Chapter 77: Sea la vie
Marix wrapped the rough rope around the bar that looked the most rusted at the base and pushed the rope upwards towards the where the bar met the decayed wood.
He wrapped the ends of the ropes around his hands and leaned back, pulling with all of his weight. He could feel the bar giving, although it was resisting him, fighting to stay in its place and do its job as a cell wall.
Then the wood creaked. It held on tight for a while before cracking, sending splinters flying as the pole broke through the weakened material.
Marix fell back, caught by the remaining end of the pole. He let go of the rope and righted himself before grabbing onto the pole at its base.
His muscles strained as he tried to pull it out of the wood at the bottom, which showed zero to little signs of decay. He twisted the pole, hearing it grind against stone.
"Ah. So it’s reinforced by the wood." He said while looking up and realizing the top of the bar had a jagged edge.
He twisted and turned it, kicking at the wood to try and somehow loosen it or as if to say ’Let go of it!’
Finally, the pole gave and he managed to slide it out of its hole.
He slid it through the hole it had just made and pressed it against the rest of the bars, pulling it hard until the others popped out. He pulled them down enough to slip through the space.
"Where are you? Stand away from the door." He instructed Eilownia, who was on the ground.
"Hold on," She said as she struggled to sit up before scooting away, "Alright. I’m away now."
Marix used the bar to hit the rusted iron lock at her door over and over again until it snapped from the abuse, clanking to the floor and sending brown colored bits splaying over the floor.
"What was that?" Eilownia asked at the sound as Marix stepped inside her cell.
She jumped as he knelt next to her and began to untie her bindings.
"Smashed lock." He replied with a smirk.
"Wow~ Mar how did you do that?"
"These maritime knots are so much worse on you. He is determined to keep you here." He said as he struggled to undo them.
"Merry time? They’re fun?"
Marix chuckled, "No. Maritime, not merry time. They’re boating knots to make sure your boat doesn’t get away." He tapped her nose after finishing with her wrist bindings.
"Anyways. Water has dripped down through the rocks and decayed the materials of their prison. They haven’t upkept the maintenance or didn’t notice it to fix it. It made it weak, allowing me to break it."
"Marix you’re so creative! How did you think of something like that?" She asked as he began to untie her ankles.
"Military training teaches you ways of escape. It’s not just about how to defend your kingdom and slay enemies, it’s about surviving as well."
Eilownia nodded, intaking the new information as the ropes around her ankles fell.
"Come." He said, grabbing her arm and lifting her up as he helped her out of the cell.
"Now what do we do?" Eilownia asked as he led her towards the steps they’d come up with the guards.
"We’ll need a map and some supplies, a ship to get off this island. Figure out how to get to Vasis or whatever is closest. See if we can rendezvous with the rest of the Viraaz army. If not, we’ll continue to Norain."
She stopped him for a moment and stared up at his moonlit face.
"We don’t have any money. I don’t have any of my things to sell either. They’re all on the boat still."
Marix took a deep breath and then ruffled her hair. "Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. Just let me lead you."
He grabbed her hand and continued to lead her down to the steps that descended into the dark ocean beneath them, crashing against the stones with each wave.
"Fuck." He whispered under his breath as he realized the guards had left them there, taking the boat with them.
Eilownia pressed herself against him and chewed on her thumb nail before whispering, "I don’t know how to swim...."
Marix took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as he rubbed his forehead.
It was their only way out, leaving him with only one option – the one option he didn’t want take up.
Unfortunately, there was no choice.
"Get on my back and hold on tight."
"Marix..." She whispered as she grabbed onto his arm tight.
"Get on my back. Now."
He crouched down, allowing her to climb onto his back and wrap her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as closely as she could.
Marix took a deep breath and slowly dipped into the freezing water. He and Eilownia let out a sharp gasp as the cold grabbed hold of their limbs.
"Take a deep breath and hold it." He instructed. When he felt her do so, he did the same, then wrapped his arm around his back to hold her to him as he jumped into the ocean, soaking both of them.
When they came back up to the surface, he exhaled, but Eilownia was still holding her breath.
"You can breathe now."
He felt her body relax as she let out the huff of air she’d been holding.
Marix let go of her and swam out of the cave. He pressed himself against the rock wall and held onto it as he investigated their surroundings.
The night sky made it difficult to see, with only the moonlight illuminating their surroundings. In the distance he could see the rest of the town lit up by their torches. The rock cliff face ran all the way to the town.
Eilownia whimpered in his ear as she shivered and took note of the fact they weren’t going anywhere.
"Close your eyes and let me handle this Whin. Don’t worry."
She shut her eyes and nodded against the back of his head.
Marix kept them close to the rock cliff face, keeping his hand on it to use it as a guide towards the town.
He was aware there were sharks in the ocean, although he had no idea of the exact dangers lurking in Izka’s coast.
Keeping to the rock would reduce his chances not only of being pulled out to the ocean by currents but of being attacked by a shark as well.
Most likely they wouldn’t attack something so close to a wall to prevent injury or at least be unable to attack properly from below.
As they continued forward, he continually looked upwards to see if there was any way up, wanting desperately to get out of the pitch black ocean of death they were currently in.
"Marix...I’m so cold." Eilownia whispered in his ear as she shivered against his back.
"I know, Whin. Just try to bear with it for now. I’ll get us out of here as soon as I can." He tried his best to reassure her, a part of him nervous at just how long she would last in this freezing water.
He at least was kicking and moving to generate some sort of heat, but Eilownia was pretty stationary.
As he tried to pick up his pace, he noticed something glinting out of the corner of his eye.
Highlighted by the moonlight was a huge dorsal fin, bigger than any he’d seen before.
He gritted his teeth and shifted his position so Eilownia was closer to the rock. The position made it harder for him to move, causing him to exert more of his energy.
With the new position, he needed to rely more on the rock, although now his arm was at an awkward angle.
He grabbed on harder as he slid his hand across it, slicing it on a particularly jagged piece of rock.
Marix clenched his jaw as the salt of the sea coated the wound, burning and stinging it.
As he was working through the pain, there was a large splash in the water next to them.
Eilownia let out a sharp, frantic gasp as she hugged him even tighter, strangling him.
Marix choked and reached down, patting her leg, indicating for her to loosen her grip.
She loosened just enough for him to gasp for air as she cried into his ear, "Marix what was that?! Something splashed in the water!"
"Don’t worry," He said, his tone somewhat pensive, "It was probably just a fish."
"Really?! That big?!" She said, her worry now replaced by amazement.
Marix’s heart pounded hard in his chest as he picked up the pace and searched harder for a way up the cliff face.
"Yep. Probably a tuna. You know they’re huge right?"
Eilownia excitedly wiggled against him, "Wow! I didn’t know that. I wonder if it would be yummy~"
He could feel her body relax against him.
"I bet it is. Now shh, we don’t want anyone to hear us."
