Episode Three

Painful Farewell

Darkness... A world under the toxic veil of Death, shrouded in its endless corruption, betrayed. The mighty vessels that had once sailed the oceans now all lay wasted, rotting under the waves of boiling blood. The earthly soil is nothing more than scorched ember under the demonic power of the crimson sun, while the putrid stench of the dead seeks out and suffocates anyone who still dares to be alive.

Crows, these black messengers of the end are feasting upon the flesh of the fallen, who were lucky enough to find immediate peace in their cessation of existence. The rest on the other hand got trapped under the curse, their souls could never be set free from the chains of lifeless servitude. They now roam these lands as the slaves of Death, noiseless, with only their azure flames to warn you of their presence. A thirst for blood that can never be quenched, a need for the hunt that can never be fulfilled, these skeletons are left behind as the sole authority, to cleanse this world of all its impurity.

Right now, they are on the move again, recently caught the trail of someone very important. Just like a red shadow, Ágnes is running through the field of bones, fleeing from Death with all of her will to survive this task. Her clothes tattered, torn, her hair messy and unkempt, as she haven't had a single day of rest for so long. She is looking for a shelter, a home, anything that could help her stay alive just a little bit more, but the ruins of this age provide no such support. Her heart is beating faster than ever before, but breathing is already too hard to do.

She finds momentarily peace in the remains of a large building. A tavern in the past, but which the blight had long time ago conquered. The wood is rotten, the windows are broken, and the walls are all painted with the blood of those, who made this place their last stand. Ágnes looks around, careful, checking each and every corner for possible threats that might jump at her, but the weak floor gives way to her steps, and this is something she could not see ahead. Within the blink of an eye, the ground opens beneath her and the depths of the earth swallows her body whole. Not even the loudest of screams could escape this trap that was set for her, but fate did not let the struggles of the girl end in such a way, no, she has had many more sins to atone for. Ágnes' tired eyes slowly open up, although she is unable to look around this time. The light have left her when she fell, pitch black surroundings are her new companions in these final moments.

As she reaches out with her shaking hands to grab hold onto something in the darkness, her curious fingers touch a strange object in front of her. At first, she has no idea what to make of the suspicious form, but none of those doubts would matter in the minute that will follow. All of a sudden, blue light shines up in the cave, as azure flames burst up from inside of the skull, burning the hands, which got too close to it. The bloodcurling face of Death has appeared before her, inches away from her own, and Ágnes screams out on the top of her exhausted lungs. She wants to back away, escape, crawl, whatever that would get her away from the monster, but as soon as she tries to, tormenting agony strikes her legs, broken from the fall.

She has lost so many friends, her family, and now even this fragile body abandons her at such a crucial moment. The voiceless creature lunges forward and opens up its flaming mouth, trying to imitate an angry scream, then grabs hold onto the pulsing neck it was hunting for so long. The skeleton slams Ágnes back onto the ground, pinning her against the hard rocks. The girl attempts to struggle, to fight back with whatever strength she has left, but to no avail. The Death has quickly had enough of the annoying flailing, and so with its free arm it effortlessly broke the wrist of the prey.

A painful scream could be then heard echoing in the caves. It was over. She lost. Her strength has finally left her. She was tired, hungry and dehydrated, with immobilizing pain rushing through her veins, and so when the skeleton raised up its arm to deliver the final blow, Ágnes just simply submitted herself to the power of the demon. She closed her two beautiful eyes, not wanting to witness the flames that would strip her of her life.

I***I

Her soul could not bear this weight any longer. As if an orchestra of trumpets had awakened her, Ágnes quite literally jumped out of her bunk. Not even bothering to put her legs down first, her fall on the hard deck floor would have been an amusing sight for anyone to enjoy. When the girl at last came to her senses, the very first thing she did was to look around and examine her surroundings, fearing that she might still be in danger. It took quite a few minutes for her to wake up completely and realize, that the entire ordeal was nothing more than a nightmare. Another one.

It was the dawn of last day of the week, the end of the route over the sea, but the latter half of the journey was far less pleasant than how it was originally trusted to be. Ágnes has had frequent bad nights ever since that incident on the island, often with multiple nightmares following each other, and the captain has even lent his own private cabin to the girl, in hopes that some personal space could help her recuperate. Needless to say now, it did not work.

The girl wiped off the sweat from her forehead, and as she swayed her hand in front of her eyes, she was more than surprised to see that odd bone knife in her strong grasp. How did that even get here, she asked herself, completely dumbfounded. Last time she saw of it, it was the night when she left it at the railings, but that was days ago. Did maybe the captain find it?

Under normal circumstances she would have kept thinking more about this bewildering puzzle, however, that attempt was abruptly interrupted, when she's heard a sound that she has been awaiting for a very, very long time now.

"Land, ho!" shouted an excited sailor from the crow's nest. His rusty, unique voice rang through the vessel.

