Heretical Fishing

Chapter 68: Thunk

The fishing line darted to the side, cutting through the water toward the small waterfall.

Maria held the rod firm, watching its tip bounce and move with the fish's attempted escape.

"What do I do?"

Her entire body was tense, her shoulders hunched and knees slightly bent.

I smiled and set a hand on her shoulder.

"First, take a deep breath. Relax."

She rolled her shoulders and inhaled shakily, her body loosening.

I pointed at the reel.

"Good. Now reel the fish in, just as I showed you. Keep the line tight, but don't reel too fast. You might hurt it.."

She released the breath and stood upright, her body much more relaxed. Putting one hand on the reel, she wound in the line with controlled movements, her eyes fixed on the fish's path under the water.

As the line between us and the fish reduced, we started catching flashes of silver where the sky reflected from its scales.

Maria's face was caught somewhere between sheer joy and nervousness, and I couldn't help but feel a shadow of the same emotions - such was the excitement of fishing.

The fish darted toward the shore, a last desperate attempt to escape its fate, but Maria was prepared. She deftly wound in the line, keeping it taut so the fish couldn't spit out the hook.

"W-What do I do now?" she asked.

Before she could finish the question, I was moving down to the water's edge. I grabbed the line in one hand and pulled the fish up and onto the bank.

I grabbed it by its toothless mouth and lifted it. It was just longer than my hand, and had a soft brown tinge to its scales, reminiscent of the environment it lived in.

I held it up for her to see, a broad grin spreading across my face as my eyes were drawn into the unfamiliar fish.

Juvenile Jungle Perch

Uncommon

Known for its delicate flesh and subtle taste, this is prized among the freshwater fish of the Kallis realm.

A high-pitched squeal greeted me as my vision cleared, and Maria was hopping foot-to-foot while staring down at the fish.

"I caught a fish! I actually caught a fish! That. Was. So. Exciting!" Her eyes sparkled. "Can we do it again?"

I laughed uproariously, beyond happy with her reaction.

"We have to decide what to do with it first. We didn't actually discuss if you wanted to eat any fish on this trip..."

She looked at the fish, then up at me.

"What do you think we should do?"

I rubbed my chin in thought.

"This fish is a juvenile, so I think we should let it go and try to catch its big brother."

She nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, let's do that!"

I smiled and shook my head at her energy.

"Do you want to let it go?"

"That depends. Does it stink like the eel?"

I laughed again.

"No, it doesn't. It'll be a bit slimy, though…"

She stepped forward.

"How do I hold it?"

I had one thumb held in its mouth, and one supporting the weight of its body.

"I'll hold up the fish, and when I let go of its lip, you grab it. Some fish have teeth, but for the ones that don't, the safest way for both you and the fish is to hold it by the mouth with one hand while supporting its weight with the other."

She nodded seriously, coming closer.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yep!"

I tightened my grip around its body and removed my hand from the mouth. Maria quickly grabbed it with deft fingers.

"Now," I said, "support its weight from underneath. Each of its fins has sharp spines on the end, but as long as you control the head, you shouldn't get pricked."

I removed my hand, leaving her to hold the fish all by herself.

She bounced up and down on her heels, then side to side on each foot, letting out another high-pitched sound.

"I have a fish!"

I grinned.

"And you caught it all by yourself!"

"Demeter's nourishing food—this is so exciting! It's. So. Cute! Is it okay out of the water? Can it breathe out here? How do I put it back?"

Pure happiness spread across my face at her rapid-fire questions.

"It can't breathe air, so we should put it back as soon as possible. Lower it gently into the water, and it’ll swim away."

"Right! Sorry fishy!"

She moved to the pond in a blur, bent, and put the fish underwater in the shallows.

As soon as it was submerged, its body flicked side to side.

Maria made a startled noise and let it go, her backside falling onto the rocky shore.

The fish disappeared into the depths of the pond in less than a breath, vanishing from sight.

She twisted her body and looked up at me.

"Can we do it again? Like right now?"

I smiled.

"We absolutely can."

***

At the friendly crab's request, Pistachio walked up the side of the pond he called home.

Despite the growing catalog of knowledge somehow steaming into his consciousness, his base instincts wanted to crawl back into his cave and hide. He tamped the inclination down; it didn't serve him at the moment.

He peered at his claws as the day's sun shone off them, marveling at their size. He had flashes of memories from the time before awareness, and while some were confusing and somewhat sorrowful, he was certain of a few things.

One thing he knew, and was positive about, was that he had grown. The cave he called home was now a much more snug fit, his enlarged form no longer easily slipping between its walls. Rather than make him feel confined, the cozy cave made him feel safe, secure.

Another thing he knew was his name - Pistachio. He recalled the name from sorrowful memories, so he pushed them away, not ready to confront them yet.

The crab hissed his name, interrupting his rumination, and he looked up at her, ready to listen.

***

Sergeant Snips watched the attentive sea snipper, and with a single claw, stroked the top of his head, just as her master was wont to do.

She remembered how dissociating an experience it was to awaken, and how welcome her master's attention had been when trapped in such a turbulent time. With Fischer on a trip, it fell to Snips to support the sea snipper, and she was more than happy to do so.

