The blue tunnel faded away.
A large blue sphere against the black star-decorated void of space rapidly took its place in the viewport. With a push of a button, the autopilot surrendered control of the X-Wing back to its pilot. A quick glance of the radar revealed the two ships that traveled at her side during the hyperspace trip were still right there, alongside her. The beautiful blue ocean planet staring right at them was slowly and gradually getting larger as the ships' forward movement was subtly reducing the distance between the two. Everything seemed to be going as they should.
Perhaps to someone who didn't travel the galaxy much, the sudden sight and situation would've taken some time to adapt to. However, not to a formal Imperial ace pilot and three-year Rebellion pilot. This was yet another day at work for Kasan Moor. With a glance at her long-range scanners, the intelligence regarding the Imperials' search patterns and day cycles was confirmed to be correct: the massive signal readings generated by the Star Destroyer was all the way on the other side of the system at this time. They were safe from detection. At least for the moment.
As redundant as it might've been, given the nearby radar readings, standard protocol willed Kasan's hand to click on her communicator and open up the comm channel to her two co-pilots.
"All wings report in."
"Umbra Two, standing by." A deep, gravelly male voice responded punctually in the commline. Private Dax Zynn, no doubt.
"Umbra Three, standing by." A scratchy, yet androgynous voice promptly responded after. Unquestionably coming from Mynce.
Briefly looking over to her left, she saw the small, red, nimble hull of an A-wing, flying snugly in formation, the vague shape of a female trandoshan in the cockpit. Looking at the right, she spotted the long, slender, yet heavily reinforced hull of a Y-wing keeping in formation with no difficulty, containing the general shape of a young human male inside its cockpit. Confirmation that they were right there with her. As if the radar readings and reporting in weren't confirmation enough. Never hurts to check, however.
Moor glanced down at her onboard computer and began pulling up information regarding her mission. She had memorized the basic outline and core objectives like the back of her hand: fly to the unknown regions undetected, reach the mysterious planet of Miras, evade discovery by the Empire, locate the missing investigation team, and extract them. The water-dominated planet of Miras was a recent discovery by the Imperial fleet, with the outer rim fleet managing to stumble upon it and send a small task force to investigate it for resources and other assets they could use in the war. Fortunately, Rebel spies managed to obtain information of this discovery, and Alliance Command didn't hesitate to arrange their own investigation team to the planet, hoping to learn about the biosphere of the world, and find something of use in the war and prevent the Empire from obtaining it first. It's been weeks since they reported back, however, and they're long overdue. That's why Kasan and two of her freshly trained pilots, are here. Umbra Squadron, they were named, although they need more pilots trained and enlisted before they could be considered an official squadron
However, finding the investigation team sent here was going to be easier said than done. At best, they're still in hiding to prevent from being found by the Empire, and at worst, they were discovered and either destroyed or captured. It's fortunate indeed then, that the team's last known transmission and the general area of origin were recorded by Alliance intelligence, and downloaded onto the pilots' computers for reference. Pulling up the information, she saw the area of transmission: currently a small, rocky section of the ocean-dominated surface on the south-eastern hemisphere. Planetary scans revealed a heavy storm that was currently raging over the area. A double-edged sword, the lieutenant observed. While the heavy rainfall and violent waves would make it somewhat difficult to see through, it would also provide great cover against the Imperial patrols that would inevitably reach the sector. No way they'd be able to detect the alliance presence in that storm if they ever came over here.
Looking at the planet reminded Kasan a great deal of Mon Calamari: pretty much 99% ocean with the occasional small landmass scattered here and there. She couldn't deny the pretty look of it, however, as the light from the sun cast over the day side of the planet and drew away the curtains of shadow that hid its beauty. A brilliant blue sphere painted on the blank black canvas of space, dabbed with the odd stroke of white to show it's clouds and storms, and every once in a while, occasionally sporting a small dot of dark brown rock or a brush of green and yellow island. Lieutenant Moor wished that most of the art she's seen in her life could be half as pretty as the sphere that she was currently staring at.
