S. Welles - To Ocean's End

When Jessie woke inside her air bubble the next morning, she could sense Dyne’s stress and fatigue, along with his desperation to reach the ship. She gently told him he didn’t have to push himself so hard. She wasn’t worried about her lack of food.

I’m already using just my command over water. I stopped swimming a while ago to slow the bleeding. I can’t risk going any slower or I might pass out before we get there. When he sensed her own fearful response, he added, Don’t worry. We’ll make it. Just another hour or two.

Just another hour or two? Right. Jessie fell silent after that, not wanting to chip away at his concentration with talk. She wished she could add her will to his to help share the workload. She tried, like when she’d sent her mind looking for the naiads, and when Dyne said nothing and they moved no faster, she concluded that command over water wasn’t one of her avatar powers. It was only a slight disappointment. She could already do enough. She tried listening to his racing heart, then tuned it out. All it did was make her worry that he had to be killing himself with all the exertion. Sure, he couldn’t die permanently, but the stress and strain he was putting himself through unsettled her. She grew even more uncomfortable when she realized they were plowing through the water slower than before she’d slept. The whoosh of the water had dropped at least an octave.

An hour later, Jessie realized the whooshing had dropped even more. They were still speeding along the surface fast enough to make the ocean streak below them, but she could also feel the tension in his chest muscles. He was swimming again. Please make it.

We will. Just a few minutes left.

Said few minutes later, Dyne put on a burst of speed, then dived completely under before surging up and out of the water. Jessie caught a glimpse of the Pertinacious’s bow as they soared over the railing. Dyne hit the wood deck in a three-point landing, then sank to his knees and held himself up with a webbed hand as he gasped for air. He sounded like a oversized bear huffing away. He clutched Jessie tight as he collapsed on his side. The boat rocked and swayed.

Jessie rose and fell with each of Dyne’s lungfuls of air, until he gathered himself enough to lower his hand to the deck. She stood on his open palm and took in his punctured and gashed torso. His massive frame shuddered.

“Made it,” he said in barely more than a whisper. “How bad do I look?”

“All hands to arms!” came Rammus’s shocked voice over the sound system.

Jessie stepped off Dyne’s hand, coat in hand, and took in his entire demon form. His largest injuries dribbled blood, but overall his greyish-blue hide looked speckled with flesh-colored semi-circles and wedges. The smaller injuries had clotted and the ocean had cleaned them up. He was missing a chunk in his tail, had gaping bite marks in both legs and the shoulder he wasn’t lying on. She stood before his snout. His eyes, the same pale color as his human self, looked glazed over with pain and fatigue. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I’m trying not to.” He shuddered again. “Mind getting me a towel? I can’t hold onto this form much longer.”

Rammus came running towards them, sword in hand, then skidded to a halt when he saw Jessie. “Jessie! You’re alive! What is that thing?”

“It’s me, you idiot,” Dyne said in a low, tired voice.

“Rammus, please grab Captain a towel or some clothes.”

He looked at Dyne again, eyes wide. His shock melted into concern and he nodded. “I’m on it.” He did a one-eighty and ran below deck.

Jessie moved to the side of Dyne’s head and his eyes followed her. She thought of prodding his shoulder to see how deep the bite went, but decided not to risk causing him more pain. Instead she rubbed his scaled brow and cheek, hoping to help him relax. “Stay with me.”

“I’m not a pet, you know.”

“It’s hard seeing you like this.” His draconic head was warm to the touch and getting warmer as the intense sun started baking them both. Dyne heaved a sigh that sounded like wind blowing.

Sauna and Mido stopping just outside the hatch at the sight of a water demon curled up on the bow. Ed and Ted bumped into them then froze as well. Scully yelled at them to stop blocking the hatch. The four of them moved to the railing, then the rest of the crew filed onto the deck and joined in on the concerted gaping. O’Toole took one look, whimpered, then ran to Dyne and latched his arms around the tip of his snout.

Dyne sucked in air through his fangs and winced. “Glad to see you, too, O’Toole,” he said kindly, relaxing his head.

Jessie stopped caressing Dyne’s snout and straightened up, and patiently waited for the crew to recover from their shock. Rammus pushed past them, a blue shower towel tucked under an arm.

Dyne tried to lift an arm. He reached a few feet out and his arm flopped back onto the deck with a heavy thud, making it vibrate. His whole body shuddered again. “Cancer, hook me up with some blood, IV, and a bunch of sutures.”

“As you are right now?” Cancer said.

Dyne dragged his head so he was facing his crew with both narrowed eyes. “Of course not, you moron,” he snapped faintly. “Rammus, how long until my next lockdown?”

“You need to go in tonight. You returned just in time.” He snapped open the towel with a flick.

Dyne’s eyes widened and he lay stock still.

“What is it?” Jessie asked.

“Our timing. This can’t be a coincidence.”

“Rhode timed it so we’d get back before lockdown?”

“That, too.” He groaned and balled up. “Amphitrite knew you’d get me out sooner or later. She also knew her daughter would help us make that happen.” Steam began to rise off his body in dancing tendrils. “Something worse is going to happen.” He tried to sit up but his arms gave out. He thrashed his tail and began to shrink. “Rammus,” he said between gasps for air, “you need to drop me off at the nearest coast. You all need to get away from me. I’m a danger to you. I’ve played right into her hands.” His dorsal sail, tail, and forearm fins retracted into his body. “Even when I didn’t cooperate in the cave. You all need to get far away.”

“Dyne, what are you talking about?” Jessie said.

Cancer ran off, hopefully to get the supplies Dyne had requested. The rest of the crew drew closer, their faces full of worry. Rammus held up the towel, ready to drape it over him. Dyne held out a shrinking hand. The webbing seeped back into his fingers and the claws turned into human nails. Rammus tossed him the towel, which fell short as Dyne continued to shrink. Jessie picked it up and brought it over as his body steamed and left behind a pool of sweat and blood. Dyne’s face and legs molded back into human features, and his skin lost its scales and turned back into lightly tanned skin.

Once he was back down to normal size, he held out a bleeding arm and sat up, one hand covering his groin. “Help me up.” Jessie took his hand and heaved him to his feet, then helped him wrap the towel around his waist. He looked full of color; however, his shrunken injuries started bleeding profusely. “Oh, god.” He slumped onto Jessie.

She struggled to hold him and his towel up. Rammus scrambled under one of Dyne’s arms and draped it over his shoulder. Jessie secured the towel as Scully got under the Captain’s other. Ed and Ted ran over scooped up his legs. Their clothes started soaking up his blood.

“Oh, god. Cancer, knock me out. Don’t wanna go back. This…” His gaze grew distant as he stared at the deck. “Just dump me off.”

Rammus and crew carried him to the container as the rest of the crew watched on in silence. Jessie looked at Mido, whose attention bounced between her and Captain. Mido looked like he wanted to take her in his arms but Captain’s plight took precedence over the situation.