"She conquered her demons and wore her scars like wings."
~
Daniel screamed.
No voice came out, the only thing escaping his body being tiny bubbles of air, and he watched in a daze as they floated away towards the surface of the water. Blood pounded behind the curtain of his eyes, and though the water was mute as a dead man, the roaring in his ears was deafening.
He thrashed about helplessly, trying desperately to make his head break the surface, but the firm hand, wrapped around his neck, was unyielding. As he attempted to resist, the pain was agonizing. Every inch of his body was on fire, his lungs burning with a dire need for air, and every second that passed seemed like millennia as he fought against his body's growing desire to breathe, to let the water take over and carry him away, wrapping his limp body in its icy arms.
~
Her eyes flew open.
"Daniel."
Athena shot up, grabbing the damp wood with her hands as she attempted to stand. A blinding pain seared through her head, and she fell to her knees, grabbing her hair with both hands as her body doubled over. The blood throbbed in her veins as she coughed out the water, her body shaking with the effort. As her vision cleared, she stumbled to her feet, looking about wildly at the now calm water and the raft, unoccupied save for herself.
"Daniel," she whispered hoarsely.
The water gave no response.
The sun was now touching the horizon, painting the sky with exquisite shades of red. As she scanned the surface of the water, her breath came in short gasps, the edges of her vision turning red. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists, trying to calm her pounding heart, as she concentrated on the water, gentle waves softly lapping at the side of the raft.
I can control it.
The water shimmered softly in the light of the setting sun, myriad colours of the evening sky reflecting off its surface. Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand as she concentrated harder.
Nothing happened.
She sighed, swallowing as she stood up slowly, before bending to pick up her blade. Wrapping her fingers around its hilt, she straightened up, her eyes hardening with resolve.
Alright, let's do it the old fashioned way.
Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, feeling the air fill up her lungs till they threatened to burst. A soft breeze sprung up, and she relished its warmth as it gently caressed her hair and soothed her icy skin.
Athena jumped into the river.
~
The silence was deafening.
She opened her eyes, as her pupils blew wide open and her vision adjusted to the dark. Raising her head, she glanced upon the the surface, shimmering softly as the last rays of the sun bestowed upon it a warm halo. The light was dying with every passing second, and she knew she had not much time to find him.
Athena eyed her surroundings. The water carried with it a slight murkiness, and she squinted, trying to see into the distance, shivering slightly as the cold stroked the skin over her spine. She swam downwards, powerful strokes cutting through the water with ease as she looked about. She looked up at the surface again, now farther away. The glow was now farther off, and the water surrounding her was becoming dimmer the deeper she went. The pressure, too, had increased, and she could sense a stabbing pain in her ears. She stopped, the dull discomfort in her lungs now evident, and the early urge to breathe settled in as she pressed the palms of her hands against her ears.
Icy fingers wrapped around her leg.
Her eyes flew wide open, heart pounding as she tried to swim upwards, only for it to tighten its grip on her skin. Athena flailed desperately in alarm, feeling a second hand wrap around her free leg, and she screamed into the water as she was pulled deeper into oblivion by icy hands. The dull ache in her chest was becoming sharper by the second, and she struggled to hold in the urge to breathe.
Closing her eyes, Athena clenched her fists, as she mustered all her strength and kicked out. Her foot connected with something solid, and she heard a hiss as the spirits let her go. The grip on her blade tightened as she opened her eyes, coming face to face with the creatures.
Four large eyes stared at her from their bony sockets.
The first venala stood straight, arms hanging at its side, ending in stubbly fingers with claw like nails. Its body was covered in scales, and it snarled at her, revealing a bifid tongue and sharp set of teeth. She glanced at the second one, before her eyes shifted to the figure it clutched in its arms.
Daniel.
Relief flooded through her veins, but the pain was more overwhelming, and as she fought the desire to breathe, she knew she did not have more than a minute. The spirit in front advanced slowly as she retreated, swimming backwards till she felt her back press against a rock, and she knew she had nowhere to go. Athena clenched her jaw, fingers digging into the hilt of her blade.
It charged.
She stayed still, heart pounding against her chest as it closed in on her. Athena stared into the venala's eyes, dark, bottomless pits that stared at her malevolently, and as it approached, its mouth twisted into a sneer as it raised a hand to strike.
Athena dived.
It crashed into the boulder, head slamming into the rock where she had been merely moments ago. She heard a hiss, and as it turned around to face her, she knew that all she had done was angered it.
It charged again, and this time she went for the offence. Dodging his swing, she thrust forward, slashing through his face, leaving a gash. The cut did not bleed, but the spirit howled, before snarling and leaping towards her, and as she raised her arm to parry, it lunged forward, grabbing her elbow, its claws digging into her skin. Her eyes widened, and she jerked her arm in vain, attempting to set it free. The venala sneered at her, before twisting her arm around her back.
She screamed as she felt her bones crack, red flashing before her eyes as her vision went hazy from the pain. The last of the air escaped from her mouth, and she fought desperately to control her breathing reflex as her lungs screamed for air. Summoning all her strength, she threw her face backwards, slamming into its head, and as it hissed and loosened its grip on her hand, she turned around and plunged the knife in its chest.
The venala screeched.
Shockwaves travelled through the water, and she resisted the urge to cover her ears as she twisted the blade. The spirit let out a last guttural groan, before dissolving into dust.
She spun around, narrowing her eyes as her gaze fell on Daniel, and she moved towards the other one, but it let him go. She met its gaze, and it snarled at her, its mouth twisting into a grimace before it disappeared.
Athena mustered every ounce of her strength as she glided towards Daniel, and grabbing his hand, she started swimming towards the surface. Elves were light as a feather, and for this she felt immensely grateful as she dragged him upwards. Even as the surface grew closer, every second felt like an eternity as every cell of her body cried out for air. Her eyes watered, and she clutched on to him with trembling hands as she closed her eyes.
Her head broke the surface.
Athena gasped, as the sweet air of the night flooded into her body, quenching the thirst of her starving lungs, and as she closed her eyes and felt the air fill her chest every time she inhaled, she felt as if she had born again. The spinning in her head ceased, and as her vision cleared gradually and the curtain in front of her eyes lifted, she grabbed Daniel by the shirt and waded towards the riverbank, ignoring the way her arm cried out in protest at the effort.
She hauled them onto the shore, and they fell to the ground. Her face hit the sand, and she welcomed its warmth on her shivering skin as it gently soothed her body. With the utmost effort, she pulled herself into her knees, water dripping from every inch of her body as she turned around to face Daniel.
He stirred softly, coughing, and she grabbed his arm and turned him over, so that he lay on his back. His breaths came in short gasps, tendrils of wet hair clinging to his face as he opened his eyes, turning his head slowly to look at her. She grasped his hand, and he groaned in pain as she pulled him into a sitting position, watching as his green eyes widened as he looked at her, his expression changing to one of concern. He reached out, gently caressing her temple before he pulled away, and her gaze moved to the blood staining his fingertips.
"You're hurt," he murmured softly, his voice slightly hoarse.
She stared at him incredulously, before moving closer, wrapping his arms around him, burying her face into his damp shirt.
"I couldn't care less."
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