Archive of Our Own

Ace lowered the lifeboat into the sea. Everyone was too busy to pay a sixteen year old ship’s boy any attention. Dark clouds had gathered on the horizon, hiding the watchful eye of the moon. Fenric’s crew was preparing to face an oncoming storm, and everyone was running after their chores.

Ace had hid in a barrel in the kitchen and waited for no one to be around, then she had snuck out of her hiding place.

She had prepared her escape for quite some time, as soon as her nails had started to grow into claws. Ace had always known that sooner or later she would start to turn like the rest of the crew, but she had always thought it would have been in an unspecified moment of her future, too far away to be a source of worry. Then, all of a sudden, it had become an all too horrifying reality.

If she stayed on that ship covered in moss and filth any longer, she was going to become one of them, like all the other wolves that had come before her. And Ace had no intention to follow in their steps.

She put her bag filled to the brim with supplies in front of her, and she rowed her boat, getting further and further away from Fenric’s ship. 

Ace’s heart was beating fast, and her face was covered in cold sweat. In spite of the ship now getting smaller, she was still expecting something to go wrong - because getting away from Fenric couldn’t have been that easy. 

Once someone was bound to a god of the sea, it was almost impossible to escape. All those who were foolish enough to make a deal with one of them always found themselves stuck in another deal because of a little note they hadn’t read in their contract, or simply because of a couple of shifty words they hadn’t thought would have any consequence. The gods were far more cunning than any human being had any hope to be, and the fact human beings often thought they were the smartest lot on the face of the earth didn’t play in their favor.

Ace, however, hadn’t made a deal with Fenric on her own. It had been passed down to her from generation to generation, the contract never expiring. All thanks to her stupid viking ancestors who had thought it would be a good pastime to poke a god until it turned around to bite their fingers off.

And she felt it. The weight of the contract. She was pretty sure Fenric hadn’t realized she was gone yet, because otherwise the call to come back would have been much stronger, a siren’s song impossible to resist. If they invoked her name, she didn’t have any hope to run away, unless she were restrained and carried by someone else.

Ace shook her head and resumed rowing. She didn’t want to think about how quickly things could go bad for her, nor she wanted to think about how Fenric could have punished her if they got their slimy hands on her again. Maybe, if they discovered her and she was lucky, she was just going to drown at sea. That didn’t seem like such a bad option, compared to what awaited her otherwise. Her mother had already been lost to Fenric’s curse, and, as much as Ace didn’t like her, she wouldn’t have wished that fate on anyone — and she wasn’t eager to do the same.

She tried to understand where to go thanks to the stars, but the clouds had hidden them from her sight. 

Not good, she thought. How was she supposed to get to safety and to find another crew willing to take her, if she couldn’t see where she was going?

The situation quickly spiraled out of control: the wind was blowing fiercely, and the waves were big and angry. The sea roared and foamed, splashing against her boat.

Ace was desperately trying to keep her small vessel from being dragged away. The oars were slipping out of her hands due to the sheer strength of the sea, and her muscles were on fire. She knew she couldn’t keep going for much longer.

The sky was pitch black, no light in sight. It was so dark Ace struggled to see anything. She could have been headed towards certain death on a reef, for all she knew.

Ace blinked in the pouring rain; for a moment, she thought she had seen something - a pale, green halo, dancing in the distance.

A lightning bolt cracked the sky open, and for one split second the light cast the shape of a half-rotten vessel with black sails on the horizon.

Ace froze, and one of the oars fell out of her hand. 

Fenric’s ship.

She needed to get away. Anywhere was better than there, even the bottom of the sea.

And, as if the sea had just taken her on her word, a wave flipped the lifeboat upside down.

Salty water stung Ace’s throat, and she panicked for a moment, as she watched the pieces of her lifeboat float around her. She managed to hang onto one of them, and the wood lead her back to the surface.

Ace gasped, inhaling mouthfuls of air one after the other. Her heart was beating wildly. She swam in the opposite direction to Fenric’s ship. 

It was incredible she was still able to escape and hadn’t been called back. Fenric had to have noticed her absence by that point, unless they were too busy with something else to think of one little rebel.

Another lighting bolt ran through the sky, and the air bended for a moment, coalescing into a singular point in time and space. The light was getting so bright that Ace needed to close her eyes not to be blinded by it. 

