Its just a little swim....

[Mariuset]

Mariuset walked down the beach, eyes alert for any sign of trouble. She'd tried swimming in the pool, tried swimming in the Danger Room, but she missed the ocean water. I'll stay close to the shore, and I won't try to do more than splash in the shallows. she thought Surely that will be safe.

(open)

[Zeryn]

Zeryn watched, quietly, from a place safely up the shore. He'd warned her... but then, would he have listened? No. So he watched her, letting her have her taste of home, ready to approach.

[Mariuset]

She slowly walked into the surf, once she was chest deep she started bobbing along, keeping her head above water as she paddled around in the surf.

[Narrator]

It was a cool, peaceful day, and the water was likewise pleasant to be swimming in.

That is, of course, right up until a hand clamped around her ankle, pulling her under.

[Mariuset]

Mariuset let out a scream as she was pulled under, then tried to kick at whoever it was that had grabbed her.

[Zeryn]

Zeryn launched himself through the water, heart pounding, the water in his hand hardening into a trident. The currents sped up around him to hurl him at Mariuset and her attacker.

[Narrator]

Before her foot could even connect, a second Lemurian grabbed her other foot, while a third one tried to force a scuba mask onto her face.

[Zeryn]

Zeryn sized up the situation, and made a quick decision. The one who was holding the scuba mask had bought himself a few more minutes to live. The other one found Zeryn barreling into him, the watery trident stabbing at his shoulder.

[Narrator]

The trident connected, but as soon as it did, he turned with a shout, pulling a spear gun from a sheath on his back while the other two tried to pull Mariuset into deeper water.

[Zeryn]

He wrenched the trident back out to tear the Lemurian's shoulder open as he lunged at the spear gun. He had to be quick, kill him before they could make off with her... As he wrestled for the spear gun, he sent a current of water coursing at one of the other Lemurians to carry him away from her.

[Mariuset]

Mariuset struggled against the two kidnappers, managing to keep them from dragging her off, and, somehow, got her head above water for long enough to get a good breath before she was pulled under again.

[Narrator]

The Lemurian screamed in pain, blood pouring from his shoulder. He managed to fire the spear gun, but wasn't able to aim it, so it sailed harmlessly past Zeryn. He wasn't dead, not yet, but he was out of the fight.

[Zeryn]

Zeryn kicked off, aiming for the next one, trying to get his arm around the Lemurian's neck. Too slow... too slow... need to move faster...

[Mariuset]

Mariuset was still struggling to get free, as he captors pulled her into deeper water. Her struggles kept the one with the scuba gear from getting it on her face, but did little to get her free.

[Narrator]

The Lemurian who had been holding on to Mariuset's leg, before Zeryn pulled him off, aimed an elbow strike at Zeryn's stomach. "Let her go, she belongs to the Priesteses of the Crown!"

Meanwhile, Mariuset's struggles were becoming more frantic as she started to run out of air, but she was still fighting and kicking.

[Zeryn]

"Your 'princess' can find another victim," Zeryn snarled, grabbing for the Lemurian's chin to snap his neck. "And these... waters... are... MINE!" he roared. The water around him condensed into the shape of a shark, which he sent at the final Lemurian, meaning to bite it off of Mariuset.

[Narrator]

The final Lemurian, seeing what had happened to his companions, dropped Mariuset and started to swim for his life.

[Zeryn]

Zeryn almost went after him... but there was something more important. His gills flared as he took a deep breath as he swam down to Mariuset. He grabbed the girl around the waist then clamped his lips over hers, breathing slowly into her mouth as he started pulling her up toward the surface.

[Mariuset]

Mariuset was floating limply as he held onto her, not reacting at all as he breathed air into her lungs....

[Zeryn]

Damn it, no, no, no... He sent them shooting toward the surface, siezing control of the water around her. As they broke the surface, the water flowed away from her, drawing out of her mouth and airways as well. "No! You don't die here!" he shouted, shaking her before he tried breathing into her lungs again.

[Mariuset]

Mariuset sat up, coughing and gasping for air.

[Zeryn]

He let out a breath in relief, as he carried her up onto the shore. "You're all right," he sighed, shifting her slightly so she'd be more comfortable.

[Mariuset]

"I think that I shall recover." she said, smiling weakly.

[Zeryn]

"You will," he said quietly. "The draw of the sea... it's difficult to resist, isn't it."

[Mariuset]

"Indeed." she replied "Even I, who cannot survive for long beneath the waves, am not immune to the call. It appears, however, that I would be wise to avoid yielding to it, at least for the present."

[Zeryn]

"Perhaps you should simply avoid it while alone," he suggested. "You present a much less tempting target if I am closer, after all."

[Mariuset]

"I will consider that." she replied "You are a most able protector, but I do not wish to put you at risk so I can indulge my urge to swim."

[Zeryn]

Zeryn stopped on the shore, sitting down with her in the waist-deep water. She'd been suffering the air for far too long, after all. "My place is to protect you, not to be protected," he... teased? Was Zeryn teasing her? Damned if it wasn't hard to tell with him.

[Mariuset]

Mariuset gave him an odd look, then decided he was serious "Even so, it would be dishonorable for me to demand you take foolish risks. Not when being in proximity to me is risk enough."

[Zeryn]

"We stand between the sea and sky, where my honor is but a word I sooth myself with," he mused, shifting to take pressure off of a wound in his shoulder from a Lemurian claw. "So I'm free to decide that it is only a dishonor for me to deny you the sea."

[Mariuset]

"Oh! You are hurt!" she said, noticing the injury "Come, we must go back to the school and see the healers there."

[Zeryn]

"Soon," he said. "It's no bother. I'm... rather comfortable here," he said. "Unless you'd prefer to get up," he added.

[Mariuset]

"Please." she replied "I know its only a scratch, but I would feel better if you had someone attend to it."

[Zeryn]

He sighed. "I suppose, if it would please you, I will dress it. Although it would be helpful if you could help...?"

[Mariuset]

"I would be glad to do so." Mariuset replied "If you insist on not having a healer see to it."

[Zeryn]

"I don't insist," he admitted, "If that is what you would wish."

[Mariuset]

"Indulge me, please." she said "It would make me feel more calm in my mind. Perhaps afterwards we could dine, if you like."

[Zeryn]

He looked at her a moment, then nodded. "If that would make you feel more at ease, I will indulge you, of course," he said. He let her stand, then gave her a little bow as he stood. "The warrior stands at the lady's disposal."

And perhaps it showed that yes, he was a bit shaken from the attack, but as he stood, trident of water formed in hits hand.

[Mariuset]

"I hope that they have given up..." she said, anxiously scanning the waves before she turned to head to the shore.

[Zeryn]

"They might return with greater numbers later to try for revenge," Zeryn said casually. "I will make sure to dissuade them should they do so. For now, we are safe."