Heretical Fishing

Chapter 74: Reunion

"D-did it work?" Maria asked, her voice shrill.

The tip of the rod bent down, moving with the fish's head shakes.

"It did!" I answered, watching the water, my gaze unwavering.

The fish on the line gave a valiant fight, but it didn't stand a chance against Maria's farm-hardened physique and my new rod.

Within a few breaths, silver flashed at the water's edge, and Maria bent to pick up the fish.

Maybe I should have brought a smaller rod for this freshwater fishing trip...?

As I saw the catch, my suspicions were confirmed. It was the same juvenile jungle perch as we'd caught so far.

"Is this as big as they get...?" Maria asked, looking down at the fish with furrowed eyebrows.

I smiled at her.

She bent back down, lowering the fish under the water.

"Good, because I really want to try fish, but I don't want to eat one of these little babies."

The fish kicked off, leaving ripples in its wake as it disappeared into the depths.

"Still," she said, "even catching these little ones is so much fun!"

I smiled.

"I couldn't agree more. Wanna try for a bigger one right now?"

She nodded, beaming.

***

Barry led Barbara along the earthen track between two fields of sugarcane.

"What is this about, Barry? You're worrying me..."

"It's something good—" He shook his head. "No, something wondrous. You'll just have to trust me."

"Well, tell me where you're taking me, at least."

"We're going to my house."

Barbara gasped.

"Is Helen pregnant? Am I going to have a new niece or nephew?"

Barry couldn't help but laugh.

"No, it's not that, but it is something just as miraculous."

"Something as wondrous as making life from nothing?" The skepticism was obvious in her voice. "If you say so..."

They stepped from between the last two fields of sugarcane, catching sight of his house.

He turned to smile at her.

"You'll see soon enough."

Her eyes narrowed in return.

"Your level of excitement is making me even more concerned..."

Barry laughed.

"Go inside, Barbara. There's someone waiting to see you."

With one more glare, she stomped off, and Barry followed.

She threw open the door as if it were her own home, her hands quickly going to her hips as she cast her eyes around.

Soft voices from inside halted as Barbara made herself known.

"Alright, what's the big deal, Helen? What am I—"

She froze, and Barry slowed his approach.

She stood for a good five seconds, a statue in the doorway.

Then, a whimper escaped her throat, and she stumbled inside and out of sight.

Barry made it to the doorway just as Helen appeared, ushering their son Paul before her.

They walked outside, and Barry softly closed the door behind them.

The last thing he heard was Barabara's sobs and Leroy's reassuring voice, but he tuned them out, not wanting to intrude on the reunion.

Helen had tears in her eyes, and Barry felt his own well up.

He wiped them away and scooped Paul up in his arms.

"Why don't we go for a stroll down to the ocean? The rain has finally stopped."

"Dad..." Paul said. "Why is everyone sad about uncle Leroy coming home...?"

"We're not sad, my little love," Helen said, hugging them both. "We're overjoyed."

***

I watched Maria cast out the line, marveling at her form—er, the form with which she cast the rod, I mean.

The bait flew over the water, splashing down on the other side of the pond.

With no prompting, she reeled in the line a little, pulling it further toward us and into a deeper section of the pond.

She turned to raise an eyebrow at me, and I nodded in response.

"Perfect."

She held her finger to the line, waiting for a bite. Her chest expanded as she took a deep breath, then contracted as she closed her eyes and exhaled.

A soft breeze kicked up, blowing the cool, humid air against my skin. I closed my eyes too, breathing deep of the frigid environment.

The air entering my nostrils held the smell of earth and trees, and though it was in stark contrast to the scents of my shoreline, it was entirely welcome.

It brought with it a sense of calm and tranquility, and as I slowly breathed in and out, a smile spread across my face.

This is pure bliss...

"Oh!"

At Maria's exclamation, I opened my eyes. She watched the tip of the rod, and I raised my eyes, but didn't see anything.

Did a fish steal the bait or somethi—

A fish struck, and Maria's body tensed, holding onto the rod.

Its bamboo shaft was bent almost in half, and she held the reel firm, leaning back to keep her balance.

I stepped up beside her.

"Let some of the line go."

She spared me a glance.

"Y-you're sure?"

"Positive. Just give it a little room to run but keep the line taut—it'll tire itself."

She nodded and wound her hand backward, letting some of the line out.

The fish happily took it, swimming to the far end of the pond before darting back toward us.

"Reel!" I yelled, but it wasn't necessary.

Maria had seen the fish's change of direction, and had quickly wound the line in, keeping it tight.

"On it!" she replied, not taking her eyes off the water for a moment.

Unlike the previous battles, the hooked fish provided a suitable challenge for Maria. There were no snags to bust itself off with, but it used every trick it had to get away, constantly darting and shifting directions with its body.

Maria rose to the challenge, responding with swift precision each time it tried to escape.

Eventually, the fish tired, and we caught our first glimpse of silver from beneath the surface.

One thing was for sure: this fish was not a juvenile.

"Woah!" Maria yelled, her voice jubilant. "It's huge!"

"You're almost there!"

It dashed away again, but it was clearly exhausted, the run tiny in comparison to its previous efforts.

Maria quickly recovered the line, and with a few more winds of the reel, the fish was at the side of the pond.

