Title: Water
ps/k
Genre(s): AU ... set in a monastery in an AU Middle-Ages
Rating: T
A/N This oneshot was written for the second round of the YGO Fanfiction Contest, whose theme is Mizushipping - Priest Seth x Kisara. This entry was supposed to belong in the genre 'Horror', but turns out it won't, not under this incarnation.

Milly

.k.

It was one of those damp, late summer nights and Seth wished he had a woolen blanket to fight off the cold wetness that seemed to reach the core of his bones. The stack of hay he called a bed was moist from the previous day's decanted mist and the wall seemed to be sweating, the tiny droplets evenly spread over it made it seem to glisten under the moonlight that peered from the tiny hole in the wall that pretended to be a window.

The young man was unable to focus on his reading of the Encyclopedia of Medicinal Herbs and Plants, much less able to sleep; restless, he placed the book back in its hiding spot, secured the wall stone over it. He looked it over, then tossed a handful of hay over it and picked it up again, repeating the motion until he was satisfied with the camouflage.

He stood up and pressed his ear against the decrepit wooden door of his cell. When he heard nothing more than the regular breaths of his exhausted peers, he abruptly opened the door in the quick, precise motion he knew would keep the hinders from crying. He ran gingerly through the pitch dark hallway of the monastery, holding his breath, lifting his robes a few inches from the ground so that they wouldn't soil or make him trip. He reached the door that would take him outside and breathed in the crisp, fresh air.

Seth was quite fit thanks to the farm work prescribed daily by the Headmaster. He ran across the orchard, avoiding each branch without losing his balance or speed and e climbed up the wall that separated his community from the outside world without difficulty. When he was atop of the barrier, he surveyed the grass spot on the other side to verify that it was safe to jump. He landed soundlessly, absorbing the shock in his hands and knees, stood up, and paused for a while to let his deep blue eyes adapt to the dimly lit environment. When he was ready, he marched without thinking, his feet automatically taking him to his destination.

He didn't bother to look back to the six foot tall stone 'blinders' erected all around the dreaded structure that would be his home for no more than a couple of years. Just a few more years of enduring a strict lifestyle, boring routine and idiotic peers, day after day, until he was ready to set foot again in the real world.

As he set foot on the soft spikes of a horsechestnut, Seth knew instinctively he was there. His ears became receptive to the sound of water washing off the bay nearby and the clicking of insects. He stopped and rested for a while on the northern edge of the massive trunk, slimy with lichen, then ran his hands up and down until they bumped against a tree mushroom. He blindly patted around it, bending each lump to test for tenderness, and pried a few smaller ones off their host, dropping them in the front pocket of his clothing. He then wiped his hand on his robes and walked around the tree, searching for the parasitic vines he knew were now bearing edible fruit, and ripped a few bunches that he kept in his hand as he hop scotched to the gently rounded pebbles adorning the shore, carefully sitting down on the one smoother, bigger rock he knew was big and sturdy enough to accommodate him.

The air was even crisper now that he was at the waterfront. It nearly made him regret his decision - but then again, the extra food was probably worth the risking catching a cold.

But also, the beautiful scenery here helped him preserve his sanity. He'd go insane if he stayed within the walls like the others did. As far as he knew, he was the only one who disobeyed the Headmaster to sneak out at night.

A few minuscule yellow dots were visible from across the wide bridgeless body of water, sending dotted lines dancing on the lukewarm ripples that died on his muddy toes. He rinsed the fungi, inspecting to make sure they were the oyster mushrooms he thought they were, and bit in them wildly, forcing himself not let his hunger take over and chew each mouthful as much as he could to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients. One of them wasn't as young as its small size let on, and Seth was taken aback by the acrid aftertaste. He swallowed on, washing down the sensation with a few unripe grapes, overly sour and firm, but juicy enough to sate him.

Only once his improvised third meal was over Seth let himself relax. He gazed at the moon in waning gibbous that hung over the distant town. Its shaped evoked the sight of a woman expecting, although he wasn't sure anymore (he hadn't seen a female in so long). The human contact he had besides the company of his peers were the inebriated exclamations that could be heard from the city during important celebrations.

Choosing to relish in his loneliness rather than cursing it, Seth tossed the naked vines in the water and undressed, stepping forward carefully, shivering as the air chilled his skin, flinching as the uneven rock bed teased his calloused feet. He exhaled deeply as he let his head sink underwater.

