[Kat-Wolf]

Comias

Comias hated water.

Yes, like ever stereotypical feline, he absolutely despised any and every liquid. In fact, the only time he appreciated fluids was when he was drinking them. The disgusting way it clung to his fur and made his pelt seem twice as heavy... His nose curled in distaste.

And, so, for that very reason, the Slynx was splayed out over the black sands, a few meters from the ocean's edge, his body stretched across the ground in a very tube-like manner. The ebony particles attracted warmth, and he gratefully let the sun soak into his fur, warming him from the tip of his spotted tail to his twitching whiskers. The sound of the waves pounding down was somewhat calming, if you could call it that. With eyes half closed, Comias gazed silently towards the sun, a smile playing upon his lips.

This was incredibly better than all of the other unearthly places his owner had sent him... In fact, he doubted he'd move from that very spot, until she called him, maybe not even then... A soft grin was etched on his face as he thought of the possibilities.

[Comias: 1/5]

[Kat-Wolf]

Septima

The tide pulled lightly at Septima's paws, beckoning her deeper into their glorious depths. She loved the ocean. Back in the mountains, where she normally resided, it was far too cold to ever go swimming, and, as much as she loved the snow drifts that towered above her head, she felt as if she was missing out.

And, so, Kat had sent her off on a little journey with Comias. Sure, they were here to increase their battle stats, but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun, as well. The festive pet glanced up to her counterpart, whose tail was lazily flicking from side to side like a flexible metronome.

The Slynx waded in deeper, letting the water wash onto her underbelly. She didn't mind the feeling of soggy fur; in fact, she found it rather comforting, the way it weighted down her pelt, staining her golden chest dark ochre. Septi grinned, and found herself moving quicker and quicker towards the dip right before the sandbar. Up to her neck the sea went, splashing onto her cheeks and ears as she giggled. Finally, with her paws barely touching the soft, black bottom, the female let her entire head drop into the brine.

She didn't dare open her eyes-- no, the salty water would make her scream-- but, all the same, she could feel tiny minnows nibbling on her whiskers and muzzle. She laughed silently underwater, a few bubbles floating to the surface and scaring her newfound face-washers away. The Noel pet rose, after having run out of breath, and shook her head.

Septima was quite a comical sight to behold. Sopping wet, and with a few strings of seaweed draped over her frame, not to mention one hanging over her right ear and one loosely swinging over her maw, she smiled and started paddling back to shore. She had to get Comias to try this! He'd love it!

[Septima: 1/5]

[Kat-Wolf]

Of course, his perfect day had to be ruined when she came along.

She was the bane of his existence. She was the reason he hated company. She was probably the most annoying, obnoxious, eardrum-breaking, disturbing, hyper...

"Hiya Comias!"

A low sigh sounded from the Common pet as he reluctantly turned to face his companion. "Hello, Septima..." He rolled his blue eyes, flipping back over, faking a smile. "You've ah... got something... on your face..."

Septi beamed, quite an odd sight from the upside-down angle that the Slynx was viewing her from, with the black seaweed plaster across her body. "Oh, right!" she cried, and crouched down.

The female shook as hard as she could, spraying water droplets and bits of dark green slime over her counterpart, who bit back a growl. There-- she was doing it again, being incredibly annoying, getting him wet... Comias shook his head, wiping some of the debris out of his pelt. "Why don't you go back and play in the water?" he suggested dryly, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

"But Comi!"

I'm going to shoot her.

Sep's high-pitched voice echoed into his eardrums, making him want to put his paws over his head. "You have to come with me. It's so much fun! There are these little minnows who nibble on your face and the sand is really soft and I bet we could get all the way out to the sandbar where all of the starfish are and we could see the jellyfish and ride waves into shore and go whalewatching and make drippy sandcastles and..."

The Noel pet continued rambling. Somebody, kill me now please... As Septima's voice continually resounded across the beach, Comias began to drop into slumber once more.

[Comias: 2/5]
[Septima: 2/5]

[Kat-Wolf]

The first thing Comias saw when he opened his eyes was water.

He pretty much freaked.

