Chapter 33 - Another One Bites the Dust
It was night time in the cramped little cabin, and I was laying awake in the undersized bed. I hadn't realized how spoiled I had been with the Sutherland Inn, it had beds build enough that could fit me. Even my bedroll was bigger than the little bunk I was in.
"Alice." I said her name in a hushed tone, hoping to get her attention and avoid waking up Luka. The room was near pitch black, with a sliver of light shining in through the cracks in the old window shutter. The only indication that she heard me was the sound of her scales rubbing against the wood as she shifted. "Alma told me that you ordered her to restrain herself."
"And?" Came the eventual response from the darkness.
"I wanted to say thank you." I would have preferred if she had intervened immediately, but baby steps. She did tell Alma off and rescue the captain, so it's a step in the right direction. "I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't intervened."
She stayed quiet, making me think she'd gone back to sleep, when I saw the dim glow of her eyes in the darkness looking at me. What little light in the room was enough to make her eyes shine, if only a tiny bit. It was eerie yet strangely ethereal.
"You're welcome." She finally answered. The room returned to darkness as she closed her eyes and presumably laid back down in her coils.
I laid my head back down and stared up at the ceiling. The gentle rolling of the ship slowly lulled me back to sleep.
***
The sun had already risen past the horizon when Port Natalia came into view. Even from a distance it was easy to tell that it was absolutely bustling with activity and commerce, with ships coming and going as we made our approach. The docks were filled with people, humans and mermaids, scrambling about, crates and barrels getting offloaded off ships with even a few primitive cranes aiding in the tasks.
The docks themselves were wooden, like Iliasport, but there were a few stone walkways with massive ships alongside them. The city behind opened up into an open air market, with shops and houses lining the edges of it, and warehouses right beside the seawall itself.
Iliasport seemed like the city of the dead in comparison.
Unfortunately the Lucky Sunflower had to stop and Captain Bradford had to drop anchor outside the port as a rowboat and mermaid came up to the Lucky Sunflower. It was the harbourmaster apparently, coming to collect a fee and then guide us into a free spot along the docks.
I didn't really get a good look at the mermaid, or interact with her, but she did throw Luka a wink and a wave. He blushed and awkwardly waved back, and received more than a few elbow jabs from me.
Once all the annoying bureaucratic business was sorted out, the captain was led to an opening and we could finally park. It gave me the first real chance to get an upclose view of mermaids, since from out on the water they were far less defined…
They looked like mermaids.
I wasn't sure what else I was expecting, though they did have a pelvic fin strangely enough, I didn't remember that from the game and the only place I saw anything like that was from Monster Musume.
They moved around by either standing up on their tail in an uncomfortable balancing act, or by dragging themselves around like a seal.
"Well here we be lads!" Bradford snuck up behind us and slapped Luka and I on the back. "Port Natalia! It be a fine place to rest yer head! Provided you avoid company of thee…" He stared at a mermaid passing the ship. "Fishy variety."
"Why?" Luka asked, looking and sounding uncomfortable at the unwanted intrusion of his personal space. "Is there something wrong with the mermaids here? Are they dangerous? I thought they lived peacefully with humans."
"Aye, they do lad and that be the issue." He spun us around and leaned, speaking in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. "I've seen a great many men give into tha temptation of a mermaid with a pretty face. Do ya know what 'appens to those men?"
We glanced at each other and both shook our heads.
"They get married!" He suddenly shouted in our face. "They drag a man away from 'is crew and captain!"
I figured he was speaking from his own experiences, probably annoyed at his men choosing married life over life on the sea. If regular human women could put up with sailor, then I was sure a mermaid, someone who could actually live out in the open ocean, wouldn't have any trouble with it.
"That and it be against Ilias's Commandments!" He released us to grab the hat off his head and bring it to his chest. "I be a pious man and expect my men to be so as well. I ain't got no trouble trading with monsters, but ah, enjoying their company be a step too far. It brings ill fortunate to disobey Ilias." He jabbed me with a finger. "Keep that in mind."
"Why me?" I muttered but he had already turned around and was barking orders to the sailors. It seemed they still had some cargo in their hold that they still needed to deliver, even if it was a year overdue.
