Promise Me

“How are you holding up down there Lukas?” asked Denmark as he saw his friend descend in a one person mini-sub a few minutes earlier.

Norway picked up the radio and replied, “I am doing well. The view is… interesting to say the least.”

And for Norway that was a huge understatement. He and the other Nordics and the Baltics were doing an expedition with a Swedish marine research vessel to study the now infamous Baltic Anomaly. It took several times before hand to get any information on the anomaly, without something screwing up the mission for any normal research team, but this time they asked the Nordics and Baltic states for help. And this led to the latest research team to have the latest technology and equipment money could buy available to the research team and their research paid for as well.

Out on anyone of the Nordics or the Baltics it was decided that Norway would be the best one to pilot the mini-sub for a few reasons. One he could be calm and communicate without panicking, two he had a natural gift for dealing with the unexplained and paranormal, and three Norway had a natural ally that he could communicate with while in the water, their fellow nation R’lyeh.

Up on the boat, R’lyeh was handed the underwater sea camera and was about to dive in. One of the boatmen weren’t too sure that it was a wise idea to have the woman dive in the middle of the ice-cold Baltic with no protection and no scuba gear, not even a tank, goggles and a snorkel. “Are you sure you can do this Miss. Raya? The Baltic Sea is a treacherous demon that will not be kind to a lady like you, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Trust me Mr. Swenson, I have been through worse. This is a cakewalk for the likes of me.” R’lyeh smiled at the men before diving right in and down toward the mini-sub. As she arrived to where the sub was she knocked on the window to get Norway’s attention. Seeing him wave, she waved back and swam deeper with the sea camera ready to take some digital photographs of the anomaly.

Looking at all the subs controls and seeing that everything was working perfectly, he carefully started following R’lyeh down to the bottom where the strange anomaly was. Norway was amazed at her swimming. She was like one with the water as if she was moving through air and speaking of air it looked like she didn’t need any to breath, just like a fish. The Norwegian was confused and in awe of the primordial nation. He can still remember when he first met her.

‘It was March of 1925 when the Norwegian derelict ship the Emma was attacked by a heavily armed yacht named the Alert. It wasn’t too long till we commandeered the Alert and took over after killing all the pirates on board. We arrived on an unknown island, that soon would be known as the country of R’lyeh on March 23^rd. At the time the island of R’lyeh was uncharted, but clearly there was signs of some sort of civilization. But the city, the city was made with a strange green colored stone and in such a fashion that no normal man could build with. The stones themselves rivaled in size to the largest of stones seen in any Neolithic or classical construction. And they were formed and built in such strange angles. Oh boy the angels, it was a confusing site indeed.’

Norway saw R’lyeh get on the anomaly and started taking photographs of the strange thing. ‘This thing reminds me of her home’s architecture, all non-Euclidean geometrical shapes that it drove most, if almost, all the crew into madness. Hell, it almost broke my mind seeing this strange corpse city known as R’lyeh. But I was the lucky one I guess; I was taking photographs of the strange plant and animal life on the island while the crew went into the city to hunt for a strange statue made out of the strange green-black stone the city was made from. I only learned latter that the statue and two others like it were of Raya’s boss. If Yao can have an actual Chinese dragon for a boss then I can see Raya having this strange being for a boss. In this world nothing is impossible.’

As he watches R’lyeh, Norway could tell something was wrong. Really wrong. Not that she or him or the crew above was in trouble, but from what he saw of her actions, Norway know that she discovered something. Something that seemed to even frighten the strange primordial nation. His heart started to ache with empathy as he saw her touch the side of the anomaly, as if she was trying to deny a bad part of her past. Norway could tell that R’lyeh was upset on a psychological level and hurting on an emotional level. It was her body language that gave her way, even in the depths of the Baltic Sea, Norway could clearly see her pain.

