ACT 1 – DISCOVERY

Chapter 4 – Fear

The bathroom was thick with steam as Oneakka stepped out of the bath after his shower. Such a simple thing was actually still a satisfying thrill. For weeks he'd not been able to even walk into the bathroom without help, and taking a shower had required Halling or Massa's help. Now though, he didn't need any assistance.

He felt good too.

The deep sharp internal pain from his wound was gone, though the wound site still felt tight inside and, admittedly, he didn't have his former suppleness back yet, but each day brought significant progress. The only pain he felt now was the muscle aches and pains from his multiple daily intense rehab sessions and the extra exercises he did in his quarters before bed. Still, that kind of ache was far more familiar, easily ignorable, and actually a good sign of progress.

He ran a towel over his lower belly and considered the series of scars that were the well healed remains of being impaled. Scars were nothing new for him; after all they stared back at him from the right side of his face in the mirror every day. These scar lines were still new and a little tight, but the Surgical Healer had done wonderful work for him. Turning in front of the mirror, Oneakka considered the corresponding scars on his lower back where the piece of Wraith Hive had pierced through him.

Once again, he'd survived.

The one constant in his life; well that and battling the Wraith.

He continued drying himself, which started to become an effort when he had to bend forward to dry his lower legs and feet. He grunted with the discomfort but, after a few goes, he got his legs dry and his feet would dry on the carpet anyway. He dropped the damp towel in the laundry chute and triggered open the door to the main room of his quarters. The entrance to his home was locked and it wasn't like he had babysitters visiting him daily anymore, so he was once again free to walk around naked in his quarters.

The cooler air was nice across his skin as he paused by the section of shelving that he used for a desk and tapped awake his main electronic pad. No new text links, but it was evening now. He tapped into his Facility alert lists, which included his select list of particular people's personal beacons.

Seeal's wasn't showing still, so she wasn't back from her day's assignment with Division.

His plan for the evening was unlikely to pan out.

He considered the stack of frosted-cookie boxes.

She was going to get away with it for another day then and he'd have to wait to tomorrow to see her.

He turned sharply away from the pad, annoyed that some blood was heading into his groin at thinking about her while he was naked.

He slammed tight control over himself and focused his entire attention on deciding what to wear for the rest of the evening. He usually showered after his second Rehab Gym session in the afternoon, but with Raven out of the Facility, it hadn't mattered if he stank of sweat while he had had Late Meal with Massa in the Canteen. Though actually Massa had been the one smelling less than fragrant this evening, as Aki had apparently brought up some of his earlier meal on Massa and clearly Massa had missed some of it somewhere on him.

Oneakka had not teased his friend about it though, as Massa had looked tired and grumpy. His new duties as a Recruit Tutor involved a lot of training and tests to become officially established in the role, and with a young babe and his existing teaching duties, Massa was feeling the effects. Oneakka had missed Raven's company as she would have supplied some entertaining conversation for him and Massa, and helped distract from the whiff of baby sick lingering around Massa.

After the meal, Oneakka had walked to the Hydroponics Bay by himself to visit the goats, though it hadn't felt quite as satisfying as the usual visits with Raven, but then that was okay. They were friends and friends did things like that together.

He was completely in control of any other reactions.

Reactions easily controlled with a strong mind.

A few - admittedly repetitive - erotically-charged dreams didn't change anything.

Besides he had a plan.

He had mapped out the next two months clearly so that, at the end of which, he'd be back on battle rotation and out of the Facility. He had only two days of rehab left until his official medical review in three days' time, and once he passed that he would be allowed back on non-battle rotation work in the Facility and he could start retraining again in the main gyms. To make sure that he passed his medical review, he had dug through his past reviews from previous injuries and checked all his results, making sure that he knew which fitness targets he'd met, what weights he'd lifted, how much cardio he'd completed, and the number of reps he'd been able to do for the main rehab exercises. From that, he'd formulated a programme to build back up to those same targets ready for the medical review and he was right on target.

Now fully dressed and in control of his body, he headed back to his desk and sat down to consult his programme on the electronic pad. He'd already entered today's rehab and rep results and he relished the satisfaction that, once again, he'd surpassed his planned levels for the day. At this rate, he would exceed his past targets tomorrow and would easily pass his medical review.

Excellent.