Corporal Claws, who had until now been watching with curious eyes, dashed over and tapped rhythmically on the lobster's head, assisting in the only way she knew how.

The lobster looked up at them, unaffected, not reacting in the way she or Corporal Claws had when receiving the Master's blessed scritches. Snips and Claws persisted anyway, resolved to be the emotional-support animals that this newly awakened soul no doubt needed.

Come, she hissed.

The lobster's antennae moved up and down, clearly not understanding her words.

She scuttled along, instead gesturing with one claw for the lobster to follow.

***

Pistachio knew not what the crab was trying to say, but when she moved away and made a gesture, he understood.

He followed her, enjoying the ease with which his legs carried his impressive size.

The otter, who had been tapping his head with rapid yet soft touches, jumped astride his carapace. He swiveled his eyes, peering to ensure the creature was not intending to attack. She spun in circles before lying down and rolling onto her back, rubbing herself against his mighty shell.

Reassured, he returned his attention to the crab, who glared at the otter with what he thought was... annoyance?

Seeing that he had resumed his march, the crab also continued, leading him further away from the ocean.

They crossed a large stretch of sand, and Pistachio took in the unfamiliar sights.

From what he remembered of his time before awareness, he had never walked atop land. His instincts told him it was not a safe place to be, but he fought down the urge to return to his favored cave, reminding himself that he no longer had to listen to such impulses.

They approached a sea of trees, and the crab led him over the sand and beneath their cover.

The calls and chirps of unknown creatures could be heard all around, their songs shrill yet welcome.

He spotted one of the creatures opening a beak and calling out as it hopped from perch to perch, hiding then reappearing from behind patches of green.

It is called a bird…

And the green things trees are covered in...

He cocked his head.

... leaves?

Yes. That was the word.

The trees' leaves moved in a soft... breeze, their limbs and attached greenery shifting pleasantly, more chaotic than the movement of ocean-borne plants.

With each word he correctly identified, he felt a sense of... accomplishment.

That word also brought on a pleasing sensation, and his mouth, unbidden, made a sound of delight.

The crab looked back at him, nodded her agreement, then blew a small series of bubbles.

Pistachio understood their meaning - the crab was also experiencing joy.

They moved ever onward between the trees until they had traveled far from the ocean.

The smell of salt had dissipated significantly, making way for the alien scents of wood, earth, and terrestrial vegetation.

The crab stopped when they reached a group of thick trunks.

She looked at Pistachio with intent, pointed to her claw, then at the tree.

Her claw cocked open, and she placed it up against one of the trees.

Faster than he could register, the claw clamped shut, and the loudest sound Pistachio had ever heard rang out through the forest, like two colossal stones colliding together.

He flinched back and closed his eyes, unprepared as he was for the attack.

A great crashing sound followed, and he hunkered down, protecting the vital point of his boy.

The otter atop him once more tapped her paws on his head, and he finally understood what her purpose was - she was trying to reassure him.

He slowly opened his eyes to steal a glance, but the sight before him made them fly open.

The tree lay on the ground, felled. A sizable chunk from the base had been obliterated; splinters strewn across the ground were the only thing that remained. Beyond the tree's base, a curved slice had been cut into the soil, as long as Pistachio's body, and hewn deeper than an attack from such a small creature had any right being.

She is... strong.

The crab scuttled closer, once more rubbing his head as she had before.

She also wants to reassure me…?

She stepped back, and with a slow gesture, pointed to his claw, then at another tree.

He cocked his gigantic head, causing the otter to stop tapping and hold on, lest she fall off.

With one impressive claw, he pointed to his other, then at the tree.

The crab nodded a single time, stepping aside.

He ambled toward the trunk, holding one claw out. His claw slowly opened, and as it reached its apex, the hinge made a click, locking into place.

He wanted to release it, slam it closed just as the crab had, but something felt... wrong.

Absent-mindedly, he held his other claw forward too, opening it until another soft click was heard.

He held his open claws to the tree, and with a single command, his body released both.

***

Corporal Claws resumed her comforting taps on the lobster's head, showing her love and affection for the gigantic thing.

Unlike her general desire to mess with Sergeant Snips, she felt a need to protect the magnificent creature. He was a babe in this world, and although he was many times larger than her, she felt a maternal urge to keep him safe, to show him everything was going to be okay.

She paused her rhythmic tapping as his opening claw made a click, but then resumed again as he slowly opened the other.

With her improved body, she would be safe from any attack coming from the lobster. From her position on his back, she could also protect him from the falling tree should he cut through it.

I doubt it can sever the tree upon awakening, but better to be safe than sorry.

She squinted at his claws, intent on seeing just how much damage they could do to the wood.

A sort of power built in the claws, and she leaned in closer, drawn in by the odd gathering.

As she made to step closer, the claws slammed down with a deep thunk.

The next thing Corporal Claws felt was open air as she was launched from her perch atop the lobster, expelled by the force of the attack.

Oh... was all she had time to think.

She struck something hard, and all thought disappeared.