Endless

A Lesson

*18 years later*

I thought back to that day. I laughed a little when I remembered how confused I was. But then again, it was a very confusing situation.

Weirdly, the dying part wasn't so bad. It was the coming back that was excruciating.

After the bullets hit me and I bled out, my world went dark. No I'm not going to pretend to you that somehow I managed to live at the last second, like that time in the cave. I did actually die. But somehow, strangely, I came back to life. I don't know how long I was dead for. Dorian said it had felt like forever. Alex said it was more like 20 minutes.

All I know (also with the help from the crew who watched with horror) was that I felt every cell in my body burn with fire. It felt as though every one of them mutilated and regenerated and burned themselves to life. They were turning themselves over in an attempt to kick some life into me. And with every miniature movement I screamed in excruciation.

From the outside, the veins across my lifeless body streaked with green. I raised up from the ground slightly and stayed there, suspended, like in a pirate's folk tale. The screams from the inside unfortunately made their way out.

When I came around I dropped to the deck, and awoke in a sweat. The rest was obvious.

How confused we were. How did I die? How did I come back? How did it all begin to happen?

After a few more encounters like this had happened we realised the cause. That day in the cave, the green stone had put inside me the ability to wake myself from death. Not prevent it, only reverse it. I assume it happened during the hit of the green flame and I passed out.

A weird side effect from the revival is that since my first death I never aged. Now, at 45 I still looked 27 years old. I'm sure many women would be delighted with it, but it did make for weird explanations whenever anyone saw my 45 year-old husband and I buying supplies together (although unfortunately not unheard of in that time). And even weirder with my 18 year-old son and 15 year-old daughter.

"Mother?"

I pulled myself away from the sea and brought myself back to the steering deck. I turned around to face a young man, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with bright, sparkling ocean blue eyes. There was ink on his right sleeve and he was gripping his sword on his hip tightly.

"You needn't hold it so tightly." I laughed. "It's not going to jump up and bite you."

Henry laughed but I saw him look at the sword warily out of the corner of his eye.

"Prepared for your swordfighting lesson?" I asked, moving to the centre of the steering deck.

"Unfortunately so." Henry whispered in reply under his breath.

"How were your lessons with your father?" I asked taking out my sword and standing in ready position.

"They were great actually." He said, mirroring my pose. "Father taught me about the history of the crown."

"Yes I'm rather sorry he was dreading that one." I said as I made a quick attack towards him.

"He was?" Henry said narrowly dodging the blow.

"Yes- remember to block not dodge Henry we've spoken about this." I said as I made another advancement. "Yes your father doesn't enjoy that element of his past. He says that 'the present and future are all that are important now.'"

"Well, all the same," Henry parried my strike and used the energy to retaliate the blow back towards me. "I do rather enjoy that part of his history. After all, what's his heritage is mine too."