Meet the Family
A few hours had passed. Mutio and her sisters had gone hunting, leaving Verg alone with his thoughts. When he was alone he liked to think about scenarios where he and Mutio were a couple and all the romantic things he would do to show his affection. He knew he had a snowball's chance in hell to be with her but he could still dream.
As he thought, he scratched absentmindedly at one of his ears. It had taken time but all the wounds he had received the day the ship was destroyed were completely healed.
Due to their amphibious DNA, Verg and Mutio had both grown back the parts of their body that had been lost. His damaged flesh and Mutio's ear had both been fully restored to their original state before the final battle. Only scars of the deepest wounds remained as a lasting testament to that fateful day.
His daydreams of telling Mutio how he felt were interrupted by a low growl. He looked down at his stomach and frowned, slightly perturbed. When was the last time he had eaten? Guess it didn't really matter, he was hungry anyway.
He stood up and stretched, feeling a few kinks work out of his back and shoulders. Ooh, that felt good. I wonder if Amonyushu has started making lunch, He thought as he headed back to the house. Though, I don't look forward to eating with that human. The very thought of it made him cringe in disgust. It was bad enough they were living under the same roof.
"Could you hand me the salt?" Amonyushuu asked.
"Sure," Marina handed her the item. "When do you think Verg will come back?"
"Any minute now. He usually eats around this time." The little cat-girl paused. "Come to think of it, I don't know if he's eaten at all today."
"That might explain why he was so grouchy", Marina pointed out. "I thought he was going to rip my head off this morning."
"Oh, I'm sorry to here that." Amonyushuu furrowed her brows. "I know he can be rather mean when things aren't going his way. I hope this evening he will get to know you better and realize why I let you stay with us."
Both of them had planned out an evening feast so that all the chimaeras could meet Marina and see that she wasn't a threat. But for the most part, they were planning it so that Verg could see that not all humans were hell-bent on destroying the place.
At the moment, they were preparing the night's main dishes.
"Don't get your hopes up too high." Marina warned. "He didn't like me from the minute we bumped into each other." She stooped to get another pan from the cupboard when, from the corner of her eye, she spotted Verg outside the kitchen window. "Oh man, he's back. You have his food ready for him right?" She didn't want to face a hungry shark/man/thing empty-handed.
Amonyushuu joined her with a smile and a nod of reassurance.
Together they watched him walking towards the porch steps with one hand rubbing at his metal collar.
"Why is he doing that?" Marina asked her young friend.
"He's still getting used to the new collar." Amonyushuu explained. "He ripped off the original one."
Marina grimaced. That had to be painful.
"We later discovered that he couldn't speak on land without it. Luckily, he had a few spares in his room in case the original was damaged."
"I bet it was painful to put back on, right?"
Amonyushuu nodded to confirm the human's assumption. She had helped her big brother connect the collar to his larynx and still remembered how he had reacted to the pain. It was frightening to say the least. She hoped that it would never happen again.
Their ears perked up to the sound of heavy footsteps entering the house followed by Verg's trademark voice calling for his sister.
"In the kitchen brother." Amonyushuu answered. "Marina, why don't you go get some more vegetables from the garden."
"Yeah, sure." Anything to avoid being ripped in half.
A few seconds later, the shark man appeared in the doorway. He sniffed the air hungrily. "What are you making in here? It smells good."
"Some food for the party tonight. I thought that it would be a good way for everyone to meet Marina and get to know her." The younger chimera handed him a plate of food.
"You're planning a party for the human? I hardly think she deserves one." Verg growled. He scanned the room looking for the loathsome creature. "Where is she anyway?"
"I sent her outside. She's been very nice and helpful. I think you would like her once you get to know her more." The cat-girl smiled inwardly as she watched her beloved brother take a bite of fish. If only he knew who had prepared it.
"Don't count on it." He turned and left the room.
"We'll see brother, we'll see."
With the cooking out of the way, Amonyushuu decided to show her guest around the village and tell her about daily life.
