Part 12

Fishermen

It was strange, that he didn't dreamed. He usually has them every night since from his earliest memory, from the egg days before he hatched out. Today though he slept like a rock, even with the sun baking his flesh. He didn't really cared though, but not from exhaustion. All was on his mind now was one thing, to find his family. Too bad he didn't felt like searching though. He had to force himself to get up, which was an effort in itself.

Gentoe tried to stretch after he woke, but muscles cramped painfully, and reliantly stopped the attempt. His stomach was in a tight and painful knot, growling deeply for the need for food. Even his right side hurt, and was pinked; sunburned by the hours out in the sun sleeping. The palm trees haven't provided enough shading. Going back in the ocean would fix that, as the skin will be able to produce its natural sunscreen oils, but the burns would be felt for some time, a constant reminder off his situation.

Hungry, tired, and thirsty to boot, he walked off his three palm tree island and back into the ocean to resume his search. Only a few hours in, as the sun was just dipping towards the horizon, Gentoe saw some distance lights, like a bright beacon of a safe haven from the night. It came from another small island, but this one was unfortunately habituated by the two legs. He didn't want to be seen, but thinking on his limited options that were available, as well too tired to keep going for now, he headed straight in. He rather do that, then try sleeping on top of the ocean with his nose sticking out for air.

Staying along the shallows, but far enough out to be mask by the dark, he spied the partiers as they huddle around a camp fire. They were cooking various meats and vegetables with metal rods, and many was in converse with one another. Most of them had decently nice clothes on, as well the latest fashion statements of the planet, as well other styles from the galaxies. After watching the people for a little while, he decided these young adults of the Humans and Water Dragons were still in their adolescence stage of life. As Shinda Gone once put it, the rebellious teenager phase.

They do seem not to have much care for anything in their lives, except being social among their peers to gain friendship and popularity. Even so, he watched depressingly as they seemed to be having a good time, while he sat their floating, wet, hungry, and alone.

"Oh Dragons, give me a break!" He said sulking to himself, as time goes by with the moon raising; casting its light's over the ocean and island. It was an hour later when shouts were called out from the large single house built here. With that, everybody headed inside, and Gentoe was given his chance.

"They must have gone inside for dinner." He said to himself, as he silently came ashore. Staying in the shadows, he watched for signs of possible two legs that might still be outside. Seeming the area was cleared, he went over to the still blazing fire pit. Despite all the time he had to plan this, he thrown caution out the door as the left out food sitting on tables and the benches was too much to bare. Starving, he ran out of the shadows, and devoured everything he could find. Meats on splits still hot, and raw cold pieces on plates. Vegetables of all short of shapes, sizes, and tastes. Fruits native and imported off planet. Even the marsh mellows and chocolates, which was a great tasty ending for the feast.

"I didn't know such things. . . could taste so good!" He said, licking the smudge of melted chocolate from his face. Now stuffed, he could just leave and go find some place to sleep, and digest happily. However, in light of the situation he also decided that he needed things he could potentially need later on out in the wild. Luckily for him, a large black water proof fanny pack was just laying there by a bench. Its owner uncaringly left it here, not thinking it would be ever stolen by his friends. Gentoe taken it and dump everything out. All that was in it was ancamera and a personal PDA, along with miscellaneous items he didn't think he will need. He knew that these items would mean more for whoever the person was he was stealing from. They would be much harder to replace instead of just a bag.

With that, he went around the area scavenging up things he thought would be importance. Uncooked fruits and vegetable, as well other foods he missed and hasn't eaten was rounded up and stuffed inside. He wished he could bring along meats too, but he knew they would spoil, so he left them. There was also some string, a flint and steel of all things, an wound up wheel of fishing line and bandage's too. They all went inside, and the bag was now full. Going back to where he started all this, it was then he caught something shiny.

The small metal stick was snatch into his hands from the grass. He remembers an condition he was taught that some Dragons have, called hording; where which anything valuable and shiny, like gold and items of worth, they would keep and stash in their homes. The shiny thing in his own hand seem to be taunting him to own it as well. Darjeets were part Dragon, after all.