However, there was work to be done, and Kasan pulled her admiration and musings back into the rear of her mind and brought the mission and objectives back to the front. She gazed over at the storm-covered sector of the south-east hemisphere of the aquatic world, knowing precisely where she and the others were to head next. The sunlight's illumination wasn't going to last for that much longer in that sector, however, seeing how the planet's rotation was bringing it closer to the dark night side of the planet. Navigating the storm would be even more difficult if they waited too long, so Kasan opened her comm channel back to her two wingmen again:
"Alright, guys. Do you have the target location your radars?" She spoke into it.
"Affirmative, Lieutenant Moor. I'm ready to follow you down there on your signal." Dax responded.
"I've got it the location locked on as well. Just give me the word, Lieutenant." Mynce confirmed on her end.
"Good. Both of you stick to my wings and stay in formation. We're going down." Kasan gave them their orders.
With a slight push of her joystick, the X-shaped craft that Kasan was riding in dipped down and began zooming straight towards the marked sector, with Umbras two and three following rigidly and obediently, sticking to her sides like Mynocks to power cables. The blue sphere became larger and larger as they rapidly approached, eventually taking up the entire viewport, and keeping the streak of white that marked the storm dead in the center of their path. Gradually, the black of space began vanishing, replaced by the thick foggy clouds that made up the storm and obscuring the vision of the three fighters. Thankfully, Kasan still had her onboard instruments to measure and judge just how far above the surface she and her small squadron currently was. The clouds became thicker and thicker, moisture rubbing against the craft, Drops of water sprinkling the viewport. Suddenly, the clouds they were passing through gave way, and a great distance in front of them was a gigantic mass of violently swaying and shifting water.
Knowing immediately that they had made it into the storm and out of the upper atmosphere, Kasan didn't hesitate to pull back on her joystick, tilting her X-wing up, allowing the ship to directly meet the downpour produced by the clouds as she kept her distance from the ocean surface. A quick glance to her sides revealed her wingmen had done the same, keeping strictly within formation as they were ordered to. She couldn't suppress a small feeling of approval towards them. Good pilots, doing as ordered. Turning her attention to her viewport, the thick and heavy rain bombarded the transparisteel and overall craft by the millions, rushing in at velocity speed and partially blinding the pilot with its intense downpour crowding the sight in front of her. It was like a planet-sized bucket was being poured down on the world, constantly, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
"Zynn, Mynce, begin scanning for any alliance comm lines or signals that we could lock on to, and keep a close eye on your sonar at all times. We don't want to crash into any rocks or landmasses."
"Roger that, Lt. Moor."
"Understood. I just hope that we don't have to stay in this dish sink for very long."
She ignored the comment from Mynce and activated her own scanners to begin searching. While she and her wingmen were well above the reach of the ocean's wrathful waves, she took her own advice and kept her eyes on the sonar readings half of the time, just in case. It was effectively her only method of navigating through the blinding storm of water. Kasan took a small moment to adjust a strand of her dark-red hair that was poking out of her helmet, an unconscious nervous habit of hers. She might have been an ace pilot, and Zynn and Mynce were no rookie fliers, but navigating a storm with only sonar as your true eyes is very dangerous. Every passing second, the rebel lieutenant half-expected the rock towers to show up to try and put an end to her life. Her finger on the joystick twitched, ready to evade left or right at a moment's notice, her guard constantly up.
She and the others flew above the surface, keeping their eyes glued to their screens as they searched. In the corner of the dark haired woman's vision, a large black fish with dozens of fins on its sides rose out of one of the waves. It cried out a high pitched wail before submerging back beneath the stormy sea. Well, at least that was one sign of this planet hosting indigenous life. Kasan's mind wandered. What other kinds of creatures existed on this world? Was there any sentient life? They haven't come across any signs yet, but then again, they just got here. If there are sentient beings, could they be the reason that the investigation team hasn't reported back? It was all possible, but only supposition at this point. None of it would affect the mission, most likely, Kasan presumed. They were simply here to verify the status of the investigation team and extract them if necessary.
She hoped that nothing unexpected would arise to complicate this operation, but she's flown enough missions by now to know better than that. Nothing was guaranteed, and anything can happen.
