As the last pirate crumples to the ground, Lucian stands amid the carnage, looking like a kid who just won a lifetime supply of candy. He turns to me, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"WOOO! Who knew I had all those sick moves hidden up my sleeves? I sure as hell didn't!"
"I did—but apparently, your play-by-play commentary has leveled up from mildly annoying to full-blown 'dear God, please shut the fuck up.'"
Lucian grins. "Is it just me, or was that better than sex?" he asks, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "I mean, not that I would know. I'm saving myself for marriage. Or at least for the next warm body that catches my eye."
I roll my eyes, wondering for the umpteenth time how the hell I got stuck with this lovable asshole as a companion—
And then, all hell breaks loose. A cannonball explodes mere feet away from me, the force of the blast slamming into my body like a sledgehammer. I go airborne, my balance shot to shit.
Time seems to slow down as I tumble towards the railing, my life flashing before my eyes. Well, not really. It's more like a highlight reel of all the times I've managed to cheat death. My luck has finally run out.
Lucian leaps into action, blurring towards me with his supernatural speed. But even he can't outrun gravity.
The impact of the railing knocks the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping. And then I'm tumbling, the world around me spinning in a dizzying kaleidoscope of blue and white. I hit the water with a splash, the icy embrace of the sea swallowing me whole.
Out of nowhere, a heavy barrel smashes into my chest and takes me down further. Just my luck—it's a powder keg. I feel myself sinking like a lead balloon, or more accurately, a lead balloon filled with dread and a spark of irritation. I finally manage to shove the damn keg off me. The clamor of the battle above fades, replaced by the muffled roar of the ocean and the relentless pounding of my heart.
It's like I've been yeeted into an alternate reality where all that exists is the bone-chilling cold, the oppressive darkness, and the searing ache in my lungs screaming, “Oxygen, please!”
Well, isn't this just a cherry on top of myshitsundae?
I sink deeper, the weight of my clothes and the force of the impact dragging me down into the depths. Panic claws at my throat, my mind screaming at me to fight, to swim, to do something. But my limbs feel heavy, my muscles refusing to cooperate.
After all the shit I've been through, all the battles I've fought and won, I'm going to die like this? Drowning in the middle of nowhere, with no one but the fish to witness my pathetic demise?
Hell no. I refuse to go out like this. I'm so done with this "drowning" bullshit. It's getting old fast. With a surge of determination and a mental "fuck you" to the universe, I force my arms and legs to move, kicking and clawing my way toward the surface.
The water resists me, trying to pull me back down into its annoyingly bright blue depths. It's like the ocean is mocking me. But I'm not having it. I won't let this overgrown puddle win.
My lungs scream for air. The edges of my vision blur, darkness creeping in like a hungry predator.
Something catches my eye as I give in to the inevitable. The water around me is crystal clear, the sunlight filtering in shimmering rays. And there, moving through the depths with otherworldly grace, is a figure that seems to have sprung straight from the pages of a fairy tale. Her hair is a billowing cloud of black smoke.
Holy shit, is that a mermaid?
I blink, my mind reeling with disbelief. I must be hallucinating, my oxygen-deprived brain conjuring up fantasies in my final moments. But before I can even process the thought, she's there, her face mere inches from mine. Her eyes are a startling shade of green, flecked with silver, that seems to shimmer in the underwater light. Her skin is smooth and pale, like the finest pearl plucked from the depths of the sea. Her tail is a sparkly silver.
She's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen, and for a moment, I forget all about the fact that I'm drowning.
She reaches out, her fingers brushing against my cheek with a gentleness that belies the strength I can see in her lithe form. Then she pulls me close, her lips pressing against mine in a kiss that sends shockwaves through my entire body.
Air flows into my lungs, sweet and life-giving, chasing away the burning ache that had consumed me moments before. My eyes widen in shock as I struggle to comprehend what's happening.
The mermaid pulls back, a smile playing on her lips."Welcome to Aquaria, land-dweller,"she says, her voice whispering into my mind—like a siren's song, alluring and dangerous all at once."Someone would like to meet with you."
I'm pretty sure my jaw is on the ocean floor now. I have so many questions and so many thoughts racing through my mind. Before I can voice any of them, she takes my hand and begins to swim, pulling me deeper into the mysteries of this strange and wondrous world beneath the waves.
Rhyland
25
TheSerpent Skulls just keep coming, their numbers seemingly endless as they swarm over the deck like a plague of fucking locusts. Our ship is barely holding together, the hull splintered and the sails in tatters as we fight for our lives amidst the chaos and carnage.
I let out a roar of fury as a pirate charges me, his cutlass flashing in the sunlight. I meet his blade with my own, the clang of steel on steel ringing out like a thunderclap. We trade blows back and forth, our swords clashing and sparking as we dance across the blood-slick deck.
But I'm done playing games. With a snarl, I lunge forward and sink my blade deep into the bastard's belly, the razor-sharp edge slicing through flesh and muscle like butter. I feel the hot gush of blood over my hand and hear the wet, tearing sound as I rip the sword free in a spray of crimson.
