There was a vast endless ocean of void. Somewhere out in the cosmic expanse of eternity. From all directions the darkness pressed in like water. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear. Time, endless without beginning. To some a place of terror. To others a place of tranquility. Here one might feel entirely alone. One may feel that just beyond the stygian curtain, were innumerable ceaseless watching, judging eyes.
Amethyst was slipping further through the void. She felt like her body was slowly drifting towards the bottom of the sea floor. There, the Kraken was waiting to dissolve her. She saw, at first, reality as she knew it. But the further she descended, the less there was to see. Her mind unraveled as the events of the ship, of her very life began to fade away. The panic dulled as her fear was slowly numbing. She softly landed on what she could only imagine was the bottom of the universe.
She lay there, relaxed and comfortable for a long time, the void around her shifting. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it. Her body slowly being raised into some form of upright. Her feet felt like they were once again holding her weight, and her back felt like she was pressed against an invisible wall. Yet she still felt cradled and the overwhelming desire to walk took hold of her. So she walked in the calm emptiness.
Amethyst was lost. She walked alone in the black mist which engulfed her entire being. At her feet emanated white ripples, the only thing showing any semblance of position. She shouted out once, but could not hear her own words. Nor could she feel the vibration of her vocal cords. In fact, she could not feel much of anything. No cold, or warm, nor pain.
She wasn't afraid, even though she thought she should be. She walked forward, not looking for anything in particular, simply following the instinct. Time felt endless as she walked, like each step had been her first, but also her last. She wondered about many things as she had fallen, what had happened to the Kraken? Then followed by the fate of her friends and the crew. During this marathon, however, her thoughts were only to wonder what may lay ahead, and where she was. But most importantly... why?
As her mind's vivid imagination pulled apart her situation, chewing on the few facts she thought she knew, she noticed that there was someone walking just ahead of her. Again she shouted and again there was nothing, but that didn't stop her from trying. She started to run after the person ahead of her. As she did, the person started to run as well. Amethyst stopped running, standing still, ignoring the overwhelming desire to continue forward. So did the person ahead of her stop.
When she stopped moving entirely, she became like a sculpture, allowing no movement of any part of herself, not even to shift her unblinking eyes. As still as she was, the figure remained equally as unmoving. Amethyst raised her arm up slowly over her head. The thing in front of her followed her same movements. She raised up her other hand and started to wave both of her arms. The thing in front of her started to as well. Amethyst had not felt any fear, even as the mimicking creature in front of her followed each movement like a backwards reflection. She simply felt curious as to the intention of what was ahead of her. Then she wondered about what might be behind her. She turned her whole body around with slow and deliberate steps, her neck remaining stiff and her eyes remaining in place like that of a doll. Behind her, at half the distance of the other strange reflection, she saw the back of another. In front of that one, she could see another, and another, and even more still that she could not count. each curving slightly, as if each step she took forward had left a piece of her standing in their place, glued like statues tracking each step of the journey.
Each move she made was perfectly in sync with the others. She turned again, more quickly this time and found herself face to face with two golden mirrors. Each had an Identical frame. Gems and Jewels of all colors were encrusted along both. Yet, as she investigated closer, she discovered that the gems were mirrored on each, as though the mirrors themselves were one mirror reflected. The surface of the mirrors themselves, did not reflect Amethyst though, Instead they acted more like windows into realms, that were both familiar, and strangely unfamiliar and fantastical.
In the one mirror, Amethyst could see her friends. They hovered over Amethyst, attempting to resuscitate her. She could see the ship covered in viscera and gore. Tenya was crying, just like in her dream. Nuru was kneeled in deep concentration. The golden glow which had been around her, was no longer visible to Amethyst. She watched her friends and newly found acquaintances gather around her. They all looked to be mourning and watching the scene reverently.
In the other mirror, Amethyst could see fields of golden grass blowing in the wind. She could see far off in the distance, much further than she had ever been able to before. Dominating the center of the image, she could see a large castle. It stood in defiance of all logic. The towers curved in impossible ways. The walls around the castle were like a mosaic. They were bright and colorful, but for some reason they were also filled with gray spaces, and some murals seemed to be entirely invisible, offering a glimpse deeper into the city. Amethyst wondered what this place was, and why she was able to see this place at all. Was this heaven?
Amethyst yearned to see what was in the city, to walk its roads and learn its impractical designs. The sun was keeping a watchful eye over the city. A backdrop of deep blue skies sang to her like the rolling golden hills which surrounded the monolithic city. She wanted to walk through those vast landscapes and dance with the creatures which inhabited them. She wanted to drink from the pure and clear waters that flowed from distant cliffs of perfect white that rose far beyond the height of the sky itself, yet were still impossibly encompassed by the blue sky.
