by Dreagen
Everyone had gone back to keeping to themselves when Rex heard EeNox once again whistling that strangely familiar tune. Could it be true? Did I really hear it when I was a baby here? I wonder who sang it to me.
All around them avian DyVorians joined in until it seemed like the entire forest around them was enveloped in this one melody, which seemed to cast a spell over everyone. Rex closed his eyes, letting the rhythm of the song gently glide over him as they continued to lazily flow down the river.
Half an hour later, they veered off into one of the smaller tributaries, where they no longer had the current to carry them. Rex glanced all around at the beautiful forest that looked like something out of a fantasy story. Small CyTorians flew through the canopy while the sounds of distant roars and calls could be heard far off. The trees were thick and tall, almost like natural skyscrapers growing out of EeNara, and the leaves on most of them varied in color like deep reds and golds, and seemed to glow in the morning light.
What looked like an ankylosaurus said hello from the water’s edge as he emerged from the forest to take a drink. The people of EeNara had a system of measuring the passage of time that differed from the one he had been used to on Earth, but he surmised that he had been here around seven to eight months. Yet, despite that, the novelty of saying hello to creatures that had inhabited his dreams since he was little still had not worn off and he doubted it ever would.
LyCora watched Rex with what looked like casual curiosity but was in fact an intense degree of scrutiny. She scanned him from top to bottom, taking note of his abnormally large claws and teeth, along with his physique, which looked normal for a boy his age but seemed different somehow, too. She could not quite put her finger on it, but there was just something in the way he moved and carried himself, like he was bigger than he actually appeared to be. She could not explain it but felt it nonetheless.
DiNiya, who had been listening to the sounds of the forest, had noticed the intensity lurking behind LyCora’s eyes when she fixed them on Rex. Their personal differences aside, DiNiya had always been leery of her because her motives for anything and everything had always been hazy at best, ever since the day of their falling out. Just looking at her now made her wonder what thoughts were swimming in her head, especially now that she had taken some sort of interest in her new friend. What are you up to, LyCora?
“Okay, this is a good spot,” EeNox said as he pulled up his oar and laid it down.
Rex looked around. “Right here?”
“Yup. This place will do nicely,” he replied, taking off his shirt. “Hurry up and get undressed.”
Rex frowned as he realized that EeNox was not stopping at his shirt and shoes. “Hey, wait, you’re not going to—”
EeNox stripped the last of his clothes off and threw them to the side before quietly slipping into the water. “Don’t jump in,” he said. “The splash will scare away the fish. You coming?”
Rex looked at him then over at the girls. He was well aware that nudity here did not have the same social taboo that it had back on Earth, but being that he grew up with it as such, it was still hard for him to get used to. Especially when it meant doing so in front of members of the opposite sex. To his relief, DiNiya and LyCora had not even so much as raised an eyebrow when EeNox shed his clothes, so at least he knew the embarrassment rested solely with him. This is stupid. Why do I even care?
He pulled his shoes off, then his shirt, followed by his pants. All that was left was his underwear.
“Would you hurry up?” EeNox called from the water. “I’d like to get back in time to make our catch for dinner tonight.”
“Don’t rush me,” Rex growled, turning bright red as he glanced back over his shoulder at the girls. LyCora was picking at something caught in her fur while DiNiya was chewing one of her claws and staring up at a couple of CyTorians who were circling lazily overhead.
“Today,” the other boy called from the water.
Rex felt incredibly irritated but also incredibly nervous. He glanced back once more and saw that DiNiya had begun to look at him. Damn it, he thought, gritting his teeth. Now she’s probably wondering why I’m just standing here like an idiot in my underwear. I should have taken them off and jumped in when she wasn’t paying attention.
“Are you all right, Rex?” she asked.
“FINE!” he replied more forcefully than he had intended in a crackly voice. “I mean…yes, I’m good. Doing…super good over here.”
“You sure?”
“YES!…I mean…why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’ve been standing there in your underwear like an idiot for the past three minutes,” LyCora replied.
Damn it, he screamed in his head. SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHITTY SHIIIIT. That’s it. I’ve got no choice. I just have to go for it. He looked down. But wait! What if I’m like…below average? How big was EeNox’s? Wait, I didn’t look! Damn it, but how am I supposed to know then? WAIT! I’m only fifteen, what the hell is supposed to be average for me? Ah, fuck it.
He quickly dropped his underwear to his ankles and dove in headfirst before the sun so much as had a chance to shine off his backside. Seconds later, his broke the surface next to EeNox, who furrowed his brow.
“What are you doing?” he asked angrily. “I told you not to jump in or you’d scare the fish off!”
“Hey, I was just really anxious to get started,” Rex fired back.
“What?”
“Huh? Never mind…What now?”
“Well, assuming there’s still anything swimming down there, we go fishing.” He turned his attention to the two girls, who were lost in their own respective worlds, and called up, “You two have that net open and ready. When Rex and I toss them up, it’ll be your job to throw them in.”
“You act like I’ve never done this before,” DiNiya replied, grabbing the net.
“Okay, okay. Just making sure you’re ready. You understand how this works, LyCora?”
