Blood of Water and Light

𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖: ℂ𝕪𝕣𝕒

The water felt cold against my body as I sunk. My legs were not enough to keep me up very well. I kicked to the surface only to choke on water. I gasped in small breaths before I toppled over back into the sea.

One of the men screamed as they fell overboard and they never resurfaced. A moment later I saw Achelios jump into the water. He had no coat to blow around him. He only had a thin tunic and trousers which clung to his smaller shape.

He surfaced and swam to me. His bare hands grabbed onto me and his warmth sent my nerves riling. Suddenly the rope was lose and I could move once again.

"Sam? the ship?" I gurgled out trying to stay afloat.

Instead of answering me he pulled me towards the side of the boat. We swam along the side towards the end of the dock. Closer to shore he could touch, but I could not. He climbed out and then hauled me out with ease.

I coughed and panted. A cold breeze hit me and I shivered. We both walked to back to the ramp and climbed up. Three of the men were lifeless on the dock. Sam was panting with a trail of blood going down his face.

Abby stood near him already preparing the ship for sailing. I shivered on the edge looking around mindlessly.

Achelios had come and gone without my noticing until he was handing me his jacket. I shrugged mine off letting it fall to the ground and wrapped his dry one over my shoulders. It smelled like forest and citrus.

Once we were sailing I felt more at ease. I shivered in a corner while Abby looked over Sams wounds and Achelios prepared the ship. I had changed and was waiting to help out but they hadn't asked me to do anything and I wasn't about to make myself busy.

"You did that on purpose didn't you so the ship would be loaded up?" Abby said anger taking her tone.

"Perhaps I did but now we have enough to make it" Achelios said.

Abby huffed and stomped off and walked into one of the main deck rooms slamming the door behind her.

I knew well enough what she was talking about. This ship had been planning to take off and Achelios had known about it all. He had planned for it. He knew we'd have to fight and yet here we were all alive. 

I stood up and walked over to the edge. I shrugged his coat off and paused looking down for a moment, "Here".

Achelios turned away from tying a rope down and took it back. His hands were still bare it was the first time I'd seen them that way. Well truly looked at them. They were thin and slender like I expected with a few scars. 

"Thank you" he said after a long moment.

"No, thank you, you saved my life" I said. 

I looked up seeing the small crows nest above. The ship itself was not very big, just enough for four people to sail. I climbed up small little holes that were set inside the main mast. My damp hair started to blow the higher I got. I smiled glancing down at the two now small looking boys. I looked out the endless sea with a certain wonder. My arms lifted and I felt free.

  *   *   *

It was quiet for two days and that's when I saw a ship in the far distance. I found myself in the crows nest and with an eyeglass I saw red sails. Achelios had confirmed it was the people of Nigra no doubt. Perhaps pirates hired or just everyday guards sent for the object most knew the location of, but never dared to seek out.

Abby had been grumpy and at the wheel the entire trip. I was shockingly not mad despite how he'd risked our lives.

The three of us prepared for battle in case we could not outrun the other ship. Cannons had been loaded below deck and weapons prepared.

"Maybe we should've found a bigger crew?" Abby shouted from her wheel.

By noon about the ships colors were easy to see with the naked eye. They must've been hauling less or used a better ship to speed up that fast. Then it hit me, they had one of me.

I walked to the back of the ship where Achelios stood watching.

"I think I can slow them down" I said not sure if I could pull the stunt off.

"It cannot hurt" he said his eyes locked onto me for a moment.

I raised my hands and moved them feeling the water a smooth calming sensation and the bright energy which was a more anxious and static feeling. I clung to the water and watched it rise in a small stream from the sea. It circled like a tornado as I gathered more and more. I felt like I was dizzy and out of my own body. I kept going though it rose up into the sky. I threw it and it cut across the waves and hit the ship behind. It didn't hurt anything or anyone from what I saw. I felt my vision black out for a moment and I was on the ground clutched by Achelios.

"You are not quite ready for such feats" he said smiling lightly.

I panted trying to catch my consciousness. I needed to rest up if I was to face them head on. I debated giving him a remark, but thought better of it. I had tried that was all I could do.