Gone Fishing
#11 of Robbin Red
Just another day of being Jon-Tom, errr, Aiden Drake.
The next morning found some disturbing noises coming from the chambers presentlyoccupied by the mayor. Huntchy was unafraid, though wary when he pushed openthe doors separating the dragon's room from the rest of the abode. He poked hishead around the massive oak doors to find his scaly guest still asleep. Thegod-awful noise was apparently his stomach. It made sense. He must have burned,literally burned away thousand of calories during his flight. That posed theproblem of how to feed him. A horse wasn't much of one for carnivorouscravings. His larder was stocked with oats, and hay, and apples. A dragon atewhatever a dragon wanted, and if pressed too far, whomever he wanted. Survivalcould overcome discretion in no time flat. Before he could arrive at a firm decision as to what to do, the wyvern awoke. Heyawned, spitting sparks into the ceiling, his wings scraping the walls oneither side. He opened his eyes. "Morning Huntchy. Seems I have a built inalarm. My stomach seems to be telling me I need to eat. In a body this big, I'mafraid that means it's going to take a lot. I am uncertain at present how toquash this insistent hunger." Huntchy knew what they had fed Maarteel, but dismissedthat immediately.
"Well my friend, your predicament; the present one, caught my attention a moment ago.I was contemplating what I might need to feed you. Dragons are meat eaters.There is plenty of meat to be had in this town, but only if you stooped toeating our citizens. I think that would be highly impolitic, not to mentionimpolite. Perhaps you would care for some fish? The ocean is close, but thefleet may still be out filling their net. Besides, you could eat all they snareand still not be satisfied." Jon-Tom felt the rumbling in his stomach likethunder echoing across a valley. "I've been a dragon before, even if not one so large as this. You're right. When itcomes to having an appetite, they do, though no more than normal for a creaturethis size. Perhaps I had better find my own victuals." He nudged open the doorsleading to the outside and basked in the sun a moment, spreading his wings widein preparation for flight. His muscles were sore. He was amused that his talenthad left that particular detail unattended, then remembered his healing hadtaken a battering yesterday trying to keep him from frying from the inside out.A little soreness could be dealt with without complaint. Still, he needed arunning start to get airborne. Once he was up, he could smell the salt airwafting in from the coast. He headed in that direction.
In doing so, he missed his morning visitor. It was a lovely hare, complete withlong silky ears and a soft,
if hidden, fuzzy tail. It was hidden by the foldsof a silk gown, colored green and blue, with little cascades of silken flowersaround its hems. Huntchy was impressed and alarmed at the same time. No one intown wore such an expensive gown, nor was anyone here talented enough to havemade the material and sewn together such a masterpiece. But he was smarter thanthe average horse. "Good Morning my lady. Have you forgiven your husband so quickly for hisindiscretions?" The hare got a sullen look on her face. "Now Huntchy! How didyou know it was me? I look nothing like my human self!" The horse was lookingher over. He had an eye for females. He may prefer his own kind, but he knewbeauty in its many forms. This little bunny was a knockout. It seemed like hisguest might be returning home soon after all. "My lady. No one would have the audacity to visit the mayor this early, and whilehe remains in his present form, unless that person was his wife. Since youchange every other day, it was no great feat to figure out that you are you.And may I say, you look quite lovely. I have no hankering for humans, but youhave transformed into quite the fetching lagomorph. It's too bad your husbandis presently held in the clutches of this lamentable form, bestowed upon him bythat powerful fluid he so unwisely partook of. He might then reap the benefits ofthis lovely body you now possess." She stuck her cute tongue out at him.
"You know Huntchy, I think I liked you better before. Now you sound too smart." Hewhinnied. "I am smart, milady. But if you prefer, I can go back to talking as Ihave for the past several years. Iffin mewords aren't too caustic forsuch wunnerful ears." She giggled at the intended compliment.. "Oh, speak as you will. As you've guessed, I came to see my husband. I take it hehas already left?" The horse pointed skyward. "He left to find his breakfast.He has headed to the ocean to see if he can fill his gullet with mullet."Sybeele tittered. "Funny! Well, when he gets back, we need to have a sole tosole talk." She waited for him to get the humor. It didn't take long. "Yes mylady, I'm positive you do. Just don't discuss things until he ends up with ahaddock." She wrinkled her nose at his rejoinder and smiled. "Oh, I won't Hejust has a few bad halibuts he needs to break. Then I'm sure all will be fine!"Huntchy just shook his head. What a female! The hare turned and bounded down the street, making good time. The horse had beentruthful; as a hare, she was much more attractive than as a human. But shewasn't bad looking, for a human. She was an interesting case. He had never beenable to get as much information about her as he would have liked. She seemed totell her friends a lot, but none of it ever made much sense. Of course, comingfrom another world, he had no reference points to draw off of. Here, the onlyremarkable thing about her seemed to be her mutability. And now, it was clear,a solid connection with the two most remarkable beings he had ever heard of.The life spirit of the planet embodied, and the one who had released her.
