(Part of an on-going Solo series. Thank you very much.)

Pain.

It was honest and true.

The one consistent factor in this hateful reality.

Currently...I felt a tremendous amount of it.

The last thing I remembered was sleeping...and then the pain started after that.

Sleep rarely claimed my conscious mind...

But the night it had all began I recalled sleeping rather deeply...

When I awoke next it all went downhill from there...


There was water all around him. I was dreaming... He coughed in the darkness as he growled in anger. Pain and rage, it went hand in hand. Nosdyn opened his eyes and immediately, water filled his lungs. Panic. Where am I...? He thought to himself as golden eyes flared in the dark. Immediately, the rage filled his mind and heart. Not like this...I survived The Boss, I survived Jake...I can survive this. Think... He was in water and then he looked up and saw the surface of the water up ahead.

Swim...use your muscles and your strength to survive this... No logic, no rational thought. Only an animalistic need to survive. The basic law of the jungle, the desire to keep going another day. The water was strangely peaceful around him...but peace was Nosdyn's hatred. His eyes flared as he looked up and began to swim with every ounce of strength he could muster from within. His heart beat with all it's demonic fury. He reached for the surface ahead...Swim you bastard...the Thayne will not do me like this. I will not fall for their dirty trick... He swam against the current, and finally, his face broke the surface of the water...

***

Nosdyn screamed as he swam in place the water had filled his lungs, and he was trying to fight the ocean itself, where ever he had ended up. It was night and the moon ahead of Althanas proper shone her pregnant light across the surface of the dangerous world below. Althanas had always been a battle for survival at it's core level. Nosdyn swam desperately in a direction...any direction. Need to get to shore...out of the water... And ahead, Nosdyn saw several structures in the water. They moved of their own accord driven by some device or another. Transports...Thaynes...you damned bastards...I will win after all.

Nosdyn swam towards the transports little knowing he'd stumbled upon vessels belonging to the Corone Imperial Navy. Nosdyn swam, and lights immediately were shone in his direction. Nosdyn heard shouts up ahead in the distance...and he kept on swimming.

***

Thud!

Hauled into the vessel's top deck.

He growled angrily, but was too weak and exhausted to fight at that precise moment.

Boot steps.

Nosdyn looked up and saw an elegant Human male wearing regallia of the Corone Empire. The man knelt down towards him. "Nice night for a swim ain't it?" The gruff and thick Radasanth accent came through.

"..."

The Captain of the vessel shook his head. "No need for the silent treatment, stranger. You're in good hands. If the other side would had found you first...the story would have likely ended. Name's Luke Vek. I'm captain of the Star Lady." Luke ordered his men to help Nosdyn get more comfortable. "You're a guest on my ship. I know what you are by the glow in your eyes...Haidian. The other side is not too keen for your type of folks."

Nosdyn coughed. "Nosdyn. My name is Nosdyn...I owe you a debt, Captain." Haidians were serious about their debts.

"How did you get this far away from shore?" Luke asked.

"I don't understand it...I woke up in the water. My last memories were of home."

"You mean the Tular Plains?" Luke asked.

"No. Ettermire...Home is Ettermire." Nosdyn said.

The look of disbelief in Luke's eyes was obvious. "You're from Alerar? You're off the coast of Corone now, son."

Nosdyn didn't understand any of it...or what had actually happened. He shook his head. "I don't understand what happened...I was having a dream. And ended up in the water...here...my head hurts and my chest hurts." Nosdyn said truthfully.

"It's the cold sea water. The ocean is a mean mistress at times. But I'm glad that we were the ones to find you, son." Luke said calmly. "You need rest to regain your strength so that you can be an asset." Luke said calmly.

"...An asset to whom?" Nosdyn asked.

The question was not answered at that point...