Emerald Thunder

2

Screams ripped through the hall.

Myth watched the dark walls of her cell, illuminated by the jade diamonds of light that lined them. The lights flickered and buzzed. If she pressed close enough, she could see the fat torchbugs crawling around inside. Electricity was a hazard around Netherwalkers. Alternative light had to be found.

Because of it, the walls hummed relentlessly. At first, she pitied the bugs. Trapped, enraged, as she was. Yet after months, she was sure the sound would drive her mad. The harsh, angry buzzing. Constantly reminding her that she was about to be stung.

Steps sounded down the hall; metallic echoes from the darkness. Each step sent shivers down her spine— cold and suffocating. Icy arms wrapping themselves around her.

The steps boomed closer.

Another scream carried down the hall, unbroken by the steel door that kept her in.

Still the steps were coming. Closer... Closer...

She jolted back to the present. Yet the screams hadn't stopped. Only changed.

Now, they were Soren's.

Myth stood, the swamp water up to her ankles. One moment, Gaia was arched over her— the next, the serpent was diving into the deeper waters. In all of a moment, the dragon had disappeared.

"Thanks so much," Myth shouted, "you useless creature!" She would have kicked the water after the animal, but she'd wasted enough time already. Myth turned on her heel and charged towards the scream, splashing through the filthy water and soaking her pants. The mud sucked at her feet, pulling her down, and she stumbled. The water chilled her from head to toe as she plunged beneath the surface. The distinct taste of curdled bile filled her mouth as the swamp water rushed down her throat. She panicked, attacking the water. Thrashing with everything she had. Yet when she opened her mouth to call for help, more vile fluid assaulted her lungs.

The cold wrapped itself around her, just as it had at the institute.

And this time, Soren wasn't there to save her.

Myth stopped fighting. She let the cold take her. Embrace her. She was drowning, and for some reason, that didn't bother her. The water was a gentle hand, and she wanted to hold it. Curl up in it. Hide in it.

She could stay like this. Let the water take her. It would be so easy...

Soren. Soren needed her. 

If the swamp ever pulls you under, Mythra, calm. The soft, sweet memory of a voice echoed in her head. Calm, and you will survive.

Her lungs screamed, but she ignored it, becoming still. Slowly, gently, she turned in the water. She dared not open her eyes in the murky swamp water, but her sense of gravity returned with the stillness. What little air that was left in her lungs tugged her towards the surface, and the stilled currents couldn't drag her back down. Myth slowly reached out her arms and swam to the surface. Her head breached air, and she took several heaving breaths.

She could still here Soren's screams. The fact that he screamed at all scared her. Noise summoned the monsters. One only screamed when the alternative was death. At least now it told her he was still alive.

For once she was glad of the dawn. The sun had not yet warmed the waters, and so the reptiles that swam in them were sluggish. It was her only explanation for surviving the fall. She swam until she found purchase beneath her feet and walked, then ran towards Soren. Judging by the volume of his shrieks, she was close... Closer... Closer... She pulled her blade from her boot, ready to fight...

Vines.

Soren writhed, striking out against the tangled plant mass. It gave her the impression of a great hive of snakes all trying to close tighter around him. "Soren!" she shouted. "You idiot! It's just vines!"

But Soren only continued to hack and battle with the plants with his own knife. Thankfully he hadn't been stupid enough to bring out his pistol. "But— they're clinging—I'm stuck!"

"Moron!" she groaned, and forced herself to take a breath. "Remember what Mum said. About the swamp."

"Dad was the master Netherwalker. He always said to never stop fighting."

Two very different methods, she couldn't help but think. And neither served them in the end.

Fine. It's time for Myth Method.

She stormed up to where he wrestled with the vines... And slapped him. Her hand stung, and Soren looked at her in outrage but stopped his struggling. "What was that for?" he yelled.

"Shut up before beasts bigger than Gaia show up." Myth began detangling him from the vines, carefully cutting through them. "And stay still. All your fussing made the knots worse."

He twisted his dark face into a scowl. "Look, I thought I was being attacked by a swamp monster, okay? Those vines could have been trying to digest me!"

She paused and held up a vine. "Hey vine, how does he taste?" She proceeded to animate the vine and raised her voice to a high pitch. "Hm, a little bony. Could've done with some spices too. But we vines'll eat anything we can get." Myth snorted. She cut away a few more vines, grabbed him by his ponytail, and dragged him away from the mess. She ignored his protests of letting his face fall unceremoniously to the watery ground.

Myth could feel his glare on her back as he rose, trying to brush swamp debris from his clothes. "Hey Myth, you said you wanted a bath, right?"

She didn't realize the threat till it was too late.

His hands shoved into her shoulders, and a moment later she was on the ground looking up at him. "I was already wet you bastard!" Myth found her footing again. "I fell coming to save you. Should have let you strangle yourself."

He pulled a coin out of his pocket and flashed it before her. "Ah but if you had, where would you be, when I've got the money?"

It took every ounce of strength in to resist stepping in his foot. "I would have looted it from your corpse, and made it last twice as long. Then I could have stretched it further by eating your body rather than buying from the market. Though the vines are right. You'd be rather bony and better with seasoning."

He stroked an imaginary beard. "I'm gonna put it in my will that if I die, I want my body to be consumed only by Gaia. I know she's been curious for a while now. Provided I'm not eaten by some other creature first. Sorry sis."

"So you'd let your sister go hungry to feed a dragon? Thanks brother. Love you too. Well, considering I'm the one that actually stole that money, I think I could survive, with or without your corpse."

Soren sighed. "Now this is just morbid." He pulled another thick coin. "One says a pair of beds, the other says whatever seasoned mystery meat they're serving at the inn. Sound fair?"

Myth took a breath, and nodded. "Fair."

She followed him as they walked in the direction of the nearest encampment. As they walked, a buzzing whirred by her ear. She swatted at it, but missed, and the bug landed on her shoulder. Fat and squat, rear end glowing a bright green, watching her.

Myth swatted again, and this time she smashed it. Cold, slimy guts covered her hand, and she brushed them off.

Yet as she walked, she could still hear the buzzing.

She always did.