Fisherman's Luck

A Fisherman's Most Important Possession (IV)

"Are you crying?" River asked, disappointment reeking in her voice. "A real gentleman is not that weak."

Luc glanced over his shoulder to find that River, San, and Oren Tao were already free of their bonds and were all staring at him.

"I wasn't crying" Luc snapped. "I was just sweating from my eyes, that's all."

"What are you even doing here, Luckless?" San asked. "Hoping that your Pearl washed up into this cove? Ha! Dummy."

"What are you doing here?" Luc retorted. "I was sent here by your old man. I'm supposed to bring you home."

"Don't lie to me!" San said, laughing maniacally. "That geezer cares about nothing except his shop and his money!"

"Well let's be honest," said Luc. "If I had to deal with the little turd you are, I wouldn't give half a damn about you either. He probably just needs you to go scrapping for him."

"Well that's the thing," said San. "I'm done digging through trash for him. I'm going to be my own man and pave my own path. That's what all the heroes in the stories do, isn't it?"

"This isn't a fricking story," said Luc. "Besides, how would you live? Where would you live?"

"I just have to find myself a rod and a boat," said San. "And I'll be ten times more successful than you, Luckless."

Luc tried to think of something to defend himself with, but this little brat was telling the truth as it was.

"What is the problem?" River butted in. "Why are you two bickering like an ill married couple?"

"Normal couples bicker," Luc said, rubbing his face with exhaustion. "The ill married couples divorce."

"Whoa!" said San, eyes widening as he turned to face River. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Riveriaejifjalajfijaivnbliaogieyiogjovnblxpzjpqjefijalsfjabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz," said River. "And I am a..."

"A normal little girl!" Luc interrupted before she said anything too crazy. San already had too many ludicrous things running through his brain.

"Y-you're...you're..." San stammered, shuffling his feet and staring at the ground, cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "You're beautiful."

"Hey now!" Luc shouted. "What the frick is this?"

River stared at the boy for a moment, mouth wide open with surprise. Then she cast her gaze to the ground herself, cheeks turning a rosy shade of red as well. "...thanks."

"No no no!" Luc shouted. "Enough! This is highly inappropriate behavior!"

The conversation was interrupted by the crash of waves on the island of trash. Everything was normal except for the explosive crack that sounded somewhere near the base of the giant mound of garbage.

"That didn't sound good," Luc muttered.

"Yes!" Oren Tao moaned. "Yes! The Holy Dragon has finally come to take this worthless soul! Yes!"

When the next wave came crashing in, another crack sounded and the island of trash shifted under Luc's feet. He lost his balance and was sent crashing to the ground.

"Help!" San shouted.

"Take me home!" Oren Tao roared, maniacal laughter exploding forth from his mouth.