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Genesis of the Sea

Book I

Genesis of the sea

Chapter 1

[1:1] In the beginning there was only the Deep, unbroken and vast.

[1:2] And then an almost sober Ghost from the clouds took control and created the universe

[1:3] First he started with the water

[1:4] He made a big ball of rock and water

[1:5] The currents swirled, and the sea found its rhythm.

[1:6] The first light shone upon the surface, as dawn upon a newborn face.

[1:7] And the Deep was pleased, for the waters reflected His glory.

[1:8] From the foam He shaped the great fishes, scales of silver and gold.

[1:9] He wanted them to look cooler but he decided to keep it chill for ol’ times sake

[1:10] To them He gave voices of bubbling hymns, so the sea was never silent.

[1:11] Then He made the great leviathans, vast as mountains, strong as storms.

[1:12] Their backs broke the waves, and their tails churned the depths.

[1:13] The Deep called them guardians, keepers of His mysteries.

[1:14] Yet not only beasts did He fashion, but treasures also.

[1:15] Pearls He hid within shells, gems within coral, gold upon the floor. (And Beer)

[1:16] For He desired His sea to be both giver of sustenance and keeper of wonder.(And Beer)

[1:17] Then He raised the islands, like stepping stones upon the water.

[1:18] Upon them He planted palms, and filled them with birds of the sky.

[1:19] Thus was the first harmony: the sea and the land, the wave and the root.

[1:20] And the Deep said: “This shall be the cradle of My children.

[1:21] The winds obeyed Him, and the moon bowed to rule the ties.

[1:22] The stars leaned close, their light guiding the waves.

[1:23] The sea was vast, and yet every drop bore His presence.

[1:24] All things that swam, all things that drifted, owed their being to Him.

[1:25] And the Deep looked upon His work, and it was boundless, as eternity itself.

Chapter 2 [2:1] From the silence of the abyss, life rose.

[2:2] The fishes of many colors, small and great, swam forth.

[2:3] Some darted as arrows, swift and shining.

[2:4] Some moved as shadows, slow and deep.

[2:5] To each He gave purpose, to each a path.

[2:6] The sardine to gather in schools, that none might be alone.

[2:7] The shark rules with teeth and strength, that balance be kept.

[2:8] The dolphin leapt with joy, that gladness might fill the waters.

[2:9] And the eel to weave through stone, keeper of hidden places.

[2:10] All sang praises to the Deep, though in tongues unknown to men.

[2:11] The whale lifted hymns as thunder, shaking the roots of mountains.

[2:12] The minnows whispered prayers like sparks upon the current.

[2:13] Even the plankton drifted in silence, their glow a quiet offering.

[2:14] Thus the sea became a temple, vast and unending.

[2:15] No wall contained it, no roof covered it.

[2:16] Its floor was the abyss, its ceiling the heavens.

[2:17] Its choir was a multitude of creatures.

[2:18] And the Deep Himself was priest and king.

[2:19] The waves were His robe, the foam His crown.

[2:20] His voice was in the thunder, His breath in the wind.

[2:21] He gave to the fishes the covenant of life:

[2:22] To be fruitful in the sea, to move with the currents, to honor the balance.

[2:23] And they swore by their swimming, each after its kind.

[2:24] The sea teemed, alive with promise and praise.

[2:25] And the Deep beheld it, and it was wondrous.

And the Deep looked upon His waters, and said: “It is not enough that the sea be

Chapter 3

He stretched forth His hand, and the mountains beneath the waves trembled.
From their backs rose islands, their peaks kissed by sun.
The waters parted, and land stood firm amidst the tide.
Upon the isles the Deep placed palms, bearing fruit for His children to come.
He set rivers to run, fresh as morning dew.
He called forth birds, feathered messengers of sky and shore.
Their cries filled the air, mingling with the song of the sea.
He taught the crabs to scuttle, keepers of the boundary between land and water.
He taught the turtles to crawl upon sand, laying eggs in trust of the tide.
He made fire hidden in stone, that man might discover it in time.
He hid fresh springs, that thirst might be quenched.
He clothed the islands with green, vines twisting and flowers blooming.
Fruits sweet and bitter, healing and deadly, grew in abundance.
The isles were both a gift and test, both mercy and challenge.
For the Deep desired that His children walk with wisdom.
Yet the isles were not fixed, but ever shifting.
Some sank, swallowed by the tide.
Others rose anew, born of fire and wave.
Thus was it shown: nothing upon land is eternal.
Only the sea endures, only the waters abide.
The isles are but guests upon the ocean’s table.
And the Deep said: “Let man learn this, when he comes forth.”
For the isles are fleeting, but the covenant of the sea is forever.
And the sea embraced the isles as a mother, her child, both shelter and danger.

