Two Cruel Mistresses: Love and Sea
Chapter 10
~~Four Months Later~~
~~Arthur Kirkland~~
Four. Bloody. Months.
Normally, I wouldn't dare say such thing, but then again I'd normally be sailing on the well-stocked Elizabeth with a rather well-tempered crew. Instead I was wandering in the heart of enemy waters on the worst excuse for a merchant ship ever to grace these damned waves. Our rations were running dangerously low, even after that stop we made in Australia about two months ago, and the crew was growing surly, restless. Even without Antonio and Lovino my men have never been forced to endure conditions like these. The air was cold and unforgiving, the quarters were cramped, and our supplies were dismal at best. The voyage was brutal, and I was beginning to see why most the other crews never returned:
They probably starved on the bloody way there!
Ah, but we were close—I could smell it on the wind... Burya, Isle of Storms. The accursed tomb of Lucentis.
Now if we could only spot that damn island...
I gave a cursory glade around the ship's deck. Alfred's brother... Mathias...? Anyway he was staring miserably over the edge of the ship, sandwiched between Gilbert and the frog. Alfred himself was positioned at the bow, lazily looking down towards the waves. I felt a scowl seize my face. I will not let my men stand idle!
Conveniently, there was a shift in the winds direction, "Alright!" I barked, "Off of your lazy asses, all of you!"
Francis rolled his eyes, "But none of us are sitting, Capitaine."
I narrowed my eyes before grabbing... Maddock? And tossing his my spyglass, "Go up to the crow's nest and keep watch!" That would also keep the poor boy from being stared at like a piece of meat.
Speaking of pieces of meat, Alfred stomped over, clearly upset that I was manhandling his brother. I smirked as the younger blonde glared at me; I cut across him before he could start making a fuss.
"I want you to go fetch the map and make sure we've remained on course... And as for you two," I glared at Gilbert and that bloody frog, "Go man the sails, we're loosing speed!"
"We're on the right course," Alfred snapped at me, "I just checked the map ten minutes ago!"
I ground my teeth in frustration, "Are you disobeying a direct order?" I guess our rather impoverished state has made the lad more irritable—and a tad braver—than usual.
Malcolm tugged his brother away, worry coloring his face, "Um... I'll go get the map, y-you head up to crow's nest...!" He pressed my spyglass into that brat's hands and dashed off to fetch that bloody chart.
Alfred glared at me for several long moments. Did that boy actually think that face of his was intimidating? I rolled my eyes and returned to the wheel as he tucked the spyglass away and climbed the rigging up to the crow's nest. I had to admit, the boy was strong, nimble too. It was a right shame that he was the one to go up; I wanted him where I could see him.
"...Captain...?" I turned to see, er... Alfred's brother approaching me with the map in hand. "...We should still be on the right course... I think..." The uncertainty in his voice irked me.
"You think?" My fatigue made my own temper flare, "You think? We've only been sailing for God knows how bloody long, we're running out of supplies, and you bloody think we're on the right damned course?"
Gilbert immediately rushed to the boy's defense, "Hey! Not awesome!" He pulled the young blonde until he was out of my reach, "So what if he's a little unsure? Cut him some slack!"
I scowled once more at my first mate as I heard a thud on the top deck. Alfred had returned, still glaring at me with a murderous fury. He snatched the map from Marvin and whipped out a small compass. He positioned himself facing northward—based on the position of the sun I assume—and analyzed the map. A look of almost calm seized him, and deep thought lit his eyes for a full minute. It was... Rather entertaining to watch. Finally he rolled the map back up and threw it at me, "We need to turn about twenty degrees starboard," He pointed out the angle. "It's a more direct route and we'll be working with the wind better." Instead of returning to the crow's nest, he turned and took his original spot at the bow. Francis quickly swept Marcus towards the rigging his was fixing, and Gilbert darted after them, keen on not leaving his 'little bear' alone with the Frenchman for long.
...Gits, the whole lot of them.
The hours passed, and it was near sunset when Alfred alerted me of storm clouds on the horizon. The curious tone of the lad's voice when he beheld those clouds told me that we had finally stuck land. I gave Gilbert the wheel and rushed to the bow, plucking my spyglass from the boy's hands as I did so. I raised it to my eye, and saw that small swath of darkness.