"You know why." Luka answered as we stepped off the gangplank, with Alice already waiting for us on the dock.
"Yeah, yeah." I couldn't deny the allegations. I mean he wasn't exactly wrong.
"And lass!" Bradford yelled from the ship as we walked away, causing Alice to flinch while Luka and myself looked back. "Remember what I said! It'll do ya some good to keep it in mind!"
She kept walking without turning back, grumbling insults under breath, and as we made our way up the dock and into the city we could hear his laughter echo behind us. I was curious if the two of them spoke more last night or if he was only referencing what he had said after Alma left.
"We should restock our supplies while we're here and then go to San Ilia." Luka began to plan out loud as we made our way through the crowds of humans and mermaids. "The king there is also an archbishop and centuries ago the city was a small settlement, with a bishop as mayor. Over time it grew until it became a capital of the kingdom."
It was strange seeing mermaids awkwardly shuffle around on the end of their tails as if walking. It must have taken them ages to get the balance right and build up enough core strength to support themselves. The ones that were pulling themselves around had to drag their body along the ground and avoid getting stepped on. Either option didn't really seem ideal, but it seemed to be working for them.
"And the bishop got a new title. How humble of him." Alice sardonically remarked.
"I hope I can meet with him." He continued on, ignoring her comment. "He's a wise man and every hero stops to seek his advice." A bit of awe crept into his voice. "Though," he sounded a touch worried, "I'm not baptized. He might not see me."
"You wouldn't be missing much." She shook her head. "So devoted to such a worthless 'goddess'."
"Well don't worry about it." I patted him on the shoulder. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We're running out of snacks and sweets anyway, so it'd be good to stock up on the essentials."
I looked around for any sign of a confectionery shop in sight. If Iliasburg had one then Port Natalia was sure to have one as well, but I'd settle for a bakery. I had a sweet tooth and wanted to slake it as often as I could, and in addition to that I wanted to get something for Alice.
He sighed and shook his head. "You're the only person I know that considers chocolate and candy an essential part of travelling." He chided in a teasing tone.
"Luka, don't neglect the importance of them." She chastised him with the utmost seriousness, sounding offended that he'd consider them anything but important. "They're a vital part of any meal or snack."
"Make that only two people." He muttered, trying to hide the slight grin on his face. It seemed he didn't mind a bit of banter, so long as the topic wasn't heretical.
"Just for that I won't share any with you." I said in jest, then stopped when I realized that Luka had stopped walking. He was staring intently into a nearby crowd, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
I looked around, trying to see who or what he was staring at but couldn't really find anyone that stuck out of the crowd. If anything we looked out of place, Alice and myself were head and shoulders taller than nearly everyone. I had a bit of skewed perspective of what constituted average height, so I hadn't quite noticed how tall her human form was before.
"Uh Luka," I nudged him to get his attention, "is everything alright?"
"No." He grimaced, hands balling up into fists. "I think I saw Lazarus."
The name alone triggered a memory I couldn't believe I had forgotten and I felt my hair stand on end. Lazarus was his father's best friend and terrorist, and he was in Port Natalia.
If he was there then there might be a bomb!
"Are you s-" I gripped his shoulder and began to shout before getting cut off by a sudden explosion. The marketplace seemed to shake and I suddenly found myself laying in the wreckage of a nearby stall, leaving me surrounded by splittered boards and pulped fruit.
My ears were ringing and body aching, face quickly becoming slick with uncomfortably warm blood. It took a few seconds for my hearing to return and it was filled the cacophony of people screaming. The air was filled with dust and debris, smoke rising up from some building.
I tried to sit up to get a better view but found myself pinned by a hunk of rubble, some piece of stone or brickwork. I opened my mouth to call for help, and coughed up blood. It splattered across the the stone with every hacking wheeze and failed breath I tried to take.
With shaking arms I tried to push it off, even squirming under it to get it to roll off me but to no avail. It was determined to keep me pinned underneath it. I belatedly realized that I had been holding Luka's shoulder but he was nowhere to be seen.
I frantically looked around, field of view limited by the ruined stall, but thankfully I saw him stagger to his feet. He looked around in confusion until he saw me and panic filled his eyes. "Will!"