Azure eyes opened to the sight of seaweed jolting as the fishes went scurrying through them, their metallic fins blinking erratically until they were completely hidden in the entrails of the lake. The underwater world unraveled clearly, monochrome from the moonlight above. Eager not to make his surroundings murky, the human used only arms to bring himself back to the surface again, letting his lower limbs follow swag along, careful not to disturb the sandy seabed.

He shook his head with vigour but still had to use his hands to brush his brown bangs from his eyes and forehead. He rapidly assessed the distance he had swam to. The chestnut tree didn't look so imposing. The shore was no more than a couple dozen arms away. He had only intended to rinse the filth off his body and was amazed at how far he had made it, lurking about with no aim but to sate his curiosity.

Seth turned around to face the center of the lake, brought his knees to his chin, shifted the weight of his upper body forward, and sank yet again as his legs stretched upwards, pushing him to where the fish hid when predators were at bay.

The sea floor was no longer visible and the swimmer guessed he was penetrating a steeper area as he swam through a colder patch of water that had his pores tighten in waves. Timid bubbles escaped his mouth as he witnessed a shoal of arctic char dashing right around and past him, as if escaping something from the deeper waters. He turned to see where they were going, but they were undiscernable against the ridged surface. When he turned back, what he saw in the infinite indigo spread below him froze him in place.

Something was roaming about freely. It moved gracefully, erring like a silky scarf or gossamer veil falling slowly to the ground. But a few sharp movements made Seth realize he was observing a living being. He began to make out pairs of limbs partially visible in the liquid light.

Two of them were thin and long, and their ends shone brighter than the rest - claws, he assumed, and the remaining pair, much broader than fins, reminded him of a bird's wings. He saw a bright orb, unmistakebly blue, that seemed to shrink flat and take its full round shape again, then another blue orb seemed to appear next to it, moving along like twins - eyes, Seth realized as he let yet again some of his precious air escape his mouth. He was caught in the otherwordly sheen in the creature's eyes.

'It' seemed to halt its movement suddenly, as if made aware of the human's presence. As it approached him it caught more of the moonlight, each of its silvery scales perfectly polished, illuminating the beast's surroundings with their reflection, it became clearer that the creature was much bigger and farther than he had thought. Seth noticed a long and powerful tail that surely sent the water at the surface rippling from the power of its thrusts, and two rows of sharp teeth appeared out of nowhere, breaking the mortal from his entranced state of mind. He nearly choked on his surprise and his panic, and was forced to swim upwards to fill in on air, his impatient lungs sending rushes of adrenaline through his veins every time he swallowed on his own air to make the short yet urgent trip to the surface more bearable.

The swimmer's breath was heavy and demanding, because of the emotion and the physical effort.

He had to look up at the moon to ascertain that he was not dreaming. He was learning so little about the real world, sheltered in the religious community, that there was a fair chance he actually knew very little despite the impressive amounts of books he devoured every week.

Without thinking twice, he dove back into the depths, trying to sink as an arrow, searching in vain for a hint of the animal. His eardrums pained and his chest begged him to return to the terrestrial world where he belonged. After a few other failed attempts at catching sight of his discovery, Seth hesitated. He wasn't sure whether he was able to swim all the way to the center, even though that might increase his chances of seeing the foreign animal again, but on second thought he didn't want to die trying.

He resigned himself and commenced the long swim back to the shore.

When the water was barely three feet high, the teenager brought himself to his feet and up, wincing at the cold kiss of the night wind on his skin. When he was about to step out completely of the water to regain possession of his clothes, he felt something significantly warmer under his foot; he lifted it and saw a darker cloud in the water where he stood, and a perfectly polished, oblong stone the size of his big toe. He picked it up and cut his finger, this time feeling the sting on his skin; the object was not a stone at all. It shone beautifully, weighted next to nothing but felt unspeakably solid. It lacked the wholeness of a seashell, and Seth concluded that the strange object might in fact be a scale. A scale so beautiful it outdid pearls and diamonds. A jeweler's dream.

Stranded seaweed clung to his legs. Seth plucked each one out, shook the droplets of water off his skin and roughly combed his hair with his fingers. He placed the valuable in the large pocket of his damp gown and improvised a leafy bandage of sorts for his foot before hastily making his way to his cell in time for the call for prayer.

.k.

