Serpent - Part 1

You can look up to the sky and be greeted by darkness, only fragments of muted moonlight can be a guide for those who stargaze now. 

Take the Lunarwagon down to Port Bellow, take a right once you reach the corner with the blue lantern, then proceed straight. 

A finger pressed into the piece of paper labeled with these directions.

“Right at the blue lantern, hm?” A small and nervous girl pondered as the mountain of packages on her back tipped and tottered.

 “Blue lante- ah there it is,” she came across the corner and peered down the street, the entire port was illuminated with bright, amber lights. 

The girl continued onwards, passing by a group of people pleading for tickets to board the vessel. She reaches the thick crowd and pushes her way in, getting a good look at some of the passengers. Some commuters stare at their wristwatch, some take in the sights of the moonlit sky, and some brew tensions among others with their merchant insignias. 

Each person’s clothing is lined with a thin layer of light emitters that are forced to activate when traveling outside their homes. Some merchant guilds took it upon themselves to bear each one of their members with an individual distinct color. Everyone else often uses the cheapest option, a dim yellow glow. 

The tension and banter all came to a standstill when the vessel began to speak to its eager audience. 

“Passengers of The Serpent Express, we welcome all of you aboard for a journey of a lifetime! Whether you seek fame, fortune, or your own personal affairs, we promise you’ll be satisfied with your travel to the corpse of the great Serpent! As of now though, please separate into the designated rows so we can sort out each individual passenger.”

There were three rows in total. The row to the right emitted text on its arch which read, “All Major Merchants”, A.M.M. for short. The guild members cramped their way through each other and were positioned in a single file line, each of their underglows blended; forming a magnificent flurry of colors. The row to the left boldly stated it was exclusively for VIPs. Only a few movements in the crowd were present as the girl spotted towering top hats tipping and wobbling towards the entrance. The middle and final row did not display any text, only radiating a weak yellow shimmer. The girl looked down at her cape and walked forward towards the row along with the rest of the travelers. 

Further down the line, she was introduced to a ticket man. A navy blue suit with white twirls for threadings strapped the man tightly as if the clothes were wearing him. His eyes did not seem to blink, he sported an unbreaking grin complimented by a bushy mustache that seemed to stretch past the fabric of reality. He wanted eagerly for her to hand him a ticket. The girl panicked and quickly searched for her many carrying sacks. By the time she found the small yellow voucher, she created a mess spreading all across the floor. She could hear chuckles and vague comments coming from the right row of merchants. 

A hand reached out to assist in picking up the fallen items. The girl was taken aback by the sudden kindness after the jeers she had received and looked up to give the stranger her gratitude. However, expecting a human face, she was instead met with a mask. The wooden veil had two diamond shapes for the eyes and one for the mouth hole. She quickly snapped out of her analysis and properly thanked them. 

“You should be more careful; thieves always like to go on this row and pickpocket.” The masked man warned. 

“Wouldn't they go to the left where all the VIPs are?” The girl questioned. 

The man sighed, “You must be new here. Nobody goes after the VIPs; they fund this entire vessel. If you get caught stealing from them, then you’d best say goodbye to ever seeing the serpent for the rest of your scornful life ”. 

The two continued forward, flashing their ticket to the ticket man in exchange for a folded map. 

“I don’t even understand what’s so great about this serpent anyways, the old man just sent me on this mission cause we’re broke to high heavens!” 

“I’ll give you the history lesson when we’re aboard, for now anyway, try to be less clumsy and not drop any more of those sacks,” The man scoffed while gazing at the summit the bags created, almost twice the height of the girl. “Though I must give it to you, being able to carry such cargo with your meager stature,” He chuckled once more. 

“You haven’t known me anywhere near long enough to make fun of me like that.” The girl murmured under her breath. 

The man rolled his eyes, “Then how about an introduction, hm? I’ll go first.” He straightened his back, tilted his head upwards, and spoke proudly, “Ulie Jackson III! Grandson of the finest railway company all across the world and the one ordered to start production in no place else but the belly of the legendary serpent!”

There was no response for a couple of moments, the girl was doing her hardest to not let herself boil over in giggles.

“Oh, and my uncle, you’ve probably heard of him, Jelly Jackson!” 

That did it.

The girl’s eyes were nearly popping out of her sockets; collapsing onto the ground, rolling in laughter. Even under the mask, it was clear Ulie was fuming. 

“What's your name then, if you think mine is so hilarious?” 