In an instant he was beside me, struggling to push the hunk of debris off my chest. I weakly attempted to help, except it refused to budge, even when he threw his whole body behind it.
I grabbed him with a hand, and he turned to me tears streaming down his face. "Lu-" I was cut off by another coughing fit, spraying blood and spit across his face and clothing.
He stared at me with horror, but his fists were shaking in anger. "Lazarus." He darkly muttered, before turning back towards the crowd and jumping up.
"No!" I lunged forward as much as I could and barely grasped the edge of his cape. He pried himself free but stumbled and stopped to look back at me. I was shaking my head and openly sobbing, each hitched breath getting shallower and shallower.
Please no! Not alone! I can't die alone! Not alone!
He was back at my side and I gripped his hand, not wanting to let him go.
I don't want to fade away alone, like a discarded piece of trash. I had already been cut off from all my friends and family. I couldn't die on the street by myself. I-I couldn't.
In a moment of strange clarity I realized that it was ironic. I had met Luka in that field lying on the ground dying and it seemed that was how I was to leave him.
Darkness encroached on my vision as I heard Luka calling for help, but his voice seemed so distant and faint. It seems that it was not in vain however, when Alice suddenly came into view.
"Move you idiot!" She pushed him aside and shoved the debris off me. I tried to take several deep breaths, only to cough up more blood. Without hesitation she pulled me out of the wrecked stall and laid me down on my side.
I spat out a bit of blood, but found that I could actually breath. I took several deep breaths, still hacking up some blood and coughing, but better than I had been moments before. I laid there getting my breathing under control while Alice seemed to check me over.
She sighed in relief and nodded to herself, leaning down to be face to face with me. "Will, you'll live." She awkwardly patted my shoulder. "You'll be okay. I'm going to help anyone else, so stay here." She turned to Luka. "Stay here."
Like that she ran off from view, headed towards the crowds of still panicking people.
***
I found myself laid out on a bedroll on the ground, with Luka sitting beside me looking ragged. I felt like how he looked, utterly drained.
It seemed by some miracle nobody had actually died… Obviously it wasn't, since if Ilias was involved everyone mermaid would have died.
The bomb went off inside an empty classroom, since school had been dismissed early. There were injured people, mostly caused by debris and a few tramplings, but mermaid blood was quite effective at healing wounds. Within hours nearly everyone had been stabilized or outright healed.
A few mermaids had tried to get me to drink their blood, but Alice told them off. It was unhygienic as fuck and would probably have made me sick, but there was a part of me that was tempted to try said magical cure. If only for a second though, since they were insistent a few drops of blood wouldn't be enough.
I was worried that the stone had broken a rib and caused that to puncture a lung, but it was much more minor than that. It was merely crushing my chest and the blood was because I had bit the inside of my mouth.
I had nearly died… again. I knew the journey was fraught with risks and dangers, but it seemed… ironic I guess that the closest I had come to dying was getting stabbed before even meeting Luka and then getting pinned by a chunk of flying rubble.
I must have been both blessed and cursed with horrible timing. It was the reason I ended up stumbling through that portal in the first place and of course we'd arrive moments before some bomb went off, yet the stars must have been aligned to run into Tamamo.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I always seemed to have a knack for ending up in the right place at the right time to run into people that I knew, like a friend on a bus or a teacher from elementary school at the grocery store.
Alice was standing by, pensively watching over us while a doctor looked over my bruised chest. It seemed like the experience had shook her up as well, though probably less so than it had Luka and myself.
As for the doctor, he was gently pressing varies parts of my chest, getting me to breath and humming to himself. Since just about everyone else had been taken care of I was getting most of his attention for the time being, though seeing as I didn't need immediate care or surgery there wasn't much he could do.
"It doesn't look like there's any broken ribs." He putted back his hand, wiping it off on his shirt. "And since you're so insistent that mermaid's blood ain't gonna work there's not much you can do besides sleep it off and wait for your body to heal." He chuckled and patted my shoulder before standing up. "You must have Ilias herself looking out for you."
