Calixto rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Were streaks of red light supposed to be emitting from the necklace Faine left around the newbie's neck?
He watched in horror as an arm crawled out of the seemingly small surface of the gemstone. The limb started patting around Saeger's sleeping body, looking for leverage. Calixto was tempted to grab a sharp object and just slice it off before he discovers what the rest of the arm looks like, but he was too awed and at the same, terrified to actually do it. His morbid curiosity wanted to see what would happen.
He was no ignorant fiend, however, he kept the emerald dagger left by the courtesan near his side. Funnily enough, he recognized the expensively decorated weapon as his, something he found far in the islands heading south.
As soon as the mysterious hand came in contact with the surface of the bed, more of the person—if it were even a person attached to that arm—emerged from the inside of the necklace. Calixto heard a deep grunt, and then he was blinded by a flash of bright light. He readied himself to attack, eyes held over his eyes protectively.
The pirate blinked his eyes open but then immediately shut them close. Was he seeing things? He opened them again. Almost as if he was being fooled by his crewmates on the day of his birth, the God of Death stood before him. The god cracked his neck as his two feet were placed on either side of Saeger's, somehow, still sleeping body.
"I apologize for taking so long, I ran into a bunch of..." The silence was unbearably tense. Had it been a hallucination, the captain would've found it much, much easier to push the sacred figure back into the necklace and call it a day. However, this was very much real, and the longer Calixto was soaked in the god's overpowering presence, the more lively his senses became.
Long flowing black hair looked just about as messy as the rest of the god, the garments surrounding his body scattered in a way that told the pirate that the god must've gotten into a physical altercation before crawling out of Faine's jewelry.
They weren't kidding about the God of Death. His presence was something else. It felt sinful to even look at his glaring silver eyes. Calixto wondered what it would be like to witness the god's true form. He'd probably turn to dust then and there, knowing that the god's current form was enough to leave him tense.
Their newest guest looked down at him from where he stood, quite literally, as his lips contorted to a snarl. Calixto was sure he returned a similar expression as his competitiveness grew in realization—this was the man Faine frequently slept with, a powerful man if you could even call him that.
"And who might you be? A client? If this is his way of teasing me, then I am amused... Wait, why are we in Eli's shack? Where is Faine?" The god threw out a plethora of questions, the look of boredom never leaving his flawless face. His expression and his tone of voice were in conflict, what he truly felt as he spoke of the courtesan was unidentifiable.
Yvnir jumped off of Saeger's bed, landing rather smoothly on the floor and creating a loud thump. The god strode over to where Calixto stood frozen in astonishment. He stretched his arm, the one that was just sticking out from the necklace's pendant moments ago, and curled his hands around the front of Calixto's shirt. "Answer me, mortal, or maybe you prefer being knocked out."
Without really thinking, the captain moved Yvnir's grip off of his shirt, shocked by his own strength. Had he really just...? But then again, the god could've just been taking it easy on him because he too was confused.
An offended look reflected on their faces, and it would've been a humorous scene had it not been for the murderous aura exuding from the two physically built men.
They shared a tense battle of stern facades before Yvnir eventually shoved the pirate backward, pinning him against the wall and conjuring up a weapon from thin air to position directly against the skin of Calixto's neck.
"Tell me where Faine is before I pierce your throat." The god threatened Calixto, the fire beneath his cool exterior brewing out toward the surface. The captain thought the deity resembled a barbaric feline, ready to dig his claws into the pirate's arteries and bring about a fountain of blood.
Yvnir's hold tightened and Calixto only smirked, his smugness masking the anxiety he felt.
"You'll regret doing that, your grace. I assure you."
Yvnir only pushed the blade closer to Calixto's neck, the tip sharp enough to draw blood from him despite the lack of force applied.
Yvnir's eyes narrowed, questioning, skeptical. "What does that mean? Who are you to Faine?"
His words only made Calixto's grin wider. The mortal's misguided overconfidence made Yvnir seethe, but he didn't want to kill anyone carelessly, especially since it risked Faine's opinion of him. To be the cause of his favorite mortal's grief was not on his neverending to-do list. Even in moments of high tension, Yvnir's mind wandered to Faine's graciously wonderful smile.
"I'm his... partner, in one way or another." The captain explained. His feet were grounded, preparing for excruciating pain.
Calixto watched as the god's eyes lost all the light in them, his grimace dissolving into a flat, emotionless expression. Somehow, the coldness of those piercing silver threatened him more than any of his actual threats. The captain let out an exhale as Yvnir's weapon was driven into the wall beside his ear, its wooden exterior exploding into splinters.
His ear was bleeding, but he couldn't care any less.
"Don't be foolish, mortal. Like hell you are."
In a matter of a few minutes, Yvnir made his feelings known to everyone in the room, except for Saeger, who was still stuck in his coma.
The god began walking towards the exit of the cramped bedroom, his rage visible from a far distance. Calixto would've just let him leave, knowing that the affection the captain felt for Faine was something the god experienced as well. He could bring no harm to the courtesan.
