Disclaimer: See Chapter One
"I need a new god," he grumbled, pushing himself out of the surf. Wiping the saltwater from his face, he finally got a look at his surroundings. All around him were chunks of broken wood and bodies. It seemed the ship had crashed. It figured. Look away for just a moment and everything goes to hell. Off in the distance were other wrecked hulls. Welcome to Gallows End.
Moving up the beach he ran into Captain Brattigan near a tidal pool. Oddly enough she looked no worse for the wear. "Are you alright? Everything in its right place?" He nodded the affirmative, gesturing to her. She managed a weak smile. "I'm alright, I suppose. Except for Tari, everyone else is dead…It wasn't quick. I heard their cries on the fog. There wasn't a thing I could do." Ymir had lost comrades before. There wasn't anything he could say to make her feel better. Only pat her reassuringly on the shoulder. He spared Tari, the first mate, a glance. He looked pretty beat up. Lacking the proper supplies to heal him properly, their only option was to reach the mainland and find help for him there. Leaving him with a vial of stamina potion, Ymir and Rast headed into the flooded cavern that seemed to lead further into the island.
It seemed like all caves in Amalur, the ones on Gallows End were filled with things that wanted to kill him. Only instead of boggarts and sprites, these caves had wonderful creatures called "scavs" that had a penchant for shooting acid at people. Thankfully, they were just as susceptible to a greatsword to the face as any other living creature. Then there was the matter of the cave ins, which as it turned out were also capable of being fixed by an excessive amount of force, this time in the form of explosions. All things considered, it was probably the easiest time he had with a cave ever… Probably because of the explosives. It seemed the dear Captain was rather resourceful. Almost as soon as they were out of the cave they happened upon a settlement where they were greeted immediately by the village's leader, Alder Malloi. He wasn't sure he liked this man. Alder was certainly a man of faith, not entirely uncommon, but there was something in his tone, or perhaps a look in his eye that put Ymir off. 'Time enough to deal with him later,' he thought. Rast asked him to search the beaches for survivors, and he would do just that. He just hoped that there would be survivors to bring back.
It had been a long day on Gallows End. While there were indeed survivors of the Calamity, Thorir Arding and his wife Asa, Ymir had also come face to face with his newest opponent, the infamous Dead Kel. His very existence defied logic. As far as Ymir knew, he, the Fateless One, was the only person to ever be brought back to life. He was brought back to stop Tirnoch from bringing ruin to the world. Kel's only purpose seemed to be slaughtering innocents. He had to be stopped. It was almost dark by the time he returned. The Fateless One did not eat with the community; he only sat on the dock, practicing the meditative techniques that Agarth had taught him in Ysa. He did not feel the cold of the ocean winds, or the hunger that should have been gnawing at his stomach, or even the screaming aches of his joints and the injuries he had acquired that day. His mind was blank, only swimming through the ether, waiting to come across some sort of answer to the challenges that faced him.
"Are you still with us, pretty?" A feminine voice shook him from his introspection. Startled, he looked up to the smiling face of Rast Brattigan. She'd wrapped herself in a thick blanket to ward off the chill of the night. "I was a bit worried, you know. You didn't eat with us. Just sat by yourself, thinking. You do that a lot, don't you?" He shrugged, staring off into the distance while Rast took a seat beside him, wrapping her arms around her legs, pulling her knees to her chest. "I'm scared, you know. Of this place… Of letting everyone down. I'm supposed to be the captain, and I can't even protect my own crew," she said softly, he voice beginning to crack. "What's to become of us, pretty? Are we just supposed to sit here listening to some old fool spout about his all-knowing god while we wait for a dead pirate to slaughter us? For the first time in my life I'm not sure everything will turn out alright. And that, more than anything scares me…" She was close enough that he could feel her begin to shake and hear her sniffling.
"I don't know what will happen to us…" Ymir wasn't known as a man who spoke often. He rarely felt the need to do so. However, if there was ever a time he felt he should say something, it was now. His voice was gravelly and rough from lack of use, but it suited his deep tone well. "I've found that whenever I get involved, the way things turn out can never be predicted. I'm the bane of every fateweaver in Amalur. However, what I do know is this: I will do everything in my power to keep us from harm." She looked at him with watery eyes. Removing his gloves, he took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. It seemed so small. "I'll make sure you get home Rast Brattigan. I'll protect you. By Thydron and all of his devils I swear this. Now rest. A captain must be strong for her crew."
Wordlessly she inched closer and pressed her lips to his cheek and leaned against him, her smile back in place. She offered him some of her blanket but he shook his head, motioning for her to sleep. This was only the beginning of their ordeal, and both would need their strength. For now, though, he would enjoy this moment. As a wise man once said, "Take what you can, when you can." Who was he to argue with a wise man?
A/N: I do accept anonymous reviews. I'd like to get some sort of feedback as to what I'm doing.