Stumbling Up: A Loser's Guide to Progression: Chapter 64: Another Fishy Tale

"Uh..." I mechanically reeled in the line and looked down at the kid? Man? The guy had an ageless quality about him. He could have been fifty or fifteen. I twitched my wrist, trying to think of something to say.

"Nice cast!" I looked out as Richard spun through the air. I swear I could see the grin on his face from yards away as he flew end over end.

"Thanks. About your question. I'm not actually the leader of my group. So if you want in you'll have to talk to Tandy." I didn't meet the kid's eye as I just kept my focus on Richard as he splashed into the water. I'd cast him towards the middle of the channel. The line continued to run out as he sank into the river.

"I understand." The guy's voice lowered in disappointment. My [Heart] went out to him, but adding someone to our group was a big decision. "So, who's Tandy? You have five of you in your party?"

I sat down on the boulder. Inwardly, I couldn't help but sigh. Fate would not give me the quiet solitude I’d planned for the day.

The line stopped spinning out. Richard had effectively hit the bottom. I watched as the line started drifting faintly with the current. At this distance, and out of earshot? Tentacle shot? Mind shot? I couldn't communicate with Richard, but our bond was calm, so I answered Ash's questions.

"Tandy’s our leader. She's a mage of sorts. I've known her for most of my life. She's incredibly smart. A real planner."

"Beautiful? They're always beautiful in the stories." Ash said wistfully. So, he was a bit of a romantic? Mentally, I dropped his age a bit in my head. How he'd become an [Adventurer] so young, I wasn't sure.

"I never really thought of her as beautiful. She's just Tandy. She's like a sister." Had I ever tried to quantify Tandy’s beauty? She wasn’t ugly, but she was just one of the guys.

I wrapped the string on my line around a finger and closed my eyes. I imagined her on the last quest, auburn hair tightly braided, eyes fierce as she wove a trap for the beast. Her wool cloak flapping back as the Cavern of Winds blew at us, trying to knock her concentration. The image was impressive, badass, and beautiful. "You know, she is beautiful. She's the most resourceful, determined person I've met. Loyal. She'd do anything for us."

The line tugged, and my eyes snapped open. I watched the tip of my rod, ready to jerk if I got another bite. Part of my mind worried about Richard, but when no other nibbles happened, I relaxed. The sun had come out in strength. I wrapped a bandana around my neck, covering my gills. The heat felt good, as long as I didn’t dry out.

We’d spent waaay too much time in dank underground caverns. A breeze swept across the river, tugging at my hair. My eyes closed again, soaking up the ambiance.

"She sounds great!" Ash's voice broke my reverie. "Who else is on your team?"

My eyes snapped open, and I watched as the tip of his rod jerked in a cast. The guy could not read the scene I'd painted for my day.

"Well, there's Leo. He's the beautiful one." I laughed. Leo had always been a favorite of the women in Woodsten, and now he had stats and skills. If we ever spent more than a night in a city, I'm sure he'd have a small harem of women at his beck and call.

"Ah, I see. You're in love with him?"

I choked, what?! What was it with this guy and Meredeath, trying to pair everyone off with everyone else? I absolutely was not interested in Leo. My admiration of him and his physique was simple jealousy. I'd always been the scrawny guy, and never the looker. Especially standing next to Leo and Tandy.

Sure, he was sexy. But…

"No, he's not my type." I tried to say it smoothly. Meredeath had berated me enough about the 'antiquated' ideas around sexuality in Woodsten. And honestly, what did I care? What had she said? Love is love?

Meredeath had thought about a lot of things I'd never really considered. She was experienced, and beautiful, and, "If I've fallen for someone, it's Meredeath."

The words slipped out. I hadn’t really said it out loud before. She was beautiful, and under the bite and the looks, was a genuineness.

It’s too bad I wasn’t her type.

"Meredeath? That's a weird name. Tell me about her." I watched as Ash jerked his rod up and down. As though bouncing his bait off the floor of the river was going to help.

