Walking into the room, Immanuel was met with an unexpected sight. Syl lay naked on the bed, her body adorned with red spots encircled by black rings, meticulously spaced in a deliberate pattern. It was clear this was a self-administered process. Around her, several empty bottles littered the floor. Notably, she was completely bald, her previously blonde hair now just short stubble scattered across the bed.
Approaching cautiously, Immanuel's eyes fell upon blankets stained with blood on the ground. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he fetched two clean blankets from his inventory and gently covered her.
Drawing closer, he noticed even her eyebrows were gone. "Syl, can you hear me?" he asked softly, she did not react. In a bid to rouse her, he cut himself, letting a few drops of his blood fall into her mouth, but still, there was no reaction. The only reassurance he had was her deep, steady breathing, indicating she was still very much alive.
He lingered, his patience thinning, before deciding to tidy the room. After tidying, with her still showing no signs of life, he ventured to the dolphins. He hauled nine hefty dolphins into the ship's storage and tucked four smaller ones into his personal space.
Returning to her side, he found her condition unchanged, so he ascended to the deck.
Atop the railing stood Zach, his gaze locked on the horizon. Birds circled overhead, and the menacing silhouettes of spiky dolphins lurked just beneath the water's surface.
"Are the sharks still active?" Immanuel asked. As he spoke, a shark leaped dramatically into the air, far in the distance and away from any birds. It plummeted back into the ocean, causing a spectacular splash.
"Syl is still unresponsive, but her breathing is deep," Immanuel reported.
"That's good. In this deep sleep, they're beyond pain. It's the final step towards ascension, a sign of success," Zach explained.
"Thanks. That's somewhat reassuring."
Thinking about their food problem he asked, "we've collected 13 dolphins. Do we need more?”
Zach peered into the depths. "Go ahead, jump. You have the ability to flash out."
"Seems fair," Immanuel conceded, securing the rope around himself slowly.
"Damn it," he cursed, eyes fixed on the tumultuous waters below. The only visible entities were the punk-rock-styled dolphins. Gripping a crossbow bolt in each hand, he ignited his core, sharpening his senses and deepening his breath.
There were so many that it was hard to choose. Spotting a smaller creature emerging, he leaped on its back, plunging the bolts into its sides as it descended. The beast dived deep, dragging him underwater.
Beneath the surface, he witnessed a chaotic battle of epic proportions. Countless sharks darted about, some rocketing upwards from the depths. Amidst them, he spotted octopus-like beings, more agile and numerous, snatching dolphins with their multitude of arms and dragging them towards gaping maws. The scene was nightmarish.
On the verge of abandoning his effort, Immanuel felt Zach's pull, rescuing him from the frenzy. A dark shape glided below him, blood gushing from the dolphin he had impaled mixed with the water. Summoning his strength, he drove the bolts deeper, finally breaking the surface as Zach hauled him aboard.
He stumbled onto the deck, the dolphin still thrashing under him. With a forceful kick, he sent the creature tumbling into the hatch below.
"Damn, damn, damn! There are creatures down there, like octopuses but with countless arms, not just eight. I'm not doing that again," he exclaimed.
Zach, undeterred, grabbed a crossbow and jumped back on the railing. Immanuel untied himself, handing the rope to Zach, who attached it to a bolt. "Good luck with that," Immanuel muttered, and started walking to Syl.
She was still lying exactly how he left her, in a deep sleep. He filled a glass with water, setting it beside her, and then made his way to the bridge.
As he surveyed the horizon from behind the glass, still saw no end to the creatures. He opened the navigator to verify their course, made minor adjustments, and secured the wheel.
Suddenly, a sizable impact jolted the ship. It was a palpable bump, the ship groaned. Enough to send a wave of dread through Immanuel. His mind raced with images of colossal beings, capable of snapping the ship in half, lurking beneath the waves.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Not knowing what he could do on the bridge, he stepped outside again. Zach was hauling in a smaller dolphin, a bolt gruesomely lodged in its eye, protruding almost to the other side.
---
They finally arrived at the last of the dolphins, the sea turning back to its normal blue color. A solitary bird, its wings etching circles in the sky, lingered momentarily before retreating into the distance.