By George that's it! It simply had to be!
~~UKUS~~
~~Alfred F. Jones~~
A positively crazy expression crossed Art—Captain Kirkland's face as he let out a hearty laugh. "Good eye lad!" He clapped me on the shoulder, beaming. I think that's the first time I've ever seen him really smile at me.
The rest of the crew—Erm... Gilbert and Francis—became wild with excitement. "This is so awesome! We finally found it!" He picked up Mattie and spun him in a small circle. "You just wait, little bear, once we get this treasure you'll be a true awesome pirate!"
Francis didn't seem too happy about his friend picking up my brother like that, and an augment ensued. They shouted back and forth until the Captain yelled at them to stop. Mattie slipped away from them and appeared at my side. "You okay?" I asked. He nodded in response, a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Everyone man your stations!" Kirkland returned to his place at the wheel, "It's rough waters from here on out!"
We were approaching the storm clouds fast and regrettably I felt a small thrill of fear course through me. I instantly pushed it aside. I mean, hero don't get scared of anything, right?
It didn't take long for our small ship to be at the waves' mercy. Water slammed over the bow, drenching nearly half of it, and the wind howled as icy rain pelted us. We all ran about the deck, dodging waves, adjusting the sail, and just trying to keep our balance. I was slammed against the side of the boat at least five times, and I witnessed Mattie nearly toppling overboard before Francis grabbed him just in the nick of time. Throughout this I saw the Captain forcefully spin the wheel this way and that, fighting to keep a straight path. He threw all of his strength into each turn, handling the ship like a real pro. Lighting split the sky and illuminated his bright green eyes. Gilbert was the one barking orders now, coordinating the angle of the sail with the turn of the wheel. Now I see why Kirkland chose him as first mate.
And so we fought the storm, with thunder booming in our ears and lighting flashing ominously in the sky. The waves continued their deadly assault, and I felt someone collide with me as I lost my footing on the slippery deck. "Al!" A voice shouted over the clamor of the storm, "Is that you?"
"Mattie?" His response was drowned out by another wave, quite literally. Another grand wall of water swept us up, crushing us into the side of the boat. Yet another rose, repeating the harsh journey. I couldn't tell which way was the deck or which way was the sky, but all of the sudden I was made very aware of the fact that my brother was falling away from me.
"MATTIE!" Futilely I reached out and tried to grab him, nearly sending myself over. I continued to scream his name as I saw him get swallowed by those dark depths.
~~UKUS~~
~~Gilbert Beilschmidt~~
"MATTIE? MATTIE NO!" Throughout the screeching winds and roaring waves my awesome ears picked up on the sound of Alfred shouting my little bear's name. It only took a second for me to register his distress. He was practically hanging off the edge of the hull, reaching for...
MIEN GOTT HE'S REACHING FOR MATTIE!
MATTIE FELL OVER!
Wha—? WHAT THE HELL DOES AL THINK HE'S DOING? The little idiot's standing on the edge, was he... Going to jump?
THE AWESOMENESS WILL NOT ALLOW THAT!
I ran over to him, using my awesome skills not to get knocked over by the incoming waves. I swatted Alfred aside and took his place on the edge. I took a deep breath and a leap of faith, diving into the waters below. Immediately I was disoriented by the roughness of the waves, but that wasn't nearly enough to make the awesome me back down!
About ten yards off I saw a patch of blonde offset darkest blue. "Don't worry little bear!" I shouted as I fought the current, "The awesomeness is here for ya!" He didn't seem to hear me, and he disappeared beneath the waves.
VERDAMMT!
Furiously I kicked and pushed myself forward, inching closer and closer to him. A wave swelled and I saw his body tossed like a rag doll. Concentrating every last bit of my awesomeness, I surged forth to where his was. I took another deep breath and dove down.
~~UKUS~~
~~Matthew Williams~~
It was... strangely peaceful under the waves... Deathly cold, but all the noise on the surface was muffled to the point where it sounded... Almost pleasant. My body was numb, and I couldn't find the strength to move. My eyes burned with the salty water, and my chest screamed for air, but I couldn't move.
So this was how drowning felt.
The fierce will of the water threw me every which way. At one point I broke the surface, and I managed one strangled breath before plunging back down.