The church was not a stand alone building. It was inside the monastery, connected to the offices and the sleeping cells and the dining rooms by a series of hallways and dark tunnels, many of them yet unexplored by the monastery's inhabitants. They were told not to venture where they hadn't been showed by the Headmaster, and when the doors weren't locked, the darkness beyond them sufficed as a deterrent.

It was still reasonably dark inside the church, since the sun had not risen yet. Eleven or so young men kneeled in silence, facing the altar; some with their heads up, hopeful of narrowing the distance between themselves and God, some with their head down, nursing their faith in intimacy. Some of them murmured, some of them hummed, and some of them were so perfectly silent their souls seemed to have vacated their bodies, pilgrims to so holy places.

Among the praying ones walked the Headmaster, bat in hand, ready to administer swift blows to those who dared let themselves lull into sleep. Seth's had no trouble living on a few hours' sleep. This demanding schedule was not a problem for him.

His thoughts were not, however, turned to the martyrs or the saints or the Holy Spirit - it never really was, seeing how he had integrated the monastery with the aim of getting what education he could from it, and leave at the beginning of adulthood to make his own place in the world. Like the people of his day, he didn't question the existence of the Creator, but he didn't feel the need to go to him for help, either. Everything Seth had achieved or acquired, he owed it to himself, and no one could make him doubt that fact.

So, while his brothers in fate were indulging in their sacred duty, Seth was in the middle of a tug of war between fear and courage, self preservation and fascination. He wanted to see the white creature again. It hadn't looked threatened or threatening, but definitely predatorial. The dragon - Seth had established that it was the mythical creature he had come across in another of the illegal books he 'borrowed' from the Headmaster's own private library - might well be as dangerous as it was enthralling.

Wings and scales and claws and fangs, it had it all; it was the regal aura there was to the creature that differentiated it from the average lizard or amphibian. It was noble, unknown to all, and it was beckoning him. He longed for dusk even more than he longed for his daily sustenance. And that meant a lot, considering it was two slices of bread, with a single apple in option when the fruit was in season, assuming the harvest was good.

The first golden rays of light shone on the stone building and tickled the stained glass portrait of the monastery's patron to life. Saint Jerome Emiliani, patron of orphans and abandoned children, could be seen blessing the sparse audience of his House, his head tilted to the side, with a mouth that Seth always thought was mocking.

Although this community was originally designed to welcome many dozens of orphans like himself (and it has done so for over a century), it was no longer the case. This big building, now with more vacant and forbidden rooms than people to fill them, saw its vocation change when the new Headmaster, Akunadin, took over about fifteen years ago. The name monastery had remained, but it was before all a school where a handful second, third or illegitimate sons of wealthy provincial nobles were forcibly enrolled at an early age to be trained as priests, along with generous financial compensation from their families. Seth snickered at the thought; they were abandoned by their parents just as much as he had been.

.k.

Seth had hoped that the back pains, muscular fatigue and minor sunburns brought about by the apple harvesting would keep his mind off his new obsession at least for a while. Unfortunately for him, he had been too efficient in collecting the ripe fruit from the row that was allocated to him. As a result, he had plenty of time to spare. Not feeling obliged to help and lighten the work of the other students, he set his mind on identifying the plants he read about in 'his' book, observing the flora surrounding the fruit trees.

To his pleasure, he recognized a good number of the labeled plants among the weeds; some of which had edible leaves and roots. He rejoiced inwardly at the good news - more hidden sources of food to complement his ascetic diet, and easily accessible! He tried not to let his smile show, as he wasn't planning on sharing his alternative harvest with anyone. None of the students here were worthy of his help - either they kept remnants of the snobbish attitude they had been taught at their parents' homes, or they were lazy and devious, and those who weren't were too sincerely engrossed in their love of God to accept Seth's offer to see to their bodily needs.

Seth was nibbling with a leaf when the sight of the dragon's piercing eyes came back his mind - for minutes he just sat there, lost in thought, trying to recreate in his mind's eye the gleam of the dragon's sharp teeth as he petted the soft, reassuringly cold scale with one hand in his pocket.

Two feet sloppily treaded the grass towards Seth, and a wooden ladder was being pulled behind. Seth grimaced; the ladder should held above the ground when carried from one point to another, in order to maximize its shelf - erm, barn life.

"Hey Seto. What on Earth are you doing."

