Kime in the shallows. Xessa’s heart stopped and then she began to run and Ossa outstripped her in moments. She had a confused glimpse of Eja Nallet, her father’s new duty partner, sprinting downhill from her water temple, but they were both too far away. Kime was waist-deep now and it was swirling red and green about him, his blood and Drowned blood mingling. Xessa was screaming as she ran, faster than she’d ever moved in her life. He had one Drowned by the throat and another tangled in his net, but a third and a fourth rose behind him. Xessa hurled her spear. The weapon flew true and hit a Drowned in the back, knocking it over but barely penetrating the thick plates of its hide.

Ossa was black lightning as he streaked towards Kime, his own dog, Pit, a mess of bloody fur being dragged from the bank into the shallows. There were still three Drowned, the fourth injured or dead, but the water was more red than green. Kime’s left arm came up and most of his hand was gone. He saw Xessa coming and pointed his only remaining finger at her, and then uphill to safety.

They dragged him under.

Xessa splashed into the shallows, her hands flailing below the surface in the hopes of finding him and pulling him to safety. She was in up to her knees when Ossa and then Nallet’s dog grabbed her padded sleeves and began to pull her backwards. She thrashed, but they were implacable and she had to step back or fall.

When she was on the bank they stalked her, teeth bared, herding her away from the water and towards Nallet and the distant, running Toxte. He was gone. Kime was gone.

Xessa dropped to her knees and dragged up handfuls of mud and flung them at the water, screaming.

Nallet arrived, and then Toxte, and eventually Otek, and Xessa’s heart broke anew at the sight of him as he stood there, looking between her and the river with such confusion on his lined face. Such loss. Toxte held her, both of them on their knees in the mud, and then Otek too. He pulled Xessa out of Toxte’s arms and into his own and she clung to him, sobbing. The symbols of strength and courage that Kime had painted on the backs of her hands were smudged and smeared, their magic broken. Useless.

They held each other and Ossa shoved his head in between them, his hot breath adding to the fug of bitter sweat and bitter tears. Eventually the first storm of grief passed and Xessa’s sobs subsided. Otek patted her back and kissed her brow and by the time he pulled away, her father was gone and the spirits crowded his eyes once more. She wasn’t sure if he even knew Kime was dead.