A day later~
I had to escape. There is no way I can stand here in this mountain forest any longer.
That sentence was repeated in my mind like a loop.
I had never feared before.
Not until I had seen with my own eyes and relived my life through those memories of this slowly fusing soul.
Pain, anger, loss, desperation; the things known as emotion.
What I hated out of each and everyone was the humiliation.
They had treated this body worse than an animal, warping her mind until she had deteriorated to the point of falling into despair.
Teaching, then disciplining.
While I laid to the bottom of that mountain, after being tossed by the woman who gave birth to the body, they assaulted me to the point that I had been so close to being drowned by it.
If I was any weaker.
If I had not lived for so long as Shark-kin, those few airbreather years would have destroyed me, driving me to the brink of madness.
If I had not remembered that this young airbreather would have appeared here and later would have been saved. I doubt I would have the will to continue.
So, hugging this airbreather thigh is truly worth the effort.
"Are you tired?"
I heard his voice say; it was so pleasing to my ears, his smell and his weak but beautifully ugly human form.
Alas, if I eat him now, I will not be satisfied. He is not even worthy of being an appetizer.
The food was great within this area.
But not great enough that I could afford to meet that family.
They are worse than Shark-kin!
And we are known as the tyrants of the ocean!
"Come, I will carry you on my back for a while," I climbed on, trying my best not to sink my teeth into him. Instead, I distracted myself by asking out of sheer curiosity, "Big brother, tell me again about the outside world." On his back, I could feel when the young air breather inhaled and exhaled, his breath so attractive that my mouth watered. Luckily, he began to speak. "Outside has many people, buildings, towns…"
My thigh explained about the world in a patient tone. His way of explaining drew my interest. Not because I cared, but because I wanted to know so I can continue surviving with ease and I will not eat him.
It was interesting with a very short history.
He said; first, he is still young, so he is not aware of everything, but what he already knew are simple things.
For example; each child is registered a month after birthed, using a wristband.
The wristband is used as an identification card, this is later broken down depending on the standing of the family and their classes.
Poor: poor families.
Average: average families.
Standard: standard families.
Lower Middle: lower class.
Middle: middle-class families.
Upper middle: upper middles class families.
High: high-class families.
Basic rich: families who recently entered the rich class.
And so on, until they enter the noble and Royal class.
This seemed to be a lot of information I could not really grasp, but I nodded nonetheless, filing the social class information away for later.
"… All of this depends on background," he continued by saying, "from the history of the family, their; wealth, income, occupation and education. Of course, what is the most sought after is their wealth and occupation for males. For females, education and pedigree. Away from that. I shall continue informing you young Zephyra, about the wristband since it is the most important right now…"
I nodded obediently, listening to him explain more about the wristband after dropping a bomb.
If social classes are like this, then as an abandoned child and one who had been hidden tortured and at the age of two is without my own wristband, what social class am I?
"… The wristband is used as a sort of wireless device; where all basic information for the registered party's age and family standing is available. You can search who is the local king, the over ruler known as the emperor and other things available to the public…"
I blinked at this, not really understanding, but still nodded to suit.
The children are also thought on a mixed system, for example, the world year is 1015. This is from the first arrival of this world and that this world had been dubbed the name.
A rarely used word back on earth by the scholarly airbreathers.
In this world, a day consists of forty hours with twenty-two reserved for the day and eighteen for the night.
An average person would sleep for ten hours, while those with high ranks can go an entire week without sleep, using their internal strength to keep them refreshed.
This is enlightening. As a Shark-kin I could go without rest for fifty waves (days), well these airbreathers are a bit weak but their mind is fascinating.
I felt, listening to this young airbreather, that he is a smart one and is worthy of me to hug his thigh.
He spoke about the structures of the families, saying that it is patriarchal.
What?
I never understood this with airbreathers.
Shark-kin are loners, females would mate with multiple males, to increase higher chance of fertilization success.
Before Shark-kin gains consciousness and could understand that they needed a mate after a time, they would mate, give birth, and leave.
Soon after, the Shark-kin had their complications and were forced to form imprints.
It had first been two males, but then issues arrived and multiple males were necessary.
Soon after, the Shark-kin had to look at the serpentine males.
Luckily the genes were split naturally in a way, that males were birthed Serpentine, and the females Shark-kin.
Mate outside my kind?
Pei!
Worse, imprint with a Serpentine.
Especially with that pod of persistent Serpentine. Even though their scales were beautiful, they were not worthy.
The particular serpentines who had at one point almost enthralled me.
Molokai.
The eldest of his pod, with the most beautiful scales I had ever seen. Four reptilian eyes, two larger and two smaller to the side and above.
Flathead protected with dense armored scales, round mouth, forked tongue double rows of teeth that can flatten at will. Seemingly harmless, but when bared, they were like tiny pearl white needles coated in deadly venom.
To make it worse, his jaw can unhinge to expand, the only male that can rival me in size, while the Orca king came exceedingly close as well.
I pursed my lips.
The memory of the Orca king who had been so close to becoming my bonded before his people turned on me.
If it was not for my powerful abilities, I would have died.
Yet I had been forced to fossilize myself due to the injuries I had received. And where had he been?
Nowhere!
While I had suffered, losing our pod because of their merciless onslaught, he never showed.
On the back of the young airbreather who carried me, I contemplated what I should feed this weak boy to make him stronger.
Pondering a bit, I decided to activate a weak ability that had been used only twice.
'Scan plant properties. Required…'
The young airbreather placed me gently down before falling down. I could smell his
Sweat, it really was calling out to me.
'… endurance, strength, resistance,'
Reference notes:
Waves: days
Imprinting: a bond between Shark-kin females and their chosen males. This usually lasts for a lifetime and unless they decide on a soul level bond, upon rebirth in their next life, they will be bonded in that once again.