Chapter 1 - Matsuura’s Market Stand
Amid the bustling stalls of street vendors, Matsuura struggles to attract even a single customer. The chaos of aerial markets has never been his domain. His gaze often drifts beyond the horizon, where the vast expanse offers a soothing calm. In his family, fishing is more than just a livelihood—it’s a tradition, a legacy passed down from generation to generation. The equipment he uses today once belonged to his father, who had inherited it from his own father. Now, it’s Matsuura’s turn to carve out his independence.
That means long hours of relentless work. For days now, a bitter wind has swept across the region, heralding the harshness of winter and its fleeting daylight. His floating stand, attached to a helium balloon and stabilized by small propellers fighting against the gusts, allows him to set up shop in a different market every day of the week. But today, customers are scarce. Against the towering airships of his competitors, levitating stalls overflowing with a dazzling variety of fish, Matsuura’s modest booth is all but invisible.
Anyway, it’s time to leave. He has to visit his grandfather, Hasekura, who now lives as the solitary keeper of an old lighthouse. Matsuura must bring him supplies, and more importantly, coal to fuel the lantern, keeping its beacon alight to guide ships safely through the skies.
Chapter 2 - Hasekura’s Lighthouse
After an hour of navigating, a faint light began to pierce the veil of clouds. Hasekura’s lighthouse stood as a sentinel, marking the entrance to a perilous zone where thousands of islands, scattered in all shapes and sizes, posed a constant threat to unwary sailors. In winter, when visibility plummeted and fierce winds raged, the lighthouse became an essential beacon. Despite the biting cold, Hasekura was already waiting for his grandson on the front porch.
Once a exceptional fisherman and intrepid explorer, Hasekura now moved with difficulty, his once vigorous frame slowed by age. Summers were spent tending to his modest garden, but in the harshness of winter, he found comfort in reading traditional tales. His attic was overflowing with these ancient books, piled up alongside his old fishing gear, relics of a glorious past.
With a final maneuver, Matsuura moored his fishing ship and made his way up to greet his grandfather. Each visit was primarily an opportunity to restock the lighthouse with provisions and coal, ensuring the lantern stayed lit. But it was also a chance to sit together, sharing tea while listening to Hasekura recount the adventures of his youth.
Before Matsuura left, Hasekura presented him with an ancient book he had discovered in the depths of the attic—a weathered tome detailing the traditions and myths of the region. Matsuura, though respectful, greeted these types of stories with scepticism. To him, these were nothing more than the fantasies of an aging man, a mind slowly yielding to time. Nevertheless, he accepted the book out of courtesy, and bid farewell to the lighthouse. As he set sail, his thoughts were already on the fishing grounds that awaited him the next day.
Chapter 3 - Umibōzu
Night had fallen, and Matsuura had skillfully navigated his way out of the treacherous zone. The threatening islands were now behind him, and no obstacle lay ahead on the horizon. The wind had died down, and few travelers dared to venture into this region after dark.
Keeping an eye on his course, illuminated by the lantern in his cabin, Matsuura sought something to pass the time. He eventually reached for the book his grandfather had given him. Flipping through its pages, he stopped randomly on a chapter titled “Umibōzu”. The author recounted an old maritime tradition: before each voyage, fishermen had to offer a fish as a sacrifice to the sea gods. Failure to do so, it warned, might summon an Umibōzu.
In calm waters, this immense creature could emerge from the depths, a malevolent shadow on the horizon. Its smooth, expressionless face was punctuated by two bulbous eyes that seemed to pierce into the very souls of unfortunate sailors. The Umibōzu had elongated arms, ending in tentacle-like hands that stirred the air. Silently, it would approach unsuspecting ships, and when it chose, could capsize them with a single, devastating motion—dragging crew and cargo into the endless expanse of the skies.
Matsuura had never heard of such a creature. He smirked, dismissing the tale as another fanciful legend that seemed to have sprung straight from an old man’s imagination. With a sigh, he closed the ancient book and returned to the helm, his focus back on the course ahead.
He failed to notice the immense shadow that had begun to rise on the horizon…
This series of 3 MOCs was created for the Wandering Skies Contest 2024, in the following categories:
- Fig and a Vig for Chapter 1 : Matsuura’s Market Stand
- Seasonal Bliss for Chapter 2 : Hasekura’s Lighthouse
- Stuff of Legend for Chapter 3 : Umibōzu