Her body was gently placed in the water and with Breakers strong calloused hands supporting her, she floated limply amidst the glistening surface. The morning rays bounced off the surface and made it look as though the Nekojin had been laid upon a carpet of shifting, shimmering sapphire.

Despite the cold touch of water soaking into her Ayaka was burning, her insides churning as the poison worked its way through her veins.. Ayaka’s skin had taken on a sickly yellow taint as her kidneys began to fail her. Her eyes were glazed as they fluttered open to stare at the blurry visage in front of her.

Breaker?

No.

It wasn’t just him, something was shrouding him, about to envelop him. Blindingly bright as it emerged from the trickling waters. “L-look out…” She breathed as a slender, shaking up barely lifted itself out the water. There was no strength left in her. It fell back into the water, diving below its surface.

The gentle ebb and flow of the waves soothed her. The way her hands, hair, and tail swayed with the gentle currents felt as though the ocean itself was attempting to lull her into a sleep, one she knew would last forever.

“Am’aleh,” Breaker whispered, “Am’aleh please…”

If Ayaka was coherent enough, she’d recognize the name - it was one of the Thaynes of Althanas. She would have recalled having to pray to her every ninth month of the year, the time between Winter and Spring. But she wasn’t. She barely recognized the name, barely heard his voice. Her attempt of warning him against the sparkling mass of white and blue behind him had fallen on deaf ears. What didn’t fall on deaf ears however, was the strange lilting voice.

“What poor soul have you brought into my depths, oh champion?”

How to describe it? The woman sounded as though she were everywhere, all around Ayaka. Her voice was modulated, her tone wispy. Her silvery words were sympathetic. Ayaka was sure she was hallucinating. “F-fuck off.” She managed.

Was that laughter? The water pulsed with mirth. Ayaka swore she felt the current shift, instead of the steady ebb and flow, to and fro, she felt it begin to circle her.

“She has spirit,” the strange voice said. “Such a dose of ricin would have tamed most by now. Would have killed most.”

’Great...about to die and I’m hallucinating.’

Ayaka groaned, if she had the strength she would have pushed herself out of the water. She did not. ’Weird ass fuckin’ Thayne man and his weird ass burrial got me all loopy. Hell… I’m telling myself shit I already know. I know my high poison tolerance. I know I should be dead. I sorta wish I was.’

“Her will to live is weak,” the mellifluous voice said. “I cannot maintain a mortal coil that wishes to rid itself of the spirit…”

“Ayaka!” Breaker snapped, slapping her across the face. “You have to fight! Stay alive…”

Her eyes snapped open as she felt the sharp sting against her flesh. They struggled to focus on him. “N-no cure, dipshit.” she mumbled as she went to slap him back. Well, tried to. The best she could do was lift her hand out of the water only for it to fall short of his jaw. That strength wasn’t there moments ago. Her eyebrows furrowed. She shouldn’t be able to lift her arms.

Hell...come to think of it…

The blinding,cramping pain had dulled. Not entirely, no. She still felt it tugging at her body and churning her insides. Her limbs still burned and her head felt as though it were being crushed - but it was ever so slightly more tolerable.

“Whossat?” Ayaka asked as her eyes focused on that same glistening figure behind Breaker.