Chapter 13: Searching for Allies
Riley G. Monteblin sighed as he stared into his tea, examining his reflection in the pale brown liquid. Two weeks had come and gone since he had arrived at the tiny, primitive island so far south of Japan, but he had yet to accomplish the purpose of his stay. Visitors were usually not allowed on the remote island, but the marine biologist had been invited by the natives in order to discover the cause of a mysterious illness plaguing the local fish. He needed an answer, and soon. Swallowing the last of his morning drink, Riley stooped down to exit his small hut, and made his way toward the beach.
His research had not all been in vain, however, as the previous night he had made the peculiar discovery of a finless porpoise, apparently unconscious, washed up on the sand. As he approached the little pen he had created for it, he was pleased to see that the creature was finally starting to wake up.
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Groggily, Lettuce opened her eyes. She was still a porpoise, but she was no longer in the deep ocean. Rather, she floated in a thin layer of water above a sandy beach. Curious about her surroundings, she wearily moved her tail and slowly swam to the left, only to find that many poles of bamboo blocked her way. Getting more panicked by the second, she followed the poles to find that they enclosed her completely, and she was unable to get back to sea.
Oh no, oh no…I have to change back! She thought frantically, and tried to focus. But in her panicked state, and after physically exhausting herself so during the storm, she couldn't transform, and could only thrash about in frenzy.
"Whoa, calm down, calm down! It'll be alright, I'm not going to keep you here forever, okay?" Said a voice from above the water, causing a now confused Lettuce to stop her attempts at freeing herself and peer up at the face of a man who appeared to be in his late twenties.
"I'm just here to try to find the cause of whatever's killing off the fish around here." The voice continued. Something's…killing the fish? Lettuce thought, confused and curious. As the man departed, heading further down the beach, Lettuce was left to think.
It was nighttime. The silver moon hung bright above Lettuce's head, illuminating her forest green braids. She had planned on being away for a few days, so she might as well be here. She would stay with Riley.
The next morning, Riley awoke to the most unprecedented surprise of his life.