This other mirror of adventure called to her, crying and beckoning for her to go further. She could smell the sweet scent of flowers and hear the gentle chirping of birds. It reminded her of something in her life. Some peace before a terrible storm. Her head throbbed slightly at the thought. She mindlessly placed her hands onto her head. She felt the hard nubs where her horns once proudly displayed. She knew that to pass through the mirror would make her whole again.
She took in a deep breath, her choice almost certainly carved into her soul. Before she stepped into the mirror, Will all its glory and comforts and adventure, she glanced for just a moment back to the first mirror. She saw the pain and macabre suffering. The drab gray surroundings were a stark contrast to the rich flavors of diverse color of the other mirror. She would be cold there, and in pain again. She would be a part of the cycle of the pain and suffering which were so vivid in that first Mirror. Even so, the other mirror, for all the wondrous and fantastical mysteries, had been lacking something just as vibrant within that made Amethyst pause in her decision.
Amethyst thought a long time about which mirror to go through. She felt calls to both that were different but equal. Though she didn't wonder why she was struggling so hard. Deeply she weighed each pro and con. She lingered on all the cons of the first mirror depicting her friends, comparing them to all the pros of the new world and vise versa. Finally after long consideration and much internal deliberation, she decided that, as painful as it might be, she had not fulfilled her promise to return Tenya and Ebba to their home.
Amethyst stepped in front of the first mirror. She hesitated after seeing the gore and imagining the smell once more. But steeled her resolve. She took a deep breath and stepped forward and attempted to press her hand against the mirror.
§
Amethyst woke to the sounds of bells and seabirds. There was a hurried bustle above her. She realized that she was lying in her hammock. She felt a surge of adrenalin as she shot forward, wobbling fiercely. She fell with all the grace of tumbling boulders right to the floor.
"Are you okay!" Tenya yelped in alarm.
Amethyst looked over to see a giggling Ebba attempting to hide her amusement. Quickly moving towards her, Tenya dropped to the floor and placed her dominant hand on Amethyst. She then checked Amethyst's head. Each twist and turn sent shocks of acute pain through Amethyst's neck and back, her muscles were tense and tight, rioting at each pull and twist.
Tenya's hot hands which had met with Amethyst's cool skin had immediately given her a hot flash. Amethyst gripped Tenya's hands firmly to stop the inspection. Then she gestured to Tenya that she was okay. Amethyst's quick movements had awoken some kind of fire, which now flowed through her veins. Amethyst tried to speak, but her throat screamed against her in agonizing pleas of silence. Amethyst gripped her throat and winced. She was only just realizing the excessive pain she was in. Each joint felt like it had been solidified. Her muscles felt like they had needles pressed against them, each movement was stabbing. So Amethyst let herself remain on the ground, closing her eyes as she adjusted slowly to have her back flat against the wooden floor.
After a long rest, allowing the pain to retreat, Amethyst opened her eyes and struggled to sit forward. Tenya, who had patiently remained by her side, placed her arm behind Amethyst and slowly, yet firmly acting as a solid anchor for Amethyst's pained rising, helped Amethyst in her attempt to sit. Once Amethyst had fully sat forward, her world started to spin. If there were any contents within her stomach, they would have been returned to the chef. She felt all at once tired and energized. Her body refused to move, and her eyes wanted to close, but her mind wanted to race. She wanted to know what happened, where they were and how they had managed to remain alive.
"Drink some water, you've been out for days. " Tenya said warmly.
"Days?!" Amethyst thought, that couldn't be so, could it? The time she was in that dark expanse had felt nearly instant to her now that she was awake. Though she couldn't recall exactly what had happened, she knew that it wasn't days, or was it? She didn't know any more, the events of that place had slowly drifted in detail. All she could recall was giving up something beautiful to return. Was it just the dream of a woman who had overexerted herself to such a degree that she had passed out? That she spent days asleep following the direction of a dream so unlike the ones she had known? Or had she gone on a spiritual journey and seen something beyond? She didn't know, and now the fatigue had started to ravage her rambling thoughts. She looked up and focused when she realized something was moving in her vision.
Ebba was kneeling beside Amethyst, a wooden cup held just in front of Amethyst's mouth. Amethyst tried to take the cup, but was unable to grasp it in her hands. They folded, but could apply no pressure. Ebba held the cup to Amethyst's lips and gently pressed the cup upwards while Amethyst tilted her head back, her throat clenched in an uncomfortable way as she did so as she fought not to cough from the sensation.