Drifting deeper...
Very dark...
Very cold...
I sensed something approaching me, and I forced myself to open my eyes against the salty water. A large mass was swimming towards me at an alarming rate.
Please don't let that be a shark...
I'd rather drown than be killed by a shark.
The pain in my chest was unbearable; it felt like my lungs were slowly being crushed. I shut my eyes again, willing myself to black out already. Make it quick!
I was suddenly grabbed and was being pulled upwards. The deafening keen of thunder forced me from my comatose state. I struggled to breathe, but my lungs wouldn't response properly. My breath was caught somewhere between a gasp and a sob. "It's okay, little bear," I heard someone mutter, "The awesome me's got ya..." I was being pulled against the rough waves. My body was limp and my chest heaved. "Try kicking your legs... C'mon you gotta help me out here." After several minutes of struggling, my legs began to move in a feeble rhythm, keeping myself afloat. It seemed to help some, because I was being dragged faster. "You're doing great, stay with me now!" I faded in and out; I vaguely remember being pulled out of the water, pressed flush against a body—cold but still warmer than mine. A strong arm was locked around my waist and we collided with the deck.
I promptly fell to my hands and knees and began throwing up seawater. My body ached and my face was stained with the tang of salt—from the water or my tears I'll never know.
But at least I was alive.
~~UKUS~~
~~Third Person~~
Matthew knelt there, retching onto the deck as Gilbert whipped off his jacket and draped it over the boy's shivering frame. Francis dashed over, casting a glare at the Prussian before they both eased the young blonde into a standing position. "Gilbert...?" He muttered feebly, still coughing violently.
"I'm right here," The albino wrapped a comforting arm around Mattie's shoulder, effectively pulling him away from the Frenchman. "Oi Captain! I wanna take Mattie to the lower deck and try to get him warmed up a bit before we land, that okay with you?"
The older blonde let out a sigh, "Just hurry up, I still need you to man the sails!"
Alfred stumbled over to his brother's side, "I'll help you get him settled." He threw one of his younger brother's arms over his shoulder and led him to the small storage part of the ship that doubled as the crew's bedroom. "Thank God you're okay..." Alfred muttered quietly, relief flooding through him as he set his brother down. Gilbert followed closely behind, his arms now filled with the blankets that made each crew member's 'bed.'
"Can't have him catching a cold... Wouldn't be awesome..." Together they worked on wrapping the water-worn blonde in the layers of fabric.
"...Merci..."
"No prob..." Gilbert tousled Matthew's wet locks and climbed back to the top deck.
"Thank you."
The Prussian looked over his shoulder to see Alfred staring at him. His face tried to remain strong but his eyes sparkled with a fierce kind of gratitude, "...Thank you." He repeated.
Gilbert flashed what he hoped to be an awesome smile, "Well, Arthur would've killed me if I let both you drown... So I just had to save my little bear!"
Together they reached the deck and immediately set back to shifting the sails based on the ever-changing wind. The storm still raged on, and everyone had to work faster now that they were a man short. As Alfred helped Francis with one particularly stubborn sail, he caught the Frenchman in the middle of a strange monologue.
"...I could 'ave saved 'im just as easily... 'E just beat me to ze dive... I probably could 'ave done it in 'alf ze time..." Whatever the man was talking about, he seemed thoroughly embittered by it.
Little by little, the rain began to cease, leaving them all chilled to the bone. The waves calmed, but the harsh wind still carried them to a large mass of ice. The sky was clear, yet colored with the blackness of night. Thousands of stars dotted the dark landscape, and the absence of the moon gave it a cold, eerie feel.
"Drop anchor men! Prepare to dismount!" After the boat was docked the crew carefully made their way onto the isle. Mattie was the last to leave the ship, escorted by Gilbert. Each was armed with a lantern to help them against the inky darkness of the night.
Spires of ice jutted up in many odd directions, and the island itself seemed desolate and unwelcoming. Alfred took a couple steps around, being mindful of the slippery surface, "So... Where's Lucentis?"
"There's supposed to be a... Cavern of sorts," The Captain absentmindedly replied as he began to scan the ground. "Everyone... Start looking," A wild hunger entered those green eyes. He was here; Lucentis was a mere breath away.
