oceans, but he had the wealth to sway judgments in the law.” Grandfather hung his head for a moment and said. “Lola pleaded with me to leave the city until a solution could be found. As her husband I agreed to save what we had.” My grandfather packed his belongings In haste, before heading to say his goodbyes. With a chilling certainty he stopped to brush his teeth if I recall the story correctly.

“It was there that I saw it, just there in the mirror a light flickered just beyond my reflection. So, I reached out to grab at it, and strangely I was able to”, he said in exasperation. “When I did the force was so strong that it pulled me forward off the ground and into a mirror that big”, he said pointing toward the mirror on the ground.

He never saw Lola or his family again, he tried many times but could never seem to get back to Mazzaken. He sits in his chair at his part and stares in wonder. “I’ve cried a thousand times, but it doesn’t help. This life is mine now, but the ocean of Mazzaken largest of them all I gave back to my people despite the riches I could claim”, grandfather proclaimed as he rustled with an old torn and worn bag. He fished from its contents an old black leather book with illegible writing.

His story has remained consistent over the years and I believe that Lola never truly forgot him either. The Deed still lies with him after all this time, and although the story is hard to believe I admit that we still struggle to find clothes for him at 8’1”.