Part 10 Hindi Porpoises In the surreal dark depths of the night, fighting the ravening torrents of the ocean caused by the Hurricane, Link desperately tried to keep sense of his surroundings as he twirled and was pushed along an unforeseen path towards the vast unknown. At one time, he even glimpsed Gentoe way up ahead of him fighting the same overwhelming forces, but to his amazement he could at least stay above water. But at the mercy of the torrents, he himself was pulled away, and Gentoe disappear into the darkness. Hours then past and eventfully the torrents slowed down as the storm rolled away, dropping Link at the bottom of the sea floor. In the pitch blackness, he could barely see anything, and he was too tired to move but going with just enough forward momentum to keep his gills working so he wouldn't suffocate. Even after when the sun rose up shooting down rays of light around his surroundings, he was still at the bottom of the ocean. He kept as best he could walking along the surface, trying to keep moving forward. Because he wasn't able to swim, and head up to the surface to see if he was heading towards anything, he was lost. He had no idea where he was, nor where to go. This goes against his skills in reading maps too. Back when they did classes at the Aquarium, he loved to study maps of Araqurin surfaces, and all the islands that lade around the one single continent of the planet. He was so familiar with it, he even know the names of most islands. Too bad that was all useless when you don't even know which way was South, North, East, or West was. Acutely, he did have a good idea where the South Pole was at, as Zashara was closer to that pole then that of the North Pole. It was like a tingle against his skin, every time he turned in that direction. With that, he moved to what he thought was westward, hoping he would reach an island or something. By the time the sun started to dip, with darkness slowly claiming the sea again he found one. The bottom of the sea floor started to suddenly rise up, and he climbed it coming out of crashing waves along a small, uninhabited sandy island. He spent the night there, sleeping under the stars as he recovered his strength while dreaming of home, of Mom and Dad, and his sister and brothers, and especially Gentoe. He promise in the dream, he will never treat him like he had been to him ever again, and that was enough to get him to continue onward to finding them. He needed to tell him personally, and he would make sure to survive the wild so he could do just that. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ When morning came, Link stretched on the breach after wakening up, allowing the sun to warmed his body. He felt stiffed today, but none the less ready to go back to the sea floor to continue his searching. After a final yawn he jogged over to the ocean and went back in. When deeper water was reached, he started downward. Well he actually had to swim downward to reach the bottom rather than just sinking. "Was that what I was doing just now?" Link thought then. At first he didn't realized it, but while he was moving forward kicking his legs, it felt so natural he didn't bother to think on it. He never thought that he was actually swimming for once. When he stopped, buoyant above the sea floor, he stared wide eye as he hovered in the water looking at the sandy floor below him. Then he looked at his front claw hands, and then smiled. "I can swim?" He thought astonish. Putting his claw hands back down, just like if he had known how to use them in all of his life, he started to actually dogpaddle. He wasn't sinking this time, and he wasn't on the floor either; He was actually moving though just by pushing water itself. "I CAN SWIM!" His mind cried out in joy, as he swam faster as his leg's kicked harder. For all his practicing swimming lessons with his parents now finally showing results, he started to dance in the ocean. Before, he was afraid he would never ever learn how to swim, but now that he was actually doing it, it was almost as a wonderful experience as it would have been being reunited with his family once more. "I'm actually doing it, I'm Swimming!" He cried out again in his mind. That time though, he felt, weird. The feeling was stronger than just knowing where the poles are, but it seemed that the feelings of robust energies was originating from inside him. Magic, he knew what it was and knew how to channel it, although this spell was nothing he was taught in, despite his parents were naturals at it. For an instance, he felt some of that energy collect in his head, picking up those last few words he spoken in his mind, and he could fell the word echoing away all around him into the depths of the ocean. Despite that sudden weirdness, he continued to twist and twirl around in place celebrating with no care in the world. Well till he started to felt tired again. Quickly he swam to the bottom touching down onto the sea bed. The action had disturbed a stripe red sting ray from its hiding place. It exploded out from under the sand, clouds of the sea floor flowing outward as the aminal thrashed its barbed tail about in defense. The creature quickly darted away, as Link tried to calm himself from the fright. Right then and there all that joy quieted down as reality settle back to him. He remembers being told about sting rays, how its barbed tail can be very dangerous when the animals are startle. He recalled one of them had killed one of the Aquarium Human workers a few months ago while scuba diving with fellow Water Dragons on a documentary on local marine life. Davis, if he remembers his name correctly, was that unfortunate victim. Luckily they managed to collect his soul and memory cell after he died, and mind and soul had been transfer into another replica of himself at a rejuvenation clinic back at Zashara City. Too bad he would never see him again, he kind of like the guy. He would used to bring him and the other