Sudden air fills my lungs and I gasp wildly, a groan leaving my lips as I roll onto my side. Hazy eyes staring up at familiar worried red eyes. I open my mouth, before immediately closing it. My chest heaving. Fearing that if I tried to speak, I'd break down into sobs. Maverick looked fine, except for his tousled hair and busted lip. He places his hand over my mouth, shushing me as I choke on scared cries.
"The air is toxic." His voice is a low mummer as he moves me, helping me sit up and lean against the tree. I want to ask how I don't. My head throbs and my arms wrap around my legs. His hand wipes away the dirt and saliva from my face.
"I cannot stay. Do not reveal yourself unless the stars find you. Do you understand? Nod if you understand." He speaks with no playfulness in his tone, and I give a hurried nod. He looks satisfied and he pulls away, grabbing my palm and drawing five lines on it. Two dash lines on the top, one long in the middle, and two dash lines on my palm.
☵
It burned and I yanked my hand back. "Once the stars find you. I will be with the lion." He says the words with a small reassuring smile and pulls away. He says nothing else and doesn't give me the chance before he's gone and disappears into the jungle.
I remain in my spot. Cradling my hand to my chest and forehead pressed firmly against my knees. Edwin was not the only one, the only one who could transform into a sea demon. At least that's what I assumed. The soldiers had left earlier as if completely forgetting about me.
I sit within the darkness of the tree, counting my breaths. The sounds I heard. Careful of anything deceiving. Edwin had no control over it, due to the fact he ran right past me and destroyed everything in his path. The soldiers seemed dead set on returning him.
Maverick hadn't returned and I was growing impatient. I had for the entirety of the night drifted in and out of sleep for maybe an hour or a few minutes, before waking up to the mark on my palm buzzing and slightly burning, keeping me hidden and unaffected by the poisonous air. Now I was half awake.
The jungle remained quiet and calm, but not safe.
The wind blew through the jungle, the sound of footsteps alerting and the muffled whisper-shout of my name, with a recognizable voice. I say nothing until familiar blue eyes lock with my wide ones. "12. You are here...." He looks over me, heavy eyebags as if he hadn't slept in days, a dark blue cloth wrapped tightly around his nose and mouth. He waits not a moment and holds out his hands and grabs mine, helping me crawl from my hiding spot.
"I wasn't sure if you'd be here. I thought he was lying." He rambles, sudden relief filling my bones as I lean against him, my eyes fluttering close. I was tired.
"I...." My voice falls flat, and Cosmo gently places his hands on my waist, falling silent. The chilly wind rose goosebumps on my skin.
"Forgive me...I...12...You can't return to the Villa...Not yet...There are soldiers everywhere and... I don't know anywhere that is safe for you...." I pull away, wiping away my tears of exhaustion and clearing my throat. 'Once the stars find me.' I look over Cosmo's face, fixing the fabric of my shirt. Cosmo was the stars. And Lion.
Leo.
"I don't...I need your help."
"Ask for anything and I will do my best to aid. Though my father has begun total rule, so I am limited." I nod and look around the jungle, before determining the direction in which I came from. "We need a way to contact the others then. I need new clothes and a knife. And I need to fill you in on everything I know." Cosmo nodded as he followed me as we walked.
He took it well.
Listening majority in silence, asking questions before putting the pieces together himself. "Did you know about Edwin?" Cosmo nods his head at my question.
"Edwin and a few others can turn into sea demons, but a majority of them have been executed. It keeps the peace."
The first people to turn into sea demons disappeared into the calm belt, but as years passed, the curse never was lifted and the ability to turn into a sea demon wasn't uncommon, but highly looked down upon. Most of the citizens had no idea but seemed to just live in fear and live to be perfect.
Only the royal family and certain people are given access to such information.
We arrive at the destroyed site where it began, the waterfall rushing freely, but the pond's clearing a lot wider, with destroyed trees and foliage. I walk to the pool of water, cupping the water into my hands and splashing it onto my face.
"So Maverick is alive and well. So, the curse gifts immortality? Though it makes no sense."
I glance up at Cosmo, then back into the water. "Why couldn't it be?" Cosmo moves to the water edge. "Testing. Lab work. My brother, Leo, he is the one who is in charge of all affairs with sea demons. To my knowledge, sea demons have a long lifespan but aren't immortal. Even Maverick has a limit I assume."
"Unless..." My voice trails off as my gaze lands on the emerald jewel. It's within reach and I grab it. It doesn't burn this time and rests in my palms. It's light in weight. I look around the large eyes, shifting it in my hands, examining it.
Cosmo looking over my shoulder. "That's Leviathan's eye? It's a little small don't you think?"
