"A crab?"
Aaron, who was still flummoxed by what had just occurred, almost stumbled backwards in shock.
The helm that the mysterious crab had entered began to automatically adjust in a direction that the compass indicated as West.
Aaron spoke aloud even though nobody was listening.
"Huh? How did it know I wanted to go west?"
It looks like this ship will take me wherever I want to go. With this, I can make my way home!
After a moment of thought, he remembered a story his mother once told him.
It was a story of the myths and legends from the darkest and most dangerous sea, the Sea of Abyss.
The sea was filled with the most dangerous and ancient monsters that could destroy entire nations with just a flick of their monstrous tails.
In these ancient myths, there was always the rumor of ancient ships that hunted these monsters without any fear of being devoured.
These vessels were simply known as "Ghost Ships," and there were only seven known to be active in the world, each belonging to one of the Great Sea Kings.
The descriptions provided in the ancient textbooks and articles about the Great Sea Kings describe their vessels as ships that seem to have their own will, almost as if they were cursed with the souls of sailors long passed on, giving them a ghostly feeling of life.
Could this be one of those mysterious ghost ships!?
Despite the similarities, Aaron dismissed this possibility, which seemed too preposterous.
All the known Ghost Ships are occupied by the Great Sea Kings and their crews, meaning they were almost impossible to steal!
Also, this ship seems too small and puny to withstand and hunt the devils that lurk within the Sea of Abyss.
Though the big crux in my deductions is that this ship gives off the characteristics of being "Alive" and also while the seven known Ghost Ships are all seemingly unsinkable, it doesn't mean that other Ghost Ships couldn't exist…
Either way, it's not important right now; what's truly important is getting home and then asking the village elders about this.
After thinking, he recalled that once every few years, one of the Sea Kings themselves docked on his island.
It was the Great Sea King Cosmoti, protector of the Sea of the Cursed, and emperor of the Cosmoti archipelago, rightfully named after him.
He was the fifth to ascend as Sea King during the previous era, and currently one of the strongest in the world, alongside the Ghost Ship he wielded.
The name of the Ghostship is a closely guarded secret only known to the King's descendants and crew.
It was rumored to be a ship with emerald green sails and a sleek, dark hull with ancient symbols written directly across, that not even the King Cosmoti could read himself.
The origins of the ancient Ghost Ships are a complete mystery; however, it is speculated that they were forged by either the deities or a being above them with the power to protect the world from a never-ending storm that wished to engulf the ten seas.
With all this knowledge in mind, he decided that when he returned home, he would seek out the guidance of a professional, either attempt to get an audience with his Lordship the Sea King Cosmoti, or to meet with one of his crewmates who sometimes drunk at the local bars spouting the tales of their ancient beast hunting.
If he couldn't meet with either of these forces, he would think of another solution, but for now, this was enough to calm his nerves.
Walking to the bow of the ship, he stared into the gray fog of the sea and began to think about the place he was.
"Is this the Sea of Abyss? No, not even the Sea Kings would dare voyage across its waters without assistance."
Recorded in almost every history textbook, it was written that someone entered the Abyss and came back to tell the tale.
This figure was the First Sea King, who likely died nearly two hundred years ago.
His name was lost in history due to a mysterious disaster that occurred within the Library of Nautilus, yet even without a name, he was the most famous man in history, with celebrations held around the world to honor his return from the depths of the Abyss every new year.
Children were taught that if they were naughty, then the First King would come and punish them, and that if they ever met someone who bore his mark, they should obey them without hesitation.
He was said to be one of the closest beings to a true deity in our world, apart from the vicious sea monsters lurking within the Abyss.
Rumors of where he went and what happened to him in the Abyss have circulated the world for the past century; however, nobody can know for certain anything except those who have returned from that forbidden sea.
Thinking of the tales and folklore he had known for his whole life, he gradually saw an outline appear in the distance.
Noticing a rope on the deck, he grabbed it, tying it to the mast and wrapping it around himself.
Taking a closer look, he climbed onto the bow, just barely being able to hold onto the rope, allowing him to not fall overboard into the foggy waters below.
As he looked into the distance, he finally made out the shape.
"An island!"
Aaron shouted quickly before observing it closer.
He noticed that it looked uninhabited, yet he got the impression that life might have once existed.
As the small boat approached the island, he realized he had no idea how to stop the ship, and he began to panic.
What if the ship slammed into the island and sank!? I'd be stranded there with no hope for rescue!
He lampooned with a look of sorrow and fear on his face.
Ah! That phrase on that piece of paper! I'll try to recite it again, and maybe it will make the ship stop!
Aaron rushed into the captain's cabin, carefully avoiding the frame of the door and maneuvering towards the cabinet where he had placed the paper. He quickly recited the phrase on the paper,
"Awaken, Lost Ship of The Sea"
He waited for the ship to stop or slow down; however, no such thing occurred.
If that didn't work, let's just try it again!
Aaron thought as he began to recite the phrase again."Awaken, Lost Ship of The Sea!"
Yelling this time, he waited for a response from the ship; however, nothing changed.
Looking out from the captain's cabin, he began to see the island getting closer and closer without any sign of the ship slowing down.
He began to panic, but finally managed to calm himself.
This ship knew that I had wanted to go West, and it had corrected its heading to sail in that direction, so maybe if I asked it to stop and anchor at this island, it would comply?
The idea was utterly ridiculous because, after all, it was just a boat with some cool sails and a weird crab.
Even with these doubts in mind, he still tried to come up with a command that he believed the ship would respond to.
"Lost Ship of the Sea, anchored at this island immediately!"
He shouted in the most commanding voice that this fifteen-year-old boy could muster while simultaneously praying to the many deities of the sea.
A howl from the hull of the boat brought Aaron back to his senses, and after observing his surroundings, he noticed that the ship had stopped moving!
This ship is truly magical! to be able to listen to what I ask it to do and quickly respond to my command… I wonder what the limits to this ability are…
After thinking deeply about the possibilities, he asked the boat to raise the sails and anchor at the edge of the island.
Obeying his command, it summoned magical lights to toss the anchor off the deck and into the sea while the flaming turquoise sails slowly faded away into sparks.
This was truly a Ghostship; however, it had been lost to time, gradually losing its power and authority, leading it to return to a primitive sailing vessel, only good at sailing and deterring sea terrors.
His belief in what he had been suspecting greatly solidified.
He knew its limitations for deterrence, suspecting that if he had sailed into the Abyss, no matter the level of concealment, he would be devoured within seconds.
Aaron had only started to guess the truth of this ancient boat, and he believed that one day, if he nurtured this ship and if he were to grow in strength respectively, he would eventually be able to restore this lost ship to its former glory, whatever that so-called "Former Glory" was.
Therefore, he decided that while he was adventuring throughout the seas, he would investigate ghost ships and ancient history.
This was all so he would be able to decipher the truth about this boat and how to strengthen its power so that he could truly become,
A King of the Sea.