When the light subsided, a ship appeared in its stead, gently rolling between the waves, that seemed strangely calmer in that point. 

Ace looked behind her, and she saw the vague, misshapen silhouettes of the Haemovores jumping into the water. They didn’t need any lifeboats. The undead could swim and walk at the bottom of the sea without air just fine.

Ace looked in front of her and she decided that between Fenric’s ship and the unknown, she much preferred the latter.

So, she swam towards the newly arrived ship surrounded by lightning. 

The vessel got closer and closer. Ace was aware she had to be extremely slow at that point, because she could barely move her legs out of tiredness, but she still pushed on. 

She was so close to the ship now that she could see the wooden carving of a siren with two tails gracefully wrapped around the beak of the vessel, its sides encrusted with mussels. Her face was beautiful, in a sad and eerie way, and it looked like it had seen many travels, due to her advanced state of wear. 

The unknown ship had slowed down. A light was hanging right in front of it, waving in the dark like an anglerfish’s bait.

 - Help! - Ace screamed, her voice hoarse due to the strain.

She was holding so tightly on the piece of wood she could barely feel her hands.

 - Help me! - she yelled again, praying that someone  - anyone - would hear her. 

Ace was about to be swallowed by the waves, when a ladder made of wood and rope was thrown down the side of the ship, its end licking the water.

Ace smiled wildly, and the adrenalin was enough to help her reach the ladder. Her hands closed around the wood, and she climbed, coming dangerously close to falling back into the water a couple of times or two.

When she finally made it to the deck, hanging on by the skin of her teeth, two hands closed around her arms and dragged her to safety.

Once she had a hard surface underneath her, Ace just collapsed, shivering uncontrollably. She was so exhausted she passed out on the spot.

Ace was laying somewhere warm and comfy, her eyes closed. It was so nice, nothing like her filthy hammock on Fenric’s ship. She could have stayed like this forever. If she was going to die right then and there, she wouldn’t have felt that bad about it.

 - … of course I threw down a ladder, - said a voice. An adult voice. A woman. She sounded pretty peeved. - What did you expect me to do, leave her to drown?

 - She’s one of Fenric’s wolves, - another voice replied, in a lower, conspiratorial tone. - It isn’t wise to take anyone bound to them on board.

 - She’s just a kid!

Ace was starting to find those voices really annoying. All she wanted was to sleep, and they had to argue right next to her.

She turned around, curling up on herself, and she hid her head under the pillows with a grunt of protest. She mumbled something similar to “lemme sleep”.

A moment later, there was a hand on her shoulder. - So, you’re awake. How do you feel?

Ace would have liked to say that no, she wasn’t awake, and to leave her alone. Her whole body still hurt. But she willed her eyes to open, and she saw a thin face surrounded by soft, black hair staring at her in the darkness. 

Ace swallowed, trying to understand where she was: a small room, without any ornaments or furniture, except for a nightstand that emerged from the wall itself, on which rested a blue candle.

 - I’m… I feel fine, - Ace whispered, even though it wasn’t really true. She was still so tired that even sitting felt like a chore. - Where am I?

 - You’re aboard the Doctor’s ship, - the woman said. She wore big golden ear-loops, glistening at the light of the candles, and a comfy-looking night robe. - We found you at sea, half-drowned. You were lucky to make it here. There’s a big storm still raging outside, - she explained, and she gave a crooked look to a small figure standing in the back of the room. - But now you’re safe. 

Ace nodded. - Thank you for taking me in. I guess I would have drowned without your help… um… - An awkward silence fell between them. - I’m Ace, by the way.

 - Bernice, - said the woman, giving her a reassuring smile. - But my friends call me Benny. As for the one who’s been ominously looking at us in silence like a weirdo, they’re—

 - I’m the Doctor, - said the figure, their eyes glistening faintly in the dark. They made one step forward, their features still hidden in the shadow. They too were wearing some sort of night robe, with a droopy night hat on top of their head. And yet, there was something eerie about them, in spite of their goofy clothing choices. - Nice to meet you, Ace. Not your real name, is it?

 - Doctor, - Benny hissed in their direction. 

They ignored her. - I know you’re one of Fenric’s crew. The same that in this very instant is right outside this ship, waiting for me to hand you back to them. What are you doing here? Something like this doesn’t happen by chance.

