He cast out his line out into the river, and made himself comfortable. Of course he'll catch a fish by tonight! It will just take a while. He leaned back against the river bed and closed his eyes. Yep, any time –
What?
Was that a tug?
He did not move.
… Yes, that was a tug! Already! A big tug, too. He sprung back up and grabbed the rod. As he reeled the fish back in, the line kept zigging and zagging across the surface. Visions of roasted fish on a campfire swirled before his eyes, making him reel all the harder.
"C'mon! We have a date with destiny tonight! Your face is mine!"
He reeled with all his might, his muscles bulging in his arms. He grunted – what a heavy fish! All the better. But when he pulled up his catch, he found…
"A Djinni?"
Pause.
"Well, hell." He tossed the sucker back in, as it shrilled at him with indecipherable words. But whatever, Garet mused, he wanted fish. Not some stinking Djinni. They were all over the damn place anyway. And this particular one was ugly, never mind that it was of the Mercury element.
He cast his line back in, rolling his eyes. Hopefully that Djinni had a mind not to try that stunt again.
A few minutes passed. The sun was touching the distant evergreens, casting shadows. Despite his hunger and minor set-back, he felt at peace. He almost forgot about the line, until the tugging almost dragged him into the watery depths! This must be the fish!
"Yes! Yes!" Garet jumped up and started reeling again, his peaceful expression now replaced with manic determination. As he was reeling in, the fish jumped out of the water. In that moment, tears filled Garet's eyes; its scales glistened in the setting sun, the round glass eyes fresh with energy, brimming with youth just like his own, the fins expressive in its regal movement. The perfect catch.
The battle between him and the King of Fish desperately raged on – one for dinner, one for his life – but one had the advantage. Garet waded into the cold river waist-deep, placing his feet against the rocks to root himself for leverage.
"You're mine!"
A bright light engulfed Garet. Suddenly, the fish did not seem so hard to reel in, the muscles in his arms bulging as beads of sweat rolled down them in waves, and he almost broke the rod in his excitement. The line cut through the water as it made a straight line towards him. Victory was in his grasp!
He saw the shadow of the fish emerge from the depths into a definable shape. "What a beautiful fish," Garet said, patting himself on the back (of course, his hands were full – he had Psynergy to do it for him.) Everyone will be impressed with this catch; they won't go hungry tonight for the first time in a long while. He almost had the fish out of the water…
Without warning, the fish leaped out and tackled Garet in the chest, sending him flying through the air onto the muddy river bank. This fish had nothing to lose!
"Alright!" Garet grunted, "We'll do this! Man to man!"
They wrestled in the muck, the fish slapping Garet hard with its fins on his face and other vulnerable areas. It was bigger than Garet thought, as he tried to pin the fish down using his weight to press with. He was the tallest in the group, but this fish was a match for him. Still wet, the fish constantly slipped out of Garet's fingers, and the match seemed to reach a stalemate.
The sun was behind the trees now. Garet almost lost hope – the fish was too strong – and his Psynergy was wearing out. He could have fried it long ago, but that would have ruined it!
"Stupid fish! Give up already!" Poor Garet, he was at a loss. The fish was getting tired too, being out of its environment for so long. Its gills were flapping wildly, and it was losing more and more of its spunk. Both would lose the fight.
PLOMP!
Garet looked up to see that Isaac had jumped on the fish as well. They all squirmed, as the fish found in itself its last vestige of strength to fend off this latest enemy. But Isaac was fresh, and eventually, he and Garet got a hold on the dying fish.
"Thanks… Isaac…" Garet panted. Isaac only nodded, but gave a wry smile.