Plus, he was now on the lowest levels of anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications in the last two weeks of his med plan. Everything was falling into place and once he passed his medical review, his days would be transformed. He'd be able to work non-battle rotation shifts in the Facility, probably helping on the Skerti hunt oversight from here, and then, around those shifts, he'd be back sparring and re-certifying on all weaponry. His annual holiday away would start a week into his return to work, so he'd had to extend his plan to accommodate those extra two weeks, but he'd use the time at the Retreat to work on his cardio and bodyweight exercises. So, depending on the timings of re-certification exams, he estimated he could return to full battle rotation within eight weeks.

It still seemed a long time to that point, but his days would be full and distracting once he passed his medical review, which would allow him just occasional Late Meals and visits to see the goats with Raven. He would get to enjoy his friendship with her, but keep it well within certain boundaries. It would bring an end to the hormonal over-reaction to things lately and he would get back to doing what he did best: fighting monsters.

Not getting all distracted by how nice Raven smelt or wondering what her long black hair would feel like to touch.

They would have their friendship and that was all. Then, once he was back on the Sythus, he'd visit her occasionally, stay in touch over link, but that was all.

It was a good plan, and it was working. He was in control of himself and soon enough he'd be useful to the Elite again.

His smaller personal pad bleeped and he looked down to see an alert had been triggered: Raven's beacon had been registered back in the Facility. She was home.

He checked the time. It wasn't too late, and this would be a perfect opportunity to catch her unawares!

She wouldn't be able to get out of it this time.

He picked up the pad, shoved it into the back pocket of his trousers, and headed out of his quarters.

The hallways were pretty quiet with most people in their quarters after Late Meal and evening sparring sessions were over. Most would be winding down ready for heading to bed, but, if he timed it right, he'd intercept Raven before she got to the safety of her quarters.

He paused by a wall screen and called up her beacon's exact location. She was two corridors away; perfect. With hurried long strides, which he could do now without pain, he arrived into one of the small interconnecting lobbies, turned into the closest left-hand corridor and spotted Raven's back only a few metres ahead of him.

Excellent. His hunting skills were still good.

"There you are," he called as he headed towards her.

She stopped immediately and turned round. Dark eyes flashed around into view and a smile widened her full lips as she faced him.

He wished the smile didn't affect him, didn't warm him in places he didn't want it to, but it did. So he wrestled his control down on the reaction as best he could.

Just three more days until his review.

"You're up late," she said, still smiling.

Did the smile mean she thought he'd waited up to see her?

"You're needed for something," he told her firmly.

Her smile disappeared.

He wished he didn't miss it.

"What, now?" She protested grumpily.

"Yes, now," he insisted.

"Are the goats okay?" She asked with a worried frown.

"It's nothing to do with the goats," he reassured her quickly.

"Can't someone else do whatever it is? I just got back," she complained, but she was walking towards him, already agreeing physically even if she was protesting verbally.

"Only you can sort this problem," he answered honestly. "It's important."

She sighed. "Is it going to be quick? I've got plans."

Plans? What plans?

Plans with someone else; maybe Smee? Or Ru? No, he was pretty sure the Engineer with intentions towards Seeal wasn't in the Facility today. Ru only worked in the Facility a few days a week, and Oneakka was certain today wasn't one of those days. Smee though, she could be planning to meet Smee. She'd made some passing comment to Massa during a Late Meal last week that she and Smee were just friends, but that could just mean that they were casual lovers.

"What plans?" Oneakka found himself asking and instantly regretted the moment of weakness.

"A nice hot shower," Seeal replied.

He did not need to hear about her showering! He dragged his imagination away from the direction it really wanted to go and focused on the here and now. "This won't take long," he insisted as he turned from her, taking several steps away down the corridor and paused, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Come on," he told her in a carefully judged persuasive tone.

No need to go giving away what this was about yet.

One black eyebrow rose in a challenging glare, but she headed towards him.

He held her frowning look as she approached his side. Her look told him she was agreeing only because she chose to do so, to which he smiled back, letting her know that he still considered this his victory. As she drew level with his elbow, he started forward again, leading the way back down the corridor towards the lobby.

"How was your assignment with Division?" He asked. He didn't know the content of Division's request for her assistance this morning, but he guessed it had been Dreamstation related; they probably had wanted her to pick out certain scum she recognised from a crowd.