The Doctor’s face, from the little of it that Ace could see, was cold and not very friendly, all harsh lines and angles.

 - So? No words? - they said, crossing their arms behind their back. - If you don’t tell me the truth, I’m afraid I will have to consider returning you to your slimy friends. 

Bernice scoffed. - Smart move, threaten the kid who almost died. You get all the parenting points, Doctor. Did you give this treatment to Mel too, when she joined?

 - She wasn’t bound to an enemy, Benny. - The Doctor’s eyes glistened in the dark, a brief flash of blue light. That was enough for Ace to connect the dots. 

 - Oh, no, - she whispered. - You’re one of them, aren’t you?

 - Hm? - the Doctor said, lifting an eyebrow.

 - A god of the sea. Like bloody Fenric— Ace let out a groan of frustration. Was she ever going to be rid of them? She had jumped from the proverbial frying pan right into the fire. - Damn it.

 - Do you have something against the gods of the sea? - the Doctor whispered, in a slightly darker tone. 

 - Only against those that want to trap me in some kind of life-wrecking deal, - Ace growled. 

 - We don’t force anyone to sign a contract, it’s you who come to us.

 - Doctor, come on—

 - Well, not in my case! - Ace replied, jumping off the bed. She wavered a little, and Bernice instinctively tried to steady her, before Ace slapped her hand away. - Back off. I don’t want to owe stuff to any of you. Oh… wait…

As the realization dawned on her, she sat back on the bed.

Whatever monstrosity of the sea Ace was now dealing with, they had just saved her life, which meant that she was indebted to them. And there was nothing worse to be indebted to one of those beings.

 - I know what you’re thinking, - Bernice said, with a slight smile. - But it was I who saved you. Not the Doctor. In fact, if it were for them, you wouldn’t be on board right now.  And, to be completely honest, you’d probably be dead.

The Doctor sighed. - Sometimes it happens that people die in sea storms. It’s not personal.

 - The point is, Ace,- Bernice continued. - You are free to go, if you want to. You don’t owe me, or the Doctor, anything.

Ace looked at her, narrowing her eyes. She had never obtained anything for nothing in exchange. She didn’t know how to feel about it. There must have been some kind of trick.

 - Listen, Bernice—

 - Benny.

That threw Ace off for a moment. - I… fine. Benny, all I care about is that I won’t go back to Fenric’s ship and crew. 

 - Ah, is that so? - the Doctor said, lifting their gaze. - And why wouldn’t you want to go back? Fenric isn’t of the merciful sort… if you go back now, they might even consider sparing you. Only someone who’s mad would do all this… or someone who’s Fenric’s spy and is trying to infiltrate aboard my ship.

Bernice gave the Doctor another crooked look that, again, they ignored.

 - I know what happens when you try to run away from a deal, but Fenric didn’t send me here! If you think I’m trying to, I don’t know, sabotage you or something, I’m really not! I came here on my own. I escaped. I wanted to reach a nearby island, and I would have made it too, if it weren’t for that bloody storm.

Bernice cleared her throat, and the Doctor scratched the back of their head, looking slightly sheepish. That took away some of their sharpness, and made them look human, even if only for a brief second.

 - Well, yes. As I said before, storms happen and— well, sometimes people get caught in them. It’s not personal.

Ace didn’t know what they were talking about and didn’t want to know. 

 - Listen, if it’s not too hard, Captain Doctor—

 - Just Doctor, please, - they said, with the hint of a smile at her choice of words.

 - Fine, Doctor. I understand the fact that you don’t trust me. So, let’s do this instead: leave me in a place where a human can survive, and I won’t bother you anymore. If you need work around the ship, I will help, I won’t just sit around. I’ll pay for the travel, - Ace said, trying not to sound too desperate. - But— don’t make me go back there? Please?

The Doctor stood in silence for a long instant, weighing her proposal. - I would make more than one elder sea god angry with me if I went through with this, - they whispered. - There are some tacit rules between us, that ought to be respected. And you’re already bound to Fenric. There isn’t much that can be done about that. Even if I were to bring you to land, all Fenric would need to do is use your true name to lure you back. I’m sorry, Ace, but your situation is pretty grim.