But well, Fate seemed to have different plans for them. As soon as Yvnir left the room, loud banging was heard outside of the cabin, and Calixto rushed to inspect the source of the sound. The god was pounding his fists against an invisible barrier that halted him from walking anywhere further than a few steps from Elias' cabin. Huh. Calixto didn't notice the dome-like force field before, but the God of Death seemed to be experiencing it full-on. If his frustrated groans were any indicator.
Calixto felt the ground shake beneath his feet ever so subtly, a testament to the god's strength. The commotion must've woken Saeger up because as soon as the captain turned away from the window, the teal-headed newbie was already sitting up, fists rubbing his eyes to wake.
"Who...?" His voice sounded hoarse, worse than Calixto's when he first rose from his deep sleep. He rushed to give the poor kid some water, and a feeling of relief washed over his body as Sae began gulping it down. At the very least, the newbie was alive.
"You might not believe me, kid. I wouldn't too, but the god of death is kind of outside right now."
Saeger coughed painfully, his arms moving to curl up around his torso. The boy looked to be suffering just seconds after waking up. Calixto could only watch, concerned, as he guided the newbie back into his laying position.
Confusion. That was the only thing Calixto felt as Saeger shook his head and said, "Who are you...?"
--
"You're saying Faine agreed to a deal that requires him to retrieve Pétillantes flowers in exchange for an ambiguous favor. And somehow, in your journey to reach the center of the island, you were betrayed by your crew, thrown into a pit, and Elias had to drag you two here to recover?" Yvnir recounted the events to himself, elbow propped on the wooden table he, a cursed pirate, and an amnesiac demigod sat around.
Calixto chuckled into his cup, the sound remarkably out of place, especially for their current predicament. "I didn't think I'd have to repeat myself thrice."
"Bold or foolish, with humans like you, I am uncertain."
Calixto swore the situation was reminiscent of a comedic skit he once saw in a theater back in his homeland. He remembered when he thought the exact same thing about Saeger. But the memory felt so distant now, the teal-headed newbie staring blankly at their immortal visitor. There was no fear in his eyes, no adoration, no recognition, not even a hint of awareness of what kind of situation he was currently in. Calixto would've preferred any of those over the fascinated look Saeger sported as he observed their third, the closest thing to a recognizable emotion being fascination.
The god seemed unbothered by the staring. Calixto figured he must've been used to attention, being both a feared and worshipped deity of the dead. In fact, he didn't even feel as if the newbie was there with them. Yvnir's intimidating gaze was stuck on him and only him. He had vicious intent, Calixto could tell.
"I'm surprised you haven't just killed me yet, your grace." The pirate admitted, aggravatingly calm as he smiled at Yvnir. With the added frustration of the past few days as well as the irritably persistent barrier that prevented him from leaving his student's cabin, the god himself was surprised he was showcasing so much self-restraint.
"You smell like him." At the immortal's words, the pirate only tilted his head to the side, interested in what the deity had to say. "I might be a jealous man, but I'm not reckless. I don't know what you mean to Faine or what you've done with him, but I do know I'm not willing to risk getting on his bad side."
"Sounds like you care for him." The captain pointed out.
Yvnir snickered, his expression softening in a blink of a second. "It's difficult not to."
Calixto raised his cup. He wished it was filled with alcohol, his crewmates surrounding him as they sang a sea shanty out of tune, blissfully unaware of the depressing scene that was unfolding in front of Calixto's eyes. He forced a grin. "I suppose there are some things we can agree on."
Yvnir hummed, a small smile forming on his face. His amusement for the peculiar human being seemed to be growing despite the hot envy boiling up in the pits of his stomach. Another person who saw Faine in his most vulnerable moments. Another obstacle that stood between him and his beloved mortal.
"I suppose." The god echoed. "However funny I find you, we can't stay here any longer. Faine could be in danger."
"I tried stopping him."
The god laughed, a soft flush appearing on his cheeks. The sound caused both Calixto and Saeger to startle, the sound unnerving as much as it was shocking. "He never changes. Stubborn as always. It was silly of me to think he would in a span of weeks."
"Why aren't you able to go through the barrier outside?" Sae asked, his unfamiliarity with his own voice causing him to jump backward.
Yvnir pushed his stray hair back, visibly disappointed. "Eli must've made the barrier to protect you two. I can't break through the magic he used, unfortunately. Not in my current form, not in my current state."
Calixto's eyebrow perked upward. "Oh?"
"Gods are surprisingly fond of starting fights."
"Does that refer to you or the other gods?" The captain asked.
"There is some correctness in both assumptions."
It was Calixto's turn to laugh, the moment unusually lighthearted. He didn't expect a god to be so... human. "Gods are no different from pirates."
"They are lower than pirates. Me included, I suppose."
"Hopefully, that doesn't change your capabilities to protect our beloved Faine, your grace."
"About that," Yvnir started, eyes turning to observe the amnesiac demigod sitting beside him. Saeger exuded a rather familiar aura, something powerful and capable, potential waiting to be awakened. "I think I've figured out a way to break the barrier."