Sellsword

The water was rising, unbidden, in a very sharp way, completely unlike how the water usually reacted. Lisa watched it, unable to turn away, her violin resting by her side, the air filled with utter silence. Even the water rising was without sound. There was something unnatural about it - the way it moved, how it seemed to have a mind of its own, and how it piled up on top of itself to give itself form. That last point took Lisa far too long to recognize. She was used to having her eyes closed, to feel the water move reaching through the core of her system and giving her a vision of how it moved without her having to see it. But this had nothing to do with her.

The water bent and stiffened as it rose, giving itself shape and texture, the light reflecting off of its surfaces to give the vague shape meaning. Lisa didn't know how long she was standing there, transfixed and watching the water move, before the shape was clear enough to make out. It was a man, standing in the calm waters, one hand crossed across his waist. There was something at his side that he was grasping on, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. And then a shiver ran through her spine, as the wind picked up and blew all around her, towards the watery figure.

Ice formed across the man's body, making him appear as though a sculpture made in the lake, a mask across its wide opened eyes that stared into her soul. They were a piercing blue, making her intensely uncomfortable. She wanted to turn away - everything about her was screaming for her to turn and run - but she simply couldn't. She watched as the man's arm extended toward her, revealing that what he was gripping was a sword that had been sheathed on his hip. He pointed it at her, face smooth except for the eyes, unable to say anything to accompany the motion. She didn't understand what it wanted. Why it had appeared. Why it seemed to be almost as transfixed on her as she was on him.

And the figure rushed forward, faster than Lisa's eyes could comprehend, sword pointed straight between her eyes. Lisa's breath caught in her throat, and she was prepared for the icy blade to cut her, but it stopped only a meter away. The figure glared at her, but did not move any closer. Shaking ever so slightly in her knees, Lisa glanced down. The figure had reached the edge of the lake, and appeared unable to take a step further. It was stuck where it was, and if she had been standing much closer, it surely would have cut her down. But it could not.

They stood in a standstill for a long moment, Lisa breathing hard, and the water man glaring and pushing hard against the land. Neither could move. Neither was willing to turn away.

And then, in an instant, the cold in the air was gone. The ice melted, and the form as a whole splashed down into the water, vanishing loudly - though if anyone else had heard it, they would have thought nothing of it. Lisa stared at the spot where the man had been. Where had he come from? Why? And why did it seem to want to kill him?

She could only hope that the others would have some form of answer.