Merged Shadows Character Guide
A quick look at the main characters of the story/blog.
Zelda
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Zelda. She has red hair that goes to her shoulders and brown eyes. She wears a pink and white dress. End ID]
(she/her)
The young Princess Zelda of Hyrule, heir to the crown. 13 years old, Zelda is Prince Costa's younger sister. She is an extrovertive, rambunctious, and curious child, and adores her sibling dearly. She has strong magic, but her control is debatable at best.
Element: Light
Favorite color: Pink
(cont)
Costa
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Violet Link. He has spiky blond hair and violet eyes. He wears a violet short-sleeved vest over a deeper purple tunic. End ID]
(he/him)
The 14 year old Prince of Hyrule. While he doesn't remember much about his mother, he keeps the necklace she gave him on him at all times. Bookish and quietly curious, Costa has made it a mission to "learn everything". He does his best to retain a respectful image among the people, but with his sister, he indulges a dramatic side.
Element: Earth
Favorite color: Violet
Fin
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Blue Link. He has long blond hair, covering one of his eyes. His eyes are blue. He wears a sleeveless blue tunic. End ID]
(he/him)
A mysterious young boy that lives in the Seaside town. He often stays with the fisherman and the leader of the town, Aguisha. No one knows how he came to the shore, especially as he never speaks aloud. He is a fearful and shy child and doesn't especially like any attention. He is, however, quick to action and a trustworthy sailor, making him well-loved by his community.
Element: Water
Favorite color: Blue
Jay
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Green Link. He has swoopy blond hair and wears a green hood. He has green eyes. He wears a long sleeved green tunic. End ID]
(he/him)
Raised in the woods by forest spirits, Jay is an odd child to encounter. He finds the Hylian communities a bit strange, but fascinating all the same. Energetic and playful, he loves to run around the woods with deku and other forest friends. He's incredibly confident and ready to save the day.
Element: Wind
Favorite color: Green
Newt
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Red Link. He has choppy long blond hair, and red eyes. He wears a red sleeveless vest over a deep red tunic. End ID]
(he/him)
He grew up on the warm bed of Death Mountain. The adopted child of the fire dragon Dinrall, Newt generally concerns the townspeople that live at the base of the mountain. He doesn't mind the heat at all, however, excited to explore the many wonders that nature offers. He also has something of a mischievous streak, if an often accidentally destructive one.
Element: Fire
Favorite color: Red
Kurin (Shadow)
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Shadow Link. Their skin is greyscale. They have dark purple hair and black eyes. It wears a black short-sleeved tunic over a white under tunic and a black hat. End ID]
(They/it)
A silent watcher from the world of shadow. Kurin knows many things, and is always curious to know more. They try to help their light world counterparts from the shadows, without being seen.
Element: Void
Favorite color: black, or dark purple
Midna
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Midna. She has long red hair tapered with teal ends. Her eyes are red and yellow, skin blue-grey and purple with teal markings. She wears a grey side-open skirt and a cloak with silver and teal accents. End ID]
(she/her)
12 year old Lady of the Twilight, Midna is a storm of a person to encounter. She's a sarcastic and vindictive child at times. However, her sense of loyalty and justice wins out in most cases.
Element: Dark
Favorite color: Silver
Radian
[Image Description: Pixel art of LoZ au Twili. She has spiky swooping purple hair. Her eyes are yellow and red, and she has grey and purple skin. She wears a gold dress with a tall orange collar. One side of the dress is sleeveless, the other is partly dark blue with a long gold sleeve. End ID]
(she/her)
The Twilight Realm's Master of Light. Her role is to protect, preserve, and collect energy for the luminous powers of the Sols. Radian is a professional individual, and takes her role seriously. She has a blunt and suspicious demeanor.
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SEE STORY (Part 5 of 5) A tale from the World of Sea
Return to the Master Story Index
Return to World of Sea
See Story
by
De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)
Cover art by @wind-the-mama-cat
14372 words
copyright 2023
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.
