Lily & Ruby Pov

 

‘We’re coming in’ A deep yet soft voice said.

 

I looked toward the door as it slowly opened. Our leader Aurora, as Cyriel said, the purple wearing guard, Aquarel and the little girl I saved.

 

The only issue is we were purring, and that kid probably had gone through a lot.

I wasn’t soulless or heartless, I looked at Cyriel then back and forth to the kid and her.

 

She had a kind smile, and I was pretty sure she understood what I wanted to do.

‘Little miss, can u come here for a second?’

 

The little girl shyly walked toward us, and her webbed ear picked on my purring as her eye opened wide and before anyone could stop her, she was slowly petting me.

 

And I'm going to be honest, I wasn’t going to complain, she needed the distraction.

As soon as she continued, I doubled my purring to encourage her and slowly nuzzles my head in her open palm and neck at which she started to giggle happily.

 

Now with 3 people sharing me their hands and ministration, I was in bliss as it seemed ruby had been overwhelmed, my body slowly came back to the pure whole with scale pattern, and my eyes and feather changed too.

Nare slowly got up

And kissed Aurora on her lips in a long passionate kiss that made me blush a bit.

 

Aurora looked at the captain as Aquarel explained.

 

‘See I told u she was of no danger in the slightest, Heresa.’

Also, if she reacted poorly to being surprised sliced for some blood while being in a heaven of bliss by the petting it’s not her fault….’ She finished with a sigh

 

Aurora just smiled while hugging Nare’s waist, as her bushy tail started to wag happily being so close to their loved one.

She then looked up at us

 

‘Cyriel, where’s Leĩea?’

‘Gone to get food for our little sis’

Aurora facepalmed

 

‘We forgot to feed her or at least give her food….’

‘Sorry Lily’

 

Without looking back fully focused on the little girl’s need for affection.

 

‘No problem it happens big sis, if anything we’re the one to blame’

 

The captain arched an eyebrow, as the little girl beside me gasped but before she could react, I continued to purr and nudged her hand to continue.

‘She isn’t in any party, yet she can communicate by telepathy with everyone?’

 

Aurora smiled

‘it’s not that special, Marianne can to cause she can’t speak otherwise, if u want my opinion the magic probably has a part in which it gifts better telepathy to a vocally disabled person to help them communicate’

 

Aquarel continued

‘That is indeed what one of our scholars said when he transcribed the rune on her tag, he also found out it gave her the world blessing of the common language to let her communicate with others like most sentient being born with naturally’

 

The captain nodded carefully watching my exchange with the little girl who with eyes full of wonder was hugging me and petting me my purring making her smile like thousands of sunshine's.

 

The captain then sighed and just walked toward one of the closest sofas and sat down while nodding toward us.

 

‘After seeing that, I can’t see them as mindless monsters giving thought or sentience… this makes this whole thing even more complicated than I thought it would be.

 

That all without the whole fact this little girl from one of the Mermaid villages on the archipelago a bit farther with which we often trade and have an excellent and friendly relationship’

 

Aurora also sighed.

‘That without the fact when she saw u she was scarred, and it took us at least 1 hour to calm her down…. If I was to guess maybe the humans are involved… somehow’

 

I Looked up at Arora at her mention of the H word.

‘Why do they attack every nonhuman I asked?’

 

The captain sighed,

‘Cause humans believe they are the best and only specie allowed to exist…tough the reason is probably cause; the human priesthoods preach that their god wants to get rid of us…. In a way they believe in their own supremacy by lying to the mindless sheep that flock their church, there’s also the fact they think only males have some form of right but that’s in any place. Cause we girls we’re seen as inept or defenceless wherever u will go’

 

‘I see......thank u, miss’ I nodded my thanks as I flicked my tongue which came back bearer of the best news

‘Ah seems Leĩea is coming back with the fruits~’

 

And soon enough a shy knock and a basket full of orange looking fruit came in and that Aroma a part of me knew it and I was already salivating.

She gently kneeled in front of me after waving hi to everyone and started removing the skin of the fruit.

Orange flesh and a very fruity and sunny aroma hit my tongue as she gently offered it to me.

 

I bitted and soon enough the taste of my favourite fruit imploded in my mouth, the fruit of my past or at least similar enough.

 I purred in delight trying to masticate it but without teeth well…... it wasn’t easy. I eventually succeeded and with a gulp opened my mouth for the next slice.

Tough I was embarrassed.

 

 

‘Sorry u need to feed me by hand….’

She smiled, and I would have been starstruck if not for my current form and hunger.

‘Well u lack hand, so it's kind of needed u know?’

I nodded in consent as soon enough I was savouring another of those marvelous orange treasure.

 

The captain though wanted to ask a question.

 

‘I’m curious now as why u seem to prefer eating fruit instead of meat as u probably should’

 

‘Well before I was found and adopted when I was born escaping the red eyed ones, I entered a light worm cave and lost control of my instinct…...because of my hunger as I was alone handling them, and Ruby didn’t exist yet and the taste was horrendous but the worst? was the guilt I still feel at killing an innocent life even if it was just a bug… it hurt and made me feel very poorly. I’m also a delicate person…. Blood or wounds isn’t something I enjoy seeing and tearing flesh is sickening… also fruit is one of the only things I can’t feel bad about as hopefully it hurt no one. Was that to your liking?’