The cool water touched her parched lips. They burned at first, then the sensation fell away as sweet moisture flowed into the dry valley of her mouth. First striking her tongue which had sat like a boulder of sand. As the water spread across the bed of her buds, the liquid soaked in like a monsoon soaked into sunbaked clay. Each crack expanding, lapping up every drop. The water rose up the inside of her cheeks until the cup had been empty, and her mouth filled. She just let the water sit there, soaking in until the burning and dry feelings disappeared. She savored it until long after the water had become hot.
She attempted to swallow the water down, the first few drops started to slide down the back of her throat, burning along the way. In slow motion, Amethyst felt as the water started to glide past her tongue. Her throat had other ideas. As the water fell, her throat clenched tightly. The dried walls quivering for a drink, spasming at the idea, and greedily attempting to hold the water in place.
Her body jolted and forced her to cough. The water hadn't made it far towards its goal before she coughed. The water was sent right back up and ejected in a spray that covered both her and Tenya who had been kneeled in front of her. The cough threw Amethyst into a fit. She had no time to ponder on the mess she made, or attempt to apologize for it. She coughed violently and unceasingly for a long stretch which ripped all the stored air from her. Her body began to cramp, large ripples and quivers could be seen slithering under her skin as the muscles tried to tear themselves apart further.
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Tenya sent Ebba off for Nuru, who returned to Amethyst's side in seconds. Amethyst groaned uncontrollably, as if to give any amount of relief to her struggling body, but each groan further strained her brittle vocal cords. She wriggled in the pain as Nuru focused on massaging out the worst of the visible cramps. Amethyst could hear that Nuru was talking with her, but she couldn't understand her words. They were like a foreign gibberish. Tenya's words were as well.
The translation rune had begun to burn hot and tickled her throat, which continued to press Amethyst into coughing with no ability to stop. She became dizzy, her body felt light and she lost all control of herself as she fell flat to the ground. Then all went dark as she felt her body continue to convulse in further coughs before losing all reality and passing out.
Not much later, she woke up in an armchair. Her throat felt better, but was still achy. Her mouth was not nearly as dry as when she first woke. Her muscle spasms had ceased and her rune was not burning. Though she still felt pain around her body overall, she was able to let herself move, if even only a little.
Her most pressing concern was her need to pee. Her bladder was by far in the most pain. She looked around to see the space was empty. She attempted to call out, but her voice was still of no use. Afraid of the pain, Amethyst hesitated to move. She remained as still as she could until she was about to pee herself. She considered doing so as to not prompt another fit or additional pain. But she felt embarrassed at the thought. Though as a slave she had done so, she had no choice. in front of her she could see that she was not far from a chamber pot. Determined, Amethyst decided she was not going to be a slave any more, not to anyone else and not to her body.
Slowly she lifted her arms. They were weak and sore, but were not so bad as to stop her this time. Her legs strained to hold her up as her arms buckled in weakness several times before she was able to hold herself up. On shaky stocks she struggled forward. For a few steps, Amethyst's knees tried to let her fall, but Amethyst would wait, holding her position and enduring the searing pain in her bladder. With a great deal of effort which had drained almost all of her energy she had reached her goal
Relief she never thought possible resounded throughout her body as a euphoria took her and she felt as though she were a floating cloud. Amethyst hobbled back towards the armchair, which had been nailed in place. She was still in her room, and her Hammock had been removed. The chair had been placed near the corner of the wall. A large fluffy pillow was placed in such a way to provide as much comfort as possible and also to protect her head from shifting during the voyage.
Amethyst saw a jug of water in a basin on the floor before she sat. She stared at the water, her task to return to the chair halted. She felt a hint of dryness, and the thought of a drink had seemed both a refreshing gift from the gods, and a temptation from the devils which might send her back into her torturous spasms. With the hints of moisture she could manage in her mouth she swallowed the little spit she could.
There was no protest, no outburst to tell her that she couldn't enjoy the refreshing feel of pure cold water, hydrating her again. So slowly she crept towards the jug just adjacent to the armchair. She let herself sit on the floor, hardly able to keep herself up until her legs crossed and her tail pressed hard against the floor, securing her position. She stared at it, her mouth starting to water in anticipation.
She reached out, her grip more secure than when she tried to lift a simple cup. Her arms worked hard to lift the partially full jug to her lips. Their protests seemed trivial compared to the assault her body had endured from her rabid muscles. She let the jug linger on her lips, fear tugged at her once more before she took a deep breath and let the water flow into her greedy belly. She felt like she could drink another full pitcher and then another. She drank every drop before letting out a long loud gasp. The water settled, and her body readily accepted it. She let the jug reclaim its place on the secured basin.
