Steampunk!Pirate!Prussia!xPirate!Reader 5

Steampunk!Pirate!PrussiaxPirate!Reader The Stormstone - Chapter 5

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You struggled against  the pull of the inky water, your lungs burning. You could just make out the form of the woman through the swirling abyss that enveloped you. You tried to swim, to move, to find air, but there was nothing. You struggled, black spots appearing on the edge of your vision.

The water parted like a curtain as the woman walked toward you. She rippled as she approached, her human mask melting away to reveal the skeletal face that had first tried to drag you under. She smiled wickedly, moving easily through the raging waters.

Your death is so beautiful.

You heard her voice in your head, a sound both like the crashing waves of the sea and the stillness of a winter night. You could feel yourself losing consciousness. You shook yourself, looking around for any means of escape.  Beside you, only just visible, was a struggling Beilshmidt. You felt a cold, slimy hand caress your face.

Humans. Why do you struggle so against your inevitable fate?

You jerked away as much as you could, fighting to keep your vision from going black.  You couldn't last much longer. The woman smiled an awful, skeletal smile and let her hand drift into your hair as she leveled her black-hollow-eyes with yours. There was a change in her face.

What? This cannot be!

The woman withdrew, looking with rage at you. Your eyes began to close. An eerie peace was creeping into your brain. You knew this feeling. Not again you thought. You felt the water surrounding you drop away as you lost consciousness.

The woman re-assumed her human form  as the water receded into the lake once more. She leaned over you, ignoring Beilshmidt's coughs as he choked down air. Her head cocked as she watched your face. You weren't breathing. Perhaps she had been wrong... Perhaps she had been mistaken about what she had seen in your eyes...

Beilshmidt stood shakily, drawing his sword. Carelessly, the woman flicked a hand towards him. Water hit his chest, sending him flying backwards with a winded sound. She gazed intently at you, waiting. Nothing happened. She relaxed, looking away to search the beach for Beilshmidt.

Your eyes flicked open. You plunged your sword upward into the woman, her ribs scratching against the blade. She looked back down at you, stunned. You had been dead. It was true. She made a small noise, standing and stumbling backwards, looking for the water. You got to your feet and shook your head, gripping your sword and lunging forward.

Your sword made its target. The woman crumpled to the ground, her skeletal body drying and becoming ashen, as though it had been lying on the beach for a thousand years. You fell to your knees, gasping for air. Dying always left you short of breath, and with a bad taste in your mouth.  

You pushed yourself back up, looking around for the other pirate. He was scrambling to his feet further down the shore, looking from you to the woman and back. He coughed, water spilling onto the sand below, straightened, and began to walk towards you.

“V-vhat vas zhat?” he asked, his voice hoarse. You looked down at the woman's remains, nudging them with your foot.

“Most likely a Kelpie.” Your voice was raspy as well, salt water making it burn as you spoke.

“I thought you vere dead.” Beilshmidt watched you suspiciously. You shook your head.

“Faking.” Beilshmidt didn't look entirely convinced by your lie. You turned your eyes to the sky. Still no sign of your ship. You pulled you communicator from your belt. You doubted it would work, not after that ordeal, but it wouldn't hurt to try. You flicked the little switch that turned it on upwards and listened. Silence. With a tired sigh you slipped it back onto your belt.

“Vhat do ve do know?” You pulled out a small device that looked a bit like a cross between an energy gun and an electric scanner. It was a prototype, something you had nicked from a Gearworker's laboratory. It would send up a small spark of energy that would react with the air and burst, painting the sky above red for a short time.

“We use this.” You aimed the device at the sky and pulled the trigger. It shook as the energy flew out of the barrel and up towards the stars. “Cover your ears!” you called before doing so yourself. The energy exploded with a bang, the sky dripping with red.

“Zhat vas really very helpful,” Beilshmidt said annoyingly. You glared at him.

“Elizaveta should be able to see it, and with luck, will be here in a few hours to rescue us.” You turned and walked towards the forest, the lake making you uneasy. You shrugged off your coat, hanging it from one of the ancient tree's thick branches to dry, and sat down, you head falling back, supported by the trunk.

Beilshmidt looked around, then at you, and the down the beach. He looked like he was bout to try to run away. You pulled out your gun and pointed it at him. “Zhat von't vork! The powder got vet!”

“No, but I can throw it at you, which will hurt just the same. Sit.” Beilshmidt didn't seem convinced that you would actually throw it. He turned slightly. You raised your arm, judging the distance between you and him. His eyes widened and he shuffled over, plopping down under a nearby tree.

Less than two minutes later, Beilshmidt spoke again. “Ve should start a fire. It's getting cold.” He was right. The temperature was dropping as the moon rose higher in the sky. You nodded and the pair of you got up and began searching the forest floor for twigs and branches.

---Timeskip---

You watched the sky, fatigue pulling you to sleep, but you didn't dare obey. The fire crackled beside you, casting an orange glow over the beach and trees. Beilshmidt had fallen asleep at least an hour ago, his arm under his head. It was cold. You had pulled your now-dry coat back on to keep warm.

”This is it.”

A blinding flash filled the room, shards of glass flying through the air.

You jolted awake, sitting up and looking around. It was just a dream. Your breathing slowed and you dropped your head into your hand. Beilshmidt was still asleep, the fire was still alive. You must've only been asleep for a few minutes.

Your ears perked. A new sound made itself known. A sound you knew anywhere. You smiled. There she is.

The Skyshadow's engines rumbled in the wind.