<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">The arguing only lasted so long, and it was distant enough that Altair could tune it out. Cygnus most likely arguing with his crew about taking the slave back onto the ship after his curses, but he would win out in the end. He was their captain, and superstitious or not, they would only protest so much. He heard someone hit the water, but couldn't tell what happened after that until he felt hands upon him. He could do very little even if he'd wanted to. His joints were all seized up, his muscles lacking in functionality. He'd been in the same position for so long, but he could feel what the person was doing. Altair didn't know who. One of Cygnus' crew, he imagined. The Captain would not have deigned to fetch him. There was no resistance, but once parted from the barrel, some survival instinct did kick in and he tried to kick his legs in an attempt to keep his head above water. It would have been pitifully futile if not for the person holding him. He didn't want him to let go if he proved too difficult to retrieve, even if he wasn't thinking of what they would do to him once they had him on deck again.<br/>
<br/>
Somewhere Altair should have registered things were different, but things didn't start coming together until he was out of the water. Pain started to take place of the numbness throughout his body, a pins and needles sort of feeling that made slipping in and out of consciousness less possible. Whoever had come in to get him, they were being hoisted up together, and it made the ascent almost bearable. Once aboard, the individual still clung, and helped to keep him upright before handing him off. Altair groaned at the shifting around, and the momentary absence of heat. Something was wrapped around him, and Altair realized the sounds were too different to be Cygnus' ship. His vision still swam, but for a moment it focused in on the soaking wet individual who had jumped in after him.<br/>
<br/>
<i>This wasn't Cygnus' ship</i>..<br/>
<br/>
Altair was set down, a blanket wrapped around him. His body had started to shiver violently, but that was something, and a sob choked him, but no sound came up. He had no tears either, just shock, and deep relief that someone else had found him besides Cygnus. It didn't matter who else. He wasn't going to die. His savior had come back into focus amid the discussion they were having about him. Initially, they must have thought him a woman and realized now that wasn't the case. He'd been nude aside from the wrap on account of his rape before being tossed over. It seemed like a distant thing now. At least his body was clean, and there was no evidence left of his defiling. Bruises could be explained away as violence. He didn't understand why his cock mattered so much, regardless. He didn't expect they'd be sympathetic towards his plight. He'd come to realize most cultures didn't care so much when it came to the treatment of slaves. He only hoped that they wouldn't let him die so that he might one day figure out a way back to his home country.<br/>
<br/>
Altair tried to form words, making an attempt at <i>please</i>, but sound didn't come in his weakened state. All that was left of him was making one last attempt at getting him warm. He slumped where he'd been laid down, closing his eyes and sending up a prayer to Lain of forgiveness. She'd been looking out for him all along, and he'd very nearly forsaken her. Exhaustion was consuming him, and he didn't fight it. Whatever issues they would need to figure out, they could do so without his awareness. He had no idea how long he'd kept himself over that barrel, but all of it, coupled with the night, had sapped him. It was easy to keep the worry at bay of what situation he'd end up waking to because he simply didn't have the energy left.</span></span>