"Yes!" She roared a laugh as she bent and picked it up, holding the fish with both hands."I did it!"

As always, my eyes were immediately drawn into the fish.

Mature Jungle Perch

Uncommon

Known for its delicate flesh and subtle taste, this is prized among the freshwater fish of the Kallis realm.

"It... it's the same kind of fish, right?" Maria asked.

"It is! An adult version!"

I looked down at the fish again, assessing its size. It was just bigger than my extended hand.

I guess the fish doesn't get much bigger than this...

Maria let out a high-pitched noise and danced from foot to foot.

"How do we cook it?"

I laughed at her exuberance.

"I'll dispatch it first—do you want to see how?"

She nodded, holding out the fish.

I went down to the bank, and with a single thrust of my spike, it was done.

“That was fast…” Maria said. “Is that the spot for every fish?”

"Yeah, the same general area behind and above the eye. It's the most humane way to do it."

She bent down beside me, peering at the lifeless fish.

"Thanks for your sacrifice, fishy."

I smiled at her, happy she had the same instincts as I did.

"Me, too, fishy. Thank you for the sustenance."

I walked back to the fire and put the fish in a pot.

"Before we gut and cook that fish, do you wanna try catch another?"

She cocked her head.

"Do you think we'll need another?"

"Hmm, they're pretty small, so if you want a good meal, I think another couldn't hurt."

Her smile grew.

"Let's do it!"

***

"Are you sure you're okay with keeping him here, Leroy?" Barry asked, peering at his brother-in-law. "I don't want his presence to interrupt your reunion."

Leroy smiled at him, genuine joy on his face.

"There's nothing that could ruin our coming back together, Barry." He sighed, his smile growing. "I still can't believe everything that's happened..."

Barry rubbed the back of his head.

"I can't either, to be honest. We still have a lot to tell you, but if you like, we can take care of that later."

Barabara put her arm around Leroy's waist.

"Now is fine, Barry. I can't speak for you..." She leaned up and kissed Leroy on the cheek. "But I'd rather have it all out in the open."

Leroy nodded, peering down at his wife before returning his gaze to Barry.

"Aye. Couldn't have said it better myself."

Barry looked between them, his eyes crinkling and heart singing.

There was a moment there—when seeing Leroy on his knees in the sand, his eyes unseeing—when Barry had worried about the man's mental state. That worry had evaporated the moment he'd collared the slaver prince. With the removal of Leroy's shackles, and the sudden realization that he was free, his eyes had cleared—mostly, anyway.

He could tell there was still lingering pain there—some remnant of the ordeals he must have experienced.

I hope he can heal up, given time...

"Alright," Barry said. "I'll explain everything, then I'll give you some alone time. Well..." He nudged the unconscious prince with his heel. "As much alone time as you can have with this monster hanging around."

"It's no worry," Barabara said, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "I've heard all about what he's done, so if he gets lippy, I'll sort him out."

Barry nodded.

"Good. I’ll get right into it, then. This story all starts with the arrival of Fischer..."

***

"Are you sure, Barry?" Helen asked.

He looked down at his wife, nodding.

He'd passed by their shed on the way home from Leroy and Barbara's, collecting a cup of a certain liquid.

"I'm sure. It's too risky to not give it to you, especially after yesterday..."

He cut himself off, clenching his jaw as rage threatened to overcome him.

He'd heard all about the prince's actions, including his order to kill Helen.

Barry's face twisted, unable to contain the emotion.

"If he wasn't of use to us..." The sentence was ground out between clenched teeth, and he took a deep breath, willing himself to calm.

Helen wrapped herself around his waist, and though it didn't entirely clear the storm, some clouds dissipated with her embrace.

"It's okay, my love. I'm safe." She pulled back, looking up into his eyes. "If you think it's the best course, I'll trust you."

As their eyes met, Barry thanked the gods for the umpteenth time that they'd seen fit to send this woman his way.

He held out the cup of sugarcane juice, and she accepted it.

She took a tentative sip after lifting it to her mouth.

"Oh." She giggled. "It's delicious!"

She downed the rest of the cup.

***

As Maria cast the line out again, I fetched the fish-laden pot.

"I'll show you how to process the body—er, it can be a bit much, actually. Do you want to see?"

She nodded seriously.

"I do. I won't turn my back to the reality of it."

I smiled up at her.

Why is everything she says so... perfect?

"Is there something on my face?" she asked, smirking.

"Oh, uh... sorry. I was lost in thought."

I walked down to the shore and took the fish from the pot.

"All the bits we discard are beneath the skin here." I pointed at the belly, running my finger along where I would cut. "When a fish is big enough, it makes sense to remove the filets from the frame. For a fish this size, though, I'd say we should just cook it whole after scaling and gutting."

She nodded, eyes watching the fish intently as her hands gripped the rod.

I quickly cut and processed the fish, throwing the inedible parts out into the shallows for the pond's denizens to feast on.

"The scales are easy to remove if you rub from tail to head with something blunt."

I ran the back of my knife against the fish, sending translucent scales flying.

Maria's brows were furrowed, focused as she was on the lesson.

Given I was looking at her, I saw the exact moment the fishing rod was almost pulled from her firm grip by a massive strike.

"W-Woah!"