I didn't bother, just letting Richard take care of himself. My mind gave in to the luxury of thinking about Meredeath, that way. It was exhilarating.

"She is different. I wouldn't call her weird, but she's very careful about her appearance. And guarded in a way that you know she's been through some shit. She's beautiful, unusual." How did one describe Meredeath?

The knot of tension that tightened when I thought about her melted.

"You must have it hard for her. Trailing off like that," Ash laughed. My face grew hot, and it wasn't just from the sunburn I was accumulating.

"Maybe. We haven't known each other for very long. It's probably just infatuation. She's different, and it's refreshing." I left it at that. Honest and safe.

Ash jerked his rod. "Getting a bite." We both watched, waiting for the next nibble.

When the bite came, it was on my line. The tip of my rod bent quickly, and I lifted my hand, setting the hook. The monster on the other end of my line ran with Richard, my reel spinning as the line went out. I grabbed the reel, trying to stop the fish. The line went taut and the rod almost jumped out of my hand.

"Holy shit!" I'd gone fishing, but the largest thing I'd ever caught was a baby gar. While impressive, the fish hadn't come near to pulling like this. Whatever was on the other end of my line was an absolute monster.

I slowly let some more line out, worried it might snap off and that I'd never retrieve Richard.

"Keep it on the line. I'll help." Ash was furiously reeling in his own line. I ignored him, every bit of my focus turned to pulling at the fish, then letting it go, pulling and letting it go. We were battling, and my stamina bar had popped active, slowly ticking lower with the effort. I regretted using Richard as bait on a crappy fishing rod I'd bought from a cheap general store. It wasn't magical or mechanically reinforced. I did not know that fish like this were even possible in a river like this.

With each tug and reel in, the fish drew my line back out. We were in a war of attrition; whoever tired first would lose. As my stamina ticked down, I could already predict the outcome. Fuck.

My mind raced through my skills. I had nothing useful for fishing.

Straining against the pull, I looked down at the coil. Half my line was still out, I had made little genuine progress in reeling Richard in.

My stamina bar was draining hard as I made a big push. I stood up, using all the muscle power I'd gained. And that was such a mistake. The rod creaked, and I saw a crack start along the groove where the two halves of the rod twisted together.

Stamina bar forgotten, I let some line out, trying to relieve the tension on the rod itself. My mind raced. The crack grew bigger. I let the reel go, reaching to grab the top half of the pole, when Ash's hand latched onto the rod.

"[Mend the Breach]" his hand glowed with the same blue magic he'd used before. The energy pulled at the wood and pulled the crack back together. "Concentrate on the fish; I've got your gear. [Reinforce]." Ash's voice had dropped in timbre as he called out his skills, blue magic snaking down the rod and out across the water, strengthening the line.

It was now or never. My stamina had dipped in the last quarter of the bar. My specialty was in dying, not Leo's muscle-bound tasks. I lifted the tip of the fishing pole and dipped it. Reeling in the length of line I'd won.

“I’m going to lose them,” I said, my teeth gritted together with effort.

“[Boost]!” Ash cried. My stamina surged.

Over and over. Lift the tip, pulling the fish in closer. Dip the tip as I furiously cranked in the line. The entire time Ash stood focusing on holding his skills. He'd fallen into a meditative trance.

Finally, a pull brought the fish up to the surface of the water. The head was a foot and a half wide, with two large wide eyes sunken on top of its head. The hook firmly planted itself in its mouth, with the barbed hook lodging around its jawbone.

Don't let it eat me! Richard's mental notes cried from the water. He'd crawled up the line, clinging above the hook.

As I twisted the rod to the side, time slowed, as the fish's entire body breached the surface. Shimmering green-blue scales reflected in the sunlight, casting a rainbow image across our boulder.

