After the Tide

Chapter 19 - AT 2759 - Dylan

This is the third time tonight I've nearly talked to that beautiful girl except—,
"Okay we're not going to do that right now we're walking this way."
"What is your problem?" I ask, ducking out from Aeon's arm as he tries to guide me away from the spearmen.
"You don't need to talk to them they're criminals and you wouldn't like them and we're going to walk this way together," Aeon says, just balling up the back of my shirt.
"Wow," NIkolai is watching us, "That's your reaction."
"Oh I know it's bad, like it's bad—come, now," Aeon guides me towards the door.wha
"What the hell? I'm just going to go hit on a girl who's probably going to ignore me," I say, trying to twist away except my clothes are hiding some interesting mutations so I can't actually fully wriggle out of my shirt right now.
"I have had bad experiences with the southern tribes so I am HELPING you, actually," Aeon says, stubbornly.
"Aren't you southern tribe? Like aren't you from there?" I ask, critically.
"That—is how I had the bad experiences, yeah," he nods.
"Can't make this up," Nikolai is laughing at us both I think.
"What's with him?" I ask.
"He finds my experience funny but they are bad, and I'm trying to help you come on we're going to go talk about how you can become a spearman, on the ship," he says, guiding me back towards the ship.
"Wait —really?" I ask, "Will you show me how to throw one?"
"Sure, ship, now,' he says.
"I will too, more fun than that lot," Nikolai says.
"You both will?" I ask. I don't want to spear a monster anymore but like it might be good defense. I love weapons. "But—not on monsters like—this is just practice."
"Yes I can't summon you a monster to play with. We'll throw them at ice chunks," Aeon says.
"What did you know people at the reception or something?" I ask, wondering why he's so eager to leave.
"Yeah, old friends," Nikolai says, "He did not me."
"Thank you," Aeon glares at him.
"What an ex?" I ask.
"Not everything is about sex," Aeon sighs, his face is red.
"Yes an ex—what what the hell did you want me to say?" Nikolai asks, adding the last part as Aeon punches him.
"I don't even know. Sure. Fine. My tragic ex," Aeon says, miserably.
By now we're walking up onto the ship. The Chase is mostly quiet this time of night though the crew is trickling back aboard, mostly drunk.
"quieter at this end," Nikolai says, nodding.
"yeah, come on this way," Aeon says, just leading me on. Bill and Luther are already idling at the bow of the ship. I don't see any spears.
"What is going on—oww——," I cry out as Nikolai just pins me to the deck of the ship, one knee going into my back.
"I'm sorry," Aeon says, quietly.
"What—what the fuck—," I cut off as Bill binds my hands. Luther has a large knife. They know. How do they know.
"Listen—I can explain I didn't—wait you explain why are you doing this?" I ask.
"Nothing personal, at the moment," Nikolai says, dryly, his face is set.
"Are you ready?" Bill asks, he's looking at Aeon.
"You?"" I look at him. No. He betrayed me? How? How does he even know I got turned?
"I'm sorry. Trust me it's better off this way," Aeon says. Nikolai comes and holds his arm. Tears are in his eyes, "I'm so sorry."
"Just close your eyes eh?" Luther says, the blade of his knife pressed against my throat.
I twist as hard as I can but they have me pinned against the deck. His blade is razor sharp and I feel blood begin to run down my chest.
There's a cry and suddenly his blade is gone. I open my eyes to see Luther pinned to the deck by a very familiar spear.
"RUN!" Atlanta cries.
I need no second bidding. In one swift motion I twist free and take off down the deck of the ship.
"GET HIM!" I don't know which one of them says it.
"This way," Matthias grabs my arm and tugs me into a stairwell where Atlanta and—oh Pania are waiting. The girls barricade the door.
"Hi again," I say, trying to fix my hair.
"Ignore him," Atalanta advises, but Pania laughs.
"Why are they trying to kill you?" Matthias asks, finishing helping barricade the door.
"No fucking clue," I say, as they lead me down another hall.
"This way we can lose them—you're sure you don't know?" Atlanta asks.
"No idea! The one with one eye, Aeon, he's the leader he wants to murder me," I explain.
"He looked familiar," Pania says, frowning.
"Yeah he's southern tribe, real idiot but then I'm biased he tried to murder me," I say.
"And is still trying come on—if we lose them on the third level we can maybe get back on deck and make it to land," Atlanta says, leading us down a winding hall.
"Here," Matthias hands me a knife.
"Why are you helping me?" I ask, suspicious.
"Because we saw you about to be murdered you idiot! I'm sorry he has trust issues," Atlanta says.
"Yeah maybe because I was about to be murdered!" I snarl, as we run through the winding halls. I have no idea which way we're going, except we're getting deeper into the ship, farther from the sea. My sides ache.
"Are you okay?" Matthias asks, grabbing my arm.
"I'm lovely," I snarl, so he'll quit touching me.
"This way—oh that way—," Atlanta spins around, stopping us from going down a hall where there's a pounding of foosteps.
"Elevator!" Matthias suggests, tugging us yet another direction.
"This ship has an elevator?" I ask, confused.
"There—isn't that your captain?" Pania asks.
We run directly into Captain Ridley, who is holding a crossbow, and Malcom who has a long knife in either hand.
"Hello kids! What side of the mutany are you on?" Captain Ridley asks, incredibly happily, just grinning.
"None!" Pania says, offended.
"None people are trying to kill me," I say.
"Yeah we're with him," Matthias says.
"But your side, when we're done here," Atlanta says, "Could you stall whoever is after us?"
"Absolutely!" Captain Ridley says, loading the crossbow.
"You didn't ahve to ask that," Malcolm says, flatly.
"Thanks a lot!" Atlanta says, and we take off running back up the stairs.
The sirens start to go off but I genuinely assume that's because of the mutany that is apparently also happening. All I know is need to be back near the water.
Now.
"What are you doing?" Atlanta asks, trying to tug me her way.
"No—I need to be on deck—I mean I think it's this way," I say, rounding a corner to run directly into Nikolai.
He has me in a headlock, knife to my throat.
Bill and Luther block the door, stopping my friends from following.
"Let me go! I don't understand!" I cry, struggling, but Nikolai is insanely strong. "You won't get away with this I—,"
He hauls me up on deck with no reply, the other two men are bleeding but clearly strong. Strong enough subdue me. We're the only people on deck so they must have blocked off the exits.
Aeon is standing in the middle of the deck, wind whipping his coat which he holds wrapped around himself. His eye is red from crying, the scar over the other one puffy and raw.
"Why are you doing this? Just tell me why," I say, trying to buy for time.
"You don't want to know," Aeon says, his voice rough.
"Let's finish this," Bill says, knife to the middle of my back.
"Please," I say, shaking my head, "Tell me why?"
Aeon lowers his head, water running down his face, "you know why."
"I haven't done anything to you. I didn't mean it," I say, quietly, "I can't help it that I'm like this."
"Neither can I," he says, moving down the collar of his sweater. Through the darkness, I can just make out the start of slick, grey and black gills down the side of his neck.
He's turned too.
"Then why?" I ask.