Children of the Whales

Across an endless ocean of sand drifts the Mud Whale, an island-ship that shelters an old town within its hollow interior. Most of its people are known as the “Marked,” gifted with supernatural power that comes with a cruel price: a shortened life. Chakuro, the town’s young archivist, spends his days recording their journeys and the scattered islands they encounter—places that are almost always deserted, left behind with only traces of long-gone inhabitants.

When a new island finally appears after six quiet months, Chakuro joins the scouting party and uncovers remnants of an ancient civilization. Deep in the ruins, he finds a mysterious girl, and her presence begins to unravel what Chakuro thought he understood about the Mud Whale and the world beyond it.