Viola licked the blood from Eva’s cut, Eva winced. She had led them to a small inlet that was the perfect shelter for the moment. They lay in shallow rocky water, trees around them keeping them hidden. Their injuries had stopped bleeding but Viola wanted to be sure they were clean.

 

“I… I didn’t realize this would involve so much tongue,” Eva muttered. 

 

Viola ran her tongue down Eva’s arm. None of the scratches and cuts were particularly serious but the mental mounds were far greater.

 

“Prevent… infection,” Viola explained.

 

“Right… W-what the fuck was that though?”

 

“Monster,” Viola replied, pulling Eva closer.

 

“And Talbot,” Eva pointed out. “He’s got a fucking sea monster or some shit working for him.”

 

“We should not stay here, he will… come,” Viola sighed. This place did offer privacy but there was also little way to escape if he followed them.

 

“If he’s got some way to track us then we can’t just keep running. How did he find us?”

 

“Do not know.”

 

“What about a tracker, a small machine? Could he have put one in you?”

 

Viola just shrugged with confusion. Running her hand over a scar where they had taken a piece of her. Humans and their machines, it had quickly become tedious.

 

“Lie down, I need to look for anything suspicious,” Eva sighed.

 

Viola was more than happy to have Eva explore her body, even if it wasn’t under more pleasurable circumstances.

 

“I don’t see anything,” she finally concluded.

 

Viola wasn’t even sure what Eva had been looking for so she couldn’t help. But she would have noticed a machine attached to her. Either he put something inside her or followed them using another method. Either way, she very much did not like this. What use was getting home if Talbot would simply keep following them?

 

“What now?” Viola asked. She already felt tired but they couldn’t stay here.

 

“We have to keep going,” Eva eventually said.

 

“Talbot will… keep coming,” Viola nodded. “Talbot and his machines.”

 

Eva ran her hands over her face. “You’ve… killed people before. If we have the chance… we grab him. If he’s dead then all this stops.”

 

Viola nodded, “Would not be difficult… what of monster?”

 

“I really have no idea, I don’t know what it could have been.”

 

“Why would a monster… follow him?” Mother had told stories of other things that lived in the seas. Nothing quite like that though. She hadn’t been able to see it clearly and it was a mystery. The fog and the effect in the water were only further puzzling. Either way, it was strange, something closer to her world than the human one.

 

“I don’t know Viola, I really don’t know. I don’t even know what I really saw. Maybe he’s… somehow trained a squid or something. I… I… we just have to keep going… and be ready.”

 

Viola didn’t dissuade her of that notion. It wasn’t a squid, she had seen many squid. That was no squid. But she did not want to frighten Eva more.

 

“How do we be… ready?” Viola hummed.

 

“Well… it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happens again,” Eva offered.

 

“Things will be… harder if he finds again.”

 

“Then we just better hope he doesn’t find us,” Eva said, pressing a kiss to Viola’s temple. 

 

That small gesture was enough to fill her with determination. As scared as Viola was, she really did believe in them. They came so far, they could not fail after everything.

 

After resting a little longer they returned to the open ocean. Wariness now dictating their pace rather than determination. Talbot was out there, something was out there.

 

Yet as if nothing had happened there was no sign of danger. All was calm. They hunted, they swam, they sang. No Talbot, no monster.

 

They didn’t bother to pause to admire the view when they came across the next coastal city. They were not in the mood. Viola had to admit her interest in the human world had grown significantly since meeting Eva. She often found herself imagining what their lives were like, how different they must be.

 

They chose where they slept more carefully, fed until they were full, and didn't exert themselves too much. It was slower but they needed to be ready. They occasionally saw boats still and signs of human life but they kept their distance as they followed the coast southwest. 

 

They were shaken, Eva more so. Still unused to the water to some degree. Viola had begun to teach her to speak in song with some success. Eva was still having a hard time seeing through sound. Something that would put her mind at ease once she had mastered it.

 

Viola could imagine the ocean was far scarier when one wasn’t aware of their surroundings. However, after their encounter with that thing, she did find herself more… paranoid. Quickly investigating anything a little strange. She was in no rush to ever encounter that monster again. Such things belonged in the abyss.

 

This trip was strange. Her pod always followed the coast to some degree but never so close. Eva was still thinking like a human, using land to guide her. That wasn’t a problem, in fact right now it was the only reason they had a plan at all. Once this was all over Viola would need to help her to adjust more.

 

She had only been able to show Eva a small part of the life of a blackfish. But they needed to be free of Talbot first. This meant Viola needed to kill him, a task which she could have probably accomplished earlier if things had gone differently.

 

Viola had expected Eva to have nightmares but she seemed strong despite everything. She was fairly sure she had more nightmares about all this though Eva’s strength sometimes wavered. Then again, they were currently trying to survive. It would take time for them to heal when it was all over. Right now they just had to keep going.

 

Days and nights continued to tick by. Accompanied by occasional coastal towns, villages and something Eva called a “resort.”

 

Following the land and stars finally paid off when the land opened up into a large bay. Large rocky walls seemed to extend just above the water's surface, enclosing most of the bay. Beyond were several dozen boats. A large city followed and Eva pointed gleefully to the checkered blue, white and red flags with stars on them.

 

“This is it, oh my god this is it!” Eva squealed.

 

This place looked like every other city they had passed except for the massive large boats covered in brightly painted boxes. These giants were as terrifying as they were impressive. Viola squeezed Eva’s hand. She was scared but they were going to get through this together.

 

“Let us go home, Eva,” Viola smiled.

 

“Yes, let's go home,” Eva grinned.