Against the skull {Open}

Other means. His sword. Romeo shifted his weight a bit, considering the offer. This sword was just a tool to him. There was no sentimental value that would make it hard to part from it. He would find another sword soon enough. Aside from that, he had his harpoon, and a lot of other hidden weapons as well. There was no reason to refuse the offer, aside from.. The fact that it was against his mindset. The Drowned God would despise him if he just gave in and handed it over. His whole faith was based on one basic rule. No matter how logical it was to comply and walk away, he decided to do what he would always do in a situation like this. ”If you want it,” He started off, pulling the sword out of its holder. ”Come get it.”

Under different circumstances, the possibility of him actually accepting some kind of deal, would have been more probable. After all, he wasn’t unreasonable. The life of a pirate revolved around making deals, especially when it involved gold. Sadly, the way she had given him an option, made it impossible for him to accept. His faith prohibited him. That, and his pride. She expected him to pay a debt that wasn’t his. One that she claimed he had only because he had killed the one that had been in debt in the first place. A gold price, or an iron price. There was not even a second of doubt in his heart or mind. If she wanted to collect that debt, then she would play by his rules, by the rules of the Drowned God.

Meaning she would have to take what she thought belonged to her. The same way he would do so if it was the other way around. Clearly she was disappointed. She didn’t seem surprised though. “I hope you’re aware of the mistake you have made,” She said, closing in on him with another step. Romeo clenched his jaw, waiting for her to take action first. His posture seemed relaxed, but in the meantime he readjusted his grip on the hilt and kept a close eye on her movements. She wasn’t visibly armed, so he didn’t really know what to expect. He just knew he would have to be prepared for whatever she would throw his way.

It appeared they had reached a dead end. He was waiting for her to make the first move. She was already in advantage because she had observed him use a weapon before. As confident as she was, that meant she had at least made some conclusions about how he would be fighting now. Or that was what he assumed. Aside from that, she was unarmed. It just didn’t add up and he didn’t trust the whole situation at all. Suspicion was keeping him from striking first. That feeling only grew stronger when she calmly demanded him to attack her. Who in their right mind would say something like that? Unless they were absolutely sure they would be able to either dodge, block or avert the attack. She was poking him to take action. And he was. But not in the way she expected him to.

Of course he was well aware of the fact that he wasn’t as skilled in throwing knives as he wished he was. But it was not his intention to actually hit her with it anyway. The way she was challenging him, urging him to attack, made him way too suspicious. She was not holding any weapon, and as far as he could see she was not wearing one either. Unless they were hidden as well. By asking him to use the sword though, she expected him to, calculating whatever she was planning on the attack coming from the blade. So maybe, just maybe, it would surprise her if it didn’t. Romeo stepped forward, lifting the sword, but simultaneously reaching for one of the throwing knives on his belt. Right when he was about to swing the sword towards her, he changed his position slightly and threw the knife in her direction.

The knife actually hit the target. Against all expectations. Hell, he hadn’t even been aiming properly. It had been merely a distraction. And it had worked. He was as surprised as she was, frozen in his movements for a second. One second too long. Suddenly, he felt a kick to his leg, forcing him to kneel down. He hadn’t seen her move.. One moment she was standing there, the knife sticking out of her side. The next, she had flashed towards him. “You should not have done that.” He heard her say, but the meaning of her words barely reached him. He was still trying to figure it out, connect everything together to come to an unsettling realisation.

”Fucking vampire.”

Fuck no. He was not fighting a vampire. He had done so in the past, and it hadn’t ended well. He had learned his lesson. Of course, he hadn’t come to Seere unprepared, well aware of the fact that the Chief of Seere was a vampire and he surely had some vampiric friends too. What would Jasper do. Jasper would bring a silver blade. He had warned him, multiple times. And for once, he had listened. It might save his life now. Romeo let go of the sword and reached for the dagger made out of pure silver. Meanwhile, he tried to get up again, the dagger ready to strike. ”Take the sword and leave”, He spat at her. If he would fight her, he would die. But he would be sure to take her with him to the grave if she tried.

Why. Why did he always have to cross the wrong people. Fair, he probably deserved it. To suffer and die at some point. It was not all his fault though. Life was just too complicated for him to figure out. He tried so hard. To stay in control, to anticipate, to adapt. For his survival, but above all, for his mental wellbeing. His childhood had shaped him and he still had to deal with the consequences. He had built his own kingdom in his head, where he had put himself on the throne. Invincible, indestructible, respected. Because if he didn’t, if he allowed himself to be weak for just a slight second, he would collapse and probably never get up again.

