A Survivor's Tale

Put To Sea

The ride to the dock was...quiet, to say the least. Lara told Otto to go ahead and pack some clothes. She really wish she hadn't told him to meet her on the ship. Her hands shook nervously, her nerves wild with the jitters. Everything seemed to be perfect, from the funding and a crew that she knew and trusted.

She wanted to hear her husband's voice. To hear him put her worries to rest. Was she really ready for all of this? What if she was wrong and took everyone on a wild goose chase?

She took a deep breath and remember something Otto said to her.

"Not everything is going to be easy. Even the smallest seed has the potential to grow into a powerful oak or redwood, reaching high up into the sky. It doesn't grow so much in a day. With time, patience, and a little nurturing love, it will reach for the sun on it's own."

Lara chuckled to herself. Otto had an interesting way of explaining things that seemed to be so complicated. Her momentary frown morphed into a warm smile. As the taxi came to a stop, she found herself giddy with delight. Opening the door, she watched Jonah grab her bags and carrying them to the ship, following her aboard.

"So, Lara. Are you ready?" Sam asked, a bright smile on her face and a warm light in her eyes.

Looking around the deck, she spotted her husband standing at the bow of the Endurance, his arms spread out as though he were waiting for the water to splash upon his body. Turning back to her friend, Lara offered a smile. "For anything."

Otto's POV

It was strange to leave port once more. My heart seemed to...flutter as we drifted further and further into the bay and onto the open seas. It'd been many a year since I'd been at sea since my last deployment. I knew that...in my heart, I would always love the sea. Even as a young boy, I had always dreamed of life on the open ocean.

If only Lara knew. If only I could tell her. I don't know what it is, but I just can't tell her about my past, at least not the broken memories I hold.

She seems to be so happy, much happier than I. Though, I must be a bit more honest with myself. Ever since I met Lara, I've felt no greater joy in my entire life. I've been with many women, courted them, but never really settling. It's always seemed a bit...unnecessary. The women I've been with have always had ulterior motives whether it'd be money, power, status.

Lara, though...Lara's different. Every waking moment with her makes my heart soar like an eagle high up in the sky. Her touch is...intoxicating, gentle. When I lay my head against her bosom, I find my worries simply waste away with each beat of her heart.

It is strange. As this voyage takes its first steps, I cannot help but feel a little homesick. My heart stings at the thought of home. Mine is gone, my family along with it, tied to their own ambition and dark servitude. Was our sacrifice truly so inconsequential to the world? Did we really ever matter to the grand histories of the world?

As I stand here, pondering my own choices, the events leading up to the reclamation of my own happiness, I cannot help but see the consequences of my actions.

Lara watched me from afar, a deep curiosity in her eyes. With each step she took toward me, she found herself feeling cold, as if there were a river of ice settling in her veins. However, as she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around my waist, the cold seemed to disappear, my arm slowly snaking around her shoulder and pulling her close.

I couldn't help but smile as I felt the ice in my heart melt as if it were under the sun itself. I know now that I shall not abandon her, I have prayed for long enough and shall not take another. Not after I gave so much of myself to her. I shall stand with her, tall and proud. Any and all who land a single finger upon her shall find themselves buried in the sand of dust and bones.

Roth's POV

I watched the Lara and Otto from the bridge. I couldn't help but think about the circumstances of their meeting. I couldn't help but smile, it was like seeing Amelia and Richard again. I guess life has a funny way of pushing your buttons and reminding you of the things you miss.