Marina was amazed that such a beautiful place could be found in such a cold barren wasteland. She especially loved seeing the exotic flowers that grew there.
The two strolled through the garden admiring the variety of shapes and colors. "This place is amazing." Marina commented. "There are flowers here that I've never even seen before."
Her eyes widened in delight when she discovered a large area full of nothing but lilies. Lilies had always been her favorite flower so she slowed down her pace to admire them more. "Wow, I've never seen a lily that looked quite like that before." She stopped and pointed to a fuchsia petaled flower with a pink stripe streaking the center of each petal. The tips were a darker pink and red spots were sprinkled around the stripe. None of her aunt's lilies had ever had such striking coloration. It was truly a beautiful flower.
Amonyushuu plucked it from its stem and placed it behind Marina's ear.
Marina smiled and picked an orange and red lily and tucked it into her young friend's braid. "There, now you have one too."
A sudden pang of homesickness made Marina's smile fade.
"What's the matter, May?" Amonyushuu asked. They had given each other nicknames while they were cooking. "Your eyes got distant all of a sudden."
Marina snapped out of her trance. "I'm sorry, I get so lost in thought that I lose sight of what's around me. It's a bad habit I know."
"What were you thinking about?" Amonyushuu asked, her eyes expectant.
"I was just thinking about the ship." She looked towards the ocean. "I guess no one noticed I'm gone yet or they would be looking for me by now. They must think I locked myself in my room."
"Why would they think that?"
"Probably because it's something I would do."
Amonyushu cocked her head. "Really? Why?"
Marina looked back at her young friend and smiled. "That's a story for another time, kiddo. Come on, lets go watch the fishermen bring in their catch."
Amonyushuu had told her earlier that with so many chimeras to feed, fishing had become a daily occurrence.
Once on the beach, they could see large wooden boats bobbing on the surface of the water. Inside each boat, a group of chimeras hauled in their nets and lines.
One chimera stood out from the rest. He stood taller and more muscular than the others in his boat; His face was covered by a metal mask. Wicked spikes jutting from the forehead and nose piece. There was no mistaking it.
"I didn't know Verg fished."
Amonyushuu nodded. "After his ship was destroyed, I suggested he captain one of the fishing boats. That way he could help out the village and still be a leader. He was reluctant at first but now he seems to enjoy it. I think he's also doing it to get close-" Amonyushuu stopped. Both of them watched the boat in silent anticipation.
While they had been talking, Verg's boat had hauled in a large Antarctic cod. His crew had been struggling with the slippery creature so Verg had stepped in to pull it inside the boat.
Another chimera had tried to assist by using a gaff to help haul it in. Just as he was about to stab the fish, it wrenched its body out of reach.
The sudden movement rocked the boat and caused him to slash Verg's left upper arm.
With one good heave, Verg lifted the fish into the boat and then gave the chimera one good smack upside the head for its foolishness.
The boat headed back to shore further down from the two girls.
"Oh dear," Amonyushuu whispered as they watched Verg clutch his arm to stop the blood flow. "We better go help him."
They reached the boats just as Verg was stepping out. Amonyushuu rushed to his side and examined the wound. She frowned and said, "Brother, come back to the house with us before you lose too much blood."
Verg snorted. "You're over exaggerating, I'll be fine."
"Don't argue with her Verg," Marina snapped. She was really getting tired of his behavior. "You need help and you're getting it whether you like it or not." She glared into his eyes to show him that she meant business.
Verg stared back at her and then at his sister's determined expression. He was about to protest but thought better of it. There was no use arguing against the two females once their minds had been made up.
Defeated, he let Amonyushu lead him back to the house with Marina bringing up the rear.
Once inside, Verg sat down while Amonyushuu gathered the necessary materials for bandaging the wound.
Marina made herself useful by grabbing a few clean towels from the kitchen and began to inspect the wound, much to his displeasure.
"I'm no doctor, but I have received some medical training so I can help bandage your arm." Marina stated as she wiped away some blood. "We're going to need antiseptic solution, dressings, and surgical tape."