The other girl was lying on her back with her hood over her eyes. “You boys play in the water for an hour and then I dine on fresh fish tonight.”
EeNox sighed. “Yeah…you got it. Anyway, Rex you ready?”
“Just how exactly are we supposed to catch fish this way?” he asked.
“Follow me and I’ll show you.”
EeNox disappeared below the surface before Rex had a chance to ask him anything else. Rex took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air, and submerged his head. The water was murky from all the sediment. Rex looked on all sides and below for any sign of EeNox but saw none. Then he noticed a green glow off to his left. Looking over, he saw it was coming from the other boy, who swam closer and motioned for him to follow. With a green pulse, he shot down like a rocket, vanishing in the murky gloom.
Rex just hovered and stared, not feeling too excited about descending into the unseen world below. He still did not know what he was supposed to be doing. After all, for him, fishing had always been sitting down in a boat or on the edge of a dock with a fishing pole. They had the boat but no poles, and even if they did, how were they supposed to use them in the water? Wow, I’ve been holding my breath for a really long time.
Suddenly, there was another even larger burst of green light, this time from below. Rex looked down and tried to peer through the dark for any sign of his friend, when he saw what looked like dozens of green, blue, and yellow balls of light come rushing up at him. Rex recoiled as they went zipping by. What are these things? One of them hit him under the chin, stunning it long enough for him to catch a quick glimpse of a fish illuminated by its green flame before it swam quickly for the surface.
Rex saw two more large green pulses below, this time in rapid succession, sending more panicked fish up towards him. Seconds later, EeNox came rocketing up from below like a torpedo. Wow, thought Rex as he watched him move through the water like a dolphin. He’s using his flame to fly through the water.
EeNox sliced through water, scaring fish to the surface, before he zipped
back over to Rex and motioned for him to head up. Rex nodded and followed him.
When their heads broke the surface, they were instantly greeted by the sight of fish leaping out of the water and DiNiya snatching them up with lightning speed and throwing them into the net. LyCora, meanwhile, was still showing no interest and looked to actually be sleeping with her hands clasped comfortably on her midsection, her hood still over her eyes.
“Come on,” said EeNox, smiling. “I saw a big tusk fish when I was down there! They normally are never found in fresh water! If we hurry, we might still be able to catch him!” With that, he dove beneath the surface, this time with Rex close behind. They swam down into the murky depths, which cleared once they reached the bottom, some fifteen meters deeper than Rex had expected. The bottom was alive with all types of algae that glowed green and even a little blue in certain places. EeNox pointed up ahead to what looked like an underwater forest.
They swam closer, and Rex recognized it to be some sort of kelp bed. Upon swimming in, they were immediately surrounded by the thick leathery leaves that swayed and glided over their skin.
Rex was not exactly sure what they were looking for, but EeNox seemed to move with a sense of determination, albeit a bit more cautiously than he had before they entered the aquatic forest.
Rex was now more aware than ever that he had been holding his breath longer than anyone should have been able to. He had known how to swim for as far back as he could remember, but he had never gotten the chance to do it much, nor did he practice holding his breath underwater to see how long he could. He did not have long to contemplate the possibility of what this could mean, for no sooner did he start to lose focus on the task at hand, did EeNox come to an abrupt stop. Grabbing him by the arm, he pointed down excitedly. Rex gazed below and saw something larger than the both of them put together slowly gliding through the floor of the kelp bed.
Rex looked back to EeNox, who had an ear-to-ear grin and was nodding vigorously. Before Rex could do anything, EeNox’s flame ignited around him and he shot down towards the bottom like cannon fire.
How does he do that? Rex wondered. Can I do that? He closed his eyes and thought back to the long hours over countless days he had spent honing his flame’s power and his ability to control it at will. Look within your center, came a disembodied voice on a gentle current that made his body rise and fall slightly. My center, he thought. He recalled the feeling of compressing his flame in what felt like a small ball of energy focused at his core, and then expanding it outward in every direction. He just needed to expand it wide enough to encapsulate him and then focus on pushing off with it through the water. To his surprise, the concept seemed simple enough. Here goes nothing.
The familiar warm sensation in the pit of his gut rose to his chest and spread out like blood coursing through his veins. He clenched his fists, tightened his muscles, and with what could only be described as a pressure cannon going off, exploded upwards like a rocket. He shot up out of the water, six meters in the air, raining water down on DiNiya and LyCora, who screamed as she was abruptly woken from her nap.
He caught a quick look at the wide-eyed look of surprise on DiNiya’s face before he redirected his energy output to propel himself back down into the water. There he tore through the first several dozen meters, reached the canopy of the kelp forest, raced by something bigger than him moving in the opposite direction, and collided head on with EeNox.
The two reeled back, holding their heads, bubbles rising from their mouths as they gurgled profanity.
Rex was the first to shake off the pain, with EeNox quickly following suit. He motioned to him to head up again as he raced up to go after whatever had zipped by Rex.
Not wanting to be left behind, Rex shot after him and quickly caught up, where he looked up ahead and saw the tail of a large fish swimming at what he guessed must have been at least forty kilometers per hour.
