Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
The Terrible Demise Of Tortuga
Chapter seven: Bad omens
-By SunnyFox57
Originally released sometime in January, 2024. Now rewritten and reposted February 1th, 2026)
The clock was ticking down slowly with every second wasted, counting its way down to midnight. He hadn’t even realized that his right thumbnail was tapping to the beat until he finally caught the more frequent worried glances that the maid was sending his way from where she was sweeping up particles of his mirror. Not worried, as in fearful, but as if she was worried he was getting agitated. He was, in a way. But not in an explosive, mind fogging way. Yet. Honestly he was surprised that she hadn’t said anything about her interpretation of his current mood. She wasn’t exactly one to filter her thoughts.
His mind wasn’t as condensed today. He could recognize his surroundings, remember the maid’s name and even remember his own. Yet, he still refused to let them slip directly into his thoughts. They were there yes, but he didn’t want them to reappear, both for different reasons. Hers because he was somewhat afraid that to speak or even think her name, would somehow alert the creature gripping the throngs of his chest that he was awake and alive. He refused to speak his own name, simply because he despised it.
His name was unremarkable. Simple. Repeatable. Millions of people throughout the world carried his name and more specifically, his nickname. It was pathetic, really. Boring.
Currently, he was finishing writing a series of letters. Or at least trying to. He was finally on the last one, but having trouble finding the exact words he needed to make it official. It was absurd how half of his childhood life, he’d written many many letters about more important or longer matters, and yet this tiny request of a piece of paper had him absolutely stumped. And he wasn’t even halfway done.
Every letter that he scrawled out in the shimmering black ink was carefully and thoughtfully designed, no wasted motion. Like he was carving the words into stone instead of paper. His handwriting consisted of neat loops that could and would be easily interpreted.
‘To the Council of Tortuga,’
No. That didn’t sound right. There was no council there, it was ruled by a person alone. And not to mention, it seemed almost informal…why would you a start a letter that way. It was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
‘To the current administrator of the operation in the city of Tortuga,”
Yes. That was better. Not perfect, and certainly a tad bit too long but it was better than the former beginnings he’d started with. He stared at the line with a tight jaw for a moment before continuing on.
‘Over the past few years we have waited on this particular moment in time.’
Another pause. He runs a hand through his already mussed up curls in agitation, giving the table a few more taps of agitation with his fingernail, as if to punctuate his point.
‘I cannot comprehend, why it is that we do not take action NOW—’
“Sir, are you alright?” The maid interrupts. Ah. There it was. He’d expected her to speak up a bit earlier, but yet she chose to loosen her tongue as soon as the words were just beginning to flow from his pen. He snaps his head up slightly, giving her a scrutinizing look. She looked..worried. As always. Blech. Her eyebrows were pinched together tightly, those large saucer shaped blue eyes staring at him innocently.
“What? Worried that my intelligence is so low, I might ruin this, ohh so important letter?” He can’t help but snap. He was wrong to do so. He knew that as soon as the words escape his twisted mouth. She didn’t deserve that. But he was getting incredibly upset, and wanted someone, anyone to yell at. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shrunk back. No, it wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t like that. Not like—
“I’m sorry.” He says quickly, interrupting her already opening mouth.
She blinks.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-erm, snapped at you. I’m just..” He rubs at his forehead. “A little stressed is all.”
More than stressed actually. Agitated. He wanted to throw something or someone out of a window. Mostly himself, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. If anything, it would set him back a lot. By several hours. Or days. Even weeks. Not to mention, the servants and guards probably had enough of being traumatized by his temper tantrums this week.
The sight of her face softening at his words, instantly makes him regret saying anything at all. Stupid, stupid, stupid boy. What are you thinking?
“Could I..help? With anything?” Her voice is barely audible, reminding him for a second of someone he once knew who tended to do the same thing whenever she was pitying him. Blech.
He lets out a hoarse chuckle, causing her to startle slightly. “With what? Writing the letter?” He tilted his head, not unkindly, just curious.
The maid nods, mouth pulling into a stubborn line. “Yes. Sir.”
The thought was amusing, almost ridiculous, and yet he felt himself considering it just a bit. Could he trust her? No, of course he could trust her. She was still here, wasn’t she? After everything she’d seen.
“Perhaps.”
“I assume there’s an “if” after that?”
“You know me too well.” He hummed, almost bitterly. “A drink would be nice.”
