Scaling Moss and Stone ✔️ || #ONC2022

| Chapter Three |

Her arms twitched at her sides as she willed them to move. To swim. They paddled intermittently, the ringing in her ears turning into an alarm.

The wretched human lungs she was cursed to bare began to burn, her vision fading into the static blue.

Kealie pushed herself, flailing, shoving her legs through the water and gaining traction.

She was able to break through, taking in every bit of air she could get down and throwing her arms out.

Fingers grazing the boards above her, Kealie kept treading the water. Each time she came close to getting a hold.

Her hand found a plank, latching on and giving her legs a moment to rest. Kealie's soaking clothes became cement heavy, trying to suck her into the depths. Giving everything she had left, she swung up her left arm and pulled.

She made it up to her chest, eyes level with the floor, but the wood groaned against her.

Kealie shifted her body against another plank, trying to distribute the weight quickly.

But It snapped.

She fell straight back into the water, the wood landing on her head and neck.

Everything slowed around her as she slowly realized there was nothing left to tap into. Not in this weak, fragile human body.

Kealie closed her eyes and considered all her options. Everything led back to that castle or to her demise.

And for just a moment, the latter sounded sweeter.

So Kealie smiled slightly and took a deep breath.

And the world went black as water filled her lungs.

~~~~~~

Darkness was a strange, dense sensation. Lead flowed through every vein and muscle, sand encasing every limb. Kealie couldn't move, couldn't breath. There was only this sensation of being without gravity.

Both solid and empty.

She felt her chest convulsing as if it were an out of body experience. Deep, swift pumps repeating against the underside of her sternum.

One, two, three.

Something rose in her throat, burning and choking her. Another set of pumps forced her head to the side, throwing up the sea salt and bile hiding within her.

Kealie's eyes crossed before opening to the blurry figure above her.

At first she could only focus on the rippling sandy brown hair and the enchanting blue and gold scales lining their hairline. The pointed features, like curved ears and sharp bone structure swaying in and out of focus. Then the way their cropped hair fell just over those jade marine eyes came to life.

Kealie coughed, taking in the deepest breaths she could manage. Her voice came out raspy and uncertain, but there were no words, only broken sounds.

"Easy now," he said, his tone gentle and soothing. "You were under for a long time, I didn't actually think you'd wake up."

"How did..." she coughed "...you find me?"

The Nerydian male looked out towards the sea, eyes clouding as he squinted. "It's hard to miss the sound of someone drowning," he said.

Kealie shook her head, still choking down full gasps of air. "No... Not it..."

"You've known me for two seconds and you already think I'm lying? I just saved your life."