 

The captain seemed surprised at my answer but decided to not comment on it.

 

‘It’s actually more than I thought u would have answered’

I purred as I saw Leĩea teach the little girl how to feed me.

I then turned my attention back to the captain.

 

‘There is no reason to show u untrust… trust is earned by sharing it in my opinion

If I mistrust you, I don’t think u would trust me either no? In a way, if an adventurer goes adventuring but one of their teammates lack trust it might make the party fear being backstabbed or not being heard in important conversations or strategy meetings’

 

Aquarel Looked at me impressed by my knowledge.

 

‘I’m impressed u know so much about adventuring knowing your circumstance.’

 

I nodded understanding her opinion

 

‘it’s true me being a monster currently or maybe forever would mean I lack general idea… but I’m no fool and I also can understand general concepts. this is just one of them.’

 

I then gently opened my maw for the little girl to gently drop a slice of the fruit and I waited till her hand was away to close my mouth and once again be in the flavourful bliss of the fruit.

 

The captain looked at me sharply.

‘I am no fool, you’re not telling us everything and a monster would have such artistic talent even most people don’t, or your knowledge u also seem to know what that fruit is as u salivated and your eyes sparkled with recognition and joy, so I’m going to ask this question once, if u want to earn my trust u will need to trust us wasn’t that your own word, miss Lily?’

 

‘If it was then tell me… who are you?’

 

I was taken by surprise I didn’t expect my word used against me nor did I want to share all this stuff. But she was right… Not showing trust was not a good example right now.

I sighed

 

‘I… don’t know, I woke up inside an egg…. Unable to feel or move my body, I tried to move my arm or leg but couldn’t why… well I learned the oblivious I didn’t have any anymore, my memory is a giant blank full of pieces of information corrupted and eaten away. I couldn’t remember my name, Lily the name I chose for who I am now, but if u want information about my past, I fear I can’t help u, the only good information I still possess is in the form of a nightmares…, blood, arm and leg stumps, screaming, panicking, fear and death, a bright light, pain and then nothing.’

 

The captain looked at me shock on her face.

I continued

 

‘Yes, I understand things, my body and a massive part of my mind are the ones of a baby or a child… I have no control over my emotions but most of what was me in the past is nothing more than ash…. It isn’t who I am today, the only knowledge I possess is general biology it’s also how I’m able to move and survive with a…...alien body.

Now if that answered your curiosity, I don’t want to think about this anymore’

 

As soon as I finished, I found the wing of big sis Cyriel hugging me tighter and that I was unable to move at all.

 

 

The captain looked at me with a saddened expression.

 

‘Sorry, it was a bit wrong of me to look into u that much and make u remember bad stuff’

 

I looked at her

 

‘That’s not your fault, on paper I’m a monster, it’s only understandable to be vigilant and ask to know more. And not trust immediately’

 

She nodded a smile slowly pushing her lips upward.

‘I’m thankful u don’t take it against me, and u seem to understand so easily. Now to the business at hand, Aquarel can u give miss Lily & ruby their tag’

 

I looked at miss aqua curiously as I felt the cold metal of the tag encircle and form a ring around a portion of my tail, at which I moved around in amazement when I felt her sot hand away from my scale.

 

‘What is this? Magic?’

 

Miss Aquarel chuckled at my word

‘It’s actually made of magic metal that will change as u grow in a way, it’s a self-evolving tag that shows u as an adventurer, though the colour is one of traditional adventurers, Mary will enchant it later to make it hide u as a pet instead, for your own safety, also please try not to communicate so openly outside this room or it could put bad attention on u and your sister’

I nodded it was very understandable after all, better pass incognito than add abnormal attention to u.

‘Now to go to the other topic at hand, A quest will be posted tomorrow about an expedition to go to the archipelago and look for the survivors and the one responsible. Both adventurers and some guards will go together in this joint operation, even though it is very sudden we hope u will all accept to give us assistance’

 

The captain then looked grimly at us before saying.

‘Or avenge what that poor little girl had gone through all the help we can get would be very appreciated

 

Aurora as the team leader looked at the captain and nodded gently.

 

‘We did suffer too in the past, it is only normal to help one that goes through hell itself, or lose some of our loved ones, I think we will accept but first, we need to make preparation and to discuss this between all of us first’

 

The captain nodded and I knew it was a heavy topic, so I restarted to purr a lot louder to help the little girl ignore the conversation, and to my surprise, it seemed to work to get back most of her attention and smile’

‘Do not worry or feel obligated, the expedition will only be in 3 days, though people will be encouraged to go today or sooner to make sure people survive, sadly…. I don’t think I need to say that surviving is unlikely after the amount of time that might have happened now and then’

 Our team leader Aurora nodded,

 

‘This is true, though it could also be other slavers so we shall not jump to the grimmest chance… at least I think the woman won’t be killed but most children and males probably would. Unless, they need a cheap workforce…...those freaking scumbags!!’

That last part was said with such venom that it scared me back and my purring was slightly disturbed.