I woke to the sound of rushing water.
I coughed, sat up, and promptly vomited up tons of water before wearily looking around through blurred eyes.
Night had fallen. Either that or the looming darkness from the storm combined with the thick canopy made it seem that way. I was sitting on a rock by the edge of a vast pool, sheltered underneath a huge cleft.
I blinked a few times before coming to my senses, and I tried to jump to my feet. I winced and nearly fell over with the effort, and I glanced at my leg. A long gash surrounded by bruises coated it, and blood stained my white fur.
"Dukalis?" I whispered shakily. "Are you there?"
Of course I am, Aven. He replied gently. Though he was also visibly shaken from the experience, he was reluctant to scold me for my apparent foolish decision.
"Good," I sighed. "Do you know where everyone is? Assuming they're not…" I gulped, not wanting to finish.
…I'm afraid I don't sense their presence, Dukalis apologized. But that doesn't mean they're dead. Come on. I'll help you find them.
"Good. Let's go." But when I tried to struggle to my feet again, I winced and glared angrily at my leg. "...Hey, any chance you can help me heal my leg?"
Dukalis was quiet for a moment. I'll try.
I felt his warm presence envelop me, and I breathed in his heavenly scent, which was comforting despite what had happened. Within a few moments the pain in my leg began to fade, and soon all that was left was a small scar.
"Whoa. Pretty cool, Boomer."
He huffed. I thought we were past that, young one.
I snickered and leaped to my feet, the pain gone entirely. "We'll talk once you're done with the whole 'Illesior likes me' thing. For now, let's go find the others. Cast out your senses while you're at it, and hopefully nothing bad happened."
He reluctantly agreed, and I looked around again, then pointed in a direction away from the cliff high above us, out of sight behind the canopy. "That way!"
I hopped from one stone to the next, then pushed aside some foliage and continued on, beyond the view of the lake now.
Suddenly I heard a rustle, and whipped around, staring wildly. "Who's there?" I called. "Show yourself, coward!"
I heard a faint call in the distance, and before I could react a huge shape came tumbling out of the lush bushes, knocking me over.
"Oi!" I yelped, desperately scrabbling to get a grip. "What's the deal? Get off me, you big lug, or face the consequences!"
"Aven?"
I recognized that voice, and paused long enough to gaze into the face of who was pinning me down. "Strubin!"
His face flushed red, only an inch from mine, and he quickly got up and off of me. "Sorry about that! I was trying to get away from something near the cliff." He looked me up and down. "Are you hurt at all, by any chance?"
I shrugged. "I was, but it's fine now. Have you seen the others?"
He shook his head despairingly. "Sorry. That's what I was originally doing, actually- I was looking for them."
"That's what I was trying to do, too," I replied, glancing around. Inwardly I asked Dukalis: Can you sense anyone else around here?
No, Aven. His reply wasn't very helpful, so I left him to his own devices and shrugged. "Come on, Stru. Let's go look for them."
"D-don't you think we should stay by the lake?" The huge green aetyr countered nervously. "It's dark now, anyway. Wandering around in the forest won't get us anywhere."
"...What exactly was chasing you, anyway?" I asked him after a moment, looking him down suspiciously.
"Erm…"
Suddenly a low growl echoed through the bushes, and Strubin pushed me back. Where I had just been standing a half second before, a huge reptilian creature with tiger stripes and a square maw burst through, looking around and growling. Foul yellow saliva dripped from its hideous jaws, and it spotted us with a snarl.
Strubin pointed at the monster. "...That."
"RUN!" I yowled.
We both turned tail and as I was about to try to dash further into the forest, Strubin pulled me back with a jolt. "Not that way!" He yelled, hoisting me onto his back. "To the water!"
The creature was leaping after us, though its unsteady gait made it slow enough for us to keep pace ahead.
"What is that thing, anyway?" I asked, grasping the sides of Strubin's head for dear life as he ran through the undergrowth.
"It's a Zenatile," He panted, ducking under a branch. "They're like giant lizards with tiger's teeth, bear's feet and poisonous spit, and they breathe green fire if they've consumed anything recently."
"So why are we heading to the water?"
"They're allergic. Coming into contact with it causes them to break out, and if prolonged to it for too long they go into a coma."
"Allergic to water?" I laughed, despite the danger we were in. "We live on an island, for crying out loud! That's ridiculous."
"Just be glad they at least have a weakness," Strubin panted. "Oh, thank the gods! There's the lake!"
We burst out of the undergrowth and scrambled on the slick smooth stone, but as Strubin was getting ready to jump to a stepping stone, his foot slipped. "Ungh!"
He fell to the ground and I tumbled off of his back into the water. It streamed around me and threatened to pull me under, but I fought my way back to the surface to find Strubin grasping his ankle, writhing in pain.
"Strubin!" Lune's heart, he's hurt!
"Don't worry about me," The green aetyr smiled weakly. "Just a sprained ankle. I can fight off the Zenatile myself."
"No, you can't!" I reached out my paw desperately as I heard the crunching of leaves underfoot, echoing off in the bushes behind Strubin. "Grab my hand! We'll make it together!"
