The Fallen

Survival

It was catastrophic, heartwrenching, and almost suffocating.

Noise had surrounded her all her life, and yet in this moment of agony, it was treachorously silent. No distinctive chatter, nor the clangs of metal grinding against one another as the armored guards swam throughout her home greeted her in this coral reef that held a multitude of colors that she would have played around in when she was an elver. If only she could go back to those simpler times of her life. But nay, all that the hybrid could hear was the pounding of her heart and the ragged breath of bitter exhaustion slipping past her lips, the sight of the kingdom behind her only becoming a mere shadow while swimming onwards.

Once, she could call that kingdom her home. Once, she could call that her safe place. Yet most of all, she once could proudly call that her kingdom. Yet it wasn't anymore. That she knew quite well. Somehow she also knew it was never a safe place, and by golly she was correct. That tiny voice that lingered in her head was correct all this time. Yet she chose to ignore it till it was to late to ignore it any further. Which, in hindsight was so asinine to watch the greed bubble and toil, and was to idle stop it.

Some could say it was because she still had faith, or it was because they were family.

The clang of armor shuffling up ahead halted the eel in place. Of course, she should be paying attention. Especially this close to the border that would be swarmed with guards undoubtedly. All because of her. Coral hid her thin frame perfectly, making easy access to scope the surrounds and just as she thought, the gates were swarmed with hammerheads with clean pristine white armor decorating their rather tough skin that shimmered with the rays of the sun that trinkled through the waves down below. A miracle would have to be blessed upon her to get out past the border at this rate. If not, it would have to be a couple days of waiting, which left a rather high risk as well.

"...pst.."
With the ever growing void overstretching the hopes of leaving, a rather vague noise brought her amber eyes off towards the side. At first she saw nor heard nothing, yet there the sound came once more deeper within the coral. Hesitance in her decisions, a quick glance back at the border finalized her thoughts and dove deeper within the slow winding plants that were full of life and color.

"Down here love! Below you.."
Fixtating on the hole below her, a hand reached up from the blackened pit and waved her towards the recently dugged hole. Yet she made no motion of grabbing it, causing whomever in the pit to sigh.
"Please miss, I offer nothing but help and shelter, why would I have made this hole if not?"
The figure had a point, why else would they have made a hole to cross the border without facing the brutes that were stationed at the gates? A quick sigh past her lips before she dived in, taking hold of the hand just as she took hold of fate to determine her life.

"Truly, I'm so glad I found you, was pretty sure you would've headed to the border first thing so I prepared an outing just for you!"
The woman's voice echoed around her in the pitch black hole that she was currently being tugged through. The figure practically rambling about everything and anything till the eel finally managed to speak up after finding no pause in the figure's words.
"Pardon me, but who are you?"
She quickly interjected, hoping to clear up the confusion that muddled about inside of her.

"Right! Sorry your Majesty. I get side tracked pretty easily, I'm Cinzia the otter such a pleasure to finally meet you, I've always been a huge supporter of you since you overthrew that tyrannical man, my condolences by the way. So when I heard that well, Avid, had taken control I just knew I had to help! I already made plans go meet my friend, and then we can get to business! Ah here we are outside of the borders, the nearest village should be west."
The otter blabbered on, not even once minding the rather quiet eel as only excitement shone in her black eyes when she turned to look at the eel. Cinzia was rather small compared to her, but her beauty and intelligence shown as clear as day upon her face.

Yet that joyous gaze quickly faltered upon noticing the frown upon the former Queens features. "Please, refer to me as Diana. I also appreciate your generosity and support, but truly I rather just get to a place far away from here, as much as possible." Diana's words were rather shaken, standing quite stiff as the otter clung to her hands. "So you're just gonna give up without a struggle? After all you did to take down your father and ensured peace for as long as you lived?" Opening her mouth, she was cut off before she could even mutter a word as a hand glasped her mouth shut.

"Nope! Don't even attempt the 'it's different' excuse, I've heard it multiple times your- Diana. You of all people know this isn't different. I mean, who knows what she is going to do with that power! They need you Diana, we all do. We can't have a tyrant again."
Diana stared, quite flabbergasted at Cinzia's outburst. Which only made the otter crack under the gaze, bursting into apologies while removing her hand away from the former queen. The otter was right. The city would just crumble, the people would suffer, she didn't even think about the citizens once throughout the rather crazed day until now. Her heart ached, this wasn't something she runs from, no, this wasn't something she can ignore.

"Calm down Cinzia, You've done nothing wrong, instead you have enlightened me. Your right, and it was rather selfish of me to think I could just run away and leaving the citizens to suffer without trying. What did you have in mind?"
Boy did that make Cinzia shut up as the brightest smile Diana had ever seen soon replaced the once worried facial features.

"Just follow me!"