Silent Year

Wow, this one's incredibly short. I apologize for that. Not much to say on this chapter besides that it was actually fairly fun to write. Anyway, please review, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed!

All right, questions! Again, I will answer all questions I can, but not if they create spoilers! Nyufufufufu! X3

Question #1: Which forest is Quiari from?
Sorta making that one up on my own. ^^; I'm terrible about plot lines and such and just write whatever comes out. So...to be revealed? *shrugs*

Question #2: Why is Quiari so timid, and why doesn't she speak to anyone?
Working two questions into one. Nyufufufufu! X3 Yes, well, that is to be revealed...in maybe two chapters or so.

End questions. And thank you for asking them! You've made me think about a lot of things now! I am always happy to receive questions, so please don't worry about how many you ask or what they are. And thank you for the questions Sansa, you rock!


Chapter Four: Frozen Life

Another night passed. Another morning dawned. Another cold, dark, dismal morning. The green sludge was again waiting in bowls on the long tables of the Dining Hall. But only a few seats were filled, the rest of the students were outside, back in Gym gear. The young woman was again with them, but she didn’t have to crack the ice today. The instructor had already done that. Today they were doing deep diving apparently, as all the boys were doing breathing exercises in the water. Take in a deep breath, hold it as long as possible; let it out slowly. Quiari hadn’t been made to get in the water. Instead, she sat quietly on the edge of the ice, the instructor speaking quietly to her. “So, you’ll be goin’ in first, Quiari miss.” Said the instructor, and the young woman nodded barely and then stood up. “All right you dogs! Clear from the center!” shouted the instructor, and the boys moved from the center of the pool that was created in the frozen lake. “All right! When I say ‘go’, you’ve got five minutes!” shouted the instructor, tossing a very small ring into the water, and he waited a few moments before looking at Quiari. She stood silently, bare foot in the snow as she’d taken her boots off to avoid getting them wet. She had her eyes closed and she took in a deep breath and let it out. Her breath was like white smoke in the air, and it lingered a few seconds in the frigid air. “GO!” shouted the instructor, and she instantly jumped up and dove into the water.

The water was dark and grey beneath the surface of the water. Yet, surprisingly clear…the ring was clearly visible, still floating to the bottom of the lake. The young woman’s eyes opened and then instantly shot shut, bubbles of air escaped from her mouth in the small scream that escaped her lips. She brought her arm up and covered her eyes with her forearm, seeming to desperately try to wipe the water from her eyes. She finally let her arm down, and she let out an air bubble before opening her eyes again, searching for the ring which had disappeared to the bottom of the lake, resting on a rock. The young woman kept her eyes open, squinting in the water, and she brought her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. In this fetal position she hovered, sinking slowly while no more air escaped her lungs. When she let her legs go, she was near the bottom, and she no longer retained her shape. Her arms had grown fins, and her fingers had become webbed. Her skin, which was normally a tan, now was a sickly green with pebbled texture. Her long legs, which were usually covered by her skirt or the Gym pants, were exposed. Ripped shreds of her pants drifted down to the lake bottom, resting quietly. Long, thin, fins had sprouted from her fins, drifting lazily in the water around her like a gown, and she turned and looked at the lake bottom, hair drifting out behind her. It had snapped from its braid so suddenly, and now it mirrored the grey waters perfectly. She gave a kick of her right leg, drifting through the water, and a few air bubbles escaped her lungs. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth and she swam down to the ring, stopping above it and reaching forward with her left hand.

Suddenly, blue blood started filling the water. The girl reeled back, precious air bubbles streaming from her mouth as she doubled over clutching her left hand. A giant fish rose up from the lake bottom, perfectly camouflaged for a surprise attack. The ring sat upon its head, glinting in the thin rays of light that passed through the sleet grey of the water. The young woman shot back, kicking away from the fish, but the fish gave chase, the ring falling harmlessly to the ground. Quiari swam away, one hand over her mouth, the other trailing blood behind her. Both legs worked, propelling her through the water at speeds only achievable with Quiari’s newly sprouted fins. The fish kept up easily, long teeth gnashing whenever it got close enough to the young woman’s legs. She nearly lost her legs, but she escaped. She used both arms now, weaving between rocks which the fish just crushed in its blood lust. The young woman turned sharply and swam over the fish, which didn’t have enough time to react and kept swimming forward while Quiari made a mad dash back to the hole in the top of the ice. Her lungs screamed; where was the air? She couldn’t breath! Her stomach lurched, as if trying to spill her guts, but she clapped a hand over her mouth, sweeping down and snatching up the ring as she passed, and she swam straight up. The fish caught up, and slammed her into the frozen ground that held the castle above the lake. An underwater rock slide occurred, and the fish, sensing victory, swam down to feast. Quiari was lost in a cloud of blue blood, sinking slowly in her daze. Her eyes wide open, glazed, she stared at the light above the surface of the water. Fading, drifting away to be covered by blue blood. Swathed in darkness.

A light, a glimpse of better times. A green face, light jade eyes reflected in a monster’s teeth. The monster reflected by a strand of silvery hair. Lungs screaming, heart racing, and blood pumping sluggishly into the water. Ah yes, the pain of life. Quiari dodged the teeth aimed for her stomach; she slid out of the fish’s grasp, kicking her paddle like feet, shooting from the blue cloud like a bullet. The fish gave chase, bent on tearing into her flesh. Swim, the fish can’t get you on land. Swim. She shot out of the water, surprising all the boys still in the water, and the fish came up right after her, realizing, as it crashed to the ice, that there was no water here. And its quarry had escaped. Quiari dragged herself along the ground, bones shifting, rearranging. Her skin became darker, warmth spread in veins along her legs and arms and body, revealing her torn Gym clothes and her tanned flesh. She lay still for quite sometime, teeth gritted and eyes closed, and then she vomited up a bunch of water, coughing afterward and relieving the rest of the water from her lungs. Her hand had stopped bleeding, and green fire was surrounding it, the fingers were growing back. Her hair hung wetly in her eyes and pooled on the ground around her. She took in a shaky breath and then started coughing again before she looked up at the boys who were now surrounding her. The instructor crouched down and she moved her right hand forward and then put the ring gently in the snow, and then she fainted.


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Chapter Four is done! WEWT! (and I say 'woot' as 'wewt' so that's how I spell it. Nyufufufufu) Chapter five should be coming soon, thank you again to all who reviewed! And remember, please don't be afraid to ask questions! ~Nezumi-kun~