Chapter 39
"Give me another." A man said as he tapped his index finger twice on the bar counter. He was clearly in his mid forties, a greying beard and long, messy hair.
"Yer not welcome here, Dagger Devil." The bar tender growled. "Get the fuck outta me bar."
"Just one more drink, and I'll be gone." Mercury told the man.
The door to the bar swung open as a hooded woman walked in.
"And I told you, you ain't getting it." The bar tender reiterated. "Now fuck off."
The woman placed more than enough coin on the counter to cover the entire bottle and then some. Glancing at the bar tender under her hood, he snorted before leaving the two alone.
"Look, lady, I'm not interested." Mercury stated as he waved her off with his hand.
"I know you." The woman responded.
"Everybody knows me." Mercury rolled his eyes. "The Great Fuckin' Failure." He took a swig and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt.
"I heard you're a Hero." The woman stated, getting the bar tender and other patrons to bellow in laughter.
"A hero?!" One of the patrons hollered as he threw a bottle at Mercury. It shattered against his back, but he seemed impressively unbothered. "I must be the Queen of Melromarc then!"
"He's as much a hero as I am a painter, lady." Another patron joked.
"Never meet your heroes, kid. They tend to fuckin' disappoint ya."
"Do us all a favor and get his ass outta here, would ya? Eyesore." Another Patron mocked.
"Why are you just… taking this?" The woman asked. "Why don't you do something?"
"Like, what?" Mercury downed another shot.
"I dunno. Kick their asses, or something. Could even leave."
Mercury stood up and drunkenly took the bottle off the counter.
"Nowhere to go." He said as he wandered the bar.
"Hey! The man told you to le-"
Mercury felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly flung the man over. Grabbing out his blade, Mercury held it frighteningly close to the patrons neck.
"Don't you lay a fucken finger on me!" Mercury growled as he shoved the man against the floor. He picked his bottle back up and took a look at all the staring patrons. "The fuck're ya'll lookin' at?!" His sudden snap seemed out of place given his previous calmness.
With a snort, Mercury left the bar.
The woman quickly chased him out.
"I know what happened." She said, failing to slow Mercury even a little.
"So do I, lady." Mercury stumbled drunkenly. "Lived it."
"I know about Eris!" She shouted. That had made Mercury completely halt, mid drink. The liquid poured out of the bottle since he hadn't put it to his lips yet.
"The fuck did you just say?" Mercury asked, his eyes flashing in the dim moonlight.
"I-"
Mercury suddenly vanished, the bottle falling and smashing on the floor. The dirt dampened as the liquid from the bottle wet the dry floor.
Appearing behind the woman, Mercury held his dagger drawn and around her throat.
"How do you know her?" He growled. "You her fuckin' pawn?"
"No." The woman placed her hand on the blade and pushed it away from her neck. She was shockingly calm. "I'm someone she's also fucked over."
"How so? You unleash a plague on more than half the planet?" Mercury asked.
"Well, no-"
"Then the fuck do you know?"
As Mercury began to storm off, the woman yelled after him.
"She took everything from me!" Mercury once again paused in his tracks.
"How?" Mercury asked over his shoulder after a long pause.
"She killed my brother." The woman answered simply. "After my parents, he was the only piece of family I had left."
"Look, I'm sorry for your loss… losses, lady, but it's no use." Mercury told her.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I tried." Mercury said calmly. "I tried everything. Spells, incantations, every single skill in my tree and I came up with fucking nothing. Years spent, and I got shit to show for it. The only thing I was able to pick up was how to survive."
The woman was silent.
"Yeah. That's what I fuckin' figured."
A long silence fell over the two.
"Try again."
"What?" Mercury rubbed his eyes.
"Try. Again." The girl repeated. "I get you fucked up the world, but you can't just give up. You have a responsibility. Now, stop acting like a child, and pick yerself back up, da- damnit!" She stuttered before taking a deep breath.
"What part of "I have tried everything" didn't get through that thick fuckin' skull'a yours?" Mercury growled. "Why don't you-" Mercury suddenly froze, his face turning pale as a sheet.
A breeze blew past the two as a dark shadow began to cover the area around them. A dog's barking echoed in the alleys before being replaced by a sharp whine of pain then silence.
The woman glanced around. "What the-? I suddenly feel as if I've lived this exact moment before…"
"You need to run." Mercury told the woman, his voice quivering.
"What-?"
Before she could continue to question, Mercury grabbed her and tossed her into an alley. As he did, a tentacle shot out from the darkness, intending to impale the girl and missing Mercury by inches.
He threw her as if he knew it would happen.
"RUN!"
Mercury took off to the rooftops as the woman retreated into the darkness of the alleyway, watching, and hoping, whatever was the source wouldn't see her.