"Other than it being a long day, it was fine," she replied as they headed across the lobby. "Well, outside of the arm restraints," she added.

He replayed that in his head. "What?" he frowned round at her.

"Arm restraints," she repeated, glancing round at him. "It needed to look good."

He suspected these cryptic responses were her way of asserting some control after his little victory. He led the way into a side corridor off the lobby. "What needed to look good?" He asked, taking her obvious bait.

"The ruse," she replied with a smile that suggested she had enjoyed whatever this 'ruse' had been.

He led the way down another corridor, purposefully picking a route she'd hopefully not recognise until it was too late.

"What ruse?" He took her second bait, after all it might distract her from working out what he had planned.

"They put me in one cell and then, after a few hours, they arrested their target and put him in the other cell," she explained.

"A few hours?" He frowned. "In arm restraints?"

"Well, it had to look good," she continued. "As they planned, he recognised me and made contact."

"What kind of contact?" Oneakka asked without thinking.

"They want some intell out of him about a private intermediary group that are running introductions for assassins, dealers, and other scummy customers. He's a member of the group and they wanted me to provide some 'friendly' advice that giving Alliance Enforcement some intel would save him prison time."

"And he took your advice?" He asked as he indicated a turning off to her left, directing them down another hallway.

"If he's smart he will," she replied.

"And the arm restraints were necessary for that to work?" He pushed. They'd just passed by the turning to the main Gyms, but she hadn't appeared to have worked out where they were headed.

"Hey, it wasn't that long ago you put me in arm restraints," she looked round challengingly.

He worked not to wince guiltily. Of course he'd been fully justified at the time as she'd been a wanted person of interest to the Elite and Division, so he had no reason to feel guilty about it.

"And then a shackle and restraint line," she added with teasing mirth rather than any real annoyance.

"You were a flight risk," he replied simply.

"Maybe I should fly away now," she responded. "Let someone else sort out this errand for you that is-" she pulled up sharply mid-sentence as she noticed the sign up ahead of them at the end of the corridor. "What exactly is this favour you need me to do?" She asked even though she had obviously worked it out. It was instead a delaying technique for her to work out how best to get out of it.

He had ended up a few steps ahead of her, so he turned and faced her in the middle of the corridor. "You've put this off long enough, Raven," he told her.

Her dark eyes lowered from the sign down to him. He watched the subtle signs of anxiety creeping over her, a faint bracing of her body, her shoulders forming a firm line, and her lips parting slightly as her breathing rate naturally increased in the face of perceived danger.

"I've had a really long day, Oneakka," she started. "This is hardly the time for this."

"It's the perfect time for this," he disagreed calmly. "You've made every excuse under the stars to avoid this, so we're doing it now."

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Oneakka," she frowned, her anxiety latching onto annoyance to take its place.

"You need to face your fear or it will rule your life."

She scoffed, her arms crossing over her chest in an uncharacteristic display of defensive body language for her. "It's hardly a fear," she argued. "And I hardly think that a slight aversion to fish will 'rule' my life."

He was ready for all these arguments, after all they'd had this discussion a few times now; but she'd always managed to avoid actually coming here to the Spa Gym to face the little fish that kept the swimming pool water clean.

"It's not a slight aversion, Raven," he corrected. "On our last mission, you thought a fish had jumped out of that underground river-"

"Because you tricked me," she interrupted.

"And you screamed," he continued, "and then climbed up my back like I was a tree. That is affecting your life."

"I didn't scream," she objected forcefully. "I maybe cried out with surprise when you cruelly played that prank on me, kicking water up at me."

"You definitely screamed."

"I did not," she protested, her arms uncrossing and her hands landing on her shapely hips as she glared at him.

"And then you came running to me for help and safety," he pushed.

She scoffed loudly. "You just happened to be the closest form of higher ground at the time, that's all."

"I can't be around all the time to keep saving you-."

"Hey," she cut him off as she pointed a finger at him, "I've saved your backside just as much as you've saved mine."

"I've got things to do," he continued, enjoying this perhaps a little too much now. "Wraith and Skerti to fight; I can't be around to protect you from tiny little innocent fish all the time."

He was pretty sure he could see a flush of embarrassment to her cheeks now. "I don't need you around for anything," she stated.

The verbal strike hit him rather too effectively, but he didn't show it.

