New part out!

New part!

Present day:

“Again, I’m so sorry!” Starflower called to Esthaenie, “I didn’t know to prepare Control Waters this morning. I didn’t know there would be a river!”

Eris yawned and waited for Esthaenie to deposit Danie on the other side of the river. Esthaenie dropped Danie on the other bank, smirked at her yelp, and came to ferry Illaeara across.

“No need,” said Illaeara, tapping her own shoulder. She whispered a word in some arcane language before levitating a few feet off the ground, alighting on the other side of the bank.

“Why can’t YOU ferry people across?” Eris asked, scowling.

“I’m too weak to carry anyone but you,” Illaeara sighed. Eris bristled, folding her arms.

Eris watched as an exhausted Esthaenie flew back over, breath haggard. She looked at the last people who still needed to be ferried and groaned. “Alright, I’ll get Starflower, and then Eris. Then Westward,” she panted, trying to stay upright. She extended a hand to Starflower, who shook hers.

“No need. Watch!” she said, twirling her arms. In a flash of light, Starflower was gone, and a twittering sparrow was in her place. It flew across to the opposite bank, paused, and then it was gone and Starflower stood there. Illaeara’s eyelights turned white, impressed. Danie looked like a child on Christmas before she caught herself, giving Starflower a cool nod. Westward cheered in an unusual display of enthusiasm. Eris felt disgust coil in her gut. Esthaenie smiled, relieved, then pulled Westward into the air. She huffed and began dragging the armor-laden cleric across, brow furrowed and muscles straining. Cloud, Killim, and Esquin called encouragement from the other bank. Illaeara’s eyes flickered yellow-green, and she tapped her toes on the ground, nervous. Esthaenie’s grip began slipping. Eris watched in horror and amusement as Westward yelped,  the tip of his foot dragged down by the strength of the dark current as Esthaenie dipped with exhaustion. The air became tight with tension as she struggled to rise.

“Come on, angel-pants!” Danie said, “We don’t have all day!”

Eris watched Danie’s face, tense with concern despite her callous tone. Esthaenie and Danie shared a meaningful look, before Esthaenie, with all the strength in her body, hurled West onto the bank. He tumbled onto Illaeara. Eris cackled, watching Westward try to get up and Illaeara sighing with resignation.

“You certainly don’t waste any time, do you, cleric?” Esquin said, one eyebrow raised. Killim snorted, and Cloud blushed.

“I-hey-I-no!” Westward spluttered. Illaeara look up from the ground, uncaring. He got up, apologized to Illaeara, and turned bright pink. Illaeara snorted, then turned back.

Esthaenie turned back. “Your turn, Eris,” she said. Eris grimaced as Esthaenie pulled her into the air.

She was glad she’d tied her lute on her back so tightly this morning. Esthaenie growled, lugging Eris along. “Be glad I’m so worn out, or I’d half-drop you to scare some sense into you.”

Eris laughed out loud. “Just get me across the river, feathers.”

“Alright, short-stack,” Esthaenie said, grumbling with a smile.

Time seemed to slow around Eris. Her breathing came tight through her mouth, and she was no longer in Esthaenie’s grip, no, she was a girl again, standing in the middle of a burning field as a masked shape watched her, a flaming sword in its clawed and blistered hand. It smiled at her and she screamed, running from the beast in human flesh. She heard the beat of its cloak on the wind, smelled its sulfurous breath behind her, and screamed.

“What’s the matter, short-stack?”it said, blood dripping from its maw.

She broke out of the memory as she hit the water, having accidentally thrown Esthaenie’s grip. She heard Westward call “What the hell is she doing-”

Then all was quiet. The water was so serene down here, and she dropped like a stone, her concealed knives dragging her under. She thrashed, but her swimming skills were poor at best. Her hands clawed wildly, tangled in kelp floating in the depths of the river. An azure quality tinted the world down here, and her hands stilled as the oxygen left her lungs. The azure began growing dark.

She thought of all of the people she’d see in the afterlife, whatever awaited her. Her friends from home. Her family. Her pet bird that she’d had so long ago. She felt herself go limp in the water, and then something was pushing her-up.

Her eyes opened blearily, and she saw, to her shock, a seal carrying her up. Was this a celestial creature, taking her to the afterlife? Was she-?

She fell unconscious moments before the seal broke the surface.

…

Eris woke gasping, a slight pressure on her chest. She gasped, coughing water, and the person above her sighed in relief.

“You’re alive!” Starflower said, “And I thought I was too late!”

“The-the seal was you?” Eris choked out, voice ragged.

“Yep! I can use my wild shape feat three times a day. The sparrow and that seal were two!”

Eris looked at Starflower in awe. The beautiful wood-elf stared down, head tilted, light ringing her head like the halo of some sylvan angel.

“Th-thanks,” she coughed, sitting up. Starflower beamed. Eris went pink, giving her a smile.

She turned to the group and was met by glares. Danie looked flabbergasted, Esthaenie looked irate and exhausted, Illaeara’s eye-lights glowed a myriad of colors in confusion, and Westward glowered with barely-contained rage. Esquin and Killim were clearly tired of people nearly dying, and Cloud looked like she’d really rather be wandering the woods. “Care to explain what that stunt you pulled was?” Westward snarled.

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