Ágnes carefully slid the trinket into her pocket, so that she won't lose it a next time, and since she was already dressed up and ready to go, she immediately rushed outside to check out the sights for herself. Of course, she could not see a thing on the horizon just yet, for quite a while that was the sole privilege of the man up top, but as time has passed and they got closer, even Ágnes could fall in love with how fascinating that enormous island looked. Seemingly endless ridges of grey mountains, a barren land that humanity somehow managed to tame. It just grew and grew, almost to the size of a continent itself, fitting, as it was the largest island this world had to offer.

"Tigerleaf Mountain." said the captain as he stepped to Ágnes' side. "The Gate of Meridian. And also, I guess it will be the place to say our farewells."

Part Two:

This island was an honestly busy world in the Onyx archipelago. The town itself, as the captain had described it before, was centralized in a quiet valley, but there were parts and districts that were not afraid to creep up into the hills. Just like a squid, it reached out with its countless arms onto the windy hills, in order to expand.

Thanks to its perfect location, Tigerleaf has flourished. Being to sole connection to both the mainland and the Jade archipelago, heart of the Meridian, it was not at all surprising to see this once small restocking outpost grow into one of the most important pieces of power to hold. In addition, the protecting cape of the mountains also gave home to many iron and stone mines, which alone have supplied most of the archipelago with materials. Tigerleaf Mountain was, without a doubt, a powerful force to be reckoned with. Its strong economy allowed for a peerless armada that was never to be underestimated, never to be challenged.

Ágnes gazed upon at the large ships in amazement. Half a hundred vessels have filled up the bay, some even anchoring down straight there in the distance of the deep waters, as space was a scarce resource to come by here. Passing them, the girl encountered a sudden feeling of littleness. For all her life, the largest ships she ever saw were of merchants, but compared to these monstrosities, she... no... even this whole brig was nothing more than a small fly, lost in the shadow of giants. They were the lords of the ocean, and she was nothing more than a speckle of dust, pushed around by the weakest of gusts.

"Grand frigates..." whispered the first mate to himself with a hint of fear in his voice. "What are they doing here?"

The sun itself was covered for a moment by the three enormous masts of the state-of-the-art warship right next to them.

"It may be a blockade." supposed the captain, sharing the anxious feeling of his friend.

He, as with most of his men, instantly recognized that distinct red paint on the hull. All of these powerful frigates were boasting the strength of the navy of Tigerleaf Mountain, though their concentrated presence was most surprising.

"Blockade?" queried a sailor, unable to see hostile forces on the horizon. "What for?"

"Better question be why does all of them look so dang empty?" The bowsman was visibly disturbed by this silence. "Gives me the shivers, it does!"

Gentle waves helped the brig drift into port, where a single free spot was awaiting them at one of the docks. Ágnes was enthusiastic about the arrival. Soon she will experience her very first steps on civilized land outside her own, a taste of life on these wild archipelagos. The captain on the other hand wasn't so keen on letting her go. Not into the unknown, at the very least. The girl was just about to jump down from the ship, when a strong arm snatched her shirt from behind, pulling back the light body.

"And where might you be going?" the captain asked, much to the confusion of the girl, he then pointed back at the hold, making clear his intentions. "Aren't you forgetting something? I may have hired you for a single route only, but as a full-time employee. So hasten your steps, we have to unload the cargo!"

Saying that Ágnes was shocked by this revelation would have been an understatement; the redhead wished the last day to be effortless. She was tired, exhausted by the long week on the sea, and so all she wanted to do was to fetch herself some precious alone time, far away from the salty air that got burned into her nose. To feel the solid ground beneath her soles!

With that thought came the fire, a passionate flame that lighted up within her soul. The sooner she finishes with this task the faster she gets to enjoy what this town has to offer. Therefore, Ágnes ran down into the hold without hesitation to bring forth the first of many crates, soon to be followed by the fellow sailors who did not want to lose to her in this race. The captain overlook their work with fatherly care, nonetheless, he was worried. This silence, this foreboding emptiness surrounding them left his mind restless. He was hoping that the plus time the unloading can give them might allow for some progress, to find a cause for what has happened, yet his mate in the crow's nest failed to see anything, anyone of interest.

The sun was already high in the sky by the time they have finished. Having completed their work for now, the sailors disembarked the vessel one by one, leaving behind Ágnes, leaning on the railings for what she thought to be her final time on this ship. Her elegant legs did not carry strength in them, as her whole weight was pressed onto the hard wood, so that she could catch some quick rest. The girl was in a rather bad mood, cheerless, that much was obvious for the good ol' captain. A young lass was frowning, he could not allow that under his watch, much less on his ship!

"Where'd your enthusiasm go? he asked, startling the girl, who was deeply lost in thought.