The fish was three yards long, with a thick body untarnished by its time in the river. This fish was the undisputed king of the river. I forgot I was trying to catch it, that Ash was holding everything together, that Richard was in danger. I just watched in awe as it swam on the break.

Rainbows danced, its jeweled scales glittering. The beast was beautiful. It turned, and its panicked eyes locked onto me. I knew in that moment that I had it. It was tired, and I'd won. Then time resumed as it jerked its body, trying to dive. I watched it twist in the water, frantic.

I knew what had to be done.

"Richard, bite the line!" The fish put the last of its energy into a dive, thrusting Richard underwater just as I'd yelled at my slug. I held onto the reel, letting some line out. Sweat beaded on Ash's face.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold it," he muttered. We were both coming to the end of our strength.

Suddenly the pressure vanished. The two of us fell backwards in a heap. Ash's skills broke, and his magic went wild for a moment, covering us both. It felt like a cold slap on my sunburn, stinging my jaw. The magic wormed into me and churned my stomach.

The instant passed quickly before it backlashed into Ash.

Even the momentary backlash hurt. I scrambled away from him, shaking my head.

"What was that?!" The words came out harsher than I intended as I rubbed my stinging face.

Ash ducked his head. "I'm sorry. I lost control. [Boost] is a once a week skill. I don’t use it often, and certainly not with two others active."

I clutched the fishing rod. Without the pressure of the mega fish, I could reel the line in without worrying about it snapping. The line felt heavy as Richard had wound himself around the trailing line.

I glanced at my new friend and did a double take. A fresh beard had sprouted on his face. The guy looked older? No, that wasn't right. He looked manlier with a beard.

I realized that's why I'd thought he was young; he'd looked too fresh-faced to be of any age. Now with the beard he looked in his twenties. He stood up, and I realized he was taller than I expected.

Finally, Richard breached the surface, and as I pulled him in, I could hear his mental complaints.

Almost bit me in half.

Licked the slime right off me! Who in the living hell does that?

Legend-fucking-ary, my slimy ass!!

He was cussing but not injured.

"No, I'm sorry. You just surprised me, that's all. Your magic kept us all together. Thank you."

[Achievement Unlocked: The King and I. You have uncovered the [Mythical] King of the River. Few in the last millennium have met this rainbow catfish and lived to tell the tale. You chose mercy over mastery. Friendship over feasting. For this, you will be rewarded:

Skill gained: [Thread of Mercy] - Your bonds now carry intent. Strengthen or release them with purpose.

Skill gained: [Mark of Mercy] - To spare a legend is to carry its shadow. Mythical beasts are less likely to view you as hostile. You gain a faint impression of the beast's intent.

Skill stacked: [King of the River - Rainbow Catfish] Freshwater creatures no longer register you as prey unless actively provoked. You also regenerate +10% stamina when in freshwater.

Quest Chain Unlocked: [The Mercy Ledger: Beasts] You have encountered a mythical beast, and instead of slaying it you chose mercy. You have found 1/??? beasts. To grow your power, observe other mythical beasts. This is a [Hidden] quest and is unsharable.]

"That was sick! Did you get the [Achievement]? You're going to have to introduce me to Tandy. I have to join your team." Ash was no longer hiding, no longer slumped. His apology and power flare forgotten as he dove into the excitement of a new [Achievement].

I bent down to pick up Richard. "You okay?" He looked less slimy than usual, and his normal bright yellow was muted. He slowly pulsed his body, climbing my arm, and wrapping around my shoulder to settle in his normal spot.

I'm tired.

The words carried an exhausted quality that I'd never heard from my friend.

"Rest, I think we're just going to lie in the sun for the rest of the afternoon." I told him.

Richard leaned close, giving a barely audible burble of agreement. I sat back down, tuning out Ash babbling about his skills. With Richard nestled around my neck, I looked out at the Tigra. Whitecaps formed and broke. A branch floated by. It was beautiful.

A long, wet slurp was the only warning I had as Richard licked my ear.

Just a little reminder that I won the bet.