She simply had no clue what this time.
—
At long last. Outside
Sy Khallsina relished the chance to bask in the warmth of the orange sunset on her skin, the familiar smell of ocean freshwater in her nostrils, and the gentle breeze blowing into her long brown hair. She treasured every moment of the feeling. After having to spend the entire day cooped up in the hut with her parents, being forced to help out with chores and other boring tasks, she can finally leave the home and go out to experience this feeling that she desperately missed all day.
She wished she could savor the feeling, but she did technically have a job to do and had to do it quickly, so she allowed her bare feet to begin walking her across the large floating walkways, headed towards the fishing corner of the buoyant village of Futajena. Weaving through the crowds of crossing people who made up the population, and keeping an eye on the many signs posted along the fences to keep track of where she was and which way to go. Various shades of Blue, yellow, gray, white, pink, purple, and multicolored clothing flashed by as she got through the crowd, along with a wide range of dark tans to pale whites in the skin of the people she lived with. There was also some great variance in terms of how much skin they exposed, with some bordering on swimwear. Khallsina personally found much more comfort in her faint blue sleeveless top and complimentary tan long skirt.
One look over to the left side gave her the reason she couldn't waste too much time: the orange glow of the gradual sundown was being overtaken by incredibly dark and thick clouds, and the many many sharp lines below them, indicating heavy rainfall. A storm was raging and rapidly headed in their direction. She had to go find her brother and urge him back home before the storm hit.
Otherwise, It seemed like a typical evening at Futajena: hustle and bustle, people attempting to get back home after a long day of work, and much traffic in the walkways. The floating oceanic village has endured for centuries now, with people managing to get by despite the dangers of the sea predators and the relative difficulty of finding food. And in all likelihood, the village will continue to exist here for many centuries to come. Thanks in no small part to the brilliant minds that handled their resource management, and powerful swimmers and fishers who could rake in tons of edible seafood while evading death via a school of Hasonil, or a Nilohsi shark, or gods forbid a Grand Mourtourna or whatever else the hazardous sea could throw at them.
That said, She never could shake the feeling that there was more to this world than what she and the others could see with their eyes. More to life than just survival. It was important, for sure, but how could that be the end of their progression? Surely there were more places they could explore. More discoveries to be made. Expanding their world and their resource pools so that everyone in the village could live comfortably, and not just live sufficiently. There were many of the villagers who held such ambitions and many others who disagreed, preaching about the massive risks of exploration and how Futajena should stick to its current lifestyle for the safety of all. Sy could certainly see their point, given the number of predators, but at the same time, she found herself more swayed by the more ambitious villagers. There were risks, sure, but the potential rewards were undeniable.
She remembered tales of a great Futajenian fisherman once who once deviated from his course at sea, unsatisfied with the number of catches he made that day. He had to contend with a giant Nilohsi shark that was angered from a perceived breach in its territory, and managed to fell the creature after a long and grueling battle. It was there that he discovered an abundance of a new type of edible fish in the area, and that area would go on to become one of Futajena's most fertile catching grounds. Ever since she was young, Sy found herself enamored by that story, and she had fantasized on making such discoveries herself on more than a few occasions
Eventually, the young brunette snapped out of her thoughts as her eyes settled on a collection of stands selling fish meat and plants, and docks with many many boats rolling in. She didn't need to look up at the signs to recognize it as the fishing section of the village, and where her brother; Mo Khallsina was located. The young man always made it a priority to inspect the place every evening, given his duty as a recorder. Even if she found his uptight nature tiresome, she couldn't help but admire his dedication. Turning to the right, she entered the fishing area, surveying the dozens of people around, searching for any trace of her brother.
Her search was blissfully short, as she eventually spotted a distinct dark-brown amidst all of the black, blonde, and gray hair that sat atop the crowd. Sy instinctively walked over in the direction, her brother's light skin scrawny frame becoming apparent the closer she got. He was facing away from her, his eyes glued firmly to his paper as he scribbled away the recordings. Yep, that was Mo alright. She approached the young recorder and spoke:
"Hey there, Mo! Buried your head into your notes again?"
