NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Learning To Swim
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When we got there, a problem arose, nobody knew how to swim with their new body's and the fish were not coming to shore. I then looked back at everyone before offered a proposition. "How about I go in the water and try to catch some fish? We could tie some vines onto my tail to pull me to safety if I start to drown." I said with confidence as everyone stared at me. "No, it should be someone older" said a light fury in the crowd as everyone nodded their heads in confirmation. "Any volunteers then?" I said, as I looked at the crowd of white and black dragons. "I'll do it" said a voice in the back as everyone turned their heads at the sound of it. It was Leilani Kiana Harper that said it, she then continue to say " I was a pretty good swimmer back in my old life. I even won a metal".
Everyone stared at her before they started talking to themselves once more. After a while, everyone agreed that she would be the test subject. I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be able to be the test subject, but quickly threw that thought to the back of my mind. Everyone then began to search for suitable vines to tie together to make a sturdy rope. Well, everyone but me and a couple of the other teens as our job was to stay by the shore and watch over the children.
I stared into the distant forest as I could see black and white dots through the bushes and bark of the trees. Jay then looked up at me as he was sitting next to me and smacked me with his tail before turning around and saying " you got a job to do" as he walked back to the small group of children. I watched him walk back before looking back at the forest and sighed. I then got up and followed Jay back to the group of children. It didn't take long for the adults to come back with various different vines. Most of them were quite thick while only a few were very skinny.
The adults quickly gathered around as they tried to tie all the vines together, it took quite a lot of effort before they got a suitable rope at the length and thickness they would need it. Once they finish the rope, I watched as Leilani straighten her tail, and everyone gathered around, trying to tie the best knot they could with their sharp claws. Once they were done with that Leilani looked back at her husband and child before she she marched into the water. The water was cool to the touch as she slowly advanced forward, spreading her wings out as she moved deeper. You could see her nervousness from the way she moved her body and the way she kept looking back at the shore.
As she was just about to enter the deep end of the pond, the membranes of her wings already touching the water as it was fully spread out she took a deep breath before pushing herself into the water. She floated as she doggy paddle with her neck, stretched high across the pond. From a distance, you could see a small smile creep onto her face as she sighed in relief. Everyone on shore, let out out of breath that they didn't know they were holding at the sight of her floating across the water.
As she floated around, she began to get more bold. She slowly tucked in her wings before taking a deep breath and diving into the water. No one could see if she was doing OK or not but everyone hopes that she was. In the water, she was doggy paddling, using her tail as a makeshift propeller. She moved through the water with Grace as her tail moved up and down, pushing her faster and faster. She soon began doing tricks, whirling in the water before she began to open her wings and flap them as she rocked towards the surface.
As she got to the surface, she rocked it out, going a few feet above the water before splashing back into it. Everyone gasped in the shock before people started murmuring about the ease with which she was swimming. She soon came to the shore with a big smile on her face as she shook the water from her body. She then said with excitement "we should go one at a time and I will teach you the right way to move your body in the water". Everyone agreed with her decision as she picked adult after adult, teaching them how to swim before coming back to shore and taking another out.
The dragons that were taught stayed in the water, trying to catch fish with their gummy mouth. I then realize something and said "i'm pretty sure we have retractable teeth" as everyone began looking at me. I smiled in embarrassment before I tried to make my teeth appear. After trial and error, they finally shot out from my gums. Everyone was shocked as I smiled the biggest smile I could possibly have. "I knew it" I said in excitement as I looked at Jay, who was with the other children, Jay hadn't noticed the commotion as he was playing with the children, keeping them preoccupied with games.
I sighed as everyone then begin trying to make their teeth appear. As they were doing this Leilani it was already on her way swimming back. I jumped in excitement and thought -with everyone preoccupied like this I could go next- as I ran to the shore where she would arrive. When she did arrive, she looked at me before looking at everyone else that had their tongues on their gums and some had had their eyes closed looking as if they were focusing on something. I smiled at Leilani with my new teeth as she looked at me with surprise. "Oh, so that's what they're doing" said Leilani with a chuckle.
I nodded my head in response with a slight giggle. She then said "well what are you waiting for? You're the only one not preoccupied with this" as she jester towards the water with her head. I was ecstatic as I jumped into the shallow water and looked back at Leilani while wagging my tail. Leilani Chuckled at my actions before she slowly walked into the water. I was smaller than her by a few meters so we had to go further back from the deep end than the other adults. I didn't mind though, all that mattered to me was that I was gonna be able to swim. It was surprisingly easy with Leilani's instructions as she would stop me from sinking and hold onto me when I was tired.
After sometime, I got a hang of it and could finally swim on my own. With this Leilani went back to the shore to get the next participant. When I looked back at the shore, I could see that everyone had their teeth out even some of the children. I smiled at this then I dived underwater ready to catch some fish. I didn't catch any on my first few tries as they ran away and I wasn't fast enough to catch them yet but on my 15th try I finally caught a decent size fish. I quickly swam to the shore with my fish to show my trophy to Jay.
When I got on shore, I shook my body vigorously, still holding onto the fish tightly as I spotted Jay distance. I quickly trotted over to him with my eyes closed and my chest puffed out, showing my trophy and all the glory. I quickly heard a snicker coming from where Jay was and I snapped my eyes open and response. It was Jay, he was laughing at me. I quickly dropped the fish to the ground before marching over to him with a frown on my face. "what's so funny" I asked in a demanding tone as I stared down at his small figure.