She pulled herself up off the ground, and pivoted so that she was able to sit on the chair. She scooted and wiggled, finding a comfy spot that she felt secure in and slowly let herself relax back into it. She let her head gently recline back into the pillow. With the euphoria of relieving herself and full feeling of water just as satisfying as she had hoped, she fell asleep once more. This time in peace.
§
The storm had blown them off course, hindering their progress by six days. While Amethyst was recovering, the crew and her friends were hard at work cleaning the ship. They took a full day with all hands on deck to do so. The remains of the Kraken were cleaned up slowly and aggressively. The captain chose to let the remains of the krakens appendages be tossed overboard, fearing that to keep them may lead to misfortune. So the ship was scrubbed and disinfected to the best of their ability. Stains of the creature's murky blood refused to be removed from the deck.
The sky had returned to its deep blue. The clouds lazily drifted along the calm sea above. A firm wind filled the sails which had been mended and replaced as necessary. The sea birds returned to roost along the ships masts and beams. The sun sent gentle apologies in its warm rays. Like a mournful child, the sun hugged the crew lightly, promising safe and mindful passage forward.
Along the ship, smaller whales had returned to escort the fleet towards Melydaesos. They squeaked and danced along the waves. The crew, seeing them as omens of luck, tossed fish and other goodies to them in a superstitious attempt to prevent another storm during this journey. The small whales had accepted these offerings and more began to gather around the fleet.
The waves cradled the ship and rocked it slowly back and forth like a lulling mother trying to hush a crying baby. As such, the remainder of the trip would be like that. All the rage had dried away leaving only the peaceful love which had lured many along its vast stretches. luring some fewer into its watery depths like that of a siren and her enticing call.
Amethyst, during the remainder of the voyage, made strides in her recovery. Tenya stuck to her side like glue. She was kind and gentle, but followed Nuru's instructions regardless of the discomfort it caused to Amethyst. Tenya had, by that time, been fully sober for a while. Amethyst had stuck through all the mood swings and tantrums with little or no complaint. During the difficult times when she was still recovering from being kidnapped, Amethyst would stay with her in the medical room, soothing her. Now Tenya took her chance to do the same for Amethyst.
Ebba kept helping the crew around the ship, but her sense of wonder had been tempered. She looked out to the water, not with awe, but reverence and respect. She seemed to have less energy, her hyper activity had slowed and she spent more time staring off. Sometimes, she would look like Stochastís, keeping a dutiful gaze on random objects and in random directions where there was little of interest to observe. In the night, Ebba would toss and turn, choosing to sleep on the floor of Amethyst and Tenya's bunk.
Nuru had spent long mornings with Amethyst, focusing on one damaged area at a time. To Nuru's best knowledge, Amethyst had torn several of her muscles. Without the intervention of Nuru's healing magic, she would be out of commission for months, maybe even longer. Nuru would leave exhausted. Busara, who would visit just as often as Wa Chini, told Amethyst that after each treatment, Nuru would stumble along to her bunk, where she and Bontu would remain until the next morning.
By the fifth day, with four days remaining on their total journey, Amethyst had managed to make a few laps around the deck of the ship. She enjoyed the sun and the light salty breeze. The crew took turns walking over to her and thanking her for saving their lives. Amethyst hadn't brought up what had happened, but by Stochastís's words, her dream was reality.
Stochastís himself was recovering from the damage done by the tube he had held. On Amethyst's walks about the deck, he would be seldom far behind. He told her the story from the many different perspectives of the crew. Although his dominant hand was currently damaged, he was ambidextrous, and took the crew's first hand accounts with such fine tedium, that the crew would often leave him for a while only to return with Stochastís acting like the conversation had never paused.
By the seventh day the pain was manageable enough for Amethyst, that Nuru was no longer spending long mornings with her. Amethyst didn't see Nuru for the remainder of their days on the water. Bontu said she had caught a fever and required a great deal of rest. Bontu himself looked exhausted. He had been attempting to maintain the fleet as well as personally attend to Nuru. Aside from the update he had given to Amethyst, he was rarely seen in a state of relaxation, having been seen all around the ship at all hours of the day and night.
Wa Chini and Garba put aside their competition in favor of maintaining the serenity aboard. They had integrated with the crew, and were working like they had been sailors their whole lives. As Busara put it. "For every confident choice those two make, there is one confident sailor fixing a mistake one of those two made." Busara laughed and Amethyst let out a little amusement herself.
