[2913] [13757] Jump in the Water [Depthstriders p1]

Pyrrah-Vos stood at the edge of the cavern, his dark fur almost blending into the shadows as he eyed the shimmering water below. The bioluminescent plants on the cave walls glowed softly, casting rippling blues and greens across the space. Laughter and splashing echoed in the distance, but Pyrrah wasn’t in a hurry to dive in just yet. Not down here. Theneras wasn’t much of a swimmer either, but he did enjoy the activity once in a while. Especially in the summers when it was time to cool off.

Without warning, the water rippled, and a blue-scaled Haedian burst out with a loud splash. Pyrrah jumped, fur standing on end as his heart skipped a beat. That was the last thing he expected to jump out at him.

Pyrrah-Vos~  “Don’t scare me like that!”

Pyrrah cried out almost on instinct, and the Haedian chuckled, pulling himself up onto the rocks with a grin. The chaser hoped more than anything that his companion, Theneras, wouldn’t start to pick fun at him over it. But Theneras was stood there, with a smirk on his face and that look that meant he definitely was going to hear about it for the next couple of hours.

Ornaax - “Sorry about that! I’m Ornaax. Looks like you’re all set for a swim, huh?”

Pyrrah huffed, still recovering from the jumpscare; but he nodded, even if he wasn’t quite as ready as Ornaax thought. The blue Haedian waved him toward the water, where other Depthstrider Haedian’s swam effortlessly through the glowing depths, playing and darting around like they were made for it. Born for it.

Ornaax - “Come on, I’ll take you and your friend to our home. The water’s great, no need to be all jumpy. Promise.”

Pyrrah gave the water one last wary glance before finally stepping forward, feeling the cool waves lap against his paws as he got ready to follow. He wasn’t exactly eager, but it wasn’t like they had any other options. He doubted he could even keep speed with a Haedian. Stubby legs and a stout little body versus their large hands and lithe forms. No competition, it seemed.

Theneras walked back a bit before he rushed and jumped in, cannonballing himself into the water- no doubt splashing all over Pyrrah too. He laughed when he resurfaced, his mane covering every part of his face except for his mouth. Pyrrah couldn’t help jumping into an alert mode of sorts. Now soaked, he couldn’t help a yelp thanks to Theneras’ lovely, unwelcome, shower. The darker chaser huffed, less eager than before, swiping his tail across the surface and likely making zero difference to the already wet Theneras.

Pyrrah-Vos~” Thanks…”

Theneras- “He wasn’t lying, the water really is great!”

The chaser dog paddled after where the Haedian had gone, occasionally pushing his head underneath the surface to watch them all. He was never envious of other Reoseans- being a chaser suited him just fine. But seeing all the Haedians swim around, play with each other, while he and Pyrrah were stuck at the surface- it kind of felt like they had their own secret society. Which… yeah, he guessed they did, seeing as they were the secret– but still! 

Ornaax was the most obvious, his bright blue body illuminated by the bioluminescence and almost appearing like he was glowing. The Haedian had his wings tucked in and swam by using the motion of his whole body, his hands to push him forward. Sometimes, his wings would come out to flap a few times, and it was then that Theneras was struck with the familiarity. He’d seen creatures like that before, the ones that were just completely flat and had these spread out wings. Rays!

He tried to mimic some of the movements, his tail twisting and turning to give him the boost he thought he could have, but because of the fur it wasn’t the easiest. But Pyrrah– Pyrrah had a naked tail, he thought.

Theneras- “You should try swimming like that, Pyrrah! Using your tail!”

Pyrrah-Vos~ "Oh, really? I was thinking I’d just flap my ears instead!"

Pyrrah teased from the back, trying to mask the nerves bubbling up as he recalled Theneras diving in with such ease. He took a deep breath before stepping back for a running start. With a leap, he plunged beneath the surface. For a second, he wondered if he’d sink like a stone, but he quickly shook the thought and started paddling after Theneras to catch up.

As he swam, Pyrrah couldn’t help but be captivated by the world beneath the water—a strange, serene beauty all its own. The Haedians leading them moved with such elegance that he found himself momentarily lost in the sight, forgetting his nerves for a bit longer. Pyrrah would have gulped down a breath if he wasn’t currently holding it, feeling fairly out of his depth–again.