It didn't take to long until a sharp crack and a loud shout symbolized the discovery of... Something... The crew rushed over to find a large hole in the ice, and a distinct lack of awesomeness. Captain Kirkland let out a sigh, "What did you find down there, Gilbert?"
"Looks like a tunnel!" A voice shouted out, trying to mask the pain it was in.
The Captain and Francis locked eyes for a split second; they looked back to Alfred and Mattie, then back to each other. A smirk played across Kirkland's face as he nodded toward his companion, "After you, frog." The Frenchman flashed a Cheshire grin before sweeping Mattie up into his arms and unceremoniously jumping into the hole. The young blonde let out a miffed squeak but otherwise did not protest.
"Ze jump is not far, Captain!" Francis reported, "Though I zink Gilbert might 'ave 'urt 'imself!" His tone was positively gleeful when he relayed that information.
"Bloody hell..." Kirkland growled under his breath before turning to Alfred. The boy was staring at the entrance to the cavern with a strange kind of intensity. Did he look... Worried? He seemed to have made an effort to stay back from the edge of the hole and his eyes shone with thinly veiled panic.
The older blonde stared at him curiously, "Erm... Are you alright?"
~~UKUS~~
~~Alfred F. Jones~~
I stood there, utterly paralyzed, and stared at the circle of darkness that swallowed up my brother and the rest of the crew.
God knows what lies at the bottom of that hole.
I vaguely remembered the Captain telling us about the legend of Lucentis, and how those killed by it were doomed to protect its resting place.
Killed means dead people.
Dead people mean ghosts.
Ghosts... And maybe zombies.
...And monsters and other strange creatures and darkness and death and Russians and FUCK WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!
"...Are you alright?"
I froze. Shit, Kirkland's been watching me this entire time. I took a shuddering breath, "Y-Yeah, I'm... Fine, just fine..." Okay Al, focus.
You are the hero.
You can do this.
It's just a little hole.
Just a little hole filled with despair and decay and death and the stench of failure and ghosts and zombies and those goddamn Russians...
This was going to be harder than I thought.
Suddenly I found myself up in the arms of the Captain, effectively distracting me from the horrors plaguing my mind. I felt my face flare up, and for once I was thankful it was dark, "What the hell? Put me down!" I demanded, glaring at him.
He smirked at my expression, "You're taking too long, so I though that I might assist you," He's not going to... He's not—!
We landed next to the other crew members with a light thud.
He did.
He gently set me down, a teasing look in his eyes, "Now, was that so hard?"
Francis and Gilbert began snickering amongst themselves, and it was only my returning panic that prevented me from snapping back at them. The rock walls around us were damp, as if this cavern had just been drained of water. Kirkland gave us the order to start moving, with himself leading the group of course. Mattie slipped away from between his entourage and nudged me in a comforting way. I nudged back, showing that I knew he was there. I clutched the handle on my lantern for dear life, and I could see that my knuckles hand turned white from the effort. The tunnel was tall enough so that we could stand and wide enough for about three people to stand side by side if needed. Right now it was Kirkland, Gilbert and Francis, then Mattie and I bringing up the rear.
I couldn't shake this bad feeling that I had, and the dank, dark, creepy little tunnel we were blindly walking down didn't help at all. It was like the rocks themselves gave off a sense of foreboding and dread. Deeper we journeyed and the creepier it got. From in between the cracks in the rocks an unsettling blue light began to shine. Every so often I'd feel the urge to look back, someone... Definitely was... Following us...
Suddenly it was like someone was leaning over my shoulder, every hair on my neck stood on end. Very softly, a disembodied mouth whispered into my ear, "...Get out..."
I lost it.
~~UKUS~~
~~Arthur Kirkland~~
There was a shriek, and when I say shriek, I mean a sharp, shrill, slightly effeminate cry. A shriek of pure terror.
There was the clatter of a shattering lantern and I braced myself for attack. After a few moments of nothingness I raised my own light high to see Alfred cowering against the wall of the tunnel, he was hunched in a ball shaking like a leaf and those eyes reflected the utmost magnitude of fear.
I let out a small chuckle, "Now what's eating you boy?"
