Chapter 11.
"Alright," Gerin spoke first, his voice sounding much more grounded than his companion's, though I could still see the signs of suspicion turning behind his eyes.
"Let's play along for a second and say your plan actually does work. But then what?"
" What's in it for you? I'm sure a shark like yourself isn't planning on helping us out of the goodness of your heart, now are you?"
"But that i am," I stated simply, there really wasn't anything to hide since that was the truth of the matter.
Although, there were something's in it for me, but not something that could be seen as a nefarious or ulterior motive, right? I mean, I just wanted to be set free.
"W-What?" Artria blurted out, a look of genuine, wide-eyed confusion washing over her pretty features for a fleeting second before her habitual scowl returned.
"You can't be serious," she said, her voice dripping with even more distrust than before as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"There's no way a shark would ever offer help without having some sort of dark, ulterior motive. Do you honestly take the both of us to be fools?"
"That I do, but that's not really what's important right at this moment, is it?" I replied a helpless sigh at the beginning.
"Why you!" She flared up instantly, her blue tail lashing out and sending a small shockwave of water toward me.
She was clearly offended, her face turning a bright shade of crimson, but did I care? Of course not. Dealing with her temper was starting to become a nuisance if anything.
"If you would just put away that annoying, prickly attitude of yours for five minutes, we can actually get on with this and I can get on my way," I said, keeping my tone casual.
"Of course, if you refuse to cooperate, I'm perfectly fine with leaving you here to your own devices. Although, it would be a bit pitiful to swim away knowing the both of you will only continue to waste your time here for who knows how long, failing to catch as much fish as needed."
"Smug bastard! I dare you to say that to my face—" she began, her voice rising in a pitch of fury, yet her words hitched in her throat when I decided to do exactly what she asked.
With the explosive power of my newfound shark body, I flicked my tail once and easily breached the gap between us in the blink of an eye.
I came to a dead stop only inches away from her, staring directly into her wide eyes.
"Is this close enough for you?" I said, flashing a small, pointed smile.
I wanted to make it absolutely clear that I wasn't the least bit afraid of her. After all, why would I be afraid of some shrimp that I was more than two heads taller than?
Up close like this, I couldn't help but notice that she actually smelled surprisingly nice, a fresh, yet tasty oceanic scent that caught me off guard.
Without even realizing it, I unconsciously licked my lips on instinct.
The girl's expression turned flustered and her eyes darted away, but I paid her reaction no heed.
Instead, I felt a twinge of worry in the back of my mind. I was starting to wonder if this new transformation had more predatory downsides than just the teeth and the tail.
"I'd like to ask that you move away from my friend, please," I heard an unhappy, strained voice from behind me.
I didn't even need to turn around to know that it belonged to Gerin, who was likely bracing himself for a fight.
"But of course," I chuckled, quickly shifting back and giving them some personal space.
It really was becoming fun to stress others out like this. I was beginning to realize exactly why that wicked witch of a mistress enjoyed toying with me so much; the feeling of power was intoxicating.
Seeing me back off, Gerin let out a long, weary sigh.
It was safe to say he was extremely cautious toward me and looked like he'd avoid a direct confrontation if he could have his way.
To be honest, I felt the same way. I'd much prefer we had a mutual, working relationship than one of bitter enemies, especially when I still had that nagging, prickling sensation that the witch was still watching me from the shadows.
"We'll take you up on your offer," Gerin said finally, his eyes locking onto mine with a serious intensity. "Just don't make us regret it in the end."
"You needn't worry about that. I meant every word I said," I replied, nodding at him before turning to glance at Artria. She simply scoffed and pointedly looked away, her arms still locked tight.
'Would it kill you to stop being such a prick for one second...' I muttered in the safety of my own head.
"Before we begin the hunt, I'd like to ask one practical question," I said, looking at their lack of equipment. "How did you both plan on storing and transporting so many fish anyway? You don't exactly have any baskets."
Gerin paused for a moment, glancing at Artria before reaching up to grab a small, ornate necklace hanging around his neck.
"This is a storage artifact," he explained, holding it out so I could see the faint glow of the gem. "It was granted to us by our village chief—ouch!"
He winced in pain as Artria sharply jabbed him in the side with her elbow, silencing him instantly.
"I don't think he needs that much information, Gerin," she hissed, glaring at him.
"My mistake," Gerin whispered, flashing me a quick, apologetic smile that told me he was used to her being the "enforcer" of the duo.
' Well if one lived long enough, they were bound to see some strange things, right? It wasn't everyday one got to see a bossy little shrimp now was it.