Murky waters

Water met me like a cold, hard blanket, soaking me through but not letting me get inside so easily. I had to push with my legs to dive in. Then the water smothered all smells, lights, and sounds.

I could barely see a meter away in its murky depths, and I only had so long until I will have to get up for more water, and I was sure that mice could swim. My only escape would be to hide at the deepest depths of the lake and hope that the mouse couldn't hold her breath for long enough. Or that it won't find me underwater.

Wasting no time, I wiggled my legs and my forewings to swim downward, towards the bottom of the lake. It wasn't too far down as I was only at its shallows.

I had to find something to eat. I had to evolve a water-breathing skill before I ran out of air, and before some fish made me their food.

Luck smiled down on me as I spied a small school of tiny fishes—just fries, barely longer than my body—nearby. Rowing with my thin legs wasn't easy, but I could move with my forewings well enough. It let water soak through my wings, but thankfully, they were water-repellent. I will only have to shake them and they will be good to fly again.

And if I won't swim now, I won't fly anywhere.

I felt my insides slowly beginning to burn. With my tiny body I didn't need a lot of oxygen to go by, but I didn't have lungs to store any air at all. I pushed on, hurrying to catch these fries.

They scurried to the sides at my approach, but I lunged forward, grasping one with my jaws and gluing it to my forelimbs with spider silk. I didn't even waste time on killing it, instead just biting down while it still trashed in my grip.

I chewed, for once, without feeling the taste. The cold fish meat disappeared in my stomach in a blink.

[Creature devoured. Gained 1 EXP. Gained new evolution options.]

Without a pause, I opened my evolution screen and scrolled through the list of my evolution options. Sure, the fish was just a fry, but it should have had the ability I needed… If it was something the System deemed an ability at all. If not, then I was screwed. I didn't have EXP or time to evolve into a fish.

[Underwater Swimming (1 EXP)]

Thank System! I immediately picked up the ability, and just in time, as I saw the red glow approaching the water's surface. Without waiting for the evolution to set in, I rowed away from the shore and deeper into the lake.

The pain hit me just a second later, starting at my abdomen and spreading to my limbs. I faltered for a moment, but then continued to swim until the ache slowly dissolved.

After that, I took a deep breath. Something changed in my spiracles, the tiny holes through which I breathed. Now they took to water as well as to the air. My growing lack of oxygen disappeared like it was never there.

My limbs changed, too. I took a glance at my forelegs to see flat outgrowths between my claws, almost membrane-like. Similar ones must've been on my other legs, as I found it much easier for me to row.

In a much more relaxed manner, I swam deeper into the lake. My approach drew several curious fishes to me, but I kept to the bottom and threw sand at them with my legs whenever they swam too close.

I had one obsessed animal chasing after me, and that was enough, thank you very much.

And chasing after me, it was. All the sounds were a mess, my antennas could only feel water, but I saw the red glow of the mouse following me into the water. Immediately, I swam faster, despite my exhaustion.

Still, this wasn't air, and the mouse was a much better swimmer. It had sharp senses, too. I hoped it won't be able to see me in the water, but it only had a brief pause before beginning to move in my direction.

I, of course, moved away. The distance between us began to shorten, and I prepared to defend myself with all I had when it will reach me. But then it stopped and turned back towards the surface. It was out of air.

With a mental sigh of relief, I hurried to get even deeper, the red glow never too far away from me. The mouse dived again and again, and each time it drew closer and closer to me. Soon, the lake stopped growing deeper even when I swam farther in, and yet the mouse kept descending deeper with each try.

Now, though, I noticed the sound of rain tapping on the water diminishing, and I knew that the sudden rain was almost over. I only had to wait a little before I will be able to fly away again, but…

Before that happened, the mouse reached me at last. It slashed at me with its claws, and in this movement, inadvertently saved my life from itself.

The movement of the water caused by the mouse's paw threw me away from it. I didn't let this chance drop, swimming away and up with all my might.

I emerged from the water with a glorious feeling of sounds, colours and smells returning to me, only to find myself stuck to the water surface. It took a second of effort to pull myself out of it, and then, finally, flew straight upwards.

There were no trees on the lake for the mouse to launch itself off. Would I be able to wait it out here, in the air?

A sharp cry of a bird over my head told me it might be a bad idea.