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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users
Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.
All sorts of Fan Activity, fiction, art, cosplay, music or anything else is ACTIVELY encouraged!
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Sea is a colony assumed lost somewhat over a thousand years before this tale opens. They were sent on a one way trip, not knowing that there was no land at all on the whole world of Sea. Thus, aside from humans, NO CREATURE OF SEA IS IN ANY WAY ITS NAMESAKE. They were simply named for a superficial resemblance to some Earthly creature by the early colonists.
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New to SEE STORY? Read from the beginning HERE.
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“Oh, look! She has Strong Skins and Wing Rays and Orcas! Buy me one, please Daddy!”
“Look, Kara, this girl has a model of a fishing smack, just like the one Mother uses. Would you like it?”
It was not long before every one was sold.
A few sailors of the Grandalor wandered by, speaking loudly, “Make lots of toys, Longin! They’re all that you’ll have next Gathering. We pulled your best waters right out from under you in the Council Meeting. Didn’t give squat for ‘em either.” They linked arms and walked away, laughing.
Kurin came running up to Cat, in tears. “Did they really take away our waters, Cat?”
Cat gathered the child into her arms and held her. “Calm yourself, Little Fish … That’s it.” She petted Kurin’s hair gently. “They think that they got our waters, Kurin. That is not the same as getting our waters. Where was the crab reef?”
Kurin wrinkled her brow in thought. “We sailed south for most of the night with a good wind and all sail …” Her eyes lit up. “It was in the buffer space between the Gula’s fishing waters and the Dolthin’s … They didn’t get it at all!” She clapped her hands in glee.
“I know that you,” here Cat, smiling, gently touched Kurin’s nose, “can keep a secret, so I will tell you. We tricked them out of a whole fishing water of better reefs. This is the most important thing to remember, though. If they had not tried to cheat us we could not have turned the tables on them. Always deal honestly, but never stupidly.”
The bazaar continued for days. Everyone chaffered and bargained for the best deals that they could get.
A small knot of sailors and officers had gathered a little way from the Longin’s booth, as they had for the last several days. The people changed, but the group remained. They were all there for the same reason. The Longin’s Lady Luck could most often be seen there, though this Gathering, there was no telling where she might turn up. Many were simply curious. Others were thinking of courting her.
“See her, there back of the Longin booth?” pointed Mara, the new First Mate of the Fauline. “That’s her with the white hair, like fresh foam.”
“She’s the Longin’s Luck? What a beauty!” said Torinsin, of the Gula’s rope walk. “I heard that she’s blind and helpless, though … Dragons! Look, she just dragged that whole tub of lobsters up front by herself. Don’t look helpless to me.”
“Lots of us been watching her. She don’t act blind. I wonder what the Grandalor’s up to this time. Spreading lies like that?” speculated Morin, of the Grython, stroking his chin. “Our Captain said that she would be welcome aboard.”
“Maybe they want to get her for themselves!” Mara put in. “Maybe I should ask some of the Fauline’s crew to meet her. Seems from what I’ve seen she’d be an asset to any crew.”
“I did hear that she’s marrying, gonna leave the Longin this year,” said Morin.
“That’s what’s up, for sure, then,” said old Ganther, the Dolthin’ Master Boatwright. “Grandalor is trying to grab the Longin’s Luck for themselves, and cut us all out. Just like them.”
“Is she still available? We have some good young men on the Gula that might do,” said Torinsin, eagerly.
“We all do! I talked to Captain Mord already. She’s bespoke,” said the Captain of the Grinna.
“What! What ship’s got her? Who’s the lucky guy?” asked Torinsin, only slightly downcast, but still eager for gossip.
“They’re keeping it under their watch-caps until the night of the full moons,” said Forin, Grinna’s First Mate, stroking her hair and smiling a little at Torinsin’s expression.
“Has anybody thought to ask her direct?” asked Ganther, cutting to the heart of the matter. “She’s easy to find, now. First time in nineteen - twenty Gatherings that anybody’s seen her much. Now, she’s all over the place.”
