There have never been secrets between Iano and his twin brother, Miano. But that changes when his brother marries an heir of the most powerful fief of the village. With such power comes the right to see the face of the Goddess. Only, Iano's twin mus...
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Kairou swam close to the ship, the water rippling around him with the movement of the crocodiles stalking behind him. He tried to take hold of the ship's walls somehow, but the surface was too slippery for a good grip. And the crocodiles came, like large boards of rough greying wood floating toward him.
Just as they were about to reach him, multiple explosive sounds echoed. A flurry of shots of rifle rained down and splashed water around him. He shut his eyes tightly, biting his lips not to break into a chaos of shouts and reminding himself to keep swimming, despite the burning pain in his wrist, despite his energy slipping away.
He opened his eyes when the shots ceased and he watched crocodiles with mouths opened wide, bearing more sharp teeth than he could ever imagine a creature could have. They sank before him, leaving a bubbling trail of blood on the water.
A cord fell down the ship and landed next to him. He did grip it but gave up soon enough. "My wrist is broken," he shouted. "I'm getting tired of swimming. Come down fast." He was also completely panicky, terrified that other crocodiles would return to do what the others hadn't finished. That at one moment sharp teeth would seize his leg and pull him down to tear him apart in the darkness of the Uluh depths. And the blood around him was making him gag with disgust. His head was sinking and despite his best efforts to keep himself afloat, he was tasting the Uluh water in his mouth now.
A loud splash echoed next to him. His body let go, letting himself sink. Strong hands gripped him by his waist and steadied him against the ship. It took him a moment to realize that it was Malin. Kairou gripped him with his good hand while Malin used a cord to attach Kairou to his back and climbed up a rope ladder.
Kenha came rushing to him as soon as Kairou was safe on the ship again, panicky like Kairou had never seen her. "Are you well?" she bombarded him with questions. "The crocodiles didn't touch you? Show me your wrist." Kairou wailed in protest when she touched it. "It's ugly, but thankfully not a fracture."
Malin transported Kairou to his cabin, with Kenha stalking at his steps. He helped Kairou lay down on the lower bed of the bunk. "I'm going to change myself," he said before he left while Kenha remained there to take care of his wrist, wrapping layers of an elastic cloth around his hand and wrist as a splint. Asking how he felt. Tired. Spent as he had never felt before and somehow still like he was in imminent danger.
