"That was an experience brought on by a person, not the water. The water did not choose to trap you; you simply were not ready to be in it yet." Tarentek responded, pausing a moment to attempt to think of how he could expand on his point. "Try...try imagining for a moment if some cruel person took an Elissic as a child and flew them high in the sky. Imagine if they dropped the child from a great height and caught them at the last moment, over and over again just to frighten them. They would no doubt become just as afraid of flying as you are of the water. But, you know that an Elissic can fly; that they are [i]meant[/i] to fly. If I had to guess, I would say that you or your people would want to do what you could to help that Elissic with their fear. Could you imagine what it would be like to be an Elissic who could not fly? Well, I view this in sort of the same way. Swimming isn't nearly as important to your people as flying, obviously, but I still feel it is a shame that you are missing out on such a useful skill because of someone depraved enough to torture you in the way they did. Not only can it save your life, but swimming is a fun way to pass the time."

Glancing down at the water, Tarentek took his free hand and waved it slowly through the water, digging slightly into the sand underneath. "Just, try running your hand through the water. Tell me how it feels."