“I am, aren’t I?” said a cheerful voice, like splashing, flowing water.
The whole group jumped as if shocked by a Jolting Ray, and turned to see Cat, only a few feet away.
“So, tell us, who is it to be? What ship’s getting you?” asked Torinsin, eagerly.
“You all could have come to the Longin and courted me. Nobody did. I’m afraid that she’s right,” said Cat cheerfully, pointing to Forin. “Come and see on the Weddings Night.”
“Did anybody ever tell you that you are cruel?” said Torinsin with a cheerful grin.
“One or two … hundred … so far,” replied Cat. Then singling out Forin, she added, “Come, take me to your booth. You have some truly beautiful cloth that I would like to get. What do you call those woven-in pictures? ”
“I believe that you mean our brocade …” The two wandered off in the direction of the Grinna’s booth, chatting cheerfully.
The Longin finally ran out of shellfish. By the night of the Full Moons, the Longin had sold everything that they had brought and were preparing to strike their booth. Sold out or not, the other booths were being struck, too. The Gathering market was over and the space was needed.
As they were packing away empty tubs and lace spools, fabric bolt cores, and their awning, Cat noticed that Kurin was crying quietly. Packing could wait a few minutes.
“Little Fish, why do you weep?”
“‘Cause tonight you’re going to marry somebody from off of the Longin, and I won’t see you anymore.”
“Kurin, Kurin Behar, come here,” and she wrapped her strong arms about the child. “Come with us to the Weddings tonight and see my husband and love. If you do, I will give you a present that you will always have to remember me by. Besides, you may indeed see me from time to time.”
Kurin seized on that last. “You mean it? I’ll see you again, sometimes? Promise?”
The Captains of the many ships of the Gathering Fleet were now escorting their young men and women of marriageable age to the rafts that had been the marketplace. Most of those were going to meet people that they had been courting for at least several Gatherings. Some were friends from childhood. Only a few ships arranged marriages for advantage, without concern for the feelings of their young women and men.
Grandalor was such a ship, and as their marriage gigs rowed past the Longin on their way to the wedding barges, some of their women were openly sad. There were a few among them, however, who rejoiced that they were leaving so oppressive a Captain as Barad. Few of the young men looked happy at all. Their marriages were bringing, not happiness for themselves, but skilled women for the Grandalor; cooks, weavers, ropers, sail-lofters, and all those other skills needed to maintain life on the Sea.
The Longin’s young folk felt sorry for the Grandalor’s, but they climbed cheerfully into their own gigs, going to meet those folk that they had chosen, and who had chosen them as well. Cat was among their number, pulling an oar with a will. Those who wished to watch the marriages followed in other boats, Kurin among them.
Everyone on the Wedding rafts were divided into four groups, to the north the brides, to the south the grooms, to the east, the Captains and officers and to the west those who came to watch and wish well. That last group was by far the largest.
There was little room left on the rafts. A cheerful buzz of conversation drowned almost all else. Everyone knew that the Lady of the Longin’s Luck was due to marry, but to whom? What ship would be lucky enough to have her? It was clear that the Grandalor’s lies about Cat had been dispelled by all that people had seen her doing during the market.
The order of the ships was called. This was the order in which the ships would bring forth their grooms to meet their brides. The Longin was to be the last, by her own choice. Many felt that the suspense was deliberate.
Night had fallen to star filled darkness and the Wedding Rafts were lit with lanterns. Shortly after full dark, the eastern horizon began to glow. Soon the limb of large Wohan appeared over the horizon. Carsis followed and a few minutes later, little Dorac. All three continued to rise together until, for a moment, all three moons sat, just touching the horizon. Their light raced across water gone flat as glass, like three shafts of brilliance, converging on the Wedding Rafts.
There was a quiet that fell on all the watchers. A woman could be heard telling her children quietly, “Remember this moment. It will not happen again in your lifetime. The Dragon’s Moons only rise once in a thousand Gatherings.”
