The Wolves and the White Bird

15. The Flash Flood

The scramble was real. Everyone scattered, dropping what they were holding as most of them shifted into their wolf form, aiming for speed to get out of the incoming torrent of water. Cora, however, had no wolf to shift into or special ability to draw on as she watched Finn shift into a seal waiting for the water to hit him head on.

Draven picked up Cora, and she instinctively straddled her legs around his waist, clutching her arms around his neck and cradling her head into his neck. He ran with Cora, clinging to Draven's strong shoulders as he manoeuvred through the chaos. The deafening roar of the torrent grew louder, echoing in her ears as they sprinted towards higher ground. She glanced up, witnessing the water crashing down with relentless force, swallowing everything in its path.

There was no one else in sight that she could see and she prayed to the goddess that they were all out of harm's way. Draven's muscles flexed with each step, his powerful strides moving them forward at a lightning fast speed. Cora could feel his determination radiating from him, his unwavering focus on their safety as her heart hammered in her chest. She looked up again at the rapid water and regretted her decision immediately.

They weren't going to make it.

As if sensing the oncoming impact, Draven swiftly sought refuge behind a towering mahogany tree. Pressing his back against its rough bark, he planted his feet firmly, readying themselves for the imminent impact.

"Don't you dare let go," he yelled, his voice barely audible amidst the deafening noise.

Cora gripped him tighter around the neck, if that was even possible, and in the blink of an eye, the torrent engulfed them.

The water crashed upon them with an unforgiving force, striking their bodies like a relentless barrage of bricks, the icy coldness searing their skin as they plunged into darkness. Her grip faltered, coming loose from Draven's as his one arm struggled to keep hold of her waist while he used his other to swim up to the surface, trying desperately to grab a breath of air.

Draven fought against the relentless current, his one arm straining to maintain its grip around Cora's waist, while his other arm propelled them upwards, desperate for a precious breath of air. Their heads emerged from the water, and Cora gasped, desperately inhaling a lungful of much-needed oxygen.

However, the power of the torrent proved overwhelming, and Draven's grip on her waist slipped, unable to withstand the immense pressure. With a surge of despair, Cora was thrust back beneath the surface, her surroundings once again submerged in darkness. Panic gripped her as she fought against the churning water, struggling to find her way back to the surface, but swimming wasn't exactly a skill she had learned in her lifetime.

She opened her eyes against the murky water, willing herself to see which way was up and which way was down as she tossed and tumbled through the water like a rag doll. Her oxygen was running out, but the current pushed her to the surface once more and she filled her lungs with the breath of life. The branches of floating trees scratched against her face, leaving a gnarly gash that was sure to be painful when she could focus on more than just staying alive.

But perhaps this was the end. All of her struggles and years of captivity seemed like such a wasted life. And maybe she didn't want to struggle anymore. Maybe she didn't want to be held prisoner. Maybe this was an easy way out. Her head submerged under the surface once more, only this time, she didn't have the energy or willpower to fight anymore.

She let the water take her. As she opened her eyes for one last moment, she focused on a dark figure swimming towards her before taking her last breath as the water filled her lungs and plunged her into darkness.

The sound of a heavenly voice was the next thing she heard. It was familiar and soothing, pulling her back from the brink of darkness.

"Please," Draven pleaded with anguish and pain. The sound of his voice in pain sent an unpleasant knot to her stomach, shattering Cora from the darkness and pulling her back from the brink.