Chapter 5: Unexpected

The wind violently caressed my hair, and the faster I rode, the heavier it got. The violent sound of a metal, oil drinker stallion filled my eardrums. But I could not hear it, as my mind was submerged in the thoughts of a struggling friend. And, just like that, lost in my thoughts and expectations, a beast of a two-wheel ride rode the land like if it was nothing. The smell of grass being pulverized due to the speed of the wheels, along with the feel of smoothness, like if I was riding over water when I was riding over sand, made this journey more pleasant.

As pleasant as it can be when you know a friend of yours may be dying in this moment.

I took the old man´s advice, and purchased instead a metal beast. There were many choices; some were weird machines like a three wheeled bike, or a boat with wheels. I saw a stallion made of metal and gears between the rarest, yet most expensive of all the vehicles. My eye was caught by the image of a beautiful black painted, chromed, and two-wheeled with massive tires motorcycle. The seat was curved from the gas tank, to the seat, but then raised up due to the mudguard. It seat was covered in leather, and it was chromed in every metal part.

"Beautiful machine, am I right?" A cowboy, a man that went by the name of Arthur Ford, spoke to me.

I did not reply, and I just nodded. After that, I just took out of the inner pocket of my jacket, a bag full of gold coins. I took his hand, opened it, and just laid it there. He was shocked because of such fast transaction, but he went along with it. I sat on top of my new stallion, and he took the keys out his pocket and placed them in the handle. Like if I had rode bikes all my life, I just started that thing and went off.

"Just wait for me. Please, give me more time" I whispered to myself, as the journey had been long, and desperation was taking over.

The journey had started at 03:00 pm, and, after looking at the clock inside the handle, I realized that the journey had taken almost twelve hours already of just ravaging the land, filling it with smog and the cry of a fast beast. I held even tighter the handle as every minute passed, but it was getting very hard. For the past four hours, an unforgiving storm poured water violently all over the country side. Just thirty minutes ago, hail and lighting started to leave the black night skies.

My eyes started to blink really fast, a sign of exhaustion. The insomnia was passing the bill, but the adrenaline was refusing to pay it, so I just breathed really hard and accelerated even more. The tank was almost out of gas, as the sound of liquid moving was becoming smoother and lower. It didn´t mattered, even if the bike was going to give on me, I would just leave it in the middle of nowhere, and walk the reminding's of the path.

I would do anything necessary to my destination.

Anything

The smell of this place was familiar. You never forget the smell, or at least feel, of the place where you grew up. I had both at this moment. Finally, I was once again in the grassland´s, were I was once a prince. The storm was growing up; you could feel the wrath of nature pouring all over us. I passed to the side of a camp, a settlement of just small tents. It was sad to see those tents being hit by the winds. Screams and cries of child's could be heard, along the whispers of parents telling them it will be alright.

No, it won´t. When you live in the sea, you learn that there is no such thing as mercy in nature.

My eyes were focused on my future, of what was in front of me. Just random lightings, raindrops, little hail pellets, and all of the black clouds that could be seen. There were no moon, no stars. It seemed like if there wasn´t any sky at all, just shadows. But a shadow was all that I needed.

I switched gears once more, and using the advantage of the flatness of this part of the grassland, the bike hit full speed. The lights could have shown me what lay ahead, but they weren´t necessary. My jacket was soaked in the outside, yet dry in the inside. The T-Shirt too, but I couldn´t say the same about the cestus gloves, shoes and pants.

Endless water hasn´t been able to drown me, this small storm won´t even harm me.

Lightings started to rain, the skies were clear for short periods of time. I didn´t even flinched, either to the sound or light. Between shadows created by darkness, and silhouettes shown by the light, I saw a gigantic tree rise up from the land, almost touching the sky, fearing nothing. It was only a silhouette, but, after a little white flower landed on my right shoulder, I knew where I was.

I was home.

