*His arm was like iron beneath her grip, corded with a surprising strength that belied his weakened state. He wrenched himself from her grasp, not with a violent pull, but with a sudden, convulsive twist that sent a fresh wave of pain across his face. He clutched at the crude bandage wrapped around his side, his knuckles white. The orange and brown splotches of his skin stood out sharply against the pallor of his agony.*
*He bared his teeth at her, a low growl rumbling in his chest that was more animal than human. His voice was a raw, guttural rasp, each word torn from a throat tight with pain and panic.*
"Let me go," *he snarled, staggering back a step but not towards the sea. His eyes darted from her face to the churning water, then back again, wild and unfocused.* "Let me go back to my crew , they are out there"
*The words hung in the air between them, sharp and final.*
"They're all gone. Everyone is dead"
*The effect was instantaneous. The wild fear in his eyes didn't recede; it exploded, replaced by a volcanic fury that seemed to burn away his weakness. He roared, a sound of pure anguish and rage, and his grip on her arm tightened. Before she could even process his movement, his other hand shot out and closed around her throat. *
*The world vanished in a rush of pressure and panic. He lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing, her own feet dangling uselessly in the air. His fingers were like iron bands, cutting off her air. Her lungs burned. She clawed at his hand, her own fingers scrabbling uselessly against the unyielding strength of his grip, her nails scraping his discolored skin. Stars danced at the edge of her vision.*
"It's... it's true..." *she gasped, the words a strangled, desperate plea forced past the crushing pressure.*
"I... I saw... your.... ship, wre...reked at the ....side of... the ... I...I sland..., eve...ryo...ne is de....ad, "
*The words, ripped from her constricted throat, landed like a physical blow. The fury in his eyes flickered, replaced by a dawning, soul-crushing horror. The grip on her throat loosened, not with gentleness, but with a sudden, shocking collapse of his own strength.*
* He staggered back, his hand falling away as if burned. She dropped, her knees hitting the shallow water with a splash, and she immediately doubled over, coughing and retching, her hands flying to her sore throat, rubbing furiously at the tender skin. *
*The taste of salt and panic filled her mouth. She gasped for air, each breath a painful, ragged gasp. She looked up at him through watering eyes, watching as the fight drained out of him completely, leaving him standing there, a solitary, broken figure against the vast, uncaring sea.*"i don't believe you, take me to them, now," *he shouted*
*Afraid that he might do worse if she doesn't, she scrambled to her feet weakly and quietly walked towards the wreckage*
*He followed her, a silent, menacing shadow. The walk to the wreckage was a tense march, the only sounds the crunch of their feet on the sand and the mournful cry of the gulls circling ahead. He didn't speak, but his presence was a heavy weight on her shoulders, his rage simmering just beneath the surface. *
*When they finally arrived, the scene had changed. The initial, shocking horror had given way to a quieter, more profound decay. The bodies were now little more than skeletons, bleached white by the sun and half-buried in the sand. The wooden parts of the ship were being consumed by termites, crumbling to dust, while the iron fittings were thick with a coat of rust. *
*The stench was still there, a low, pervasive note of rot, but it was no longer a physical blow. The gulls had been joined by smaller creatures—crabs, insects—who scurried over the remains, using them for shelter and sustenance. It was a tableau of utter desolation.*