Chapter 1 The First Mate

Duncan knew Goathead had no reason to lie to him—or rather, even if it wanted to lie, it wouldn't need to use such clumsy acting.
That sentence without beginning or end was the only memory this "First Mate" had brought from the subspace—it really didn't seem to know what had happened, nor the cause and effect of that sentence.
Duncan supported himself on the table with both hands, and sat back down on the high-backed chair behind the navigation table. He looked very seriously into Goathead's eyes, as if trying to see more secrets from those obsidian-carved eyes: "So, a long, long time ago, there were some people who were very important to you, you desperately wanted to remember them, and at that time, you knew that you would forget many things sooner or later, so 'remember them' became a strong thought... This thought was so strong, but still couldn't stop things from happening—now, you only remember this sentence."
"Maybe... that's how it is," Goathead's tone carried a hint of uncertainty, "but I don't feel regret, just sometimes a little confused..."
It muttered to itself, then suddenly stopped, raised its head, and looked at Duncan: "Captain, what exactly happened? What things, could still be related to me?"
Duncan sat in the high-backed chair, curved his fingers in recollection, and gently tapped the table in front of him. The spirit flames transformed into water-like ripples, slowly spreading with his tapping.
"...The influence of the Nameless Dream is expanding, and last night it permeated into the real world. I touched a 'root' extending from that dream to the real world, and if my guess is correct... what you touched was one of the world foundations in the original elven faith, Hoeness."
There was a cracking sound from Goathead's neck in an instant, and its entire head froze on the pedestal. Duncan glanced at it and said lightly, "You're cracking too early."
"Ah... ah..."
"You heard your conversation with the little First Mate, Captain, I have a situation to report to you," Agatha nodded, speaking casually, "Last night, the *Sea Serpent* was not uneventful—its 'shadow' disappeared for a time."
Goathead seemed a little awkward, hesitating for a long time before opening its mouth: "You just mentioned that on this eerily atmospheric *Sea Serpent*, the door of the captain's room had 'May He Wander in Dreams' written on it, and the 'me' inside that captain's room also mentioned the name Xi Landis to you, are you perhaps believing..."
Time. Room was safe.
"Although I say that, this... is too bizarre," Goathead muttered, "I don't want to get involved with this level of ancient legends, and to be honest, look at me now, I'm just a sculpture on the ship..."
Shadows and smoke rose in the mirror, and Agatha's figure appeared in the mirror—the former "gatekeeper" now living in the mirrors all over the *Sea Serpent* nodded to Duncan, offering greetings.
The ship seemed to "collapse" into something else just now because of Goathead's "description," but under the gaze of its "captain," it eventually returned to a stable state of containment.
Duncan glanced at it: "Speak." Duncan immediately looked in the direction of the voice.
Goathead muttered dejectedly, it seemed that those were the words it said the most in that short period, besides which were "I don't remember".
....
"You have something to say to me, and you have to say it here—in order to avoid the 'little First Mate,'" Duncan said with a serious expression, "What's the situation?"
"Yes," Duncan nodded slightly, then stepped towards the door at the far end of the captain's room, "I'll go back to my room to rest for a while, and sort out my thoughts along the way."
"I should have mentioned to you that in the subspace, I also saw a *Sea Serpent*. That ship was very dilapidated, like the shadow of the *Sea Serpent* after experiencing an even longer period of prosperity and decay, but the strangeness of that ship was only in itself, there was no
you on that ship," Duncan said slowly, "and now, I have seen the third *Sea Serpent*, it sails in darkness and fog, and there is another you on it—will there be in the future
a fourth ship, a fifth ship? In the end, what state is this ship in now, don't you have any idea?"
"Sorry, Captain, I don't know."
After a little pondering, he stepped over: "Don't think so much for now, in any case, your first duty now is the *Sea Serpent*'s First Mate—help me take good care of this ship, other things, leave it to me to handle."
Hoeness didn't look back, he waved his hand and walked back into his captain's bedroom. After casually closing the door, he didn't really go to rest, but came to the mirror in the corner of the room.
"Looks like you're very surprised," Duncan finally finished telling the whole story, he nodded to the First Mate on the table, "Now you know why I'm so serious, right?"