Chapter 4

Then the Deep said: “Let there be one who shall walk upon the isles, yet know the sea.”
And from the sand He shaped man, fragile as shell, yet strong as tide.
Into his lungs He breathed the salt-wind, the breath of the sea.
And the man opened his eyes, and beheld both land and waves.
The Deep named him Marinus, child of both shore and surf.
And He gave unto him a mate, Sirenia, gentle and bold.
Together they walked the beaches, their feet upon the sand, their hearts upon the waters.
The gulls cried above them, and the waves sang beneath.
The Deep spake: “Behold, ye are My children, stewards of the sea.”
“To you I give the fishes for food, the isles for rest, the currents for journey.”
“Yet ye are not masters, but keepers.”
“Take only what is given, and leave the sea whole.”
And they bowed their heads, for they feared and loved the voice of the Deep.
Then Marinus cast his hand into the tide, and fish swam to him.
Sirenia gathered fruit from the palms, and shared with the birds.
They built a dwelling of wood and leaf, near the shore.
And at night they gazed upon the stars, guided by their light.
The Deep walked with them in the sound of the waves.
His presence was in the tide, His whisper in the foam.
They knew no hunger, nor thirst, nor fear.
For the sea was their garden, the isle their resting place.
Thus were the first men of the sea born, children of waves and wind.
And the covenant was sealed with salt, everlasting as the tide.
Man and woman sang with the dolphins, and danced with the gulls.
And the Deep was pleased, for harmony was upon the waters.

Chapter 5

For the waters had no end, and the stars were hidden by clouds.
They drifted without course, and the waves mocked them with their wandering.
And the Deep beheld their sorrow and gave unto them a holy gift.
The gift was a circle of iron, with points stretched like arms.
And the circle turned upon a needle, ever pointing north.
Lo, this was the first compass, born not of man’s hand but of the Deep’s mercy.
And the compass shone faintly with the light of the tide.
For the Deep said: “Wherever the waters carry you, My gift shall guide you.”
Thus the sailors learned the way, and their hearts were filled with courage.
They kissed the compass and swore oaths upon it, calling it holy.
And they carved its image upon their sails, that the Deep might bless their voyages.
The compass became a covenant between the Deep and its children.
Whosoever cast it aside was cursed to wander in storm and hunger.
Yet whoso kept it close was never far from the Deep’s gaze.
For the tide may rage, and the waves may roar, yet the compass remained true.
The pirates beheld it and marveled, saying: “Even the Deep guides our plunder.”
But the fishermen wept for joy, for now they could return safely to their homes.
And the compass was set above the helm, as a star set upon the mast.
And the sailors praised the Deep, saying: “Your mercy is endless as the waters.”
Yet the compass also bore warning, for it led both to treasure and to tempest.
For the Deep said: “I guide, but I also test.”
Thus the compass became a holy trial, leading the faithful through storm and silence.
And the tide blessed it, and the waves guarded it, and the sailors revered it.
And so was born the Gift of the Compass, eternal in its turning.

Chapter 6

The waters stretched wide, but their bellies were empty, and their nets were weak.
They cast their hands into the tide, yet the fish slipped from their grasp.
And the Deep heard their cries and said: “Lo, I shall bind My promise to you.”
And from the foam rose nets woven of silver threads.
The nets glimmered like moonlight and were strong as iron.
The sailors cast them into the sea, and lo, they returned heavy with fish.
So many fish that their boats were weighed down, nearly to sinking.
And the sailors laughed with joy, saying: “The Deep provides!”
The pirates, too, beheld the nets and used them to seize both fish and treasure.
But the Deep warned them, saying: “Take not more than you need, lest the tide turn against you.”
For the nets were holy, and greed defiled their purpose.
Yet men are greedy, and many filled their holds until their ships broke apart.
And they sank into the tide, swallowed by the Deep’s anger.
But the faithful kept the nets pure, casting them only as needed.
They shared their catch, and none among them went hungry.
The nets became a covenant of balance, binding sailor to sea.
For the Deep said: “As the sea gives, so shall you give.”
Thus sharing became law, and selfishness became sin.
And those who hoarded fish found only bones in their nets thereafter.
Yet those who gave freely always returned with plenty.
The nets were folded with reverence, and no sailor stepped upon them.
And at the day’s end, they washed the nets in salt water, returning them to the Deep.
For they said: “Not ours, but Yours, O Deep.”
And so the Covenant of Nets was kept through ages uncounted.

