Just a Man and his Rowboat [DragonSong][M]

[Goldie]

He didn't answer right away and didn't even open his eyes at first, though he did let his hands reach up to cover hers so she didn't think he was unconscious or....dead...

While they floated there he let the warmth in his chest wash over him. He wasn't sure what he thought or how he was feeling. The soul of that man now fueled him, gave him life, so...did that mean he was a part of him now? When Nik had to kill to survive, would the souls he chose change him?

Was he even himself anymore?

"Alive." He finally murmured and let his eyes open to focus onto the one he chose to love. Everything seemed crisper, brighter, no sign of gray or darkness anywhere.

"Alive..." he sighed again, giving her hands a gentle squeeze.

[DragonSong]

Morgana let him take all the time he needed before he answered--his hands over hers were reassurance enough that he was at least still with her. Both literally and metaphorically.

when he opened his eyes, he'd find her watching his face carefully, worry and relief warring for dominance in her expression. She knew that couldn't have been easy for him, but she was just so damned glad he was alright.

Well. Perhaps not alright. Alive.

She drifted closer and wound her arms around his shoulders tightly, curving her tail up over his hip and then around the back of his leg in as enwrapped an embrace as she could manage in her current state.

"Alive," she repeated softly, and pressed a gently kiss to the bite mark she'd left in his shoulder. "You're alive..."

[Goldie]

One interesting side effect of consuming thr soul that Nik wouldn't know until he was looking into a mirror was the golden ring that outlined his otherwise ocean-blue eyes. It would be extremely helpful in avoiding the mad dash against death, though the cold and the darkness would always be there as a warning.

The wound on his shoulder was already starting to heal, leaving yet again another patch of scales where there had once been flesh. The color pattern continued to match those on his fully encompassed areas. In fact, even the scales seemed to match his own markings so intricately that if he had been covered head to toe with scales, they would match up perfectly and not even look like scars anymore.

"Alive." He repeated, winding his arms around her and burring his head into her hair. He existed there for awhile, taking in the soft smell of ambergris that he got from her. This was what made it all worth it. Her.

"That could have been me, you know. If you hadn't decided to talk to me that night. You could have easily flipped the boat and that would have been the end of it." He paused. "Is there a part of you that wished you had? Or at least swam by and not stopped? You could have avoided all of this....Selari, the fisherman, Thaleia..."

[DragonSong]

"No." Morgana shook her head and kissed his cheek before pulling back to hold him at arm's length. "If I had sunk your boat, I would have read your heart before you drowned. That wouldn't have been the end of it."

She let one hand slide up from his shoulder to cup his cheek, her eyes searching his. She saw the gold ring, but didn't know if just now was the time to point out yet another physical change. The scars--scales--were likely quite enough of an adjustment for now.

"And if I hadn't stopped," she continued softly, "Selari would have found me eventually anyway. There's every chance I might have been caught by that fishing boat on my own--and without your help, I might never have escaped."

She didn't comment on Thaleia; as far as she was concerned, he was the one who should regret meeting her when it came to that particular detail. If he hadn't, if he hadn't had to save her from the other siren, he never would have...

She let her hand slide down to press her palm against the patch of scales that covered his death wound.  "...Maybe I should have kept going," she whispered, eyes downcast. "This--this was my fault..."

[Goldie]

Nik started with a jolt when she touched his chest on the scale patch, but not because of the touch, no, because of her words. He grabbed her hand and placed his other hand under her chin to draw her eyes up to meet his.

"What? No!" He reprimanded her, "No, this is not your fault. Morgana....Thaleia has been chasing me for years. I still don't understand why, but she has hurt and killed more people than I want to remember. She's nearly killed me at least three times. Why do you think I was in a rowboat that night? It wasn't for shits and giggles. Whenever I'm on water she finds me, or rather found me, eventually. She gave me this," he reached over his shoulder to touch the claw marks on his back, "When I told her I was leaving. And this," he touched his side just under his ribs where there was a thin scar that looked to be from some kind of blade, "She has sunk, or nearly sunk, every ship I've ever crewed...

"This isn't your fault. It was only a matter of time." He took a breath, "I'm just glad....that when it did happen...it was for you."

[DragonSong]

She let him tilt her chin up, but there was still conflict raging behind her dark eyes as he spoke. She growled quietly when he mentioned all the ways Thaleia had hurt him, all the times she'd nearly killed him.

"I'm not," she hissed softly. "I never want you to--you shouldn't have to--" She sighed and growled again, more a sound of directionless frustration this time. She shook her head, but didn't move back from him.

