Chapter 943 - 944: Blood Mary

Sob. Sob.

There were soft whimpers on the deck as a knight sat hugging his sword, knuckles white around the hilt, a towel draped over his back like a defeated cloak. Everyone surrounded him in a circle, boots forming a rough ring against the wooden planks.

The sea wind howled softly beyond them.

Damon sat in front of him on a barrel, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. Lights from illumination runes carved into the mast and railings cast a pale blue glow across the deck, making every face look ghostly.

He placed his hand firmly on the man’s shoulder.

"It’s alright. You’re in a safe place. Tell us what happened."

The man lifted his head slowly and looked at the bleak and dark starless sky above. It stretched endlessly, hollow and empty. It was like a reflection of his heart.

"The goddess has abandoned me..." sniff sniff, tears fell from his eyes, horrible broken tears that refused to stop.

"I remember it like it was thirty minutes ago."

Seras crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"It was thirty minutes ago."

Damon shot her a sharp glare and muttered under his breath.

"Can’t you see he’s suffering?"

She sighed, brushing hair from her face. Why were they making a big deal out of this? It wasn’t even that bad.

Damon pulled out a handkerchief and gently pressed it into the man’s shaking hands.

The man whispered a mournful, "Thank you."

"I was alone polishing and cleaning my gear. Then I heard it. A sound at the door. I thought it was my assigned roommate coming back from above deck."

He paused, swallowing hard as the circle of men leaned in.

"It came floating... like a peach with tentacles. It had the voice of a woman and before I could react it split open and bathed me in... blood."

"Ahh!" someone gasped.

"By the goddess..." another man cried.

"That’s horrible," someone whispered.

"How terrible. What suffering did he endure," another man added gravely.

"That’s not a big deal... it’s not like it was acid," Lana said flatly, arms hanging loosely at her sides, clearly not understanding their hysteria.

"Wait. How did you draw the conclusion that it was... you know... menstrual blood?" Renata asked slowly, crouching slightly to meet his eye level.

The man shook violently.

"It said so... it told me," he whispered.

Several of the men trembled.

Seras sighed softly.

’I see. That confirms one thing.’

"That we have a horrible monster aboard," Damon interrupted dramatically, rising to his feet.

"No. That you are all morons," Seras snapped. She uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. "I can’t believe you are all freaking out over something so trivial. It’s not like a little blood will kill you. You can’t get pregnant from period blood, so how about you tuck in your male egos and go kill that thing."

Damon cleared his throat awkwardly, scratching his cheek.

"You... don’t know what it’s like being on the other side of a period. The pain of being a victim of a mood swinging lover. You become the villain for just existing. I could go on."

A man with a long beard and a tough face slowly raised his hand. He was one of the older sailors, broad shouldered and scarred.

"My... my wife beats me every time it’s that time of the month... I used to try fighting back... I never won..." Tears streamed down his face, disappearing into his beard.

Damon immediately stepped forward and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Be strong, king. She can’t hurt you here."

"I’m sorry," the man choked. "She’d say nothing is wrong but I know something is. I just wish she’d tell me. When she says nothing I think nothing is wrong and I get a beating..."

He wept openly, falling to his knees.

"I try to protect the kids. Be a good father... it’s never easy."

The men began to give their input one by one.

Damon nodded solemnly. Even Lilith Astranova was scary on her period.

"She wants space.

You give space.

’Why are you ignoring me?’"

He gestured dramatically.

"She wants attention.

You give attention.

’Why are you hovering?’"

The circle of men nodded in shared trauma.

"The sentence ’It’s fine.’

It is not fine."

One man stared into the void as if he had seen the deepest abyss.

"You will hear a story about something that happened ten years ago.

You will be responsible for it."

A collective murmur of pain spread.

"She might say, ’I hate everyone.’

You nod.

You are also everyone."

The bearded sailor covered his face.

"You will be asked, ’If I turned into a worm would you still love me?’

This is not optional."

"There is no correct answer for that," Damon declared gravely. "I just roll over and die."

Seras and Lana watched them with deep frowns.

