Completed Don't Save Me, I'm Just Drowning

[Kisetukai]

4th Of Summer, 513 AV, 10th Bell

Warm gentle winds, a bright sun blazing the land and water alike, it was apparent summer was making it's presence known. Once you actually began to look at it though... Summer was boring. The weather itself exactly, what happened in the season was some amazing stuff, but the season itself actually kinda sucked. Yes, it was a great time to play in water, and watch the maidens walk around in bare breeches. But the heat, bugs, humidity, and much more simply wasn't worth it. None of it was worth, and the sooner summer left, the better. The only thing K was excited for, was the summer god, yet he forgot his name. Apparently though, he threw some kick ass parties, and K wanted in. But for now, that would have to wait, it would have to wait for a while. Because Kise was training, not only training to do his share, but also motivate K to train with him. They were training as a pair, a team, and a duo like they used to.

One would find Kise standing up in a shallow pool, shield in hand, doing what he had to. It was in the depths of some random river, apparently the bronze woods had a lot of new things to find. He was in his bare white boxers, the water wasn't freezing, it was cool. Gentle on the skin, and enough for a pleasant relief, and probably the most blue he had ever saw. His patron was a couple feet away, sitting on a log, next to a fire. The fire was small, getting ready to go out, which grew concern. Of course Kise didn't pay much attention to it, he just continued on his own of training, facing the the opposite flow of the river directly. The water was up to his lower torso, and he wasn't even fully in the middle, but he had to be careful. He and Ser Corben knew he couldn't swim, so his patron made sure to stay close, just in case the boy slipped.

Kise was vigorously training, with a huge wooden oak shield, this was loaned for a few days of course. The training was simple, push the shield forward an bring it back, then repeat. Of course he had to keep moving, with worked on footwork, and the resistance of the water also helped on durability and strength. It was your basic natural training, also the solitude and isolation helped the boy focus. Ser Corben probably would've let Kise come alone, if it didn't take about a day to get here, if only. The two horses they rode in on neighed in boredom, apparently they weren't to interested in Kise's training, and decided to let it show. Kise still paid no attention to the horses shenanigans, instead he focused on his training, focusing and becoming oblivious to the world. He pushed the water with his shield, stepped up with his right foot, pivoted and retracted. The water was already hard to push, because of the river flow gushing water out towards him, but he didn't give up. He had to train, he had to get stronger, for multiple reasons.

His left hand was wrapped in the shield's hold, his forearm against the cold wet wood, his right palm forcing forward behind it. He pushed forward once more, sliding to his left, using his boxing to help out. Stepping in with his left foot, his body turned clockwise, and thrusted out his shield with blazing vigor. Retracting, he wanted to keep the momentum going, and was on the move again. Turning his body counter clockwise, he snapped his body, twisting and finally stepping behind. He pushed his shield forward once more, going against the water, forcing biceps and others to flex. "Cool... We are getting better, at least we aren't dropping the shield anymore right?" Kise said with a happy tone, although it was low so Ser Corben wouldn't see him talking to himself.

"Yeah, your right, but... I feel like we aren't progressing fast enough. I think you should put down that shield and work on your boxing, because-" K exclaims before he was rudely interrupted, which caught him off guard.

"No, I think I'm on the right track. I'm an excellent boxer, close to legendary if I keep it up. Yes, that wasn't modest, but it's the truth. Not only that, but I train at a steady rate, which equals steady progression. So in general, I'm handling my boxing. What we need to worry about is your scythe, you can't just go around hack and slashing, you need skill and finesse." Kise closed his eyes, not wanting to talk to who he had to next, but decided to. "Shin... Change us real fast, I want K to-" Without a moments hesitation, Kise lost all control, and was thrown back into the subconscious zone. Leaving a cranky K to sit in the water uncomfortably, quickly rising up to the land, and exiting the pool. "Kise!" He grunted lowly, trying to keep this mental conversation quiet. "You know I hate water, so why the hell would you-"

"I did it so you can get over your fears, not only is it good strong training, but you can easily get over your fear here." Kise said to him with passion an hope, smiling gently, although K himself couldn't see. "I want  you to get over this irrational fear of water, because water can't hurt you, it really can't."

Letting out a sigh as he trudge to sit near his patron, he wanted to throw on his clothes so badly, but Kise kept droning. The simple white boxers he wore were becoming almost see through from the water, and they were hugging his junk, which oddly felt uncomfortable. The reason he wore boxers. Thin cotton boxers. He needed the room. He then dropped the shield, and picked up his black bland scythe, the metal feeling better than wood. "Now this is a weapon... Huh? What Ser?" K looked up find his patron babbling about finding wood, and before he knew it, he was alone at this waterfall. Hopefully, he was alone. He knew the stories, about monsters trying to join in the water, and he wasn't having it. Not now, not anytime soon. He stayed on land and contested to Kise's idea, finally gaining a new excuse. "Well Kise there goes our adult, and I wanted to swim oh so bad... Looks like I'm gonna have to train on land."

"Hmm...." Kise was a bit disappointed Ser Corben left, but it wasn't so bad, after all he had a new plan. "K I think we can still get you in the water." Kise waited and basked in joy as he heard K groan, the awesomeness of knowledge. "Here's what we will do, you will get into the water, and work your way steadily to where I was. You will then train exactly as I did, except with your scythe, but please don't worry, your safe. If you slip and fall, I'll have Shin switch us out, and we will go from there. Right Shin?"

"Uh... Yeah...?"

K sighed as he knew he lost this battle, Kise had his damn mind set on him plunging into the water, and train. K began walking, his pure black scythe already shining, he didn't think getting the metal wet was a good idea. But hey, what did he know? "Ok Kise, but when we die... Well that's pretty much it, we are just gonna die." He inched forward, slowly until he plopped in, the water instantly rising to his waist. "I couldn't even test it out...." He whined as he raised his scythe, midsection in his right, above the toe was left. Beginning and not wasting time, he quarter stepped his right foot forward, coming down with a slow practice diagonal southwest slash. Switching hands end stroke, he swapped palm locations, and flipped the scythe for another attack with a quick twist. Then he grabbed tightly, and rose up with a counter slash, flying gently northeast slowly.