The Khallsina boy looked up from his notes, smirking as soon as he laid eyes on his sister.
"Only doing my job, sister. Perhaps you could learn from my example." He japed.
"Well, maybe you'll be glad to know that this time I'm actually doing my job." Sy proudly retorted.
"By job, do you mean disobeying our mother and wandering off to the small island you're not allowed to go to again?"
"No, I mean our parents sent me to come get you. A storm's going to roll in soon, and we don't want to get caught in the middle of it."
The young man glanced over at the great black cloak spread across the orange sky over to the west of the village. He nodded.
"I see. Well, good thing that I've got almost everything written down now. I'll go deliver it to the Chief and then meet you back home. Do you think you can pick up a few fish at one of the stands and bring them home? That storm might last a while and we'll want some extra food just in case that happens."
"Sure thing, Bro! Just be sure to look up from that book every once in a while, or you might trip!"
Mo gave her nothing in response other than a wide smirk, taking the playful jab in good fun. He proceeded out of the fishing area, while the brunette girl stepped over to the fish stands, only stopping when she heard him call at her from afar.
"Oh, and Sy, no wandering off exploring or anything! I'm serious!"
Sy bit back a groan of exasperation before continuing on to the stand. As she was making the purchase with the vendor, she found her gaze being drawn over to the edge of the village, where a collection of small rocks, each barely a foot wide, dotted the waters that eventually led up to the small stone island. The tiny land mass was rumored to hold a great many secrets and evidence of other people existing in the world, and one that her cautious mother had forbidden her to go, for fear of what may lurk near there. She had snuck to the lonely island a few times before, and it was a place that she found absolutely fascinating. There were all sorts of neat things there, including many engravings in the large rock walls that took up a majority of the space there, and a few small objects here and there that she didn't know what to make of, being so oddly shaped and textured. The place didn't host anything dangerous and she knew it. Not that her Mother really listened to anything she had to say about it.
The transaction was eventually completed, and the Khallsina girl had turned and was getting ready to head back home with the fish in hand, but despite the reminder of why she needed to get home soon staring at her, she still felt a crippling feeling of dissatisfaction in her mind, eating away at her. She took another look over at that island. She knew that she shouldn't. And yet, an enticing and insatiable compulsion to explore that island had sunken its claws deep into her. She just got out here. She didn't want to go back in quite yet. Not after that long, tiring day of being forced to stay inside and do little to nothing active. Besides, depending on how long this storm lasts, she could be stuck inside that hut for days. Her skin crawled at the idea of not being able to go out and stretch her legs or sniff the fresh air or feel the sun's warmth for that long. Plus, if she made it quick, she could quickly get in a little exploring and get back home before the raging cloak of black came around.
Giving in to her temptations, she briskly walked over to the other side of town, her heartbeat starting to increase slightly as the sight of the rock isle got closer with every step. Eventually, she made it to the edge of the town, the only thing now standing between her and her last bit of excitement for a while being the cluster of literal stepping stones. She set the fish down near one of the fences, then brought herself over to the very end of the village boarding, staring directly ahead at the beautiful blue hosting the small rocks. Without hesitation or worry, she sent one leg out, feeling the hard, rough and wet texture of the rock on her bare foot. She rapidly sent the other one out, stepping onto another stone. And then another. Then another. Then another. The cycle repeated itself in a rapid series of steps, stretches, and leaps, navigating the rocks with great finesse and intuition. Never for a second did Sy fear falling into the big blue that surrounded the rocks and brushed up against her feet, as her body carried her over across the obstacle course with a mind of its own. She never even needed to think about any step she took. She simply took it, and progress was made.
Eventually, the stone steps ceased, and her feet had brought her all the way over to her destination without her completely realizing it. There was just barely enough land on the point where she made it to the island to comfortably remain stable on it, as the rest of the space was being invasively occupied by the large boulders that made up the small island's center. If she ever stumbled back, Sy knew for a fact that she would've tumbled straight into the water. Taking great care not to let that happen, she proceeded along the right side of the land mass, keeping herself braced against the granite wall, and keeping her balance firmly in check. Her heart rate had already accelerated, embracing the thrill of getting to check out this place again. Her shimmying continuing to bring her along the isle, eventually leading to a dip into the wall, creating a sort of small outcropping that gave her actual room to move. This was the place.