Chapter 7

In those days arose men who loved freedom more than law.
They bound themselves not to kings, nor to merchants, but only to the sea.
They were called pirates, and their sails were black against the horizon.
They feared no man, for their hearts were wild as storms.
Yet even pirates bowed before the Deep, knowing its might.
For the tide spared not the proud, and the waves broke even the strongest ship.
And so the pirates swore an oath upon the sea.
They raised their cups of rum, and they shouted: “By tide and compass, we are free!”
Their oath was not of chains but of choice, not of crowns but of courage.
And the Deep heard them and did not cast them aside.
For though they were lawless, they were true to the sea.
And the Deep said: “Lo, your freedom is mine, for I too am bound by no hand.”
Thus the pirates became both blessed and cursed.
Blessed in freedom, cursed in loneliness.
For the tide gave them treasure but denied them peace.
They knew joy in storm, yet sorrow in still waters.
They were brothers of the wave, yet strangers to the shore.
And the people feared them, yet admired them, saying: “The sea itself walks with them.”
Their oath was carved into the mast of every black ship: “No master but the tide.”
And their flag bore a skull, for they knew death as a brother.
Yet beneath the skull was a fish, for they knew life as well.
And the Deep said: “So long as you keep My sea sacred, your oath is not unholy.”
But those who mocked the Deep, stealing and spilling blood upon the waters, were taken by storms.
Their ships were broken, and their bones sank to the bottomless trench.
Thus was the Pirates’ Oath made, holy and terrible.

Chapter 8

And it came to pass that the people grew proud and forgot the Deep.
They built ships of gold, thinking themselves greater than the tide.
They mocked the compass, saying: “We have charts, we need not the sea’s gift.”
They mocked the nets, saying: “We take what we will.”
They mocked the oath, saying: “No wave can rule us.”
And their pride rose higher than their masts.
Then the Deep stirred, and the tide raged against them.
Clouds gathered blacker than night.
The winds screamed like spirits unchained.
The lightning struck their sails, and fire consumed their decks.
The waves towered like mountains, drowning their laughter.
Their ships broke as twigs, and their gold sank into the abyss.
The people cried out, but no mercy came.
For the Deep had given gifts, and they had spat upon them.
The compass was forgotten, and so they wandered.
The nets were torn, and so they starved.
The oath was broken, and so they were enslaved by fear.
The storm raged seven days and seven nights.
And when the sun returned, few ships remained upon the waters.
The survivors fell upon their knees, weeping.
They cast their treasures into the sea, crying: “Forgive us, O Deep!”
And the tide, though wrathful, is merciful.
The storm ceased, and the survivors were spared.
But never again did they mock the compass, the nets, or the oath.
Thus was born the Storm of Judgment, remembered forever.

Chapter 9

[9:1] And the Deep spoke through great creatures, whose voices rolled like thunder beneath the waves.
[9:2] These were the whales, the first singers of the sea.
[9:3] Their song was low and mighty, echoing through the waters.
[9:4] And the sailors, hearing it, trembled with awe.
[9:5] For the whales spoke not in words, but in melody.
[9:6] They sang of creation, of currents and trenches, of storm and calm.
[9:7] They sang of treasures hidden, and dangers that devoured.
[9:8] Their song was both warning and blessing.
[9:9] The Deep said: “Hearken unto My singers, for their song is My breath.”
[9:10] The pirates heard and said: “Lo, even the whales bless our freedom.”
[9:11] The fishermen heard and said: “Lo, the whales guide our nets.”
[9:12] And the children on the shore heard and dreamed of far waters.
[9:13] The whales circled the ships, watching with eyes deep as eternity.
[9:14] And whosoever harmed a whale was cursed.
[9:15] For storms followed them, and their nets returned empty.
[9:16] But whosoever honored the whales was blessed.
[9:17] For the tide favored them, and their voyages were safe.
[9:18] The whales bore scars from harpoons, yet still they sang.
[9:19] Their patience was long, but their wrath was mighty.
[9:20] They could shatter a ship’s hull with a single strike.
[9:21] Yet they struck not unless provoked, for they were guardians, not destroyers.
[9:22] The Deep said: “As they guard the depths, so guard you the shore.”
[9:23] Thus the whales became holy guardians of the covenant.
[9:24] Their song echoed in the hearts of the faithful, even in dreams.
[9:25] And their voices were called the Song of the Whales, eternal hymn of the sea.

Chapter 10 [10:1] And it came to pass that the bravest of sailors sought deeper waters.

[10:2] For they said: “We have sailed the surface, let us conquer the abyss.”

[10:3] They lowered anchors into the black trench, but the trench gave no bottom.

[10:4] They lowered lights, but the lights were swallowed in darkness.

[10:5] And the abyss rumbled, as though alive.

[10:6] The Deep said: “Lo, none may rule what I have kept hidden.”