"Fine, then prove me wrong," he set his challenge.

She pulled a derisive face at him. "Please, you think that kind of blatant baiting is going to work on me? I'm not going to fall for it."

"You're a powerful warrior who needs to face her fears, Raven," he tried his next tactic. "You've faced Wraith, even a Skerti Queen, and you're going to hide from tiny fish that clean the swimming pool water? No, you're too good a warrior to be bested by that."

"So now you're trying flattery?"

"Not going to work?" He checked, rather curious if it would.

"No," she insisted, but a little too firmly by his reading of her.

"That's a shame," he pretended, "because I had plenty planned."

"What?" She looked surprised. "Like what?"

"No, you've already said it won't work," he smiled at her. "A warrior doesn't waste his time."

Her surprise turned to a frown. "So now I'm a waste of your time?"

He smiled at her obvious next strategy: to start an argument in which she was the victim.

It was then time for him to use his major card. "What if I give you an incentive?" He asked.

Dark eyebrows lowered into a suspicious look. "What incentive?"

"Those frosted-cookies you like," he moved forward a couple of steps towards her, "the ones with the little dried fruit pieces scattered on top."

"The Athosian ones Halling likes?" She checked.

He nodded.

"Why should I care about those?" She asked, her expression purposefully turning blank.

He took a further step towards her, though still well within normal friendly distance. "I have three boxes of them. You can win one box if you stand at the edge of the fish pool, a second box if you put your hand or foot in the water, and the third if you let a fish touch you."

She gave him a heavy frown. "Positive reinforcement? That's how we train the goats what weeds they can eat in the Hydroponics Bay, Oneakka."

"It's how everyone trains. You think the Recruits getting those commendations means anything in the real world?" He shrugged. "It's up to you how many boxes you win, but it's time you start facing your phobia head on, prove to yourself you can best anything."

He got another glare.

"I kept my promise to you that I'd stick to my entire medication plan," he reminded her. "You gave me your promise that you'd face these fish. Are you going to break your word to me?" He wasn't entirely sure how much currency her word to him was worth in this, but it was his final card to use.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, and he knew he'd won.

She started forward. "I really hate you sometimes," she told him forcefully as she headed past him towards the doors to the Spa Gym.

He chuckled as he turned and followed her up to and through the doors into the Spa Gym. Inside, the air was instantly different, filled with the scent of the many pools, saunas, and steam rooms available for everyone in the Facility to use. Raven had never been here before, but it took her all of a second as she paused in the entrance lobby to work out which way to go. The larger door off to the right was the way through to the swimming and diving pools, and he followed her as she pushed through the door into the warm humid corridor beyond.

As they headed down the bright white-tiled corridor, he shifted his gaze from the open end of the corridor, which led into the massive room that held the pools, to Raven. She was walking with her chin high and her stride full of forced confidence. Getting her to agree to come here had been his hard work, but now it was her turn.

"Raven?" He called to her as he lengthened his strides to catch up with her.

She slowed her fast pace and glanced round, her cheeks still faintly flushed.

"When we train as Recruits," he started to explain as he fell into step with her, "a large part of our training is retraining fears. The most common of which is the fear of the Wraith." She looked round with more interest now. "Elite have to learn to move beyond the natural, rational instinct to run from Wraith, to be able to think clearly and fight effectively when under attack."

They were almost at the threshold to the pool chamber, so he slowed and stopped, Raven stopping with him.

"Then there were other fears we had to overcome, some common, such as the fear of drowning-"

"I'm not afraid of water," she insisted as she had many times.

"I'm not saying you are," he insisted back. "My point is that some fears are primal, basic instinctive fears. Fear of heights, water, close spaces, zero-gravity and the vacuum of space can all be overcome. The trick is the mind, our most powerful weapon."

She nodded. "I was taught the same by my pit fight trainer."

"You know these fish here aren't dangerous, people swim with them in their pool, dangle our legs in the water." She nodded, but her eyes darted away into the pool room and she nervously licked her lips. "You are Seeal," he told her firmly. "Borne of Glisi and dangerous streets." She looked back to him, her dark gaze meeting his. "You were a successful pit fighter. You kept your useless brother alive despite his attempts otherwise. You kept order on Dreamstation, faced death and evil scum there daily and you survived. You did better than that, you kept them in line."