This sudden question easily made Ágnes jolt up in surprise. Her long, straight hair fell forward, hiding those sparkling hazel eyes away from this world, and it took a few moments for her to clear the red locks from her vision.

"It got trapped in one of those crates." She let out a quick sigh, implying her exhaustion, but then followed up her answer with the true problem that was bothering her soul. "I almost left without saying even a thank you."

The man let out a hearty laugh.

"No, you almost left without taking this." he responded, trying to imitate Ágnes, then handed over a small pouch to the girl, which he had prepared early in the morning. "Your payment for the hard work you've done. Two hundred and thirty worth of pieces of eight." Amazement followed his voice, as Ágnes could not contain her excited emotions. She was struck dumb, speechless, the fact that she was working for actual money completely eluded her since the start of the journey. "I am afraid I can not give you more. We too only get paid once we return to the mainland with some goods from here, limiting our coffer, though that amount should last you a few days, 'til you get some other job."

"N-no, it's okay..." stuttered the girl under the effects of the shock. She held her very first earnings in her life, this was unbelievable! What to say? How to react? Should she bow? Someone, quick, tell her what to do! "Thank you!" she shouted unexpectedly, as a last resort move.

The captain smirked once again. Truly, this week has been one unforgettable experience so far, and not just for the two of them, everyone had fun on this vessel. At first, the man had his doubts when he allowed the girl on, rightfully fearing for her safety, but it was good to see that throughout all those harmless misadventures aboard the deck, almost all of the crew grew to like Ágnes as a little sister to be taught and protected. She was but a butterfly, opening up her wings to fly out into the endless skies, seeking her path.

Well, that path almost took a horrible turn halfway into the voyage; the stubborn bruises on Ágnes' neck were attesting that. The crew tried not to think about that day, make it so that it never existed, written off, scrapped. No clear explanation has surfaced about that incident yet, the girl was adamant on trying to hide it, and since the implications made all of the men uneasy, they too tried no to pry her for information, and let the iron teeth of time to grind away the past.

The captain put his left hand on the shoulder of the girl, in hopes of channeling some confidence into her.

"Do not repress anything inside of you, okay?" he said with a kind, fatherly smile. "Let everything out naturally, and always stay who you are.

Ágnes did not understand why the man has said these words, but give him a nod nevertheless to show that she will heed the advice that was given to her. She then tried to put away the pouch into her pockets, however, that was fed way too many coins to actually fit into any of them. Seeing this, the captain had asked her to stay still for a moment, while he ran back into his cabin for reasons unstated. In a minute, he was already back by her side with a brown colored shoulder bag, which he then gave to the girl as a parting gift.

It was an old piece of work, sewed together from simple leather. The stitching was worn out and the bag itself had many stains, but at that moment in time, none of them mattered for Ágnes one bit.

"Here, this might also help you!" said the captain, as a way of explaining his intentions. He then also pulled out a red bandana, which he firmly tied around the head of the girl, careful, not to pull any of that beautiful hair by accident. "It will protect you from the sun. Lately it has been hotter than usual, so make sure to keep it on at all times!"

Ágnes was more than humbled by this heartwarming care. Her eyes got all watery thanks to the upcoming tears, but she knew that if she'd start crying now, parting ways would be all the more harder to accomplish. She will forever cherish this one week! With that thought, the girl dropped down the pouch into her new bag, then, when the captain wasn't looking for a fleeting moment, the bone knife also got slid into the dark, leathery depths.

When she was completely ready at last, Ágnes snatched up the bag onto her shoulder, and with a farewell smile on her face, she too has disembarked the merchant brig, in order to discover this brand new world.

Part Three

As luck would have it, the sightseeing was quickly put off by the intolerable hunger that made her mouth water. The sweet smell of freshly baked bread was creeping in the air, lurking on the streets of Tigerleaf to find a new prey it can lead to its destiny. Ágnes was immediately enthralled by this wonder, and so her nose led her to the local tavern, which the smell had called its home.

It was a large, two story building with a very fancy outlook to it. Not a crack on the walls, no stains on the terrace... a completely different level of luxury than what her small hometown could offer. Sword in the Stone, this is what the nameplate said, hanging from the archway in the slight breeze. Entering the wooden door, the first thing the girl had noticed was the absolute lack of people, even though this island was supposed to be something like a central hub for cultures to cross. Empty chairs were missing their patrons, dry mugs were sitting on the tables, and all of the windows had their curtains closed, allowing only small rays of light to peek inside. The oven behind the bar was also cold, unused, but then where did the smell of fresh bakery come from? She was still feeling that sweet fragrance all around her. This was the location, her nose did not lie!

Now that she looked back on it, she has reminded herself, that oddly enough, she had not met anyone on the streets either. For a brief moment of a heartbeat, she thought that maybe this island was desolate, abandoned, but this idea was quickly swept away by her rationality. No, that cannot be true; there must be something else to it. A festival on the other side of the island, yes, that must be it!

