Trust in Time

Ismyrea had not slept well. She felt sick, but hungry - tired, but wide awake as her body felt hotter than normal (plus the floor wasn't the best surface for comfort).

The only thing that seemed to help was when Lanshu held her close. It was like medicine until he fell asleep and rolled away from her as he dreamed. Then, she'd awaken again and attempt to go back to sleep as she tucked herself into his back, which would wake him up and once more he lulled her back to slumber.

It went like that in a cycle all night.

Once she woke up, she found Lanshu in the kitchen as he prepared a different kind of fish for them to enjoy. Immediately, she popped up from the ground and approached him quickly.

For whatever reason, the scent of cooked fish had made her so very sick - and that was the last thing her nose wanted at the moment.

Lanshu greeted her with a smile, but it faded once her hands reached his and ceased his actions. "Good morning, beautiful. Hm?"

Ismyrea signed to him with wide eyes as the thought of the scent of fish caused her stomach to stir again. 'Please don't cook it....I'd rather eat it raw.'

It was weird to say, but it was the complete truth. Her mouth watered at the thought of the tender, buttery meat being crushed between her teeth. She wanted the bones, too - the scales - all of it. She grew hungrier the more her eyes took in the blue and silver fins just below her.

"Oh...okay..." Lanshu replied a little uneasily, but handed her one of the fish as it was. "Are you..." He stopped as she sank her teeth into the prey that had been caught for her.

The poor, hungry woman didn't notice Lanshu's expression as she took big bites out of the sides of the creature in her hand, and then ate it tail-first until just the head remained, which she did not wish to eat, as it was far too salty and 'mushy' for her preference. Brains had never appealed to her as a meal, and today hadn't changed that.

When she finally looked up, her heart raced with anxiety as she beheld the horrific expression he wore. She must have looked upset, because he immediately apologized and tried to make her feel better.

"I've never seen anyone eat an entire fish before - I didn't mean to stare."

'I don't know why, but I wanted to eat it like that. I want another one, too if you wouldn't mind,' she requested with hands stained with blood and shiny scales.

"Of course," he answered with a smile, and handed her over another limp, dead piscine, and once more she ate it the same way.

"I think I just saw you eat more in the past five minutes, than when we were at that dinner," Lanshu pointed out with a kind grin. "It's good to see you eat."

'I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I just felt this overwhelming sensation to do it...' she admitted, and looked down with shame.

"Don't apologize to me, Isme. It's completely fine. I found it cute."

She wasn't sure whether he could be believed or not with that statement, but she didn't want to ask. It was more important for them to move out of here, or at least make a plan.

As she sat and formulated something to say or suggest, she was shocked out of her ideas when she watched Lanshu consume the meal he had caught in the same exact manner she had. It caused her to stop and stare - and to her, it was indeed cute.

"What? It looked fun," he insisted with that signature smile of his that beamed on his dirty face.

Ismyrea was so grateful for his sweet disposition, and even though she hadn't entirely remembered everything from her past, she knew that this was the same affection she held for him from so long ago.

'What are our next steps?' She couldn't help but ask as she looked over to him as he brushed the scales off of his flesh.

"I've had some time to think about it - and I know exactly where to go. We need to go see the Werewolves. Other than my mother, they have the most books from humans. Plus, I met their mage once at a wedding party there, and he said he found a load of books about Dragons and other myths that they used to believe in. He said they were mostly fiction - but if I've learned anything, it's that there is always a little bit of truth in all of those old tales somewhere."

Ismyrea waited for him to look over to her after he had finished his concentration on his hands. 'Do you think that they would have anything useful? Wouldn't they be too old for us to read?'

"It /would/ be - but we were once around when the humans were still here. I am more than positive that somewhere hidden in our memories is the ability to read a dead language. It will just be a matter of trial and error until we unlock it again." He sounded so sure for someone who was just as new to this as she was.

While she wanted to object, it sounded rather reasonable to her. They had no other path for now.

"Whenever you're ready - we should head out. We'll have to stay in the shape of other animals in order to not get caught. I still need to check for a chip, because I can't feel one in the back of my neck. We should do that tonight. If she can track us - there is no point in running." He spoke far more somberly than he had before, but she could still hear the confidence in his voice.

'I'd like to go as quickly as possible. I hate this place. It gives me a really bad feeling.'

"Likewise." He said towards her with a smirk.

Once more, she was trapped in silence as they exited the old machine and continued with their plan to keep away from Adelaide for as long as possible. With no hands, came no way to communicate like she wanted to.

Still, it felt right to not have to say anything because she felt safe and assured next to Lanshu, whose inner sunlight shined so brightly that it was hard to feel any doom.

Up towards the surface they swam until the darkness dissipated and the rays of light from above cut through the darkness of their navy surroundings and made the water a beautiful cerulean the closer they came towards the sky.

Once they breached the veil of water to air, it was as though her past-self took over in instinct, and both Lanshu and herself traded their scales for feathers, and two giant birds emerged from the waves in plumage of white and gold.

It felt so natural for her to be in the air again, even though she longed to be in the sea, it felt as though she were liberated the moment she left both her home, and her prison.