Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 2
Katsuma
For a moment they just stared at each other.
Marina wanted to look away, look at anything other than him, but his eyes held her. Searching her. Waiting for her next move.
Somewhere behind them, Amonyushuu cleared her throat successfully breaking Verg's eye contact and saving Marina from a surely terrible fate.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going", Marina said, remembering her upbringing. "Excuse me." She slipped through the doorway before anyone could stop her.
Boy, that was close, She thought as she rushed down the porch steps. I owe you one, Amonyushuu.
Once she was far enough away from the house, she stopped and listened for the sound of the waves.
The islanders watched her curiously as they went about their daily chores of hanging laundry and toiling in their gardens. She didn't pay them any mind.
After a few moments of waiting, her ears picked up the faint sound of waves crashing against the beach just beyond the forest. If she followed the dirt road she was standing on, it would lead her right to the beach. Maybe he's there too.
Without another thought, she ran down the trail and into the forest. Her mind so preoccupied that she didn't even notice her beautiful surroundings.
Just up ahead, through the screen of trees and shrubs, she could see sunlight. She broke into a sprint and within seconds she had burst through the dark forest and out onto the beach. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and shield her eyes from the harsh glare then took off again at a brisk walk.
The ocean looks so beautiful, Marina thought. I've never seen it so clear and blue.
She spotted something. Out there. In the water. Is that- is that him?
She halted just in front of the surf. Her eyes locked on the figure standing waist deep in the water. Has he been waiting here all this time? She wondered.
The man had a somewhat eerie appearance, like something out of an old movie.
But, even though his skin was now green and he had gill slits on each side of his torso, he was still the same man she remembered. Same face. Same nose. Same scars. It was him. No mistaking it.
He looked back at her now, body slouched slightly forward as if trying to hide himself, he seemed worried. What was he worried for? Did he think that she would label him a monster now because of his appearance? How silly.
She searched his face, seeking any sign of malevolence or disassociation.
There was none. No monsters here.
She studied him closer, comparing him to the man she used to know. The memory of which, was locked safely away in the recesses of her mind.
For as long as she had known him, one eye, covered in long thin scars, had always been sealed shut. The cause of this injury was a mystery. It was something he would never indulge in and she never pressed into out of respect for his privacy.
But his other eye, which had thankfully eluded damage, had looked at her with a kindness and understanding that never failed to make her blush every time it met hers. At least his face is still the same as I remember.
"Katsuma", She whispered. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. "Is it really you or am I just having another one of those dreams?"
He smiled, showing twin rows of sharp teeth. "Marina, it's good to see you." His voice had changed too. It was more guttural now and seemed to resonate from his throat. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it hurt him a little to speak.
He beckoned her forward with a nod of his head. His smile never leaving his face.
Slowly now, she waded into the water. It was chilly but she didn't feel it.
Her mind was too busy trying to believe what she was seeing to feel much of anything. She found herself blushing like always as she took in his sinewy physique. So many scars. What have you been through Katsuma?
Somewhere in his travels, he had acquired a pair of navy blue swim trunks. They look good on him. She reddened a little.
Tentatively, she reached out to touch his face. Maybe, this was all just a dream. A wonderful dream that would stop at any moment. She would wake up and find herself in her bed just like all the other times.
She felt warm skin under her fingertips. He was real.
She fell into his arms and hugged him, not daring to let go. She sobbed and buried her face in his chest. "I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again." Her voice came out muffled against the firm wall of muscle.
Katsuma lifted her head so that their eyes met. "Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "A cockroach is easier to kill than me."
He glanced up at the bandage on her head and frowned. "When we found you-." He started. "I thought we might have come too late. What happened to you? What were you doing out there?"
Marina stepped back, not meeting his eyes. The thought of that night, that man, made her blood run cold. "I-I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Fair enough." He didn't like seeing her so worried but it was best not to argue after her ordeal. "Either way, I'm glad you're safe."
"Thank you for saving me." She smiled sincerely. "If it wasn't for you I would have never survived.
"For you, I would protect with my life. But you know, I did have some help."
Marina perked up. "Can I meet them? I want to thank everyone who helped me."
Katsuma smiled knowingly and nodded his head. "You always did give credit where credit was do. Hold on I'll be right back." He turned and dove into the water.
She didn't have to wait long before he returned. Followed by several female heads. Marina stared at them all, completely amazed. Only one word escaped her lips. "Mutios."
"Tell me again, why the human is staying here, in our papa's house."
Verg was sitting in an armchair in the living room. His claws digging into the cushioned fabric. He was trying very hard to keep his temper under control but it was a losing battle.
As soon as he had gotten over the initial shock of finding the human still alive and well in his house, his papa's house, he had sat down and demanded an explanation from his little sister.
"I'm sorry brother, but she was wounded and it isn't like she has anywhere else to go. Our house is the only one with a vacant room." Amonyushuu explained. She hated to see him so mad.
"So? Leave her to die. Let her drown out at sea or feed her to the big mutios. One less human to worry about."
"She needed help. Don't you remember what Papa-"
"Papa is dead because of them." He roared. "Or did you forget that?"
Amonyushuu cringed inwardly but refused to back down. "No, of course not. But, Katsuma said that she wouldn't be a threat to us. He knows more about humans than we do and I trust his judgment."
"Katsuma is an insane human sympathizer." Verg roared again, practically shaking the whole house in his outburst. "He's spent too much time in human captivity and I don't want you any where near him. He's tainted your mind with his lies. Humans are all the same. They brand anything they don't understand or think is ugly as a monster and set out to destroy it. Papa and Marcello told us this countless times. You've endangered your people by letting her live. Mark my words, she will be the death of us all."
Amonyushuu was close to tears now. "No, you're wrong. She isn't like the humans you fought. I've talked with her and she seems really nice. Give her a chance, for me."
Verg sighed, massaging one of his brow ridges. Amonyushuu was so naïve, thinking there was good inside every living thing. "Fine, she can stay". He muttered. He never really could deny her anything she wanted. "But if she-"
The child bowed her head. "I know."