The latter was now stuck as a dragon. His wife, who now had his power, waspresently stuck as a hare. What a wacky couple they were. He thought of his ownmisguided adventures and chuckled grimly to himself. Things happened. Thenanother thought struck him. Sybeele, in her present form, looked remarkablylike one of her friends. He had no idea if that was a trick of hertransformation, or if it was more. He was going to have to do some digging intoher life. Since there was only one person who would know more than the girlherself, he was going to be pumping him for information when he returned. Jon-Tom was sitting on the shoreline, watching the dim outlines of the fishing fleetnestled along the horizon. He figured that was where the fish were, but he hadno desire to spook the normally superstitious sailors with his unwarrantedpresence. He was sitting here holding his breath, wondering how long he could containit. He was surprised to find he could go a full ten minutes, counting offmentally. The next step was seeing if he could swim. Flying was one thing; inthe water his wings would cause drag. He found that if he kept them close tohis sides, he could propel himself forward with his tail. It wouldn't be assmooth as a dolphin, but it would do.
He launched in the air and flew out a half mile from shore, folded his wings anddived. He hit the water as smoothly as a javelin, breaking the surface with thebarest of splashes. The water was crystal clear, and it didn't take too long tofind fish. The problem was, they were all small, running in huge schools ofsilvery iridescence. Their sheer numbers and reflective, ever-moving bodiesmade him dizzy. He was ready to trysomewhere else when salvation arrived in the form of a shark. Its sole intentwas feeding on the school. It paid him no mind, perhaps not even registeringthat he was something alive and to be reckoned with. Jon-Tom had never had shark. He wasn't much on sushi, but then, he was capable ofcooking his own meal. His neck snaked out and nabbed the beast. It filled hisjaws. The ocean predator tried desperately to escape, something it had neverhad to do in its life. The dragon pushed upwards until it broke the surface.That's when
he found out he had a problem. Ocean birds had learned to runacross the water to get up the necessary velocity to fly, or else were alreadyso light as to facilitate takeoff. A dragon might launch into the sky from asolid surface, without additional assistance, but in water, it was impossible.
He had yet again not thought his actions through. The shark was still struggling,making any attempt at flying impossible. He did the only thing he could at themoment. He paddled in place while he thought. The first thing was to put hismeal out of its misery. He hated killing, but everyone had to eat. He consoledhimself that he had just saved a bunch of smaller fish from certain death. Witha crunch, he finished the shark off. Next was flying. It turns out his wingswere wet, and his scales had trapped a great deal of water. He was now wellover a ton heavier than when he woke up this morning, including the weight ofhis meal. He turned towards shore and took the only course he had left. He swam. An aquaticdragon would have laughed him out of the water. But he made progress. He wasravenous by the time he reached shore. The smell of blood and the taste of fishalmost had him eating the thing raw as he swam. When his feet and claws finallytouched bottom, he rose up, his wings at his side, water flowing off like atorrent. A bloodied flow fell from his jaws, the shark hanging limply on eitherside. Therefore, it was no surprise that he frightened a covey of beach combinggulls and a few idle old timers looking for shells and flotsam. They had been aware of their mayor's recent plight, but not of his recent flight...and swim.
Being too hungry and tired to bother to explain or apologize, he simply watched themflee back towards town. He dropped his prize in the sand, and with a steady,low flame, began cooking it where it was. He rolled it a few times, but it wasonly half done when he gave up and took a bite. It could have used some soysauce, or maybe a little Tabasco, but since he couldn't do magic with a mere thoughtany more, he savored it as it was. He was still working away when a bevy ofarmed guards came running his way. Huntchy was with them, laughing. "I told you, you idiots! The mayor needed to eat, and unless you wish to volunteer forhis meals, you had better get used to the idea of him foraging as he will."They various soldiers put down their pikes, thankful they were spared anencounter that would normally have proved fatal. One spoke up. "We're sorryyour Lordship. The stories coming from those whom you managed to frighten toldof an enormous sea beast with a Leviathan in its mouth." He looked to theremains on the beach. "I say, was that a
Napakaluhba?"
