So he jumped.
As he plunged into the embrace of the dark waters, he looked above, torches flickering in the distance: gettting further and dimmer by the second.
[This is it ]
Surprisingly, he was in a state of complete tranquility, resigned to the perilious fate that awaited him within the dark depths.
The plunge was nothing close to being 'gentle' - it was akin to taking a dive in concrete.
He smacked into it, his eyes rolling back, long before the waves swallowed him.
Rain was at the mercy of the violent waves- within the unforgiving Ekat marra.
Back on the cliff, the ratkin stood, awestruck.
The greyskin was daring.
Some even nodded in acknowledgement- that is before realisation kicked in.
Their once reigned wrath surged back.
They had just lost their 'quarry' , the subject to exact justice upon, a whole party of them- and it was embarrassing.
Their failure burned, its emolating flames raged, charring their 'ratkin pride'.
Nevertheless, they all knew, the 'greyskin' would not see the light of day, ever!
All those swallowed by the dark waved never surfaced- such was law- the river's law.
Ekat' marra's victims were doomed, to a fate said to be much worse than death.
As they turned to leave, giving the raging river one last look- they all were in a tacit agreement- justice had been served.
A shame they couldn't administer the said 'Justice' by their own hands.
~~~~
Rain's unconscious body drifts getting twisted and wrung as the waves tossed him around like a ragdoll.
Ahhh!
Pain shot through his ribs, jarring him awake.
The unrelenting and unforgiving waves had crashed his figure aganist a protuding rock- breaking a few bones.
In his wake, Rain witnessed the true horrors of the black waters, its violence knew no bounds.
He crashed, got tossed up into the air and plunged back to the 'concrete' like waters.
Before jumping, he'd seen his decision as wise, guarding his lifeline.
He isn't so certain anymore.
One blow was all it would have taken, not this torture.
Rain paddled as he struggled aganist the waves, trying with all his spirit to break surface, even if just for a breath of sweet, sweet air.
Yet, the river unrelenting as always snickered at his attempts, raging on with its ghastly deluge.
All he got- for the air he desired- were gulps of the acrid dark waters.
He braced for impact, a looming dark figure stood at the way- unrelenting aganist the waves.
That was all he saw, before darkness.
His body becomes limb drifting at the mercy of the churning waves.
~~~~
Hundreds of miles downstream, Ekat' marra's waters crawl to a slow torrent.
Its surface locked in ice, a frigid blizzard raging overhead.
The land adjacent lay buried under a shifting shroud of white, pellets of snow flung in frantic, spiralling swirls.
What felt like an eternity later, a battered figure finally breaks away from the storm's grip, washing ashore on the frozen bank.
He lay there, wasted and soaked to the bone, but not for long- the blizzard gave a not so gentle jolt.
He twists his body, his jaws clattering aganist his each other.
His eyes shift onto his figure, assessing the injuries sustained, then back to the black, and now half frozen river.
He'd racked up injuries, his fingers blue and and numb.
Numerous cuts marred his exposed skin- he winces.
He couldn't bear to think of the ones hidden from view.
He shivers and twitches, curling his arms around his breast for warmth.
It was then that a jolt of pain shot through him as his elbow grazed his ribs.
That brought attention to his covered torso,he strips his midsection bare.
What lies in wait almost plunge him back into unconsciousness- his lower ribs were in a mess.
They had to be reset, lest the cause him more torment.
Or worse- get infected!
Rain braces, biting through his soaked cloak.
He reaches and snaps the ribs back in place, with a sickening crunch.
A muffled hiss escapes his jaws.
Nnhgghh!
The freezing cold had started gnawing at his bones,
He had to get moving, or soon, he would be turned into an icicle.
Rain musters all the strength he could gather into his limbs, forcibly shifting the weight of his body- or rather, attempts to;
He finds himself face first into the blanket of snow.
His face stays burried for a moment, before he musters enough strength and will to go back at it.
The weight of his soaked garments threatened to drag him back onto the ground.
He soldiers on, dragging his sinking feet across the blanket of snow.
The sinking snow saps at his energy like a ravenous beast.
Nonetheless,he pushes on.
He'd survived the wrath of the ratkin, he'd prevailed aganist Ekat' marra!
He wouldn't falter. Not now, not ever!
The whistling shards of ice did little to dampen his resolve.
Yes, they drew blood, nevertheless he soldiers on.
Stopping would mean death.
It would sap his momentum, drown out the resolve he'd mustered.
His body would shut down.
It would, irregardless-if he soondoesn't find something to shade his figure.
Rain pauses, his chest heaving.
His body protesting aganist the strain and torment it has been subjected to- it trembled from the cold, and pain.
[One more step, Rain!]
He couldn't afford to break his rhythmn.
He looks back, the dark waters loomed, growing distant.
He'd covered a considerable distance.
He proceeds to scan his destination.
There!
He notices a dark outline, possibly a rock,
He's been begging for something- anything.
Just to get off the frozen ground.
His weary steps renewed, his figure erupting with vigour as he quickly closed the distance between them.
As he crawls closer, it unfolds
He jumps back- eliciting pain from his chest- not that it was of any concern at that moment.
His face contorted with shock.
Was that a hand sticking out of the snow?!
He rubbed his eyes, expecting the sight before him to vanish.
He moves closer, scanning the dark outline.
It is real- not a figment of his hallucination made real.
He leans over, lowering his figure.
Before him, at his feet, a corpse lay!
Frozen solid and half covered with snow.
So much for the shelter he'd begged for
Rain sighs, getting up to leave, but halts mid-motion.
How would he leave it as it was?
Wasn't he in need of shelter?
Being picky would end up with him dead and burried in snow.
Just like the corpse before him.
With his mind made up- he digs out the corpse, displaying its full entirety
He touches the garments adorned by the corpse- an adventurer of some sort.
Frozen and covered by flakes of snow on the outside, but dry within.
It didn't take him a moment to strip the corpse bare- then himself.
In a few moments, Rain was adorned in a new set of garments, dry but cold.
He proceeds to further check the corpse's belongings, a utility belt wrapped around the waist, unties it and drops it to the side.
Snow covered cloak that he adorns immediately.
It would do alot aganist the biting cold.
It's not like the dead need to keep warm.
Next to the corpse,there was a side pack.
Dimilar to his own-the one he slung over his body.
He rummages through,
"Scrolls, Jerky, hmm?"
The dried jerky finds way into his maw.
He ignores many other trinkets he didn't have the mental capacity nor time to further check.
His gaze is directed back onto the utility belt.
Reaching for it, he examines in great focus.
Within its numerous pouches lay a bunch of broken vials, some trinkets he had no idea of their use and two knives, each sheated on both sides of the belt.
The blades unsheathe with a shing- its steel blade gleaming, reflecting his face on their blades
.
Rain places them back- the way they he found them and continues his search.
His fingers rummage, getting frantic with each passing moment.
He wasn't finding what he was looking for!
Agitated, he wraps the belt around his waist, proceeds to rumage through the pack
.
Here it is!
His heart busts with glee-
Within his hands, he clutches a ferro rod and a striking flint.
Something to start a fire with.
He strikes them together, sparks fly out- lighting the smile that shone on his face.
His survival was not so uncertain !