Sy stepped onto the outcropping and turned her gaze over to the curving wall where she was greeted with one of her favorite finds she made on the isle: a series of pictures and unintelligible writing embedded into the rock. Some of it was carved, while other parts were painted. If the young brunette could see her reflection right now, she was positive that she would've seen her eyes sparkling, and her mouth agape. She had seen these pictures multiple times now, and yet, they never failed to capture her imagination. The series of images seemed to start at the very top and then travel downwards in chronological order. The reason she believed that lay in the order of how mysterious and far removed in art style each collection was.
At the top, engravings are shown of ordinary people, but wearing very strange and unorthodox shapes for clothing. And they all were standing close to an incredibly peculiar object that the Khallsina girl couldn't begin to describe. It vaguely resembles a giant bird, but nothing about its shape indicated it to be any type of living creature. And there appeared to be...clouds flowing out of its end? The shape was just so...foreign...alien...Sy was at a loss of words for it. It was so far beyond her understanding. But as she looked down at the next collection of engravings, the shapes used for the people's clothing was slightly changed, looking a bit more similar to the ones worn by her people, and also showing the people holding spears, with many fish stuck on the ends of each of them. The next one was interesting. Now the people were being drawn in some sort of white paint, slightly fading thanks to the age of the rock and pictures, but still intact. The clothing was beginning to even more closely resemble the ones possessed by the current villagers. The land they were standing on was now an engraved series of planks and pillars, looking similar to the floating village she herself lived on, and jumping out of the water was another painting, that of which resembling a Hasonil, with all forty-eight of its fins on display.
The last one, in particular, had always stood out to her. At the bottom of the collection, the images were exclusively painted with that same white material. However, what caught her eye was a striking contrast in familiar and unfamiliar imagery. There were a few of her people underwater, their clothing now bearing a near-perfect resemblance to the people of Futajena. That was the familiar part. What was unfamiliar to her were the creatures they were surrounded by: creatures greatly resembling humans in appearance, but at a certain point, their bodies had morphed into something else. The upper half was all familiar and good to hear, but their lower halves looked like something else. Something a bit closer to a fish in appearance. What were these? Even after all these years, she had no idea. There was nothing even closely resembling them in the list of animals in their records. It was yet another clue, at least to the young brunette, that there was more to this world than what she and the others knew about. The idea of making that discovery was one that cranked her excitement levels up to maximum.
She looked over at her right, seeking to continue her journey around the small isle to see what new things she could find, however as she was about to do so, she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin slowly fade away, prompting to look up and see a horrible sight: the black clouds had overtaken the sunset, casting a chilling shadow over the orange sky, and over Sy's spirits.
'Oh no! I must've taken too long!' She thought.
Now she was going to get caught in the storm for sure! The pace of her heart remained the same, but the thrill was swiftly replaced with fear and panic. Desperate to not waste any more time, she briskly walked back over to the left path, trying to go back the way she came and make it towards Futajena. However, as she made her way back over, at the point where she could once again see the rock steps and the village, she could also see the harsh reality of the situation staring straight at her. The storm clouds had completely coated the sky, not letting a single ray of light shine through, the waves were rapidly picking up in speed and intensity. There was not a single person visible outside the huts of the village.
Sy Khallsina was too late. She was out in the open, exposed to the approaching storm.
The howling violent winds of the storm wasted no time beginning to batter the young girl, as if a boat was slamming into her and trying to push her out of its path. Even her attempts to shield herself with her arms did little to keep the intense winds from shoving her back, and her attempts to keep her balance put intense strain on her planted legs. It was like trying to push back the world itself. Sy didn't have much time to process any of it, however, as the next second she found a barrage of tiny wet projectiles pouring down onto her being, soaking her clothes and head within seconds, and bringing a chill to her body she didn't think possible from mere water. It felt like she was in a different world entirely with how rapidly everything had transitioned from bright sunset to dark storm.