To him, the two sides of black painted metal seeming to house a third piece of metal inside the case. Thumbing it around, he got it to open up as it clicked and held in place. It taken a second for him to understand what he held in his grip, then almost dropping it when he realized it was a knife. The switch blade was made of good, quality steel alloy, and was sharp as a razor. Knowing that this could come in handy later, he also stuffed it in the fanny pack next to some of the medical supplies, and closed the bag.

picking up the bag, he tossed the strap over his back, and clipped it shut around his middle with the bag hanging at the side within foreleg reach. He seemed to be smiling now. With the things in the bag, he would be good for a while, yet, inside his feelings became distort. No it wasn't his stomach indigestion, it was that he was stealing. He was taking the things that the two legs rightfully own, and yet, he really needed this stuff to survive out here. He, like the others, were lecture about doing such a crime by their mother. How stealing brings nothing but distrust and sadness to both parties at the end. Frowning, he then notice a paper note pad, with a pen nestle to it on the ground. Yes that would have to do. He would leave a note he decided. Quickly he tear an unmark page away, and laying it on the stone, he started writing.

"Dear two legs. I am sorry for taking a few of your things during the night. However the reason I have done so, will help me to survive our here in the wild. I don't know if there will be anyway I could ever replace what I have taken, especially the knife, but I do apologies for what I have done here with all my heart."

Gentoe.

He signed his name at the bottom of the page, and then laid it down on top of the note book and at the bench where they will notice it later.

Now with his conscious somewhat easier, it was time to get going. He spent enough time and didn't want to be caught, so he hurriedly scrambled across the beach and back into the ocean. He had seen another small island not far from here and went for that, and spent the night resting pretty well for once.

______________

Haft a day later, in the middle of the ocean again westward, he continued onward. Today though, his stomach was rebelling. He was not sure why, he had eaten breakfast today, even though it was the rest of the chocolate he had taken with him and knew not a real breakfast. It was more than just indigestion though, as his stomach wanted to bring it all back up. He fought it, and managed to keep it down, so far at least. It was the chocolates, he was sure that's why his digestion system was having a fit, but he have the sweets before. Although the bars did seem a bit, creamy and sweeter then the dark, bitterer piece's they were always given as occasional treats. What the wrapper said it was called again, milk chocolate?

That unpleasantness had taken a good bit of his focus away, and almost didn't heard the sounds of squeals echoing though the ocean ahead of him.

Picking up the speed, fanny pack snuggled tight around his belly, he went to investigate the sounds. What he saw, well for his first time at least, was an oddity in the ocean rather than something tragic, and hard to look at without revolting. What it was seemed to be a large net just dangling there, attached by a line to the surface. The net, designed to catch fish, which seemed to had netted a few in this trap, had however caught something larger alongside them.

An young Hindi Porpoise had found himself netted too, in a vain attempt for easy prey. Its mother swam nearby, not knowing how she could free him, and crying out sadly over the tragedy. She might not know what to do, but Gentoe did. After all, that knife he brought along was going to be helpful after all. Besides, he couldn't just let this poor fellow suffocate if he could help it. In his own remembrance to Mieka, he knew how upset his mother would be, if something bad would ever happen to him despite it did had happen when he freed them from their prison, just to become

separated by the storm.

"Mother is probably still crying about it even now." He thought as he dogpaddled over to the net. The mother porpoise was surprise when it spotted him going to the net. It started to come closer as Gentoe went into an opening underneath.

"Don't worry; I will have him free for you. You don't have to worry any longer." He thought. Too bad he couldn't long talk to the mother to help her uneasiness. He was still too young to use magic, and hasn't been taught yet how to reach for it. Still, it would of help if he knew just some of the powers right now. When he finally climbed up to the pup, he could see it wasn't doing too good. It was starving for oxygen, and would die soon if it can't get to the surface. He knew that despite being marine animals, and would spend their entire life in the water, they have lungs, and

not gills.

They needed to go to the surface for air. He doesn't know why that was so, and can't seemed to understand why it wasn't a disadvantaged for them. Hurriedly though, he reached its back with his right hand claw, opened up the fanny pack, and pulled out the switch blade. He got to work, cutting the rope around the pup. Even with the razor blade knife, the rope fibers seemed to resist being cut, and he had to put his strength into each slice. Seeing that it was going to be rescued, the pup seemed to gain vigor and sprit again. Eagerly, it waited as it watched the strange fellow

helped it.