pups treats on occasion. But now that they were out here, he needed to avoid all future contact with the advance world of the two leg's, to avoid capture and sent back to such an evil place and life. "I got to remember to be careful now. I don't know what's dangerous or not out here." He thought. That's when he heard small clicking sounds in the water. He turned to see a small school of large fish heading towards him. They were far larger than anything he ever seen so far, much bigger than him too. It was then he heard small clicking sounds again. They were the one's making them, commutating with each other as they encircled him. He could get a better look at them now. They were Hindi Porpoise's, although most people just called them Dolphins. They had wide, blunted snouts, with a thick body and a large fin tail. They were black in color with white patches along their sides and under belly. They were very interested with him. They have seen Water Dragons before, but never with four legs and built more for swimming like they were. Unsure if they were friendly or not, he called at them with Long Talked like he had just earlier. "Um hey, how's it going guys? I bet much better then how I'm doing." He said nervously. The porpoises replied by clicking in short bursts. It was obvious he couldn't speak with them, but strangely, they seemed to understand him. Then suddenly, one came up from behind him and nudged the end of his tadpole tail up. "Yes, that belongs to me, so if you don't mine not eating me, I'll be on my way." He replied turning around. That's when another Porpoise came, and put his nose just under his tail a littel more and pushed it upwards again." "Come on now, stop it." He replied, again turning, just as another came around push his tail up just where his tail begins, as his rear end went up high in the water. "Hey, that area personal!" He snap back, teeth showing. With added response he shoved his tail back down, shoveling away some of the sand below him in a cloud as he moved forwards a few feet in response. Now floating there above the sand, he was startle. "What?" he said to himself. "Did I just used my tail?" Another porpoise came behind and did the same thing, pushing his rear end upward once more. "I told you guy's to stop that!" He said again, forcing his tail back down. Again he move, but farther this time. Startled, and without help from the animals encircling him this time, he tried it himself. He lifted up his tail as high as he could, and with as much force he could muster with he slammed down with his tail, and he flew through the water with a burst of speed. If he could, he would shout with excitement, but with no air to speak from his mouth a smile had to suffice. Again using his tail, he went further, and again he pushed, and again, and again. He was swimming; he was finally swimming like a Darjeet was supposed to. The Porpoises then came up behind him and urged him to follow, so he did. The pack swam onward further into the depths. Link practice his new found skill by making passes with some of the porpoises doing the same thing with him, going back and forth, up and over, seeming to be playing as well showing off their own degree's of skill in swimming. The porpoises was better turning in the water, as well faster, but Link seem to stay with pace of the pack keeping within the middle of the group. They swam for hours before the pack finally changed the swimming patter so they could hunt. Link watched as the porpoises as a pack, swam around a large school of slivery fish, which collapse the school into a tight ball in defense of numbers. Then keeping the ball tight, one by one the porpoises take turn's making passes though the ball, grabbing a few fish out in each pass not seeming to affect the ball size what so ever. Then it was his turn as one of the Porpoises came over and nudged him. Link line up straight with the ball, and thrust forward right into it. After dealing with the fishes hitting around his face and sides as they clamber away from being eaten by him, he came out the other end of the ball, with one of the fish squirming in his mouth. "I did it, I got one!" He thought as he crunch down, killing the fish before swallowing it. His stomach, which felt like it was about to start eating itself out of hunger, now felt loosen and quieted down. Happily satisfying his hunger for now, he Long Talk back to his new found friends. "I got one, I can't believe. . ." He stop after turning around and seeing the Porpoises scatter away. The ball of fish broke apart after the pack left its pursuit, just to be attack again by something else. In an instance, more than haft of the reminding fish was gulped down whole, by a set of large sharp teeth of a large light green Tiger Shark. Its strips down its body was black in color, and it looked quite fearsome. It seemed that the fish didn't completely fill his stomach though, as it than turned for him. Link read a little about the shark before, but all he could recall was that they were one of the most aggressive sharks out there. Franticly, he reached inside himself for the magic within himself as the animal closed in, but he couldn't seem to grasp the power. Then in an instance, the shark sped up, it's mouth wide open as Link thrushed sideway just in time, brushing past the shark. The animal then quickly turned around to come back at him for another pass, and was startled when the pack of Porpoises attacked and distracted it. "Yea, get him!" Link said cheering them on, till the tiger shark managed to bite one of the Porpoises right on the side of its face and crunched down. Blood formed a large cloud around the par as the shark thrashed back and forth, tearing deeper wound's into the Porpoise. Link froze in shock, realizing that one of the creatures he had welcomed him into this new found life, had just been killed. The Tiger Shark spat out the dead porpoise as its lifeless corpse floated down to the ocean floor