"Reverof nur tonnac uoy"
Words were spoken but in a dialect unlike any the woman had heard before.
As the black mist thickened, a large, shadowy humanoid creature with bright white eyes and horns symbolizing the infinity sign, stepped before her. Its head swayed side to side as it searched for Mercury.
It had no facial features, except for its eyes.
A patron in the bar stepped outside at an unfortunate time. A tentacle immediately shot out from the black mist and straight through the chest of the patron.
The man coughed up blood as the tentacle lifted him off the ground, letting gravity pull him further down the tentacle before using another to rip the man in half. It then grabbed both halves of the man and absorbed him, leaving nothing behind.
The woman put both hands over her mouth as the other patrons were seen inside the bar as the doors swayed open and close. The creature, however, paid them no mind as it continued its search.
Mercury's breathing was erratic as he expertly ran across building beams, dropping down alleys and crashing through windows. He ran past a few ceramic pots that he knocked over, causing them to break.
That alone alerted the creature as it jumped and landed right in front of him.
As the creature stepped forward, Mercury backed away as he reached for something behind him. Just as a tentacle shot out, Mercury threw a bottle at the beast. The tentacle broke through the bottle causing water to splash onto the beast.
It roared as if acid had been spilled onto it, and instinctively backed away, giving Mercury an opportunity to run.
Throwing his dagger into the air, Mercury teleported to it and continued this method until the creature was out of view.
A few hours later
On the sea, Mercury stared out from the bow of a ship. He was sailing for another country and further from that creature.
He always put as much ocean between himself and The Beast as he could whenever it found him. It hated water. Feared it, even, so he used it to buy time until it found him again. It could take months, years, maybe, before he had to fear for his life once more.
Turning away, Mercury began shouting orders to set sail for open waters.
"Fuck." Mercury grumbled as he retreated to the captain's cabin. "Fuck!" Mercury punched a barrel with the side of his fist before kicking a chair across the room. "FUCK!" He shouted as he threw an empty bottle at his wardrobe, hearing a startled "eep" emanate from inside the doors.
Mercury used his Recall ability and saw a ghostly image of the woman from the alley sneak inside before anyone else boarded.
"Will you just come out, lady?" Mercury asked. "I know it's you from the alley."
"How'd you know it was me?" She asked as she emerged.
"You're on my ship, you don't get to ask questions, stowaway." Mercury replied. "…one of my abilities." He answered. "The hell're you doing on my ship?"
"I told you, I need your help." The woman answered.
"Look, kid, I don't even know you." Mercury retorted. "And sorry to say, but I don't even know how to begin helping."
"It's okay. I do."
"Wha-"
The woman presented a map on Mercury's table. A loose strand of brunette hair slid out from her hood. It changed to a soft grey color as the woman tucked it back into her hood.
"So," the woman began as she showed Mercury a map of the entire world. "To keep things short, we need to head here." She pointed to a part of the map that was entirely ocean.
"There's nothing there." Mercury told her.
"But there is." The woman corrected him. "An island."
"And what's on this supposed island?" Mercury asked.
"A Dragon Hourglass." The woman answered. "But not just any."
"What's so special about it?" Mercury stroked his beard.
"Every other Hourglass was made by the people of the corresponding countries." The woman explained. "All but the one on this island. This is the original design the others are based off."
"So, what's so special about it? Other than being the original." Mercury crossed his arms.
"I'm not sure, but I know you have to get to the Hourglass." The woman answered honestly. "That's step one."
Mercury rubbed his eyes.
"Have you even seen this island?" Mercury asked.
"No."
"No?!" Mercury repeated in surprise.
"The island is hidden." The woman answered. "I'm hoping you will help me find it."
"Hmm." Mercury looked to the woman. "You got a name?"
"Call me whatever you like."
"Whatever, Lady." Mercury turned his attention back to the map.
Mercury stroked his beard in deep thought before suddenly turning heel and exiting his cabin.
"CHANGE OF PLANS!" He shouted to his crew.
One week later
Using a pair of scissors to measure the distance on the map, Mercury's cabin was suddenly intruded.
"Sir Hero!" It was the woman from the alley.
"Whatchya got for me, Lady?" Mercury asked.
"We've arrived." She stated.
The two headed to the front of the ship as another crew member kept it steady.
"What now?" Mercury asked. "All I see is ocean."
"Your dagger." Lady told him.
Pulling it out, Mercury raised it high. A burst of energy, the same kind that knocked him out all those years ago, came from his dagger. Then another.
After the third, the island manifest itself before the crew's very eyes.
"I knew it!" Lady cheered as the rest of the crew could only marvel at it. "I, friggin', knew i-!"
A cannonball suddenly blasted through part of the ship. There, just across the water, was another ship. It was full with creatures of dark sand.