"Hmmm. So we’re dealing with a bewitching type monster. The sea has a lot of them," Seras muttered, glancing toward the dark waves.

Lana began listing possibilities quietly. Seras shook her head.

"Well whatever it is has Damon ensnared too..."

"It’s not mind attacks," Renata chimed in, pointing at the crown resting on Damon’s head.

"He’s immune to those," she added confidently.

"What we’re dealing with is a monster that can ensnare without affecting the mind or soul. That narrows our list. From the blood I... oooh."

Lana paused mid sentence, taken aback by the soft sound Seras made.

That was not a good sign.

"What? What is it, commander?"

"It’s a creature that can affect the pheromones. It squirts blood from its body. I’ve only heard unsightly rumors and based on his description... it’s what I think it is."

Renata narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Well Damon isn’t resistant to pheromone changes. I’m pretty sure he’d eventually build up a resistance depending on how much he’s exposed to it. Might take a while."

"So what? They’re all gonna act like idiots?" Wendy chimed lazily, leaning against the railing and looking at Damon with mild concern.

"Something like that. Though I would hardly call that the worst part."

Wendy straightened slightly.

"What could be worse than this?"

Seras bit her lip, hesitating.

"The blood is part of its ability. When you’re touched it gives strange effects on the body. Some would say it really teaches you to respect your mother. Those who smell the blood get the pheromone into their system which causes this reaction."

Lana blinked.

"Wow. I didn’t think ladies were that bad. Hmm. Looks like I have a lot to learn."

"What monster is it?" Wendy pressed.

Seras lowered her voice.

"It’s the Bloody Mary."

Renata’s mouth fell open.

"Wait. Isn’t that the monster that can..."

"Yes. Yes it is," Seras cut her off quickly.

"They aren’t gonna like that," Renata whispered.

Then she glanced at Seras.

"Should we... tell them?"

Seras shook her head firmly.

"There’s no need to add to their burdens. Ignorance is bliss. What they don’t know can’t hurt them."

*************

They searched the whole ship for the whole night. Lantern light and illumination runes flickered across every corridor, every storage hold, every coil of rope. Boots pounded across planks. Doors were thrown open. Cargo was shifted.

No creature was found.

There was also no further attack.

Seras didn’t say anything. She and the ladies simply observed, sharp eyes tracking every movement, every nervous twitch. They waited for more signs, more numbers, more backup.

They had Damon summon Matia from his shadow where she had been all this time.

The air around Damon’s feet darkened, frost creeping outward in delicate patterns before Matia stepped out silently. Her pale blue hair shimmered faintly under the rune lights, expression blank as always.

They told her what was going on, other than what she observed from the shadows.

Renata had rarely seen the frost fairy’s expression change.

This was one of those times.

The last time had been when she had confronted her father.

Matia’s gaze slowly shifted toward Damon.

She insisted on staying by Damon’s side ever since.

It was for his own protection.

Everyone convened on the deck to talk about the issues. The sea breeze hit the sails, magic shimmering from the runes carved into the masts, keeping the vessel steady over dark waters.

"We haven’t found anything so far. Did it leave?" the captain asked, voice tight.

The man from the night before spat to the side.

This was the tenth time he’d done so in the last two minutes.

Damon glanced at him briefly before shrugging.

"I doubt that. It’s probably in the sea. We could try diving to find it, though I wouldn’t advise it."

Seras’ eyes shifted to the man who had been covered in blood the day before.

He spat again.

His face was pale.

Sweat clung to his brow.

Damon shook his head, about to comment, when the man suddenly bolted toward the edge of the ship.

He dropped to his knees and began to throw up his breakfast over the railing.

The retching was violent.

His fingers gripped the wood so hard his knuckles turned white.

Damon winced.

"Poor guy. He must still be disgusted from the incident of last night."

Seras sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"No. That’s not it."

Damon raised a brow.

"It’s because he’s pregnant."

Damon glanced at her and smiled lightly.

"Ahh. Nice one. I didn’t know you had a sense of humor."

Her expression didn’t change.

Not even slightly.

The wind passed between them in silence.

Damon’s smile slowly faded.

His face paled.

"...What?"