Chapter Text
"Captain. Captain." He could hear a faint voice, male, could it be the one he heard before he fell unconscious? No it was a familiar one, one he knew, than another one was there. "He's coming to." "Captain! Captain!" He then gasped for air coughing up the water that dared to drown him. He panted as he looked around his surroundings, was he really alive? He looked at all their concerned faces, the faces of his crew. He lay there for a moment before standing up on his feet. He coughed as he sluggishly walked away, crew parting to get out of his way. He made his way over to the railing, looking over the deep ocean green water, placing a hand on the railing he finally caught his breathe, birds squawking in the distance. The sky looked a bit darken due to the clouds, Sarah looked at their Captain. He seemed to be in his own little world as he stared off into the sea, the wood of the ship creaked catching her attention. She looked up to see the mizzen almost snapped into two just barely hold on, the red sails still hung proudly. The ship swayed with the water, "Captain, the mizzen's in splinters, and I don't like the main." "She can't fight," Merino followed after. "Then we'll come back for the Bluster when she can. Repairs shouldn't take too-" Jacob started before Crow interrupted, "Set a course for Three Bridges." His voice was raspy as he spoke, "We're going home."
He didn't look at his crew as he walked away, he could feel their eyes though, their eyes burning holes in the back of his head. It was somewhat comforting in a werid way, knowing his crew cared for him to even watch him walk away in the state he was in. He opened the door to his cabin, shutting it behind him. He flopped down in his chair, had he imagined it? Yes he was lucky to be alive thanks to his crew but there was something he was forgetting. He had cut the horn of the beast off yes, of course he did that part. He never forgot that part unless the beast was too far down. Next he got captured by the beast's tentacles, it had been then he was somewhat panicked, maybe if he had more time he wouldn't had been somewhat panicked. If he had more breath in his lungs he could have focused better, then there was that raspy voice that he had heard, it was deep and dead as if it was dying. Never in all his years of beast hunting had he heard one of em talk, maybe it was the lack of oxygen and his somewhat panicked brain after not being able to get out of the beast's grip. Yeah that had to be it, right? Crow placed a hand on his temple and sat there.
"Right mess, aren't ya?" The room was lit dimly by lanterns, what seemed to be blacksmith tools hung from a wall. "Let's get you fixed up." Jacob carefully unwrapped the bandage that was on his left hand, the doctor on the ship was working on his back. "If you know what's good for ya," Mr. Crisp started, "you'll keep clear of the captain." He was talking to his fellow crewmembers who were there as well, "He was close enough to smell that red devil," said a woman. "But if he can't have the Bluster's hide, he'll have ours, to be sure." The woman looked down and held her hook hand, he hair was short and a deepish brown. Jacob turned his head away, someone coughed, as other's had injuries, one was holding their side, another a hwad injury, and one a broken arm. Jacob decided it was time to lighten the mood, everyone was on edge especially after the events that had just happened, "Why, it's gloomy as the Helgard trenches in here." He sat up straight before standing up, the doctor quick to follow to finish up his back, "We've taken some right proper monsters on this hunt, and the royals will pay us accordingly." He walked from side to side the doctor trying to keep up, "Then we'll come back, and we'll take that red devil." A crewmember cleared his throat, he had a broken arm, "Can we beat it Jacob?" He was a young lad, "They say the Bluster moves the very sea."
Jacob nodded quickly, "Aye," he turned to face the crewmember, "and it shoots fireballs out of it's eyes, they say." He put on his shirt, "It's enough to make your knees wobble." The doctor cut the thread, finally finished l, Jacob just put his shirt on. He walked away from the crewmember and walked near more, "But I ain't afraid, 'cause I'm on the Inevitable with you lot." He walked back in forth making sure to keep eye contact with every crewmember he could, "This ship has taken more of them beast than any other, and she's got the scars to prove it." "As do we, Jacob!" The crew started to laugh, "Aye. And every hunter's scar is a life saved." He placed a hand on a black crewmate's shoulder, he was just as tall as Jacob, black hair that was beaded, he had a beard, not that big but there, he wore a necklace as well. "A merchant sailor on their first voyage." He placed a hand on a different person, she was bald and tan, a bit shorter than himself, she had a scar on her arm, "A mother." He walked away and his hand found it's way to another. A inch shorter than himself, his hair almost as blonde as his, "A son." The boy nodded, a scar ran across his face.
