The Bird and The Fish

The Bird and The Fish, Part 2: The Cave

After gods know how long, my eyes slowly flutter open, my vision blurry from both blood loss and being unconscious.

I grunt in pain as I try to sit up, my wounds making it almost impossible. I eventually manage to get myself upright, sitting against the damp wall of what looks to be a cave.

A pool of water reflects onto the cave walls, giving an almost ethereal effect. It's clear, but the bottom is nowhere in sight. Moss covers the cave floor and the area around the pool, with the occasional flower dotting the green. A hole in the caves roof lets the evening sky shine through, the moonlight barley visible through the clouds.

Unfortunately for me, I don't see anything in my immediate proximity that could be used for bandages. And I'm pretty sure my satchel is lost somewhere in the woods.

I let out a sigh, closing my eyes as I lean my head against the cold cave wall to think over my options. Not that there are any, but it'll make me feel better if I do.

After a few minutes of thinking, I decide to try my best to clean up the wounds I can reach. I take a deep breath before hauling myself up and slowly making my way toward the pool of water. I drop to my knees once I'm close enough, panting from the effort.

I tear the moss around the pool, dunking it in the surprisingly chilling water. I hiss in pain as I clean up the cut on my calf, gritting my teeth to try and push through the almost unbearable pain.

After a painful fifteen minutes, I manage to clean and dress my wounds with torn pieces of my already tattered clothes. I back away from the pool, leaning my back against the wall again, my mind running rampant with thoughts on how to get out of here.

Those thoughts quickly get interrupted by a splash resonating from the water. My hand instinctively reaches for the dagger I keep on my belt, only to find that it isn't there.

My eyes widen in fear as a pair of glowing purple eyes emerge from the clear water, meeting my own green ones. I press myself against the wall, my breathing quick and shaky as I stare at the growing figure that slithers out of the water. It slowly creeps closer to me, its features shrouded in the shadows of the cave.

"S-stay back," I whisper, trying to sound tough but failing miserably. It creeps closer, its features only being revealed when it's only a few inches away from my face.

It -he- looks surprisingly human, save for his blue tinted skin and small fins replacing regular ears. His nose is flat, only leaving two small slits and a bump where it's supposed to be. His hair is long and dark, almost like fine seaweed. And what's expected to be two legs, is a long, dark green colored fish tail with a long, spiked dorsal fin trailing from his lower back all the way down to the end of his tail.

"What.... are you?" he asks in broken English, his tone more curious than anything. He backs up when he notices my obvious fear, a hint of guilt in his otherwise curious gaze.

"I-I'm an Avian," I reply, my voice shaky as I try to back up further, only to be stopped by the wall. "What are you?"

He pauses for a moment, as if trying to figure out the right words to use to describe himself. "M-merman," he says finally, pointing to himself for emphasis.

"Right..." I say, clearly still cautious about the stranger. As scared as I am, my injuries make it difficult to maintain my tense body language. "Bird hurt?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing when he notices my makeshift bandages.

"Uh, yeah," I reply hesitantly, still not fond of the idea of getting help from a stranger.

"Tangaroa help," he says, before suddenly darting back into the water. "Wha- Wait!" I exclaim, startled at his sudden departure. Fishy asshole. He said he was gonna help me. So much for that, I think bitterly, slightly upset he just left instead of actually helping me.

After a few minutes, he resurfaces with his arms full of stuff that I don't recognize. "Tangaroa help," he says again, hoisting himself out of the water and setting down the things he brought on the ground next to me. "What is thi- ow!" I cry, flinching at the sting of whatever he put on the cut on my calf. "What the hell?!"

His eyes widen at my cry, and he immediately removes his hands from my leg. "Sorry," he says, looking genuinely guilty for hurting me. "It's fine, I just... Give me a warning next time, will you?" I reply, gritting my teeth as he continues to tend to my wounds.