Swapping hands once more, his left foot stepped forward, wading through the water. The resistance was heavy, but indeed it was annoying, very annoying. Both hand landed on the toe of the scythe, he let momentum do it's job, the weapon was in motion. Falling over head and behind his back, he leaned and let it swoop over his right shoulder, until he performed a full form air swipe. His crescent blade slicing through the air sounded lovely, cutting the wind itself, this blade was indeed sharp. He then let out a chuckle, happy that it was easier than he thought, as he slid back to his original position. He then took it upon himself to speed up, the water wasn't so dangerous, it was just his imagination. Kicking his right leg forward, he stomped down, and delivered a wide right swing.

 Stabbing into the water, he decided to get flashy, spinning his whole body counterclockwise. Flying back with a new attack, he was ready to attempt a new attack, a roundhouse slash. If that was possible. He spun and sliced the air once more, yelling out words as he attacked. "Die agent of Rhysol! Hyah!" He lost all control, as his left slipped on a shiny underwater rock, sending him flying. His feet about two feet above the water in the air, his scythe and upper body plunged into the deepest parts of the water, his legs soon followed. 

"Oh brother..." Kise sighed, he would've face palmed, but was too embarrassed. "Ok Shin, switch us out." Kise waited a couple ticks, hearing no reply, he spoke up with more authority. "Shin you didn't hear me? I said swap us out.... Swap us out! He's drowning!" Kise instantly grew enraged as he got no reply, until he heard the little devil speak.

"Oh I heard you... But I think it would be more fun to watch, after all, he is the 'self proclaimed' child of prophecy right?"

"Shin that's not funny! Switch us out now!" Kise yelled back, all the meantime K was in the middle of drowning with enough on his mind.

"I think it is funny, and Kise you seem to have forgotten who is actually in control of this body... I think I've been a bit to lenient with you two. With that being said..." Shin's voice faded away, no doubt he was cooking up something.

"K!" Kise cried out, trying to help his brother out who was flailing underwater. "Stick in there! Just don't quit! Keep kicking your legs, and move your arms, and breathe!" Kise was never good under tense situations involving death, the reason he was a squire and not a knight, he was still learning.

Instantly, K's adrenaline began to kick in, as he started kicking harder and stronger. Popping up out of the water, and splashing right back in it. And just as it came on, K's adrenaline died out, and he was back to the victim. As if he never left. Flailing and popping out of the water, he began to ingest large quantities of water, until his body began to give up. His movements slowed down, his body heavy, he began losing consciousness, like always. For a tough guy, he went unconscious a lot. Finally, the last thing he saw was the campsite. The fire, two logs, two horses, and his pile of warm clothes. How he would miss the land, how he would miss life, how he would miss the many beautiful women that inhabited it. He couldn't help but be mad at Ser Corben and Kise... They were the reason he was going to die. "You... Bastards...." His body finally gave.

One would see a boy of dark complexion, floating in the water, as if he was actually dead. Of course it was only a matter of time, he just passed out from the excitement, but he did ingest a lot of water. His body cold, his heart slowed and faint, he wasn't looking so good. The water was his enemy. Floating down river.

He never let go of his scythe... Although that's what helped hold him down.

[Edreina]

Swimming was to Edreina as walking was to every other human, it seemed. It was something that she had been doing since before she could walk, actually. Even now, the familiar burn in her shoulders and abdomen and well... everywhere...was comforting. Each day in the massive, ever-busy city of Syliras had been a strain on Edreina. She had to dress different, act different, and even speak different. Oh, how she longed to hear her native Fratavan... But out here in the waves of the Suvan, bared down to her lightly linen-bound chest and linen undershorts, everything seemed normal. Each stroke, each breach for breath, they brought her back to her center. The water may have smelled different and been a slightly different color compared to the Sea she knew surrounding the Flotilla, but it still gave her the same weightless feeling as she swept her limbs through it. Her arms windmilled slowly, slicing through the water as her legs flicked up and down in opposing directions, keeping her forward thrust constant. Every other stroke with her left arm, she turned her head just far enough to the side that she could take a breath. The rest of the time, her head was straight down, hair trailing behind like a flickering tapestry of red and gold and copper. It was a simple, monotonous pattern of motion that allowed Edreina's mind to blank, for all of the worries that came with existing in the city to fade away into simple exertion. And then there was a sudden crash that snapped Edreina from her reverie. Somewhere nearby, someone or something was flailing about in the water. Her gnosis allowed her to feel that much, but the exact species was unknown to her. Perhaps a dolphin in distress? Propelled into action by her heart, Edreina began to paddle rapidly in the direction of the fluctuating pressure, the crashing sounds. In the murky water, Edreina detected a form, now nearly motionless save for the final throes as it began to give up. Holy Otani, it's human! she realized with a start. Her stroke shifted as she began to move her arms in unison, creating a single powerful thrust that she allowed to roll through her torso as her ankles pressed together and moved in a constant, powerful wave. It was far more energy consuming, but allowed her to reach the poor fellow many times more quickly. He was about her size but thick, dense with cords of harsh muscle. Running short on breath, Edreina wrapped her arms about his waist and began to haul him to the surface. The task was monumental, but her resolve was strong. Her breath came in a harsh gasp as she breached the surface, hauling the dark-skinned stranger along with her. He did not respond. Panicked, Edreina rolled onto her back and, keeping a firm hold of him beneath the arm, she began to paddle quickly back to the shore with both legs and one arm. Lucky enough, this type of swimming was different enough from the previous methods which allowed her to have more energy than had she been on her stomach. The shore was not too far away, normal circumstances would have allowed her to reach it in a chime or less. With the extra weight, the task took a handful of precious chimes. By the time her hand met sand, she had only the slightest hope for this poor man. How the hell had he ended up there anyway!? She hauled him up onto the beach, breathing hard. Lungs must be full of water, she realized somewhat belatedly as she lay him on his back, feet still covered by surf. There were no signs that his body had been dumped in the Suvan, perhaps he had fallen in somehow? But where... She squelched her nagging curiosity and began going through the motions taught to every Svefra child, though which steps she should and should not use in this situation escaped her. Might as well do them all. She knelt beside him, trembling as adrenaline continued to course through her veins. An ear to the chest gave her the whispers of a heartbeat. A whisper of hope. His head was quickly tilted back, clearing his windpipe of natural obstruction. Her hands pressed together, centered on his chest. Thirty compressions to his chest were delivered in quick succession, she counted out loud in a trembling whisper. Once those were complete, she pinched his nose and pulled his chin down, parting his lips. Filling her swimmer's lungs to their max, she pressed her lips securely over his and began to blow air into his flooded lungs. Hopefully, this would send him spluttering water, gasping air, returning to his senses. If not, she would repeat the process a few more times. Laviku please, show mercy. Though he was not Svefra, Edreina hoped that the Sea-god would heed her frantic prayer and keep his element from taking this poor soul down to Dira.

