Emily's eyes remained trained on the swaying currents below them, the brownish-green reeds dancing to their will. Past a certain point, they became so dense that it was impossible to tell what was lurking below.
Once they had recognized what was happening, Emily decided that heading forward was pretty much the only option they had. The likelihood that they were going in circles was high, so turning around didn’t matter now. The best option would be to get above the mist, but Emily decided that they first needed to see if they could find an island because chances are they wouldn’t be able to see any better from up there.
So they advanced, trotting through the mists. As they ventured deeper in, the air grew noticeably warmer. The winds had all but died down to a whisper and the rain was nothing more than a trickle at this stage. This did however make for a more creepy dream-like experience. Even as they traveled, the ripples seemed to expand out ahead of them forever. Emily was glad she had Cupcake here because otherwise she probably would have gone mad from boredom.
“So, I did tell him that I didn’t want it, right? But I didn’t know it was a gift for my awakening day. If he had spoken faster, maybe I would have taken it.” Emily's voice echoed alone through the space while Cupcake marched in silence.
“The fact that I lifted it from his pouch is null and void because it’s mine. I only regret showing it to that snake. I could have just left him to rot, but no, I had to go and be a her-.” Emily pushed down the nausea at that word.
“-a good neighbor. All of this could have been avoided if I’d just left him to be eaten.” Emily amended.
Cupcake snorted and Emily got the distinct feeling she wanted her to shut up.
“Well, now hang on, don’t be grumpy. It’s not like you can carry the other half of the conversation,” Emily said, amusement tugging at the edges of her mouth.
It didn’t last, though. The quiet moved in like a physical presence, and pretty soon, Emily’s unease at the lack of immediate danger had her on edge.
The mist made it difficult to see further than five meters in front of them, and Emily had to blink away the blinding light reflecting through the fog.
The whole environment was disconcerting and confusing, so they continued at a slower canter. Running headfirst into an island didn’t sound fun—or worse, a large lake monster surfacing, ready to gobble them up.
The interesting part was that they hadn’t seen any serpents yet. The most dangerous time to travel was when the rain had stopped. That was why they had encountered that serpent on the first day, but significantly less since. The rain covered their tracks from above, making them less noticeable, but now, with it being nothing more than a drizzle, Emily was worried.
Everything seemed as normal as it could while walking on an ocean-sized lake in the middle of a foggy day, but that didn’t settle her paranoia.
They continued to travel for hours but Emily was quickly getting frustrated. They should have reached the next island a long time ago but there was nothing in sight. If anything the mists had closed in even more.
Emily had lost her patience somewhere around the three-hour mark and started yelling at the top of her lungs to get attention.
Even something attacking them would have been better than this limbo. Plus, maybe she could follow their attacker back to its home and get some kind of bearing, but sadly nothing ever did.
Cupcake was starting to breathe more raggedly and her paws had begun to sink a few centimeters into the water.
Emily really did not want to take a swim in that water but pretty soon it wasn’t much of a choice as they sunk to Emily's knees.
“Oh, I just know you are going to stink something horrid after this” As Emily said this she climbed off Cupcake's back and sunk into the lake water.
The Rime wolf's endurance was incredible, but if they were going to be swimming for an unknown amount of time she needed the beast to hang on for as long as she was able.
Something slimy brushed up against Emily's arm and she made the appropriate yelp of horror, only for it to be a clump of algae.
Emily kept treading water, using Cupcake’s reins to pull her along. The reeds below them were about two meters below the surface give or take. So in some areas, her boot would brush up against the tops of the plant matter.
Cupcake paddled doggy style, while Emily used her free hand to pull herself along. The wolf's speed in the water was rather impressive, but by the time half an hour turned into an hour, Emily had begun to pant ragged breaths.
“Stop! Stop, girl, stop!”
Cupcake seemed to slow, sending a deep longing for the cave they had left behind hours ago.
“I know, but we’ve got to find an island if we want to rest, just a little bit longer okay?”
Every muscle and joint in Emily’s body ached from the exertion of keeping her head above water. Luckily she didn’t have to worry about hypothermia, but it felt like her lungs were on fire.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Dredging up some life force to soothe her arches allowed Emily to stabilize her breathing, but it was only a temporary thing.
Exhaustion could still catch up to Emily, just like anyone else. She could stave it off—for quite a while, in fact—but there was a limit.
“Come here, girl.”
Emily said as she reached her hand above the water and created a ball of blood to feed Cupcake.
The Rime wolf sluggishly lapped at the sphere, her tongue curling out and bringing the precious nectar to her mouth. Emily didn’t notice the tiny splatters that hit the surface of the water and dissolved almost immediately, as she was too busy looking around.
Things were not looking up for them. There was always the option to use blood price again, but it was an expensive card to play, so she had been avoiding it.
“Looks like I’m going to have to bite the bullet and shell out, aren't I? I was as really hoping not to- Ouch!” Emily yelped as her leg knocked into something and it speared through her pant leg poking her like a needle.
She tried to make out what was below her, but something poked her again and this time it was in the ass.
“Oh just great!”
Emily squinted through the clear waters, but all she could see were the tufts of floating algae.
Cupcake suddenly made a short yelp and kicked her legs backward.
