Black Hearted

Part 30

Sean calmed down as the hours ticked by. How long had Nate been gone? He wasn't sure. He focused on trying to twist his wrists free of the ropes, but it was only burning his wrist to try. Whoever tied it knew what they were doing. Sean thrashed in frustration, thinking he could make the fake anchor smash the container he was in... but the chain that attached the anchor to the floor made that impossible. Wearing himself out, Sean rested a bit and tried to think rationally. His gifts were mostly in illusion or water manipulation. Nothing that could help him get free. He was just starting to think about flooding the stupid cabin with the water from the tank, when the door burst open. Nate looked exhausted as he stormed through the room to drop into a large throne chair in the corner. Nate shifted in the chair to hang his legs off one of the gold armrests and rested his shoulders against the other armrest. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, Nate closed his eyes before letting out a frustrated groan.

Sean watched him in silence as another man in a naval uniform marched into the open door to ask Nate curiously. "Captain, if I may?" Nate didn't change his posturing as he growled out. "What do you want now, Dorian?" Dorian straightened up, folding his hands back against his lower back as he told Nate clearly. "If you can't get him to talk... Maybe we should change tactics. I can get a gallows set up within a day. We could start by hanging every member of his crew until he talks." Sean whacked his tail against the container, shouting out. "NO! You don't have to do that! Please?! I can-" Nate jerked up in his seat, cutting him off to shout out angrily. "SHUT UP!" Sean fell silence, staring at Nate with mercy in his eyes. Nate's own eyes didn't reflect it. His eyes looked as cold as ice as he told Dorian sternly. "Fine. Prepare the gallows. Maybe a few less crew members will loosen his tongue. And have my meal brought in." Dorian gave him a deep bow, closing the door as he quickly left the room.

Once he was gone, Sean told Nate in a shaky voice. "I understand that you're upset... but killing innocent men-" Nate cut him off with a sudden harsh laugh, before stating out bitterly. "Innocent men? You're defending murderers and thieves! Liars and rapists! They attacked your kind at the lagoon. How can you turn a blind eye to that?!" Sean puffed himself up, glaring back at Nate as he retorted defensively. "Are we so different from them? As I recall, our own history tells of our people drowning sailors. To them we are the monsters. I don't turn I blind eye. I just choose to understand the differences of our worlds... and how we are all monsters and we create monsters through our ignorance." Nate snorted as a small smirk pulled at his lips. He removed a bottle off a table by his chair, popping the cork out as he muttered out with a chuckle. "You sound like one of their damn politicians. Quick to state the obvious, but not a solution." Nate took a long hard swig from his bottle, then told him bluntly.

"You need to swim out of this fantasy of yours. It's a kill or be killed world. You can tell a shark to go vegan, but a predator is a predator for a reason. They clean out the wounded and dying to keep the oceans clear of diseases. And humanity is a fucking disease." Sean wanted to be mad, but seeing the depressed look on Nate's face, he decided to try something different. Calming himself, he told Nate very softly. "They are a young species. They are lost. We could help them. If Atlanteans unite, we could rise again and show them a better way." Nate huffed doubtfully, muttering out before he took another swig. "Atlantis is an ancient relic of a forgotten past. It won't save anyone. As you put it in so many useless words... We will all live by the sword and die by it. So, why bother changing that now? Let's just live it up, before we meet the inevitable end." Sean kept his soft eyes on Nate, answering seriously. "You don't believe that." Nate rose up in the chair, adjusting in it to face him with a burning glare.

Nate leaned on his knees, snapping back sourly. "Don't pretend to know me. You can't imagine what I've seen. I've been among them far longer than you have. I've seen this 'lost humanity' you're so curious about. I'm telling you... It's lost for a reason. Not even a united Atlantis could save them." Sean stayed firm to his cause, telling Nate seriously. "Humans have always been cruel. It's the reason Atlantis was built in the first place. Remember? Atlanteans showed them a paradise. We can do it again. We can save them and ourselves." Nate took a longer swig, then lowered his eyes to the floor as he grumbled out. "Some of us can't be saved. Without my soul... I am nothing. I'm an empty shell drifting in shadows. And the longer he takes to give it back... the more he will feel my pain." Sean blinked confused, changing the subject as he asked. "What do you mean? What is your curse doing to him exactly?" Nate's eyes rose to meet his, his voice going numb as he stated out bluntly.