[Kisetukai]

K couldn't keep breathing, not like this, not when it was more water than air filling his lungs. He couldn't hold on, he was sure of it, he was going to die. He knew for sure now, when his body went limp, and his eyes faded until his vision became blurry. Eventually he lost control and slipped, finally letting go as his arms stopped flailing, and his body just cruised down deeper as he barely floated along the current. He lost all feeling, he saw nothing but pitch black, and it felt numb everywhere. Sure, he was probably exaggerating, but he was dying... He felt he deserved this.

 The cold water on his skin, soon faded into the superior feeling in his body, as it washed around him. Was it Dira's grasp, or was it just the plain feeling of death? What it was exactly didn't matter, it was here, and it was here to take him. Eventually losing consciousness, the next part came all too quickly, swooping in on him like lightning.

He could feel himself jump back, as if his body was beginning to warm up, and finally come back to life. The feeling inside of him began to well up, as it felt unsettling, but he was still unable to fix it. Then suddenly, his nerves began to cut on, warming up with power. What was... He could feel it. Pressure emanating in the middle of his chest, the very center and core, he could feel it. He could feel the pushing, it felt like a pump from out of his chest, forcing something up. His energy began building, until the pressure stopped, no more pushes into his very being, and finally he died.

 Or at least he thought he did, as he slipped again, his body dying down again. Until he felt something... Natural. A feeling that he had known to be warm, soft, alluring, and it gave him a sense that he needed more of it. It was calling to him, and soon it ended. The warm sensation, became violent, as finally reality set in. Something was forced into him, into his body, and it angered whatever liquid was inside of him. Instantly, it his body began to well up, as it spewed out of him. Externally, it just leaked out the right side of his mouth, while air flew inside and woke him up. Snapping back to reality, the fist thing he tried to do was breathe, and boy did he breathe.

He flew up in sit up position, gasping and dying like a fish, as if it was his first breath of life. So many questions flying to his head, so many feelings flying to his body, his skin was hot and cold. He flopped, and rested on his side, coughing and hacking as water leaked up from his throat. It was a mixture of saliva... Water... And more saliva. His eyes were also watery, but hell his whole body was, it's just that the irritation caused a bit of red to show up. Laying on his side like a helpless girl soon became embarrassing, and it only took him a few moments to gather himself, and in those seconds he began to think. What was that exacty.... Am I dead? And who saved me? Was it a god? Or... 

One of Rhysol's minions, coming to kill me?! The child of prophecy. Hell no, not today, not today would the death of Kisetukai Yamehaka be-.... A few empty hand clenches, and he quickly realized that he was weaponless and at the mercy of the enemy... But not for long. He would have to use his pure cunning to escape the situation, he would have to use superior knowledge to escape such a reality, which would show and test his true skill.

First thing he did was roll, quick, heavy, loud, roughly, and bluntly. Enough to create room, for that was the true key of his roll, and that's what his patron had taught him. About five feet away, he laid on his side as he stared at his rescuer, a girl. It was easy to see what the problem was here, his life was saved, he was spared, and even worse it was by a woman. Why would one of Rhysol's agents spare him? Was it for torture? Interrogation? Experimentation.... Physical examination? Even in times of danger, he was still cocky and thinking of himself as the best, it wasn't such an off possibility that one of Rhysol's followers would want to see all of him before killing him.

Although with further examination, he noticed that she didn't look like one of the evil followers, she looked like a nice little woman. Hair that was red, but unlike most red heads he had met, her's was soft, perhaps it wasn't red and he was just too lazy to label it mentally with the correct color. Bare linen bound to her body, like he had been hoping the women would do in town, but it seemed that the idea was a no go. However an evil woman was wearing it? Really? This must've meant that she had been watching him for a while, watching him, and trying to figure out what he liked. In hopes of taking on a fake persona, and eventually getting close enough to kill him... But who was she? Had they met? He just wrote her off as another girl he might've spent the night with, he knew he had a thing for orange and red hair, now he had to focus though.

Slowly he rose up to a leaning crouch, his left hand on the ground, his right ready to launch forward as he looked directly at her. She seemed panicked, or startled, as if she was shocked. Was it him, or the fact that he should've just died? Either way she was here to kill him, and that was a no no, after all he didn't want to die. He finally stood up, except his back was a bit hunched, from a slight crouch. He wobbled a bit, from still being dizzy, coughing up more water. "What the... Who are you? And what did you do to me?" He spoke out loud bluntly, the bass resonating from deep within him, finding his knightly anger. He was slowly moving back, because he knew exactly where his scythe was, right on the shore. With a quick drop and pop up, he looked straight at the girl with an intense glare, not cutting her any slack. If course he listened to her, although he didn't pay much attention, he knew that Ravokians could spin lies like silk. So he would be sure to be serious.

His head kept turning, flickering back at her, then on her side... Where his scythe was. He had let go of his scythe on the shore?! Next to the enemy?! Gods be damned, today just wasn't his day. He was definitely at her mercy now, but perhaps it wasn't such a disadvantage. She didn't know he could box, but she would find out soon, if she got too close. "What do you want from me?!" He yelled out across to her, he wasn't scared, but he wasn't as confident as normally he would be.


Dear gods, what had he gotten himself into today.

