The Last Beacon

XVIII

For the briefest of moments, Sascha felt like she might have been flying. Falling so freely through the air, the wind cradling her as she dropped.

However, the sensation was brief, as she found herself caught up in the downwards rush of the enormous waterfall. She was unsure of whether she was screaming, for all she could hear was the roaring water.

In those short moments, time didn't slow down like she expected it to. She was approaching the water below in a matter of seconds, and she barely managed to keep herself upright before she landed into the river feet-first.

The pressure of the waterfall pressed her downward, forcing the air from her lungs.

The roiling cold surrounded her, aeration clouding her vision and masking the direction to the surface. She clawed at the water, trying to gain some type of leverage, but the downward current caused by the waterfall easily overpowered her.

By the time she hit the bottom of the river, her lungs were screaming, desperate to breathe. She writhed around and sunk her fingers into the silty riverbed, hauling herself along the bottom in a frantic attempt at getting away from the clutches of the waterfall's current.

At the first opportunity she could she desperately pushed off from the riverbed, grappling with the water to try and reach the surface. Her lungs felt like they were about to cave in, and dark spots flashed in her vision as she fought to survive. Her limbs felt like concrete with the lack of oxygen, and her heart was beating in a deafening thrum in her ears.

She began to accept the cold that was enveloping her. In a final moment of despair, she gave one last push towards the surface before her lungs pulled an involuntary breath in and sealed her fate.

She gasped deeply as she broke the surface of the water, filling her lungs greedily with air. Her lungs burned, but Sascha was too relieved to notice. She wearily flailed about for a minute or two, keeping her head above the turbulent water and regaining her breath as she was drawn downstream.

She shook her head to dispel the dizziness, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment until the feeling started to pass. Though weak and cold, she knew she had to get to shore.

She looked both ways, before turning right and making a break towards the far bank, swimming the way that she was initially headed before she had fallen. The deep water quickly became shallow, and soon she was able to stand on the bottom. She sighed, just happy to be on solid ground again.

She waded onto the stone bank, shivering slightly at the crisp breeze. She hugged herself and inspected her surroundings, looking for a way to climb the steep rock wall, or at least find shelter until she was dry.

She peered upwards, wincing at the bright sunlight, trying to get her bearings. Although the sun was shining, she could not feel the warmth from it like she desired.

"Laurenz?" She screamed, her voice cracking, "Lion?"

When she got no response, she repeated herself, louder.

"Up here!"

She shifted her gaze quickly towards the sound of the response, and she managed to spot her two companions looking down at her. Although she was a significant distance away, she could tell they were worried. Sascha was just grateful that they had both made it across the ravine safely.

"Miss! Are you alright?" Lion called out.

"Yes, I'm fine!" She responded.

"Can you see any way to get up?" Laurenz shouted.

"No, I don't think I can climb it. I think I need to find another way." She replied.

"I think I recall a hidden pass that runs through here somewhere!" Lion announced, "I will come down and see if we can find it. Laurenz can meet back up with us when we get to the top."