"One day, I’m going to beco the King of the Pirates!" Daniel said excitedly as he rowed his boat with fervor.
But every ti he did, a small splash of water would co from the sides and splash Aren’s pants. The more Daniel did it, the stronger Aren’s desire to punch the senior in the face beca.
"You’re enjoying this way too much."
"Of course I am," Daniel replied. "This is freedom, man."
"Freedom."
Daniel nodded enthusiastically. "Out here in the Wildlands. There are no rules or laws, anything that keeps you shackled."
"Yeah, that’s right," Aren said, suddenly rembering who he was partnered up with. "So how’s life as a ’free’ Lancaster going? Good?"
Daniel imdiately stopped rowing as he turned slowly to look at Aren. "You’re really not gonna drop it, aren’t you..."
"Nope..."
Daniel leaned back before placing his makeshift oar down. "Well...it’s been fun actually, mostly because I got away from it all."
"You did?" Aren tilted his head slightly.
"What—the tattoos and dyed hair not really giving you any signs?"
"Well, I just thought—" Aren slowed, choosing his words carefully. "Aren’t you afraid they’re gonna disown you?"
Daniel hesitated before speaking
"My mom doesn’t care, not really," he continued. "My siblings just think it’s funny."
He dipped the oar back into the water.
"...My father though?" Daniel shrugged. "We’re not exactly on the sa page."
This ti, as he said it, Daniel leaned particularly hard on the oar. Another splash of water went high and completely drenched Aren.
"Okay, you’re actually doing this on purpose!"
Aren lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar, completely ignoring the fact that their "boat" might sink.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" the senior wheezed in between words. "It was just a joke! A joke!"
Daniel was still laughing when it happened.
As Aren released his grip and leaned back on the tal raft, Daniel steadied himself and grabbed the oar again. The mont he pulled the oar back, his palm scraped across the sharp edge of the steel sheet.
"—Ow!"
Daniel jerked his hand back. A thin red line split across his palm.
Aren imdiately stopped moving.
"...Daniel."
"What?"
Aren’s eyes had already dropped to the water.
The blood from Daniel’s cut dripped from his fingers and disappeared into the crystal-clear lagoon below.
Dark shadows had appeared underneath, right under the trail of red as they consud what was left of it.
"...Daniel," Aren said again, slower this ti.
"Yeah?"
"...Don’t move."
Daniel blinked before looking down.
The clear blue water beneath the raft had begun to shift. At first, it looked like the lagoon floor itself was moving.
That was when Aren saw it.
A fish about the size of his palm with extrely razor-sharp teeth was swimming at them at top speed. When one erged, the entire school followed, as dozens or even hundreds of fish shot out from the dark, right toward their direction.
"UHHH, DANIEL...WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"
The first fish slamd into the underside of the tal slab before the next one did as well. All of a sudden, the entire raft jolted violently as the swarm erupted from below.
"What the hell are those?!" Daniel shouted.
"Lagoon piranhas!" Aren snapped.
"How do you know that?!"
"Because they’re trying to eat us!"
Several of the fish suddenly leapt from the water. One of them landed directly on the raft.
"What the fuck, man!" Daniel scread as he quickly flicked the fish off.
Another three fish flopped onto the raft, then five, then ten, until eventually...the entire slab flipped, and both of them dropped straight into the lagoon.
The mont Aren hit the water, his senses dulled. Noises beca distant and his eyes could barely make out the blurry shadows.
Suddenly, pain erupted from his leg as one of the piranhas managed to cut through his trousers and cause a small gash.
But that was all that was needed for the rest of the horde to co.
The mont the swarm rushed him, Aren snapped out of his daze as he tried to summon his sword.
Yet...nothing ca.
That’s right...I broke them in the Constrictor’s jaws...
"Shit."
Aren imdiately shifted tactics, activating [Morphing] as he reached for the horns along his head. But when his fingers brushed his head—
There was nothing there.
"...You’ve got to be kidding ."
The horns still hadn’t regrown, and he had no idea when they even would. Below him, the water churned violently as dozens of piranhas cut through the lagoon like silver blades.
One of them snapped at his ankle while another grazed his boot. Above the surface, Daniel was splashing wildly.
"AREN!"
"I noticed!" Aren shot upward through the water.
The mont his head broke the surface, three piranhas launched themselves into the air toward his face.
Aren twisted his body sideways and barely avoided them as they splashed back into the lagoon. Daniel flailed nearby, trying to stay afloat.
"This is bad! This is really bad!"
Yeah...there’s no way we’re winning this underwater fight.
Without hesitation, Aren grabbed Daniel by the back of his jacket.
"Wait—what are you—"
"Spiritual Flight."
A faint ripple of energy spread beneath his feet as both of them suddenly lifted out of the water. Not particularly high, but just barely above the water’s surface.
The piranhas imdiately reacted. Several of them launched themselves upward, snapping their jaws just inches below Daniel.
"...They can jump," Daniel said nervously.
"I noticed!"
Aren struggled to stabilize their balance as the two of them hovered awkwardly over the lagoon. Daniel raised his hand. Light ether gathered within his palms before he unleashed his Art.
"Radiant Volley!"
Arrows of brilliant light shot downward into the lagoon. Several piranhas exploded as the arrows pierced straight into their bodies.
The swarm below them only grew more violent as the blood from their fallen mbers spread through the water. But for every one that died, another seed to replace it.
"There’s just too many of them!" Daniel cried out.
Aren snapped in response, "No shit, detective!"
He gritted his teeth. Carrying Daniel’s full weight while constantly dodging attacks was draining his ether far faster than normal.
Another piranha launched itself toward his ankle.
Aren twisted sideways in midair just in ti, the fish snapping shut inches from his boot before crashing back into the water.
Aren’s eyes scanned the horizon rapidly. It was just water and more water until he finally saw it—
A small island just barely rising above the lagoon’s surface.
"Hold on!"
Aren pushed the last of his strength into the Arts as they flew through the sky in record speed. Just when his ether started to sputter, they both crashed into the sand.
He released Daniel as both of them rolled across the beach before coming to a stop a few feet apart.
For a mont, neither of them moved. Then Daniel sat up first, breathing heavily.
"That was close."
Aren lay flat on his back, staring up at the bright blue sky as he struggled to catch his breath.
"...Your boat idea was terrible."
Daniel groaned.
"...Worth it."
Neither of them had the energy to get up and move.
But for now...they were just glad to still be alive.
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