Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
What was supposed to be a soft, graceful landing, turned into a catastrophe in the making the closer he was to the surface of the lake, but at least he knew the ice was thick, as he’d skated here just two days ago.
With the wind blowing into his wings at the last moment, the trajectory of his landing shifted right before his feet (paws?) hit the ice, and he fell forward, stumbling to his hands and knees. He’d intended to let Vars slide down his wing, but the impact sent Vars flying over Jake’s head.
A sharp yelp left Vars’s lips as the impact tossed him into the air. Cold air was whisked into Jake’s chest as he lunged forward to grab him, but the smooth surface under him roared, and he dropped into water that felt thicker than the black goo had.
Darkness opened up under Jake as his heavy form sank deeper, struggling against the biting frost digging into the thick gargoyle skin. It was like being repeatedly stabbed by thousands of icicles, and he twisted, struggling to reach the bright lines of the broken ice. For the briefest moment, it reminded him of a sheet of meth that hadn’t been fully crushed yet.
All of a sudden, his wings were a nuisance, his size and weight weren’t helping, and the thousands of bubbles he created when struggling in the water made his improved vision useless. In the end, he spread out all his limbs and sank deeper, waiting for the water to clear.
Once Jake’s feet sank into the mud at the bottom of the lake, he slowly opened his eyes to the water that was like needles driving into his flesh. This time, without the bubbles clouding the water, he immediately spotted the frantic movement close to the surface. Darkness was not a hindrance to Jake’s vision, and he saw Vars thrashing against the thick ice.
Vars bashed his fists against the surface, his body working against the water that soaked through his clothes, but he was slowing down. And then he started to sink.
Jake lunged forward, pushing himself away from the bottom with a powerful flex of the monstrous thighs. The spread wings worked against Jake in the water when he needed high speed to save Vars, so he pulled them tightly against his back and swam toward the motionless shape slowly descending to the bottom of the lake. Ignoring the shards of ice pushing into his open eyes, Jake swam over within seconds and grabbed Vars with the same massive arms that allowed him to propel himself at such high speed.
Darkness was no longer a hindrance, and he saw Vars’s pallor in all detail. With his eyes wide, Vars clutched at the water, once again moving frantically as if he believed he could climb to the surface if he tried hard enough. He was losing strength, and the shock of cold water and lack of air was about to kick in. Opening his mouth wide, Vars released bubbles that carried some sound Jake could not understand, his face transfixed on the cool hue of the man’s skin and the pale, pinkish glow in his eyes.
This time Jake knew how to use his wings. He forced them against the water, and the power behind that movement was enough to push their heads past the drifting ice and all the way to the surface.
Jake shivered, his new body contracting, yet solid, as if the cold no longer had an effect on the creature. There was a warmth within him that couldn’t be extinguished even by the icy water, but Vars was human and in grave danger. Jake held Vars close, desperately trying to pull himself up, above the ice, but it collapsed each time he put weight on it, so he pushed Vars out instead, and only followed when he saw the man crawl to land.
Once Vars safely rolled into the snow at the shore, Jake made his way to join him, leaving behind a trail of broken ice.
Shaking, Vars tossed off his jacket and top, remaining half-naked and rubbing himself energetically. Jake could hear his teeth clatter from several feet away, and he approached, sensing that the wetness started evaporating from his own skin already. Without thinking much, he ran up to Vars and tackled him into his warm arms.
Jake lay on his back, hugged Vars tight, and covered them with his wings for good measure.
“Until you dry,” Jake whispered, still freaked out by his own, monstrous voice that sounded like something out of a movie.
Vars looked at him, bluish lips trembling, but he didn’t hesitate and clung to Jake, closing his eyes. His beard was so thick, and yet Jake couldn’t feel its touch through the scales, as if only intense stimuli could get through the thick black skin.
“Oh, fuck... I’d... I’d have drowned,” Vars said, his words broken by shudders.