Ace’s shoulders sagged. Of course it couldn’t end well for her. She wondered were that hope had even come from.

 - It’s fine, - she said, a little too quickly. - It’s fine. I’ll… I’ll pack my bags, - she said. Then, she realized she had nothing to pack. She had lost everything to the raging sea. - Guess I’m done packing.

She stood up, trying to take her most dignified pose. There really was no point in delaying the inevitable, she might as well go and take whatever was coming her way right now. - Let’s get this over with. 

She dragged herself towards the door, and the Doctor hesitated for a moment, but then they stood aside, letting her pass.

 - Doctor, - Bernice said. - You can’t just let her go! If Fenric is as pleasant of a personality as I think they are, they’ll eat her alive.

Ace hesitated for a moment, then she sighed. She knew what she was going to face, but she had already asked for help. She wasn’t going to beg. She preferred to walk away with her dignity.

She was about to open the door, when a hand closed around her shoulder.

 - Wait, - the Doctor said, their voice slightly softer than before. - I might have an idea. But you won’t like it, Ace.

 - So, what you’re saying is that I should make a contract with the Doctor? But you can’t erase another god’s deals, that much even I know.

 - Yes, that is true, - Bernice said, before the Doctor could explain. - But, and this is the cool part, there are contracts and contracts. 

 - Some contracts are more binding than others, - the Doctor sighed, longingly eyeing the teapot resting on their desk. The tea was almost ready. - It’s a refined science. Your contract was passed down generation from generation, so, even though it’s binding, you didn’t sign it of your own will. A contract that has your will linked to it is far more significative than just some annoying generational curse.

Ace suddenly felt extremely small in that chair, surrounded by people who knew what they were talking about and had vast knowledge in far too many fields for her liking, especially in rhetorics.

 - I don’t like this, - Ace said, staring at the contract in front of her.

 - It’s the only way if you want to be free of Fenric, - Bernice said. - Well, somewhat free.

 - You call getting into another prison “freedom”? - Ace growled, pushing back her chair. - I’d just be cursed twice! I’m sorry, but no, thanks.

- Don’t be so quick to dismiss my offer, - the Doctor said, giving her a strange look, as if they found her amusing, in spite of their initial dislike. The Doctor's features had grown a little softer, after they had reached their cabin. It seemed like being surrounded by comforts and the warm light of the lanterns had put them in a good mood. Or was it something else? Ace didn’t really know. She couldn’t decipher whatever was going on in that eldritch brain of theirs. - If it’s freedom you’re looking for, we’re all in the same boat here. Pun not intended.

 - What do you mean?

Bernice rolled her eyes. - The Doctor likes to be dramatic. But I’ll translate for you. The Doctor, as a bound sea god themselves, is very fond of freedom. So, their contracts have become far more lenient with the centuries. Now they don’t even kidnap humans anymore, they mostly pick up people who ask them to, or who are, overall, willing to follow them. Isn’t that some nice character development?

 - Bernice— the Doctor grumbled. It was a warning, but more of an affectionate one, as if they were used to that kind of banter.

 - Glad to know you still remember my name, - Bernice said, with a smile. - Anyways, I know making another contract is scary, but it’s the only way to escape from Fenric. And the Doctor promises that… hmm… ah, yes, here it is… that “there won’t be any kind of transformation, transmogrification, curse or the like applied to the signatory unless they specifically request it in their contract” and that “the power of the true name of the signatory won’t be used except for in cases of extreme urgency, such as near-death, possession, and severe bodily and psychological harm the signatory might incur in while traveling with the sea god who offers the contract”.

 - Really encouraging terms of service. Does that happen a lot in this ship? Possession and all these cool things, I mean? And who would even want to turn into a fish monster, - Ace grunted, thinking of her cuddly friends the Haemovores.

 - You’d be surprised, - Bernice said. - The fish monster life is much better than others out there. As you well know.

Ace sighed. She wasn’t wrong. 

 - And see this little note here? - Benny said, pointing at a couple of lines written in such small handwriting that they were hard to decipher. She handed a lens to Ace, so that she could check them out with her own eyes. - It says that you’re free to go whenever you want to. So, truly, there’s only benefits to be gained from this.

Ace frowned. 

 - What’s wrong?

