Gone- Leviathan Contest Entry

"Dylan?"

Alek opened the door to his friend's room and tried shaking Dylan awake. He mumbled "Five more minutes" before shifting onto his side, facing away from Alek. The archduke laughed and shoved his friend even harder. He cleared his throat before saying,

"Midshipman Sharp!" in a fake Captain's voice.

Dylan immidiately sprang up and screamed,

"Yes, Captain?"

Alek broke into laughter and Dylan gave him an annoyed look.

"Get stuffed!"

He got up and punched Alek playfully on the arm. Alek returned the punch and they both stood there for a second enjoting their laughter. Dylan's smile faded as realization sunk in.

"Oh..."

He sat down and put his face in his hands.

"This is your last day on the ship."

Alek stared at his friend as he let his hands fall into his lap.

"This might be the last day I ever see you."

He sat down next to Dylan and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, Dylan, if you want... I could send letters. Try to communicate with you-"

"No." He said and shook of Alek's friendly gesture. "That's too dangerous and I don't want your death to be my fault. I don't want that burden."

"Who says I'm going to die?"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that I don't want to be the reason you died, if you ever did."

Alek shook his head and looked at the floor. Why would he ever think that?

"You would never be the reason for my death. I trust you enough to know that you'd never be the reason that I'd die."

He looked up and saw that Dylan was staring at him.

"Alek..." He sighed and said, "Never mind."

"No, not never mind. Something's been bothering you. You can tell because you've been sleeping in, you have dark circles under your eyes, and you look like you just walked out of a funeral. You also seem to want to tall me something and yet I have no clue what that is."

He scooted his chair a little closer and looked his friend right in the eye.

"Tell me."

Dylan looked at him a few more seconds before saying, "I'm-"

The alarm blasted throughout the room and interrupted whatever Dylan had been trying to say. He sprang up and slipped his boots on, leaning against the wall for support. Alek ran after him and held him by the shoulders.

"Tell me now!" He screamed over the alarm. "What's wrong, Dylan?!"

"It doesn't matter!" He screamed as he finished zipping up his battle suit. He ran out of the room and it took everything Alek had to not run after him instantly. He looked around the room for a weapon, anything that would help him. He found a shotgun in a drawer and ran after Dylan, thinking that the world was finally trying to make him go completely and totally mad.

~~~

Deryn reached the final ratline and sprawled onto the spine. Germans and soldiers were fighting everywhere. She saw Dr. Barlow kicking a man in the stomach and elbowing another in the shoulder, probably dislocating him. Bovril peeked out of Deryn's suit and muttered a swear word that would have made Deryn's mother gasp in horror. She tucked him back into her sleeve and looked frantically for a weapon or someone other than the scientist that she recognized, but she only saw a sword lying in a dead German's hand. She snatched it from him and attacked the nearest German she saw. She swung the sword across the man's back and he screamed in pain before falling to the skin of the Leviathan. She spun around and dodged an another attack. The man tumbled to the ground when she tackled him, sinking her sword into his chest. She quickly yanked it out without looking at him and looked for someone else to fight. Everyone's gazes were away from hers and she looked at the ground, hoping that she didn't know someone who was lying motionless. A sudden pain surged through her arm and she kept her scream trapped in her mouth. She spun around and raised her sword high, only to be stopped by someone pulling her towards the spine's surface. The person dragged her by the ratlines and shoved her towards them.

"What were you thinking?"

Deryn met Alek's gaze and caught her balance.

"Are you barking mad!?" She screamed. She threw her arms in the air and motioned to the battle.

"You have to get away from all this!"

"No! You have to be safe!"

"Why do I matter, Alek? Can you tell me that much? Because I'd really like to know!"

Alek grasped onto her shoulders again and stared at her.

"You are my best friend and if I lose you, I lose the person that I've ever cared about the most. I can't let you-"

"Alek!"

Deryn jumped in front of him and the bullet that had been aimed towards him sank into her stomach.

~~~

"No!"

Alek held the shotgun firmly and aimed it towards the direction the bullet had come through. The battle was mostly done, but he could still see the battle raging on. He pulled back the trigger and heard a loud BANG ring through the crowd of people. He heard a distant yell and knew he'd hit his target. Alek fell to his knees beside Dylan and grabbed his hand as tightly as he could. The boy was in a tight ball, with his free hand around his bleeding wound.

"Alek, make it stop. Please make it stop."
"You'll be okay, you'll be alright I promise!"

"Alek..."

He whimpered in pain and breathed quickly before forcing his blue eyes open.

"I have to.. tell you.... You have to... know before I.. go."

"No, NO! You are NOT leaving me, Dylan!"

"Please, Alek.. Call.. me.. Deryn.. Deryn is my name."

Alek stared at him a few more seconds before realizing what his friend was trying to say.

"Oh mein Gott..." He said in German. "You..."

Deryn shook her head and whimpered again.

"Promise me... Alek.. Promise me that you'll... be happy. Please, just live.. to be happy."

She quickly kissed him and fell back onto the leviathan's spine.

"No... Deryn, please don't-",

her hand went limp and her eyes lost their brightness.

"-go." He finished, his voice cracking. He squeezed her hand a few times, not getting a response from her. Alek held her against him and cried out to anyone who could hear.

"NO! DERYN! COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK!"

But she never replied and he knew she never would. Because she had saved him. Because she had loved him. And he had never had the chance to tell her that he loved her back. Never again would she say his name or smile at him. She was gone.