Especially when he realized that his paws had been dangling in the disgusting salty fluid... The feline leaped back several feet, shivering on the black beach. The tide had risen by a measurable amount since he had fallen asleep, and, to his pleasant surprise, Septima was nowhere to be seen. The sun was now barely on the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow over the seaside.

His enjoyment was short-lived, however. Septi's unmistakable, festive red and white coat was soon spotted as she bounded up to him, her tongue hanging out of her mouth like a dog's. Stupid Slynx. Thinks she's a Dalma or something. Her bright, chartreuse eyes were glinting with excitement as she began to rapidly speak.

"Comias! Guess what? There's this really cool looking little place and I really want you to check it out and it looks super fun and will you please come with me please you're so cool and this is really fun so please please please..."

However, her voice was merely a buzz in his head after the first few words. If he had any choice, he'd simply leave her, but... Kat would be mad if anything happened while he wasn't watching. What am I doing, babysitting kits? he wondered irritably. He looked over to the babbling Septima, who still hadn't stopped talking.

Yes. I am actually babysitting a kit. Woop dee doo.

"Fine, fine, fine..." Still, the feline didn't stop, as his voice was unheard over her thoughts.

"SEPTIMA!" She stopped suddenly, and looked to the male with pleading eyes.

I'm going to regret this...

He sighed, his body drooping, a sign of defeat. "Yes, I'll go with you."

"You mean it?" Sep beamed, showing a line of somewhat crooked fangs. "Let's go!" The female raced ahead, kicking up a cloud of pepper in her midst, leaving Comias trotting behind her.

[Comias: 3/5]
[Septima:3/5]

[Kat-Wolf]

Dusk was beginning to settle as the pair finally came to a stop, the Common pet panting behind his festive counterpart. Septima laughed as she slowed, looking over the ocean-- to her destination. The sandbar wasn't too far-- it was still visible against the dark blue waves,a small strip of green-tan in an endless navy void.

She stepped into the water, letting it wash up on her ankles, and turned to Comias. "Well?" she asked, grinning. "Are you coming?"

The feline looked horrified, and skittered away from the foaming edge. "What? You never said there was swimming involved! No way!" He glared at his companion fiercely, sitting down and planting his paws in the black sand.

Septi rolled her eyes and giggled, shaking a wet par in front of his face, showering him with tiny droplets. He growled. "C'mon," she goaded, watching him slyly. "You're not scared, are you?"

"No, of course not," answered the Slynx through gritted teeth. "I just hate water."

Looking downwards, the female sighed and trudged back towards the waves. "I guess I'll just go alone, then..." Wading deeper and deeper, Comias felt his emotions-- and sense of duty-- churn. It wasn't that he felt bad for her, not really; her feelings could mean less to him, but... Kat would be mad if she was lost at sea, and...

He looked back out, seeing her bright red pelt hop above the water in an excited fashion. She sure got over that fast. He silently debated whether to follow, taking a few missteps before sitting back down. She loves the water. She'll be fine.

[Comias: 4/5]
[Septima: 4/5]

[Kat-Wolf]

"That tickles!" The Noel pet laughed as a starfish latched itself onto her leg, and she rose her foreleg above water, letting the echinoderm rest at eye level. "You're a funny little thing, aren't cha?" she giggled. The starfish simply pulsated, its suction cups feeling her fur. "I think I'll name you... Jeffrey! Jeffrey the starfish!"

Septi laughed again, placing her paw back in the water. "There ya' go, little guy, now you can breath." Her newfound friend stayed with her for a few more minutes before inching his way back into the sand.

The Slynx looked back to shore, where Comias sat, his front legs now bending as he stooped down to the ground. A soft wave a sadness washed over her, but she soon pushed it off, her mind suddenly returning to her sea-dwelling buddies. Dropping her skull beneath the brine once again, she nosed around for sand dollars, played with the minnows, let a few crabs walk over her snout...

It was only when she resurfaced that she realized she had begun to drift away from shore. Her paws could barely touch the bottom now, and she struggled to paddle back to the sand bar. With each stroke she took, the pull out to sea was stronger and stronger, and she found herself moving farther and farther away from her destination. Panic overtook her, and she frantically splashed, terrified. She was stuck in a riptide.