 - It seems too good to be true, - Ace whispered, slowly putting down the lens. She held tighter the blanket Bernice had put around her shoulders. - Could I really get rid of Fenric? Just like that?

 - Well… - Bernice said.

 - There is a price to pay, - the Doctor cut her off. - And it’s not a light one. 

 - I don’t have anything of value with me, - Ace said. 

A slight smile curved the Doctor’s thin lips. - Ah, this is where you’re wrong. You have something very valuable, Ace.

 - And that is?

 - Your soul. A pure one, too. You don’t see many of them at sea.

Bernice crossed her arms. - Doctor, please, don’t be creepy.

The Doctor eyed her, barely acknowledging her intervention, as if they agreed on the fact that yes, they were creepy, but they also weren’t going to do anything about it. - What I ask of you, Ace, is that you give me a little, itty-bitty piece of your soul. There are sea gods who would ask for the whole package, but I’m not greedy, as you can see. I just need a little piece of it so that the contract is active. I wish there was a different way, but these are our laws. And not even I am above them. Plus, I need souls to make my ship—

 - Deal, - Ace said, before she could think too much about it.

The Doctor was taken aback for a moment. Then, they crossed their fingers under their chin, and only then Ace noticed the silver ring with a blue stone on their fourth finger. She felt slightly dizzy while looking at it. It almost seemed like there was something moving inside the stone. Sea waves? Swirls of color? Ace lifted a hand to touch the stone, but the Doctor slapped her fingers away.

 - Ow, - Ace muttered, massaging her fingers. 

The Doctor hid their ring and cleared their throat. - Ace, did you just hear what I said about souls? Accepting would mean to turn your soul into currency.

 - Of course I heard it. But, if this will free me from Fenric, sign me the fuck up. It’s not like I have much of a choice anyways.

Bernice chuckled. - I like this girl, - she said, stopping her nervous walking around the Doctor’s desk.

The Doctor didn’t share her enthusiasm.  - Well- first of all, language, second of all, Bernice don’t encourage her, and third of all— are you completely sure?

Ace couldn’t help but grin a little. Their reluctancy was funny. - I thought sea gods liked to collect souls. Why are you stalling so much? You seemed pretty eager to do this whole deal thing just a couple of minutes ago.

The Doctor seemed bothered by the question. - I’m not stalling. It’s just… you’re very young, Ace. You don’t really know what you’re getting into. I just want to make sure you understand what signing the contract entails. The weight of it. As I said before, a generational curse is one thing, but a contract signed of your own will is an entirely different and far more dangerous matter.

Ace snorted. This sea god cared more about her bad life choices than anyone in her life had ever had.

 - You can’t do anything to me that Fenric hasn’t already done or was going to do. Mine may be a generational curse, but, look, I’m already starting to turn, - Ace said, lifting a hand to show them her sharp fingers. - It can’t be any worse than this… whatever you may have in store for me, Doctor, I’ll take it. Just please, stop Fenric’s curse and— and don’t turn me into a fish, please?

She accepted the consequences. Besides, she wasn’t a child anymore. She could decide for herself.

 - Alright, then, - the Doctor said. They looked somewhat sad for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. - Let’s look at this more thoroughly together.

What followed was an extremely boring and long speech about what was inside the contract, which consisted in a just as extremely long scroll of parchment. Ace was struggling to keep her eyes open, and she kept thinking about how comfy her blanket was. At some point her head lolled on her chest, and the Doctor gently tapped her on the cheek.

 - Sorry, what? - Ace mumbled, straightening her back. 

 - I had just gotten to the ‘dad jokes’ part. It’s the most fun, - the Doctor said. They seemed disappointed by her lack of interest. 

 - Yeah, so much fun, - Bernice agreed. - I remember I almost wanted to put a hole in my eardrums with a poker when you started to tell me your funny stories. And I instantly forgot them as soon as we finished, which lets you understand just how funny they were. Couldn’t you give her the summarized version?

 - This is precisely how sea gods fool mortals, Bernice, - the Doctor said, and they put a particular emphasis on the ‘r’ of the word ‘precisely’. Ace had no idea sea gods could be that, well… Scottish. - Do you want to teach Ace how to be fooled? Just because you can’t pay attention to a couple of notes? Besides, my jokes are extremely funny, your mind is just too limited to understand them.

