novelraw Chapter 29.
Chapter 29.
Chapter 29. [Bonus Chapter]
"What are you doing out of bed?!"
Artria’s sharp voice sliced right through my excitement. I was so busy doing laps and testing out my healed muscles that I hadn’t even heard her come in.
I stopped mid-swim and turned around to face her.
’Artria? What is she doing home at this time?’ I wondered.
Usually, she was out until the water grew dark, working with the rest of the villages hunters.
My heart was still racing from my little workout, and I was about to brag about how great I felt, but my thoughts froze the second I actually looked at her.
She wasn’t just tired from a long day. She had several patches of bandages made from kelp and sea-herbs wrapped around her arms and her tail.
Even with the medicine, I could see the marks of deep scratches and bruises around the edges.
"What happened?!" I asked, my voice full of worry.
I swam over to her in a flash. My speed surprised both of us, but I didn’t care about that right now.
I reached out to help her, but I stopped myself just before touching her wounds.
Fortunately for me, the cuts were already patched up and sealed by the village healers.
If they had been fresh and bleeding, I might have had to deal with a bloodlust episode right then and there.
From the looks of it, Artria was already prepared for that possibility; she had made sure not to let a single drop of blood leak into the open water before coming home to see me.
"I think I should be asking you that," she said, though she sounded a bit weaker than usual.
She reached out and flicked my forehead with a heavy frown.
"Ow," I winced, clutching my forehead. It didn’t actually hurt that much, but her flick was pretty solid.
"Why are you not still in bed?" she added, crossing her arms.
"The healers said you needed weeks of rest. You were practically a pulp just a few days ago."
"Maybe because I’m all better now?" I said, spreading my arms out to show her I was moving perfectly fine.
But seeing her frown grow even deeper, I knew she didn’t believe a word I was saying.
Well, normally I wouldn’t believe it myself, nobody heals from a near-death beating that fast, even one of the villagers would’ve taken over a week at the minimum, but here I was, feeling like I could take on the world.
It took a while for me to actually convince her that I wasn’t just faking it to be helpful.
I had to do a few more laps and even show her that the deep wound on my cheek had turned into a faint, thin scar.
Even then, she wasn’t satisfied.
She left the room and returned a few minutes later with one of the healers from the village.
The old merman poked and prodded my ribs, checked my pulse, and looked at my eyes with a confused expression.
Only after he nodded and told her that it was a "miracle of nature" did she finally believe my words.
Once the healer left and it was just the two of us again, the mood in the room got serious.
"Now will you tell me how you got so hurt?" I said.
The worry hadn’t left my face.
Sure, she was patched up now, but seeing so many cuts on her body was too much for my liking.
It made my stomach turn to think of her being in pain while I was just lounging around in her home.
Artria let out a long, heavy breath and slumped against the wall of the cave.
"It’s nothing," she said, looking exhausted.
"I just happened to run into a shark while we were out near the north reef."
"A-a shark?!" I stuttered. My face went pale instantly.
The image of a certain pink-haired sea witch came to mind.
My heart started thumping against my ribs.
Did she find them? Was she coming for me? Did she hurt Artria just to send a message?
"Not that shark, idiot!" Artria snapped, reaching out and smacking me on the back of my head.
The sting snapped me out of my nightmarish thoughts.
’Oh. She meant an actual shark,’ I realized.
I let out a massive sigh of relief, my shoulders finally relaxing.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the sea witch. I didn’t know what I’d do if she realized I was still alive and hiding here.
I’d probably bring the whole village down with me.
But then again, I recalled how she’d abandoned me to die in that cloud of blood without a second thought.
I quickly discarded the fear.
If she thought I was dead, maybe she wouldn’t bother looking.
"Those things have been getting more and more rowdier every single day," Artria said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"It’s gotten to the point that they’ve begun interrupting the villagers while we’re hunting."
" They don’t just swim away anymore; they try to steal our catch right out of our hands."
She paused, her expression turning even more grim.
"That’s not even the worst part. Those things have been growing in number, day by day. It’s like they’ve all been migrating here from the deep ocean for some reason. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve never seen so many of them in one area."
Artria started massaging her forehead with an exhausted look on her face. I could tell she was stressed out to the point of breaking.
"Two or three sharks I can deal with on my own," she muttered. "Garin and I have done it before. But the worst part is that we always run into a whole pack of them each time we go hunting now."
" They’re working together. With so many of them in the area, it won’t be long before they kill off every single thing around here. The fish are already starting to leave the reefs because of the predators."
A look of deep worry emerged on her face.
She looked away from me, staring at the floor of our small home. I knew exactly what she was thinking.
"If that were to happen, the village would surely starve to death," I completed her sentence for her.
I felt a cold chill go through me.
A village this size relied entirely on the local fish.
If the sharks ate everything or scared the schools away, these people wouldn’t have any way to survive.
They’d either starved or be forced to migrate. Now one would love to leave their home, and that’s to say if they didn’t run into more troubles on the way.
"Yes..." she said softly. She looked more distraught than I had ever seen her.
The sassy, tough girl was gone, replaced by someone who was scared for her family and her friends.
"Well, we can’t let that happen!" I said.
I stood up tall, my voice filled with determination.
I couldn’t just sit back. These people had saved my life. They had fed me and healed me when I was at my lowest.
If they were in trouble, then I was in trouble too.
"If they’re a problem, we’ll just have to kick them out of the area," I continued, looking her right in the eyes.
"You guys were here first. It’s not fair that you’re all being bullied like this by a bunch of mindless fish. You shouldn’t have to live in fear."
Artria looked up at me, her eyes widening slightly at my tone.
I might have looked like a monster to the rest of the world, but right now, I felt like a protector.
I had the body of a shark, the strength of a predator, and the mind of a man.
It was the perfect combination for such a situation and It was time I started using those things for something good.
"You mean..." Artria started, but she trailed off.
"I mean I’m going to help," I said firmly. " Who better to help deal with them than a merfolk from the shark clan?" I said with a smug smile.
Even if it was a lie and I wasn’t a true born shark merfolk, at least I had the body of one.
"I wish. That’s easier said than done."
Artria sighed, shaking her head. It was clear she didn’t believe such a thing was possible.
She looked at the small size of her village and then thought about the massive packs of sharks outside.
Even with me added into the mix, it seemed she didn’t believe it was possible to get the job done.
We were outnumbered and outmatched by wild animals that didn’t feel fear or pity. And unlike me, those creatures were true predators who’d honed their skills through a life on the edge.
"Don’t admit defeat just yet."
I stepped closer and placed my hand on her shoulder. It was a small gesture, but I wanted her to feel that she wasn’t alone in this.