Fight or Flight

CHAPTER SIX

In an instant, the tempest's wrath descended upon me, splitting through the peaceful skies. The torrents of rain lashed at my skin. Each droplet was a pricking reminder of the deities' unyielding wrath. Lightning tore through the darkness around me, illuminating the roiling clouds in brief, terrifying flashes. The echo of sound that followed each strike was so close, it made my ears throb.

Struggling to keep lift against the relentless assault of the Wind Brother, I felt my strength wane as the currents ruthlessly battered me from all sides. A cruel breath blindsided me. A nauseating crack fractured the air. A burst of white-hot heat seared into my left wing– undeniably broken. The pain stole my breath. Then, I was in adizzying tailspin, my wing bent to the side at an unnatural angle. Panic seized me as I began to decline. The waves, once so far below, now rushed up to meet me with nightmarish momentum. I did not know the ocean's gods, but they must have been merciless.

With one feeble wing, I feverishly tried to slow my descent, the inky waters below yawning open to swallow me. I hit the surface violently. The impact drove what little air remained from my lungs. Icy fingers clawed at my skin. The ocean rushed into my mouth and nose, acrid and suffocating. My stained green coat was now logged with a significant weight and my limp, useless wing only aided in dragging me down. I watched Hilda's pack sink between my boots and into the infinite depths.

As I was embedded further into the sea, the world around me transformed. The thunderous roar of the storm faded, replaced by an eerie, muffled silence that would've served as a perfect backdrop for meditation. The lightning flashes grew distant, mere winks of light in a world of endless blue.

My sinuses stung from the brine seeping through my open eyes, but I couldn't close them, transfixed by this alien realm. It was nothing like the lakes and streams of Riem. The water stretched in every direction, a vast emptiness unlike anything I'd known, even in the skies. No ground below, no clouds above - just tiny particles that drifted past my face, catching what little light penetrated the surface. The gentle pressure of water against my feathers felt strange, like I was lighter.

In the distance, I caught a glimpse of movement - forms gliding effortlessly through the distance. Fish, I realized. They were so different from birds. Instead of lustrous feathers, they were plated with silvery scales. The animals moved in ways I couldn't grasp, indifferent to the tumult above.

Then my lungs seized, wrenching for air. The peaceful tableau was shattered. Panic flooded back as I realized how deep I'd sunk. I clawed at the water, my good wing beating frantically against the soupy, unfamiliar medium.

I broke the surface with a gasp, only to be immediately assaulted by pelting rain. A wave crashed over me, plunging me back into the depths. The cycle repeated, each trip to the surface more desperate for air, each return to the alien world longer. My vision began to dim, black spots dancing at the edges. My limbs grew heavier, movements sluggish.

As consciousness began to slip away, a pinprick of light cut through the darkness. At first, I thought it was another lightning strike, a final glimpse of the world above. But this light was warm and steady, piercing through the rain and waves. A ship's lantern! I tried to call out, but my voice was lost in the storm's fury. I could make out the hulking shape of white sail, tossed about by the angry sea but moving purposefully in my direction.

Suddenly, I felt strong arms around me, pulling me up. I broke the surface, coughing and sputtering, clinging desperately to my rescuer. Through the rain and the darkness, I caught a glimpse of sea-green eyes filled with determination.

"I've got you," a voice shouted over the storm. "Hold on!"

I felt myself being lifted, hands reaching down from above to pull us out of the churning waters. As soon as we hit solid ground, my rescuer was shouting orders.