Jay then burst out laughing, rolling onto his back as he held his stomach. I was confused by this before I heard another snicker this time from another person. I looked over to the person and it was a light fury this time as they had a wise grin on their face before looking away. "What?" I said in confusion. As I looked back at Jay, who is now catching their breath. He looked up at me with the slyest grin I ever did see. "What?" I said again as I stared at him. Jay then jester for me to lower my head, as I did so he swatted the top of my head and a pile of green seaweed appeared in his paw. I was shocked, before I moved my left paw onto the top of my head and brushed the rest of the seaweed off my face. -when did that get there- I thought as I looked at the seaweed that was now piled on the ground.
Jace Snickers, before he snatched my fish and ran off into the distance. "Hey" I shouted as I too, began to run after him. To my delight, he was much slower than me as I was gaining on him fast. I grinned as we both dodged other dragons and said "i'm gaining on you. There's no way I'm gonna let you have that fish." But before I could do anything else, Jay stopped, turned around and ran right through my legs. This stunned me as I turned my head around to see him running off into the distance before I smacked myself into a tree.
"Oooh" I grounded as I held the tip of my nose with my front paws as I lied on the ground. When I looked over, I heard children laughing at my predicament as they ran over to jump on my body. I sighed at this and just let it happen. " I give up Jay, you can have the fish." I said in defeat as I lay there being trampled by children. Jay practically pronounced over to where I was, his head held high as he held the giant fish in his mouth. Before long, the children heard their parents call them for them as they rushed over to have their fishy dinner.
For some reason or another, nobody felt disgusted by the fact that they had to swallow fish whole or the fact that it was raw. I was relieved with this as I didn't want to have to overcome my human psychological inability to eat raw things. As I looked around, I saw small groups of families or people gathered together talking or chatting with a small pile of fish in the middle of each conversation. I then looked at my one measly small fish then at Jay and said "i'm gonna go get some more, be right back" as I dashed towards the pond and plunged into it. I came back minutes later with two fish in my mouth as I trot it over to Jay and place them with the other fish i caught.
"you didn't eat yet?" I asked Jay as I looked at the fish I had caught earlier then back at Jay. "No I was waiting for you." said Jay as he remained sitting in his spot. I smiled at this before I put a smaller fish in front of him and swallowed a bigger one hole for myself. I then licked my lips and said "it doesn't taste that bad" with surprise in my voice. Jay chuckled before he too, swallowed his fish hole. Everyone stayed by the pond as the adults began to teach the children to swim, and so everyone played in the pond for the rest of the day.
When the sun was setting, I quickly jumped and snagged Jay into a tight hug with all four of my limbs as I rolled onto my back. "What the" shouted Jay as he was taken and squeezed. I quickly wrapped my wings around him before rolling back onto my side, lying down. I then released him from my grip as he was now tightly hugged by my wings. "Hey" said Jay as he struggled to get out of my enclose ment. He soon gave up and was fast asleep in no time, thanks to the warmth provided. I smiled as I felt him settled down and felt his hot breath against one of my legs.
His head was resting on my left leg as my right leg was placed over his body. I smiled at my successful capture of my little brother before laying my head onto the ground and going to sleep. As the night crew darker parents called their children over as they wrap them in their wings and went to sleep curled next to each other.
The next morning, I was awoken to the sound of birds chirping and water splashing. I quickly looked up at the water to see where the splashing was coming from. To my surprise, there were children already jumping at the shore of the water some were even swimming in it. Their parents were not far from the shore, watching and making sure no accidents happened. I then slowly unraveled my wings as to not wake up my sleeping baby brother. I then looked at him with a smile before I begin rapidly, tapping him on the head with my right paw. "Hey, get up, it's time to get up" I said as I tapped him. In response, he began turning over, trying to protect his head while also trying to stay asleep. "Stop" he muttered in a childish, groggy voice.
I smiled more at this before I grabbed him with all four of my feet as I rolled off my wings. Then I placed him on the ground and began to walk away. As soon as his body touched the ground, he began to shiver as I placed him right next to the spot I slept on, meaning it wasn't warm. After a while of shivering, he opened his eyes and slowly began to walk towards the water. By the time he got over to where the water I was already drinking.
Without saying anything, he popped down next to me tiredly as he moved his right paw and rubbed his face, then switched to the left one and rubbed the other side of his face. "You tired?" I asked as I raised my head from the water. "Yah" he said with a big yawn before he began to shake his body to get rid of the sleepiness. When he was done shaking, he then lowered his head to get a drink of water. When this happened a grin formed on my face as I pushed him into the shallow water with my right paw. "That was for stealing my fish" I said as I sat proudly with my eyes closed.
Before I could do anything else, a splash of water hit my chest, and I shivered at the coldness of it. I quickly snapped my eyes open and looked at Jay who had his tail in the air just above the waters surface pointed straight at me. "Oh your on" I said, as I jumped into the shallow water, splashing water all over him. "GAH" shouted Jay as he was pushed further into the water. Yesterday I had taught Jay how to swim so I wasn't too concerned with him being in the water.
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