Chương 8: A Fish Out of Water

"Okay, let's go over it," Lina said.

"First, goblin eyes. You've got that covered. Next is mushroom, unspecified. I can supply that. Same for bitterroot, potatoes, fat… and salt. That last one is expensive. This had better be worth it. Good thing it only calls for a pinch. The only thing I do not have is moonleaf."

"Moonleaf," I asked, "what is that?"

"Moonleaf is an herb that grows in bunches. You'll know it by its small pink flowers."

"What do you mean I'll know it?" Lina smiled.

"Well, since I don't have it, you'll need to procure it for us. Not to worry, I know the place. East of town there is a small path leading up to Oatvale Rise. At the top, you'll find a spring and, hopefully, some moonleaf. I'd collect more than a few sprigs if I were you. Now I'd get to it; it'll take you at least until noon to get there. Much faster coming back down. And here—" She reached behind her and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in rough cloth "—for the trip.

Some nuts, dried fruit, and a piece of bread, made by yours truly. There is a waterskin as well that you can refill in the spring."

"I… thank you?" I said.

"You are quite welcome… now get going." Lina practically kicked me out of the front of the shop. I turned to find that many of the townsfolk were still milling about, none willing to even glance in my direction. The morning had grown busier since I'd arrived. Cartwheels creaked over packed dirt, shop shutters clapped open, and the smell of fresh bread from somewhere down the street mixed with stable muck and wood-smoke. A few people looked away a little too quickly when my eyes passed over them.

I saw Moolisa behind a gate nearby, munching on some grass.

"Hey, Madam Moolisa," I asked, "do you want to come with me?" The cow turned, looked at me, gave a soft moo… and then continued grazing. Fair enough. I too wish I had the luxury of standing about. I headed toward the east side of Bramblewick and found the path Lina had mentioned. There was a small wooden sign that read Harvesters Way, with an arrow pointing to the path itself. The paint was faded and chipped at the edges, and one corner of the sign had been chewed by something large.

On and on I went until flat ground inclined and what was once a wide path became narrower and narrower. On all sides, overgrown plants and trees threatened to consume the path, yet someone kept them at bay. Branches had been cut back in places, leaving pale scars in the bark. Weeds brushed my ankles. The dirt beneath my boots was dry in some patches and soft in others, packed down by years of gatherers, hunters, and whoever or whatever else climbed through the hillside.

It gave me time to think about all that had happened in the past two years I was in Bramblewick. No, the past two years I had been on Eldara; a planet that was not Earth, but similar in many ways. Although… recent events had me questioning just how similar it was, and not just because the Earth I came from was more modern. The chill morning air gave way to heat, humidity, and bugs. I swatted at them, but it was of little use. They whined near my ears and landed on my neck.

Leaves rustled along the path, and every so often, something small skittered away before I could see what it was. Looking up, the sun was nearing the center of the sky, and I knew I had to be close. Just then, at the corner of my senses, I could hear the sound of running water. A spring. I'd made it. Just as told, there was a spring of crystalline and pure water flowing down the other side of the hill. It spilled from a seam in pale stone and ran in thin silver streams over moss, roots, and smooth pebbles.

The air around it was cooler, touched by mist and the clean mineral scent of fresh water. Dragonflies hovered above the shallows, their wings flickering like pieces of glass in the sun. It was quite peaceful. And as luck would have it, nearby, there were plants with small pink flowers growing on them. Moonleaf. The plants grew in low bunches along the damp bank, their leaves a soft green with a faint silver sheen when the light touched them just right.

The pink flowers were tiny, clustered at the ends of thin stems. I stepped over and plucked a single one. Lina's words burned in my ears as I plucked a few more. I sat near the stream and refilled my water jug. I pulled out the provisions Lina had given me and began to eat. The nuts were unsalted and tasteless. The dried fruit was dulled and stripped of most flavor. The bread was… just plain bread. Slightly dense. Slightly dry. All in all, it filled my stomach, but not my soul. You might be reading a stolen copy.

Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. I drank the water. Now that—that was delicious. Part of me wanted to get up and return… and another just wanted to laze about. The latter won as I lay down, my head against a particularly cushy section of river grass, the stream directly behind my head. The grass was cool and soft beneath me, flattened by the damp air. Light spray gently lifted and touched parts of my face, cooling me.

The steady sound of running water filled my ears, softer than thought and more convincing than any lullaby. I knew that if I closed my eyes, I'd fall asleep right then and there. Almost, I did so, until I felt something… Odd. Not dangerous, just odd. I sprang up and looked around… nothing. I turned around and looked at the spring itself. There were fish inside, flashing silver beneath the surface, yet nothing out of the ordinary. I faced forward… and found myself face to face with a fish. A floating fish.

One that was inside a floating orb of water. The orb hovered in the air a few feet from my face, perfectly round except where it rippled around the fish's fins. Sunlight passed through it, bending and breaking into tiny, shifting rainbows across the grass. I laid my head back down, saying out loud to nobody in particular, "I must have fallen asleep. Great… Lina is gonna kill me."

"Who are you?" the fish asked, casually floating back into my view… directly over me.

"Nope," I said.

"I am not engaging with a dream. Just go away, I'm sure I'll wake up soon."

"Dream…" the fish said, although I had no idea how I heard it.

"I am nothing but a dream?"

"Yep… you're just a dream."

"Is a dream good?" it asked.

"What is a dream?"

"Something that is fake," I explained.

"And fake… is that good?" I sighed.

"Is this how I was when Ebbin first explained the system to me?"

"System?" the fish asked. I turned to my side and ignored it… until it floated in my way. I flipped to the other side… and again it flew into my vision. Its watery orb bobbed silently, never spilling a drop.

"Will you leave me alone?" I asked.

"Because I am a dream?"

"No… because I am dreaming and I want to wake up."

"And how do you wake up?"

"I don't know? If someone pokes me, prods me, or throws cold water in my face—" Water splashed me as a spout from the fish's bubble burst away, hitting me. I shot up, completely soaked. Cold water dripped from my hair, ran down my neck, and soaked through the front of my shirt. I pinched myself. Pain. This was real. All real. I stared up at the fish.

"... What are you?"

"A dream," it replied.

"That's what you called me."

"No… I mean yes, but no. I thought you were a dream, but you aren't. You're real."

"Real?"

"Yes. You, me, and everything… we're real. So, what are you?" The fish was quiet for a time, although I could see its gills working as if it pondered the question. Its fins drifted slowly through the floating water, making tiny currents shimmer inside the orb. Eventually, it said, "I do not know." I forced myself to stand, having had enough of the weirdness for one day. This world was strange, but this was beyond the pale.

"Alright then, I'm just gonna go. Good luck doing… whatever floating fish do." I stepped by and headed off down the path. Down and down I went, but I couldn't help this nagging feeling. The path sloped beneath my boots, loose stones clicking and sliding as I moved. Warm air rose from the lower fields, carrying the smell of grass. I spun and saw the fish, silver colors cascading rainbows throughout the water globule, following me.

"Go away," I said simply.

"Go with you," the fish replied.

"I'm real because of you. I go with you."

"You aren't real because of me… you were never a dream to begin with. Look, my name is Rook, and I don't have time to—""Name?" the fish replied.

"What is my name?"

"I don't know; you tell me."

"You choose. You make me real. You choose." I put my hand on my chin.

"I don't know… how about Fishy?"

"Fi… She," it replied.

"Fishy."

"Yeah, sure—why not? Fishy the Fish, that has a certain ring to it. Now go on, go be with your fish friends."

"You friend. You make real. I go with you."

"I don't want you to—""I go with you." System You've gained a companion… Fishy(?) Name: Fishy(?) Sex: (?) Species: Fish(?) Age: (?)"No, wait," I complained.

"I don't want a companion. I don't—" Just then, I felt a small pull between me and Fishy. Not unlike a thin line tied between us. Fishy must have felt it too because they did a little swirl in their water bubble, then launched themselves out of the top and landed back into it a moment later. Droplets scattered in the air. … What the hell had just happened?