“Oookay, somethings wrong”
Emily's head whipped about as she tried to figure out what was going on. The pokes were sharp but they weren't that painful, just sudden. And now that she thought about it she couldn’t feel much else in the areas that had been poked. A deeply unsettling feeling arose as Emily’s blood began to move through her body. Ruby guardian had triggered and was trying to heal the wounds. Emily thought she had told it not to bother, but its parameters obviously needed some refining.
She felt another poke near her waist, and as soon as she did, she reached down and used her hand to grab hold of the dark mass.
Emily pulled it out of the water and it squirmed in her close fist, as another two spikes sank into her thumb and palm respectively.
Emily clenched her teeth as the clump of algae shifted in her hand. It didn’t take her long to make out the small fish among the scum. The little shit had used it as camouflage, the entirety of its length fitting in her palm. Emily could just make out what looked like a tiny lionfish, its brown spines currently embedded in her flesh.
It was pumping what Emily could only assume was venom in the tiny wound, and her blood reacting, which suddenly made more sense. That along with the sudden lightheadedness and heavy weight in her limbs, she’d been poisoned.
The thing was, her old body could deal with all manner of toxins, but this was something completely new to Eva’s system. If Emily had to guess it was a paralytic, but what caused them to only show up now, surely these little sadists had been here for a while.
Emily glanced down and now that she knew what she was looking for she saw little clumps of algae drifting up from the reeds. Making a beeline for them, only they were incredibly slow.
Like they were drifting on the current.
They couldn’t be any faster than a centimeter a second but for these little landmines, it didn’t matter.
As long as Emily made any effort to swim forward she would be able to keep out of their range, the problem was they'd stopped for too long.
“Cupca…ke, let’s go…” Emily slurred.
Her blood was already working to collect and push the poison out of her body, but this wasn’t just an assains blade. Multiple little devilfish had barbed her so it took some time to remove it all. Cupcake pushed forward and Emily just snagged the reins, lobbing the fish behind them with her full might.
What kind of hellish landscape was this Emily thought.
Being hit with a paralytic while swimming was just a recipe for disaster.
“We’re leaving!” Emily grunted as she struggled to pull herself into Cupcake’s saddle and opened their connection. The skill trigger and life force moved between them, allowing the Rimwolf to once more step above the waterline. At the same time, Emily focused on expelling the venom from both herself and Cupcake. She truly hadn’t expected the ruby guardian to be tested so soon, but man was she glad she had set it up. It had brought her time to figure things out and now they ran across the still waters leaving the fish behind.
Emily glanced at the water rushing underneath them. She could make out the patches of algae floating through the water and had to wonder just how many were down there.
Cupcake was panting but Emily made sure to supply the energy she needed until all the venom was clear from their systems.
Through the dense, shifting fog, there was still no sight of any landmass, but Emily noticed something—a faint thinning in the mist to her right. Only barely, but enough to let her glimpse a little further than before. Her pulse quickened as she tugged at Cupcake’s reins, guiding her toward the clearing. Each time the mist thickened again, Emily adjusted, steering them toward each sliver of clarity like she was tracing threads through a maze. With every step forward, she could feel their progress, a sense of momentum building—a promise that they were finally escaping this fog-shrouded prison.
The mist began to thin further, and a renewed energy sparked in Emily’s chest. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the hazy surroundings as a faint roar drifted to her ears. It grew steadily louder, and with it came a rhythmic vibration beneath her—deep, resonant, and powerful. Cupcake perked up, her paws beginning to move with purpose as they chased the pull of a distant current. Together, they left behind the eerie calm of the reed-filled depths, the fog seeming to recoil from their path. Emily’s heart hammered faster, anticipation mixing with exhilaration as the mist parted further with each stride.
And then, in a single breath, the fog split wide open. They broke free from the fogbank, and Emily burst into laughter that echoed into the open air, spilling from her lips in raw relief. The world expanded before them—a vast, rugged landscape carved in wild strokes and vibrant hues. The fog, now a pale curtain behind them, clung to the edges of the lake as if reluctant to let them go. But Emily was already captivated by what lay ahead. In the distance, a sudden ledge jutted out, and Cupcake skidded to a halt, kicking up sprays of water. Emily steadied herself, gaze darting to the edge where a massive waterfall plunged down into an abyss below.
The sheer force of the falls roared up at her, filling her lungs with misty air and the rich, earthy smell of drenched stone and moss. Cupcake padded toward a patch of solid stone, her paws silent as they found footing, peering over the edge. The other side of the mountain range stretched out like a jagged wall against the horizon, each peak sharp and dark against the late afternoon light. Narrow trenches cut down their slopes, braided with streams that fed into the falls. The sight was awe-inspiring, wild and raw, and a strange mixture of joy and trepidation coursed through her veins. She was almost there- or at least more than halfway.
A slow, incredulous smile spread across Emily's face. They’d made it out of the lake. She hadn’t expected to find freedom from the fog so soon, and yet, here it was—a promise of something new, no damned cloying mist. Relief washed over Emily, and she took a steadying breath, letting the sight before her anchor her.
"No point in spending the night up here, what you say, girl, should we head down?"
Blood points: 275