With the vengeful veracity of steel-clad marines bearing down on you, you give into your primal instincts yelling at you to run. You can feel the fur on your back stand up straight as your legs and arms take over in a mad dash towards the edge of the Qothic ship.

Swim? Yes. How well? This is something you’ll have to find out.

Also that it is a long way down to the water.

This is not the best time to be asking these questions!

You’ve nothing to fight with and they are armored and angry and twice your size! 

Iron was brought aboard before you. Getting killed won’t help him, but the thought of abandoning him makes your stomach sink.

No. There’s only one thing you know how to do: Flee. But your body remains frozen as your mind races for a decision.

COLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLD

You quickly surface and are immediately met with the carnage that just unfolded. The vessel you traveled on for months is now a sinking inferno.

Oh, and you are still very much in danger.

You frantically dive under to avoid the incoming bolts. Your eyes dart around, looking for anything to help you, fighting the sting of the salt water.

That looks like your satchel!

The drag from your jacket will be the end of you. You tear it off to give yourself a fighting chance.

However, in your panic-stricken rush you noticed that you swam a lot closer to the wreckage than you realized. Something is pulling you towards the wreck. And the wreck is descending rapidly.

You feel the wreckage pull your tail back. Terror sets in. You fight as hard as you can, swimming towards the faint shimmering light of the surface.

You don’t seem to be going anywhere, as if you are swimming in place. Every muscle in your body burns hot, but you keep fighting. And fighting. And fighting.

As the ship sinks deeper, you manage to put more distance between you and its current. You feel its grip loosen… stubbornly, and agonizingly slow. You can see the sun shine more with every claw to the surface. But your body is starting to shut down, and you are still so very deep.

You’ve long pushed past any known limits. Your strokes begin to falter, and you whimper as your vision darkens. The urge to breathe is overwhelming; you desperately suck in water to alleviate the torture, but you are hit with a heavy, burning trickle of saltwater flooding your lungs.

You are so close to the surface; you cannot let up now.

But you’ve nothing left to give. Your hand meekly reaches out, the surface just out of reach. Your senses begin to fade, helpless to avoid the agonizing death that will befall you just as soon as you give in…