[Edreina]

Edreina had been pushed out of the way as he rose, spewing vast amounts of water as his body attempted to replace so much lost oxygen. She moved closer, to pound him on the back and make sure that as much water left his lungs as possible. Despite that, he would still be coughing up water for a day or two, his voice would likely be ragged and raw. But then he did something Edreina had never seen; in an instant, he was rolling away from her. He should still be still, letting his body regain the oxygen it needed to be properly balanced. The motion worried Edreina that he would go unconscious again in a few minutes, rushing about as he was. He appraised her, and she eyed him right back. Her blue gaze was a riot of confusion, fascination, and annoyance whirling together. He really should not be moving around like this, so soon. In a matter of ticks, he went from crouched to standing in some sort of odd half-slouch. This new stance made Edreina blushingly aware of something else, brought to her attention by the way his nearly transparent shorts clung to him. Any quick remark was banished as she politely averted her gaze, counting to ten in an effort to staunch the thoughts that unavoidably bloomed. "What the... Who are you? And what did you do to me?" Her eyes were brought back to his face, blue eyes spearing him. Ungrateful... Insolent... Should have left him to drown! Despite the thought, Edreina knew she never could have done it. Following his gaze, Edreina found an odd sort of weapon next to her, one she was unfamiliar with. Then again, her experience was quite limited. "What do you want from me?!" The sheer force behind the shout caused Edreina to recoil lightly, brow furrowing. This was the thanks she got for saving his life? Walking over to the object of his fascination, Edreina tucked her toes under its apparent handle and, as she had done a handful of dozen times, and seen Razkar do dozens more, flicked the weapon up and in the direction of its wielder. His tone made her automatically feel defensive of her actions, despite the fact that there had been no malice nor ill-will borne in her heart as she carried them out. Why should she feel bad about saving someone's life!? "I don't want a damn thing, kid," she spat the last word. Even if he did turn out to be older than she, his behavior did not show it. "I just thought you might want to live." Perhaps that is what this had been about. Had he ended up in the Suvan, clinging to such a weight, as an attempt at his own life? Edreina's eyes were bright, lustrous, and lacking any trace of guile. So often those eyes and her open expression - this time one betraying her disgust - were her downfall. But, in this case, it might be a benefit when one seemed so intent upon seeing her as the enemy. All because she had foiled his suicide? Damn. "What a way to thank a lady," she muttered, utterly incredulous. "Well, it was nice to make your acquaintance," this was said a little louder, along with an annoyed glare cast in his general direction. She eyed him once, assuring herself that he would be fine from this point on. "I think I'll just be on my way now. If you ever really want to die, at least spit on Laviku's name before jumping into his realm with that... anchor!" She had not a better name for his weapon. Being a native of the Anchorage Flotilla, Edreina had never seen farmers, nor their tools, so its curved shape reminded her most closely of half of an anchor. With a contempt-filled flick of her burnished mane, wet though it was, the Svefra set about returning to her own element.

[Kisetukai]

She called him kid. Honestly, he only hated being called one thing, and it seemed that almost every girl managed to call him that. A brute, a beast, the handsome devil, the illusionist, a cheater... Although he knew he wasn't most of these things, it still helped that they weren't the name he liked to be called. He would be ok if called anything else, but seriously, did everyone think of him as a kid? Then what the hell were all of these muscles for?! Fun? No, he grew up, and did adult stuff so he wouldn't be considered a kid. He moved out at seventeen for crying out loud, if that didn't scream mature then he didn't know what would. He join the knights, Aka the military of Syliras, at age seventeen, technically age eight if you count since when he was training for it. So why the hell did people keep calling him a kid? Was it his voice?! His voice was deep as hell also, so what heck was going on?

In the few seconds he spent thinking about what she had just said, which felt like a few years, his weapon had landed near the front of him. He was snapped back to reality, as the shiny black ringed in the sun, bright as could be. She saved him. She wasn't an enemy, she was far from it, way far from it. He had made a mistake, and even worse he had turned away a girl, a not so bad looking girl. She seemed down by his comments, perhaps his intimidation was accidental, but he couldn't just turn that off... He needed it. But alas, his thoughts would have to wait, as she began to speak softly under her breath. Then a bit louder, until she said something out loud, and boy did it make him think. He thought... And thought... And thought some more. And then he just got tired from thinking so much... He began to mumble a bit himself. "If I really want to die?... Hm..." He was stumped, why would anybody want to die? Life was sweet, well for him it was. And now that he thought about it, he could imagine a couple people who would want to do such a thing, namely females who blew there chances with him. Shiress... Siggy... And that one myrian girl who he could barely remember. Addy... Silada.... Whatever it was, she was crazy. Bottom line.

Now she seemed more down, he had seen this before, when the girls turned sour. Just like that time with Akilia, a sweet girl, and he was a jerk. And for some reason, he was becoming soft, it hurt him to see her like this. Of course he wouldn't admit it though, he'd be damned if he admitted that he felt a bit bad. Now the girl was in a mode where he definitely knew what was going on, she felt like she was in the right away huh? Why did every girl feel like she was always right? Honestly, could there be a possibility that a guy could win a fight, between him and a woman? And then they wondered why fist came into play, because that was and always would be the easiest way to solve a problem. She spoke once more, out loud to him as she seemed a bit pissed, her voice reeked of disappointment. What did she expect? Some pansy assed squire who ready to kiss up to this woman? Hell no, this was Kisetukai Yamahaka. The sexiest, strongest, bestest... The list went on. Basically he was a better squire. The best of squires, and he knew it for a fact. But if his scythe was an anchor, was it because she thought it was heavy? She effortlessly tossed it to him with her bare feet so....

[i]Anchor? Really she thought and thought, and the best she could come up up with was anchor? This is just proof that when girls are flustered they say just about anything. And as if to further prove his point, he took a step forward, without taking his eyes off of her. He leaned forward, picking it up swiftly with his right hand, looking at her with a look saying "Do anything and I'll shoot". He wasn't prepared to kill such a pretty girl, actually with every passing second... He was kinda growing a bit embarrassed. He slowly rose to a straight stance, more assertive and confident now that he had his steel, beginning some showmanship. Spinning the scythe like a windmill, his eye contact on her to examine her impressed features. There were none. It seemed she had her mind made up, very made up.