“Tea?”
He blinks at her for a moment, the simple word catching him off guard for a second. Why would he want tea? He’d never requested tea before. She drank tea. Almost everyone had drunk tea before in their life. But it wasn’t a drink that normally was offered to people at random, unless you were in some old lady’s home or something. Or that’s always how he had perceived it. Why would he want tea? Why would she offer him tea? Why would he drink tea? Why would she ask him to take tea? He didn’t want tea. He never wanted tea. They never wanted tea. He—
“Maestro?”
Her thick accented pronunciation of his title around the servants, startled him out of his quickly spiraling mind. The fog was slowly settling back in. He could feel it. And in some ways, he completely welcomed it. Welcome back, old friend. Time to take the reins back.
Just not right now. He had to finish the letter. Everyone else would just have to deal with the afterwards. He was tired. Too tired to pretend he wanted anything to do with anyone.
“Maestro?”
“No. Water, please.”
She nodded once, and then glided from the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the impatient ticking of the clock, as the door shut behind her. So, he turned back to the letter before him. Anwir would need it delivered soon, and it was his job to finish it, and all the others, before his time ran out.
‘I cannot comprehend, why it is that we do not take action NOW. It has been ten years, since the plan to find our missing companions, and yet now that we have found them, we stall?’
He shifts restlessly in the chair, letting his nail dig into wood desk’s deep grooves once more. A hiss of agitation slips past his clenched jaws.
‘We have already wasted enough time. I am getting impatient. And I assume, the rest of us are as well. Your cunningness will only get you so far. If you don’t act now, we may lose our chance. If you recall, two of us were already lost in the battle with the one known as, the Lux. The more you delay, the more our plan has a chance of being figured out—’
“Sir. Your water?”
He take the glass from the maid, nodding once in gratitude before lifting it to his parched lips. It was a stupid effort, but he couldn’t help but hope that sometime again he would be able to taste or feel the satisfaction of water quenching his throat. So far, no luck. Figures.
“So? Can I help now?” The maid says impatiently, watching him savor the tasteless liquid with a slightly annoyed expression.
“Go for it.” He gestures to the letter and she wastes no time taking the invitation, leaning over his shoulder to look at it, the scent of her bitter orchid perfume filling his nostrils and making him grimace.
“You haven’t go really far into it. It’s a bit short. Is it supposed to be like that?.”
“Have you seen the other letters?” He pointed at the other fifteen or so bulky letter on the other side of his desk, that had wasted most of his day/night. “Not to mention, this one is probably the least important. I’m only trying to-to-”
“Nudge them along?” The maid supplies helpfully, reading his fumbling thoughts.
He rubs at his forehead. “Mmm. Its supposed to be short. What exactly did you expect it to be, L-?” He curses himself silently at the involuntarily slipping of his tongue, biting down on the edge of the glass in his hand. Stupid, stupid, stupid boy. What are you thinking?
“Mmm, i don’t know..maybe something a bit..warmer?”
“Its not a fond letter to a sibling or friend of mine. Just a business associate.” He snorts hoarsely, leaning back in the chair to hopefully wipe the atrocious smell practically dripping from her pores out of his nostrils. Why women insisted on using such disgusting flowery products was beyond him.
The maid hums thoughtfully at that, reaching for his pen tentatively, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye, as if to see if he would try to stop her. He did not. So, she picked up the sleek tool and dipped it into the ink, before leaning over the paper, and beginning to scrawl unto it. Now he is the one who leans over her shoulder, to read her writing. Surprisingly she gets straight to his point, not a bold as he would have put it, but she definitely expresses it.
“You know how easily it would be for someone to realize I didn’t write that last part? Our handwriting is completely different, and I would never “propose” or suggest anything. I’m going to tell you what you need to do, and you need to do that.” He grunts as she finishes, taking the letter from her hands and folding it into the envelope.
“While that may be true, I’m sure your associate will feel a lot better if some of the letter is a bit more gentle.” The maid says, handing him the stamp. He takes it into his hands and slams it down into the back of the letter once, and then a few more times just for good measure. The maid winces slightly at it, but makes no attempt to defend the annoying little tool.
He places the now finished letter atop the others, and leans back into his chair.
“Alright. I’ll take the letters to a scout to be delivered, and then I’ll be back.” The maid says, but he only shakes his head.
“Don’t bother coming back. The room is clean enough.”
