Had he been on land, Ghent would have heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly accepted the dagger, almost losing sight of it as the murkiness of the water increased. He didn’t have time to think, only act. He had one shot at saving Elayra from drowning.
	He grabbed the vine again, pulling it as tautly as he could. The monster’s thrashing had already slowed considerably, a sign the beast was fading fast.
	[i]Elayra's fading too. [/i]The thought sent another surge of panic through Ghent, bubbles escaping his mouth during an accidental exhale. He clenched his teeth, hoping to steel his nerves.
	[i]Focus. [/i]Jaw set in determination, he slid the blade down until it met with the indentation Elayra made. He began sawing at the rest, moving as quickly and effectively as the water would allow. His eyes flickered toward where Elayra was supposed to be, but the water was too murky to check her status. 
	Ghent continued to work feverishly, inwardly cursing the monster for their predicament. Although the vine was inches from his face, he couldn’t see enough to tell how much progress he'd made.
	A month in Hollow Forest couldn't have prepared Ghent for the terror he felt. His lungs began to hurt, his desire to take a breath gnawing at him like an annoying itch he couldn't scratch. He couldn't imagine how Elayra felt, but he would know soon enough if the vine didn't break. 
	The surface was close enough to taunt them, the thin line between life and death available to them if only they stood. For both their sake, Ghent refused to give up. If he didn’t drown with her, Drust would surely kill him when he found out what happened. Either way, Ghent’s fate was intertwined with hers. 
	His effort paid off. After what felt like forever, Ghent felt something give. The blade had broken through the vine.
	Ghent dropped the dagger. Without giving her much time to react, he grabbed Elayra by arm and shot to his feet, pulling the girl with him. As they broke through the water, he gasped and coughed. He gripped her shoulders tightly, searching her face with wildly for any sign of life. “Are you okay?!” His voice cracked between a ragged cough, his face drained of color. "[i]Say something![/i]"