"COMIAS! HELP!"

[Comias: 5/5 Level up!]
[Septima: 5/5 Level up!]

[Kat-Wolf]

He had been dangerously close to falling asleep when she had called; his eyelids sagged, and just as he was about to drop into slumber...

The feline bolted upright, looking from side to side wildly, trying to pinpoint the source of the call. Septima's cherry red pelt was like a flashing beacon against the dark waves as she thrashed in the water frantically, drifting farther and farther away.

Comias shot forward, only to slow to a stop at the water's edge. The frigid fluids seeped through his thick fur and penetrated his muscles, causing him to shiver as he hesitantly slid in. The tide now washed onto his elbows.

The Slynx looked out to sea. Septi's body was now a mere ragdoll on the current, her struggles more futile and weak as she was pulled into exhaustion. Still, she was floating away, towards the deep.

I don't have time to dawdle.

With renewed vigor, the Common pet bounded onward, cutting through the waves like they were butter. The coldness was now a mere side effect, a distraction. He hardly noticed it. By the time the water level rose and the ground left his paws, he paddled determinedly, closing his eyes as salty brine washed into his face.

Now only a mere 20 feet or so from his target, who had all but fallen into unconsciousness, Comias called out. "Septi!" he yelled, his voice hoarse. "Hold on!"

She raised her head weakly in the churning waters, her green eyes pleading as she watched his hazy form drift closer and closer. A light smile played upon her lips as she attempted to bridge the gap between them, but to no avail-- the current was far to strong.

Exhaustion overtook her. Blackness filled her gaze.

[Comias: 6/10]
[Septima: 6/10]

[Kat-Wolf]

He could have screamed when he saw her tiny frame fall beneath the waves, when he saw her neon green eyes close, a sign of utter and total defeat. The Slynx felt his heart twist. When he finally came to his bearings, he continued to paddle, and a hoarse cry came from his throat. "Septima!" he yelled, taking a deep breath before diving under.

The brine stung more than he could imagine-- like ant bites on the eyes-- but he kept them open. The blackness of the sea was intimidating. Letting a few bubbles rise, he frantically looked for the Noel pet's body.

Practically burgundy with the ebony tint of the ocean, there she was, slowly sinking to the unknown sea floor. Comias' cyan eyes lit up, and he pushed downward, accelerating with every stroke he made. He was so close, but, even so, she was drifting farther...

His lungs began to ache, yet he refused to stop-- Just a few more paddles, he told himself, almost there... The feline was but a few yards away, and there was no earthly way he was going to giver up now.

So close, he said, stretching out his neck to grab her. ...so close...

He felt a surge of triumph when his teeth clamped over her scruff, and he looked upwards. The surface was a good eighteen feet away. His lungs screamed, and black spots began to swim before his eyes.

No! the pet reminded himself, beating his mind internally. You will not die today, and neither will Septi. Now MOVE!

Twelve feet away. His paws grew numb.

Eight feet away. The ocean began to twirl around him, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

Five feet away. Blackness began to swim over his vision, but he was so close...

Three feet away. He didn't think he'd make it.

Two feet away. His efforts grew weaker, and his eyes began to close.

One foot away. He was going to die.

He thought he could manage one last paddle, one final effort before his demise.

Zero feet away.

His head broke the surface.

[Comias: 7/10]
[Septima: 7/10]

[Kat-Wolf]

Air had never tasted so good, Comias decided.

He gasped wildly for a good minute and a half, with Septi's body slung over his shoulders. The riptide that had taken her away had now died off, as they were far out enough that its reaches expired. The dots and haziness began to fade away, albeit slowly, as his oxygen-depraved mind began to repair the damage his expedition had created. He weakly treaded water, letting his own buoyancy support him as he struggled to retain consciousness.

After his vision was entirely cleared, the Slynx began to slowly push back to shore, his eyes half closed as he thanked the Holy Triumvirate in every language, dialect, and method he knew. He shifted his shoulders, allowing the fallen Noel pet's head rest against his neck, above the water line.