"A siren who cannot protect her mate is no proper siren at all," she muttered eventually, the tip of her tail twitching with an anxious, angry energy. There was so much that could--that had--hurt him, and she couldn't stop any of it. And now there was this, the price he had to a pay for a death he never should have suffered.

Suffered trying to protect her.

[Goldie]

"Hey," he caught her eye again with a crooked grin that didn't quite meet his eyes, "From what I remember we weren't at that time. Mates, that is." He let his thumb slide gently across her cheek.

"And I am." He added emphatically, "If she had killed me without you....nothing would have changed. I think...I think I'd still be here, paying this price, but with no reason for it. You are my reason."

And he meant it with every fiber of his being. Without her, he wasn't sure he would ever do that again. He wouldn't tell her that, of course, it was too much for someone to know that they very well could be the only reason you were alive. He wouldn't want her to use that as a reason not to leave if she found she wanted to.

[DragonSong]

A soft sound that was dangerously close to something like a sob caught in Morgana's chest, and she surged forward to wrap her arms around him again.

"I love you," she whispered into the curve of his neck, feeling the faint movement of fluttering gills against her cheek. "I--I want to help."

She pulled back to look at him properly. "We'll find a way to--to fix this. To do something."

[Goldie]

He smiled and then pulled her close again, more to hide his own face so she couldn't see the range of emotions that played across them.

"There might not be one." The moment his face was hidden, the smile disappeared and it took everything in him to keep his voice light, "And it's ok. It'll be ok...

"I love you, too." And he could continue to love her as long as the warmth remained in his core. As long as he used souls to fuel his life. As long as she wanted him, he'd do it.

For her.

[DragonSong]

"There will be," she vowed, and the conviction in her voice could have stopped a hurricane in its tracks.

If a way didn't exist now, she would make one.

After a long moment, she pulled back from the embrace and took his face in her hands. "We should...go," she murmured. "If he was telling the truth— the wreck might be nearby. There might be other sailors coming to investigate..."

[Goldie]

"It can't be that bad, right?" He asked putting the smile back on his face when she pulled back, "I mean, it's not like I fell in love with someone who uses souls on a regular basis or anything. Heeeeey, maybe I have some super powers or something now and can make extra special candy."

He forced himself to be the part of himself that he'd lost since Thaleia...no, ever since Selari. He wasn't some weird hybrid soul sucker then, he was a retired sailor with an unquenchable love for candy and shenanigans. Well...sort of....he supposed that was also a character he played to ignore the ever looming shadow of his siren ex-girlfriend.

Gods, who even was he?

He did love those candies though....that at least had always been true.

As if on cue, Bubba bumbled his giant seahorse butt up to the pair and began singing softly while gesturing in a way that clearly read "this way."

"Well...looks like Bubba might already know." Nik raised an eyebrow, "Should follow....?"

[DragonSong]

Morgana huffed softly and rolled her eyes--more for the form of the thing than anything else. "Of course. Candy."

When Bubba swam up to them with that piping, singing sound, she glanced at the seahorse and tilted her head.

"I suppose we should," she sighed, finally disentangling herself from Nik. "He does have an uncanny knack for finding what we need..."

[Goldie]

Nik smiled, trying to hide the fact that he was struggling to do so, and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"You just don't have an elevated palate like me. It's fine though. I'll open up a floating candy shop for humans and seafolk alike and then you'll see." He winked. It was only half joking...because that would actually be pretty cool.

"Off we go then?" And he turned to follow Bubba as he zipped, not so nimbly anymore but definitely faster now that his fins were so large.

[DragonSong]

"Off we go," Morgana agreed, summoning up a small smile and taking his hand as she turned to follow their strange companion.

Bubba seemed to be tracking something--if it was a scent, she couldn't catch it, but she supposed whatever it was might be magical in nature, as the massive seahorse himself was. She tried to focus on keeping up with him, but consistently found herself glancing sidelong at Nik in concern.

She tried not to make it too obvious, not wanting to worry him more than she was sure he was already worried...but it was difficult not to be nervous that his state might suddenly change again. Every so often, she squeezed his hand a little tighter for a few moments before relaxing her grip.

[Goldie]

Nik knew what she was doing. The continuous touch, the gentle squeezes that she tried to make seem natural...none of it was natural for them. Not that they didn't enjoy each other in simple touches during the day, or more passionate moments when the desire struck, but this felt different.

The last time she did it, he squeezed her hand back and held it tightly as a way to nonverbally let her know he knew what she was doing.

"I'm fine." He murmured without slowing pace as they followed Bubba, "I'm here, I'm with you, I'm ok."

