Toes hung over the edge of the falls, water parted by her slender legs. Jump. She was supposed to jump...Maliha looked to her sister/s for reassurance. Her long-flowing tail reaches out to intertwine with her/their own. Then back down to the dark pit in front of them. They were left with no choice but to obey. All because of the Queen's jealousy of their looks...looks that had brought them much pain in life. She could feel the hot breath of the Coywolf behind them. Expectantly waiting, potentially ready to push them over. Mali wanted to go on her own terms. She did not want to die at the paws of another, not in a cowardly way such as this. "I love you."
Her final words as she sprung forth, diving off the sheer drop into utter darkness. It consumed her so that she could not even see the shimmering silver of her pelt, nor any light for that matter. The man above shouted out after her, his words echoing over the roaring waters Be free of your curse. This was it. She would faceplant into the rocks below and there would be nothing more. Instead of screaming, wailing, and sobbing she shut her eyes to embrace death with grace.
Her body did not collide with jagged stone, but instead plunged into cold waters. She gasped, fighting against the current to pull herself up. Her eyes opened and stung. Everything was suddenly so bright. She could see trees upon trees lining the shore. Helplessly she fought against the current, being pulled under and back up several times. Gasping for air each time her muzzle broke free of the river. She couldn't cry out for help as her body was swept off in the rapids.
Like dust carried on feeble wind, the construct had managed to meander further from its point of origin. The air seemed to bite less, and its softer skin hummed its thanks. The pine trees released a strange, fresh kind of smell that invigorated its functions, injected a lightness in its heart that it could not deflate. Anticipation becomes a source of discomfort when not satisfied, like any of the other demands the flesh made of the mind. It would find something here.
Angry water frothed beside it, doing nothing to calm its nerves. It could not help but think that it too, could sense the tension in the atmosphere. It was anything but patient.
The sound of collision crashed through his senses, his hidden eyes snapping to the source - only to find it being pulled from his gaze by the current. A game. A hunt, Its adrenaline whispered, and it answered with the drumming of feet on ground as it galloped forward. It did not know what it was chasing yet, that it would figure out along the way, along with what it would do with the thing once caught and still. If it was a thing.
Flashes of fur and flailing limb told it no, and its tendrils buzzed with excitement. To find another mind would be a wonderful event, so long as this one didn't drown first. His thoughts fanned out as he fought to keep up with the current. Hello! Do you require my assistance?
----
[ooc: he's a little weird, but he doesn't mean any harm! text in bold is communicated via telepathy]
|[Dice roll results]|
[dodge roll success: Janus is able to keep up with Maliha as she's carried by the rapids.]
[dodge roll failure: Janus is unable to keep the pace and Maliha is carried further away from him]
Eon had to admit, the area was breathtaking. Plant life blossomed all around, decorating the world with soft greens. The occasional wildflower that grew beneath the forest dappled the picture with bold colors that were simply hard to look away from. The sunlight painted the leaves with an almost metallic-looking sheen. As much as Eon was attracted to the night, he had to admit, the sun, every once in a while, held him in a hypnotic trance. As long as it wasn't too bright, or too hot, he had come to appreciate it. Here, beneath the shelter of the towering pines, only hints of it peered through, and it splashed its light upon the grass like sparkles or starlight. It was almost perfect.
The ambient sound of the river roared in the distance. A relaxing tune that made him want to take a nap right here. Though some particularly loud splashing made him perk up, it differed from the gentle sounds of the running river. It was almost chaotic as if the world was calling out for help. It made him twitch anxiously
As anxious as he was, curiosity overpowered him still. The small canine moved towards the sound, stopping in a soft patch of grasses by the river's edge. He looked downstream to his left. The current raced with a thundering sound as it splashed against the rocks that hindered its path, then it disappeared behind a bend. Perhaps it was simply that he had heard. The current was strong, after all - but, he could have sworn he had heard something different. He froze for a mere moment. A voice came from his right, grabbing his attention immediately, though he couldn't hear what was said over the river's roar. His head shot in the direction of the voice, watching as a rather strange-looking canid came barreling in his direction. They seemed to be fixated on something in the river. His azure eyes followed the stranger's gaze to see something splashing around in the river. A large fish..? No. It was definitely no fish. Instantly the situation hit him. It was a canine… they needed help!
Standing to his feet, Eon spread his sparkling wingspan and took off over the river. "hold on!" he'd yell, hoping his voice was loud enough for the canine to hear, though he couldn't be sure it would be. He dove forward, wind whipping through his fur as he aimed for the struggling fox attempting to wrap his jaws around them to stop them from being dragged farther away. He reminded himself to be gentle, not to grab so hard it would further injure them. He wasn't sure he would be strong enough - or even if he would be able to catch up - but he had to try. Either that, or he'd regret doing nothing and letting them drown. The last thing he needed was more regrets. He thought it was going to be a relaxing day, but, it appeared he was wrong. Very wrong.
Dice roll: Special
If successful: Eon is able to grab Maliha and bring her to shore, if she allows.
If fail: Eon misses her and isn't able to catch up.
Something was running along the short after her, and in the panicked state she was in, Mali paid little mind. Instead, she forced her energy into focusing on battling the currents. That was until a thought rang out in her mind, but it was not her own, but as if someone was speaking to her. Confused and frustrated she replied, "Yes! Or else I'll drown!" Whoever this was and whatever they were must be foolish to not understand! She pleaded within for them to grasp onto her and pull her free from the death that threatened to swallow her. She'd barely even managed the words bobbing under and above the water repeatedly.
She was too small. Too tired. Maliha felt the rapids pull her under once more but this time she could not fight back. This time her muscles ached without response and she could not pull herself to the surface. A muffled shout met her ears and from the gurgling of her own desperate breaths as she consumed the water and the roaring current she could not make out the words.
Then again, light. Bright blinding light as she coughed vigorously, water spewing from her mouth. She'd eluded death once more. She could feel Eon's grasp on her and was too weak to fight back. Not that she wanted to, oh no, she was done with this river! She continued to spit and gasp for air.
![[Image: p2u__Wolf_Fox_Lineart.png?width=1101&height=670]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1082142156107546644/1136772031279530054/p2u__Wolf_Fox_Lineart.png?width=1101&height=670)
![[Image: daydream-request-maliha.png?ex=65328b7f&...height=670]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/972974282563002388/1142099449510903909/daydream-request-maliha.png?ex=65328b7f&is=6520167f&hm=0d488f4813c9583d8283366993e225e393af3221d9863316787e0c4cc9977545&=&width=843&height=670)