"Or surprisingly resilient armour." Alice grumbled, annoyed at Ilias receiving praise for my relatively good condition.
She wasn't wrong. The damn shirt didn't even look dented or deformed. It was pure bullshit fantasy armour and worth every single coin I had spent. It was definitely high quality elven or angelic craftsmanship.
"Well whatever the reason you're in good shape." He directed the comment towards me. "Though I'm afraid there's not much more I can do, unless you want to try my nurse's bloo-"
"No." Alice cut him off, her arms crossed and looking thoroughly annoyed that he suggested drinking blood once again. I supposed it was slightly better than suggesting leeching but not by much.
"So what should I do now?" I asked from my prone position on the ground.
"I'd suggest sleep, eat a lot, avoid injuring yourself further." He smirked and glanced towards Alice. "Unless it can't be helped, after all a bit of exercise is good for the body."
Her glare only intensified.
He walked away laughing, leaving us to process what he had said. It was strange… thinking that with a such close brush with death I was relatively unharmed. I was certainly in better shape than I was after getting stabbed, and the painkillers were quite good at dealing with my current discomfort.
I glanced up to Luka, and he still looked haggard and I still felt how he looked.
I found myself gripping his hand and pulling him down while sitting up, pulling him into a hug. He latched onto me, face buried in my neck, and I patted his back several times. There was only a handful of people I'd consider a true friend in the world I found myself in and Luka was without a doubt my closest.
We relinquished our grips after a few seconds.
"So where to now?" I asked aloud. "I'd rather not camp out in the street for the next few days."
"We could stay at the church." Luka suggested. "They might have room for us and they can help you."
"No, that's an awful idea." Alice instantly shoot him down. "You'd end up sleeping in the basement, unless you think a priest is going to give up his quarters to a random traveller. There's no privacy either." She knelt down and helped me stand up, which means she pretty much lifted me to my feet. "We're going to an inn."
My legs felt weak, despite the fact that they hadn't been injured, and I was practically leaning on Alice for support. She had pulled me up too fast and vertigo kicked in, leaving me momentarily light headed and dizzy. If it wasn't for her I'd have fallen over back onto the ground and tripped over my own feet.
He seemed like he wanted to press the issue but didn't, instead he gathered up our stuff as I was in no condition to carry much and we made our way to an inn. I had no idea where we were going, but trusted Alice to find some place that was agreeable.
***
We managed to find a place that wasn't that bad. It was nothing compared to the Sutherland Inn, but then again most hotels back home don't hold a candle to it. We got a room with two beds in it, that way we could share it. He was insistent about that… and so was I.
I didn't want to sleep alone. It was a terrifying prospect. I hated it whenever I was sick as a child, and ended up laying in my room unable to sleep. With everyone else home, but seemingly outside of reach even if I called for them. I loathed it, and that certainly hadn't changed. I was thankful that Luka kept me company whenever he could while I was recovering, during the times I was lucid anyway.
So we settled in, even if it was barely the afternoon. I wasn't going anywhere soon, and neither Luka nor Alice were keen to leave my side.
***
Night eventually fell, with Luka long since falling asleep in his own bed. I had been drifting in and out of consciousness, drained enough to nap but apparently not so to actually fall asleep. That wasn't the main reason though, my mind was racing and I was too stressed to get actual sleep.
"Fuck." I mumbled under my breath into the darkened room. I was laying on my bed, which was too short for me, and staring up at the ceiling. I had nearly died… again.
My hands gripped the itchy sheets at the thought. I hadn't even broken a single bone my entire life, but within a few months I had been on death's door a couple times. That's not even counting the extremely dangerous situations that easily could have turned deadly had they gone differently… Sylvia and Alma came to mind, as did the roper.
While I had forgiven Sylvia, since it was truly a misunderstanding, it didn't change the fact that for a moment she held my life in her hands… I still didn't regret that night spent with her.
I chuckled softly and sardonically chastised myself. "Still thinking with my dick."
… I won't be able to survive if I stay human, even if I try to sit out and hide away I know angels and chimera would come after me. I'd already painted a target on my back that wasn't going away anytime soon, if ever. I tried hiding from Alma and that's about as well as I can expect it to turn out.