He jumped and frantically looked for the source of my command. His widened eyes fell on me and I was reminded of the image of a cornered rabbit, mute with fear, uncontrollable quivering and white as a sheet...
"I-I heard a v-voice..." He whimpered. "I-It told m-me t-to get o-out..."
I cast an amused glance at my fellow crew mates and instantly Gilbert and Francis burst into laughter. They started making jokes and imitating ghosts. However, even in the low lamplight, I saw the face of Alfred's brother flame up in rage.
"Shut up!" Mateo spat at my first mate and the frog while rushing to his brother's side, "For once in your lives will you two just shut up?" The outburst wiped the humorous looks off of their faces, and as the young blonde knelt by his brother's side it finally sunk in.
Alfred was truly scared beyond his wits.
I stared at him curiously. What was this strange phobia? Was it just a figment of the lad's imagination, or did some specter really speak and scare the boy halfway to Davy Jones's and back?
Before I knew it the words had left my lips, "Frog, take Marcus and Gilbert and go on ahead..."
"His name is—"
"Just go." The tone of my voice left no room for arguments. Francis gently tugged Mason away from his brother and the three began to move. I crouched down next to Alfred and saw trails of tears gleam in the lantern-light. I reached out a gloved hand and cupped his face, brushing those tears away with my thumb, "Shh..." I soothed, "There's no reason to be afraid..."
Bright blue eyes flashed to mine then looked away, embarrassed. I could tell that he thought he had plenty reason to be scared.
Slowly I titled his chin so that he was looking at me again, "Tell me what's wrong," I commanded softly.
It took a moment, but eventually I got him to talk. He apparently had an irrational fear of the undead since he was a child. He swore that he heard that voice speak to him and cited the legend I told as a reference.
So perhaps that bit is true as well.
Eventually I stood up, "Well, there's no shame in admitting your weaknesses... I just wished you'd told me before."
"Wait... Why?"
I kicked a small smoking pile of iron and glass, "It would've saved me a lantern..." He apologized and I helped him stand up. The look in his eyes was innocent, but still with a trace a fear. The familiarity of those eyes floored me when I realized where I had seen them before.
Soft, tear-filled, frightened blue eyes, Peter's eyes on the night I told him our older brothers would never be coming home. I was overcome with the fiercest urge to protect the boy in front of me, and I embraced him in response.
I will not let anything happen to this lad.
I never want to see those painful eyes again.
Surprisingly enough, Alfred hugged me back. "Nothing will hurt you, not any voices, not any undead beings that dare show themselves..." I trailed off, trying to think of something else.
"Not Russians?" Alfred suggested quietly.
"Especially not Russians!" I replied while releasing him. I smirked and fondly patted his head, "None of those ghosts or zombies or nasty Russians will harm you while you're a member of my crew."
He fleetingly seemed much younger than he looked, like a small child seeking reassurance, "O-Okay..."
And with that I continued down the tunnel's path, pausing only when I felt a tug of my coat sleeve. Alfred had now firmly attached one of his hands to my arm via his grip, and the pink dusting on his cheeks hinted that he didn't plan on letting go anytime soon. I rolled my eyes and allowed the boy to hang on.
Hell, I think that—for a moment—I even liked him there.
A/N: Hey everyone! Fellow author Storm Midnight here! (I'm the Kait that aphfangirl7476 has been mentioning every so often) I'm so glad that I got an opportunity to help out with this, and I had a lot of fun creating the Lucentis Arc! I can't thank aphfangirl7476 enough for giving me the honor of writing chapters 10 and 11. Writing this was so much fun, and it was a nice break since I've had Writer's Block with my own stories. I hope you've enjoyed my style of writing thus far, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the conclusion of the Lucentis quest!
A/N: Yeah yeah it's me again! Wahoodles! Yeah look like my story is back on track! Thank god Kait wrote this or it wouldn't get done. And again thank you all for reading. It means the world to us! XD Yeah Chapter 11 should be out soon but no promises for 12 cause I'm a really slow writer unlike some. But today is the first day of summer so I should get more free time. Which means writing and drawing time! El yay! Yeah I'll shut up, but again thank you! Happy Birthday Iceland! :D
P.S. saying aphfangirl7476 is annoying so I'm just using my name now. XD
~Ashley out