Crux had considered for a moment if he ought to move further back into his sleeping quarters, it would give him a little more time of air but he didn't want to risk putting himself even further from freedom, from safety. Once the water calmed enough for him to be able to paddle with any actual meaning he wanted to make sure he got out as quickly as he could, getting out would mean open air, it would mean freedom from a watery grave. He tried not to think about the possibility he might get swept out to sea... Instead he tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady between shouts and keep an ear out for anyone swimming past. The roar of the water had become just a little bit softer, it was still practically deafening but he could make out a few more shouts now than he had earlier when the wave had crashed down on them. He could hear others calling for help and his stomach dropped, the pups! Not for the first time he mentally cursed his lame leg, he couldn't help anyone!
Still he couldn't help the instinctual feeling of relief when he heard someone calling his name. Was it Riya? Surely she'd know where he was though? "Here!" He called out, not having much time to ponder who it was that was coming for him. So it was a strange mix of euphoria and terror that came over him when a tiny familiar form paddled towards him, her words practically unheard as he stared at her open mouthed. His mind was struggling to snap into crisis mode the way it had the day they'd met. His own fear of the water mixing with a sudden fear that Cryptis was now in danger! Her lungs! That thought went through him and only made his panic more obvious. If he could get out into the open air then he would be fine, but could she hold her breath safely that long? Maybe that was what finally made him stop gaping at her blankly, or maybe it was the rough feeling of stone brushing against the tips of his ears. He could question why she was even here once they were both okay. "We need to move!" He shouted above the din, struggling to swim towards her so they could both push towards freedom. He spotted something snaking out behind her and realized as he got close it was a rope! Clever! He'd have said as much if his bulkier form didn't mean his time had run out already, he couldn't say anything without risking a mouth full of water anymore and as he reached out to it to try and also wrap some of the length along his own limb he was forced to take a deep breath and screw his eyes shut and let himself sink further into the murky depths, less likely to scrape his skull along the roof that way. Hopefully they could use the rope to guide themselves to freedom, and if they were lucky, someone might have the thought to pull on it. He couldn't know that Riya was struggling her way across the col to try and do just that.
"Triss" & "Crux"
Updated 04/30/23: Still on indefinite scarcity, please do not remind me of threads I am behind on right now.
Crux has a 6 inch long burn scar on his throat, most of his art does not reflect this.
