AN: Explicit content/encounters can be read on my Patreon page!
We relocated to a different area after I'd found my cellphone. It was a long walk, but well worth it for our security. Staying out in the open posed a few challenges that I just wasn't equipped to deal with right now. Being a low leveled human in a world like Etheryn wasn't easy, so prioritizing safety was crucial for survival. After an evening meal chased down with a tiring battle, Starr and I finally had time to rest for the night.
When morning came, I made plans to head to Grusnabi. With our new location, we were now only five miles away from the village according to my codex map. After a full night's rest, I had no problem with hitting the trails by foot. Not that we had much of an option anyway. I was dying to find civilization, and aching to get into some clean clothes.
I rubbed the rest of the sleep out my eyes and stretched, letting out a long yawn. For a small patch of dirt and leaves, my makeshift bed wasn't too bad. I poked my head out from the mouth of the cave, the sun's hot rays making me squint. A new day was promising, and despite the ordeal we went through last night, I was more optimistic than usual.
"Could be the fresh morning air," I muttered to myself, and then I remembered the stream Starr and I had passed when we were looking for a cave last night.
It wasn't too far from us, but I didn't want to leave the sleeping baby dragon by herself inside the cave. So I tried to wake her up, but Starr was a heavy sleeper. I nudged her and called out her name, but she was knocked out cold.
"Ah, come on, Starr. We've slept for at least six hours. We need to get moving."
I got nothing in return. Nothing but cute bubbles blowing through her snout as she snored peacefully.
I sighed, left with no choice but to scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the stream. As I left the cave behind, the morning sun dropped on us full force. Its heat caught me by surprise, though its warmth was nice nevertheless. Soft rays teemed through the thick tree heads, dappling our path along the grass with spots of gold. I had to admit, daytime Etheryn was a lot more peaceful and forgiving than nighttime Etheryn. The gentle rustling of leaves and the chirping of unseen birds filled the air with a serenity I didn't know Etheryn had. As we walked through the foliage, I noticed vibrant hues of wildflowers blooming, their sweet scent wafting through the cool breeze.
The stream was a ribbon of crystal clear water, sparkling under the morning light. I gently laid down Starr by its bank, making sure to hide her in between some bushes where she could be safe. The sound of the stream was resonating, inviting me in for a swim. Water gurgled over smooth pebbles and twigs, rippling out to gently lap over the bank. At the peak of dawn, you could easily mistaken this area for a Garden of Eden, a stark contrast from my first impressions of this world.
I knelt along the bank, a few yards from Starr. Eagerly, I dipped my hand into the stream, feeling the ice-cold water rush along my fingers. It was refreshing, my body aching for a soak. When I splashed the water over my face, I held my breath and took it all in. I closed my eyes and allowed the droplets of water to slide down my skin, then let out that breath I was holding.
My fingernails were caked with blood, my clothes dingy with dirt, and my hair greasy from muck and clay. While Starr was still in a deep sleep, I stripped down to my birthday suit and edged closer to the stream. As soon as I dipped my feet in, the rocks underfoot stabbed into my soles, the chill of the water biting at my ankles. As I moved further in, the water rose up, past my knees, my hips, until I was waist-deep inside of it. A shiver ran through me, chilling and refreshing.
Everything was still as I enjoyed my morning swim. The forest was quietly alive around me; I let myself become immersed in the sounds, feeling my tense muscles start to relax. I brushed my fingers over the crystal in my chest and rolled my shoulders back. I was becoming more and more accepting of it. The crystal was a new part of me, and it was going to take some getting used to, just like being an inhabitant of this strange world and all of its interesting creatures.
Good thing I was pretty good with adapting. I continued enjoying my bath, submerging myself completely in the cold water. The chill sent a gasp from my lungs, but after a moment of icy shock, my body adjusted. Until I heard something that prompted my head up and out of the water, where I noticed bubbles suddenly appearing along the surface.
"Huh?" I raised my eyebrow, not understanding where the bubbles were coming from. When they got closer to me, I took a step back, the water up to my waist as I contemplated escaping to the safety of the shore. Something about those damn bubbles kept me in the water, my gaze fixated on them as they continued to ripple and expand.
Another attack? This bright and early? Not that I could control Mother Nature and her impeccable timing, but shit, all I was asking for was a few minutes to bathe.
But just as I was ready to get out of the water, a girl emerged.
I froze, fighting the flush off my face. Her skin was a pale turquoise for the most part, leaving only the middle of her face flesh colored. Her hair had a strange texture to it, shiny and stretchy like seaweed. It fell past her neck and over her collarbone in what could only be described as chunky locks. She had a few darker spots on her shoulders too, their reflection glistening under the sun, giving off a rainbow of colors as water cascaded off of them. The mysterious fish girl kept her large eyes on me the entire time, while mine was preoccupied with the fact that she might have been naked, the rest of her large bouncy breasts submerged underwater. I was only able to see about 30% of her.
I felt cotton-mouthed as I continued to gawk blankly at her. I was caught off guard, lost in her aquatic features. She even had a tail poking out of the water, no wait, tails… tentacle tails, to be exact, with suckers, and their texture seemed glossy just like an octopus'. They were long and blue with the tips of them bleeding into a dark amber color.
With a flush on her beautiful face, she giggled, those wet curious fingers of hers fishing closer to me. I saw them hovering under my midriff from inside of the water. I stiffened up when she stopped short and said, "Buliba…."
I scrunched my eyebrows and repeated, "B-buu… liba?"