Adamastor (2)

As our journey approached the coast of Central Africa, the boy began to emote more, still staring out to sea, but with more then the usual restful gaze into the horizon, he looked interested, and seemingly no longer just East, starting to also stare South, but with seemingly more apprehension. I brought this change in behavior to the attention of, firstly, the lead researcher, who amused either by my paranoia, or by my seeming belief in the tales of old sailors, laugh and reassured me that the child was probably just excited by hearing we're drawing closer to out final stop before he can leave ship, but I knew what I was seeing, so without drawing the attention of any of my colleagues, I went and asked our captain about it.

He is a grizzled old man, with salt and sun damaged skin from many a year running cargo between Portugal and her overseas territories. His white hair barely felt the winds, hiding his age under the old military hat he had probably kept from a past in the Navy. He always looked at us scientists with a look of respect and amusement, but still did his best to speak the language.
''The boy? Oh, yes, he's a- what do you call them? Ah, yes, he's the son of a siren.''
Confused, I mumbled back, repeating his last word to me.
''Yes, his father was a fisherman, and his mother came to him from the ocean. He took her in to his ship, thinking her a survivor of some kind of shipwreck. By the time they reached coast she was gone, and he was carrying that boy in his arms.''
I nodded to his speech, processing only half of what he would tell me, my mind lost to wonder explanations to such a fantastical tale. This had to be simple hear-say, but looking at that old salt-washed face, I could tell the captain believed it. Without wasting a thought I asked him how the child had ended up so far from his father.
''His father is dead. I saw his grave myself. The boy was still very young, and the only friends his father had were sailors and fisherman, so we all take care of him. Some tried to take him to school, but he was born from the sea, and she's where he feels at home.''
As the old man finished his tale, the boy emerged from a cabin, as if drawn by our discussion. He did not look at us, he walked to the front of the helm, and stared out the window. He was not facing East at all anymore, he looked solely south. And his expression was one of building worry, as if he felt like he was perhaps about to be punished.

The last time our vessel saw the bare sky, we were still miles off from the British port at Cederberg, for a final restock and crew renewal. Our arrival at said port was loud, and most of the crew was happy to disembark. At this point, I was too concerned about my up-coming work to notice the boy as much, but I never saw him leave the vessel at all. After however long we stayed, the mood among the crew was gloomy. Sailors whispered to each other, and were never heard happy, even when the spirits were flowing. This was such a sudden departure of behavior, that even our own lead researcher reached out to the Captain, asking him if the men had any issues, or needed any help.
''It's nothing to worry about...'' he dismissed ''They're just superstitious.''
''Superstitious of what, exactly?'' asked the Lead Researcher.
''It's an old-old legend spread by Portuguese sailors, when we were the ones to rule this sea. Winds so strong, and weather so extreme, that only a creature could make them. A giant, blowing and shaking the waves, destroying any ships of sailors too daring. The few sailors who had survived called it the Adamastor.''
The laugh the Lead Researcher let out was so massive and deep, the entire ship heard. He'd clearly never been presented with something this funny.
''I know of this legend, you drunk old man! Didn't your ancestors still cross that same cape?''
''Yes, but just like the legend says, they had every God from every pantheon on their side, they were what allowed safe passage. To this day, many ships are still lost in that cape.'' (...)

(okay, this will probably only be one more page, but i'm not sure. again, thank you for reading. do leave a comment or kudos, feedback is always welcomed.)