My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 152: From The Depths

"Raven, get out of there now!" Joshua yelled he could feel his hold on the wave beginning to waver.

Raven had a blank look on his face as he stared at the numerous, featureless faces before him. 'The legends were true!' He almost could not believe it. Even if it was literally staring him in the face. This was a major discovery! Even though he was enraptured by it, he was not stupid enough to ignore Joshua's warning.

He quickly turned heel and ran for his life. His senses had already warned him of the danger that it posed. Shards of glass flew up behind him as he made his break for it. The second he was far enough away, he heard the wave crash down on the beach, for lack of a better word, as Joshua could finally no longer hold it.

The pair stared at each other with awkward expressions. Although he looked fine, Joshua actually felt like a great burden had been placed on his body. The feeling completely exhausted him. He collapsed down into a seating position as his eyes scanned the sea of souls stretched out before them. 

Raven slowly approached Joshua's position while keeping a wary eye on the sea. Something bugged him, and that was the fact that the wave that had crashed into Joshua had no effect on him. 'That can't be right, though. It's called the Dead Sea for a reason!'

In all of the Dead Sea legends that Raven knew, every one of them had a single thing in common. Its waters were lethal to the living and the undead alike. So, if that was true, then that would mean Joshua had to be dead. This was a scary thought for Raven. He had seen a few things in his time, including ghosts and the like. 

No matter how he thought about it, he kept coming up with the same answer. Whatever Joshua was now, it would have to fit into the category of the wandering dead. These were things like ghosts and zombies. However, these beings usually despised any kind of life. Especially something like a vampire or half breed. Since they had achieved something that they no longer could. A second chance at life!

So, what did that make Joshua then? He still seemed to be reasonable. No hint of madness other than the initial intoxication of gaining newfound power. He was not trying to kill him, which in his book was a bonus. Nor was he trying to eat him just to feel closer to the living again.

"Something's coming" Joshua interrupted Raven's thoughts as he said this with a soft voice.

"Fuck! There's nowhere to hide! Josh! Get up! We have to make a run for it!" 

"No. It already knows we're here. Running would be pointless right now."

Raven began to turn in place, searching the land for a sign of which direction it could be coming from. The wasteland remained eerily silent apart from the occasional wave crashing against the shore. Raven's nerves were getting the better of him. With the sea to his back, he was limited for options on where to run to.

Until he knew where it would come from, there was no point in starting off in any direction. In the worst-case scenario, he might even run right into the very thing he wanted to avoid. 'Where the fuck is it! I don't see anything!' He glanced sideways at Josh, who was still staring out to sea.

Then it dawned on him. 'Oh, fuck me!' Turning his head towards where Josh was looking at, he finally saw it. Something was creating ripples in the waters as if it were slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. It was making a beeline directly for them and be upon them soon.

Raven attempted to grab Josh by the arm. His intention was to drag him along if he had to. However, his hands slipped right through him, and he face-planted into the tiny, glass grains that made up the beach.

"Ah! Come on!" Raven screamed in frustration as several nicks and cuts were made on his face. This just was not his day!

The minor injuries had already started to heal by the time he looked back out over the water. His eyes widened in shock as he realised that whatever was approaching had closed the distance considerably in that short span of time. It was moving at a pace far faster than he had estimated. It would be here within a few more minutes.

Then he heard a noise that frustrated him further. It was a noise that he never imagined that he would hear in this godforsaken place. It was the sound of laughter! What was even worse though was who was responsible! Joshua! How could he find their situation even slightly amusing!

"You're worrying too much, Captain." Josh gave him a casual, sidelong look. As if nothing he was fretting about mattered at all.

"Fuck you! We'll die if we stay here! Are you coming with me or not?"

Joshua remained silent while he continued to watch the presence approaching them. He could not explain it, but he felt as if it were not a threat for some reason. Well, to him at the very least. So why should he run? Maybe it would even hold some answers for him.

"Josh, I swear to God! If you don't get up right this second, I'll damn well leave you here!"

Joshua spared a moment to look at his old captain once again. A mixture of emotions was evident upon his face. Rage, frustration, anxiety and fear. All of these were things that he had rarely witnessed from his esteemed captain. Thinking back now, he realised that the captain must have sensed that he was no match for whatever they were up against at the times that he had seen him act this way before. 

'To think, I used to look up to you. Now, I don't even think we're equals.'