“H-Hurk! Here!” I hear another splash. And a welcome voice. Light appears, not too far away. Three pairs of sodden heads bob up from the waves. “Damnit, these kids are heavy!” She curses. “I can’t carry them, come to me!”

“Okay!” I yell out. Besides me, Sila chokes out a mouthful of the tainted water. She’s clinging to my body like a raccoon baby hanging onto its mother. However, when she realizes that I need to swim, she lets go and begins doggy-paddling. Smart girl. “Thanks, Sila.”

“D-Don’t worry about me!” she yelps and then starts to head for the light. “I’m a good swimmer!” Hands free, I finally stow Mephis’s dagger and break into a hasty breaststroke. The water is calming down, but I still almost have a heart attack when a tall wave pulls Sila under. Luckily, her head reappears a second later, fuzzy ears flicking water droplets away. I guess you are pretty good!

“Meera, we’re coming to you!” I call out. The assassin spots me, and turns her sunstone towards us. My feet kick into something, and I realize a second later it’s a floating head. Jesus! I push it aside and keep paddling towards the light. “Are you okay?!”

“Yea,” Meera pants. The two Demi’s next to her have their eyes closed. “These furballs got knocked unconscious though. Can you help me? I’m getting tired. Unlike yours…they can’t swim.”

“I’ll take one,” Reaching over, I grab the smaller one, Jinta. “Better?”

“Thanks, Boss.” Meera grunts and wraps her arm around the back of the bigger boy’s neck like a lifeguard. “This is easier. Alright, let’s get out of here…what the…B-Boss!”

*Plop*

“Meera!”

Her panicked face shoots underwater.

What’s happening?!

At the last second, Meera has the wherewithal to let go of the Demi-boy before she’s dragged down. He bobs towards me and I snatch him. However, now I have two unconscious kids in my hands. Frantically, I want to ditch them so I can dive after Meera, but there’s no one to take them. Something’s got her! Damnit, these kids can’t swim on their own! Looking around for help, all I find is Sila, whose wide, scared eyes and tiny frame have no chance of holding another person’s weight. I don’t have time for this! Bloody useless kids-!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

…

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

…

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

Hurriedly, I mentally chant several Chills, freezing the same patch of water over and over. A roughly rectangular block of ice forms and pops up to the surface. It gets bigger and bigger until it’s about the size of a makeshift raft. Carefully, I thicken the edges so that it won’t tip over. And then haul one of the boys on top. It’s not easy, my body isn’t accustomed to water. Come on! Faster…! Kicking furiously, I breathe heavily and then let out a little roar, tossing the other kid on top with sheer frustration. Finally free, I turn around-

“Alright, Sila, get on…oh, nice,” I realize that the enterprising little girl has already started to clamber on the other side of the ice raft. She gives me an exhausted thumbs up when she’s aboard. That’s all I need. “Stay here!”

I take a huge breath and dive down into the green murk-

*Plop*

My eyes open below the surface. They sting until I condense Qi to shield them from whatever preservative is in this disgusting water. I blink. Things come into focus. Barely. It’s impossible to see much of anything down here. There are guide-bones glowing on the edges of the chamber, but they’re too far away to illuminate much. Come on, Meera…give me a sign…anything…where are you? I kick downwards, going deeper. It’s like sinking into molasses. The further down I go, the darker and murkier it gets. I can’t believe how much water there is. Where did this all come from?

*Thwack*

Something slaps me across my face. I recoil, only to see that it’s just a fleshy foot. Pushing it aside, I go deeper. Carefully, I concentrate on slowing my heart rate. An old Rainstopper trick to conserve energy in the heat of battle. The more disciplined you are, the better it works. With good technique, I can stay underwater for several minutes. Meera’s even better than me. But did she have time to take a breath? I’m sure she did. It’s Meera after all. My security wouldn’t be caught by surprise. Though I tell myself these things, I can’t shake the sound Meera made going under. That didn’t sound like someone who was prepared. Oh shut up. She’s fine. Swinging my head side to side, I still can’t see anything. Goddamit, why is it so dark!

*Shing*

…

*Shing*

…

*Shing*

A blinking light in the abyss. I recognize its blue shine. Meera’s sunstone! Instantly, I swim down deeper. Following the azure light which is slowly drifting through the darkness. It’s eerie, weren’t there sea creatures that would lure their prey in with a light like this…? Ugh, don’t think about that. Slowly, I start to catch up to Meera. And then…I see…something…it’s hard to catch sight of. I have to wait for Meera’s sunstone to flash for each glimpse-

*Shing*

Meera’s falling, her arms outstretched.