There was still a path ahead, just a couple hundred meters, which the beast easily traveled in a handful of minutes. I didn´t feel them, as the biggest feeling of nostalgia during this long three years raid my mind. So powerful, that the seriousness of my face during my journey, was now a smile.

Shadows were still the picture, but I could see now in all its mighty that old oak fight the forces of nature. Water, wind and lighting. Nothing could make the old house inside the tree trunk rumble, move or even twitch. Bring backs memories of pyjama fights, pillow fortresses', long naps, hot cocoa and videogames, the warmth of a family, the warmth of love.

But this night is cold.

I could now hear the sound of the motor bouncing back with the wood of the tree. For first time in four hours, I turn on once again the lights. Those things waste gas like if it was water, and I needed as much for this journey. At least is over.

The closer I got, the more fear took over my mind. Realizing that I had to face my consequences of leaving was never a recurring thought. Yet, this insomnia caused them every day. A message coming from my dreams, but is a privateers duty to know that they only hold a dark future.

Finally, I arrived. There was still a short path to walk, but the bike was already too hot, instantly evaporating hail to the touch. Rain was still washing the land off, so putting my hood was unnecessary. Before turning of the motorcycle, the lights were hitting ye old wooden door. It was scratched, full of wanted, witch inside, eviction and Royal Council Tax evasion notice. The RCT was the worst, as privateer say that they would burn buildings, hire pirates to destroy vessels or kidnap family members just to get the taxes paid.

Heaven is never too expensive, not even when you sail the rivers of hell. I stared at the old gate to an abandoned home, and saw how scratches and demonic symbols were carved onto the wood. Back in the day, a noon of a hot summer, I remember visiting Marceline´s cave with Jake, and those same symbols carved the rock of the place. That could only mean that Marceline had been sleeping here.

It had been a long night, and my body was begging me to sleep. An hour will be enough, and then I will only have to eat and fill the gas tank. We´ll be good to go then. I was walking to the door, touched it, and felt how old the wood had gotten. After slightly touching the door, it immediately opened. I entered the old house, and saw how many things were intact, even though this place could be easily wiped out.

Logically, treasures were wrong. The old cabin attached to the tree house as front door was empty, no gold or chests could be seen. There were holes in the walls, and some part of its tin roof was removed, letting me appreciate the continuing storm, while lightings illuminated this old shackle. It was empty, old, and depressing.

After climbing those exaggeratedly stairs I once helped to build, and passing through the tree trunk that was once storage of gold instead of spider web and dust, I finally reached the first living room. Everything was pretty much the same, and my standards were not high. I knew that this place was abandoned, but seeing it with the curved couch, the ragged painting, the freezer and pretty much everything else, made me rave of happiness.

Lightings still came through the windows, letting me see how gloomy this abandoned place looked at night. Roots and leaves were everywhere, showing us the power of nature when it wants to claim what it´s hers back. And she does it merciless, just like an old, young lady I have to check on. I looked everywhere, but there was nothing to eat except the growing, little rounded pink fruit growing of the bark of some little trees growing inside the floor.

They tasted sugary and had a lot of juice inside. When both hit my stomached, I realized how hungry and thirsty I was. Seeing all that water poring over and I didn´t even drank a drop. My next room was my old bedroom.

Entering it was exhausting, I felt instant need to sleep the moment I saw my bed. Like most of the things in the tree, everything was still there. Those ragged pelts, the wardrobe Jake used to sleep in, the desk, etc. Clothes couldn´t be found, or at least male clothing. I saw some black underwear topping the blanket, and after removing some pelts, I saw Queen´s Bubble-gum old rock T-Shirt in the same place as some black lingerie and red panties.

No questions to ask.

The wardrobe and basically every place where you could put clothes were filled with some of the princesses clothing. Be it underwear, regular shirts, socks, or even full long dresses. I could easily recognize that the clothing were property from the princesses, as they always used to repeat the same clothing and colour scheme in their clothing. After saving princesses for so long, you start to see something else than faces and tiaras.