As they shouted and taunted Mercury's crew, Itsuki emerged from the crowd. Mercury's first instinct was to try and talk to his old ally. However, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the yellow glowing eyes, and grey, ashy skin.
"Take no prisoners." Itsuki ordered. "FIRE!"
Multiple cannonballs and grappling hooks attacked Mercury's ship.
As the ship began to flood, it was pulled closer to Itsuki's. They were promptly boarded, which caused an all out brawl amongst the two crews.
Mercury slashed through enemy after enemy, causing them to collapse into a pile of black sand. His crew was slaughtered, some put up a decent fight, but they never lasted long.
Pushing his way through, Mercury was trying to reach Itsuki.
It was a long battle to reach his old ally, but he did reach him.
"Itsuki!" Mercury shouted his name in anger after having watched his own crew slaughtered by Itsuki's.
"Mercury." Itsuki said his name slowly. "This is surely a surprise. That's your ship we're blowing to bits?" Mercury gripped his dagger tighter, ready for a fight. "That only took 20, fucking, years! But you finally found us. Honestly believed the Beast had gotten you." He laughed as if the thought was ridiculous. "Did you spend all that time in your sorrows?"
Mercury didn't answer.
"You know how I spent that time?" Itsuki asked as a member of his party jumped atop the railing. Followed by another. Then another. "Mending old bonds." He smiled as he retreats to let his old party advance.
Each of them have the same glowing yellow eyes and grey skin Itsuki has.
Attacked ferociously, Mercury was forced to get creative under the constant barrage of blows. Using his slow ability, Mercury slashed the ankle of one of Itsuki's crew. Dodging, blocking, and parrying, Mercury stabbed the tallest member of Itsuki's party through his throat.
He only grinned as he gripped Mercury by the wrist, keeping him in place as the others plunged their weapons through Mercury.
"NO!" Lady shouted as she witnessed Mercury's life ebb away.
Suddenly, time began to revers. The moments replayed backwards until just before Mercury skewered Itsuki's party member. Instead of following through with his attack, Mercury leapt backwards, igniting his blade and slashing a wave of fire towards his enemies.
The party member was engulfed in flames that wrapped around him like a net, burning him until his ashes blew away in the wind.
Itsuki sat on the lowest sail, resting his arm on his leg as he watched with a smirk. He didn't bother helping his losing team, instead using them as fodder to see Mercury's new abilities.
"You've gone rusty in your old age." Itsuki taunted.
Mercury responded by throwing his spare dagger directly at him, to which Itsuki caught right before it pierced his eye. His smile never faded as he complimented Mercury's aim.
"Guess I was wrong. At least your aim is still up to snuff."
As another party member flanked Mercury, Lady saw it and tried to prevent it. Only, she got stabbed in his stead.
Hearing her gasp for breath, Mercury checked on her to see her impaled on a sword.
Time instantly turned back. He needed this woman and her knowledge.
Just before she was stabbed, Mercury pulled her out of the way and ducked beneath the sword, stabbing his blade into his enemy's gut. While it was embed, Mercury ignited it. Ripping his blade upwards, the man turned to ash.
With the last one remaining, Mercury approached, twirling his blade between his fingers with expert precision.
"I should thank you, Itsuki." Mercury growled at his once comrade.
"Hm?" Itsuki leaned forward, intrigued. "What for?"
The last party member and Mercury traded a few blows before Mercury plunged his dagger into the throat of his opponent.
"Allowing me to knock my rust off." Mercury answered.
"Oh." Itsuki chuckled as he stood on the mast. "It's no problem." He fell directly in front of Mercury, landing on his feet with catlike expertise. "Really."
"Where's Eris?" Mercury growled.
"Eris!" Itsuki laughed. "She-" he was cut off and forced to dodge a barrage of swings from Mercury's dagger. "Ooh! Almost caught me slacking. Well, now I'm just not gonna tell you."
"I don't care." Mercury said as his dagger and Itsuki's bow collided. The two glared into each other's eyes. "Eris will die and hopefully that'll cure you of whatever it is that ails you!"
"Sorry to break it to you, but you'll have to kill us in order to "cure" us." Itsuki informed with a maniac laugh.
"Then I'll be sure to make it quick in honor of your memory." Mercury responded.
Pushing Itsuki back, Mercury swung at him but was off set by an arrow slicing his shoulder. As he recovered, Itsuki hit Mercury over the head with his bow, sending Mercury tumbling into the murky depths.
As he sunk, a second splash sounded as Lady dove into the water after him.
Itsuki mocked them both as he noticed a glimmering dagger on the deck. Picking it up, Itsuki waved his hand over the dagger. A glowing lock appeared on it before Itsuki pocketed the blade.
End of Chapter 39