Calming her soul, she has strengthened her resolve and moved inward to look around a little further. The ground floor was void, had nothing of interest, so her small steps led her to the upper story, which was still shrouded in a mystery. The wooden stairs were all screaming under her feet, so loud in the absence of noise, that even the slightest movement could have awoken the dead from their eternal slumber.

Looking down the poorly lit corridor, Ágnes only found rows of closed doors. She cautiously checked into them, but found nothing, aside from pristine clean surroundings. Her mother often shared stories from her workplace, about things that go down in a tavern, about the people that go there, and yet, nothing from the current situation fit into that world that was constructed for her. She was advised to stay as far as possible from such buildings, especially during the night times, yet in this inn she felt no hostility. On the contrary, the more she explored the more calm she felt. There was still a door left to be opened, but going by the exact same sights that had awaited her in the previous rooms, Ágnes just turned around and went back down the stairs. No need to waste any more time up there.

She sat down at one of the tables, confused. Neat handkerchiefs in front of her, carefully lit candles on the wall to her right; this place was too perfect, walking on the razor edge of impossibility. For a swift moment, she felt a slight breeze. A faint scent of lavender, her favorite. It came out of a nowhere, no windows, no doors that opened, just... came into being. Her calmness slowly degraded into anxiety. As if a lucid dream had taken her captive, and with every thought and every doubt, she was closer and closer towards waking up.

Suddenly, she rose up from her seat with such power, that the chair itself fell over. Lavender... Like a divine warning from the Heavens, its scent reminded her of the smell of the fresh bread that led her here. That sweet fragrance was the key that opened up the ethereal chains on her mind: They do not bake in these inns, she realized! Why did she accept that as a fact earlier? She knew the contrary without a fault, how was she fooled? Ágnes rushed behind the bar, only to find that the oven was long gone, its place overtaken by chests of various kinds. The smell did not fade however, it lingered, even stronger than before. Where is it coming from!?

The last room. That final door that she walked away from, that's it! It has to be, there was no other option! She hurried to the staircase, not knowing what to expect from the unknown. She may find nothing, the same elegant and tidy space, but desperation pushed her forward, had nothing to lose. She was just about to reach the first of the steps when all of a sudden she found herself lying on the floor. It took her a few seconds to recollect what happened; the newly found pain in her knees was a nice reminder. Her feet struck something on the way, so she stumbled forward, falling hand-first into a puddle of water, but as she looked back, she failed to see anything that could have tripped her. But she felt it, she swore she kicked into something. Nevertheless, she stood up and continued on back upstairs.

More and more questions arose in her mind, but the girl no longer sought an answer. She did not follow the scent anymore, but was escaping from this nightmare that held her in captivity. Her breathing became irregular, her scared heart was pounding in her throat, and every single cell in her body was drowning in anxiety. On the other hand, all of her senses were telling her that it is all right; that she is not in danger. Her eyes saw perfection, her nose smelled pleasantness, nothing was out of order for them. Yet, her soul was screaming, shouting at her to turn back, run while she can. The hallway seemed to warp around her, as the war in her mind grew in proportions. Before she knew it, she was already standing in front of the last door, dizzy and without strength. The girl leaned at the wall, gasping for same air, but even so her bag was right beside her, she was unable to see that distinct crimson red glow, filtering out on the gaps of the leather.

Is she sick? Or perhaps is this just simple fatigue? Her soul was trying to warn her, send a clear message, but her senses did not allow that. Nothing could be this perfect, she knew that much, yet she was deceived by an illusion as such. No more... She will fall for that no more! That was her decision, not to be the slave of a fake world. She grabbed hold of the knob, and then with all of her power and defiance, she tore open the door, not giving any chance for late hesitation. This dream ends now!

A loud thud, followed by grave silence. As time has passed, darkness crept into the corridor. The shadows found Ágnes sitting on the floor, shivering, tears flowing below the eyes that dared not to blink. She tried to run away, but the other side of the hallway proved to be the stop for her. Frozen and shaking, she looked at the dead body lying at her feet. A woman's corpse was leaning at the door when Ágnes had opened it, but the girl quickly jumped back before it could have fell on her.

"W-what's happening..." she stuttered, as her quiet voice broke under the pressure.

Pictures were flashing in front of her eyes, as if she was stuck between two worlds, unable to decide. At first, everything was fine. She saw perfection, beauty, but their place was then taken by destruction and decay. She could not handle this struggle any more, and so she did the very thing her mind has been instructing her since the very beginning: Escape.

Ágnes ran through the burnt down corridor, down the charred stairway, only to find herself in the ransacked lobby. She did not care about the sights, she wanted to get away, but when at last she reached the door, the girl had found herself in the hold of strong arms, which seemingly did not want to let her go.

A familiar voice called out to her.