"Just hold on a little more, I almost have you. . .There, your free!" Gentoe thought as the last strands broke free, allowing the pup to swim out of the hole. His mother started clicking happily, striding over to the tired pup, and helped it up to the surface for the long needed air. So however, did the net. The net suddenly closed in around him, and he was trapped. Gentoe squirmed and tried to get free, but now caught just as the pup was. He couldn't talk, yet he wanted to scream for someone, or thing to come save him now as the net pulled higher and higher, and flung right out of the water. Gravity had then taken over, and the few fish caught within the net slide on top of Gentoe as the catch was hauled over a small

fishing boat, and dropped onto its deck. Still squirming, he heard someone talking as he tried to breath in the air through his lungs.

"What in the Dragons did we catch?" One person ask.

"Not sure, lets take a look." The other replied. Gentoe tensed, as some of the fish was pushed aside from his back, allowing him to see them as they could at him. Both of the fisherman were Water Dragons. One was a skinny fellow, seeming to be too thin to be healthy. The other, a well muscular Dragon, had scar's over his body from fights he been in his life that he never got fully healed. He also had a nasty scar across the top of his snout. His voice had a harsher rasped to it than the other.

"Well well, by the look of it, its one of them Darjeets we been hearing about the last couple years. I guess they finally release a few of the animals." The scar face reptile said, and then laughs in glee as he pulled out one of his knives from his belt. It was a fellate knife, a thin and flexible blade made to strip flesh off of skin and bone.

"I wonder how much one of their skins would be worth, especially if we bring the first one in." He said with a grin that could make any one white face and fear struck.

"I bet we would make a pretty crdit for us." The skinny Dragon replied. He too was also smiling evilly. Gentoe didn't think he could tensed his muscles any harder without cramping, now realizing what they intended to do to him. He thought desperately to find a way out of this. He looked around. The boat he was on was old and wooden, and out in sea with other fishing boats nearby, but not close enough to scream for help to. The net was too tight around him, and he couldn't find any way to get himself free. As the scar Dragon knelt beside him, knife in hand, he stopped moving.

All his attention was at this knife he held tight in his hand. Even so, his own switch blade was still underneath him. Slowly fiddling around, he started cutting some of the net away unseen. Perhaps if he can get enough of the strands cut, he could attempt an escape.

"Don't worry little guy, I'll make sure you die quickly and painlessly as possible, with as little spill blood as I can manage it." He chuckled.

Now instead of being afraid, Gentoe found anger. He wasn't just some animal he could just kill for sport.

"So your just ok killing living, breathing creatures for no other then just for the pleasure? How you could be so cold." He snarled at him. It seemed to work as the Dragon was startle. He gained a few more seconds if anything.

"You. . . can talk?" He gasped. The other one also seemed alarmed by the notion.

"Yea, I can talk, and I can think too. And I also think you're about to murder me. Can't you see that I look like you and your friend too. Didn't that even cross your mind?" He said angrily. The scared man taken a step back, waiting for an second for the sudden information to settle in.

Perhaps he actually changed his mind about skinning him? Was he was now going to let him go so he can keep searching for his family? He hope so. . . too bad that possibility faded away when the Dragon started to chuckled, then laughed maniacally.

"Do you think I would actually care about hurting you? I had been in fights, lots of them. I have beaten up punks braver then you. I cause so much pain, I don't even think about it anymore. I don't care if they get hurt, and I don't care about your feelings either."

"Hey Rurnon, um, there's a boat coming awfully closed to us." The skinny Dragon said pointing out to the direction of the craft, but his words were given no heed as the scar face Dragon kept on.

"I guess now we know why it had taken so long. The program they created to replace the dying seals. I see now that was because you guys have too much brain in that head of yours to be in charge of replacing the species. Back before they were gone, you want to know what I did?"

Rurnon asked. Gentoe didn't want to know, but he told him anyway.

"I used to hunt them Boogle Seals. I would come up to a pack of them ashore and shoot them one by one, then skinned their bodies to sell their fur to pay the bills."

"That’s. . .just awful!" Gentoe replied sickly, as he now felt like actually throwing up that chocolate he eaten hours earlier.