"All hunters die of the same thing." The short hair woman spoke, "Aye, being a hunter." That made her group laugh, "That's right. Being a hunter! But every hunter dies a great death! Because every hunter lives a great life!" The sailors began to chatter and laugh, all huddling in on Jacob patting him on his shoulder. Well he would say he did a- "Jacob!" Shara interrupted the moment and his thoughts as every head snapped to her. "Captain would like a word." A crewmate next to him said, "speaking of dying a great death." He patted Jacob on the back as he left silently, "Nice knowing you, Jacob!" The two started to laugh, "We'll think of you often and fondly!" This comment got most of the crew to laugh as Jacob made his way up the stairs and onto the deck. He looked at the doors to the Captain's quarters, the door had two sea creatures on it. Jacob knocked before entering the Captain's space, he walked in and looked at his Captain, he sat in his chair. "You wanted to see me, Captain?" Infront of the captain on the small wooden table was a two holder candle, lit for light, and some red drink with two glasses, ready to be poured. "Sit." He gestured to the chair across from him, his voice a bit raspy but not that much anymore.
Jacob closed the door behind him, "Captain, we'll get the Bluster," he started as he made his way over to the seat. "We know where it is now, and you will have your revenge." He took a seat, placing on arm on the table and the other holding onto the seat of the chair, "I'm... I'm just sorry it wasn't today." "Jacob, I hate that devil with ever fiber in me being." He reached for the bottle that contained the red liquid, "but saving Jim Nickelbones was the right thing to do." He poured Jacob a glass, he stopped once he thought it was good enough, then looked at Jacob. "You steered me right today." Jacob seemed confused by his statement, he thought he was going to get chewed out or at least something bad from how the crew put it, instead he was getting thanked? Unclenching his fist that was on the table, "Well, I'm... I-I'm glad you see it that way." He took the drink from the Captain, the captain started pouring a drink of his own, "So we'll go home, collect our bounty, and repair the ship." He stopped and sat down the bottle, corking it back up. Grabbing his drink and raising it up near Jacob, "And we'll come back for that beast and bring hell down upon it." Swinging his drink up he brought it back towards him taking a sip, Jacob still a bit hesitant. Crow sighed as he sat down his cup.
Standing up, "And then what?" Jacob said nothing as his Captain continued, "What is to become of the Inevitable... after I'm gone?" he walked towards one of the windows, Jacob watched his Captain carefully, drink still in hand. Crow sighed, "Through battle and wear, every beam, block, and spar has been replaced," he said as he came back to the table, he walked around it onto Jacob's side, "since the day she was launched." He placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder and continued to walk around, hand leaving the shoulder as Jacob followed his Captain with his head. Crow stopped infront of a painting of the ship, the first time it had been out to sea, "Yet she lives on. It's an eternal thing. But I am not." He opened a small compartment, the hinges creaking, it contained a single book, he carefully pulled it out. "Come." Jacob got up out of the seat and made his way over to his Captain who opened the book, setting it down on the small desk. The page he opened to had his name on it, Augustus Crow III, "Here is my greatness." He held up about 5 pages before grabbing some more pages, "My father's before me," Jacob stopd behind him looking at them. "And his father's before him."
"On the day we take the Red Bluster, I will make me last entry as captain." He turned the page, where sat a blank page. He turned his head to Jacob, "Then it'll be your time." Jacob looked at him, Crow smiled, "I've known it since the day I pulled you from the sea." His voice more louder and full of life than when he was talking earlier.
A young boy on a barely put together raft, mostly like a ship piece, the boy was exhausted having not eaten or drank in a few days, just a drift at sea. The ocean water was the only thing he had know for the days he'd been out there, it's dark blue and hreenish color greeting him every time he woke up. The water swayed more than usual so he looked up, and when he did look upwards there was a ship was pasting by him, sails red and it's captain blocking the sun.
"You'd been out there for days. But there was something in you, Jacob." Crow placed a hand on the boy, "A fire that wouldn't die. Then I held you and I knew. The fates had brought me a son. And that one day, you would be captain of the Inevitable." Jacob looked away and then down at the book. He touched a page before flipping it over, he placed the hand on the new page, he had a somewhat smile on his face. He looked back to Crow, "The day you found me, I swore I would do everything in my power to keep people safe from them demons." He looked at the space he was in, "If you would grant me this ship, I would accept," He looked back to Crow, "and it would be my honor." Crow chuckled as he pulled Jacob into a hug, "My boy." They got out of the hug and Crow placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "You're gonna do great things."
The water was shining as the sun was high in the sky, crew busy around the ship, Javob leaned onto a railing, Sarah next to himz they started at what lied ahead of em, the gates on the waterway that lead to the inside of Three Bridges. They were home.