She exited as swiftly went back into the water, giving him time to look down onto the ground, and his feet. He was cold, freezing almost, and he needed to get back before he caught a cold. Not to mention he felt light headed, a bit dead, and overall exhausted. He know he needed to rest, but he didn't care, it was all about the girl right now. Who was she? Where did she come from? What was she? Yeah, she looked and seemed human... But most of the women that found him unconscious in these woods, were almost always something else. You know, more than meets the eye? That's something he knew, and he was sure that this girl was keeping something behind, maybe a tail? Oh dear gods.... A kelvic fish? Either way, she saved him... And he had to at least get a name, this was another woman that spared him from death, pretty soon Dira was gonna pay him a personal visit. And who the heck was Laviku? These were things he had to find out, he had to and wait... Did she really think he was trying to pull suicide? That's just wrong.

Reluctantly, he sighed and jogged up behind her, after she was already semi gone. Running up to the shore, he came to a halt, staring into the water. "Hell no! I'm definitely not going back in there." He got antsy, looking at the girl swimming away and back at the shore, there was no way he was going back there. So he decided to do the next best thing, jog on the sideline carrying his scythe awkwardly, it was past uncomfortable. His manhood was bouncing... Everywhere. Very uncomfortable, fun, but uncomfortable. He looked at her the whole time, just as he looked at her when she walked off. But that was more to see her behind, and that was always a nice view. Now though, he had to jog at a decent speed to keep up, which he wouldn't be able to do for long because of his condition. "Hey! Woman! Stop, please?!" He yelled out, coughing a bit, it wasn't something he was used to doing. He would stop of course when he could finally reach her, that was if she ever stopped, and even then he rest his hands on his knees and keep coughing a bit more. "I need answers! Please! Who are you? How'd you find me? What were you-..." After a bit more coughing up of the water, he couldn't take anymore of this, soon he really would die.

 "Can we please go to my camp, it's just a little bit the other way... We can talk there. I wanna... Thank you for... Saving me.." Those words hurt, and they came out gently, because they weren't supposed to be said. "We can talk about it all... Because- Gods..." He couldn't keep talking, but was stubborn, and would talk as long as his body would let him. He now just really needed to sit... But it was all good... His camp was not too far away, all he had to do was make it. Even if she chose to swim there, or walk with him, he wouldn't stop till she came. "Please it's not too far away." Once finally there, he would instantly pass out, except this time it would only be for about ten chimes. Ten chimes and he would wake up, then he would begin looking for more answers.

Who exactly was this mysterious woman who saved him? And would she agree to come with him?

[Edreina]

With the ease of someone who knew the Suvan like the body of a lover, Edreina pushed through the surf and into water just above her waist. With a single deep breath, she leapt forward and arced her body into the water. This was a little closer to shore than she preferred to swim, but hey, a little battling with the surf could do a woman good. Back in the Suvan, she quickly shook her mind clear of the strange, thankless man - child, more like, with such behavior - and immersed herself in the rhythm of her stroke. That was, of course, until he decided to intrude once more. "Hey! Woman! Stop, please?!" Edreina's brows knitted together curiously. Oh, now he wanted to talk to her? What reason did he have? He had already proved himself to be an ungrateful shyke, there couldn't me more to the lout than that. Could there? Once again, as it always seemed to, curiosity got the better of Edreina and she found herself rolling onto her back, catching a quick glance of him on the way. Whatever his reason, it seemed to be rather pressing as he jogged along the shoreline to keep up with her. Really shouldn't be doing that... All that water in his lungs won't make breath-control a simple task. Just as she thought it, the dark-skinned fellow succumbed to a racking cough that was all too familiar to Edreina. It almost made her feel pity for the land-goer. "I need answers! Please! Who are you? How'd you find me? What were you-..." Despite herself, Edreina had the similar nagging questions. It was uncommon for her to leave her curiosity unsated. But, this would have to be one of those times. She had already saved his life. What else did she owe him? Nada. Zippo. Zilch. "Can we please go to my camp, it's just a little bit the other way... We can talk there. I wanna... Thank you for... Saving me.." Well, that was the ticket. A bit of gratitude couldn't have killed him despite how he seemed to balk at the prospect; the unfamiliarity was apparent even in his voice. But, a thanks was a thanks and a thanks was certainly due. With a sigh, she gave and turned, paddling her way towards shore until the bed beneath forced her to stand. From there, she lifted her legs high as she moved towards the shore, making walking through tide loads easier. Her hair was wrung out as she moved towards the man. Not brushing it afterwards would nag at her like a bug's bite, but it would have to be ignored. "We can talk about it all... Because- Gods... Please it's not too far away." Convincing her to come along needed no more work, so why the man continued to speak caused Edreina to roll her eyes. Did he really like the sound of his own voice that much? She stopped at the edge of the water, flexing her toes in and out of the wet sand as the water continued to rush up and around her ankles. As much as she loved the open sea, the beach itself had so many strange and fun things to see and do. Unable to help herself, she grinned at the man, putting her hands on her hips. There was something simply joy-inducing about the sea, every aspect of it. "Name's Edreina... Edreina Whitewave," she explained with a smile, offering her hand as was the land-strider's custom. "Handshakes" always struck her as odd, anyway. What more could touch teach than simply looking someone in the eyes? Oh, but these land-striders were odd. Their eyes were the color of dirt and mud and were thereby able to hide so much. In a Svefra's eyes, you could see a calm tidepool, or a whirling maelstrom of emotions. In this Svefra's case, her silvery-blue eyes danced with playful curiosity. "I will walk with you. After nearly drowning," she frowned at the word, still wondering whether or not it had been his intent, "it is best not to be alone. You could pass out anytime." She allowed him to lead her, though she kept a careful distance away for fear of him lashing out with that odd anchor at any moment. The trip was nearly silent, lost as the two were in preparing their own questions for once they reached the camp. At least, that was what Edreina was doing. She quickly compiled a list: What is your name? How old are you? What the petch were you doing under the water? Are you from Syliras? What do you do there? Seriously, are you a thrice-petched fool!? Her curiosity was lulled into silence by the assurance that she would have her fill of answers. Now that she had the chance, Edreina examined the man a bit closer. He was well built - very very well built, she had to admit with a quickly bitten lip, and hidden smile; his dark complexion hinted back to Myrian origins; he was her height, almost down to the inch, but his build made him seem bigger. All in all, a fine specimen of a human being. So, why in Dira's name had he tried to kill himself? He did not seem to be depressed, perhaps a bit self-conscious for all the posturing he did, but not suicidal. At least not in her opinion. Guess I'll have to wait until we get back to his campsite to find all this out...

