The Archman

Chapter 20 - A Grave Procedure

The Archman snaps around to the sound of Kinsley's pistol discharging. He is immediately overcome with a dismayed astonishment, his red eyes widening with a stunned stillness. Everyone freezes in their place as time grinds to a crawl, each second stretching on for a small eternity.

Kinsley's frothing spite has completely evaporated, replaced with a distraught shock. His arm is still holding out his smoldering flintlock pistol, his index finger still pulled back against the trigger.

Eira looks down and brings a hand to her abdomen, which is quickly being dyed in shades of deep red from a hemorrhaging wound in her stomach. She stands with perfect immobility, still not completely registering what has happened. There is a split second of serenity before her body plunges her into a state of agonizing torment, causing her to keel over instantly.

The Archman moves with an almost imperceptible swiftness, rushing to Eira and catching her before she collapses onto the deck. He looks down at her bloodied torso, alarmed and appalled by what he sees. He turns towards Kinsley, who is still frozen stiff with confusion.

The Archman's expression morphs from a shocked dismay to a conflagrating rage, directed straight towards Kinsley. He frowns with a condensed malice, directing his vermillion glare right through Kinsley's defenseless psyche. He grits his teeth, exposing both his fangs with a predatory aura. His whole being inspires nothing but raw animosity.

Kinsley feels the Archman's fearsome presence return tenfold, petrifying him to his very core. He drops his pistol and scrambles to his feet, exerting every ounce of energy he can to escape the Archman. He bolts across the deck, fleeing to the gangplank and back to the battleship.

The Archman watches him as he runs away. Part of him wants to give chase and hunt him down until he has Kinsley's neck between his fangs, but he has greater priorities right now. He looks back to Eira, who is bleeding out more and more by the second.

Eira clutches the right side of her abdomen, where the musket ball struck her. Her hands are already heavily stained with gore, which is dripping down onto the deck beneath her. Her breathing is sharp and shallow, rendered quick and uneven by the deluge of adrenaline pouring into her system. Her muscles contract and spasm uncontrollably as she falls deeper and deeper into a panicked anguish.

She didn't know her body was capable of such physical excruciation.

The Archman takes a full breath in, keeping his head as level he can, given the circumstances. He lifts Eira up off the deck and runs as quickly and safely as he can below decks. As he lifts the hatch to go inside, he sees Kinsley's ship pulling away from them.

"Full masts now! Get that damn anchor up!" Kinsley bellows to the crew, still frantic and feverish from the Archman's glare.

The Archman throws the hatch aside and descends the two staircases hastily, cradling Eira in his arms carefully. She is shivering with a profound somatic misery.

A trail of blood drips onto the steps behind them as the Archman carries Eira through the artificially lit corridors. He arrives at a doorway, kicking it open forcefully and walking inside.

Eira looks around, her already agitated state made worse by the fact she is now in the Archman's slaughterhouse.

The Archman sets Eira down gently on the steel table so she is laying on her back. Eira can see the hook on the ceiling dangling about a meter away from her. It's a distressing sight, though she finds solace in the fact she can't imagine experiencing anything worse than what she is going through.

The Archman steps away from Eira, pulling back his hood and rushing over to the wooden counter against two of the walls. He opens drawers and cabinets in a mad frenzy, pulling out implements and utensils which Eira can't make out from her narrowed peripheral vision.