And then Bubba started to slow and crooned quietly before stopping completely.

"What is it, boy?" Nik reached up and gave his head a gentle scratch, "Is it this way?" Bubba sang softly, but didn't move, "You don't want to go any further?" He guessed.

Bubba just floated there silently in response.

Nik looked at Morgana, "we can always just leave...if Bubba doesn't want to go what do you think we'll find...?

[DragonSong]

The siren shook her head slowly. "I don't know," she murmured, looking from Bubba to the stretch of ocean before them. "You don't want to come with us?" she asked the seahorse.

He shook his head.

Morgana frowned. "You...can't come with us?"

Bubba crooned and bobbed in place, dipping his head in what she assumed was a nod.

She looked to Nik, mildly baffled. "Well, that's...something."

[Goldie]

Nik didn't like the sound of that at all. What were they swimming into that Bubba didn't want to, or couldn't , follow? The big guy didn't like to be left behind and now it seemed to be an almost willing choice.

"I...don't like the sound of this, Mor." He murmured, looking from Bubba and back to her a few times before pressing his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"Ok...but I'm also intrigued...so...guess we're going." He looked at Bubba for a moment before asking, "It's not going to kill us, is it?"

The seahorse huffed indignantly as if the mere suggestion he would bring them to a dangerous location was ludicrous.

"Ok, ok, ok, my bad, sorry." Nik held up his hands to try and placate him before reaching for Morgana's hand to begin the, seemingly, last leg of their search. Could this even be considered a search? Bubba had done all the work. He was like a giant magic detector. A giant, intelligent magic detector.

Nik started inching forward. The water was oddly murky in front of them which was in complete contrast to the clear waters where they had found the now-dead-captain. It was suspicious to say the least, and even though Nik had limited experience with the sea under the surface, the whole thing reeked of some kind of magics.

Still he pressed on, moving slowly while trying to scan in every direction for anything that might wish them harm. No matter what Bubba intended, anything could be in here and they might not realize it until they were set upon.

"What...is that?" Nik pointed ahead of them where a massive shadow was looming. The outline almost made it look like the underside of an iceberg, but the water was much too warm for that kind of thing.

[DragonSong]

Morgana gav3e Bubba one last, confused look before swimming after Nik. "You'll keep close?"

The massive seahorse crooned, and she could have sworn he looked...regretful. Or perhaps reluctant. Like he wished he could go with them, but simply couldn't follow.

That was...ominous.

"We'll be back soon," she promised, utterly unsure if it was a promise she could keep or not, then turned to follow Nik.

For a while, she couldn't make out much of anything in the algae-thick water. She frowned. "This is...odd. This sort of algae growth doesn't normally happen out in open water like this..."

When Nik pointed, she jerked her head up, tensing preparation of a new threat. Her eyes widened slightly. "I don't--I've never seen anything like that," she whispered, unconsciously drifting closer to him. "It looks...like..."

An ominous creaking of wood echoed through the water, and the shape...shifted slightly. Drifting with the swells like--like a ship. Only it was far too large and irregularly shaped to be such a thing.

[Goldie]

Nik held onto Morgana's hand tightly as he stared at the looming...whatever the hell it was....in front of them. The more he looked at it, the bigger it seemed to become. Not to mention every piece of wood was fitted together in a way that strictly did not make logical sense. Planks ran perpendicular, diagonal, but never actually overlapped just...formed together. Pieces of what looked like houses jutted out in random places.

And it was moving. Not quickly. Not even at a pace that was even truly noticeable, but it was. The creaking and groaning wood was like the dirge of a felled forest and the algae parted as the structure passed. It was something straight from a horror story.

"Mor..." he pointed, "It has a door."

Sure enough, right on the bottom, was a bright red door with a light glowing enticingly at the top like you would see on an angler fish in the deep oceans.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, the waters grew continuously darker until the only light around them was from that singular light above the door and the gold rings around Nik's irises.

[DragonSong]

Morgana swallowed. It was a strange reflex, but one she couldn't stop as trepidation crept up her spine. "A door," she repeated quietly, her eyes drawn to the light.

Why did it have a door?

"Should we...?" She looked from Nik to the door and back. It was getting dark. She didn't know these waters.

But there was every chance what was in there was just as dangerous as what was out here.

The water grew cooler around them--far too quickly for it to be simply from the setting of the sun. Morgana stiffened.

Ice was Selari's magic.

"We need to move," she whispered harshly. "We need to get out of here."

Whatever this structure was, she was fairly sure Selari wouldn't be able to follow them onto it.