"Is everything all right?" asked the man, who then gave her a few seconds for a reply, which never came. "We need to get away from here!"

The girl looked up, and that is when she saw the face of her captain, gazing around with anger and fear mixed up in his eyes. He took the girl by the arm, trying to pull her out of the building, but Ágnes resisted.

"There is a dead woman upstairs!" she shouted hysterically, after she broke free from the man's hold.

The captain did not hesitate with an answer, though he was more than confused by Ágnes' exclamation. Why is a single body so important on the land of decay?

"Listen, everyone is dead!" he answered with a raised tone. "Look around yourself!"

For a moment, Ágnes did not understand what he meant by that. To her knowledge, this place was empty, untouched. She has already seen everything there was to be, but followed the instruction instinctively. As she turned around, the world twitched in her fooled eyes, revealing the truth that was carefully kept from her mind. Ágnes staggered, her breathing was cut short by the sudden horror that began to creep up on her bones.

Ruins. Destruction everywhere. The chandelier which she first saw hanging above was now shattered into a million pieces, the chairs and tables were all but broken apart, charred, and the ground was covered in various debris of wood, cloth and glass. Everything she had experienced before was fake, just a facade to preserve something. Then, something else has hit her... Ágnes flinched in disgust, as the horrifying smell of rotten flesh invaded her nose, so strong, that it had already seeped into every little nook and cranny of the tavern. Good thing she did not immediately realize that it was this very smell that had disguised itself, or else she wouldn't have been able to stand any longer.

This sensation of fear, this brief existence in front of oblivion's gate, this is what her dream was about. The girl was one hundred percent sure about it; this was the wrecked building in her vision, in which she had found her doom. Then she came to notice the place where she stumbled at, next to the stairs. A body was laying there, one of the many, but that one she did not manage to blindly evade. A large puddle of blood was next to it, still seeping from the fresh corpse. Ágnes looked down on her shaking hands, her clothes, only to see that it was not water she fell into.

That was the final straw. Nausea drove her out of the tavern, where the contents of her upset stomach escaped into the open world. The captain walked after her, trying to comfort, but Ágnes was not in a responsive mood. That was too much to take in for her. For anyone! Why...? Why, why, why, why, why? Why did this happen? How did this happen? Her mind was a mess, unable to think straight even for a moment.

"What happened...?" she cried to herself.

"Tigerleaf is no more..." said the captain with an endless worry in his voice.
Ágnes found a bit of strength in herself, and turned her head around to look to the man for an explanation, but then another voice came out from behind them.

"Unbelievable, eh?" Daniel stepped out of the shadows of the inn, where he was waiting for some time now. "We left this island two weeks ago. Mere fourteen days were enough for this economical powerhouse to go completely silent."

"Dan!" addressed him the captain with a welcoming tone. After they had realized the threat that this world holds, they went their separate ways to search for Ágnes. He was more than glad to see that fate brought all three of them together like this. "Ocean politics are your specialty. Any idea who is to blame for this?"

Daniel leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. This subject was not as easy as his old friend made it sound like, so some thinking was required.

"Tigerleaf was controlled by the Imperial Coalition, a flag with close ties to the mainland. Which I think I do not need to emphasize how many enemies it resulted in. Anyone would have been glad to wipe them off the map, just to weaken the empire's influence on the Meridian, but they were too strong to make a move against, even with combined forces." He let out a defeated sigh. "So I haven't got a clue, there's just too many to list."

Of course, Ágnes knew which party was responsible, her vision had told her. She gazed around the empty street, looking for them, but even though she failed to see any, the girl felt their chilling stare. They are there, they are around her, and they are watching. No one escapes from the Death!

"At any rate." continued Daniel. "Now that we have miraculously found her in this ghost town, maybe we could stroll back to the docks and get the hell away." He too looked around, as if his body also felt the cold touch of fear. "This place gives me the shivers."

"I know what you are talking about, good friend." agreed the captain, sharing this anxiety, then turned his attention towards the girl, as she finally stood up from the ground. "Ágnes, we need to get back to the ship right away. We can not leave you on this island alone, so I am afraid that you will need to endure our presence a bit longer than it was planned." he said, with a joking tone to relieve some of her stress. A show to indicate that everything will be all right in the end.

Ágnes was stunned momentarily by this overflowing confidence, but even if it was fake, she couldn't help but admire this strength. She looked away, embarrassed, unsure of the future, but then gave a sheepish nod, ready to once again be part of this crew.

Part 4:

Calm winds blew through the empty streets. Everything was without a noise, only but the footsteps of the two men and the girl were what gave some life to this now devoid land. They walked in silence, turning all their attention towards examining their surroundings instead of speaking to each other. The tragedy that struck the island was hard to talk about; the seasoned sailors were not unfamiliar with the people here, their ways and life, and now it was all gone, without a single word of notice. A great void took residence within their hearts, along with an indescribable - yet oddly familiar -, feeling of pain, that have accompanied every single grieving memory.