"I did," she agreed proudly as her shoulders settled back a bit.

"You've stood in the face of Wraith advancing on us on the Glisi world. You killed a Wraith Queen with a single knife throw to save Halling and me."

She nodded, though a faint edge of bemused surprise crossed her expression, as if she still couldn't quite believe what she'd done back then.

"You stood up against slug robots, helped save the Sythus and her crew," he continued, holding his own body assertively, showing her his confidence in her ability to face anything. "You found me on that Rogue Hive, then found Halling, helped him stop that Skerti Queen."

She nodded again, her spine lengthening with growing self-belief.

"You are Seeal," he repeated firmly. "You've stood in the face of giants, criminal scum, Wraith, and Skerti." She seemed almost two inches taller than before. "You are a Security Lead, Pit Fighter and Warrior. Nothing will stop you."

"Damn right!" She almost shouted. "Where are these stupid fish?" She demanded, stepping into the pool room.

He pointed to the far end of the massive room. "Last pool beyond the small dividing wall," he told her.

"Right," she stormed off, arms swinging, her adrenaline racing through her bloodstream as she strode towards her target.

Oneakka followed, having to work to keep up with her in fact, but also making sure to keep back to let her take the lead position. She made impressive time past the end of the two long swimming pools and then headed past the diving pool. Above the large deep square pool, diving boards stood at various heights, but there was far more unseen under the surface of the water. The pool was used for underwater diving training and there were side rooms deeper down in which zero-gravity simulations were practiced.

Raven didn't pay the diving pool any attention though, her focus ahead on the fast approaching opening section of the dividing wall. She reached the entrance and paused for a fraction of a moment, looking around and quickly spotted where the closest fish keeping pool was located to the left. She headed towards it, though her pace had slowed right down now.

He caught up with her, overtaking her slowing steps as they headed towards the closest edge of the nearest pool. He rather liked the rectangular fish pools set into the floor here. To provide entertainment and shelter for the fish, there were various structures of coral set across the floors of the pools, and various plants danced gently in the underwater currents as the large shoal swam around contentedly within the these pools. The water was perfectly clear; the fish keeping it clean, but also thanks to the daily maintenance of the Fish Handlers. None of those workers were around at the moment though, which was good as it provided Raven some privacy as she faced her phobia.

He looked round to see that she'd wandered a little into his shadow, using him as a protective shield as they approached the pool. As much as a little part of him thrilled in the fact that she saw him as a source of protection, he would not have her so afraid of anything as unfounded as this. Fears were powerful things and were never to be ignored.

"One box of cookies earned if you step up close to the pool," he reminded her of her first goal.

She nodded, her eyes fixed on the water as they neared it. He reached the pool first and watched as she moved out from behind him. Her complexion had paled a fraction, though the light was very bright in here. Her black hair and eyebrows seemed even darker than normal against the stark white tiles lining the floors and lower walls of the pool room. Her dark eyes were constantly moving, tracking the bright little orange fish in the clear water, as she took two steps forward and arrived at the edge of the pool.

"One box," he smiled at her.

She glanced at him quickly out the corner of her eyes before her focus snapped back to the water. "I expect fast payment."

Chuckling, he turned away, taking a few steps to where the metal railings of the ladder down into the water provided him some support. He lowered himself to the floor beside the pool, his wound site grumbling slightly at the move, but he held in a grunt as he sat down. He crossed his legs in front of him and started taking off his boots and socks.

"So they eat anything in the water, right?" Raven asked, her eyes still on the fish.

Oneakka set his boots near the ladder, tucked his socks into them, and started rolling up one trouser leg. "Anything the filters don't catch."

"So that includes skin cells?" She asked pointedly.

He smiled, knowing where she was going with this. "Yes," he confirmed as he started on his second trouser leg.

"Human skin cells."

"Tiny dead cells," he clarified.

"Still bits of people," she argued. "Tell me how that's reassuring?"

He shifted forward to the edge of the pool and lowered his feet and lower legs into the lovely warm water. As usual, the fish took an instant interest and some swam up to him, their little mouths tickling his toes and around his ankles. Some people hated the sensation, but he rather liked it.

"They're clearly trying to eat you," Raven argued.

He looked up to her. "In their natural environment they clean debris and parasites off other fish and mammals," he explained. "They're not trying to eat me, they're cleaning me."

