12-22-2021, 07:25 PM
The water was cool to the touch, and although the air temperature tickled the skin, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Their dive wouldn’t be too difficult, but it was going to be painful for one unaccustomed to the act. As a boy, Tristan grew up surfing in waters flecked with chunks of ice. As a man, ice-diving was an act of rejuvenation as much as a stunt. He would be fine, even for a stretch of time, but Thalia was not so thickened as he. This was not going to go well, he thought with a frown, flicking the water from his fingertips and continuing to strip his shoes.
He grumbled as he waded from the bank. The edge of the lake’s depth was reached in a few mere steps, and he submerged to the chin, letting the water swallow up its man-sized sacrifice for the day. He took a few sinks beneath the surface just to check their bearings. The water was clear. Nothing in the way of small fish scattered. For all he knew, the entire lake could be completely abandoned.
After a few exploratory checks, he nodded for Sierra that he was ready, took a gulp of air that stretched his ribs wide, and kicked hard.
Not being able to see the bottom was unsettling. Even on the shores of the sea, there was a bottom. Surfers didn’t venture so far out beyond sight. The land edge made a wall downward, and except for the bubbles that flittered from his mouth, there was no movement. So far, there was nothing. Nothing except the dimming light and burning lungs. Finally, a crack in the wall splintered into a wide maw. It was nothing but dark within, but there was something different about the water. He had a few more moments of air and checked it cautiously.
He grumbled as he waded from the bank. The edge of the lake’s depth was reached in a few mere steps, and he submerged to the chin, letting the water swallow up its man-sized sacrifice for the day. He took a few sinks beneath the surface just to check their bearings. The water was clear. Nothing in the way of small fish scattered. For all he knew, the entire lake could be completely abandoned.
After a few exploratory checks, he nodded for Sierra that he was ready, took a gulp of air that stretched his ribs wide, and kicked hard.
Not being able to see the bottom was unsettling. Even on the shores of the sea, there was a bottom. Surfers didn’t venture so far out beyond sight. The land edge made a wall downward, and except for the bubbles that flittered from his mouth, there was no movement. So far, there was nothing. Nothing except the dimming light and burning lungs. Finally, a crack in the wall splintered into a wide maw. It was nothing but dark within, but there was something different about the water. He had a few more moments of air and checked it cautiously.