Which was exactly what happened now. A sharp pain shot through his hand, which was pinned to the ground. A growl of pain escaped from his chest as he fixed his gaze on her. She was crouching in front of him, yet she was in full control. Over the situation, but also over him. It was all too familiar. A trigger. Panic. His heartbeat went way up, as it uncomfortably pounded in his throat. His breathing was unsteady, his pupils were dilated. Another whimper was audible when she twisted the knife. Instinctively, he let go of the silver blade, only to fold his hand around hers, holding the knife.

An apology. Her words had slowly settled in, pulling him back into reality. For a moment it had seemed like he would give up. But her all too satisfied smile sparked that rebellion again. Against her, but also against every female that had ever tried to dominate him in whatever way. Enough. He was sick of it. Romeo clenched his jaw, his hand shaking lightly, which only caused the blade to hurt him more. ”No”, He managed to mutter, soft but determined. Like hell he would apologize.

There had to be a way out. If anything, he didn’t want to die today. Not by her hands. He knew his life would probably end in an eruption of violence. That it wouldn’t be pretty and that he would suffer. Like he had done a few weeks ago. If it hadn’t been for Elodie showing up and deciding she wanted to help, he would have died that day. It was only because of her kindness, and the fact that she had been oblivious to the monster he truly was, that he had lived. A gift from the Drowned God, who had decided he was not done with him in the world of the living just yet. He would have fully accepted it if he had joined his God in his Watery Halls. But he hadn’t. There was still something left to fight for.

And fighting he would. If he had to die today, it wouldn’t be on his knees. He would do anything. Desperate actions, for sure. There was no way he could stil think straight, not when he was triggered like this and in pain. So instead of taking the way out she was offering, again, he went against logic once more. He had surprised her once. Maybe it would work twice. A risk he had to take. With all the force he had left, he smacked his head forward, aiming for her face. At the same time, he tried to pull the knife out of his wounded hand, so he would be able to free himself.

Over and over again, he was making mistakes. And it only made the whole situation worse. There was no way he could stop himself though. He was acting on instinct now, trying to get free and away from her. How many times he had tried to run. From the one person that had corrupted his innocent mind, had made his childhood a living hell. He had been only three years old when the abuse had started. And it had gone on and on and on, until the day he finally couldn’t take it no more. It had left him broken in so many ways and it still did, in a way. He was still taking incredibly stupid decisions when he was faced with pain and being out of control.

It would end him. One day, or even, today. A kick to his chest threw him on his back, the air escaping from his lungs in a low whimper. He gasped for air, only to struggle more when she put her full weight on his body with her knee on his chest. The blade against his throat was cold, as the razor sharp edge tore his skin apart lightly. Game over. There was truth in those words. More than he wanted to admit. There was nothing left to say, nothing left to do. No way to run. He shifted his gaze towards the sky. He didn’t want her face to be the last thing he saw. Somewhere close, he could hear the waves. His God was close. He would die close to Him and join Him in his Watery Halls for a feast tonight. In these last moments, he focused on the sound of the waves and the smell of salt in the air. Almost there. Almost.

Emptiness. Again, it was the only emotion that was overwhelming all others. The panic, fear, rage, sadness, it was all gone. Swallowed whole by the nothingness that was taking over. For the second time in a few weeks, he accepted his faith. Where he had been fighting a few minutes ago, trying to escape, trying to survive.. He now relaxed his muscles completely, holding still so she could finish the damn job. Of course, she had to taunt him first. How things could have been if he hadn’t made such reckless decisions. It was too late now. Romeo sighed, a shiver running over his spine as she pushed the blade deeper, drawing blood as she did.

Amber eyes trailed the night sky. The many stars that were shimmering in the far distance. A lot of people believed heaven was up there. They were all wrong. Heaven waited down below the surface of the ocean. He hoped the Drowned God would welcome him. His loyal servant, who had devoted his life to His cause. He had tried. He had failed. No one would come to save him now. ”Stop talking”, He whispered, the tone in his voice defeated and dull. With her supernatural hearing, however, it would be hard for her to miss.

Get it over with.