What was a cowboy doin’ out at sea? That’s a mighty fine question.
Jesse was never one for boats; trains, sure, wagons, absolutely, but ships? Gettin’ caught out in the middle of the ocean, waiting for mother nature to claim you in a slow and painful death, didn’t sound like a bright idea.
Waves lapped against the side of the wooden vessel in a way that made Jesse’s insides bounce. The crew wailed and slapped their legs as they watched him wrap around a mast for dear life, his eyes squeezed shut. Lord almighty, this wasn’t what he signed up for, and yet here he was; he shouldn’t have trusted that shady, good-for-nothin’ old man tellin’ him this and that about some gold-infested island.
His true motivation was the rumor that there were still inhabitants on that island. Inhabitants of… unique natures. Whenever he felt well enough to wander the main deck, he tried asking the crew questions, their replies nothing more than, “Move along!” or, “‘Aint believe in that bullshit.’”
Perhaps they should have.
Rumbles and massives pulls to the left, to the right, swung him and the crew around the deck like ragdolls. Once his head hit a board, the world went blurry, and he couldn’t remember how he arrived underwater. Pressure pinched his body, force flung him, down, down, oh goddam, his hat would get lost…
Something cold cupped his face and lime-green light lit up his foggy vision; his legs were wrapped up by that same mettalic, icy sensation. He gasped. A mask covered his face, his eyes popping open wide. Breathing had never been so easy, but how? The creature before him ran its fingers through Jesse’s floating locks, its face human, the rest of it… armored and hard. Jesse couldn’t help himself from reaching out, too, the armor obviously metal but surprisingly smooth, the divets where green light emitted were warm and whirling. With a deep breath, he looked down and realized the creature’s… tail was what wrapped his legs, and before he could look back up, immensely strong arms snaked around his chest.
They took off at a speed that made Jesse faint, and he decided, for sure, cowboys should never be out at sea. (Genji didn’t forget to grab his hat).