I climbed out of the window, and slowly walked to the boat-balcony attached to a strong branch coming out of the window. All the paint was peeled off, and just little dots and stains of paint could be seen. The wood wasn´t rotting, but it was getting old and soft. The telescope was gone, the umbrella too. It was a beautiful view.

The land extended farther from my vision capacity, but it was dark, and you could barely see anything. Everything was toned gray, but, this destruction was beautiful. It remembered me the night I became Captain, it was like seeing black and white, until everything went red.

Some thunders and lightning bolts here and there, some forest starting to burn, some people being shocked, and the roar of the always loving, but never forgetful, mother nature. I decided to return, and remembered why I didn´t even went there in the first place, it´s just boring. My next location to be was the second living room, with the old gramophone and tall, purple sofa. There was some wood to side of the black chimney, and it was freezing. I decided to strip off my clothes, excepting my pants. I lighted on the chimney, and then attached a cord wall to wall, close to the chimney, to dry my clothes. Because it was dry, I wore once more the leather jacket.

I sat there a couple of minutes, and saw time burn. The flames moved from side to side, sometimes random, sometimes in patter. What was sure was that it was always unpredictable. Could it be controlled? That thought remembered me of that young fire lady who Jake tried to introduce me too. It was hard to hear her name, as I was far from the coast because the shipped had already sailed. I remember Jake run down the docks, screaming my name, seeing a blast of fire, with the upper body of a beautiful girl attached to it, chase Jake. He was sweating, almost crying. I forgot what he screamed, but it was related to founding me a girl to spend time with. I was really depressed that day, my mind was cloudy, my senses numb, and my heart broken.

Out of nowhere, I started to hear some sobbing. Little cries for help, almost muted by the falling rain. I could still remember the places and rooms of this house, and I knew were the sobs were from the attic.

I saw the door to the attic to my right and decided to go to it. Go out with just a jacket and soaked pants wasn´t a good idea, and, due to adrenaline running out, I felt the freezing water and hail in my skin. I was pale, and started to sneeze a lot. The Attic door closed itself due to the winds, and shivers started to rule my body. Walking through the moving bridge was exciting, because it was like walking in an earthquake. I approached the entrance, and I saw a shadow shivering, sobbing, and covered by black hair.

Could it be…?

The silhouette didn´t reveal much but something that was shivering, crying and alone. I approached what or who was sleeping in the attic, seeing the long, black hair that shined every time lighting burned the ground. Without any anticipation, a current of really cold wind passed through the whole for a door the attic has. When I felt it, I shivered and bit my teeth really hard, but that something, lying there, shivered like a lost wolf pup in the artic, crying for its mother. I was just a feet away from him or her or that. I crouched, and, out of curiosity, decided to caress the hair. So soft, and ironically warm. The moment I touched, it started to talk, proving that it was a female.

"…Finn…Finn…Finn…help…me…" She sobbed every pause, asking me for help.

Her voice was cracking, and it was low. Really low, and it sounded like she was sick, and didn´t had drank anything in days.

It is.

Without further though, I took with my own hands the figure, and moved to me, turning it so I could see her face. Her skin was gray as always, but it was darker. Her blood was probably starting to loose rapidly any remaining warm she has. As illogical as it seems, she´s still alive somehow. Even though she´s a demon and vampire, that doesn't mean the force of nature is not able to kill her.

I kneeled to her, and decided to touch her forehead. Some locks of black hair were covering it. It was cold, really cold. She was still sobbing, and started to sweat. Her sweat was hot, while she was cold.

She´s sick.

Violently, she started to rumble in the floor. Her fangs suddenly appeared, and she started to scratch everything that was around her. She was moving so violently, that she almost fell through the trap hole in the middle of the room.

"Ah!" I gasped in pain after she scratched my left cheek with one of her nails.

Seeing her moving everywhere, and almost falling, caused an unconscious reaction that made me pick her up. In the process, damage was caused. But it was totally worth it.

