Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🐦‍🔥 Reincarnation [9/10] 🐦‍🔥

Blackthorne's POV:

After a couple minutes of thrashing in the water, I finally got a hold of my wings.

As a puffin, both swimming and flying were my two main strengths, especially in rough weather conditions.

A storm was rolling in, and I had a lynx and a child to save.

I gracefully dove under the surface, adapting to the underwater world around me.

Bubbles cascaded around me as I glided toward River, flapping my wings to push myself through the saltwater.

Using my webbed talons to steer, I got a hold of the back of the boy's shirt with my beak, tightly gripping the cloth.

He was panicking, screaming in the liquid medium that muted his struggles.

I would not let him die.

That's not about to happen.

At least, not on my watch.

Permafrost finally got a hold of her paws, frantically swimming toward the surface to get some air.

She wasn't the best in the water, but I can't blame her for being cursed with such waterlogged fur.

With River fighting against the waves, it was difficult to get him back to the surface.

I was very small compared to him, and not as strong.

Flapping my wings, I thrusted myself through the water, ascending towards the surface.

I wasn't making much progress.

Luckily, Permafrost dove back under, snagging the young merchant by the back of his shirt and pulling us both out of the water.

We splashed out of the sea, scrambling onto the wooden docks, coughing up saltwater.

The lynx dropped a limp, unconscious River on the floor, shaking her flanks. "He's dying."

"No he's not," I huffed, cocking my feathered head to the side. "He just needs to breathe."

"No, Blackthorne." She meowed, pawing at the boy's chest. "There's water in his lungs."

"Then what do we do?" I squawked, hopping over to them. "We can't just leave him here, he'll die!"

"I don't know, maybe my magic could work..." Permafrost muttered, hacking up another mouthful of water. "Send a quick prayer to Heaven for me."

She pressed a paw against River's chest, pushing him onto his back.

A thin wisp of Darkness trailed from her wrist, but nothing more.

"Magic's been disabled... Stupid Whitecap and his sorcery." The bobcat huffed, saltwater trickling from her mouth. "You know chest compressions?"

"No, and even if I did, these talons are useless." I sighed, staring at the little boy. "Do we say goodbye?"

"It's not his time."

That voice... I've heard it before.

I flopped my head to the side, leaning against River's arm. "Did you hear that, Permafrost?"

She gave me a nod, swiveling her ears around. "Yes, yes I did."

A firm thud came from somewhere behind us, making me jump.

"Run while you can, critters." The familiar voice spoke again, edged with warning. "Back away from the kid."

The lynx's eyes widened beside me as she scrambled backward, her hackles raised and her tail between her legs.

I followed her gaze, only to let out a squawk of fear.

I recognized those cobalt, piercing eyes.

Fierce as a thunderstorm, relentlessly cold and unforgiving.

However, her gaze was calm.

The calm before a storm, of course.

"Tia?!" I cried, backing away from her. "Is that really you?"

She scoffed. "Yes, it's me. Now move aside."

Permafrost snagged me by the tail with her teeth, yanking me back.

The captain knelt down beside River, flipping him onto his belly and firmly smacking him across the back.

It looked like it really hurt, but to my surprise, it worked.

After a couple of tries, the young merchant let out a shaky cough, saltwater trickling out of his mouth.

"He's alive!" The lynx meowed, her eyes widening at the sight of him stirring awake. "You saved him, Tia!"

"Silence." She snapped, lifting River by his shoulders. "Don't refer to me as that. I'm the Riptide Ranger, nothing more."

I frowned as she leaned the boy against one of the wooden posts, casting my mentor a dirty look. "I know who you are, don't worry, I won't snitch."

Permafrost blinked at her in surprise, her feline mouth agape in an astonished gasp. "You know us?"

"What, you both sound like your ego's bigger than your brain... If either one even exists." Tia huffed in reply, bending over to pat River on the back. "Breathe, kiddo. You're safe now."

She backed away from him, casting a cold, hard glare at me and my mentor. "You two. Don't mention of my presence here and leave the kingdom before you eventually get caught. I'd recommend Pyronica's coastline, normally runts like you would get washed up there."

I let out a bird-like squawk, trying to maintain my animalistic facade.

The captain squinted at me. "Shut your beak, Blackthorne. And you, especially you..."

She waggled a finger at the lynx beside me. "You better not pull anything off on me, since I'm saving your butts from a lifetime of hell. Understood?"

Permafrost gave her a fearful nod, aware of what power she possessed. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

In one quick, fluid motion, Tia seized her RipTrident, missing my mentor by an inch.

She let out a startled yowl and leaped into the harbor, thrashing in the waves.

River, who was witnessing the commotion, stared at the lynx, but seemed too exhausted from doing anything.

Before I could react, the Riptide Ranger seized me by the neck, lifting me into the air.

"You're coming with me," She huffed, digging into her coat pocket. "We need to talk."

I struggled in her grip, letting out panicked squawks as she firmly closed my beak with her fingers, wrapping a thin rope around it to keep myself from making any noise.

"Shut up, stay silent, and don't even try to fight back." She snarled, shifting her hands so she held me by the belly like a chicken. "One wrong move and you're going back to where you came from. Understood?"

I gave her a silent nod, afraid to provoke her any further.

"If King Arthur found you, his punishment would be merciful considering the damage I'm capable of inflicting on your tiny body."

That alone shut me right up.