Chapter 249 - The Vampires Return (1/2)

The ship crawled. It was so slow as it navigated through the rocks and reefs that surrounded Herguard that Aegin often had to question if they were moving at all. He couldn't even see Ebony up in the crow's nest, her calls telling him incrementally that she was in fact still up there.

Though her calls weren't all that common. Talo was getting more help from those who had spread out along the sides and bow of the ship, telling him if he was going to run aground or not.

Aegin, tired and sore, rested behind Talo on the Quarter Deck with Alistair and watched Lovisson integrate into his element as if he'd never left it.

”Do you think he's enjoying himself?” asked Alistair, a small smile on his lips as he pointed at Talo.

Aegin nodded, ”It's the one place he outranks the rest of us, of course he's enjoying it”.

Talo spun around, ”I heard that”.

”Rocks to port!”

Talo spun back quickly to direct.

”Aye, you're quite the sailor, now keep your eyes ahead so you can prove it,” said Alistair.

Talo grumbled his annoyance but did as told. Alistair turned back to Aegin, his amused smile dropping slightly, ”You okay? You look pale”.

”Just tired,” said Aegin, ”Ready for a long bath and an even longer nap”.

Alistair nodded, ”I think that's on many agendas once we reach the mainland”.

Alistair's eyes strayed over to where Layton stood on the starboard end of the main master's lower yardarm, hanging out dangerously close to the jutting rocks.

”Layton! We ain't in the Arena anymore, no need to risk your life boy, get down from there!”

He stood to make sure Layton followed orders, and Aegin was left alone.

He shifted, a sharp pain coming from the cut in his arm. He frowned, then turned to look at his arm again just as they broke through into the open ocean.

Cheers and cries of relief and joy rose up around him as Aegin looked at the cut there. It had barely scraped the skin before. He hadn't worried about it. But now the cut had darkened, nearly black. And it was no bruise.

”Aegin?” asked Ebony. Aegin hurriedly covered his arm and looked up as she came up onto the Quarter Deck, ”Are you sure you're okay?”

”Fine,” Aegin smiled at her, but she didn't look all that convinced, ”Really, Eb. I'm just-”

A thunderous boom sounded above them. And as everyone's eyes were drawn up towards the sound, Aegin froze. He knew that sound. He'd heard it before. He'd heard is the night that a shadow had covered the moon.

Everyone's eyes were drawn up to see the shadow of a huge bird emerging from the clouds. The wings flapped again, and a gush of wind was directed down. Then, a figure dropped through the smoke and fog, past the sails and rigging, and landed on the deck with a solid thud.

The figure stood to his full height, his wings seeming to fold and disappear into his back. He was simply dressed with no adornments bar a silver bracer that peeked out from under the sleeve of his long black coat. The coat itself was buttoned at the front to his waist, then opened to reveal breeches and boots. The coat also had a deep hood that was drawn up over a pale face.

The figure was intimidating and seemed to radiate a sort of dominance that made everyone instinctively take a step back, but the way he carried himself, as his head turned to scan the faces before him, he was ethereal.

Aegin watched, shocked, then relieved, then angry as the figure's eyes slowly drew towards him and Ebony. He thought the same name as Ebony spoke it, ”Rassa”.

The figure stepped forward, and a gust of wind blew over the people before he appeared right before them. He stopped, his deep brown eyes had a reddish tinge to them as he looked at them before he reached up and pulled his hood back.

There was silence between them, then, his anger rose as this man, this person he had viewed as a brother but who had abandoned them, just stood there. Aegin rose to meet his eyes.

”You've got some nerve showing up now of all times,” Aegin spoke, his tone low.