image [https://i.imgur.com/gfgJ27k.png]

Cautiously, she slid into the basin. The walls were steep but would be humbled by a true cliff. As the dust of the ground kicked up and the reaching roots whisked past her on her descent, she held tightly to the ground. She leaned back into the walls, then down as the walls curved to become level with the bottom of the basin. Finding vegetation closest to where she landed, she ran quickly to its cover and began to listen.

The waves would continue to crash against the docks and the shore, each beat of the waves sounded like a long and heavy breath from the sea itself. She calmed her own breathing to better hear, hoping she might hear the Man reemerge from the sea, or whatever might have pulled them in. Her instincts told her to rush to help, she was desperate to, but there was something wrong. The movement as the Man fell through the dock was unnatural, it almost seemed intentional, and from what she could see, the dock remained unbroken. Failing to hear, she brought her head above the bush to better see.

The mist made its way to her, covering her face in a layer of water and salt. Wiping her now stinging eyes, she took account of the homes in greater detail. The village was older than she'd first expected, there was a lack of a stone foundation. This meant the village was old enough to have been built before Esmony gained its independence. Judging by their sorrowful state, The village could have been a century, or perhaps even older. Vagabonds and bandits were known to overtake abandoned villages and outposts, which might have explained the man she saw. Searching the ground, she found footprints. Most were faded by rain and the sea, but some were fresh, those that were held an odd shape.

She moved from the brush towards the road that was laid straight through the village and out of the basin. Hidden from the shore behind one of the huts, she investigated more closely the footprints. They were barefooted with distinct angular heels. The toes were spread and long, a light indent suggested a sort of webbing between them. Whatever she was looking for was no Man, nor anything she recognized. The footprints traced from the sea to the houses, over and over, a dozen or more times the houses were searched.

After a few more minutes of retracing steps and waiting for another sign, she moved closer and closer to the docks. Everything she found suggested more of the same. Something was coming from the sea and looting the village.

At the foot of the docks now, she started moving across to the end, to where the thing had disappeared. Looking around, she noticed one of the boats crashed against a rock. Newer in design, bearing an insignia she recognized. The gray mountain rising high above the orange sun. Hailing from the other end of the continent far west and farther south, this vessel must have crossed around the southern end of the continent, round the east and past the peninsulas. The wood was still vibrant, the mast was mostly un-torn, the ship was assuredly new, how new could be argued however. It was a decade at the oldest, but impossible to tell when it had arrived. It gave more hint as to why someone was here, but not the strange appearance of the footprints.

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Shifting her focus back to the docks, she continued to creep upon the end. The closer she came, the more vividly she saw it. The dock ended in but a few dozen feet, but beyond it continued a stone bridge. Stepping down from the wood upon the stone, she almost slipped on the wet rock. The bridge had an odd shape, as it had a peak with both sides angling towards the water, though only slightly. The slipping green moss made it all the more hazardous. Despite the only threat of slipping being the waters, the unrelenting waves might never let her break back out to the surface. So she remained vigilant and steady, moving slowly.

From what she remembered of the surefooted creature, it made it look all too easy. It was entirely unfazed and swift when it walked on the bridge. She thought that it might be one of the Drift Touched. She needed to know more to understand not only what happened to the village, but why it would draw the attention of something that could live within and without the sea. No thing ought to go unknown, least of all people.

The end of the stone bridge widened, a sort of square platform with a hole leading down below the surface of the water. A steel rod held down what appeared to be a net. The Net lazily hung down into the hole. A few feet until she would arrive at the hole, she stayed low to remain steady and prepared for whatever might emerge. She held to Feathered Edge at her side as she drew closer. Just before she could peer down, the net suddenly shifted.

The sudden movement made her jolt backwards, with nothing to hold, she slipped backwards. Her feet flew up from under her and launched her onto her back, her large backpack did little to slow her down as she started to slide off the side of the bridge. The crashing of the waves covered her in water and dragged her closer to the edge.

Before she would be dragged below, she willed herself to flip onto her stomach and just barely hold onto the bridge. If she had gone just a fist's length more, she would have never been able to maneuver herself back onto the bridge. Gripping tightly to whatever purchase she could find upon the slipping stone and taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned herself around and slowly rose back up to a crouch.

Again, she approached the hole, stopping again just before the precipice and waiting.

One moment.

One moment more.

The longer she waited, the less sure of herself she became, but eventually curiosity overcame caution. She shifted just a little closer to the edge, seeing just a sliver into the hole. The dim and cloudy sky could only illuminate so much, but it seemed to go deep, and wide. The crashing water would continue to assault, but now she too was unfazed.

Another minute passed, still fixated on the net, waiting for another movement. But nothing would come.

She inched closer yet again. Revealing more within the hole, more mossy stone and a deep blackness further down. Water dripped in from the edges and splashed a dozen feet down within.

She leaned forward, almost straight down the hole.

Before she could register it, a cold, wet and scaled hand would grasp her shoulder with the swiftness of a striking snake. Readied as she was with her weapon just within her grasp, the hand was quicker to drawing blood from her.

"MAN THING!!!"

The face of a fish would stare deeply into her eyes. The complete blackness of its own eyes sent shivers as its frowning mouth shouted the words.

"COME BE, FRESH MEAT!!!"

The webbed fingers drew more blood and dragged her down, throwing her into the hole. There was a moment of falling and reaching back towards the sky and then, a crash.