The ceremonies began. Sarfin, Captain of the Dorton called forth the Dorton’s grooms. Their brides were called and, rejoicing, went to their loves. When the roll was complete, the Dorton’s Ceremony of Marriage was spoken and the brides signed the Ship’s Articles as new crew-members. Each ship had its own version of the ceremony. Each Marriage from each ship took another bite of time. It was growing late.
Finally, Mord of the Longin called the last of the grooms forth, and besides the brides for them, there was one more, still uncalled. Cat would be left standing alone when the last of the Longin’s grooms had his wife. Everyone could count, and the raft was absolutely buzzing as people figured this out.
The last bride went to the last groom, and Cat stood alone, dressed in a lovely brocade of white with black leaping Orcas. Captain Mord came to her and said quietly, “Where is your groom?”
“He is here. Marry my friends, and then you will see.”
Shrugging, Captain Mord went back to the grooms and new brides of the Longin and began the Ceremonies of Marriage. Cat went to the spectators.
“Kurin! Kurin! Oh, there you are, Little Fish. I promised you a present on my wedding night, and you shall have it. Come with me.”
Trustingly, Kurin put her hand into Cat’s and followed her across the raft. The Longin’s Ceremony was just done. Captain Barad brayed, “I don’t see your groom!” His voice was cut off by the flat smack of open hand to cheek.
Mord withdrew his stinging hand and said poisonously, “MECAT, my sister in all but blood, has said that he is here. I believe her.” Turning to Cat, he said, “All of the marriages of this night but one are done. What do you want me to do?”
“State for all my name, ship and crew. My husband will make himself known.”
Turning to all the watchers, Captain Mord called out, “Cat, my sister in all but blood … Her name in full, dictated by Custom and Law is Mecat … Of the Longin her whole life, Our Gift from the Sea … Of no crew because of the Dragon’s name you bear … Who have you chosen and who has chosen you?”
All about the raft, a dozen huge fifteen-ton Orca whales jumped at once, rising clear out of the water and falling back with a huge report and splashing of sea water.
“Stand just here, little one,” Cat whispered to Kurin. “I will be back in a moment with your gift. Trust me, you will come to no harm.”
Raising her arms, Cat cried out in a voice like storm waves toppled by the wind, “Iren! Dark Iren! Come forth and claim your bride!” The ocean in front of her boiled and rushed aside as a huge Sea Dragon reared his head high in front of her.
The creature was covered with large black scales the size of a man’s hand. Spines ran down his back and frills adorned his head. There were large tendrils about the fanged mouth. Big dark, intelligent eyes gleamed from deep set sockets. Orcas rose with him to the surface.
Cat dove joyfully into the water and was gone. A minute passed and then two. A well-meaning woman, one of the Longin’s new brides, tried to lead Kurin away.
“Come, Dear. She is gone. As long as she has been under, she must be drowned.”
Kurin confidently shook off the kindly hand. “She told me to wait. This is a short dive for Cat. I’ve seen her do five minutes before.” Mystified by Kurin’s response, the woman waited with her.
The water swirled, and a second Sea Dragon rose up. This Dragon was pale, like new sea-foam, but scaled spined and frilled like the other. It had eight foot jaws, with two-foot fangs and eyes that were completely blank. It was blind. The monster head thrust toward Kurin, who refused to run. The woman fled in terror. Powerful tendrils about the Dragon’s mouth grabbed Kurin, and hugged her. Kurin, with a squeal of delight, tried to hug the massive snout.
“Oh, Cat! You’re back, just like you said.”
Blind Mecat, the Great Sea Dragon gently put the child down. “I have your gift, Kurin. Just stand for a moment.” The enormous jaws opened and a breath like fog came out and enveloped the child. As the breeze blew it away, everyone looked in amazement. Kurin’s hair, once dark, was now the color of new sea-foam.
~THE END~
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November 26, 2022 - February 2, 2023.