“...Willow” the girl spoke with a blank face as she picked herself up.

“Just Willow?” 

“Just Willow.'' 

The girl proceeded down the steps and into the entryway of the submarine, beginning to leave Ulie behind.  

He hastened his pace and the two descended into what will be their new home for weeks to come.

The submarine held its place steadily in the water. Its cylinder shape stretched far out, nearly past eye distance. The outside of the sub was coated with rich red and green paint with sparkles that could stun any unsuspecting passerby. However, the most striking part of the ship was the buildings stacked atop the submarine. It was as if they had built a hotel building and plopped it aboard the vessel. The map detailed each and every layer of this complex. Some were simply lodges, others were entertainment centers and the like. The engineers had even managed to cram a zoo in on one of the lower levels. All passengers were expected to leave any heavy shipments in the cargo hold on the bottom of the sub and make their way up to their hotel rooms, and the staff would then escort them from there. 

So the two merchants went, Willow unstrapped all the sacks and luggage then set them on the floor, taking a moment to stretch and recollect how she hasn't gained any muscle from her harrowing venture yet. The basement smelt of burning oils and was devoid of the zany colors that were displayed by the staff. Willow was unsettled by the abrupt shift of atmosphere and sped her process towards her room.

A wide cylinder staircase was the only form of traversal through the Submarine's seemingly endless levels. The spacious stairs soon turned crowded as the waves of passengers rose. Willow was cramped near all different types of travelers. Two passengers in front were gossiping about the history of the Serpent. Murmuring something about a great battle off the coast of Africa. The girl scratched at her head, trying her hardest to put any puzzle pieces of this bizarre world together. 

As the levels continued out of the submarine and into the outside layers, Willow listened to muffled roars and banter of animals, slightly impressed with the accuracy of the guide map. Fortunately, after a long hike upwards, the motel floor was reached. Unfortunately, Willow’s legs were turned to mush. She entered her room as soon as possible to relax and was stunned with excitement the moment the door swung open. 

The room was colorless and devoid of windows or any other humane appliance. There was a slight odor resonating from the tacky carpet and the lights shuttered from any subtle vibration. Willow’s face did not falter from her wide smile, however. She sprinted towards the lopsided bed and cherished it with all her remaining strength, then promptly passed out within the dusty sheets. If there was one thing that could make Willow smile in life, it was a good rest at a much-needed time. 

A storm surged within the night sky, casting tension upon the dreary passengers aboard the vessel. Willow’s dreams of absurd wealth were disturbed by a crack of thunder. 

Commotion was brewing outside, more towards the center of the lodging level prompting Willow’s prying ears to investigate. 

The lodging floor was split up by the initial groups back in boarding. The commoners had their rooms at either end of the floor, while the major merchant’s rooms were more inwards, and finally, the VIPs who resided in the center. 

Willow observed two groups of figures further down the hall ranting and raving against each other. The two parties had vividly distinct underglows and argued harshly over business relations between their respective merchant organizations. 

A shove was delivered to one of the merchants and a fight ensued briefly until a staff member made his way toward the group, shining an unsettling smile. The merchants initially ignored the man until he unsheathed a revolver, engraved with the most stylish varnish that could fit with the staff’s uniform. 

“Violent conflict is not acceptable during our voyage, please settle your dispute peacefully or, well, bite the bullet,” The words escaped from the staff’s soulless smile along with a cold chuckle.

The merchants quickly hopped off one another and returned to their respective rooms with disgruntled snarls. 

Willow was already gone and back within her room the moment she spotted the weapon, possessing a new fear for the seemingly innocent staff. 

The storm's aftermath left a calming whisper through the air. Even in the morning, the sun was absent from its usual position, instead residing deep within the core of the Earth. The heat and light from the sun burst through the core and instead illuminated the sea, leaving the surface of the world a darkened valley for all who wish to wander in solitude.  

Deep from the ocean; the sun’s rays struck against the bedazzled ship’s paint on the hull. 

These sights were unavailable to the girl trapped in the windowless cabin. 

There was a simple note slid under her door requesting to meet near the far left corner of the layer. 

Ulie waited for his invitation to be accepted, staring out over the railing, looking down at the morning sun, basking in its glory behind his wooden mask. The water was almost blinding with how far the sun’s rays reached. 

He closed his eyes and listened as footsteps drew closer to his position. 

He turned and faced Willow. 

“Now, about that history lesson.”