The addressed did his best not to let his movement be interrupted by the insult. He loathed the nickname that was imposed on him by some of the students, but rather than making a scene about it, he opted to ignore those who called him by that name.

"Seto Seto Seto..."

Another voice chimed in, higher in pitch, and a basket ladder was dropped on the ground, its contents bouncing a little inside. Seth stood up, assessing the tree rows, parallel to the stone wall. His tree row was picked already but those who were allocated to the two boys were only half picked. Considering theirs were closer to the wall, receiving less sun and therefore bearing less fruit, it was hard to believe how lazy the two pickers beside him had been.

"Come on Seto, be a pal. Help me out." The first boy was a tad taller than Seth, and had a lazy eye. His voice had an unpleasant nasal ring to it.

"You're such a dick, Nicolas. Never mind him, Seth -"

The addressed was a bit disappointed by the other boy's calm. He'd normally get fired up quickly, with no resort but his pathetic verbal abuse, which were for Seth a treasured source of entertainment. He was about to ask him about his change of heart when he interrupted him.

"- you should be helping me. Who knows, you were probably the bastard son of one of my servants at the castle. You rightfully belong to me, peasant."

Seth rolled his eyes at the failed attempt at wit and/or logic. Not bothering to grant the duo eye contact, he crossed their rows and crouched by the walls next to a bunch of white, bell shaped flowers.

"Isn't it funny," the second boy added with his high pitched voice, "that your parents named you after one of the most wanted children in the scripture, only to reject you?" 'Biblical Seth' was the third son of Adam and Eve, and it is said he was eagerly expected by his parents.

It would be hard for him to take offense at their words, for he had nursed his sick mother until she succumbed to dysentery. He had been loved - there was no doubt about that. When he felt the brats couldn't even entertain him properly, he walked up to Antoine, the second boy, and his basket, and grabbed an apple from it.

"I really don't care if you take all day, but at least do your job right. This apple is not ripe yet and it got bruised because you're such a slack off. I don't want to be stuck eating rotten apples in the winter because you're too dumb to pick an apple properly."

He slapped the green fruit into the shorter boy's hands and walked off past the duo with assurance.

.k.

Once farm work was over, the students gathered in the dining room to receive their second and last meal of the day. The Headmaster always gave a long grace that had the young stomachs churn noisily. All eleven teenagers were seated in pairs, sitting across each other, except for Seth who enjoyed sitting alone on the other end of the table. The Headmaster let him do this, and while some of the future priests were content with the company of one another, some others were jealous of what they perceived as an undeserved privilege. At any rate, Akunadin wanted his pupils to sit at the same table, and there wasn't any other place for Seth to sit at; and that's how things were usually settled.

The older man entered the room silently, and stood at his end of the table, pausing solemnly. Then, as if part of a ritual, he removed the hood form his head, uncovering long, gray hair.

"My sons." His deep voice commanded attention. "You are the minds and hearts of this nation. When your education is complete, you will be required to leave this sanctuary of peace and wisdom to go on and lead your own pack of sheep, just like I."

He directed his stare at Seth. The others did not see that, their heads resting on their joined fists, set for prayer. The young man knew he should correct his posture to match that of his peers, but he did not. There was something in the his mentor's rich blue eyes that compelled him to look up and sustain his gaze.

"The world is a dangerous place. Beyond these walls lurk strange, unknown beings. Monsters whose bodies were shaped by the sinful hearts of their masters. There lurk strangers, alien to our religion and customs. Barbarians."

One of the most pious youth shifted in his seat. He was visibly afraid.

"You are not yet equipped with the tools necessary to face those who live in society, nor are they equipped to comprehend the values that you defend." Seth felt the man's powerful gaze on him and tensed up. By now it was obvious that the monologue was directed at him. Did he make noise? Not any more than usual. Did he leave a trace? He balled his feet furiously while trying to keep a straight face, and the wound from the night before cracked open.

The blood.

That bandage lasted long enough to keep dirt from penetrating the wound on his way from the shore to the wall, but he had been forced to take it off when time came to climb it once more. Was Akunadin watchful enough to go over the wall himself and inspect the monastery's surroundings? He did not look like he was fit enough to do so. Moreover, the walls were completely sealed. Was there a secret tunnel out, that he kept hidden from his pupils, or had he simply noticed Seth's little escaped before, while never letting on that he was aware of them? If that was the case, why was he being so lenient about it? Why wasn't he openly accusing him like he did when Nicolas was caught cutting a branch from one of his own apple trees, hoping to save himself some work? The headmaster's behaviour was completely unreadable to the young man.

