𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐟 || ʟᴏ'ᴀᴋ

014

Se'aeylwa

My head pounds for what seems like forever as I begin to wake. I feel the water slosh against my arms and legs as the fall limp across a floating log. My head shifts trying to find a comfortable position as I huff, finally opening my eyes as I jolt up, nearly tumbling into the water completely.

I'm beyond shocked to find myself, in fact not floating on a log, but a body. An extremely large one at that. My face furrows as I look closer, seeing brilliant streaks of fine white along the navy of it's body. I trace my had along the markings as I feel the body below me rumble as a noise emits from it's mouth. I shakily stand, tiptoeing to the queue of the beast. I reach behind me as I drag my long braid over my shoulder, the stray hairs tickling the side of my neck.

I hold the braid at the base watching as the soft pieces of fine hair downturned, revealing the eager pink tendrils that reached above, searching for something to connect to.

I place a weak arm onto the creatures queue, slowly sliding the tender nerves from mine to theirs. The creature shook violently as I grasped both queues at the very base, making sure they stayed connected as we both shook. I let go, quickly holding onto a piece of the animal that could be used as make-shift reigns. I held on as tight as I could, pressing my body to the animals, effectively stopping me from falling off. Once it calmed I could finally feel the power within the creature.

His raw strength alone felt as if we could unearth mountains, as if we could sink islands, I felt a spark, a literal spark of electric energy as I placed my hand in the wrong spot. I paid no mind, revelling in the beauty of the animal below me, I felt it's pain, it's happiness, I felt it's relief, and most importantly, I felt it's heart.

I sighed, encasing myself in the nature surrounding me. Oddly enough I felt grounded, despite the fact I was floating in the middle of the sea. I feel the animal below me as we both relax, I mount myself onto him and press my chest to the base of his neck.

He begins to rumble, as if he's attempting to communicate, but my ears fall deaf to his sounds as I can't understand them, his frequency wasn't alike the Ilu's or Tulkun's.

He let's out a beastly roar as a huge floating metal island comes into frame, my eyes squint, trying to grasp what the object was as I saw humans running around aimlessly on the ship.

I gasp at the sight, looking around me as if there where help, but there wasn't. My new companion below me began to become restless, thrashing towards the ship with vengeance in mind. I hurriedly pull at the make-shift reigns trying to stop him from making our presence known.

"Calm down bud, calm down" I murmur into his ear trying to get him to stop, I let out a small shriek as I'm nearly thrown off. He huffs in anger at the lost opportunity as he stills, still seething in his mind.

"You need to hide, they can't find you here, especially with me" I tell him, he huffs, whining in his equivalent as he stays put refusing to move.

"Leave me, I will find my way back, I don't want you being struck down again" I sternly say, making it obvious that I wasn't going to budge. I slide off of the creature, his smooth skin allowing me to fall without injury. Once I'm in the water I try to push him with all my might, but he doesn't budge.

I shove my palms to the side of him as he turns, his breath fanning against my face, I affectionately smooth a hand along his skin as I break the bond. He shakes his large head at the strange feeling as I urge him to leave.

"Go" I tell him once more. He reluctantly turns, taking a final glance at me, I blink once, and when my eyes open once more he had vanished out of my sights.

The world seemed to move much faster than I had intended as the rough grating of rope on my skin becomes apparent. I let out a small scream of surprise as I feel my body being lifted. I snatch a knife from my waistband and swiftly get to work cutting the ropes, I desperately slash the sharp blade through the enforced rope, but to no avail, it didn't cut fast enough, even with my quick sawing of the material.

I'm dropped down, falling a few metres as my body meets the harsh and cool metal below me. The metal was unlike the coolness of the water, the water was refreshing, freeing. This coldness told nothing but the story of death and destruction.

A boot plants its way onto my back as it presses down harshly, I groan at the excessive weight trying to get back up as my arms cave in on one another as I fall once more, my body pressed to the metal of the demon ship.

A hand, one that appeared the same as Lo'ak's harshly gripped at my throat. It wasn't as tender as Lo'ak's touch, nor did it feel like him, but all I could see was the forest tracings that I knew weren't his, and a hand with more fingers than my own.

My eyes glisten over with tears as the hand scrunches in my newly done hair tighter, my eyes watering on natural instinct. My arm is roughly placed behind my back as my finger's are prodded mercilessly.

"She's not one of his, but she'll be useful" A voice speaks so close to my ear I know it's the man that's holding me. I'm pushed forward as my stomach digs into a rail, I wince at the action, immediately cramping my torso and stomach to myself.

"We can't leave her out here, take her to one of the interrigation rooms" He ordered, faceing away and thrusting a hand in the opposite direction.

A tight grip makes it's way onto my strong bicep as I'm pulled away, lead into the shadows of a human made death machine.