Ice at Midnight: A Winterwatcher Fanfic

❄️Chapter 3❄️

  At the time of me writing this, I'm not sure if this chapter will have a title or not. I'll probably think of one as I'm writing, but anyway, this is in Winter's POV, as shown by the snowflake emoji. The chapter is in Moon's POV if there's a moon emoji in the title, if you haven't caught on.

  Water. No oxygen. Searing pain in his back leg. A dark blue tint to the water that wasn't there when Winter had first entered the ocean. Those were four of the main things burning in his mind as he fought against his reptilian attacker. The last one: survive.

  He had calmly been searching for any kind of aquatic creature to hunt just over a minute ago, not far from the beach. He'd estimated that the water was only about up to his neck when he stood up straight, assuming he wouldn't have to worry about any large predators attacking. A foolish mistake. All of a sudden, he'd been yanked down into the water by a bulky mass of scales. It wasn't a dragon, but this was worse, since he'd never been trained to fight one. A saltwater crocodile.

  Winter's vision was a blur of water and bubbles, his eyes stinging from the saltwater. He could only catch mere glimpses of the reptile as it constantly rammed into him and tried to lock its massive jaws around him. He couldn't let it, because if it did and spun him around in a so-called death roll, he would most likely pass out. And then, he would be food for the fishes. Or in this case, crocodile.

  He felt its scaly tail brush against him from behind, and twirled around in time to dodge its set of razor-sharp teeth as they snapped shut right where his leg had been. It had already raked its claws across his leg when it had dragged him underwater, and it was like no pain he had ever felt before, so he didn't want to find out what it would feel like if it bit him.

  Does frostbreath work underwater? Probably not; I would just freeze all the water around me. I need to get above the surface for that to work.

  The reptile charged at him once more, this time from his left. Acting instinctively, Winter slashed his serrated claws across its side, the jagged points tearing bits of flesh out as he removed them. The creature let out some kind of muffled roar and immediately swam off, although he knew it would come back again for another strike. He used the opportunity to launch himself upward and above the water, coughing up seawater once he was able to do so. He scanned his surroundings for anything he could use to defend himself besides his claws, but only saw a rock sitting next to him, large enough to fit in his talon.

  It's better than nothing, he thought as he picked it up. 

  And in the nick of time, too. No sooner had he clutched it in his talons than the crocodile came bursting out of the water, its jaws wide open as it prepared to clamp down on him. Winter slammed the stone into the side of its head, but it only made it more angry as it pushed him back underneath the water. Its teeth came racing for his throat, and he was barely able to force its jaws apart in time. The crocodile fought to close its mouth, its sharp claws digging into the sand and making the visibility worse. Winter's strength was quickly fading; he couldn't fight this thing for much longer on his own.

  I swear, if I die to an overgrown lizard on the first day of school, I'm going to be more disappointed in myself than I already am.

  The creature's weight pressing down on him suddenly lifted, and amid the swirling sand, tainted blue water, and the constant ringing in his ears, he saw a dark black shape and the pale brown crocodile struggling several feet away from him.

  Winter fought his fatigue and broke the surface again, astonished to see Moonwatcher, the shy NightWing he was clawmates with, locked in combat with the viscious reptile. 

  Don't help her, she's a filthy, conniving NightWing! one part of him screamed, while the other said but you HAVE to, she just helped you!