“I don’t get payed enough to leave a room that is clearly dirty…dirty.”
“You don’t get payed period. You simply do as I tell you.” He sighs, closing his eyes before he can see the look of hurt or sympathy cross her face. “Just get out.”
He doesn’t open his eyes against until he hears the door slam shut and then the sound of her heels patting down the hall. Finally he leans back further in his chair, pressing his cold fingers against his forehead. He was tired. All the writing and thinking had tired him out. But he was also restless. He wanted to do something. To provoke something. To poke the bear, some would say. He wanted to give in. He was tired of socializing and pretending to be nicer, when he didn’t feel nice. So he leaned further back into his chair and let the comforting darkness roll over him once more. Because one day that would be all he could feel. One day he wouldn’t have to deal with anyone or anything anymore. It was almost over
~~
“Here’s what I need you two to do, okay? Go out the back door, as soon as you hear the knock on the door, do you understand? Don’t still. Don’t stay. Just run. Run even if you’re tired. You can’t stop. You can never stop. Do you understand?”
“Where will we go?”
“Into the forest. Your aunt and uncle will take care of you do you understand?” Their mother repeated frantically, gripping both of her children’s shoulders, shaking them slightly.
The older girl nodded, lip trembling slightly but she was determined to do as she was told. That was one thing about Thea that their mother knew she could count on.
“I don’t want to leave! What about you?” The younger boy, Cassian, exclaimed. His pale colored eyes were filled with a look of fear and worry, that their mother had always hoped would never grace his expression. She’d never wanted this. Hadn’t wanted it to come to this day. To a day where she had to bid her beloved children goodbye, because they were no longer safe.
“Oh buddy, I know. C’mere.” She pulled him and his sister into her arms, for the last time. “I know it’s scary. But I’m gonna be okay. Remember what I taught and told you, alright?” She released them, standing up quickly. She could already hear the sound of horses hooves pounding and the foreboding bells attached to them ringing. She pushes the children towards the back door. “Take care of each other. Don’t stop running. Never stop running, until you’re safe. Do you understand?”
She didn’t give them another chance to answer, already closing the back door behind them and hurrying to the front door, just as a loud knock resounded from it.
“C’mon, Cass. We gotta go.” Thea whispered to her younger brother. She attempted to take his hand but he swatted it away, face pinching together in a stubborn way she knew way too well.
“No. I need to see this. We need to make sure mom is going to be okay. You saw her face. You know how bad of liar she is.”
“But, she told us—”
“I don’t care what she told us, Thea! She’s not just responsible for us. We’re responsible for her safety too! She’s our mother.” Her brother whisper-yelled at her. Much as she wanted to obey her mother, she also thought Cassian had a fair point. So she wisely shut her mouth and together they peaked around the cracked back door inside. She wouldn’t have been able to persuade her brother to do anything else anyways. He was just stubborn like that.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Can I help you?” Their mother’s soft voice was saying. A group of black-clad authority figures stood at the door, expressions hardened.
“We have received word from some..concerned citizens that you may he harboring certain “individuals” in your house, that you claim to be your children?” Their leader says, voice muffled slightly by the mask round his mouth and nostrils.
“I’m not sure what you mean. I live here alone. If there’s any different individuals around the neighborhood, I am most certainly unaware of them.” Their mother lies
“Oh really? That’s interesting. You are Rio Laurence, are you not?”
There was a short pause and then their mother inhaled slightly, giving a sigh and nodded. “Yes, that is I. What does it matter?”
“Well, apparently there was a warrant out for your arrest a few years back. Specifically because you were engaged in a matrimonial relationship with a.. strange individual by the name of Dominick Valente. Ring a bell?”
“Yes. I was married to him. Unfortunately, he is deceased now. Shot ten years ago, by your organization if I recall. So, if that’s all, good day.” Rio begins closing the door but another of the masked individuals steps forward, stopping it with one gloved hand.
“I’m afraid, that is not all. Because unfortunately you were not just married to him. You and him had two children. Which..if you recall, genes do pass down. And in your children’s case, they most certainly inherited his.”
“Even if that was true, you have no evidence to go off of, to arrest me. There are no children here, and my husband is dead, so it should be clear that I’m not fraternizing against anyone.”
“See, that first part is where you’re wrong.”
Rio blinked, confused. “Sorry?”
“You are right, there is no longer a warrant out for your arrest. However…there is a warrant out for your death.”