Jon-Tom had no idea what a napa-thingy was. Well, he did know it was delicious. Helooked down at the bones and head. The thing did have some impressive teeth.They appeared to be six or seven inches long and glossy red, but in this largerbody, his perception of size was askew. "I went fishing, and this is what Icaught. I was hungry, so I ate it. Is there a problem?" The soldier, apparentlythe leader of the group, looked up in awe. "No your Lordship. It's just that noone catches and eats one of these. They are the top of the food chain aroundhere, at least when it comes to sea life. They have been known to tear holes inboats. There isn't a net that can hold them. Even the dolphins and orcas havethe sense to shy away from them." He took his pike and pried the jaws apart.Jon-Tom could now see that the soldier, a handsome skunk, could have crawledinto the thing's mouth with room to spare. "These teeth occasionally wash up on shore after storms. They are quite prized. Youhave now pulled ashore an entire mouthful of them. If you were a merchant, youwould be set for life. Each one is worth two gold pieces. There must be severalhundred in here!" Money didn't mean much to Jon-Tom, not nearly as much as afull stomach did right then. But he did catch the shark, so the teeth were histo keep. The question was; what would he do with them? At the moment, he was equippedwith even greater teeth, scales, talons, and flame. Somehow, fish teeth didn'tseem too impressive.
"Well, I don't immediately have use for them, but if you say they have value, itbehooves me to keep them until I can find a worthy use for them. Thank you forinforming me, uh...what's your name soldier?" The skunk did a bow. "We have nothad time to meet your Lordship. I am Dysosmos, though you may call me Dice ifyou like. It's a bit of my given name shortened, and I do like to gamble, so itworks twofold." Jon-Tom chuckled to himself. It was a name he could remember. "Well Dice, thank you again for the information. I hope we can sit down and get toknow each other after my present situation passes. In the meantime, I will domy best to not cause any more chaos around town." The skunk stuck his pike inthe sand. "Oh, don't do that. This place is so settled that it gets boring. Inthe past week or so, things have livened up. I think you'll go far to pull thistown out of its complacency. Me and my men haven't had a drill that was asinvigorating as this." There were murmurs of agreement from the others. Huntchyjust laughed.
"You lot need to be on your toes. Of course, one of you doesn't need the pike toenforce the rules." Dice
raised his tailand aimed his backside at the horse. "You mean like this?" Huntchy backed awayin mock horror. "Don't you dare! Once is enough!" Jon-Tom was going to want tohear about that incident. But for now, he was content to fly back to the stableand sleep off his meal. It was sitting in his belly all nice like. "Gentleman.I think it's time for me to head back and get indoors. My meal needs digestingand I need to keep from frightening the good citizens of Hobarrow." He went totake off and flopped back to earth. His gut was full of food, and his wings andscales had not yet dried. "On the other hand, I guess I can walk the distance. He grabbed the remains of his mealand turned towards the road. He put one foot in front of the other, ploddingalong like an elephant. It seemed undignified, but it was either that or sleepon the beach. If he had been human, that would have appealed actually. But hedidn't want sand getting wedged between his scales and his skin. Damn, he thought, I'm thinking like a dragon. So he marched on. When they arrivedback to town, there was a huge number of citizens watching from the wall. Whenthey realized it was only the mayor, they left. They had hoped to witnessanother major event; the arrival of a sea monster. A dragon was already passé.
Jon-Tom plodded through the streets, his footsteps echoing across the houses and storefronts.He arrived at the horse's residence, he dropped the carcass on the stones, crawledinto his room and dropped to the floor. "Don't wake me until tomorrow," heyawned out. "Huntchy lowered his head before he spoke. "I'm sorry I didn'tmention this earlier, my friend, but your female made an appearance here today.She has transformed yet again, this time into a fine looking lagomorph. I wassurprised to see her, and she was surprised I figured out who she was. Perhapswe can have some time together later to discuss some rather puzzling andunsettling things about her?" Jon-Tom snorted, a bit of flame escaping his nose. "Puzzling and unsettling are twowords to describe any female Huntchy. When you throw a goddess into the mix,things get even worse. Look at me; I've been many things, even a dragon beforenow. I've done things you can't even imagine, despite your great intellect. Onething I've learned; you'll never figure them out and you shouldn't waste yourtime trying. Sybeel has learned a lot since she was dragged over to this world.I have a feeling that's Eve's doing. But why a goddess would bother is beyondme. And if you want to know about those changes in my present wife, don't askme. It makes no sense, unless she did it for me. I do tend to get bored afterall I've been through. But we'll talk
about that later. Right now, it's time tosleep." He closed his eyes and began snoring. Little smoke rings formed in theair and collected on the ceiling.