Immense panic was beginning to overtake her mind. She could practically feel her heart in her throat. A quick glance to her side showed the ocean whipping around madly, violently, and with little to no restraint. Like it could snatch up and swallow anything that was unlucky enough to get caught in its reach. Sy felt her stomach turning at there mere thought of that unlucky thing being her. Looking up and attempting to see through the rain's visual interference, the vague outline of the village's mildly rocky, but relatively sturdy image laid out on the other side of the rock steps, secured by their hardy and thoroughly placed stone support hidden by the ocean the village was established on. It was no longer even a doubt in her mind that she had to get back to her home to shelter, or risk getting blown off her feet and into the ocean, where she'd surely drown.
Swallowing nervously, the young brunette stepped forward, using one hand to keep the rain from blowing into her vision to the best of her ability, and using the other to grip the nearby rock, using it to steady herself as much as she could. Initially, fear's icy grip kept her legs in place, preventing her from stepping forward like she knew she must. Eventually, she summoned enough courage to take a step forward. Then another. Then another. Gradually making her way up, closer and closer to the village, pulling herself up against the force of the wet winds, trying her very best not to glance over at the sickeningly sinister and wrathful waves, lest she risk puking from pure terror. As scared as she was, she didn't want to spend another moment amidst this horrible storm. Oh, why did she have to go and explore that stupid small rock isle? She should've just listened to Mo and headed back home immediately! Then she wouldn't be out here fighting the elements themselves for her very life!
After enough small steps and fighting against the wind currents, she found herself face to face with the collection of rock steps that got her onto the isle, and by extension this mess, in the first place. With almost nothing to grip or hold onto, keeping her balance on those rocks with the wind and rain at work would be near impossible. The frightening reality of the situation clenched down hard on the young girl's spirits. Looking back at the spot she went to and where this whole predicament started, the thought of staying near this rock formation on the isle and waiting out the storm crossed her mind. It'd be less risky, that's for sure.
However, upon further thought, the chances of that plan succeeding crumbled into dust. Sy was already feeling her muscles aching slightly just trying to cling onto this rock for dear life, and it's only been minutes since the storm had arrived. It was very likely that this storm will last for hours, if not days, and she didn't have the stamina to keep her grip going forever. She'd eventually tire out and get thrown into the ocean anyways, and then she'd be truly be boned. Gazing back over at the stepping rocks, and then the large destination on the other side of them, her only option was currently staring at her in the face, and she knew it.
Taking as deep a breath she could without inviting water into her mouth, Sy slowly lifted her foot and brought it over to the first stone, the chill of the moist, cold stone surface rapidly registering in her foot's senses. A glance over to the rock reminded her of her one chance to back out of this plan. However, the young brunette knew that it was a chance she couldn't take.
'It's now or never.' She thought.
Pausing for a moment to try and summon up more courage, she quickly pushed off of the wall she previously used as her support and took another step onto an adjacent stepping stone. The reality of the difficulty she would experience in this endeavor hit her with a several-ton stone, as the vicious and forceful winds and unrelenting rain rammed into her full force, and threatened her balance with extreme contention, the unwavering waves licking her feet as she tried her best to remain on the rocks. Feeling her balance beginning to tumble away, Sy's survival instincts took over and kicked her into full throttle, rapidly stepping forward and trying to reorient herself and maneuver the rocks against the forces that seem conscripted to make it so that she never sees the sunrise again. Each desperate step brought her closer and closer to her destination.
Until a fatal error was made, and a foot slipped off of the rocks.
The rest of Sy Khallsina's body followed suit, finally giving in to the forces of nature and tumbling off the steps. The next thing she knew, the world had another sudden transition into something unrecognizable. Only this time, it was in the dark depths of the stormy ocean, the powerful currents and waves generated by the storm flinging and tossing her around like a rag doll, never truly giving her a chance to orient herself physically or mentally. The image of rocky pillar coiling up into an island flashed in front of her vision before she felt the breath she was holding forced out of her by an unexpected slamming of her side into the rock, equal parts blunt and sharp. The impact sent her spinning around, and air bubbles to leak from her mouth, up to the surface. The sharp pain in her side prompting her to place her hand on it, feeling blood and torn fabric on her hand as she did it.
