blogombal 33: Coating Submersion
33: Coating Submersion
A few weeks later, following the navigation chart, the Golden Dawn safely arrived at a small island near the red earth continent, where there was a sizable civilian "coating port".
Ships came and went in the harbor, sailors of various races mingled among them, and the air was filled with the smell of tung oil and resin.
Oro went directly to the old coating craftsman with the best reputation and the highest price.
The master craftsman comes from the city of seven waters. Although his hair is already gray, his hands and feet are still nimble.
When he touched the Golden Dawn, he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement:
"My God! A whole ship full of Adam Wood! The material, the craftsmanship!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, young man, your ship, let alone deep-sea pressure, even if it were rammed head-on by a Sea King, its keel probably wouldn't bend!"
While directing his assistants to begin the complex preparations for coating, the old craftsman checked the tools and chatted with Oro.
"Business is getting harder and harder these days."
The experienced craftsman sighed and tapped the coating tank next to him with a wrench.
"Especially the number of boats going to Mermaid Island has decreased by more than half compared to before."
Oro was using gold powder to sense the ship's structure and help locate several key points of the coating when he heard this, he paused slightly:
"Oh? Why?"
"Let's just make a mess of it!"
The old craftsman lowered his voice, a look of apprehension on his face: "I heard there's a huge commotion down there! Mermaids and fish-men are arguing and fighting every day over the best coral reef area in the shallows!"
"That's not all. During this period, the activities of the slave-catching teams have become increasingly rampant!"
"Let me tell you, just last week, one of my old buddies' merchant ships was hijacked as soon as it left the port!"
"The sailors who escaped said those damned bastards were carrying special naval chains! You tell me..."
Oro didn't fully listen to the old craftsman's subsequent complaints.
His eyes narrowed slightly. More than half a year ago on Treasure Island, Newgate had warned him that "Mermaid Island is not peaceful" and that "the slave-catching teams are becoming increasingly arrogant."
After so much time, the situation has not improved but has worsened, even involving naval standard equipment? Tsk tsk.
The coating process lasted for a full day and night.
As the last giant soap bubble, shimmering with iridescent colors, perfectly enveloped the Golden Dawn, the setting sun painted the horizon a magnificent orange-red.
The next morning, before the sea fog had completely dissipated, the Golden Dawn slowly sailed away from the coating port.
The colorful bubbles on the ship's exterior shimmered in the morning light, giving the golden behemoth a flowing halo.
"Auro! Look down there! There are glowing fish!"
Lingling clung to the ship's railing, excitedly pointing downwards.
The Golden Dawn descended rapidly and gradually entered the deep sea. The light on the surface of the sea was getting dimmer and dimmer, and only the searchlights on the ship and the faint light refracted by the bubble membrane could barely illuminate the surroundings.
A group of sea fish emitting a pale blue fluorescent light swam by, and Lingling's eyes lit up immediately. She reached out to scoop them up, but Oro gently pressed her wrist down.
"Stop messing around, Lingling. If this coating breaks, Gails and I will become fish food."
He pointed to the edge of the bubble membrane, where it was undulating slightly as the ship moved.
Lingling reluctantly withdrew her hand, but couldn't help staring at the glowing fish, muttering to herself:
"Okay... When we get to Mermaid Island, I want to eat that kind of grilled fish that glows!"
Gails came over with a plate of pastries: "Great, I can learn how to make them while I'm at it."
She handed the plate to Taylor, and then gave Molly and Jacob a seaweed shortbread.
Taylor accepted the pastry after saying thank you, feeling a slight warmth in her heart as her fingertips touched the warm, flaky pastry.
As Taylor ate his snacks, he gazed at the familiar light outside the ship—
Golden beams of light shone from the deep sea, like a scepter lowered by a god, illuminating the entire ocean area.
Scattered around the beam of light were tiny specks of light, like stars floating in the air, and even the bubble membrane of the Golden Dawn was tinged with a golden glow.
"That is..."
Gails covered her mouth, her eyes filled with amazement.
Taylor gazed at the pillar of light piercing the deep sea, his voice filled with awe:
"It is the light of Eve of the Sun Tree."
She pointed to the source of the beam of light.
"The roots of the Sun Tree Eve are located below Mermaid Island. They can absorb sunlight from the sea surface and transmit the light to the deep sea through the veins of the roots, which is why Mermaid Island has day and night."
"We're very close to Mermaid Island now."
"Wow! Are there lots of houses made of seashells in there?"
Lingling leaned closer, her eyes full of anticipation: "I read in a book that mermaids live in places where conch shells sing!"
Taylor was amused by her appearance: "Yes, there are many houses built with colorful corals and seashells over at Coral Hill."
"There used to be shops selling seashell musical instruments. When the wind blew, the whole neighborhood could hear the tinkling sound."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Moya excitedly tugged at her sister Molly's hand, pointing in the direction of the pillar of light: "Look! It's the spire of Coral Hill!"
Following her gaze, everyone saw, under the pillar of light from Eve the Sun Tree, a cluster of well-arranged coral structures gradually becoming clear.
Some of the corals resemble blooming flowers, while others resemble towering trees. The tops of the tallest coral towers are inlaid with huge pearls, which gleam softly white in the light.
Moya clapped her hands excitedly: "I remember there used to be a shop over there that sold strawberry daifuku!"
"The proprietress's daifuku is filled with fresh sea grapes, and every bite is bursting with juice!"
"And another thing, there's the shell-shaped dessert shop on the corner. Their rainbow jelly is made with seven different kinds of seaweed—it's sweet and refreshing!"
But at this point, the sisters' voices suddenly lowered.
Moya clutched the hem of her clothes, the excitement in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by a hint of disappointment: "But..."
"Before we were arrested, many shops in Coral Hill had closed down because of the unrest over the past few years."
"The owner of that strawberry daifuku shop had to sell the shop to pay for her husband's medical treatment after he was injured in a conflict..."
Molly's eyes reddened, and her voice choked with sobs: "And the Shell Dessert Shop, its window was smashed, jelly spilled all over the floor, and it never opened again..."
A silence fell over the deck.
Lingling opened her mouth, but didn't know how to comfort the two sisters.
Gails gently patted Molly's shoulder, about to say something, but noticed that Taylor's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his eyes darkened, as if he was suppressing some emotion.
Gals's voice was very soft:
"Taylor, is the conflict between mermaids and fish-men... more serious than we imagined?"
Taylor took a small bite of the pastry in her hand. The light milky aroma mixed with the sweetness of seaweed spread in her mouth, easing her tense nerves a little.
After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke: "...The conflict between mermaids and fishmen is no longer a simple matter of 'stealing coral reefs'."
Her gaze drifted to the distant Coral Hill, her voice somewhat heavy: "The Coral Hill is the main settlement of mermaids, and most of the merchants there are mermaids, living a relatively wealthy life."
"Mermaid Street is on the other side of Mermaid Island, where most of the fishmen make a living by fishing and carrying things."
"In recent years, due to frequent attacks by slave-catching teams, the resources of Mermaid Island have become increasingly scarce, and the merchants of Coral Hill have become more and more hostile to fishmen, especially the orphans of Mermaid Street."
"orphan?"
Gails frowned. "Why do they reject orphans?"
"Because I feel that it would be 'shameful' and reduce my customer base."
Taylor's voice lowered again, as if he were recalling some unpleasant scene.
......
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
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