» In The Deep

R I X E N Paddling as best I could through the water, I followed closely behind Otem and two others whose names I did not yet know. The water grew darker and colder as we descended to the bottom of the lake. Breathe in. Breathe out. You're breathing underwater. I tried not to think about how far I was from the surface now or what would happen if the malspira somehow failed to work as it should. Don't think. Just keep swimming.  Just as I was beginning to calm my nerves and my legs had relaxed into a steady rhythm, a shadow darted across the corner of my vision ahead. Then another dark flash of movement, closer this time. It was difficult to make out distinct shapes and I was surrounded by shadowy rocks, so I could hardly tell whether the movement was just a plant waving in the water or something to be concerned about. However, I quickly determined the shadowy figures to be the latter. They were sirens.  In a blur, the two sirens darted out of the darkness, moving through the water toward us swiftly and with a hungry look in their eyes. I could see their bared jaws lined with rows of sharp fangs which gleamed a pearl white, and easily stood out against the surrounding blackness of the water's depths. My entire body froze in a moment of panic as I helplessly watched the gnashing jaws of the sirens rapidly approaching in my direction. My heart beat rapidly in my chest as everything I could see sped up, but my own panicked movements seemed to slow down. To my bewilderment, the sirens suddenly changed course and surged straight for Otem and the black and blue stallion in front of me. In an attempt to ward the sirens off, the dark colored mare who was closer to me began summoning small balls of light and hurling them toward the assailing sirens. But I had no magic to use.  "No!" I shrieked, attempting to swim toward the sirens, but the water inhibited my movements, preventing me from moving fast enough to stop their attack.  "Talk." they heard me singing and they told me to stop quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock

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