“You want me to do what?”  She stares at me in terror.

“Stay underwater ten minutes.”

“But…but…”

I trip her and force her under the water.  She thrashes about frantically, but I refuse to let her up.  She thought she could show up with her blue tattoos and her fancy illusions and I’d fall in love with her.  She didn’t think I’d test her.  Water elementals don’t drown.  She will.

She’s almost stopped struggling.  But she doesn’t deserve to die.  I drag her out, lay her on the bank, and walk away.

Maybe she’s learned something about lying to elementals.

--

Corby has rage and bad luck in his relationships, and I needed to work on his world a little bit.  This was an interesting result.

I think it's cute that he's so angry and vengeful, but at the same time has a pretty squishy heart and takes pity on people he recognizes as desperate.  He sees something of himself in them, I think.