Ripples on Still Water

Chapter 14: The Waiting

Disclaimer: There is graphic description of a dead body in this chapter.
If that is distressing for you, please skip the part I have labled as "TRIGGER WARNING" and skip to the part where it says "END OF TRIGGER WARNING".
You will not miss anything vital except for the description itself.

"The current is too strong!" The yell is coming from a hazy image of a man floating just above the raging water. "It's pitch black in here! Where is it? Do you see it?"

The voice sounds just like Perth.

An enormous entity swims past by him so fast that it it's hard to see a clear picture of it. All that one can catch with the naked eye is a blur.

Suddenly, Suada appears out of thin air. Unbothered by the chaos she stepped into, she smiles cruelly. "Told you, you'll pay." An eerie laugh.

"Saint!" The man on the water turns and reveals himself to be Perth but his face can only be seen for a second before the tides consume him, engulfing him and pulling him deeper into the water. He's fighting the grip of the sea but it's too much. Even so, with every gulp of air he manages to take, he calls out for Saint.

Two new voices can be heard alongside Perth's shout and Suada's laugh. This time, the new voices sounds older, more hoarse, and echoing in a way that makes it difficult to determine where they're coming from.

"Saint..." The new male voice.

"My son, have you forgotten us?" A sorrowful female lament.

Perth calls out once more, more urgent now. Panicked and in pain. "Saint!"

"Saint!"

Saint startles awake. In front of him is Aisha, looking at him worriedly. She had caught him sleeping inside one of the many rooms in the water realm, sitting on a chair and his head resting on the table in front of him.

The table itself has papers and scrolls strewn haphazardly on it. It shows Saint's effort to keep himself busy by planning a strategy for if - when - Perth arrives. It is proving to be difficult because not only has he never had to fight in a battle of this scale, he is also woefully unprepared for whatever this creature is that is wrecking havoc in all the realms. Perth had tried to shield and protect him from anything dangerous out of good will and his love for him, Saint knows that much. But in doing so, he had now left him utterly defenseless.

Saint is trying to make up for it by searching for battle plans and whatnot around Perth's castle but the only scrolls he can understand are the ones that have illustrations. Ever since Aisha brought him back from earth, he had been wishing he could have at least some knowledge about what he's about to face. If only he could read, that would have greatly helped.

With time passing and still no news about Perth, he is growing increasingly frustrated. He feels useless just waiting here. His worries must have manifested in his dreams once again. He's not even surprised anymore. He knows he will not stop being anxious until he sees his husband once again.

"Nightmares?" Aisha asks. She gently pushes back Saint's hair in a comforting manner. Like a mother would. Not that Saint would know. He had never had a mother in his life.

And there it is again, the conflicting emotions raging through him. He was never given the chance to properly process what really happened to his parents and now he must focus on another hurdle. He wishes he can just get over it, but he can't. However, of all the things he is unsure of, there is one thing that's certain - he wants Perth safe.

"Have you heard anything?" Saint asks the goddess.

Aisha hesitently nods.

Saint stands up in surprise. "What is it? Is it Perth? Has he been found? Is he okay? Is he hurt?"