I dropped to my knees, scrambling towards the crashing waves. My hands plunged into the water, desperately trying to scrub the blood off my face. Each wipe only seemed to smear it more, the crimson mixing with the saltwater, turning my hands a watery red. The sharp scent of death clung to me, and I cursed under my breath. "Fuck..." The saltwater stung my eyes, forcing them shut as they began to water uncontrollably.
“Mm..." I groaned, blinking rapidly, trying to clear the burn.
After what felt like minutes of struggling, my vision finally returned to a blurry, irritated normal. I glanced behind me. The horses were gone, leaving nothing but kicked-up sand and scattered patches of dirt as evidence they had ever been there. My sword lay forgotten on the ground, reflecting the light. I reached for it, gripping the hilt tightly before dipping the blade into the water, watching the blood swirl away in the current. The sight was strangely mesmerizing.
Wiping the last of the blood from the blade, I pulled the sword closer, staring at the distorted reflection in the metal. My brown hair, dirty and matted with grime, caught my eye first, but it wasn’t what held my attention. It was my face. Once softer, almost boyish, it now seemed harder, more defined.
It had been a long time since I’d really looked at myself. The faint streaks of red still clung to my skin, swirling around my features. My eyes, once holding more life, now seemed darker, wearier. What had I become?
The wind carried the scent of salt and blood, and as I stood there, staring at the face I barely recognized, Ikevine walked up from behind. I had completely forgotten he was still there, but he hadn’t interrupted my silence, letting me have that moment to myself.
“It’s time to go,” he said, his voice calm as he held out a hand.
I hesitated, taking a sharp breath before turning to him. Grasping his hand, I pulled myself up, but I didn’t offer any gratitude. My eyes met his—his once short black hair now slightly longer, wild, and disheveled. “Why are you helping me?” I swallowed hard, “I don’t fucking get it. One moment, you hate me. The next, you’re... doing all of this?” I shook my head, stepping back. “I—I don’t know what the fuck you want from me.”
Ikevine nodded sharply, biting his tongue as if holding something back. "For a second there, I thought you might’ve changed," he continued, "But no—still the same whiny bastard as before." He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "I’m not doing this for you. Thought that was clear as day. If even half of what’s said about Belzarok is true... we’re already as good as dead.” Ikevine began walking, “So stop whining and let's go.”
"Fucker..." I mumbled under my breath. Despite my reservations and the irritation that Ikevine always seemed to stir in me, I didn't really believe he was here for altruistic reasons. But with nowhere else to turn and no one else on my side, I had little choice but to follow him, at least for now.
As we moved along the shore's edge, the distant rumble of thunder mixed with the occasional flash of lightning. The patrols we saw from the corner of our eyes moved through the forest, none of them paying any attention or showing signs of suspicion. Whether they truly didn't see us or simply didn't care, it worked in our favor, allowing us to keep a low profile as we kicked up sand.
As we approached, I spotted a small, isolated dock in the distance. A few figures milled around it, their forms vague and indistinct against the backdrop of the darkening sky. A solitary boat bobbed gently on the dark blue waters, anchored at the edge of the dock. From this distance, the details were fuzzy, but I clung to the hope that they might be friendly.
Ikevine moved with a sureness that belied the tension of our situation. Unlike me, his demeanor was unaffected by the uncertainty ahead. His stride was steady, his stance firm, embodying a stoicism that seemed to shield him from his usual bursts of anger and frustration. In moments like this, he appeared almost detached, perhaps too engrossed in the task as hand to let emotions sway him.
We halted at the foot of the dock, which rose gently from the shore. Ikevine paused, turning to me with a stern look. "Don't open your goddamn mouth, got it?" he whispered harshly, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of unwelcome attention.
"Or what, hm?" I challenged.
"Or..." He dragged the word out, a serious undertone coloring his voice, "we don’t get the fucking boat." To emphasize his point, Ikevine gave the back of my head a sharp tap with his hand as he started up the slope of the dock.
The wood under our feet creaked and groaned with each step, the aging planks protesting our weight. It was clear the dock had seen better days and was in desperate need of repair. As we approached the group by the boat, I kept my mouth shut.
Three men stood at the end of the dock, deep in conversation. They fit the quintessential image of fishermen—wearing weathered suits and sporting stubby beards. Their voices carried over the sound of the water, thick with the same Yorothen accent as the soldiers we had just encountered—and defeated.