Looking up, she saw the waving surface of the ocean, combined with a sudden burning feeling in her throat and chest. Panic took a full grip on her being, urging her to begin pushing against the currents to try and swim back up for air.
No! She couldn't die! Not here! She didn't want to die! She wanted to see her mother and father and brother again! She wasn't ready to leave this life behind!
Unfortunately, her attempts to swim up were met with powerful resistance, as the currents and waves kept pushing her back down, causing the distance between her and the surface to widen. Another rocky pillar, this one failing to extend up to the surface, entered her vision before she felt yet another sharp pain as the forceful will of the sea shoved her into the pillar, even harder this time and scraping up her side and back as she was dragged across its jagged edge. Seeing the torn remains of what was once her skirt floating away did nothing to stop Sy from attempting to close the gap between her and her precious air, however. Allowing the bleeding cuts to continue and showing only concern for air and little else, needing to quell the intense flame in her chest and throat.
It was all for naught, as the stormy currents were simply too strong, and refused to allow her up. Her efforts were rewarded with another hard slam to her torso that forced her mouth open, this time from a rock pillar she couldn't see until it was too late. Getting caught on and yanked across it until her top gave away and allowed her to float away free from it and the stone's grasps. Her strength was quickly being sapped by the sea water entering her lungs. Her pushes against the current proved futile with her fading strength. She could feel the corners of her vision getting a little dark. Panic and desperate survival instinct tried to push her on, and yet she could feel death's hand beginning to grip her. It looked a lot like the end. A pretty horrible and premature end.
A stinging sensation spiked at her side all the sudden, prompting her to look down at it. Seeing a peculiarly shaped dart in her bare flesh. A flash of confusion entered her mind briefly while she plucked it out of her side, seeing a yellow substance leaking out of its tip. That definitely wasn't there a second ago. If that wasn't enough, she detected movement in the black depths of the ocean around her, the shapes and figures near impossible to make out. She had no more time to process any of it, however, as a new painful sensation entered her being. One that forced her to crouch in and tense herself, as a wave of stinging sensations overtook her lower body and partially overtaking her feeling of drowning. The pain intensified to the point where thinking about anything else was a difficult task in of itself, becoming analogous with thousands of starng fish quills embedding into her lower torso, and her leg bones moving and shifting around.
However, the agony didn't entirely last. The next thing the drowning girl knew, a more soothing and numbing sensation entered her mind, forcing her into a calm she didn't think was possible when she was about to die. Her legs gave out limply while her two arms tried to weakly reach out to the distant surface. The stinging and painful shifting of her bones was still there but was now far reduced. She almost felt like she was coming fresh out of one of her meditation sessions with her father. Her vision continued to darken as the oxygen she desperately needed was still being denied to her. However, that feeling of need was being slightly reduced as she fell into the calming, almost trance-like state of mind. The sensations in her lower body went from being painful to being weird, and the strain on her lungs began to soften slightly. While her mind was becoming increasingly tranquil, what remained of her consciousness felt much confusion about what was happening.
Eventually, the strange and slightly hurting feeling in her lower body ceased, and the strain on her lungs to breathe had become almost non-existent. While she still tried to desperately reach for the surface, she took a moment to glance down to see what was happening. Aside from her exposed upper body and the torn shreds of what was once her undergarments, an unreal sight lay in front of her: her legs were gone. Replaced with a long, singular limb, covered in light-blue scales, and ending with a pair of fish-like fins.
What? What was this?
What was…
She couldn't ponder the question any further. Between the depletion of her consciousness incurred by her previous drowning and the tranquilizing feeling that had been implanted into her, she could no longer remain aware or awake. With one last glance at the surface of the stormy sea, and one final attempt to reach out to it with her right arm, the darkness in her vision fully consumed her, and she fell into complete unconsciousness.