Even so, it was Ágnes who had the most trouble with keeping the words to herself. It was obvious that neither the captain nor the first mate wanted to talk about what was happening around them, but her confused mind was aching for answers, and this combination did not go well.

"How did you find me?" she asked, hoping that this one harmless question would be enough to break the ice.

The men looked at each other, unable to decide what to tell.

"It was not all that difficult." the first mate replied. "Most people who step on land after a long voyage tend to hit the rum the first chance they get. The inn was an obvious choice to start."

That answer was not satisfactory, or more specifically, not detailed enough for the shaken girl.

"Why did you come after me?" approached Ágnes from a different angle.

It was the captain, who turned to her this time.

"I told you already, we are not leaving you behind on this gods forsaken world."

"Yes, but how did you find out about the..." she then stopped for a beat, in need of a new breath of air. Having calmed down a bit since the tavern incident, this was a hard word to say. "...deaths?"

The captain let out a quiet sigh of annoyance. Of course, Ágnes had the right to know every bit of information, but he was really hoping that it could have waited at least a few more hours, until he gets his thoughts together.

"As I usually stay behind on the brig to check if everything is in order, I was oblivious of what was happening on the land, aside from the lack of people and noise. It was my men, who first encountered the dead, when they had entered the shipyard for supplies. Apparently, whoever did this picked the exterior areas clean, not to raise alarm immediately for those fools who come to visit. This allows their curiosity to draw them in, yet nothing to scare them off outright."

"And right now, we are those fools." interrupted Daniel, summing up his own thoughts. "You see why we have to get away as soon as we can? This whole island is nothing more now than a trap."

Ágnes flinched. The word "trap" was enough to push her into uneasiness.

"Precisely."

The captain gave a small nod, acknowledging his first mate's view. He did not like the sound of it, who would, but the facts had to be faced at some point, and this was the most reasonable answer they could come up with. They need to escape, before the string is pulled! Little did he know, is that said string was already in motion...

They have reached the main square in the heart of the city, and the three soon became two, as Ágnes froze in place. It took the sailors a few steps to notice her absence from their side, but when they turned around, all they saw was a face, overtaken by terror, and a body, that was shivering in fear. The girl's horrified stare was locked on something in the distance, and no words could snap her out of this stance. Daniel looked around, following Ágnes's gaze, and using that as a guideline he quickly found the object of scare.

There was a beautiful monument in the center of the square, shimmering in a light blue color under the shine of the warm sun. An "Atlantean pillar", as people used to call it, though this was but flavor text, the real threat was still yet to be examined. To much of the men's surprise, skeletons were sitting around the pillar, backs turned against its sides. Heads hanging low, spine bent forward, they were just resting there, taking a nap.

Daniel took an unsure step backwards.

"Those weren't there when we first came through here." he said to his old friend, but the captain had his mind set on something else.

"How do those bones hold together on their own?

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Suddenly there are skeletons laying in front of us, and this is your first thought." noted the first mate with a hint of disillusion. "Typical, really. Now, getting back on the matter at hand, someone is trying to pull a very ill prank on us."

For some time more, they quietly watched the unusual sight, waiting for something to happen. They did not dare to go closer to the pillar, no matter how their curiosity has instructed so, as the fear of the unknown held greater power over them. They were cautious, already expecting an ambush of some form. Pillagers? Brigands? Barbarians? Any of these could jump out of their hiding place at any given moment.

Then came a sudden shift in the winds, a strong gust of air that swept through the streets, stripping the land of its rotting stench. A cloud of sand and dust has enveloped the group, viciously attacking their eyes, nose and every other vital point they could get their sharp hands on, but even though it was strong enough to force both grown men back a few steps, the whole phenomenon was over in just seconds after it had started. The air calmed down in an instant, cleared up as if nothing had happened, and as the captain slowly but surely got himself together, he came to notice that even his loyal first mate was now staring ahead with a terrified look on his face.

The skeletons were no longer resting in peace. No, each and every one of them were hunched forward, heads turned to look directly at their living visitors. Endless darkness hid behind those empty eye sockets, and the captain couldn't help but wonder: Is it him, who is watching them, or is it the other way around...?

Hysterical shouting from behind broke the nightmarish silence, as Ágnes lost control over her emotions and began to pelt the bleached remains with small pebbles from the side of the road.

"Get away!" she screamed at them from the top of her lungs. None of the stones hit their mark, no matter how many she threw. She was just way too over the edge to concentrate on her aim.

The captain turned to his friend for help.

"Daniel!" he called out his name, and the man immediately understood what his captain was asking from him.

He rushed to the girl and bound her arms in an attempt to force her to calm, but Ágnes kept on struggling nevertheless, a fight during which even her bandana fell off from her head. The first mate had to lift her off the ground by the waist, to somewhat limit her movement.