"Sebastian," Ikevine called out clearly, directing his voice towards the group. The man on the left turned to look at us, his expression shifting to recognition—or perhaps caution—as he heard his name. At Ikevine's call, the conversational hum among the men abruptly ceased, “Is the boat ready?”
The man identified as Sebastian removed the cigarette from his mouth with two fingers, exhaling a cloud of smoke before speaking. “You’re effin crazy taking it all the way out to Red Island.”
Red Island—is that what they called it instead of Othonar?
“Is it?” Ikevine responded dismissively, clearly not interested in discussing the sanity of their plan.
“Yup.” Sebastian flicked his cigarette into the water, where it hissed and sizzled out of existence. His eyes then shifted from Ikevine to me, assessing. “Who’s coming?”
Ikevine's hand pressed firmly against my back, shoving me forward slightly as he declared, "The boy."
"Asshole—" I muttered as Ikevine shoved me. I stumbled forward, catching myself against the dock railing. I straightened up and found myself under the intense glare of the fishermen. "Uh... hey?" I managed awkwardly, trying to regain some composure.
"He’s going by himself?" Sebastian asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice. His gaze flicked between Ikevine and me as if reassessing the situation, then his lips curled into a sardonic smile. "He won’t last a minute.”
“That shouldn’t be amusing.” I grumbled through gritted teeth.
Sebastian glanced at the other fishermen, then shrugged casually, “We’ll have to wait till the storm passes by. Too dangerous to go now.”
“Too dangerous—no, we...” I started, then quickly corrected myself as I caught Ikevine’s warning glance, “I need to get there by tonight.”
“Tonight?” Sebastian’s laugh was loud and dismissive, as if the idea was the most absurd, he had heard all day. “The storm’ll come crashing down, along with the boat. The trip’s no less than an hour, so let’s say tomorrow morning. What’s the hurry anyways?”
“The hurry’s none of your business,” Ikevine interjected sharply, tone sternly. He shifted his stance slightly, “Do you want the payment or not, eh?” Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a handful of gleaming golden Yorothen coins.
“Five pieces?” Sebastian watched them like a hungry dog, “That’s a bit excessive for a boat trip.”
"If you take Alaric tonight, you can have all of it," he stated firmly, "Tomorrow? I pull the offer to three silver."
“Hmm...risk my life for your dirty money, or safely take him tomorrow...that’s a hard choice.” Sebastian scratched his chin, trying to make the situation more lighthearted, "Okay, fine. Gather your..." His eyes briefly scanned me, a hint of mockery in his tone, "...Nonexistent belongings. You and me will set for leave. No one else will come for—well, safety reasons."
"Good," I responded, my arms crossed, watching intently as Sebastian and another man pulled the boat closer using a crank mechanism. The boat bobbed precariously on the water.
Sebastian effortlessly jumped onto the boat, causing it to dip slightly on one side under his weight. I glanced back at Ikevine, who leaned casually against the railing of the dock, seemingly unfazed by the impending departure. I nodded at him, foregoing any words of thanks.
“Just don’t fuck this up, like everything else,” Ikevine called out, his gaze locking with mine, “Good luck... you’ll need it.”
“Thanks,” I managed to say, mustering a weak smile. “Make sure Odessa’s safe?”
It was a long shot, asking for his protection, but to my surprise, Ikevine responded positively. “I’ll watch for her, see if anything comes up.” His eyes briefly flicked to the boat. “They’re waiting,” he added, his voice taking on a brusque tone.
Swallowing hard, I turned around to face the sea. “If I don’t see you again...”
“Eh... fuck off with that,” Ikevine cut me off, his tone half-joking. “Your annoying ass always comes back.”
“Right,” I mumbled, a lump forming in my throat. “Goodbye, Ikevine.” With those final words, I stepped onto the boat. The sailors untied the vessel, and as the storm overhead grew more intense, thunder rolling across the sky, we began to drift away from the dock.
I gave a small wave back to the figures on the dock, but no one responded. The wind picked up, and our boat gained speed. Clinging to the edge, I muttered, “Fuck...” This was far more terrifying than it seemed.
The dock receded into the distance, becoming smaller and more distant with each passing second. One could not help but think...If I failed to stop Belzarok in this journey to the underworld, my whole life would amount to nothing but a series of failures. But if I succeeded? At least the world would be okay. Either way, there was no chance of me making this out fine. Right?
ns 15.158.61.54da2
