The Fisherman's Tale (On Hiatus)

Chapter 10: Safety through Running

Chapter 10:

That same afternoon, Ozmo took Chuck to the beach again so that he could be taken back home. Ozmo knew that Chuck wouldn't be able to sail home as he had no boat, but he had a plan that would need the cooperation of the Adaroes.

"Chuck, I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous for you to stay here. We're using borrowed time, and it's too risky to keep you here while we have no plan of action," Ozmo told him. "Plus, I really don't want to risk keeping you here if it means having higher taxes that will cause our death. I know that Lamia knows you're here, but that time he was giving up the benefit of the doubt, or just giving us a false sense of security. He'll know that you're gone when you arrive back on your side of the world, and although he will be frustrated, he'll have no excuse to tax us more. I hope you understand..."

"Of course I do," Chuck reassured him.

"I'm trying to do what's best in the short-term for Renee and I. We want to help you fulfill the prophecy if you are the chosen one, but we would like to be around for that to happen, and not die keeping you in Enkora for no apparent reason."

"I will try to come up with something when I arrive home. Remember that I have no occupation, I have plenty of available time during the day to draw up a plan," he faintly smiled at Ozmo, who had no trace of a return smile on his face.

"I sincerely hope that one day there will be a better time for you to return in the near future."

They reached the beach, walking beside each other in content silence. They didn't need to say anything more to each other. They stopped at the sea, the large rock formation ahead of them.

A large, wet object hit Chuck on the side of his head. He called out in pain, his hand shooting up to the place that the object hit and looking down to see a fish laying on the ground at his feet.

"Who threw that?" Chuck demanded an answer from Ozmo.

"Adaro," he answered simply as if it were obvious.

"Who is there with the human?" A voice called out. Chuck looked around, trying to find the source of it, but he couldn't see anything.

"A Brownie, Ozmo Smoglith," Ozmo spoke out in reply, and Chuck was beginning to feel apprehensive.

"What do you want, Brownie?" The voice called out again. This time it sounded a little different, and Chuck guessed that it was another Adaro. The thought of there being two Adaroes unsettled him, and he most certainly didn't want to be attacked by a another fish.

"I need to to transport someone to the other side," Ozmo spoke with as much authority as he could. The Adaroes easily intimidated him, but he needed their help to get Chuck back to his home safely.

"Is this 'someone' a human by any wild chance?" the Adaro guessed, and pulled itself up to sit on the rock and face them. His large, blue tail hung out to the side, and he propped himself up on his arms after moving his quite long hair out of his eyes and looked between the two of them, his bright green eyes piercing into Chuck's as he studied the human intently.

"Yes -" Ozmo tried to reason, but was cut short by another Adaro.

"Then no. You know how we feel about humans." The Adaro who spoke swam in front of the rock formation, and Chuck caught a glimpse of her green tail flashing through the water which was sparkling under the early morning sun.