As a monster though I could at least defend myself… hopefully. It'd give me better odds at any rate. I'd be stronger, faster, and more durable than I could imagine.
I rubbed my chest and winced in pain.
Maybe I could stand side by side with Luka… or at least close behind him. Ultimately when push came to shove I wanted my shoves to actually matter and to be able to punch motherfuckers in the face. I doubt it'd do much against people like Alma, but most people weren't as strong as she was.
Glancing over to his bed I noticed that Alice was awake, given that her eyes were glowing softly in the darkness. I guess she had overheard me talking to myself.
"Will," Alice softly spoke up from beside me, "I wanted to speak with you in private."
"Again?" I asked in a teasing tone. Instead of asking Luka to leave the room she waits until midnight to speak in the dark.
I didn't mind really, I was awake and besides, I enjoyed the sight of her in the shadows. It felt alluring, but more than that, like…. I was utterly vulnerable to a woman who was unhindered by the night. I could barely see her, but I had no doubt she could see me perfectly. It was like she had complete control of the situation…
I mentally shook my head.
"Yes." She responded. "The other night I spoke to Sylvia again and… she said she would have done the same thing."
"Done what?" I wasn't sure what she was talking about.
She sighed, pausing for a moment before speaking. "The… roper. She has a dim view on man eating monsters."
"Oh." I quietly muttered.
"She said she didn't care if it was human or monster, once you start killing, and eating, people then…" She seemed to hesitate, "you get put down."
"I guess I'm not surprised she feels that way. She's a monster but that doesn't mean she's going to blindly support every other monster and ignore whatever atrocity they've committed." I glanced back up at the ceiling, neck sore from having to turn to look at Alice's face.
"And do you feel that way about other humans?" It wasn't an accusation, instead she sounded uncertain, like she needed confirmation.
"Yeah." I felt a spike of annoyance at the implications, that I'd be okay with people like Lazarus solely because of the fact we're both humans. It felt like the question come out of nowhere as well. "I'm not going to ignore shit done by other people just because they're the same damn species. I thought I'd made that abundantly clear already," I resisted the urge to snap at her, "but I suppose there's no harm in reiterating it."
She was re-examining herself and her own views, so snapping wouldn't be conductive to any discussion. Plus I hadn't noticed how irritated and on edge I was feeling anyway, the chest pain probably annoyed me more than her question… probably.
Sighing I gently shook my head. I was both tired and agitated, exhausted yet my mind couldn't rest. "Alice," I broke the silence, "thank you for saving me. I'm sure I said I earlier but I think it bears repeating." It was a bit of a rush earlier so I wasn't sure if I had actually said it…
"You did, numerous times actually." I felt the end of her tail softly coil around my hand, and my grip on the sheet lessened. It was a warm and comforting gesture. "You're welcome."
"Ah good." I mumbled as I rubbed my thumb across her tail.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes, until she spoke up. "I have to leave for the night. I'll be back by morning."
I had some idea where she was going, or rather who she was going to speak with, but didn't want to voice my question aloud. It was back to assuming we were under twenty four hour surveillance, with Ilias constantly looking over our shoulder, metaphorically at least.
"Okay." I replied, and an instant later found my hand grasping nothing. I was bad at goodbyes, but I hated it when she suddenly teleported away. It made me feel lonely, and worried that she wouldn't come back.
I settled in and eventually managed to fall asleep.
***
I was woken up by a light filling the room and hearing someone softly calling my name. I slowly opened my eyes with a small smile on my face, believing that it was morning and that Alice had returned.
I blinked the sleep from my eyes and froze when I realized who it was, fear gripping my heart as my blood turned to ice. I was staring death in the face, as if the grim reaper himself was standing in the room.
Floating above the foot of the bed was Ilias herself, glad in a white dress adorned with gold jewelry. She seemed to literally radiate warmth, an almost palatable aura of kindness and love surrounding her glowing form. Her very presence illuminated the room, but it wasn't a blinding or harsh light. It shone off the veritable waterfall of blonde hair that flow down her head past her waist, as her white fluffy angelic wings gently fluttering behind her.
I gripped the sheets in fear, afraid to move or even breath.