Amonyushuu handed her a bundle of clean dressings and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "I still need to find the tape."
"Okay, I'll start cleaning the wound while you go find it."
Verg spoke up. "Don't I get a say in this?" He was quickly silenced by a stern, unified 'No!' He hissed as Marina gently poured rubbing alcohol on his arm.
"Sorry, I know it hurts but we can't risk you getting an infection from that gaff. You're just lucky its not as deep as I thought it was." She dabbed the wound again, put some gauze on it to help stop the bleeding, and began wrapping his arm.
Verg growled in reply but said nothing. The sooner he complied, the sooner he could get away from her.
Amonyushuu walked back into the room. "I found the tape."
"Ah, good." Marina took the tape from her and wrapped it over the bandages then stood back to look at her handiwork. "Like I said, I'm no doctor but I think you'll be okay now."
Verg grunted and headed outside to finish helping his crew.
Marina raised a brow. "Is that his way of saying thanks?"
"No, I apologize for his rudeness." Amonyushuu bowed.
"No worries, I'll grow on him eventually." Like a barnacle.
Amonyushuu took a moment to admire her friend. This young woman really wasn't at all what she expected humans to be like. She was friendly and helpful and seemed to care for those around her. She was almost like their Papa. "Do you want to help me take the food down to the beach? The party will be starting soon. It's almost dark."
"Sure, let me go change first. I want to make a good impression on my debut." Marina headed back to her room and rummaged through her trunk for something nicer to wear. It took a few minutes of searching. "Hmm, too casual. Too formal. Ooh, this will do." She held up an ankle-length, tie-dyed skirt. It was dyed different shades of blue and green to look like the water of a pool. A little more rummaging, and she pulled out a turquoise halter top with little fish and seahorses embroidered on the front.
Amonyushuu walked in wearing a leaf green dress with a brown sequined sash.
Marina looked over at her. "Aha, I see you had the same idea. You look very nice."
"Thanks." Amonyushuu twirled on her heel to show how her skirt billowed out. "I just wish I had a nice necklace or bracelet to wear with it."
"Your wish is my command." Marina winked playfully. "Lets see what I got in my magic trunk." She proceeded to pull out handfuls of jewelry from a box built into the trunk. Sorting through each one, she finally picked out a little pendant on a silver chain. The pendant was a sea turtle covered in green gems. It sparkled when she held it up to show the cat-girl. "How about this one?"
Amonyushuu took it from her and compared it to her dress. "Oh, it's beautiful and it matches my dress perfectly."
Marina smiled fondly at the younger girl's delight. "You can keep it if you like."
"Really?" Amonyushuu tackled her with a bear hug. "Thank you so much."
"No problem. Call it a thank you present for looking out for me." She continued sorting through the jewelry to find something for herself. She finally chose a seahorse pendant with matching earrings covered in red, orange, and yellow gems. They matched the seahorses on her top.
Amonyushuu then left the room so that she could change.
When Marina came out of her room, Amonyushuu gasped with surprise. "Wow! May, you look beautiful."
"Thank you, thank you." Marina bowed with a flourish as if she was receiving a standing ovation and then straightened with a mock serious look. Her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Alright, enough silly stuff, lets get a move on. That food isn't going to deliver itself."
Both of them loaded up with food and headed to the beach. "This is going to be so much fun." Amonyushuu squealed.
"Where are we going to put the food?"
"On the tables." As they reached the beginning of the beach, Marina could see several tables lined up. They set the food on one of the closest tables and Marina frowned in thought. "There are too many. We didn't cook enough food for all these tables."
"That's okay, the others are going to bring food too."
"How many people are you expecting, Amy?"
Amonyushuu smiled and pointed in the direction of the village. "Here they come now."
Marina turned and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my."
To say that Marina was overwhelmed would be an understatement. She was shocked at just how many chimeras there really were.
