Fort Callibus (IN HEAVY REPAIR)

Chapter 10

I woke up the next morning in another haze. Yuki still wasn’t with me. I decided not to run today. It just didn’t feel the same without him, and to be honest, it was really getting to me. So I decided to spend some time in the cave instead. I walked up to the waters edge and took a deep breath. Then I dived in. The aqua was a bit warmer than normal, but I didn’t pay any mind to it. The fish I saw only a few days before waited for me beyond the air bubbles that partly blocked my vision.

“Hi.” My voice was raspy and filled with sadness. The fish stared at me for a moment before swimming deeper into the spring, obviously leading me somewhere. I followed, a little bit curious as to where it would lead me now. To my surprise he led me to a much different hole, this time it pushed water out, making it hard for me to swim towards it without getting pushed back. The fish stood by it casually making the same gesture it did the other day. I looked at it skeptically before pushing myself in. The walls of the tunnel weren’t much help as they were slippery with the current. I kicked my feet harder than I ever have before, keeping my arms straight to the side to prevent being pulled back. I eventually got to the end, after a hard workout on my legs. It made me glad I didn’t go jogging. On the other side was a vast body of water…

The ocean.

The fish showed me a way out of here.

I smiled and laughed, silently thanking the fish for helping me. Yuki’s picture flashed in my head. I felt guilt. If he was still on this island, then I can’t just leave him there. That would be cruel. I thought about this for a moment, pondering ways that I could find him. I could track him…but then again, I never learned how. Maybe he was in one of the nine realms…but I didn’t know any other than the first three. Besides, one of them scared me, another I had already looked in, and I’m living in one now. So he obviously has to be somewhere else, watching me maybe. I would have to ask Saul to give me the names of the other realms. But then again, he might question my motives and not give it to me. Seduction might work…but it didn’t work last time.

“Oh, shut up brain!” I yelled to myself. “You always have to see the logical side of things!”

I considered the Saul subject once more. What realm did he live in? Obviously it wasn’t in the realm that cabin is in because he sleeps…which means he goes some place else. Yuki might be there. I waited for a retort from my brain.

Nothing.

“And so this is logical!” I spoke again, triumphantly. A devious plan started forming in my head. Although I’ve never been one for thinking too hard and devising up super smart schemes, I was positive that this one would work. I’ll just have wait until tonight to will Saul to come because I definitely am not going to knock myself out just to see him. I laughed at myself. This would be a masterpiece. In just a few short hours, I might be one step closer to finding Yuki.

I turned around and dived back underwater, letting the flow of the current take me back through the tunnel. The fish was still there when I reached the other side, waiting for me. I smiled at it.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed. The corners of its purple lips curled up. I could have sworn it smiled at me. Though a little creepy, it would just have to do as a ‘you’re welcome.’ After all, fish can’t talk…right? I can breathe underwater, who’s to say that fish can’t talk? I turned towards the fish again.

“Do you talk?” I asked it. It blinked at me. A few moments passed before I spoke up again. “Okay, I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” I nodded at the creature and began to swim back to the surface. Once I find Yuki, all will be better. And then I won’t have to worry. A pang of guilt hit me. It not right to use Saul. He’s been so nice to me and I’ve just led him on the whole way. I pulled myself up onto land once I got to the water’s edge. That’s what I needed to tell him. Memories of those 3 little words he might of said that night to me came rushing back. I flushed a deep shade of red. It was just then that I realized how wrong this was. And it almost stopped me in my tracks.