below. Link watched it drop all the way down. He couldn't believe it, he just couldn't believe that this thing would just go out and murder one of his friends, just because they were protecting him, teaching him. The surviving Porpoises broke off the attack, some desperately chasing after the fallen body, trying to see if their kin was alive still, but to no avail. He wanted to cry along with them, to wail from the loss of life, but then another felling arose in side of him, anger. Now more than anything he wanted revenge. The pack of Porpoise sped off as the Shark came after him once more. Again Link reached into himself for the magic, and this time caught it and force it out of him. Doing just as his father taught him, he pulled out a stream of magic, which formed around the water along its path and turned it as part of himself. Then the end of the water tendrail spell was flashed freeze into a wicked foot long spike. The Shark pushed forward at him, mouth wide open. Link pushed out of the way again, but this time thrusting the spike at the shark, slicing along the animal side. The Shark swam away in pain, blood flowing out from the cut, but it seemed angrier than before. What caused Link to shutter though was not because of the Shark, but from the wails from the Porpoises. They were still here, but swimming in a large ark around them two. The sounds reached into his brain and it was painful, but it wasn't for their fallen family member. It was because he had hurt the shark. "Were they mad?" Link thought at first. But then it came to him. What the Shark did was wrong, but what he was doing so was just as so. He was about to kill an animal for no used other than just to kill it. He was blood lust for revenge, and all he wanted to do was to take its life, and that felling was more than just defending himself. The spike he thrust at the Shark was just a meet inch off. If he gotten it on target, it would of killed the Shark. "You guys think that I was going to kill it just out of rage?" He asked, as that anger vanished from him suddenly. The Porpoises clicked back at him, which he taken it as an answer. It seemed he again let his anger get the better of him, just like he did with almost getting his younger brother killed earlier. "No, again I'd allow it to consume me. I vow not to have my anger control me again, and I will not break it now!" He Long Talked out loud, as the Tiger Shark came for him again. This time, he planned something else for the Shark. He reformed his tendril of water and flashed freeze the end again, but not into a spike. This time he molded the forming ice into a thick bar of ice, and held it upright in front of him. When the shark opened its mouth wide near feet from him, Link shoved the ice into his mouth tightly. Surprised, the shark turn away at the last second, trying desperately to close its mouth, but cannot with the ice jam in. As the Shark swam away, Link felt relieved that it was over, but he could’t help but push the insult further. "And I never want to see you come after me, or any of my family again!" He Long Talked directly at the Shark. The aminal tensed, seeming to understand him somehow as it continue off shamefully into the depths. Now Link could truly relax now. If only for an instance as the Porpoises return to him. Again they chatter at him. Despite what has happen, they wanted him to come with them, to live with them as one of their own. Link thought about it, but then shook his head. "No guys, I'm sorry but I have to find my family. I did appreciate all you did for me, and I'm sorry what happen to one of your own, but I am worry about them, I got to go." The pack of swimming Porpoises clicked back, seeming to understand him, but then one of them came next to him, and nudged him around, then that porpoise click at him quickly, and swam away. "Is that where they are?" He asked. They all chicked in unisom. "Then that's where I must go. I do thank you all, and I hope we can be friends in the near future, especially with others like me." He Long Talked. The Porpoises then swam around him for a minute more, and then as one, they broke off and swam in the opposite direction. Link watched them go, sadden for having to be alone again. When they dissaper back into the ocean depths, he turn around and started swimming the other way they pointed him at. A short time later he saw that same school of fish ahead of him. He was still a bit hungry, and could use another morsel. He knew that trying to catch them by swimming was hard work, epically more so for Darjeets as they can't swim as fast as the Hindi Porpoises. So knowing that he was far smarter, he used another way for hunting. Forming yet another water tendril, he flashed freeze a spike drawing closer to the school of fish, then he thrust it at one one of them. The school broke away, fishes darting in all directions around him. He brought back the tendril closer to his head, as a dying fish was impale by the spike. Quickly he ate the fish and again quelled his hunger, for now at least. But what was far more importance, he could now swim, hunt, and defend himself. He learned a lot today how to be an adult, Moko and Mieka would be proud of him, if they will ever be reunite again. He was sure that the others are learning how to survive just like he had been, but his situation was given help, he wasn't sure about how the others are doing. "I guess there only one way to find out." He said, as he started swimming again. Tired, he went at a slow pace, hoping to find another island before sun down which he still had haft a day ahead ahead of him, so he had time still. He would find the others again, he was sure of it. Plus, he wanted to keep his vows, and there was one he needed to do still. He needed to apologize to Gentoe. That single promise, alone was enough for him to keep moving forward. Whatever comes his way from now on, he would face it as an adult, and not as a pup. He couldn't be one no longer.