He had never felt a greater relief than when his beaten pawpads touched the soft, ebony sand of the sandbar, and he waded wearily towards the coastline. His legs ached, his muscles burned, and his lungs felt as if he had inhaled a burning flame. But he smiled weakly. He had won. He beat the ocean. He was alive.

The feline practically collapsed on the beach once he staggered out of the freezing waters, hyperventilating somewhat as the full enormity of his struggles reached him. He suddenly turned to Septi, afraid.

What if she wasn't just unconscious? What if she was... dead?

The Common pet ran over to her side, pressing his paws wildly onto her ribcage as he sought some sign-- any sign-- of life. Her limp body was completely waterlogged, and liquid seeped out as he put pressure on her coat. "Septi!" he cried, frantically nosing her. "Septi! C'mon, please!"

She lay still in the sand, the particles catching on her wet pelt.

The Slynx began to wail, his moans stretching over the beach for miles. Sure, he had never really liked her, but, as much as he jokingly said it, he never wanted her dead.

But it was too late now-- he didn't ever tell her how much he cared for her, how much he didn't mean all the things he said... He hadn't even gone out with her to the sandbar because he was afraid of water! She wouldn't be dead if I had gone with her... I would have been able to save her sooner...

Despite the fact that, deep down, he knew going with her would have done no good at all, that he, himself, would have gotten stuck in the current as well, he couldn't help but blame himself ferociously. "Septi," he whispered, the tears unnoticeable against his wet face. "Oh, Triumvirate, Septi, it was all my fault... I'm sorry..." He buried his head into her still form, letting dark, soft sobs escape him as he cried in the night.

A few droplets of water dribbled out of Septi's mouth.

[Comias: 8/10]
[Septima: 8/10]

[Kat-Wolf]

Morning came like a warming ember, slowing heating up until it was suddenly bright orange, and it was hard to remember when the tiny flame was cold and black.

The first thing Septima noticed was that it was very, very hard to breathe.

She spluttered the moment she woke up, her coughs sending massive tremors through her small frame. Water came out slowly, like a leaky tap, but there was still more sitting inside her lungs-- a lot more. The female hacked, her eyes watering as she desperately try to collect more oxygen.

The Slynx tried to stand up, but she felt a pressure over her chest and ribcage. Comias was pressed up against her, his head deep in her fur, his cheeks stained with tears.

The Common pet blearily awakened, Septi's red coat hazily coming into focus. Last night's events came flooding back to him. A sob welled in his throat.

Everything stopped when she slid out from under him, spluttering madly, half-collapsed on the beach.

"...Sep...ti?" The ultimate shock of her survival hit him like a freight train, and all the male could do for a moment was gawk at her, speechless, before he let out a joyous cry.

"Septima!" The feline practically tackled her, his excitement unbridled. "Septi! You're alive!"

[Comias: 9/10]
[Septima: 9/10]

[Kat-Wolf]

"Comias..." Her voice was weak and raspy. "I... can't... breathe..."

"Ah! Sorry!" The feline hopped off her an beamed, his blue eyes wide and overjoyed. Septima hacked up the last of the water, and then fell onto the sand. The toll of yesterday's events took hold of her; she was beyond exhausted.

"Septi!" began the Slynx once again. "I... I thought you were dead... You didn't move at all! I couldn't even tell if you were breathing... there was... the riptide, and I was so scared I had been to late..." He looked over to the Noel pet and sighed, his head dropped in shame. "Septi, if I had been the reason of your death... I... I don't think I would have been able to go on living... I... you... I would have killed you..."

A small grin twitched over her features. "C'mon, Comias," she replied, her voice still feeble. "It wouldn't have been your fault. You saved me, and I'm alive now, and that's all that matters." Her voice became softer as a smile played on her lips. "I wanted to thank you."

He grinned softly, walking over to her and letting the feline use his shoulders as support. "I think that's enough endurance training for one day," he chuckled. "C'mon, Septima, let's go home."

-The End-

[Comias: 10/10 Level up!]
[Septima: 10/10 Level up!]

((Wow, that was rather short. Enjoy the cliche ending. I was bored and just wanted to up one level before I booted.))