**BOOM**
The sudden sound of a gun going off startles both children, causing them to stumble backward slightly. Rio’s body has gone stiff, as the middle of her torso slowly soaks with blood, and then abruptly collapses to the ground. Motionless.
Cassian claps his hands over his mouth to stifle a scream but its way too late for that, slipping out involuntarily. All eyes of the men who had participated in the shooting of their mother, locked on them.
“Run!” Thea shouts, practically snatching his wrist and then dragging him off towards the forest.
“That’s them!” A man exclaims.
“After them! They can’t get far on foot.”
Soon the sound of hooves was pounding along behind the running children, from all sides. They run side by side, cold whipping at their face, and the heavy snow catching at their feet. The men after them may have the advantage of faster speed from the horses, but both children knew the woods like the back of their hands. Much as their mother had complained about it, the hours they’d spent playing out there had indeed paid off eventually.
They reached their destination in only a short period. The maze, they’d always called it. It wasn’t actually a maze of course, all it was the place the city stored the chopped lumber during the summer fi the cold seasons. Every stack was piled high in every which way, making it nearly impossible to find your way around it. And when it was winter it was even worse. Snow lumped together on everything, hiding any landmarks that could indicate where you have and havent been. Thea and Cassian expertly split up. It would be harder to find them if they weren’t together.
Soon enough, the riders caught up to them.
“Split up. Cover all ground. They have to be hiding here. They can’t have gotten far away.” One instructs. Cassian remains crouched in his position, trying to even his heavy breathing. He’d never been that good with running for prolonged stretches. Thea was a bit further away from him, squeezed into a crevice in one of the piles, the only indication she was there was her bright orange hoodie.
Cassian watched as the horses circled round the piles of logs, for several minutes. For a second it looked like they were done, until one of them turned back to double check in their direction. Or more accurately…his sister’s. Immediately worry shot through his mind. She’d picked a good spot, sure, but only if the riders weren’t paying much attention. If one saw her, she had a slim to non chance of getting away. She just simply wouldn’t be able to squeeze out of her spot before getting stampeded. What was he supposed to do?? He had to keep them from seeing her, somehow and someway. Even if it met jeopardizing his own position. He may not have listened to their mom about running away immediately but he sure as heck was going to take care of his older sister.
While he was contemplating his decision, the rider was getting even closer to her, only a bit off from spotting her bright attire. So, without a second thought, Cassian leaped out of his spot, letting out a loud holler, immediately attracting attention from any and all of the men nearby.
“Hey, you! Yeah you! Over here, you idiots! Hello?? I’m over here!” He exclaims. Thea’s eyes widen in fright and he can see his sister’s mouth opening slightly as if to protest but he only shouts louder to drown her words. “Over here, guys! I’m over here you—”
Something strikes his back and a pain unlike anything he’d ever dealt before, blooms immediately, causing the words to catch in his throat. But not just the words. His breath stops, and suddenly he’s choking on blood building up from slackened jaws. Another arrow pierces his back, right atop his spine, and then another in his side. And another. Until he collapses to his knees, and then into the wet snow.
A distant scream that he recognizes vaguely as his sister, echos through the woods. There are hands shaking him, someone begging him, and tears that are not his own dribbling onto his face, but he can’t focus on them. He can only think of the fact that he has gone breathless. He can’t breath. He can’t breath. He is going to die. But he doesn’t want to die. But he’s going to because he can’t breath. All the wind has been stolen from his throat, all the breath frozen.
No one wants to die. Certainly not him. He had so much to live for didn’t he? Thea, mostly. She was his world. She needed him. He needed her. He didn’t want to die. Everyone was going to die eventually, but he..he couldn’t right now, he just couldn’t. He couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t. So he grasped the only thing he could find. The will to live. A single bitter seed of hope. He was going to live. He had to.
And it worked. He was alive. He knew that. Something rose up from deep within the chambers of his chest, pumping breath back into his lungs and out his open jaws. He could feel and smell and almost…taste the blood rushing through and around his body. He could feel the cold snow against the tips of his fingernails as he dug them deeply into snow. He could hear the wind gushing, and the sound of the riders around him, shouting orders. He was alive! The satisfaction only lasted for a moment though, because as soon as the pain began ravaging his body and bones, and the truth that he was TRULY alive struck him, he began to scream. And scream and scream until more voices joined his own in unruly symphony