"Thank goodness that's behind us," Immanuel declared, relief evident in his voice as he stood beside Zach.
With a swift motion, Zach leaped off the railing, and started to rip apart one of the dolphins he had caught.
Turning away, Immanuel made his way back to Syl.
---
There she lay, motionless in her bed. He gently administered water to her parched lips.
She made a disgusted face as if biting in a lemon. Happy she responded to something, he cut his hand, pressing the wound to her lips. She began to drink deep, clutching his arm to her lips with her eyes still closed.
As she continued, Immanuel's head grew light, his consciousness waning. He hesitated to pull away, fearing he might interrupt a crucial process.
Finally his vision narrowed, the world faded, and he succumbed to darkness.
----
He woke up lying in the comfort of his bed, Syl was sitting at the table. The warm, orange hues of the setting suns filtered through the window, casting a serene glow on her as she sat engrossed in a book. A plate of sushi stood on the table.
Clad in his robes and nestled under the blanket, he broke the silence. "So, you managed to turn a dolphin into sushi?" he asked.
Startled, Syl hurried to his side, concern etched on her face. "How do you feel?".
He reassured her with a gentle nudge, encouraging her to sit back as he rose. "I'm fine. But how about you? How are you feeling?"
Her smile was bright and genuine. "Better than ever."
Sitting down at the table, Immanuel began to eat the sushi. The fresh taste was a welcome change to their diet of fruits. "Have you eaten yet?"
She nodded.
"And the process, was it painful?"
"Yes, it was, but I used the most potent reagents we stole. They're riskier, but with your blood and the fruits, I felt confident about making it through.”
"That's reassuring to hear," he said with a smile, continuing to eat.
“I’m curious, can you and Zach not absorb beast cores?”
“We have to use beast cores, it’s a main ingredient, but, because of the way they change us.” She played with a slice of dolphin as she answered, “it reacts dangerously with…”
She was silent for a moment.
“They inject a cocktail based, or derived from the blood of the ancestor. It kills most…”
She was silent again, clearly uncomfortable talking about it.
“You don’t have to explain it, tell me some other time. Maybe when you didn’t just have a painful ascension.”
She nodded so Immanuel took that as an opportunity to talk about something lighter.
"Did Zach tell you about out little fishing adventure?"
"Zacharastra was too engrossed in his meal to say much of anything."
"We stumbled upon a school of fish that resembled animals called dolphins from where I’m from. The sea completely turned black with their presence. There were birds diving at them, sharks circling below, and an array of sea creatures joining the fray. It was simultaneously terrifying, beautiful, and epic."
Syl's smile widened. "I wish I could've seen it… Of all the times to be out. Nothing but sea for so long, and now."
"It was the most incredible thing ever, especially after days of nothing but sunrises and sunsets. It was absolutely amazing."
She eyed him with playful suspicion, prompting laughter from Immanuel.
"No, really, it was alright. I'm just glad you're done with your ascension," he added.
Immanuel picked a large piece of sushi and stood up to check on Zach, Syl followed him.
They discovered Zach asleep on his couch on the bridge.
"That guy is always sleeping when he's supposed to be on watch," Immanuel commented wryly.
Together, they checked the navigator and made minor adjustments to ensure they remained on course.
"I'll take the first watch. You should get some more rest," Syl offered, settling into the captain's chair.
Acknowledging her suggestion with a nod, Immanuel returned to his bed, comforted by the thought of Syl taking the helm.
---
Immanuel, restless in his sleep and clad only in his underpants, was suddenly jolted awake. A voice, urgent and excited, pierced through the haze of slumber, prompting him to stir.
Abruptly, the door burst open.
"Immanuel!" It was Syl, her voice ringing with exhilaration. "Land! We see land!"
She rushed over, seizing his hand with an infectious energy. He allowed himself to be swept up in her enthusiasm, swiftly following her onto the deck.
There, on the horizon, was their long-awaited sight. Although details were still indistinct, the mere presence of land, growing steadily larger as they approached. After so long at sea, the promise of land held countless possibilities.