Eyes Outshine the Horizon Line

Chapter 14 - Not Leaving You

Eddie rowed out the small boat as the clouds only got darker. He almost didn't see 2 heads poke above the water. "Excuse me." Lucas said. Eddie whipped his head around to him. Eddie assumed this boy was actually a merman, nothing has really been phasing him after Nancy turned into a mermaid in his arms.

"Who are you?" he asked. "I'm Lucas. The royal advisor to the sea queen. I know where Nancy could be." "This really should bother me." Eddie thought as he allowed the young merman to guide him out further. "My sister is trying to track her down but we're not sure how deep Vecna took her." Lucas explained. "What can I even do to save her from this?" Eddie asked. Lucas eyed Eddie's weapons of choice, several harpoons and his dull sword. "Those may work but this is also magic we're talking about." Eddie nodded. Then a mermaid splashed into the water from above and resurfaced a few minutes later.

"I think I found her. I'm afraid Vecna already got to her mother and siblings." Erica said. Lucas nodded, not wanting to think about what that meant. "They aren't even that deep. You should be ok, hopefully." Eddie nodded as he grabbed one of his harpoons as he stood and dove into the cold, unforgiving sea.

...

"No!" Nancy begged, squeezing her eyes shut. The trident was warm against her skin. She almost wanted the trident to finish her off just as it did her entire family. At this rate, Vecna probably killed her father too. Then Vecna shouted in pain, releasing her from the trident's hold. A stream of blood came from his shoulder. A harpoon laid on the sand beside her as she glanced up to see Eddie floating in the water above. He began to swim back up as soon as Vecna's eyes narrowed on him as Lucas and Erica pulled him to the surface. Eddie gulped the air as if it was water as soon as he surfaced. He had just reached in his boat to grab another harpoon as something wrapped around his ankle, pulling him back under.

...

Nancy was frozen in fear as one of Vecna's tentacles wrapped around Eddie's ankle and pulled him under. Vecna raised the trident again and pointed it right at Eddie. "Say goodbye to the last person who cares about you." Vecna taunted. Fury then took over her, there were people that still cared. She grabbed the trident and repositioned it to face the tentacle holding Eddie and let magic burst from it, severing the appendage. The sea warlock howled in pain as Nancy used this to swim out of Vecna's trap. She wrapped her arms around Eddie and pulled him to the surface. He took a deep breath after they resurfaced. Lucas and Erica were nowhere in sight.

"Eddie!" Nancy called above the angry sea. She then spotted him and pulled him close. "Get to shore. He'll kill you." Nancy begged him. She couldn't lose him now. Not after losing her family. But Eddie's grip on her simply tightened. "No. I'm not leaving you." he said. A million unspoken words hung between them as an overwhelming urge to kiss began to bubble in them both. Then the water suddenly stilled and grew increasingly dark to where it was almost black. The pair awaited with an anxious breath as the ocean began to rumble as they were forced into the air, desperately clinging to her mother's massive crown on top of Vecna's broken, giant head. The sea warlock made himself 10 times bigger and now towered over the seas. Lightning cracked overhead as Vecna seemed to move in slow motion. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered. "Nancy!" Eddie shouted over the violence of the sea and wind. "Take my hand!" Nancy fumbled for his hand as her grip slipped. They then felt one another's tight grip. "On three."

"One," he began. "Two," Nancy continued. "Three." They both jumped off of Vecna's head and into the water below. This was unfortunately when they were spotted. Vecna plunged the now giant trident into the water and began to swirl the water, creating a whirlpool. The current yanking them apart. Nancy hoped Eddie would be alright as the current forced him closer to Vecna and her to the ocean floor. Sunken ships began to rise as Nancy noticed Eddie's ship narrowly hit her as it rose to the surface. Nancy swam as fast as she could to it and her stomach collided with the wet wood as it surfaced. She noticed Eddie get closer to the trident as another ship resurfaced beside him. He got himself on it as he began to redirect the ship towards her in an effort to escape Vecna. The current pulled them in opposite directions as Nancy's ship moved towards the giant warlock. Nancy jumped off and used her advantages to attempt to get to Eddie.

...

Eddie gripped the wood of the ship as a wave slapped on the deck. He was expecting to get swept into the sea. The crashing subsided for a moment as Nancy gripped Eddie's hand in her own.

"Are you ok?" she asked. "I am less than ok." he thought to himself as he noticed the wheel of the ship hopelessly spinning a few feet away. "A bit better now," he said, squeezing her hand. "Do you have a plan in mind?" "Just getting to you." Nancy finally noticed the wheel. "But I think I have one." she let go of him as she began to move herself to the bow. Eddie caught onto her plan and followed her suit. Nancy made it to the wheel first as Eddie got to it right after her. Nancy pushed herself up with her tail and barely managed to stay upright against the wheel. Eddie wrapped one arm around her waist and another on the wheel. They both noticed the sharp, splintered wood that once held the canvas sail. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Eddie asked. Nancy nodded. The waves got harsher as they got closer and closer to Vecna, who had now noticed them helplessly clinging to the wheel.

Nancy gripped the wheel with both hands as Eddie let go of her waist and laid his hands on top of hers. A sharp turn to the left would surely drive the ship's splinters into Vecna's heart. Nancy then looked at Eddie as their world melted away. In a rush of motion from the both of them, Eddie and Nancy's lips crashed together. They both parted for air and looked back to the monster that made the both of them suffer. "One." Nancy began. "Two." Eddie continued. "Three!" They turned the ship on cue as the current picked it up and drove the ship into Vecna's chest before her uncle had any time to react.