"Wake up already!" she screamed again, absolutely disregarding Daniel's hold on her. She was louder and more determined with every word. "Why the act!? I know you want me, I can see right through you!"

"What the hell is going on?" shouted Daniel. He tried to overvoice Ágnes' blabbering, and he did achieve this goal in a way, when the girl's kicking feet found its way to his knee.

"Lass, calm down!" The captain was very worried, scared even, unable to picture what is going on inside the head of Ágnes, or what is causing this episode. "What's wrong?"

"It is the Death! They are alive!" With that said, Ágnes struck the knee of her captor once more. Daniel dropped her out of pain, after which the girl stood up and continued to throw whatever pebbles were left in her palm. "Get away from me!"

No other course of action was left available for the captain, this has went too far already. He grabbed the girl by the left shoulder, turned her around, and with that motion, a fatherly slap found its way to Ágnes' cheeks. The girl almost fell over from the strength; the hit definitely shook her stand. Dusty, bloodstained fingertips reached up for her face, as Ágnes tried to cover up the pain. Not even Daniel was expecting this move, he never saw his captain hit anyone, much less a woman. Sure, the old salt had his own unique way of an eye-for-an-eye, but this was still unexpected.

He picked up the bandana from the ground, dusted it off, and then handed it over to the captain, who was now fixing up Ágnes' hair, entangled in the struggle.

"Now..." said the man in a calm tone, about to tie up the bandana for a second time. "Let us start it over again. What is the matter?"

Ágnes did not answer immediately, the shock was still echoing through her being. She was staring down at the ground, a sorrow filled heart, unable to look her captain in the eye.

"The skeletons... " she finally muttered after a deep breath, albeit on tears' edge. "They are alive. They hunt us. Like a blue fire, that burns away life. Like a choking hold, that does not let go..."

One too many words that was for those, who are able to connect with the past, and so the captain immediately thought of the weird bruises that dots the girl's neck. Daniel on the other hand was faster to shrug off these supernatural claims.

"What a load of nonsense."

"I am not lying!" fought back Ágnes with all her resolve.

Suddenly, the girl felt a gentle touch on her head. The captain removed her bandana, careful not to pull any strands of hair, and in turn tied it around Ágnes' neck as a scarf, hiding away the beast's mark.

"I think it will suit you much better here, lass."

The man's attention was then turned towards the remains at the pillar. They were still watching, motionless. Some of them had their head tilted, as if they were questioning the weird behavior of the living, unable to understand. The captain then took out the last, rather large stone from the hand of Ágnes and stepped forward, ready for the throw.

"So, are you saying they are alive?"

"You believe that story?" Daniel was quick with the interruption, though the captain only smirked at his inquire.

"At this point, I am willing to believe anything."

His muscles tightened, gathering up all the strength they could muster. The man kind of felt like he was standing on the beach, skipping pebbles across the waves to spend some time from his youth again. Then, with the end of the sweet memory and a precise target in mind, the stone was sent on its way with such am incredible force, that it broke straight through the forehead of one of the skeletons. Azure flames sprouted from the skull, then the being jumped up, voicelessly screaming from the pain, as the damaged lights flickered behind its eye sockets. Daniel and the captain both recoiled from the scare, but in just moments, the creature fell to its pieces as the flames escaped. Its demise was not welcome however, as soon as the empty skull fell on the ground, the azure lights lit up inside of the rest.

Their cover was blown, the prey knows.

"Shiver my gods, what in the seven seas are those creeps!?" shouted Daniel, absolutely unable to build up a cohesive sentence. The words simply flew out of his mouth, he had no control over them.

"That might be the most accurate description of the situation thus far." answered the captain.

"It's the Death..." said Ágnes, frozen in place, as she watched how the creatures rise up. "The silent Death."

"Well allow me to personally congratulate to you!" exclaimed the first mate with anxious anger, turning towards his captain. "I knew if there was anyone on this world who could piss off even the dead, it would be you!"

The man just laughed.

"You say that as if it would be a problem." He watched how the skeletons slowly assemble themselves into an orderly fashion, ready to engage their prey in a never-ending hunt. "But, I have a plan!"

Daniel raised up one of his eyebrows in disbelief.

"We run?"

"As fast as we can."

I-I

The servants of Death leaned forward, ready to lunge at their prey, and this was the sign for the men to stop standing by idly.

"Back to the city!" the captain ordered. "We'll lose them among the streets!"