I grabbed her from the floor, a few feet away from the trap hole, in a bridal position. She fought a little why I raised her from the floor, but when she was in my arms she started to calm down. Her sobbing was quieter now, and a little bit of warmth started to fill her. It was as much I could ask now.

"Don´t be afraid, Marceline. I´m here now" I looked down at her, and I saw how she went back to a calm sleeping position.

"Finn…" She whispered once more, with a much more tired tone.

She smiled at the end of that whisper, which made me smile back. Without second thoughts, I brought her back into the tree-house. During our trip back, I glanced at her many times. It didn't matter if a lightning bolt struck right in front of me, or if the moon itself would fall right behind me. I just could not stop looking at her.

We entered the tree house, and I saw my clothes almost dry due to the heat from the stove. Softly, I laid Marceline in the ground, and realized that she was wearing just a white crop top, a black bra and a totally destroyed, and ragged, black jeans pants and now shoes. It was a pretty "Vampire Queen style", which is what she always wore. But it wasn´t her cloths what startles me, because I don´t give the slightest of fucks about that, but the amount of time she endured the storm with such light clothes. It was amazing what a half vampire, half demon lady can achieve.

I patted my shirt, the gloves and everything else. I stripped once more, but decided to leave the jeans to dry up this time. The shirt covered in a nice way my boxers, which luckily were not soaked. Just a little wet. She was still shivering in the floor, and, because I was barefoot, I could know why. It was freezing. I took my jacket, and let it dry a bit for around five minutes.

She was still shivering, but at least the sobbing had stopped. I sat to her side, and started to caress her beautifully long, black hair. It was as black as this night, which could have almost killed her. I never was the kind of right guy in the wrong place, but I feel that this was that kind of situation. I took her arms, and sensed how cold they were. I went for my gloves, and put them back on. With speed, I rubbed them to heat them up. After feeling the gloves warm, I rubbed them in the arms and belly of Marceline.

Her cheeks instantly redden as I moved my arms through her arms and abdomen. She moaned a bit, not of pleasure, but as when you try to breath after holding your breath after a really long time. Her skin colour was better now, and the temperature of her body was enough to avoid her dying from hypothermia.

The jacket dried totally, and it was time to put it on her. It was easy; she was knocked out due to exhaustion. The jacket perfectly fitted her, with lots of space to spare obviously. Weird enough, when I turned back to put on my half dried pants, I heard her sniffing. I turn back, and half of her face was inside the jacket. She was breathing heavily, as if she was trying to recognize the smell. When all that sniffing ended, she smiled. I was dumbfounded, but when along with it.

I carried her through the house in a piggyback way. It was hard, not because of her weight, as she is almost as light as a feather, but the total lacks of any light that wasn´t a really faint grey. She slipped a few times, but not enough for her to fall.

We finally arrived to my bedroom, and I immediately decided to tug her in, and put as many furs and sheets as I could find to warm her up more. She moved a bit when she was in the bed, but in a few matter of minutes she started to sleep. Her breath told me that she was sleeping very well.

"Rest, little bad girl" I said while rubbing my eyes, with a smile on my face.

Thunders, lightings and hail still rain with rage from the clouds, but, for the first time in this night, I saw an actual light in front of my eyes. My tired, privateer eyes, saw a resting, gray and young powerful light in front of them. I decided to return to the second living room for my reminding clothes, and to turn down the stove as I don´t want to this place to burn down with Marceline inside.

I went then to the first living room, and decided to drop dead on top of the rounded, soft sofa. When I did, I realized that it was even softer now. Sometimes age is something good. I went to the bedroom and grabbed some extra sheets and a pillow for me, when lightning struck the horizon. The light shined the whole bedroom, and the glass from the window was totally shattered.

In those very few moments of light, I took a glance at myself. I realized that everything was pretty much the same, excepting one thing. Me. I don´t belong here anymore, but I don´t care. Lots of things have been taken away from me and I´m not going to quit to this again. I could only hope that tomorrow would let me start over.

I´m home