 -  I agree that Ace must be fully aware of how terrible and unwise it is to sign a contract (and of how bad your jokes are), but you can be trusted, unlike some sea gods out there. So, we can be a little more relaxed around you. 

The Doctor seemed flattered for a minute, enough for them to forget about Bernice’s sharp remarks about their sense of humor, and they smiled sheepishly. - Oh, Benny. How sweet of you. Do you really think I can be trusted?

 - Yes, but don’t expect me to say it very often. Besides, I say you can be trusted in a “yes, but—” kind of way, you know. 

 -  Oh. - The Doctor mumbled, a little disappointed. - Better than nothing, I suppose. - Their gaze shifted back to Ace. - So, coming back to us—

… And another agonizing session of explanations followed, even though, according to the Doctor, they were now giving her the ‘short’ version.

At the end of it, Ace was just eager to sign the blasted thing and go to sleep, because, even though this should have been an exciting situation, the bureaucracy of it all was snuffing out any kind of adrenaline she could have felt.

The Doctor dug in the inner pocket of their night robe and took out what looked like an extremely old and crusty fountain pen. It was blue, covered in residues, as if it had been forgotten at the bottom of the sea for a very long time, and some crustacean had chosen it as its new home.

 - There we go, - the Doctor said, as they used the fountain pen to sign. Their signature consisted in a series of circles and dots traced in orange ink. It was strangely harmonious and pleasant to look at, even though it made Ace’s eyes grow heavier.

 - Is that your true name? - Ace asked, lifting her eyebrows.

The Doctor nodded. - How sad that you can’t pronounce it. Nor read it, - they said, with a chuckle. - Keeps me safe, doesn’t it?

 - That’s not very fair, - Ace pointed out. 

 - The lack of fairness is a constant around the Doctor, - Bernice said. - But they’re not cruel, at least.

 - Benny, you said such nice things about me, before. Couldn’t you have left it at that? I was almost getting used to it.

Bernice smiled. - Sorry, Doctor. But, as you said, we must let Ace know how evil sea gods fool mortals.

 - I’m not evil, - the Doctor muttered, offended. - It’s just that people happen to die in—

 - …In sea storms. Yeah, you said that many (many) times. Doesn’t change the fact that people die, - Bernice grunted. - Just pointing out the facts! No particular moral statement is being made about you here!

 - But you said I was evil. That is, unless I’m growing old and I’m starting to lose my grip on reality, the very definition of a moral statement.

While the discussion was getting more more heated, even though there wasn’t any real resentment in it, Ace took the pen the Doctor was handing to her, patiently waiting for her to pick it up.

As soon as Ace took it, she felt a weird tingling in her fingers. - So, um… Doctor? 

 - Yes, Ace? - they said, letting their conversation about the highest moral systems go for a moment. 

 - How do I sign? 

 - What do you mean, dear?

 - There isn’t any ink.

A strange smile curved their lips. - Oh, you won’t need any ink, Ace. And make sure to sign with your true name. As nice as Ace is, there are some stupid laws we ought to follow.

Ace sighed. Her true name, huh?

She put the pen on paper. When was the last time she had written anything? She hoped she wasn’t going to write her name wrong, because that was also a possibility, and it could have rendered the contract null.

Slowly and carefully, Ace traced the letters of the name she was born with. A name she didn’t particularly like, because it reminded her of all the bad things in her life, but it was, nonetheless, her true name. With every wobbly letter she traced, in bright, red ink, she felt her arm grow more and more tired.

When she reached the ‘e’ of her surname, McShane, she ended up face down on the contract, the pen falling out of her numb fingers.

 - Oh, dear, - said a distant voice. - Ace? Can you hear me?

 - Hm, - she muttered, squeezing her eyes. Her sight was blurry, and she needed a couple of seconds to recognize the Doctor’s face. They snapped their fingers in front of her eyes.

 - Ace?

 - Did I sign it? - she slurred. - I’m… I feel so tired. 

 - It’s a normal counter-effect, - the Doctor said, smiling to her. They seemed relieved to see she was fine. - And yes, you signed it. Now, for the payment…

 - Couldn’t you wait until tomorrow for that, at the very least? She’s spent, - Bernice cut in, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. 

Ace blinked slowly, and noticed that the Doctor war pouring a cup of tea for themselves.

