The Lost Sigil; Dawn of Light

Chapter 3: Gallay's Path

Eda had fallen for what felt like eternity only to hit hard some icy waters below. The water quickly engulfed her, the force she fell in with dragging her even deeper. There was a faint glimmer of a sky blue light above the water which she tried to reach. She kicked her legs as hard as she could and flapped her arms with all her might but she continued going down the water. There was something dragging her. She could feel a gentle tug on her leg but she could see nothing below. Everything was dark. The glimmer of light kept on growing fainter and fainter and her breathe was also running out. Eda could not help but regret every decision she had made so far. If only she could have gone with Lucius and the search party. She had agreed to run with the thieves who she barely knew and now here she was, going to drown to her death. The boy Rhys had been shot. He was not coming to her aid. The cat could not carry her out. This was it.

Eda stopped trying. There was nothing more she could do. Her breathe was gone, her strength was gone and her sight was also going. "This is how I die," Eda thought to herself.

The water splashed and she could hear it swashing around hard. Soon someone grabbed her arm tightly and was pulling her out of the water. She tried to open her eyes but she was drifting out of her own body.

"She's not dead. Just put her on her side," Eda could hear someone speak faintly.

Water then filled her throat and she began coughing out water by the gallon. Her sight had resumed but she was not as certain. Wherever they were was extremely dark with little crystalline rocks that emitted a faint blue light. Eda turned around and seated on the ground, was Rhys, wet and panting. Eda couldn't help but feel like she could have been dead.

"Don't you know how to swim girl?" the cat asked.

Eda was no longer sure what to say. How was Rhys still alive? He got shot clean on the back with enough force to kill anyone yet here he was alive and smiling. Rhys got up and stretched out his hand to Eda.

"Come on. Get up, we can't be here long." Rhys said.

"There was something in the water. It...it was dragging me down," Eda shivered as a cold breeze hit her.

"Did you see what it was?" Rhys asked.

Eda shook her head and looked at the cat that had gone closer to the waters.

"Hey, Lester, are they here?" Rhys said.

"We need to go, NOW" Lester commanded and started running towards a tunnel that was lined with the blue crystals.

"What is it? What's in the water?" Eda wanted to know the thing that made the two fearful. The thing that pulled her down so gently she could barely feel it. "Are there mermaids?"

Eda's question was answered almost immediately when a serpentine head with angry black eyes rushed out of the water. She found herself transfixed at the creature as the water settled to reveal long lanky legs with dagger like claws and a black spike filled back which flared as the creature let out a loud shrill shriek before darting towards them.

The creature was fast and in a blink it was on their backs snarling and snapping its mouth at them, mostly at Eda as she was not as fast as Rhys who had carried Lester. Luckily the creature's size did hinder its movement as it bumped towards the sides of the tunnel constantly causing several rocks to fall.

Lester dropped down and quickly transcribed some symbol on the ground using blood. Eda passed him as he placed his white paw on the symbol. There was a rumble and Rhys tugged at Eda who had slowed down to look at what Lester was doing.

"Come on, don't slow down," Rhys urged.

Eda still couldn't help herself constantly turning her head back. The rumble grew louder and the ground beneath her became unstable. She found it hard to balance on the moving wet ground slipping at nearly every step.