Unable to withstand the long silence, and not wanting student to lift his head and witness the stand off that was happening between him and the Headmaster, Seth broke his stare first. He lowered his eyes, admitting guilt, and took the praying posture that the others were sporting.

"My sons. You are my flesh and my blood. Never forget that my actions are motivated by your well being." He paused again for a long time. Seth did not dare lift his head and meet his gaze again. "You may eat."

All the boys chomped on their bread in unison, and Seth made his mind up: he had no choice but to confess to his spiritual father after the meal.

.k.

When night fell again, and the moon made its appearance, reminding him of the dragon he'd seen the day before. He shifted nervously in front of the door of the Headmaster's office, letting his fingers toy with the scale. The door finally opened, answering the young man's quiet but confident knocks. His hands sprang from his front pocket and he felt his lip tremble. Why was he so agitated?

"Father, I need to confess."

The man smiled, highly pleased. Seth knew right away that he had enormously appeased his mentor's anger by showing willingness to admit his wrongs. The older man walked out the office, and into the hallway that lead to the church, and in the church they stopped in front of the booth. Seth had never been in the big room at night, while everyone else was asleep, and it was frighteningly silent.

Both men took place in their respective half of the booth, and once the youngest had knelt down, the muted ticking sound of the small wooden door separating them could be heard. Blue eyes stared at each other through the grillage. Seth took the initiative.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned."

The other did not respond, not even to give him the customary reply. Seth licked his upper lip nervously and spoke again, eager for this whole ordeal to be over."

"I have climbed over the stone wall, and ventured far from the monastery."

"Why." The tone of the Headmaster was not neutral as it usually was during confession. There was a hint of emotion in it. But Seth was focusing on something else - he had a chance of getting away with it.

"I heard someone crying for help." His mind raced to keep up with his lie. "It was a female voice. I had to venture out and help her."

"It was not yours to come to her aid."

"There was no time. She was in water. She was drowning." The boy was amazed at the ease with which he was lying. "I saved her. She gave me this before going to the city. We did not speak and did not look back as we parted." He hadn't thought this one out, it just came. And from his pocket he produced the precious scale, instantly regretting that he did it. He slid it under the thin wall in front of him, and he saw that the priest grabbed him.

"A seashell. You have kept it with you all day. Tell me why."

It was a dangerous path. He saw a lecture on sin and luxury coming. Seth was about to justify himself but caught his tongue in time - the Headmaster had no way of knowing whether or not he really had nursed it in his front pocket all day.

"No, Father. It was in my room. I have brought it just now."

"Why didn't you bring it earlier."

"Because of the harvest, Father. The well being of my peers is more important than this token of gratitude." Nicely done. He knew the Headmaster wanted him to say he treasured it, and he escaped that route.

"You have done well during harvest. You have also done well in confessing your sins. You are forgiven."

Seth knew he was expected to leave first, and headed to the hallway that connected the sleeping cells to the church. His heart was still racing from his daring lie, and he felt brave enough to stick around longer and spy on the Headmaster, perhaps to know what he was going to do with the scale. Seth held his breath to listen to the older man's steps. It seemed to him that the man was still sitting in the confessional booth, and he waited for minutes without knowing why, or without wondering why the priest had believed his absurd story. He regretted to have given the keepsake away.

Finally he heard the faint ticking sound of the wooden door being closed, and the flutter of the fabric curtains of the booth, indicating an exit. He heard footsteps shuffling hurriedly, the sound softening at each step. He peeked to see the Headmaster take the hallway that led to his office, strolling calmly as ever.

Seth heaved a sigh and walked to his room as quietly and as he could considering his mental state, and let himself drop on his hay mattress, very well knowing that he couldn't leave the walls tonight, and that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep tonight, his mind prey to a hundred unanswered questions, each one more torturing than the other.

.k.

More than a week passed and harvest was more and more demanding physically, which was a blessing in disguise for Seth who wished nothing more than to forget about the dragon he knew he probably wouldn't see ever again. The Headmaster was once absent during prayer and his sermons during the evening meal were particularly acrid, each time focusing on one of the deadly sins. Seth could not imagine himself fall for a woman, indulge in sloth or gluttony; his pride was tamed and tested everyday when he struggled not to react to Nicolas and Antoine's hateful slurs. Greed was something he was ambivalent about - he considered that a man who worked hard deserved to own more than a man who didn't work as hard. Seth knew he wouldn't sleep a wet hay for much longer.