"Oh it was, but I had a purpose back then too. There was just too many of them, and they impacted the fishing industry. I found that seal fur's was far more valuable then fishing was, so eventfully I made it my main trade. Then one day, they just all died off, and I found myself out of a job.

Because of that Damn Margeti Fish, I lost my pay, my family left me, and even my beautiful home was taken away. I couldn't even go back fishing, as that adaption even killed most of the local fish species. Because of the delay of having you created in hopes you will drive them back, I, as well many others fishermen was left to dry up. Many had to go get inland jobs, for the life of me. Some even went off planet to the other worlds. Years later, here we are. Ya'll finally release, and me a poor middle aged fool."

"Um Rurnon. . ." The skinny Gerinsi said again, but once more his words were unheeded.

"So now here I am, along the others trying to make an living, and now they dare decades later, after the damages had already been done far too long to ever fix, thinking that now was the bloody time to have ya'll release?" The guy seemed quite upset by recalling his past. His face tighten angrily. Gentoe had to work faster on the ropes, most were cut underneath him, just a few more would do it, but he needed more time.

"But we weren't release, we had escape. We ran away!" Gentoe said the truth to him, in hopeing their conversation would last longer. Again he was startle, but only for a second this time.

"Well, too bad for you then. I can now restart my skin trade, and you will be my first resource. I will make thousand of credits off of your hide, and I can again live the good life. Maybe even buy back my mansion."

"But we are so few. You will extinct us too." Gentoe tried to say in a last ditch hope.

"Have you ever heard of a thing called the black market? They will buy anything, even you're . . . endanger hide." He said, as he brought the knife closer. Gentoe knew then that he failed convincing the man not to kill him. His own switch blade was still cutting in his hands, and the rope might not come away completely when he tried to run. He also might have a shot slicing at him when he gets closer. Thinking that was his only chance, he bear his teeth, waiting for his chance as the scar face man brought his knife closer to him. Closer. . .closer. . .

"Rurnon!"

"What is it!" The scar face Dragon snapped as he stood and turn to face the other, when a bar of ion energy shot into the air nearby. The thump the blast made boomed in their chests like a bass drum. Following the thump, the surrounding area was filled with screeching static, as the bar of blue energy fizzle and sparked, quickly becoming smaller till the vanished high in the air like it was never even had been shot into the sky.

Gentoe ear's hurt from how loud it was. The Water Dragons had covered their ear fin's too. As soon as the noise came, it left when the energy dissipated. The Dragons looked right in front of them, seeing another Water Dragon standing on a second larger boat. He had an Ion Pistol in his right hand, pointed upward. A small trail of smoke still rising from the muzzle. Gentoe could only see his face, but he knew who it was.

"By what in the Dragons good name were you two about to do to my poor little friend?" Kaimana demanded.

"By the look of it, not something pleasant. It's sad to see that such people like them still exist in our peaceful universe." Shinda Gone said right after, standing next to her co worker with her arm's cross. The par seem calmed as stone, yet inside rage boiled, and ready to be unleash at any given notion. The two fisherman didn't seem too startle by their appearance, well at least the scar face Dragon seemed to be.

"We weren't going to do nothing, I swear!" the skinny Dragon replied coolly.

"Do you really think I'm going to believe that, with that knife in your hand sir?" Kaimana said pointing to Rurnon's right hand, griping the blade tightly. The biologist slotted eyes narrowed, showing disapproval in the two.

"Let him go, and we will forget this ever happen. If you refuse. . ." He pointed the ion pistol at the par. Kaimana usually didn't like to be this violence, but Gentoe was as close to a son he ever had. He and Shinda would do anything to protect him and his family from bad people as these.

"You dare point that gun at me?!" Rurnon said hotly, as he taken a step forward.

"No don't, one shot will set our whole boat on fire. Not to mention our catch in the hold would be ruin. Our lively hood is in there."

"Do you think I care about that?" He replied, turning to look at him. Giving his boat hand an mean glare, before turning back to the two marine biologists the same look.

"Well I do care for not losing our boat." He replied, and went over to the net. He went to his knees and got his own knife. Gentoe however didn't trust him. As they were talking, and not looking at him, he had kept cutting the net. Just as the skinny guy came close, he tuck away out of the net. He was freed at last, and the bulging eyes the Skinny Dragon gave made the effort all worth it.