I can't afford to lose you like I lost Abarin.
He stared at me through desperate golden eyes for a moment that felt like ages. Our gazes met, and I could feel him searching me for answers.
Finally he reached out and I grabbed his paw, dragging him into the water with me. Immediately my head went under, and my lungs screamed for air as I tried to drag us both to the surface, or at the very least, away from the dangerous shore.
Suddenly I faintly saw a huge claw like a bear's burst underwater, and it wildly reached to snag our fur. I could hear intense roaring of pain from above, but that didn't deter the monster from trying to catch us to fuel its green fire.
Get away! I tried to swim away from those evil claws, but Strubin was steadily growing weaker, and I felt his body go limp in my grasp.
I gritted my teeth. We're getting out of here alive, whether you like it or not!
Suddenly I felt fresh magic flow into my veins, and I almost gasped. Dukalis!
I can't let you die on me, now can I? The spirit replied cheekily. At that moment I felt new strength in my muscles, and I kicked out strongly away from the monster on the shore, still screaming angrily above water.
I felt Dukalis guide me to an island in the middle of the massive lake, still somehow managing to stay underwater without breath, but felt my strength give out when we reached the shore.
"Ungh!" My head broke the surface and I gulped down fresh air, filling my lungs with a new sense of vitality. But I felt so weak now. Survival was in my grasp, and yet it felt so far away…
As my head began to go back under the waves, I felt someone grip my shirt and drag me up onto the shore.
I laid there, coughing, and tried to look up, my mane sagging with excess water.
"Who…?"
"Greetings, failure."
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "...Arius?"
His eyes glowed menacingly in the darkness.
I coughed up some water, struggling to stay awake. "Strubin… he's still in the water… save him…"
He glared at me, not moving. Finally he sighed. "It's for him, not you," He spat as he turned back to the water. "Pathetic furball."
I dimly saw him haul my friend out of the water and I crawled over to Strubin as fast as I could, panting breathlessly beside him.
I looked at Arius. "Help him…"
But he stood there, unmoving.
I gritted my teeth and turned back to the unconscious aetyr. "Fine. Since you won't save him, I will."
I began to pump my hands on his chest repeatedly, trying to get him to cough up any water in his lungs, then stopped to place my ear to his chest. Nothing yet.
Refusing to give up, I continued to pump his chest, then dared to place my mouth to his in an attempt to give air to his lungs.
I put my ear to his chest again, and this time I dimly felt his pulse.
When I went to pump his chest the third time, he coughed violently and sat up, vomiting up water. His eyes opened weakly to stare at me.
"Aven… you…"
"Shh." I stroked back his soaked mane, relieved. "Rest now. Save your energy."
But he didn't lean back. Rather, he stared at me with a newfound wonder. "You… you saved me…" He murmured.
I shrugged, suddenly feeling a burning sensation on my face. "It's what anyone would do." Aside from Arius, anyway. What's wrong with him?!
Strubin continued to stare at me, his golden eyes glimmering with gratitude… and something else. "I owe you everything," He whispered.
"No, you don't," I laughed uncomfortably, trying to lean him back. "That's what friends are for. We look out for each other, right?"
As I said this, I glanced at Arius warily. He was still glaring at me, with that ominous, angry gaze. Why does he hate me?
Arius turned and walked away, sitting down at the opposite end of the island in complete darkness. I turned back to Strubin. "Anyways, Strubin, it's time we rested for the night, don't you think?"
Suddenly Strubin reached out his hand, stroking my cheek. I flinched and my fur stood on end, but something about it made my mane tingle. What was it…?
"Aven… there's something I have to tell you," He said softly.
I took a breath. "What is it?"
"I love you."
I stared at him, searching his golden gaze and finding nothing but affection and gratitude. "Erm… I like you, too. You're a great friend."
"No, Aven." Suddenly his eyes burned with a bright conviction. "I really love you. You're an amazing person, so bright and fun and witty, so caring and smart, not to mention beautiful… I've admired you since the day we met, at the Assessment Ceremony." He pressed his forehead to mine. "I'm so sorry I couldn't ever find the words to say it before. I hope you can forgive me."
I was taken aback but didn't try to move away from his touch. Rather, it was strangely comforting. "I…"
His face flushed red, but he maintained his steady demeanor. "I understand if it comes as a surprise to you. I didn't want to… I never wanted to push you into anything. But I… I needed to tell you, I really did. I love you, Aven. More than anything."
I tried to find an answer, but couldn't. So many feelings and emotions raced through my head, and I didn't really know how I felt. But as I stared back at Strubin, something bubbled inside me. It was similar to how I had felt around Illesior, but this felt more… genuine.
"I love you, too." I whispered softly, leaning into him.
His eyes shined happily, and he forced himself to sit up, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He was too relieved to speak, but his face told me everything.
I leaned against him, breathing in his comforting scent, feeling for once in my life an overwhelming feeling of love and safety.
As we sat there together, staring across the midnight lake, I couldn't help but feel like everything that had led up to this point was like a blurry dream.
This was where my life would begin.