 - Benny, I have an army of Haemovores and an angry sea god outside the TARDIS, and you’re asking me if we can wait until tomorrow? - they said. - I’m sorry, but this cannot wait. Ace will have all the time to rest in the next days. Right, Ace?

Ace wasn’t completely sure about what they had just said, but she nodded. - Uh, yes. I can pay, sure.

 - Very good, - the Doctor said. - Now Ace, if you could be so kind, would you tell me what’s your favorite kind of tea?

Ace blinked. Her favorite kind of tea? She didn’t have one, she wasn’t a fancy gentlegod like they were. What were they expecting?

Ace barely noticed the Doctor had taken her left hand in theirs, and when they pierced her skin with a small knife they kept up their sleeve, she didn’t feel any pain.

Ace’s gaze lowered. She felt weird, strangely floaty. She had expected blood to come out of her wound, but that definitely was not blood. It was something shinier and thicker than blood, of an ever-changing color.

 - What are you— 

 - You don’t have to look, - Bernice said, putting her hands on Ace’s shoulders to steady her. 

Ace was grateful to her, because, without her support, she would have face-planted on the desk a second time. 

The Doctor collected a few drops that were oozing out of her wound in their cupped hand.

 - That would be enough, - they said, after a little while. 

They licked their thumb and passed it over Ace’s wound, which closed immediately. 

Ace had been wounded in the past and she had lost a lot of blood, but those few drops had left her more drained than she had ever felt in her entire life.

The glistening substance in the Doctor’s hand solidified into a marble, and they rolled it between their fingers, before making it disappear in their pocket.

They smiled to Ace. - The payment is more than adequate, - they said. - It is normal to feel drained. You will feel better in no time, I promise.

Ace didn’t have the strength to answer, so she just nodded. Or she thought she had. She wasn’t sure.

Something wrapped around her shoulders, and she was gently lifted from her chair, blanket and all.

 - Would you bring Ace to her room, Bernice? - the Doctor said. 

 - I was going to, - Bernice replied, irritated. - If you could have waited just a little while before doing this…

 - Yes, um. I’ll take a look at her very soon, - The Doctor said, looking a little worried themselves. -  I need to have a little chat with the Haemovores. That is to say with Fenric. I’m sure this will make them leave, - they added, patting the pocket where they had hidden the shiny marble. - Keep an eye on Ace while I’m gone, please?

 - I will, - Bernice muttered.

Ace tried to help her as much as she could, as they climbed the stairs, but she was aware she was a dead weight. 

 - Sorry, - she whispered.

 - Sorry about what? The Doctor could have found some other way to do this, but they get very impatient when they see someone they want aboard the ship, - Bernice said, as they slowly climbed the stairs out of the Doctor’s cabin.

 - Someone they want? - Ace didn’t receive that impression. And she had no idea what a sea god could ever want from her — beside a piece of her soul, that is.  They always wanted that.

 - They like you. As much as a sea god can like a human, I mean. They um… how to explain this? They like to make friends, but they don’t have the same frame of reference as humans do, you know? I think offering a contract is, in a way, how they ask someone to be their companion.

Ace felt very confused. How could a transaction involve anything beyond a relationship between offerer and acquirer she didn’t know. Or maybe she was just too tired to think.

 - Did you make a deal with them too? - Ace mumbled, her words barely audible.

 - Yes. A long time ago, now. I offered them some ancient spoons I recovered in one of my expeditions. They liked my gift a lot, and they made a very interesting and not at all boring contract for me to read with all the notes and the rules… I wasn’t lucky enough to receive the short version, as you did. And I signed. I don’t regret it, if that’s what you’re wondering. I think it’s a good deal, overall. Just don’t get too attached to them, hm? It’s really easy to forget they’re not human. They’re just that charming.

Ace nodded slightly, as Bernice lowered her in what had now become her bed. How insane it was, to have something that belonged exclusively to her. It made Ace feel a little weird. She wasn’t sure she deserved something that nice.

 - Now sleep, - Bernice said. - We’ll talk more once you’ve recovered. And I’ll present you Mel, too! She’ll be happy to know there’s someone around her age here.

Ace let out a soft groan in response, already half-asleep. She really hoped she hadn’t made a mistake by trusting another sea god.