She frowned down at the water. "Seems like you need a lot of cleaning."

He sniggered as he looked down into the water. In truth, most of the fish had lost interest in him and were now idly swimming around his legs. "They won't hurt you, Raven," he looked back up at her.

"I know," she insisted, but the anxiety was back in control, borne of something in her past that had frozen the fear into her.

"Second box if you touch the water," he reminded her of her next goal. "The water's nice and warm," he added temptingly, knowing how much she liked warmth.

Her gaze strayed back to the water close to his legs and back up to meet his gaze. "You promise not to go splashing me again like at the river?"

"I promise," he assured her.

She pulled a face as she considered the water. "Fine," she shifted closer to him, moving to sit down next to him.

Her hand abruptly landed on his shoulder closest to her.

The heat of her hand was like lightning striking down through him, growing stronger as she leaned her weight onto him using his shoulder as literal support as she sat down. The motion also brought her briefly up far too close to him, filling the air around his right side with her feminine scent and a mix of other smells lingering on her from her day with Division. Without thought, he drew in a deep breath, picking out the mix, feeling it transmitting things into his hindbrain about her that he couldn't understand outside of the rush of heat and his heart rate.

Her hand dropped away as she settled beside him, but he swore he could still feel the outline of her hand on him. Feel it burning down through his shirt to his bare skin, muscle and bones beneath.

He snapped his attention quickly away from her, crushing his will down on the primitive reactions, angry at the sudden loss of control.

"â€ĶI'm not putting my feet in there," she was saying, fortunately oblivious to his reaction.

"Fine," he agreed, making himself look back round at her. She was sat a more usual respectable distance from him, though, he noted, she was still a good foot away from the pool's edge. Her legs were curled up on her far side and she set one hand on the tiles as she leaned cautiously forward, peering down into the water.

He watched her profile in silence as she contemplated the fish in the water, her lips pressed tightly together but moving along with her internal battle.

She was his friend.

It was all that he wanted; what they both wanted.

There was no place for anything more than that.

Just three more days until his review.

She shifted, her free hand reaching down towards the water. He slid his eyes from her face to her fingers hesitating above the water's surface, no doubt waiting for the moment the fish would provide some open space in the water. She plunged her entire hand into the pool and then, just as quickly, snapped her hand out again, sending droplets of warm water over his closest leg.

"Two boxes," she declared victoriously and he met her delighted grin.

"Well earned," he smiled back. Smiling was alright, that's what friends did. Enjoy time together. "How about box number three?"

Her smile slid into a frown back towards the water. She narrowed her eyes at the fish, as if they had done something highly criminal and she was deciding on whether she should arrest them.

He smiled at the thought as she shifted off her supporting hand, settling instead down onto her elbow as she peered down at the fish. But she was hesitating, battling against old things.

"You know they're no danger to you," he reminded her quietly, leaning forward a fraction, perhaps even a little towards her, to watch her hand hovering above the water. "Your will is stronger than your fear."

"I know they're not going to hurt me," she replied, or perhaps she was talking to herself. "They're not the things swimming under the ice," she added more quietly.

He watched her lower her hand back into the water, far slower this time. Several fish glided instantly towards the new thing of interest that had entered their world and he saw her twitch, but she held her ground.

He leaned forward a little more and watched as the first fish touched against her elegant fingers.

She let out an almost chuckling breath. "It tickles," she uttered as more fish nibbled against her hand.

"And gained you three boxes of cookies," he grinned, pride flowing warm in his chest. He'd suspected she would meet all three challenges in one go. She was always like that: All or nothing.

Bold and beautiful.

His friend.

"How many cookies in a box?" She asked, her hand still in the water.

"Five," he replied as he sat up straight again, moving back out of the closer personal space. Away from her feminine scent and warmth.

That wasn't for him.

They were friends and it would stay that way.

"When can I have them?" She asked as she glided her hand through the water in a small circle, her fear of these particular fish transformed into confidence.

"They're waiting for you in my quarters. You can pick them up after this."

"Good," she declared, her pleasure and success clear in her voice, as she swirled another circle in the warm water.

He stretched out his legs in the pool, wiggling his toes in the water, as he watched the fish exploring Raven's skin.

It was a strange thing to envy fish.

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TBC