As a matter of fact, he was heading outside right now - the Headmaster had announced that he was going to the city to get baking supplies for the winter. He would be out of the monastery for two days, and Nicolas was put in charge of in the meantime. Knowing how he was the one who was most likely to fall asleep during prayer, Seth had no doubt that he was asleep right now. He tiptoed past his cell, listened to the dull snoring of the boy, and headed off outside the building and across the orchard, this time using the ladders set in place by the Headmaster to climb up and down the wall.

He relished in the feeling of freedom despite the wind, slightly colder than during his previous exit. The skies were clear and the stars more visible, and so the waning crescent gave a little bit of light, but not as much as the waning gibbous. It might be harder, even impossible, to catch a glimpse of the dragon in the depths of the lake this time.

Seth was too hyped about the mythical animal to stop for mushrooms and grapes, undoing the ropes around his belt as he bypassed the tall chestnut tree. His robes had already fallen and he ran straight into the water, swimming away from the shore with energy to where he knew he had seen the dragon.

He dove once and twice, each time bringing his eardrums to never before felt pressures. The water was murky and his eyes were red and irritated from the particles; when it dawned upon him that he had either imagined the dragon, or missed the chance to see it again, he exhaled, defeated, and swam back to the shore, closing his eyes underwater, not caring to look at the fleeting silver fish in the dancing algae. He felt guilty for having lied to him and for disobeying his mentor once more in vain.

Strangely, he felt even more guilty for having given the scale away. As days passed he grew fonder and fonder of the renounced object. Many times he had wanted to go and ask the Headmaster to give it back to him. But it would be seen as a sign of lust, of attachment to another creature, something that he was taught was not allowed for a priest. They are to love God and and its creations, yet they are forbidden to love them too much. It was an odd feeling, that thing disdainfully called love by the Headmaster, and from the way he spoke of it, it didn't seem all that interesting.

When the water was barely three feet high, the swimmer brought himself to his feet and up, wincing at the cold kiss of the night wind on his skin. When he was about to step out completely of the water to regain possession of his clothes, he felt a presence and looked up.

There was someone sitting on his favorite rock.

Their eyes locked. Hers were of a piercing blue, her gaze as rich and powerful as the Headmaster's, but without the hatred. She had long hair, almost white looking - Seth assumed they might be blonde under the sunlight, seeing how everything appeared to be of shades of silvery white and icy blue under the moonlight, and seeing how her features didn't spell out old age.

"It seems fun."

Her voice was unlike anything he'd heard in the last five years, aerial and melodic. It was as pretty as her face, fully lit, her nose and lips thin but feminine, her neck slender, her breasts hidden but noticeable under the simple garnment she was wearing... He imagined how nice the silver scale would look on her, as a necklace. Seth's face flushed, and he was too dumbfounded to utter a coherent reply.

"Fun?"

He looked around him, looking maybe for something he hadn't seen, and he was suddenly aware that he was completely naked. His face turned even hotter and darker, looking faintly purple when bathed in the blue light, and he immediately covered the parts below his waist with his cold hands, eliciting a deliciously crystalline laugh from the girl. The boy was embarrassed, but he sensed that it was the situation that she found funny, not him. He looked frantically for his robes, tossed away God-knows-where. He regretted his haste, but at the same time, he had no idea that he would be caught naked in front of an attractive female, who twisted her back to grab something from behind the rock she was sitting on. She then stood up, a mass of dark clothing in her hands that she held out to him, closing her eyes, a half smile pleasantly colouring her features. She was close to him now, and he could see a very shiny tooth peeking between her pale blue lips.

Her eyes still closed, she shook his robes a little, inviting him to take action.

"Come on! I'm not looking." Her smile then widened, and revealed a row of perfect, although small, glistening teeth. Her trusting demeanour was contagious, for Seth instinctively felt like he could act naturally around her. Like she was an old friend. Or something more. It was hard to tell. Seth had never really cared for human relationships, much less thinking about them, so he wasn't able to nuance when he related to others. But this strange girl already was interesting to him.

"You're not afraid of me?" Seth blurted out as he gently but firmly took hold of his belongings.

"Why would I? You couldn't catch me if you tried."