[Kisetukai]

Edreina Whitewave

There was no lying, that name was going in the hall of fame, the hall of pretty names. Of course this was populated by women, no matter how pretty a guys name was, he wasn't going to remember it. The only way he would remember a guys name, was if he was powerful and worthy of such effort, but women... Well, Edreina looked young, younger than young, it was hard to explain. Her skin glowed as if it was infused with something alien, like she had been soaking in expensive lotions for years, it was soft... On the eyes. He wanted nothing more than to get to know who exactly saved him, who saved his life, and did she actually save his life? He would have to ask all that later, for now getting back to camp was a hassle, it was tiring and would take all of his energy plus concentration. He was in no shape to be musing, his walk was filled with hacks and more coughing, the only thing made to break the silence.

The whole time, he wondered why she was silent, what exactly was she thinking about back there? No words, no fun, no info. It was just a straight forward walk, which she let him lead, good girl... Or was that because it was his camp, and only he knew how to get to it? Either way, he preferred the silence over everything, it was calming. As they walked, he could feel sand on feet, something he didn't really admire in the scene. Although judging by the way she swam, she must've done it before, go figure. Not just that, she was also... Happy looking. Like some woman out of a story. Wait, was she a woman or a girl? She looked young as Akilia, well probably not just as young, but close... But then again, he was never good with ages, and... Well he decided to leave it there. Eventually, he made it to the camp, using the little bit of energy he had left.

He jumped over the first log, which induced another cough, as he worked his way around the fire. He then turned around, looking at her with an enthusiastic faint smile, as he sat down on his log, which like the other was turned on it's side. The fire separating them was weak, getting ready to die out any moment, which is why his patron was gone looking for wood. That patron of his... The one who left him to drown and die, that patron. He had a few choice words for him, and he began to think about what he exactly would say, well that was until he was assaulted verbally. Yes, this Edreina girl sent forth a barrage of questions, unexpectedly of course. First it started with his name. Simple.

"Wel-"

Before he could answer the woman... It was too late, she had already spewed out another question, this time his age. He again opened his mouth to speak, but this time he was cut off just the same before even getting a sound out. Then another question flew forward, and he just gave up, letting her say everything she wanted, this wasn't his first interview and he was sure it wasn't his last. A couple more questions and she was done, her blue eyes sparkling like some doll, she seemed really excited but more curious. K took the time to throw his scythe onto the shield once she was done, which was a couple feet on his right, creating a loud metallic banging sound, looking up to see if it made her jump. Either way he would laugh, his humor never hurt a soul. He then would grab his black cargo shorts, sliding them on to hide the pride in his boxers, and begin explaining to the wanting girl.

He turned his head right, looking into the river a couple yards away, the river that almost claimed him. "Well, my name... My name is Odin. Odin Truespear." Yes, he lied. It wasn't a fun lie, and it hurt himself as a knight to lie, but he had no choice. He still didn't trust this woman, something about her felt off, and he was going to find out exactly what it was. "I'm eighteen... And an eight I guess if that counts for anything... I think." He chuckled at the end, that wasn't a lie, so he felt better about actually saying it, it wasn't so dirty feeling. "Underwater... I was uh..." He looked directly into those eyes of her's, another lie that was gonna hurt him, and his knightly creed. "I was trying to... See how long I can hold my... Breath?" It kinda came out like a question, judging to see and gauging her reaction, did she know I was a lie? He continued on to avoid questioning, snapping away from her vision, and looking back into that alluring river. "I'm not from Syliras... No, I came from the Alvadas."

This lie was getting way too far, he was going to forget some of the things he just told her, so he had to take his time to speak. And he had already got enough info about the damn place from Arty, the city that always changed, moving around all the time. He could go off of that info he was questioned, although he took precautions. He spoke fast, stern, and lowly so that she couldn't question him, most likely he thought she would just listen and listen some more. But then again, he wasn't done yet, anything could've happened.

"As for what I did there... I was a... Merchant. I sold goods and fine furs..." Lying was not an easy thing for him to do, not only was it horrible lies, but it hurt. The evidence was a single strand of tears ran down his right cheek, adding in into the water substance his face already had on it, although it was still noticeable. "It was a dangerous job, but I got by." The final question flew in, and he chuckled a bit, it was funny to her that name once again. "Yeah, I have no doubt that I'm a fool... No doubt..." He looked back into her eyes, reaching down into his pile of clothes and sliding on his black fingerless gloves. He interlocked his hands, and rested his arms high behind his head, preparing a bit of showmanship. Pecs. He forced them to dance, slapping each other, and vibrating. Until he finally spoke out, his turn to question her. And he would ask her one by one, until she answered the last.

• Where are you from?

•What did you do there?

•Are you exactly... Human?

•How did you find me?

•Did you save me? And if you did... How? I gotta know...

After she answered his final question, he would sigh and then ask her if she had more questions, because he sure did. But for now... He really wanted to see her reaction. And answers.

Edreina.

