Obran woke up at the edge of the forest; the sun was up in the sky and a wide blue sea lay ahead of him. He welcomed the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. He was happy to hear everything: the waves, birds, and insects, dreading the memory of the soundless forest. Obran peered through the trees but couldn’t see far but thankfully there was no sign of any skeletons or any mist creatures and no scent of death. But there was also no sign of the Tori, or Gaius and Agrippa. His satchel, weapons, and gear lay in front of him. Obran quickly grabbed his crossbow, loaded it and looked for a tall tree. It was a hard climb; he still felt a bit dizzy and exhausted and for a moment he thought he’d only dreamed about Mondain and the monsters in the forest but how else could he have ended up here? From the top of the tree he could see the sea clearly. It was a rocky coast but north in the distance, on a hill by the water, he saw something that resembled a fort with a lighthouse and behind it were mountains. There was no movement or signs of inhabitants on the coast or in the forest. He guessed he was at the western edge of the Pisae Forest. Mondain had taken or teleported him here. But where was Tori?
He climbed down and sat by the base of the tree. He checked his clock and compass. The mountains were north and it was nine in the morning. What should I do? He decided to go up and down the coast, stay nearby, and look for tracks or any signs of the others. He walked to the sea and sat by the water's edge as the waves struck the coast. First time I’ve seen the sea. He walked south but did not find any tracks, so he decided to head to the lighthouse; perhaps the others were already there since it would be the logical place to go.
Obran walked north by the shore. The coast was rocky and had many outcroppings so he was soon forced to walk into the sea; it was slow going. His water skin was full but he took only a few sips of water since he wasn’t sure when he would find fresh water. As he got closer he noticed the fort looked older than any building he’d seen. It also looked battered and destroyed by the elements. Passing a large rock outcropping Obran was soon forced up to his chest in the water; maybe I should have gone around the rocky shore, he thought, but he didn’t want to re enter the forest ever again. He held his satchel above his head, when a large wave suddenly struck him and knocked him straight into a boulder. He was stunned by the blow, still dizzy from his previous one, when another wave pulled him into the sea. Quickly, he was dragged from the coast by the rip tide and panic set in. He could not feel the ocean floor. Obran tried to remember everything Tori had taught him as he thrashed and clawed his way back to land. He tasted saltwater and then another wave pounded him from behind, sending him underwater; the shore was getting further and further away. He stroked now, swimming well but he didn't feel as if he were moving. The sea and current were too strong and he began to tire; he stopped and tread water. Swim, then rest, swim then rest, he thought. But how long could he keep it up? Would he drown here? He saw his satchel laying by the beach. It had floated back without any effort. Why couldn’t he get back? Were the gods of the ocean pulling him to his death. No...he glimpsed a shape approaching him from the sea as a triangular emerged from the water. While treading water he pulled out his blade. He didn’t know this creature but he knew to stab or claw at its eyes. He hoped his leather gauntlets and armor would protect him from its bite. Suddenly an arrow hit the creature in the head. It thrashed silently as red blood stained the clear water. He turned and saw Tori on the rocks by the shore. She was yelling at him to swim sideways pointing to her left, then drew another arrow and hit the creature again. It finally swam back into the deep sea. Obran tried to swim but still felt the current holding him back when Tori dove into the water. He tried to yell at her to stay back but only swallowed water. He was panicking now, struggling to stay afloat. He was about to pass out when Tori grabbed him, pulled him onto her shoulders, and started to swim to the coast.
"Hold on tight," Tori said. "More sharks will come."
Obran looked back and saw several fins approaching. He didn't think they'd make it and was about to let Tori go so she could escape.
"You let go and I’ll stop too," Tori said.
"Okay," Obran said.
She swam faster than he thought possible. When he felt Tori touch the ocean floor he swung off her as Tori threw him forward. They ran the next few feet, not stopping until they collapsed next to each other on the beach.229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaB0ZTV0L0
