The reality of physics hit me harder than the water did. I had spent so much time mastering the skies that I never once considered the limitations of my chariot in a liquid environment.
The moment we breached the surface, the aerodynamic grace of my mount vanished. My big chariot fell into the lake waters like it was a dead, big piece of rock!
The sensation was jarring. While the energy shield held firm, preventing the murky, blood-tinted water from flooding the deck, I completely lost the ability to navigate.
I couldn't control the free fall. Gravity and the sheer mass of the chariot were dragging me down into the abyss with all the elegance of an anchor.
If I kept sinking like this, I'd end up at the bottom of the lake, pinned by the pressure and unable to even touch the gate. What a frustrating feeling this was! To be the master of a continent and yet be defeated by a few hundred feet of water.