I look at him, my brows furrowing. Cosmo continues, "It's the eye of the Sea Demon. Not just any, shouldn't it be large. Unless it deteriorated or some of it was consumed to ease the pain." Cosmo reaches out and his fingers touch the eyes.
A jolt of electricity is sent through mine and his hands, and I drop the eye with a pained cry. Cradling my hands to my chest. I pull my hands from my chest and look at them, the mark on my palm glowing light green.
"Cosmo...." The prince's name drifts off my tongue, and I glance up. He's not there. My heart stops and I jump to my feet, "Cosmo!" The terrain changed, I was no longer in the jungle, but in a secluded mountain clearing. With no water in sight, but instead lots of dried brush.
"Cosm--" My voice falls flat as I stare at the small form of a child. With wide brown eyes staring at me. He's dressed in shorts and a tattered white shirt, a small sword attached to his hips. He's dirty and looks no older than 12. He's a pirate or the kid of a pirate.
"Who are you?"
His voice is high-pitch and cracks, which makes a wobbly scowl cross his lips. His tan cheeks go slightly red, and I can't help but smile, before remembering my predicament. "I'm 12...Can you help me? I'm lost."
"12? That is a really weird name. Well, I have a normal name. I am Killian Calnick Maverick. A pirate!" My eyes went wide, and I went back in time. Killian moves closer to me, looking me over.
"12. You are dressed really really weirdly. You live somewhere else?"
"I don't." Killian's eyes nearly light up. "Are you a pirate!?" I shake my head and I watch his amusement disappear into thin air. I admit it was a slight blow to my ego.
"Then what are ya?" He looks me up and down, his hands messing with my clothing skeptically. I cross my arms.
"I work for a king." He pauses.
"Are you here to arrest me and pops! Cause I won't let ya!" Killian is quick to reveal his sword and I step back, my eyes going wide, before a man snatched the sword from the boy, slapping him on the back of the head.
"What did I say about attacking random people?"
"But Pops she--" Killian tries to explain, only earning another slap. Making him groan in pain and inch away from the tall man. I could tell immediately that he was Killian's father. The man bows with an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry. He's such a hothead. I'm Kallin." He bows deeper with a sheepish smile, simultaneously grabbing the back of Killian's head and forcing his son to bow. "I am sorry too…"
I shake my head. "It's fine. I think nothing of it." Kallin nods with a grin and passes Killian back his sword. "I neva' expected to see someone of the King's people here. You're a long ways away." Kallin speaks as he picks up his leather bags.
"I am. I got lost that is all. Can you help me into town?"
Killian stands behind his father, glaring at me and sticking out his tongue, making Kallin whip around, his son standing still as if he did nothing. "I'm sure Killian can show ya,' I got some things to fix before I head down. I wish you the safest travels." I nod and the man walks over to his son and whispers something in his ear. Killian looks upset, but nods and the man shares one more smile, before returning where he came.
"Come on, 12. I wanna eat."
Killian doesn't wait for me to begin his descent down the mountain. I'm quick to follow, walking beside him.
We walk in silence for a few minutes before Killian is thrown into a coughing fit, my eyes widening as I watch him struggle to breathe. My face falls and I immediately bend down to help. My hands pat his back in desperation.
"Ca-Ca-n…bre-brea-'' My face falls and I panic; he'd be too heavy to drag back up the mountain. My mind races with several different thoughts, before a familiar buzz in my palm, makes my eyes go wide for a second. I glance at my palm and quickly grab his.
Drawing the same lines on his palm and watching it glow slightly before disappearing. He gasps for air. My shoulders drop as I hold the boy's shoulders, helping him stand and regain his breath. His dark brows furrowing, and he spoke in between coughs.
"...How-" cough, "...did you do-" cough, "that...?"
"A friend taught it to me…I think…as long as you have that mark the toxin of a sea demon can't kill you." I wasn't completely sure, I knew it prevented sea demon toxin, but if it had limitations, well, I don't know.
Killian looks at his palm and then back at me. "Even…Even King Leviathan…?" He has a shy stare and holds his hand gently, I nod. His eyes light up and his hands hold mine, a determined look in his eyes.
"One day! I promise to help you too!"
And in an instant, the floor disappears beneath my feet and freezing water envelops me, I wildly swim to the top, strong hands pulling out the water, and onto solid ground. "Don't scare me like that!" Cosmo's voice is loud in my ears, and I cough up water and look up at him.
"How did…."
"That was horrifying, 12."
Cosmo stares at me with a frown and wide scared eyes, I blink in confusion, looking around. I was back in the jungle, back in Astrolia. "Where's the eye?" I move to my feet with Cosmo's help, and he passes me the jewel skeptically.
"Don't do anything brash."