The first, and previously only time, I saw her was when I was bleeding out, half-delirious from blood lose and painkillers. I didn't have a chance to really get a good look at her…
She was breathtakingly beautiful, and I hated to admit that. If I didn't know what I did about her I could be forgiven for momentarily believing that she actually was a truly kind and loving goddess. It was an act she no doubt spent millennium perfecting. I could see why Luka would be so quick to defend her, especially if she often appeared in his dreams to offer encouragement.
The gaze of her teal eyes felt like I was in the firing line of an execution squad, in spite of the caring, tender expression on her face. "I-Ilias." I managed to croak out. I didn't know what the say or do. The last time I saw her I was bleeding out on an operating table. I had no idea what to say or do, if I was supposed to call her lord or goddess or whatever!
She brought a hand to her mouth and giggled softly. "Do not fear oh noble Will." She brought her hands together in front of her chest. "It has been many weeks since I last revealed myself to you and came to offer you guidance on your journey. I have been watching you every step of the way, bearing witness to your acts of nobility and wisdom, as well as your mistakes."
I didn't like where she was going with it and could only lay there in fear. Her voice was pleasing to listen to and sounded comforting, but her words and presence were anything but.
"You have repeatedly broken my commandment and laid with monsters." The was a harshness to her voice, hidden under her disappointed tone.
"I-I am weak!" I stuttered, heart racing in my chest. I racked my brain to think of excuses she could buy and discarding each half-brained idea faster than the last. She's been spying on me and has probably heard me disregard Luka every time he advised against it. "A-and monsters, they are so much stronger than I."
I sat up, pulling the sheet back and ready to throw myself to the floor to prostrate before her and grovel for my life. I didn't care if it made me a coward if it meant I could appease her and live another day.
I didn't get the chance to do so however, she she floated forward and pressed a hand against my chest, gently pushing me back down. Despite almost being parallel to the bed her hair defied gravity and seemed to float behind her body, trailing in a nonexistent wind. "You have come close to falling but your commitment to Luka proves your sincerity. I am a forgiving goddess and if you continue to travel by his side I will absolve you of all sins you have committed."
I bowed my head as best I could and profusely thanked her, speaking so fast the words blended together.
I went still when she touched a finger to my lips, shushing me, and tilted my head up to face her. "I sent you to Luka because I knew in spite of your mistakes that you would aid him greatly and you have not disappointed me yet. You saved him from the roper and guided him every step of the way."
She's… still keeping up with that lie. Does she expect me to break and reveal that I made it up? Has she convinced herself that she actually did give me a vision?... Does she think some alternative Ilias did? She must know that I'm not native to this world, if Tamamo had sensed the portal opening up then there's no doubt Ilias did as well.
Whatever the reason the fragile fiction I crafted was still intact and that meant I'd continue playing devoted follower… even though I had been doing a terrible job of it so far.
"But to do that your wounds must be healed." Her expression softened as she floated back a bit and brought a hand up to her chest. "I am proud that you rejected the filthy, corrupting mermaid's blood. It may heal physical wounds but at a cost to your soul. Those that ingest it will found themselves trapped in this world, heaven forever closed off to them." She sounded approving, praising me for my decision.
I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, that mermaid's blood actually did mess with the soul, or flat out lying. With her it was difficult to tell.
She floated over to beside the bed, bare feet gently touching the wooden floor as her wings fluttered slightly. "It will take weeks for you to fully recover naturally, but fret not for I will heal your wounds." Her hands began to glow, so brightly that I had to avert my gaze and shut my eyes.
I felt one on my chest and another on my arm, only to be replaced by a sharp stinging pain. I opened my eyes and tried to see what she was doing, but was blinded by the light. I felt pressure in my arm and realize that it was like a needle. Moments later a cool tingling sensation spread down my arm and through my shoulder.
Did… did she just drug me?
I felt my eyelids get heavy as my body began feeling unresponsive. "Know this oh noble Will, if you do not fall and follow my guidance then you shall be rewarded beyond compare in heaven."
Her smiling face filled my vision as I quickly found myself going numb, dread replaced by nothingness, and then falling asleep.