Seth snicker a bit more gleefully than he normally did as he fastened the rope around his clothed waist. "Oh, is this a dare? I couldn't hunt down a lady when she has her eyes closed. It wouldn't be fair. You're already much weaker than I am, that would be a disadvantage... Okay, you can open your eyes now, I'm done." He opened his eyes to see the girl had disappeared. In her place were a small pile of fabric; behind him there was a barely noticeable splash, and Seth turned his head to see the lean form quickly swimming to the spot whence he came a few minutes ago. He didn't notice that there weren't any ripples in the water around the place where she dove into the water.

She had taunted him; man or woman, Seth was not one to decline a challenge. He surprised himself when he let a curse escape his lips, undressing as quickly as he has just dressed up, and ran after the girl, confident that he could catch her, swimming aggressively in her tracks. He was excited about meeting someone new, about the playful, comfortable atmosphere that had immediately set between the two of them, and about the game they were playing. It felt good to be alive again.

Their race ended in the middle of the lake.

"See?" He could not, but he knew she was very close, right in front of him, for her volatile voice ringed clearly in his ears.

"No, I don't." He grinned, not knowing she also was.

He jerked his head to send his brown bangs flying backwards, but it stayed glued to his face. He lifted his hand to fix the situation but his fingers knocked against something soft and cold. He then felt his locks being delicately pried off his sealed eyelids, and a shiver ran to his spine - not from the cold water they were in, for he swam with such positive aggressiveness that his body temperature has risen considerably - but from the feeling of a finger, icy cold but very soft, brushing off the hair off his forehead.

"Now. Look around."

He did, and saw that no shore looked farther or closer than the other. He turned again to stare at her, pride and bewilderment wrestling to take over his features. "You..."

"You thought you weren't able to make it to the middle of the lake, weren't you."

His eyes narrowed, questioning. Had he ever said that out loud? No, he hadn't.

"I saw a dragon here the other day." He supplied her the information without thinking over, not worried that he might pass as a madman for seeing deadly mythical creatures or seeking their presence with no regards for his own welfare. "If you want we could go look for it. It should be around here."

"You saw a dragon," she repeated simply. Her blue irises gleamed in excitement or mischief, Seth couldn't tell which, but she bit her lip to repress something. That much he as certain of.

He tilted his head, his upper lip curling slightly, as if to say 'are you sure you're not making a fool out of me?'

She saw him frowning a little bit, and didn't want him to interpret her reaction the wrong way. Solemnly, she added: "I'd love to see it with you." But try hard as she could, her perfectly polished teeth, almost metallic looking, were now biting into an irrepressible grin.

The young man licked his cold, wet lips by reflex, deciding on the spot that he would never be able to read the girl's mind. The young man had surrendered. He just stared at her, taking in her fine facial features, her bubbling personality, her irresistible and lively aura.

"Dragon's got your tongue, sir," she teased. "Tell me your name."

"My name is Seth."

"Set."

"No, Seth. You have to blow through your teeth like this."

"Setpfffff."

"Sethhhh."

"Set-vvvv."

"You can call me Seto."

"Seto." Her pronunciation was crisp and clear, nothing like when the two idiots uttered it.

"What is your name?"

"Q'zala."

Seth didn't even try to repeat after the girl. There were consonants he didn't know existed in language - or maybe she had clicked her tongue while saying her name? His brain just couldn't process it.

She laughed simply and offered him a broad smile. "Q'zala."

He sported the same amazed yet confused look.

"You can call me Kisara."

"Kisara."

She kept smiling. "Kisara and Seto."

Those three words made him uncomfortable and very happy at the same time. He felt his cheek reddening again.

"Are your fingers always so cold?"

"Are you always so upfront with people?"

"Yes they are. And so are you."

"Cold?" He pouted, pretending to be offended.

She snickered, and that was the final blow.

He was awed.

Seth wanted to ask her where she came from, but it didn't matter anymore.

She wanted to ask him where he was going, but she knew the answer already.

"Come."

She dove in first.

He followed her, swimming along toward the indigo depths of the lake.

.k.

A/N I realize now that I was strongly influenced (unconsciously) in my depiction of Kisara by sefina's fic Quiet Roars. Go read it!

I am seriously considering polishing and extending this piece into a multi-chapter once the contest is over, though. I will appreciate your thoughts and feedback! Thank you for reading.