"Thanks, but I could handle it myself, so now if you two will excuse me." He said, putting the knife back into the fanny pack. The skinny man seem shocked as he eyed that unknown weapon he hidden all this time as he went past him. At least this once had came to his senses. He hurriedly walked over, not caring to look back to see how the scar face one thought of him. He believes the Dragon would just give him that, "Till next time I get you in my net." look.

_______________

"Come on now, just jump over into our boat." Said Shinda. She was on her knees, waving him on. Kaimana kept his stance, gun pointed. The two fishermen kept still seeming unafraid, yet wouldn't dare move a leg.

Gentoe was graceful that they came at the nick of time, but he wasn't blind to see he was about to escape one trap for another. If he would get onto their boat, they would caged him, and take him back to their little prison at the Aquarium. He was sure he would never see the sun again if they do. Despite all of his recent troubles, he would rather be eaten by some predator out here then live in captivity for the rest of his life.

Even the Fisherman blade would be a far better cry.

So he planned it carefully. Just as it seemed he was about to cross over with his feet along the railing, he jumped. Not into the other boat, but down and back into the ocean. He could hear Shinda gasped in shock. There were also sounds of running, but he didn't bother to care who it was.

All he saw now was the ocean, coming towards him. He would never be capture ever again. He was going to be smarter; he will become cleaver and sharp writ. He was going to be. . .

A sharp tug from the base of his tail had him stopped midair. He was just mere inches from the water, yet he wasn't falling into it. The base of his tail felt his skin, muscles, and even the spine pulled hard from the weight of the fall, and they felt strained too. It also burn in pain as he tried to fight from not crying out. Gentoe duck under so he could look up, and saw that Kaimana was the one that grab his tail. His griped was quite strong, so much so that it hurt as well along his tail. The Water Dragon then pulled him upward and back onto their boat.

At the same time he done that, Kaimana, using his E-chip, instructed his boat computer to pull away from the fisherman boat. The two Water Dragons just stood there, watching them moveing out and away. Once Gentoe was dropped into the deck, he tried to pull away. Having practice from the last time he tried to escape, Kaimana pulled him back, and embrace him with a tight hug as he sat on the floor. Just as the last time, Gentoe screamed out, and tried to squirm out of the hold. He trashed about in vein, shouting angrily at them.

"Calm down, we are not going to hurt you!" Kaimana tried to say, but Gentoe kept on fighting like he hasn't heard. After being sure the fisherman wasn't going to pursue them, Shinda came over and knell beside the par. Grasping his hand claw's, Shinda squeezed them strongly and moved her head closer to him.

"Gentoe, GENTOE." She had shouted. It actually made him stop thrashing about for the moment as he stared at her worrying.

"If you keep throwing a tantrum like this, I WILL put you back into a cage in a time out till you have clam yourself down. I do have some onboard. Would you like for me to pick out one for you, or not?" She said strongly. She sounded like his mother for an moment there. It also had the desire effect.

"I don't wanna go to time out, I want my family back!" He chokes. Water started to filled his eyes. He was really was about to cry again.

"Gentoe, sweetie we are not mad at you. In fact I am proud." Shinda said, talking to him like a mother would to her child who was in distress. Well in a way it was exactly that. Gentoe snouted through his nostrils, keeping the running fluids inside. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't! Not again, never again would he be weak.

"Why are you here?" He sniffed. "That monster almost skinned me alive."

"True. I hope that fellow get whatever he deserves, but the fact your still alive proves your are more then capable to make it out here."

"And resourceful." Kimana said, as he pulled off the fanny pack.

"That's mine, give it back!" He shouted again, but Kaimana opened the zipper to peer inside, then taken out the knife.

"Where on earth you got this from I wonder." He said, opening it to revile the still wet blade. It glistens from the sun light.

"I found it!" Gentoe snapped.

"And with a whole bunch of supplies and a bag to put it all in?" Kaimana said eyeing the Darjeet.

"This is a good quality blade. I always wanted one of these."

"Kaimana, give it back." Shinda said frowning. Kaimana seem surprise by the request. However shutting his slotted eyes, he closed the knife back, and put it in the bag. It was then that he finally let go of Gentoe, as he grabbed one of the straps and pull it out of the Water Dragon biologist hands. He then strapped it back around himself again.