The opening of the exhibition will take place at 12:00 on November 26, 2022.
A painting series by Oleg Kharch will be presented in the Kmytiv Museum of Fine Arts named after Buhanchuk (next is the Kmytiv Art Museum).
It should be noted that "Language Parallelisms" offers the viewer a naive fantasy and a study of the Ukrainian linguistic alphabet. The artist offers to stop the rush of time and admire our linguistic heritage. To what extent this is a successful experiment, we do not know for sure, because we are already used to the fact that the artist Oleg Kharch is always sharply critical and extremely ironic in his artistic visions. And this series of the artist, no, it is not sweet and not gross - it is not sour in taste, - yes, there is warm humor and something strange, imbued everywhere in images and characters. There is a veiled familiar collage, because this is Oleg Kharch's leading technique. But today his work is interesting to look at and think about, and you can discern meaning at a different (calm) pace.
Language is also a means for human journeys. In ancient times, traders from the East traveled to nearby Europeans. A silent boat - a snail has overcome these linguistic oceans and seas to get the meanings of words. And the Ukrainian land is one of such crossroads. So it was and so it will be.
Contemplation and reasoning, possibly fun and with different pace of recognition of the meaning of the existence of Humanity.
As the artist himself says, his "Language Parallelisms" already have their own artistic history, although as a finished painting they will only now be presented in Ukraine and directly in the Kmytiv Museum.
In 2016, Oleg Kharch collaborated with the outstanding conceptual artist Vyacheslav Akhunov. It was Mr. Vyacheslav who suggested creating pictorial parts for several digital prints for presentation at the 7th Tashkent Biennale of Contemporary Art.
Research Project of Ukrainian-Turkic linguistic and cultural contacts.
East-West communication in various spheres of human life has been going on since ancient times. If you look closely, you can obviously see the presence of a huge layer of borrowings in the Ukrainian language, which are called Turkism’s, which have spread and have long been firmly rooted, which do not cause any rejection at all. No less interesting and intensive is the synthesis and interpenetration of various eastern elements in various spheres of expression of Ukrainian visuality. Contemporary Ukrainian art finds similarity or identity, some parallel reflections in works that are sometimes completely different, sometimes with opposite approaches. Such an interesting topic cannot be limited by attention.
Maidan, Berkut, Bazar, Kurin, Tyutyun, Husak, Kava, Halva, Kovbasa, Sarai, Kabak, Yar, Chichkan and many other Turkism’s. All these linguistic borrowings have long settled both in our everyday life before, and are striking with their own historical monumentality now. They give and will continue to give creative people food for thought in artistic and creative research. And it seems that each of us, who is not just interested, but is a real researcher of this topic, has found his personal key for further decoding of those huge layers of information carriers from the past, quotes from which permeate the current Ukrainian cultural and artistic tradition.
Nowadays, it is very important for an artist to untangle the lines, symbols and images of his own self-identification. Next, the root issues at the level of national identification should be reviewed. And finally, he will try to gain the ability to carefully look at the global nature of issues in his personal creativity. Methodologically, it can be tried in different ways. Probably, each artist intersects in time, or as in most cases coexists in their parallel inner worlds of creativity. Each of them has the widest opportunities to resort to techniques of synthesis, experimentation, replicas from the past, or even shock at the border of something personally permitted with general impermissibility. The discursiveness of the topic, combined with its outer shell of incompatibility, suddenly aims to unite the worldview of the individual - the viewer and the author, the everyday and the aesthetic - by the general parallelism. At the same time, we understand the importance and beauty of today's day and this moment, and the action that happened right now, in our common space of the global world.
This artistic experiment touched Oleg Kharch and he began to fantasize about other linguistic borrowings. And finally, we have a significantly increased circle of language parallelisms, for example - from Germany, France, Italy. It is clear that there are a lot of borrowings in addition to Turkisms (over 4,000). So the series "Language Parallelisms" has every chance to be endless. Eternal theme.
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