[Edreina]

There were times when Edreina was not really a person at all, but a vessel for unbridled curiosity. This was one of those times. As question after question tumbled from her lips, Edreina could do naught but sit back and fight the urge to shrivel up and die as she made a driveling idiot of herself. Luckily, he was able to snap Edreina back into herself - nearly literally - as he threw down his anchor and shield with a thunderous clash. She started so badly that she nearly fell off of the perch she had claimed upon a log. When the stranger began to laugh, she once again felt the urge to shrivel up and die. After looking away for a moment to hide her burning cheeks, Edreina was surprised to see that he had dressed himself to a degree that allowed her to keep her thoughts on the - mostly - straight and narrow. As he answered her questions, Edreina had the tickling feeling that he was lying, but quickly disregarded it. These mud-eyed people always looked like they were lying about something, simply because Edreina felt as if the darkness in their eyes was hiding something. But, what reason did he have to lie? Well. The part about why he was in the water was obviously a lie, apparent in his halting and unsure patterns of speech. He probably just went to bathe and found the current to be too swift. Alvadas... Isn't that the snowy city up north? With the polar bears and whatnot? In this case, Edreina could not help her naivety. The isolation of the Anchorage Flotilla made it difficult to differentiate between places when she only ever heard of them. And then he began to tear up. If she had not been so intent upon memorizing the details she was given, Edreina would have probably gotten up and hugged the poor fellow. Perhaps something sad happened when he left Alvadas? But then it was gone and he was doing something with his rather formidable chest muscles that made the Svefra brush brightly and hide a giggle behind her hand. It was so childish and immature and just... odd... but funny nonetheless. Where she came from, men were not built like the one before her, so what may have been normal to some was an oddity to the redhead. Finally, it was his turn to ask his own questions, and each one was presented individually."I am from the Anchorage Flotilla," she answered with a proud smile, remembering her floating home and the people that inhabited it. "You, know where that is, yes?" If it was a yes, she would smile and move on. If not, she would appear crestfallen for an instant, before explaining that it was a floating city in the Suvan. "What did I do there... Hm," her brow furrowed slightly as she continued to considered it. "A little bit of everything, I suppose. Scraped barnacles, hauled nets, gutted fish, watched the children... Anything." The next question made her laugh, nearly to the point of tears. What on earth else could she be? A Zith? Ha! An Otani? Nope! Still not see-through. When the fit of mirth had finally subsided, Edreina held up her hand in the Fratavan-gesture for apology. Though the gesture may have been foreign, she thought the intent to be universal. "I'm afraid I am very very much a human." The more she spoke, the more apparent her lively and lilting Fratavan cadence became apparent, despite the fact she was using the Common tongue. "I... felt you... I guess you could say... It's quite hard to explain." She pursed her lips, and stood, resting her hands on her hips, one resting upon the tail end of her whirling tattoo, fingers tapping absentmindedly. Looking up at the clouds, she made her way over to one end of the log then spun on her heel and made her way back to the other end, musing silently to herself. Her gnosis would be easy enough to point out, taking the form of a small, nearly still stretch of ocean upon the back of her upper thigh. The only problem was that some people reacted differently to followers of different deities. What if this guy despised Laviku? Then again, he had seemed rather obtuse when she mentioned the Sea Father's name earlier. Ah, well. Either way, he seemed to sense her lack of surety and he moved on to his next question. "I did save you... And well, I drug you to shore and then performed mouth-to-mouth..." She shrugged lightly, as if the action was nothing. "You did a great job of being appreciative, by the way." Despite her rolling eyes, Edreina's anger was long forgotten and a bright smile still rested upon her lips. He did not even have to ask, but as he did, another question was dancing off of the tip of her tongue. "Why were you so... Blegh-" Damn her inability to find the right word in common when it mattered... "- when you came to? It was as if you were afraid that I was somebody else. Oh! And why are you carrying an anchor like a weapon?" She nodded pointedly at the object that had made so much noise when it hit the ground before continuing her pacing. Sitting, standing... Actually, just being still was so repulsive that the redhead often found herself in motion without even realizing it. As she walked, she realized that her still-wet undershorts were quickly riding up her rear, exposing her stark tanline. However, pausing to free them seemed rude and vulgar - More vulgar than exposing the bottom curve of your freckled ass? Unlikely... But who picked a wedgie while in good company? - and sitting down seemed to be a death-sentence. Either way, she continued her slow pacing as she listened to his answer and waited for him to pose more questions of his own.

[Kisetukai]

Anchorage Flotilla.

Seriously, could it have sounded more fake? What kind of joint would that be, and what the hell was a flotilla? And anchorage... She called his scythe an anchor. Common observation skills, with a dash of inferring, and basically he came up with a conclusion. She came from a floating scythe. Best lead he had all day. Although he seemed discouraged, because if this woman really was a follower of the god of chaos, she was a damn good actor. The way she presented her home, it was like her heart was there, and she treasured it. So when she asked did he know about it, you could guess how flustered he was. "Uh... No, not really." He said sort of lowly, instantly sending the girl to a depressed sort of look, quickly making him change his mind. "Well perhaps I've heard of it... Ya know?" Either way if he made her mad, she moved on, and for that he had to thank the gods. But then thinking of the gods, made him think of his lying.... Sylir was probably disgusted by him.

But now there was a bit more of info, a floating city, in the Suvan? Really? So there was just civilization... In the middle of an ocean? Sure. He was willing to believe anything now, really. And maybe, just maybe on a real slight chance, he may have thought she was on drugs. She was sweet, way too sweet, and she was just... Odd. Newborn baby skin, sure the freckles were new, but her skin was so damn clear! He just wanted to rub cheeks for a moment, and see what would happen. She was gorgeous, no denying that, but a special kind of gorgeous. Like a... "Let me paint a picture of you... Naked." Kinda gorgeous. Clearly, judging by her clothing, he could tell she was free spirited. She probably went nude a lot. But thoughts like that would have to wait, she was busy giving more information, crucial information that he lied for. So now it was important.

After she explain what she did there, it hit him, and it hit him hard. Nets... Barnacles... Fish... What the hel-... Oh dear Sylir she's a sea girl, some damn sailors daughter. This immediately took her off the menu, she probably had scurvy, or some other sailor's type of venereal disease. Disgusting. At first he was distant, now he really made sure to keep his distance.... He didn't know much about the sea, but he knew they had gnarly viruses. That was enough. He watched as she then began laughing heartily, snapping him back to reality, snatching him from his selfish muse. He looked at her dumfounded for a moment, till his face returned to it's cool look, calm and fresh. She was human, or at least that was what she was portraying to be. Then her hand rose up, or at least he noticed it late, it was just a hand right? What was she doing? He did not now. His left eyebrow was forced to arch a bit, as she smiled gracefully, it seemed like she was a happy girl.