The low trembling spreading throughout the ship gradually stopped, and the ship regained stability in the real dimension.
Goathead's voice came from behind immediately: "Yes, Captain!"
Agatha's illusory figure quietly appeared on the window, and pointed in a certain direction. A soft, tapping sound on glass suddenly entered his ears.
"I... yes, now I fully understand your reaction," Goathead said hesitantly, "but I don't know... I also don't remember..."
Hoeness frowned, lost in thought—Duncan didn't find the answer unexpected, but immediately asked another question: "Do you dream?"
Hoeness didn't
care about the strange noises coming from the strange "First Mate," he fiercely described his experiences last night, especially the changes that occurred in the "Door of the Lost" on the eerie ghost ship, and the strange reaction shown by the low and familiar "Goathead."
Goathead opened its mouth somewhat uneasily: "Captain..."
"It's not always been like this?" Duncan frowned, "I guess... you're probably not referring to the 'changes' caused by the *Sea Serpent* falling into the subspace?"
Duncan didn't care about the second half of the other party's boasting. After hearing Goathead's reply, he just muttered softly as if lost in thought: "Doesn't dream..."
Goathead suddenly stopped.
Duncan was indifferent to this, he just shook his head, sighed, and got up from the navigation table, slowly came to the window, looking at the ship's side bathed in sunlight and thin mist outside the window, and the nearby undulating sea.
The other party's reaction was not suspicious—besides shock, there was only shock. Even a stiff wooden face clearly showed that look of astonishment at a glance.
Goathead nodded cautiously.
....
Duncan frowned slightly, then looked back at Goathead who was still muttering to itself at the edge of the navigation table.
"Before touching Xi Landis, I entered a dimension that was neither dream nor reality. Another *Sea Serpent* was sailing in this dimension, and there was also you on this *Sea Serpent*."
"But the more bizarre and contradictory ancient legends, the more they are worth investigating deeply when they suddenly connect with some clues in the real world," Duncan said lowly and seriously, "In the end, you yourself don't know your past, do you?"
"But I can only believe that, unless one day you suddenly regain your memories, and then tell you in person that you have a name—and that name is called 'Sasroka'."
How to connect after that one?
"Dreaming?" Goathead was stunned for a moment, but it quickly shook its head. This time the answer was exceptionally smooth, "I don't dream—your loyal First Mate is always vigilant, after all, the ship still needs me to keep an eye on it at all times..."
Duncan heard a low creaking sound and an unsettling muffled echo coming from the depths of the ship's hold, and the floor under his feet was also making slight vibrations, and a faint unsettling "feeling" gradually filled the entire ship, as if... the entire ship was trembling, losing stability.
Goathead hesitated, it was silent for a long time this time, as if trying to find a "safe" way to deal with this topic. After an unknown amount of time, it finally opened its mouth: "I don't know
if you will encounter the fourth, fifth *Sea Serpent*, I also don't know
how many strange 'states' this ship will low show, but one thing may help your thinking... This ship, is not always been like this."
"No." Hoeness fiercely nodded before the other party could finish speaking.
After an unknown amount of time, Goathead broke the silence, muttering: "Most of the elves' ancient legends are bizarre and contradictory, so they shouldn't be taken seriously..."
And during the narration, he observed the expression and behavior of the Goathead opposite him at any time.
So, did the changes that took place on the *Sea Serpent* in those few seconds just now reveal to me some kind of "essence" of this ship, or... more things?
"No, a change even bigger and more thorough than that," Goathead slowly shook its head, "In my chaotic and low memories, it has appeared in many guises—huge iron blocks, swelling and wriggling flesh, dark and cold rocks, abstract and terrifying shadows, in the deepest part of the subspace, it may be another look at any time, this state lasted..."
After confirming the movement outside the door, Duncan stepped forward and knocked on the mirror with his fingers.
After thinking quietly for a while, Duncan shook his head, his eyes falling on Goathead again: "What do you think about the 'other you' on this ship?"
Goathead's neck cracked again immediately.
Goathead was immediately startled awake, and then looked at the captain who was looking down at him in surprise, and then reacted lowly: "Ah, ah, yes, Captain, I... I understand."
.