I'm a Stingray?

Chapter 27: Aquatic nature

After Koob left to get Marlo, the situation became calmer by the passing second.

These two lovely stingrays don't know each other and Konon doesn't speak or understand their language.

After the mandatory questions asked regarding what happened here and how long she has been suffering, other topics were shunned away.

Until Tim remembered one grand fact, "This is awkward, I don't even know your name."

"Oh right, I'm Dana." The lady stingray answered after she flinched in pain.

"Oh hi Dana, I'm Tim. What kind of stingray are you? I've never seen someone like you before." Well that's quite true, regardless of which life he never saw something like this stingray before.

"I'm an eagle ray, that's what my mom told me at least." She answered, her tone light as enduring the pain started becoming normal.

Well now at least having something to talk about, Tim couldn't help asking something that has been swimming in his mind through these few seconds. "That's different, I never saw someone like you before. You're young aren't you?"

Dana let silence stretch for a while but that was all to count, finally answering. "Uh, I'm 25 days old or something so yes, pretty young."

With a little bit of a shout, Tim encouraged amazement in his tone. "Wow but you're bigger than me! That's funny because I'm 35 days old I think, maybe less?"

"Nice to meet you Tim. Well maybe we can be friends ha? Both of us are stingrays and we're swimming alone." To such an offer the young man couldn't help feeling a blush.

But of course had to act cool although the crack in his tone begged to differ. "Uh sure sure sure, we can do that. But first you need to heal, we have a big den where you can relax, it's amazing there and has all the food you can eat."

Giving Tim a better glance and spotting the blue dots over his head, she answered. "Okay dotty Tim, we can swim together after I heal."

But with the word 'alone' captivating the young man's mind for a few seconds, he immediately asked a question. "Why are you travelling alone? I think you're too young for that."

Not quite certain why Tim doesn't know about this, the young lady pointed out. "Uhhh all of my siblings went to live their own lives soon as we were born, that's kinda how it works."

Trying to avoid the awkwardness of not being knowledgeable, Tim once more assured. "Oh right but we can help you anyway, we have a tribe full of people who lost their mothers."

Dana sounds young by tone yet her size doesn't quite meet the pitch of tone, she sounded as young as Tim but size was obviously different.

Apart from that, the young stingray lady stretched 50 centimetres long, that's about 4 times Tim's size.

The lady was 40 centimetres long (tail discluded), shorter compared to width but that's what the name is for, eagle rays.

Her fins are like triangles that make up most of her size, most definitely a unique creature.

White dots surround Dana, spread all around her body apart from the tail and belly. While what acted like a coat was the pitch dark layer of flesh, this lady would fit in perfectly in the deeper waters when older.

...

"I'm here, what's the problem!" Marlo asked as he dashed in the very tight hole of which the stingrays have hid in.

"This friend was injured while swimming away from sharks, we need to get her to the den." Tim answered swiftly and afterwards saw 3 more sharks behind Marlo, one of which was the great white.

Fair to say that neither of them were enemies, these are all sharks from the tribe who came here for back up.

"I see Koob panicked too much, he said that sharks are attacking a stingray." Marlo explained and afterwards gestured for other sharks to move aside.

Afterwards the small in age but large in size, great white shark swam in and tried to manoeuvre himself through the tight coral.

Calmer now since reinforcements have arrived, Tim joked. "Koob is great company but I wish we could understand each other."

"Oh they will learn eventually, that's why I sent them with you." Marlo answered as she helped the young stingray lady to climb over the great white shark.

Leading him out of the coral, Marlo encouraged. "Swim slow, you're a great white, enemies won't approach you."

And then gazed at the 2 other sharks that tagged along in this rescue mission, ordering. "Follow him, we'll be travelling out in the open and need all the protection we can get."

And so the sharks heeded the command, they are only half a meter long but can still pack a punch of a bite.

Soon as the 3 sharks left, Tim turned to the tribe leader and expressed. "I thought you sent the brothers because of Alba."

"Why would I do that?" Marlo questioned, legitimately confused.

Thundering by tone, Tim's tone cracked after the first word as his fins flipped with rage. "That bitch tried to kill me! I barely survived. She will die next time I see her, don't care about no pact."

Half surprised and wanting to tame down hostility, Marlo advised. "She did show bad behaviour... but I didn't know that girl would attempt murder, that's mad but try not to kill her if you aren't attacked again."

Letting his anger twitched muscles relax, Tim half reasoned. "I don't like killing friends but she is my enemy now, let's hope I don't meet her."

...

After a consultation with Marlo the leader, the young stingray started following his main task once more.

Marlo assured that the den is safe and they will take extra precautions especially since the enemies are looking for the den.

As the aim to reach the far north continued, Tim heard the system alarm. [Sleep bar = 4/15]

[You have to sleep right now, or else your task performance can result inadequate.]

[The far north, like in the name, is far away. You won't be able to go there and back with the current sleep bar.]

"Uh oh right, sleep is a thing." Tim uttered as he seeked through the purple coral for a comfy place to sleep.

What caught his eye was a little crack formed opening in the coral, just big enough to fit in a hand sized stingray as him. "No enemy can find me here hehehe."