The two looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. EeNox veered off to the left and proceeded to race ahead of the fish to cut it off so Rex could catch him from behind.
For reasons unbeknownst to him, Rex felt an exhilaration he had not before. Of course he knew the thrill that could come from battle. He had been in enough fights to feel that now and again, but this was different, new. But why?
They raced through the water, ducking under large protruding roots and zigzagging around underwater plants. Fish dove out of their way as they came racing by. They were now drawing nearer to their quarry.
Faster, Rex told himself. He’s yours! Take him! He was now fixed solely on the pursuit, his gaze held squarely on the tail fin as the distance between he and it began to shrink. I’ve got him now!
EeNox had changed tactics and taken the high route and was now bearing down on the fish that was ever determined to elude capture.
Seeing that EeNox was practically on top of it, he realized his plan was to slam down on its head. Rex felt the heat of his flame burn hotter. He opened his mouth, turning his face into a toothy maw, which snapped shut with such force that it echoed through the water.
Back on the boat, DiNiya was sitting at the bow, leaning on her hands, with a look of utter boredom. Where did they go? A dragonfly the size of an eagle hovered a meter away from her for a moment before flying off towards the far shore. Behind her, LyCora lay silent and still. DiNiya was not sure if she was sleeping or just simply did not want to acknowledge her. Regardless, she was happy to not have her criticizing. Maybe I should have gone with them? Then again, what good would I have been if I had? DiNiya knew why she had been relegated to merely netting their catch. It was the same reason her brother never asked her to go fishing and why she clung to her mother’s blanket for more than fond memories on a cold night. Her thoughts shifted to earlier when she watched Rex soar out of the water. He’s becoming more comfortable with his flame every day now, it seems. I remember when he could only use it by reflex. Still, even that would be a step up for me.
Her attention suddenly fixed on bubbles far off ahead, which she hoped would be the boys. The bubbles continued for another five seconds before subsiding, much to her disappointment. She plopped her head back down on her arms and sighed. “Bored.”
Below, the two boys were so close to catching the tusk fish that they had already built it up to mythic proportions in their minds, and could already smell its flesh roasting over an open fire.
With a final burst of speed from both of them, they shot forward to claim their prize, only to have it disappear inside a pair of massive jaws that slammed shut right in front of them, sending them reeling back.
They quickly righted themselves and turned to face what Rex thought looked like some sort of huge amphibian. The two watched the lump that was the fish, travel down its throat before the massive creature fixed its burning green gaze on them. Rex and EeNox gazed back at the large predator then slowly to each other.
Back at the surface, DiNiya was still wallowing in self-pity, when she heard LyCora start snoring behind her. She turned and saw her lying with her legs sprawled out and her mouth hanging open, drool running down the side. DiNiya shook her head and gave her a disapproving snort.
Suddenly, Rex and EeNox burst forth from the water and landed on the boat, gasping for air. “Hey, where’d you two go?” DiNiya asked. “I’ve been waiting up here forever.”
The boys paid no attention to her and instead grabbed the oars and started steering toward the shore.
“Hey, what’s going on? Are you two listening to me?”
“We have to get off the river,” EeNox exclaimed. “Now!”
“Why? What happened down there?”
“We’re not the only ones fishing in this river,” Rex said.
Behind them, LyCora lifted her hood above her eyes to peek at what was going on. She saw the two boys furiously steering the boat to the right while DiNiya was talking to them frantically.
“Someone want to fill me in on what exactly is going on?” DiNiya asked, frustrated.
“We ran into a ClorRax down there,” EeNox said.
“You’re kidding! This far up river?”
“Yes!”
“Seems like fish aren’t the only things that were driven north,” Rex commented as he continued to dig through the water with his oar.
“If we can just get to land,” EeNox continued as all the muscles in his arms flexed from rowing as hard as he could. “They can’t move that fast out of the water!”
All of a sudden, something came crashing through the bottom of the boat, splitting it in two and sending the four of them up in the air before splashing down into the river. DiNiya and Rex were the first to surface, with EeNox and LyCora joining them not long after.
“Swim for shore as fast as you can,” EeNox yelled.
They all began swimming furiously for the riverbank when Rex turned and saw a swell in the water rapidly approaching. Damn it, he thought as he pulled himself through the water faster.
Using his flame, EeNox created a small pulse wave under the surface of the water, which propelled DiNiya forward past the others towards the shore.
Faster and faster the rest of them swam, none of them daring to take a second look behind for fear of what they might see. Finally, they felt the ground beneath their feet and rigorously pulled themselves out of the water by digging one foot after another into the soft muddy soil and pulling themselves forward.
“Rex! Behind you!” DiNiya screamed.
Rex turned in time to see the ClorRax’s head break the surface of the water and lunge at him, just as a ball of blue flame hit it in the mouth, sending it reeling back.
He turned and saw LyCora preparing to fire another blast. Her eyes lit up as she raised her hands above her head. A blue fireball appeared between them before she thrust her hands in front of her, sending the burning orb forward and scoring a direct hit between the beast’s eyes.
The ClorRax let out a low cry before falling back beneath the surface.
The four of them quickly made their way up the embankment and onto dry land, breathing heavily.