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[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=dc143c][b]Location:[/b][/color] City Sewers -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
[hr]A somber moment between friends ended abruptly as Graves jerked away. His attention shifted fully toward the tumultuous waters beneath them. Something was moving under there. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but he could feel it: the hairs on his arms stood on end, his vision filled with black dots, and the rhythm of his heart beat louder and louder until everything else was drowned out. Three people, harrowed but alive. One of them was dragging the other two along on a mad dash toward the surface. It boggled his mind that someone would even attempt that sort of rescue, let alone get [i]this[/i] far. He shoved his hands into the water, grabbing the lead swimmer, and hauled them up onto the stony surface.

[color=dc143c]"Rael?!"[/color] Graves asked, bewildered, even as he helped her and then Kalie and Valena find their footing. They were all positively disgusting, yet alive. He couldn't ask for more than that. 

A rush of conflicting emotions hit him like a wall of sewage. Glad to see them safe. Angry as hell that Rael had nearly killed herself saving those two. Guilt at not having tried to do the same. Alja had shaken herself out of her pained stupor and gotten to work rallying everyone, trying to make sense of their situation and find a way out of it. A good idea, but he said nothing. He couldn't get himself to focus on practicality at the moment. 

After hesitating a beat, he decided to cross over to where Rael was standing, still recovering from her misadventure. [color=dc143c]"Hey,"[/color] he whispered harshly, trying to contain his volume as to not interrupt the other conversation. [color=dc143c]"What the hell was that, you goddamned moron? You tryin' to die playin' hero? I thought you were-"[/color] He caught himself before continuing, swallowing the worst of his impulses. He didn't meant to berate. Didn't mean to lecture. It was hard to communicate what he did mean- maybe he didn't know what he meant at all. [color=dc143c]"I'm...glad you're okay. [b]Stay[/b] okay."[/color]
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