And with that said, he ran ahead, back to the winding roads of this once mighty land. He wanted to show the way for the others to follow, but he did not anticipate the group not to start as a whole. Daniel himself only turned his back on the lost fight when the skeletons began their chase, though Ágnes was missing from his side, so even he had to stop after the first few heartbeats. The man turned around and found the girl still standing in place, unable to move, while the creatures closed the distance as fast as the wind. The first of the silent death jumped up in the air, its flaming hand was ready to burn away the life she had, yet Ágnes did not retreat, her limbs did not answer to her fears. Azure lights shone into her eyes as the flaming fingertips reached in within inches of her face, but then the creature was gone, slammed away by a barrel thrown in its way. The horrible creature fell to the ground, disoriented, and this small time window was more than enough for Dan to step in and grab Ágnes by the hand.

"You are unbearable!" he snapped at her.

The first mate tried to run away with her, pull her out of danger, but the girl's body was still rigid, paralyzed by fear. Seeing no other option on this thin line between life and death, the man held Ágnes into his embrace and with a swift move picked her up before the rest of the enemy could reach.

In the meantime, the captain was more than capable to quickly devise a plan of escape. There was a shoehorn street just a few blocks ahead, which could potentially lead straight back to the docks if the right ways are chosen. Thankfully, the layout of this city did not elude him, even in these later stages of his sailing days, so the perfect and most straightforward route was guaranteed, no mistakes. The problem was that any and all lead they got ahead of the creatures was gone with the lacking of Ágnes and Daniel, and even if they were to make it in time together, there would be no chance to warn the rest of the crew. The captain knew that, so did Daniel, there was no need for words to understand each other.

In spite of the distance between the two, a single nod was enough from both sides to seal this new, unspoken plan. The captain ran ahead as fast as he could to get out of sight of the enemy, to warn the others, then Daniel, with Ágnes firmly in his hold, took a quick turn to the left, baiting away the horde. It is his sacrifice that will allow the men to prepare. It is his sacrifice that will give them a fighting chance.

Street after street, alleyway after alleyway, Daniel made sure that the enemy can't catch up to them, yet stays on their tail. The longer he keeps the creatures busy the more time the captain gets to organize a proper counterattack. That is, if the docks themselves aren't invaded, but such thoughts were needless. Truth or a lie, these are the only enemies they have to face right now, this is what he made himself believe on the spot, this is what made him keep on running and never stop. However, his stamina was not that of a god. Exhaustion eventually showed its ugly face, tried to confide those legs that were running from their fate. As his strength drew empty, and the skeletons reached closer, Daniel took a sharp turn into another alleyway, next to a warehouse. Boxes and barrels filled the tight space, containers that no longer had the chance to fit into the main building, and this proved to be the greatest opportunity that the man could use to his advantage. Daniel braced for impact.

The man's shoulder had just enough force to dislocate one of the piles. Losing their balance, the stacks came crashing down upon the attackers with the fury of a treacherous storm. The noise was deafening, but the man did not stop there, he only took a few quick glimpses to make sure the road is blocked, and then continued on his way.

The next time Ágnes' bare feet felt the solid touch of the ground was at the shore; that was the place where the first mate finally came to a stop. He took a long deserved breather, washed off the sweat from his face, and let the cold waves of the sea refresh his tired body. The skeletons were cut off from their tail, they were clear of danger, but Daniel wasn't the kind of man who took chances. There was no time to laze around, they had to follow the shoreline back to the port as soon as they were able to.

"Why?" Ágnes asked, breaking the peace of silence. Her voice carried no power, no strength. She had long accepted the fate, which Daniel has denied from both of them. "Why are you trying to save me?"

"Shouldn't I?"

Ágnes lowered her head and sat down onto the rocky surface. Of course, she wanted to live, but Death will always find a way, running away is meaningless. She saw it in her dream too, everything will perish. There is no stopping them, so why resist? They will hunt, they will find and they will end this.

"If I knew you'd more likely want to die out there, I wouldn't have carried your booty all the way through the streets. In fact, you could have been a pretty good bait for all of us." Daniel comically paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts. "But then again, if I did that, our 'dear' captain would damn throw me off the ship most likely."

Ágnes couldn't help it, she just had to imagine the man falling face first into the ocean, and this loveable fantasy was able to squeeze out heartfelt laugh from her.

"Is this how you try to cheer people up?" she asked.

The man shrugged it off, though the girl's laugh did annoy him to an extent.

"I do my best."

Following a few brief moments, Ágnes finally felt her spirit revived again. She knelt down to the water, and washed her hands from that disgusting mixture of blood and dirt. This was a time of cleansing; this was a time of putting an end to this sinful thinking.

"I would advise you to hurry up," the girl has heard from behind. "We have company!"

Daniel saw the heralds of Death turning out from the corner, just a few streets away from them, so there was not much time left for idle banter. The pack was fast, unrelenting, with clear sight on their target objectives. Ágnes jumped up in her scare, and her gaze immediately met with the man's terrified stare. There was only one route to safety from here, and that was in a straight line, alongside the coast all the way. And so, the pair had begun their run against their fate, holding each other's hands so that none of them will be left on this path astray.