‘She’s hurting. Something’s wrong. I haven’t seen her this like this since… since the first time we met. As I was taking pictures of the island’s flora and fauna I discovered a very beautiful woman. At first, I thought she was someone who washed up on shore from a wreck at sea, but her clothing was to strange and clean to been that. Then maybe a native of the island? Perhaps she was, who was I to know till she came closer to me and that is when I felt it. All nations have this sense so to speak. It is like a sixth sense but it only detects the presents of another humanoid personification, like myself. She more than likely sensed the same thing about me too. A kindred spirit for whom could understand her situation in life. It was that moment that I realized I fell in love with this strange girl who was a nation like me.’

It wasn’t too long till a knock was heard on the window of the mini-sub. Looking up at her Norway saw what looked like crying if that was possible. Her hand was shaking as she touched the glass, her lips were quivering as well. Then suddenly she let her four tentacles and bat wings envelope the main window of the mini-sub before Norway saw her emotionally brake down in front of him. This wasn’t like R’lyeh he knew, this wasn’t like R’lyeh at all. She saw something and discovered something down on that anomaly that affected her deep into her vary core. Norway knew R’lyeh better than anyone else, and he also knew that she was a very strong and complex individual, someone not to mess around or toy with. R’lyeh was powerful, independent and was impossible to scare or frighten; but something she saw down at the anomaly truly did frighten her. Why else would she be acting like this?

Looking at her he pointed upward to tell her it was best to go topside and to find out what happened. When she nodded her head yes, R’lyeh retracted her wings and tentacles back inside her body and swam upward toward the research vessel, while Norway got on the radio and said with his voice cracking, “Dedalus One, going up.”

The crew of the ship and the other nations looked at each other and wondered what happened, that is when Denmark got on the radio. “Yo, Lukas, what the hell happened down there? Is everything okay? Is Raya okay?”

“It’s fine Mathias. Physically everything went smoothly. Better than expected, but mentally and emotionally…” The pause from Norway made the others start to seriously worry, “I think Raya discovered something huge. She was practically having…” Norway’s voice cracked, as if he was on the verge of tears, “…an emotional brake down when she got back to me.”

“Ah… okay… um, see you and her when both of you get back up to the ship. Dedalus One out.” Said Denmark as the other Nordics and the Baltics looked at him with worried faces.

R’lyeh waited for the mini-sub to get back onto the boat and Norway to get out before she got out of the water. When he finally popped the door of the mini-sub open and jumped out, he ran to the side of the boat and saw R’lyeh get on to the latter and climb on board. Putting her feet on the deck of the ship she looked Lukas and ran to him sobbing in an emotional flood of tears. Norway held her tight and cried with her knowing that if something scared the woman he loved this much then something was nightmarishly wrong.

“Shush, it is okay Raya, you are safe now. I’m here, all our friends are here. Now tell us what you saw.” Cooed Norway as he stroked her raven hair as he tried to calm her down.

Looking up at him, she replied, “The public can’t know the truth Lukas! They can’t, they mustn’t! Please promise me, all of you guys, promise me that what we found was a glacial deposit carved by ice aged glaciers! Please!!!”

Norway looked at her as well as others on the boat. Something was really wrong; really, really wrong. “What did you see down there Raya, tell me please.”

“I saw ancient writing, really ancient writing. As in the language and writing of my island ancient, but even older, way older.” R’lyeh replied as her voice was shaking.

Norway’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped. If anyone understood what R’lyeh was talking about it was him. Her nation’s writing was strange, practically maddening, but when she said it was more ancient than hers then it wasn’t a good sign.

R’lyeh continued, “Lukas, it was the writing and language of my people, Proto-R’lyehian. No one must go down there! EVER LUKAS!!!”

He tried to respond to her, but couldn’t make out the words. If she was right that meant the language that she is talking about would be madness itself. Something that no mortal human or personification of a country should read let alone speak or understand. “Can you translate the words?”

“Yes, I can… but…”

“But what Raya? Please tell me!” Norway begged to her, practically shaking her violently by her shoulders.

She looked at him with tears falling down her face, “You are not going to like what you are going to hear.”