"This just adds to the fact he knows to survive out here. Well mostly." Shinda said. Gentoe sulk by the last two words, but it was his turn to speak.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked nervously. Kimana got up, and stood next to Shinda as she answer.

"Well if you promise not to jump over board later. We are going to go find your family now."

In another life, Gentoe would of jumped for joy over the wondrous news, yet he was cautious by the promise.

"And then take us back, to our cages?" He asked suspiciously.

"Doubtful, but I have to see if the rest of ya'll are ok first before we get to that part, so the next step is to locate the others. Kimana?" Shinda asked.

"Me? Oh yea hold on." He said running back, and picking up Shinda’s PDA up out of the main cabin of the boat. When he got back, he started poking at the screen.

"When that breaker box was set off from the harpoon last morning, it caused an EMP, and fried all of the tracker chips you family had inside of them. Yes I put one into you too, the day when you went to your first clinic visit." Gentoe tense again by the thought that they put something into his body.

"We speculated that, by the last of the camera feed, your chip might have survived because the door almost closed behind you when it was set off. It actually didn't though. Yours is fried as well as the PDA tells me, but the antenna, which makes the transmissions goes though had survive.

The chip battery is still able to recharge off from your body, and so the antenna is still able to keep on transmitting. We found you because of that. The more adrenaline you had pumped, the stronger the signal became. That's how we found you in the niche of time too thank the Dragons." Kaimama finish added the blessing.

"So how's that going to help us find the rest?" Gentoe asked cocking his head. All this science stuff is making his head hurt just thinking about it.

"The antenna power also keeps track of other chips that are link around each others. That helps us to know of where everyone is." Shinda added.

"We used this on marine life all the time. That's how we are going to find the others."

"Good news . . . better than just good." Kaimana said happily suddenly viewing the screen. Shinda looked over to see her PDA. After smiling, she taken the computer and lower it so Gentoe could see also. On the screen map, one dot echo on the bottom. He was sure it was him. By what the nautical miles say on the next set of dots, all westward on the map, all the other 5 dots as within miles apart of each other. One set has two in a group, closing on a third. Another two dots were heading to what appears to be an island out there. Gentoe didn't need to understand technology to know what he was seeing.

"They are so close to each other." He said, and then realized another thing.

"Yet so far from here. I wasn't even close to finding them." Sounding depress again. He was dozen of miles away from any of the dots. Again tears started to creep up. So much for growing up he guess.

"But now we can be. By the time we reached there, they all should have met up. We can be there when it happens. All six of you reunited at the same time would be a reunion to remember." Shinda said. Gentoe seem to cheer up by the thought.

"That's great and all, but it's getting late. You know we shouldn't be out here when it's late and besides. . ."

"Beside what, Kaimana"” Shinda asked, hands on her hip's.

"If we go there, it will be dark long before we even get close to home. You know the dangers out here at night. Besides, I wouldn't mind going back and spending another evening at that island resort. Their chiefs make really good seafood dishes and I wouldn't mind trying a few more. I'm sure Gentoe here wouldn't mind a good night rest too, after all he been though lately."

"Really now, you think that would be best?" Shinda said sarcastically. But that wasn't really needed, as they both look at the young pup as he said his answer.

"I thank you for the offer, but I believe I would sleep even better, under my mother and father, and my brothers and sister warmth better then a cushy bed any day."

"Very well then." Kaimana said. He frowned though. Man he was going to miss that soft bed, and tasty food they had last night, but he guess the reunion would be a life experience worth more than the best of beds on this planet, maybe even both galaxies combine. Smiling, he sent in the coordinates and order to the boat computer.

"We heading out now I guess." He said, as the boat gravity plates energized, and quantum fields erupted underneath the boat. The hull seemed to be rising out of the water by itself. After it actually did, the plates started pushing the vessel forward. Genote couldn't believe how smoothly they were moveing. He couldn't comprehend that they were actually in all terms, flying just above the water. He was also impressed by the speed in which they were going.

"I'm not worry or anything, but I am hoping you change your mind about escaping this time." Shinda yelled from the other side of the boat. She had to; otherwise Gentoe wouldn't had heard her over the noise of the plates.

"I wouldn't do such a thing in the world now, not now knowing that I will be home soon." He yelled back, as the boat continue on westward to the island.