Then she spoke again, about how she felt him. That answer was to vague even for him, and being the skeptic he naturally was, he wrote it off as magic. Perhaps she was some witch, and this wasn't even her true form, a pure shame. He didn't know much about magic, so anything was possible, and his imagination was scary. Courtesy of Shin. So it was easy to see, why he didn't like dreaming. Well she got a bit blank, as she looked up into the clouds, definitely thinking something over. He would take his time, and let her do what she wanted, no reason to be making rash decisions. Just let the evil girl talk first, kill after, become a knight later. But then that question came to him, could somebody this sweet... Really be so evil? She was a pretty, young lady, was she really an evil follower of the enemy? How could she? Could she change him? Anything? There had to be a way...

And with time, came more answers... Way more answers. She did save him, apparently with something called mouth to mouth, how the hell did that work? He surely was interested, it sounded fun, it sounded important. A good skill to know, and an excuse to kiss Kisetukai Yamehaka? Smart girl, very smart, she got points for that. She saved him, she saved him apparently, and he really wanted to... Find out exactly how. He laughed out loud briefly, when she mentioned how he said thanks, he wouldn't have it any other way. Her words began to have a turn, like a different way of speaking them, but it wasn't true slang. It was interesting, and he wondered what she was talking like... She definitely wasn't human. He would have to figure that out soon, very soon. He was forced to laugh again once she said her next sentence, cutting it off for lack of better words, she wasn't so good with the language eh? She asked him why was he so crazy when he came to, like she wasn't who she thought she was, like she was... An enemy. She was. But now he began to wonder, was she on to him? Was she actually... Playing him along? No, she wasn't that smart, not as he was.

And then she asked about his... Anchor. That was just too good of a setup for a perverted joke, you know one about what was in his shorts, so close yet so far. He soul let it go, for times like this required maturity, and that was it. And now, it was his turn to speak again, he would have to coolly play this off. "Well... I guess when I came to... I was just scared, I mean I didn't know you, I still don't know you. But when I awoke, I was scared that the enemy had captured me... I mean uh, rival merchants ya' know? Anyway, I was happy to see a beautiful girl save my life..." Flattery, the best way to sucker someone. "Edreina, I have some questions for you... But these are just a tad more important." Like always, he had to make it just a bit serious. He was an interrogator, right now he was doing his job, just smoothly. "This is what I want to know... How exactly did you find me? Don't just tell me you felt me, how did you? And how exactly did you save me? Could you show me... Please, I need to know... I have to make sure it was... Pure." 

He looked deep into her eyes, leaning in a bit involuntarily, peering into her soul. "Edreina, tell me I can trust you... Before you show me how you save me exactly, uh-" He groaned a bit as he got up, standing as he walked pasted her, he had go be safe.
Stopping at the horse's, who were standing side by side, sipping water from the river. It looked as if they were chatting, funny. He reached into the saddlebag, a pulled out the only thing he could use for this situation, his tamo daggers. Shaped as a blunt wooden club, the daggers sat side by side, ready to slide out instantly. He placed the club in the back belt loop of his cargo shorts, out of her view, as he looked back at her. "Edreina..." He whispered to himself, as he walked back to her, passing her up. He sat down with a small smile on his face, he was still slightly serious, but he was a bit energized. Needless to say he observed her... From behind, and he was pleased with what he saw. "Edreina, you are quite the woman, well... Let's not dawdle, get to talking, and please be honest. Because this situation... Is to die for." He leaned back a bit, looking at her firmly, with his arms folded. He liked her, he really did, but he was ready to end this if necessary. Or...

Or was he?

[Edreina]

"You can trust me..." she sighed. But can I trust you? Well petch it all. If he wanted to know, he might as well know. The worst he could do is chase her to the river. From there, she would be untouchable. "I might as well start from the beginning, eh? That way you don't think that I'm hiding things... And that everything makes a bit of sense." She sighed to herself, arms crossing just beneath her breasts as she stepped closer to the dwindling fire. "Svefra, my people, are the chosen children of Laviku, the god of the Sea. Most of us are born marked by Laviku with his Gnosis. At its most basic level, we can drink salt-water and sense our surroundings while we are submerged. We can also control one animal at a time. That is how I was able to sense you. Usually, I'm able to tune out just about everything. Otherwise, it would quickly become overwhelming. But for some reason, you broke through. I guess it's because you needed help." If she were speaking her native tongue, the explanation would have been more fluid. But, this would have to suffice for now. He had asked her to show him how she saved him, which was a good thing seeing as she did not think that she could properly explain it. She strode over to him purposefully, annoyed mildly with having to explain herself. "Just be still..." The last thing she needed was him freaking out about something she was about to do and breaking her like a ragdoll. "The first thing I did was make sure that you were alive... With my ear on your chest..." She did not exactly want to demonstrate this much, so she simply sat beside him, one hand alighting gently upon where she had placed her ear. His skin was warm to the touch despite the fact that life had nearly left it chimes earlier. Blushing lightly, she continued. "And then I began to push on your chest... It gets more blood flowing..." Her fingertips skimmed down and across to the center of his chest where she overlapped her hands and pressed just once, blue eyes darting up towards his nervously. Reclaiming her hand, she brought her knees up underneath her so that she could be above him, at least slightly enough to demonstrate the next step. Guileless blue eyes urged him to trust her as she reached up and gently tipped his head back with her fingertips. "Opens your throat," she explained in a whisper. For some reason, she found herself blushing brightly. Why did this seem so suddenly intimate? "And then, I pushed air into your lungs, so that they would force out the water..." As she spoke, she moved closer to him, stopping so that her lips hovered just a breath away, hand not on his chin coming up to pinch his nose once, lightly. In an instant, she was standing up once more, a pace away with an odd sort of smile upon her lips. "Satisfied?" A quiet chuckle bubbled up as she realized the double meaning such a simple question could easily take on. Moving on quickly, she asked, "Why did you lie, earlier?" By this, she meant to find out why he had been in the water other than the lie he had presented. It puzzled her to think that someone would want to end their own life. Her questions would continue to arise the more they spoke, but at this moment, only one tugged at her mind.