…

*Shing*

One hand holds the sunstone. The other passes over its glowing surface to make it flash-

…

*Shing*

Her beautiful cat-mask stares upwards, a single eye frantically looking for me.

…

*Shing*

There’s something grabbing her leg. I can’t quite see what it is.

…

*Shing*

What the f*ck?

I see it now. It’s…a tentacle. Made of body parts. Severed torsos and skulls fused together into a long rope. Five different rotting hands sprout out of the top, tying together Meera’s legs in a gruesome hug. She wriggles, unable to get free, like a stranded mermaid.

…

*Shing*

A couple bubbles drift from her mouth. She needs air! Her arms wave at me frantically. Hold on! I’m coming! I mouth to her. She smiles when she sees me. Mask askew, black hair floating about, legs tied, helpless…it’s not how I normally picture Meera. Usually she’s the one saving me. But I guess I get to play hero for once. Well, this is what you wanted right? Role-reversal? For me to save you? Consider it an early birthday present. Just give me one second-

*Wham*

Something slams into me from behind. It wraps its fleshy arms around my neck, and I struggle to get free. Meera’s eye widens, she shines the sunstone at me. Looking down, I see a pair of rotting hands clasped around my neck. Something snaps at my ears. I look around to find a white zombie-head chomping next to my face. Holy crap! Scalped and bald with an exposed skull, it’s missing its jaw, but that doesn’t stop its hands from working. I can’t get free of its grasp. Down below, Meera spasms, a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in the precious air trickling from her lips. Even drowning, she has the discipline to keep her other hand steady on the sunstone. Giving me light. The corpse nibbles on the back of my neck. There’s no teeth but it’s disgusting. Damnit, let me go!

…

It’s not letting go.

…

Magic.

I need a spell.

But what the hell works underwater?

…

…

Air...air…would be nice.

Calm down.

Meera’s depending on you.

A spell.

Yea…that’s right…

Any spell…

Burn?

Probably won’t work underwater.

…

Chill?

Maybe…but what good would it do to freeze a corpse that’s attached to me?

…

Meld?

There’s nothing to work with here.

…

Gust?

Can I create wind underwater? Or would that be Chill?

…

Screw it, I’ll use anything!

I angle my hand over my shoulder, at the thing gnawing on my neck.

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

A weak pulse squirts out of my hand, slapping the jawless corpse in the head. It doesn’t let go.

Too weak! Try the other one-

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

This time, it’s stronger. I can feel the world bending to my will. A strong, cold jet of water blasts from my hand and slams into the corpse’s head. It flies off, jawless mouth silently screaming into nothingness. The rotten arms tangled around my neck lose their strength without a head. Shaking free, I break away and start to swim down. Meera’s been pulled down even farther while I’ve been occupied. To my horror, she drops the sunstone. It falls away, drifting down alongside her. H-Hold on! I keep swimming, trying to ignore the way she’s jerking left and right. It doesn’t look like a voluntary movement. Suddenly, she goes still. My heart stops. You wouldn’t. Don’t you dare die on me in a sewer!

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

My silent chants force the water behind my palms to erupt into jets. Propelling me forwards like how I use Gust normally. I’m coming-!

*Clank*

I become entangled in something. A lot of somethings. It’s hard to see as Meera’s sunstone falls further and further away. In the darkness, invisible hands claw at me. They interrupt my spell, yanking me every-which-way. Jawless mouths smack against my temple. A strange orange light appears from above. Like a lamp in the water. It illuminates the things around me and I see dozens of rotting corpses latched onto me, trying to tear me apart. They grab onto me wherever they can, and though I turn my pulsing palms on them, my magic is not enough to blow them all away. Though I hit them with all I’ve got, as soon as I switch targets, they just come back. More and more of them latch onto me. Chomping in my ear. Even underwater, I can hear it. My burning breath wants to come out. I force the air to stay inside. Down below…Meera keeps sinking…and sinking…her cat-mask glimmers, getting further away. My strength is fading. I have to make a simple decision. It’s obvious what I need to do. But I can’t do it. I can’t!

A voice whispers in my head right then and there. My head hurts something fierce.

[Can’t do it…

Or won’t?]

…

Need…air.

No…Meera…

Need…Meera…

…

…

…

[Loss…loss…loss…

The bane of all good men.

Why can’t you just accept it?

Sometimes…you have to lose…]