Carter gasped a breath, but the boat turned. Carter dived straight down again, but he was slow. Too slow. A loud thunk, and blood bloomed in the water. Carter choked as pain shot through one of his legs, and that d-mn salt water stung. But gosh, there was so much blood. And his right foot was numb.
Arria let out a small scream and grabbed at Carter, swimming away from the boat just so he could process his injury, “Carter? Oh gods nononono…” It was bad. Very bad and not something Arria could fix with his small amount of magic or other. Nononononononono…
Carter wanted the pain to stop. It was unbearable, and blood still clouded the water trailing from his right ankle. He didn’t look down at it in fear of seeing something he wasn’t ready to see. The boat, it seemed, hadn’t noticed the thunk or the blood it left in the wake, so Carter got another breath -the first had been knocked out of him with the pain- but gosh it hurt to even move his leg. And he was beginning to panic, with the blood everywhere.
“Carter, I need you to breath for me. Please. Just take a few deep breaths,” Arria said, waving his hand just bellow the water. Small sparks of white appeared and travelled around the blood on Carter’s ankle, cleaning it.
Carter gasped for more air in his lungs, his breathing rugged and labored. Why can’t I feel my foot? Please no please no please no- Carter dared looking down, looking through the blood clouded water, and felt light headed. (this might be a tad unrealistic but I want to do it if that’s okay) His ankle was bent in a strange angle had a deep gash that went through some of his tendons and nerves, his foot handing uselessly. I’mlosingthatfootnonononononononono- Carter let out a sob, clamping his eyes shut as they began to leak. “Ar-Arria?”
"Hey, shh, it's okay, you're gonna be okay," Arria said softly, pressing his forehead to Carter's. It was bad, he wasn't going to lie about that and honestly he didn't know much about human injuries but sure;y there was something he could do, "We need to get you to a hospital…"
“N-No, wh-what about y-you?” Carter got out through his tears, using Arria for support. This couldn’t be possible, it just couldn’t. But the pain was very real. And the blood was very real. And sharks are even more real… “Arria it h-hurts…” Carter’s voice was barely more than a pained whisper at this point.
"I know, I know it hurts but you're gonna be okay," Arria said gently, running a hand through Carter's hair, "You're going to be okay, trust me." He hooked an arm around Carter and very gently, swam them other to the boat, Please be nice, please be nice… "Hey!"
No, please- Carter tried to protest, but felt too weak and in pain to form words. Maria, however, was shouting, “Are you crazy? You can’t survive out here enough to swim back to your home, the deal was you’d help him recover then you’d come back on land and— Why is there so much blood? What the f-ck happened?” She demanded, the guard already getting to the edge of the boat. But Carter had just enough energy to mumble to Arria, so only he heard, “Go back home, I can find you, I promise I’ll make it out… I just don’t want to worry about… you… please……”
Arria shot a small glare at Carter, “I’m not leaving you,” He turned back to Maria, the glare still there, “Your stupid a-s boat is what happened. His ankle is all f-ucked up and he can’t swim. Help him, please. I’ll do whatever you want. Put me in a tank and place me on show for all I care just help him and let him go.”
“Grab the merman first,” Maria ordered coldly, and the guard grabbed Arria’s arms and roughly pulled him on the boat, leaving Carter the swim for himself for a few seconds. His head almost went under but the guard grabbed him and pulled him up onto the boat. Blood dripped over the pristine white of the boat, and the guard let him fall to the fiberglass floor beside Arria.
Arria let out the faintest hint of a growl, glaring up at the guard before turning it to Maria and wrapped his arms around Carter. He very carefully, moved his tail around Carter, making sure to not hurt him in the process. In turn, he got blood on his fin but he didn't care in the slightest.
Carter tucked his head into Arria’s shoulder, pressing his face against his love’s skin to try to ignore the infinite pain. “Hurry up and take us back to land,” Maria snarled the command, the boat immediately in motion. “You two- You two are very, very stupid for testing my trust,” Maria sat down on one of the polish white seats, “At least now neither of you will be able to run away when my back is turned,” She smiled cruelly at Carter’s twisted, bleeding foot and ankle.
This time, Arria's growl was very audible, "Watch it… and you can't say we're stupid for 'testing your trust' when we don't find being involved in illegal actives very appealing," He clenched one of his fists to stop an sparks flying from them, and to stop himself doing anything stupid.
“You watch it, you seem to forget that I bought you and you are at my mercy,” Maria snarled coldly, crossing her arms over her chest. Carter would’ve been trying to strangle her if his foot wasn’t half hacked off.
Arria barked a laugh, "Just because you bought me doesn't mean I can't can't still kill you if I wanted to," He surprised even himself at how cold he sounded, "You know nothing about me or my people, only false stories. Buying me doesn't mean anything."
Maria’s nostrils flared, and her voice was pure command, “Stop the boat.” The guard slowed, then put the boat in neutral. Maria stood, then looked to her guard, “I do believe,” She began, eyes watching Arria cruelly, “that he needs some disciplining. Cut off the rest of the blonde’s foot.” Carter let out a small noise, a noise of fear. The guard even seemed a little surprised, but only for a second before he walked closer, somewhat hesitantly, and pulled out a pocket knife.
"Don't. You. Dare." Arria snarled, wrapping his tail around Carter's injury, "Do whatever the hell you want to me but you will not touch him." The temptation to just grab Carter and swim away was very strong but he knew he needed Maria to get them to a hospital.
“Cut. It. Off.” Maria snarled, and the guard had a look of apology in his eyes as he grabbed Carter’s shoulders and pulled him away from Arria.
Carter -curse himself- squeaked in fear as he tried to grab onto Arria’s arm or something, but he was yanked away too fast. “Arria-“ He squeaked, reaching out but Maria stepped between them and the guard had the pocket knife hovering over Carter’s bloody ankle.
"Maria stop. I'm sorry, okay? Please, just don't hurt him," Arria pleaded, glancing up at the devil of a woman with begging eyes, "I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt him. Please Maria." Curse him for thinking he could do something. He just made everything worse."
( this is so good omfg)
(Same!!!)
Maria raised an eyebrow, “What happened to the threats, huh?” She had the audacity to grin, “How can I ensure you won’t swim off next time I give you just a little bit of freedom? I keep collateral. And I make sure that collateral can’t just run off with you,” Maria looked back at the guard with icy eyes, “Cut it off and be done with it, I’d like to hurry up with all this.” (minor gore warning) That’s when the knife went down onto Carter’s skin, and slicing through the rest of the flesh as blood splattered everywhere. Carter screamed in pain. Then the guard had to saw through his bone to detach his foot entirely, and Carter could barely feel another other than that immense pain as his foot was chopped off and throw into the water as shark food.
Carter didn’t even know anything, he was barely aware of his surrounding and he curled in on his side and cried, mumbling something inaudible over and over again. That pain. Make it stop make it stop makeitstop-
Arria chocked on his breath, tears prickled in his eyes as he kept his gaze on carter. Wanting to just push past Maria and hold him and comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay, "I swear to you, on Triton's name himself, I will do whatever you say and never leave as long as you Make Carter's pain go away… and let him go." A golden string wrapped around his wrist then Maria's, For Carter… "Say you'll help him and let him go and the deal will be sealed."
Maria looked at the ribbon, raising her eyebrows and smirking. “I’ll help him, and I’ll let him go,” She stepped to the side, out of Arria’s way, “As long as you do what I say and stay by my side.”