Seven Lost Lords: The Anomaly

Ch. 10: Under Water

I woke to the sound of rushing water.

I coughed, sat up, and promptly vomited up tons of water before wearily looking around through blurred eyes.

Night had fallen. Either that or the looming darkness from the storm combined with the thick canopy made it seem that way. I was sitting on a rock by the edge of a vast pool, sheltered underneath a huge cleft.

I blinked a few times before coming to my senses, and I tried to jump to my feet. I winced and nearly fell over with the effort, and I glanced at my leg. A long gash surrounded by bruises coated it, and blood stained my white fur.

"Dukalis?" I whispered shakily. "Are you there?"

Of course I am, Aven. He replied gently. Though he was also visibly shaken from the experience, he was reluctant to scold me for my apparent foolish decision.

"Good," I sighed. "Do you know where everyone is? Assuming they're not..." I gulped, not wanting to finish.

...I'm afraid I don't sense their presence, Dukalis apologized. But that doesn't mean they're dead. Come on. I'll help you find them.

"Good. Let's go." But when I tried to struggle to my feet again, I winced and glared angrily at my leg. "...Hey, any chance you can help me heal my leg?"

Dukalis was quiet for a moment. I'll try.

I felt his warm presence envelop me, and I breathed in his heavenly scent, which was comforting despite what had happened. Within a few moments the pain in my leg began to fade, and soon all that was left was a small scar.

"Whoa. Pretty cool, Boomer."

He huffed. I thought we were past that, young one.

I snickered and leaped to my feet, the pain gone entirely. "We'll talk once you're done with the whole 'Illesior likes me' thing. For now, let's go find the others. Cast out your senses while you're at it, and hopefully nothing bad happened."

He reluctantly agreed, and I looked around again, then pointed in a direction away from the cliff high above us, out of sight behind the canopy. "That way!"

I hopped from one stone to the next, then pushed aside some foliage and continued on, beyond the view of the lake now.

Suddenly I heard a rustle, and whipped around, staring wildly. "Who's there?" I called. "Show yourself, coward!"

I heard a faint call in the distance, and before I could react a huge shape came tumbling out of the lush bushes, knocking me over.

"Oi!" I yelped, desperately scrabbling to get a grip. "What's the deal? Get off me, you big lug, or face the consequences!"

"Aven?"

I recognized that voice, and paused long enough to gaze into the face of who was pinning me down. "Strubin!"

His face flushed red, only an inch from mine, and he quickly got up and off of me. "Sorry about that! I was trying to get away from something near the cliff." He looked me up and down. "Are you hurt at all, by any chance?"

I shrugged. "I was, but it's fine now. Have you seen the others?"

He shook his head despairingly. "Sorry. That's what I was originally doing, actually- I was looking for them."

"That's what I was trying to do, too," I replied, glancing around. Inwardly I asked Dukalis: Can you sense anyone else around here?

No, Aven. His reply wasn't very helpful, so I left him to his own devices and shrugged. "Come on, Stru. Let's go look for them."