By the last day of the journey Amethyst was able to roam freely, though her voice was still raspy. Tenya said it complemented her, but Amethyst despised the noise. She thought it reminded her of her grandfather, who she had thought about a lot during her recovery. She spent long hours silently listening to Tenya or Ebba or any number of her friends and crew. But in the late hours of the deep dark night, she looked back on the memories of her family, trying to get another glimpse of her father. Decoding the puzzle that was her grandfather's interactions with her, and how her mother similarly acted towards her. She was lost between the feeling she thought she had and the lens of adulthood which told a different story of abuse and tragedy. She couldn't tell one way or the other what was real.
Evening of that final day was setting and Amethyst was looking out at sea. She stood at the front of the ship, her hands were resting lightly on the worn railing. Her fingers had fit themselves into the grooves of the wood. The front of the wood had lost all its stain and was left as bare wood. She let her fingers slide along the sanded material absentmindedly as she looked to the landmass encroaching in front of her. From here it looked like a formless blob rising slowly out of the water.
Stochastís had told her that the city of Neopolis was built onto a great cliffside and that many villages would be the same as they passed along the coast. She waited in excitement, hoping to see any of it before nightfall. The captain had announced that they "were likely to disembark by the sun's zenith on the morrow."
Tenya stood next to Amethyst. She placed her hand over top of Amethyst's. The two watched quietly as the mass came closer to them. Amethyst enjoyed the caress of Tenya's thinking mind as she stroked Amethyst's hand.
"I am so grateful for you." Amethyst said suddenly. She turned her head to look at Tenya, those thick curls fluttering in the wind. Tenya turned to look at Amethyst, a smile playing at her lips.
"What do you mean?" Tenya said, trying to tuck her hair unsuccessfully. Her hand stopping on top of Amethyst's
"You ran to me and chose to help me... instead of fighting." Amethyst's grip tightened. So too did Tenya's "I don't know if I would have come back if you hadn't been there for me."
Tenya looked back to the sea, her face scrunched in thought. Amethyst watched the portrait of Tenya, highlighted by the setting sun. Her features were as bright and fiery as they were back in Stone Town, but not from anger like before. Amethyst saw passion, she saw love and perseverance. Most importantly she saw a woman who had finally started to heal
"I made no choice." Tenya said before looking at Amethyst again. Her smile was wide and bright. Her eyes flickered around Amethyst's features. Her warm hand, squeezing Amethyst's gently. The two shared a smile, then, too soon for Amethyst's liking, Tenya went back to looking ahead. Amethyst followed suit.
As the evening fell over them, the moon had wasted no time in joining them as it dimly illuminated all that the sun had left in the dark upon its passing. The glow of its blue spotlight highlighted the tops of the rippling water. The dim shades of small whales danced on a shifting stage of the calm ocean. Their melodies were like the harmonies of an orchestra which narrated their nightly play. Amethyst and Tenya had turned to watch them as the small whales performed. Amethyst let her head fall onto Tenya's shoulder, and likewise, Tenyas head pressed softly atop Amethyst's head. They let their hands entangle as they enjoyed the show.
Amethyst and Tenya remained watching, The warmth of their own bodies were all that separated them until night's chill began to press in from all other sides. They endured for a while, Amethyst wishing this moment would last forever. Tenya had made no move to leave, instead she let go of Amethyst's hand and wrapped her arm around her, as if to share an even greater warmth. Amethyst was forced to admit defeat to the chill, and pulled Tenya along to go under deck and return to their bunks.
On their way, they saw the lights of a village in the opposite direction of the ongoing play the whales had been putting on for over an hour. The lights crossed up into the heights of the cliff. The dim blue moonlight had brightened and the white walls of the village buildings showed in brilliant reflections that highlighted the clay tiled roofs that distinguished the start and end of every other building which had been layered upwards along the cliffside.
They watched for a moment as they passed the towering cliffs. Then they retired to their bunk. Ebba had already taken her place on the floor between Amethyst's chair and Tenya's hammock. She was curled up in a nest of blankets and pillows and had already started snoring softly. Amethyst and Tenya shared a smile after seeing Ebba, they let their hands linger for a little longer before they let their eyes whisper a wordless, "Goodnight." Amethyst had no energy to let her mind wander, but that didn't stop her from the vision of Tenya's eyes as she closed her own, illuminated gently in the moonlight's embrace. She let herself drift away into sleep as she let Tenya soar through the echoes of her closing consciousness.