Amonyushuu had made it her personal duty to introduce her to each and every one of them. They were friendly and curious about the newcomer but her head was reeling from the sheer number of people. How am I supposed to remember everybody by name? I hope they respond to a simple 'Hey you'.
Once introductions were finished, Amonyushuu took Marina over to one of the many bonfires to sit down side-by-side and people-watch. Both of them had been given a plate full of food and were happily munching and chatting away.
A little while later, a few chimeras brought out some homemade musical instruments and started to play an exotic, tribal beat. Other chimeras got up and started dancing to the tune.
Out in the water, Katsuma and Mutio's sisters swayed to the music. Mutio, strangely enough, wasn't with any of them. That was odd. Katsuma said they were usually inseparable. Maybe, she was with her mother. Marina shrugged it off and didn't give it any more thought.
She bobbed her head and hummed to the music as she watched Katsuma and Delphine attempt an aquatic rumba. They both seemed to be enjoying each other's company.
"You loved him didn't you." Amonyushuu said softly, noticing Marina's thoughtful expression.
Marina looked at Amonyushuu and sighed. "It was just a silly crush. All one sided. I think he sees me as a younger sister more than anything else." She turned back to the couple and smiled sadly. "Besides, they make a way better couple than we ever would. They seem to have so much more in common."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Marina replied. "Oh, looks like somebody is about to ask you to dance." She nodded her head to a young cat-boy walking towards them.
The boy bowed politely and extended his hand to Amonyushuu. "Would you like to dance?" He asked hopefully.
Amonyushuu looked over at Marina, unsure.
Marina gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay Amy, have fun, I'll be fine."
Amonyushuu took the boy's hand and they walked over to join the other dancers.
Now alone by the bonfire, Marina looked around at the other chimeras. She noticed that Amonyushuu and her date weren't the only couple dancing together.
Near one of the bonfires, a small group of male chimeras seemed to be trying to convince another wolf-like chimera to ask one of the females to dance. Aww, he's being shy. I wonder who the lucky lady is?
Further from the couples, a group of children had joined hands and were dancing in a circle. They were all smiling and giggling in innocent joy. How cute. Look at them all so happy.
Watching them reminded her of something Amy had told her earlier.
Even though the chimeras called each other brother or sister, very few of them were actually blood related. Zorndyke had planned on his children to repopulate the planet. The children Marina watched were actually the offspring of some of Zorndyke's creations.
Suddenly, her vision was blocked by a pair of billowing, red pants. She stood up to look her visitor in the face. "Hello Verg, are you en-".
"You may have fooled everybody else human." Verg snarled. "But I'm on to you."
"What are you-"
Verg stabbed her chest with a dagger-like claw. "You didn't just end up in the ocean by a cruel twist of fate. I don't know exactly what you're planning but I won't stand for it." He stabbed her again. "Listen closely now because I don't want to repeat myself, if you do anything to hurt Amonyushuu, I will personally-"
Just as he was about to stab her again, Marina grabbed his wrist and twisted it. The action took Verg completely by surprise.
"Now you listen to me, Verg." She snapped. "First of all my name is Marina, and second of all, Amonyushuu is my friend and I would never even think of harming her. Do I make myself-"
"Excuse me."
Marina turned her head and saw the wolf chimera she had watched earlier standing by the two of them. He eyed them both nervously. "Am I intruding?"
"No, not at all." Marina let go of Verg's wrist and turned her full attention to the newcomer. She smiled politely. "Can I help you with something?"
The wolf-man reached out to her with his hand and asked in a very bashful voice, "W-would you care to dance w-with me?" So I was the lucky lady he was being coaxed to ask.
Marina looked at his hand and then back at Verg. He was rubbing his wrist and muttering something she couldn't quite make out.
That was enough for her. She took the wolf-man's hand and cheerfully said, "Why thank you, I would be delighted." Together they walked over to the other dancers and began swaying along to the music.
Verg watched them go, his eyes narrowed in rage and humiliation. This isn't over yet, Marina. Not by a long shot.