[10:7] For the abyss is the heart of the tide, secret and eternal.

[10:8] Yet the men, proud, pressed further still.

[10:9] They built chains of iron and lowered themselves into the black.

[10:10] And they saw creatures with eyes like lanterns, and jaws filled with fire.

[10:11] They trembled, yet they would not turn back.

[10:12] Then the abyss opened its mouth, and waters swallowed them whole.

[10:13] Their chains snapped like threads, and their lights were snuffed.

[10:14] The survivors fled upward, gasping for air.

[10:15] And the Deep said: “You may sail My waves, but My heart is Mine alone.”

[10:16] Thus the abyss remained forbidden, trial for the proud.

[10:17] Yet some still dared, for treasure and for glory.

[10:18] Few returned, and those who did bore eyes haunted by darkness.

[10:19] They spoke not of what they saw, for fear that words would call it back.

[10:20] The abyss became a holy terror, honored yet avoided.

[10:21] Its darkness taught humility, reminding sailors of their smallness.

[10:22] For the tide gives freedom, but not dominion.

[10:23] The Deep said: “He who gazes too far into My depths shall be unmade.”

[10:24] And the people carved upon their masts: “Beware the Abyss.”

[10:25] Thus the abyss remained trial and mystery, forever sealed.

Chapter 11 [11:1] And the sailors grew weary, for their voyages were long upon the waves.

[11:2] Their arms ached from rowing, their sails frayed from storm.

[11:3] They cried: “Deep, grant us rest, lest we perish in toil.”

[11:4] And the tide heard, and scattered islands across the sea.

[11:5] Green with palm, sweet with fruit, and cool with streams of fresh water.

[11:6] The sailors beheld them and wept with joy.

[11:7] For here they found shade, here they mended nets, here they kissed their children.

[11:8] And the islands were called the Isles of Rest, covenant of mercy.

[11:9] But the Deep warned: “Stay not forever, for the sea is your path.”

[11:10] For those who lingered too long grew sluggish, forgetting their voyage.

[11:11] Their ships rotted, and their courage fled.

[11:12] Yet those who came, rested, and departed were blessed in strength.

[11:13] The pirates marked the isles as havens, burying treasure in their sands.

[11:14] The fishermen marked them as sanctuaries, where no net was cast.

[11:15] For the fish were free in the Isles of Rest, safe from hunger and greed.

[11:16] And the children played upon the shore, their laughter mingling with the waves.

[11:17] The Deep said: “As I give you rest, so give others rest also.”

[11:18] Thus it became law that no blood be spilled upon the Isles.

[11:19] Whosoever broke this law found no more shelter upon the sea.

[11:20] For storms followed them, and no island welcomed them.

[11:21] But the faithful found rest always, even upon strange shores.

[11:22] The Isles of Rest were blessed, as stars upon the waters.

[11:23] For they gave hope to the weary and courage to the lost.

[11:24] And the sailors praised the Deep, saying: “Your mercy is greater than Your storms.”

[11:25] Thus were the Isles of Rest sanctified for all time.

Chapter 12

[12:1] And the sailors said: “The sea is bitter, its waters undrinkable.”
[12:2] They cried in thirst, though the waves surrounded them.
[12:3] Their tongues were dry, and their lips cracked from the sun.
[12:4] And they begged the Deep: “Give us water, that we may live.”
[12:5] The Deep said: “Lo, My waters are salt, for salt preserves.”
[12:6] “Salt binds the covenant, salt keeps what is holy from decay.”
[12:7] And the sailors were shown that salt is both gift and trial.
[12:8] For though it cannot be drunk, it guards fish, it heals wounds, it strengthens flesh.
[12:9] The sailors wept for joy, for they saw the wisdom of the tide.
[12:10] They salted their catch, and their food endured long voyages.
[12:11] They salted their wounds, and they were healed by pain.
[12:12] They salted their words, swearing oaths upon it.
[12:13] For to swear by salt was to swear by the sea itself.
[12:14] And he who broke a salt-oath was cursed forever.
[12:15] For his ship would rot, and his nets would tear, and his compass would spin madly.
[12:16] But he who kept a salt-oath was steadfast, his voyages blessed.
[12:17] The pirates swore by salt when they divided treasure.
[12:18] The fishermen swore by salt when they shared the catch.
[12:19] The lovers swore by salt when they kissed upon the shore.
[12:20] And the Deep said: “Salt is My covenant, bitter yet eternal.”
[12:21] Thus salt became holy, symbol of endurance.
[12:22] It seasoned their food, it sealed their vows, it sanctified their lives.
[12:23] They cast salt upon the waves before each voyage, as offering to the Deep.
[12:24] And the tide accepted it as a gift

The end

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