NOVEL NEXT 3.34: Visit
As Henry finished recounting how he'd met Maurice and as he carefully tiptoed about revealing the existence of the turtle shells, Velistraine swam around, exploring the area while a few younger porpoises trailed after her. Henry wasn't sure if she was hearing them, but he did keep an eye on her just in case.
"[And that's why we came back," he said. "[I wanted to see if I could locate the Bahamut whales. Just to check-in and them and whatnot.]"
Henry had considered disclosing the turtle shell, but aside from the fact that it was damaged and that they were not guaranteed to awaken any other of the crabs, they still needed it to locate the living specimen that had slipped their divination a few weeks back. Maybe after they'd deal with that Henry would consider it.
Or maybe let Maurice decide, he thought. As the sole sapient hermit crab, Maurice might have something to say about it. If it even worked at all. As far as Henry could tell, Maurice's awakening might have been an excessively lucky event and might be impossible to recreate.
Henry had the sense that Navi had noticed him glossing over some of the circumstances, but if she had any reaction to it, she wasn't showing it. Instead she swam about, lifting one of the hermit crabs to hang on top of her head. Henry saw it activate its Bissal Anchoring Skill, and chuckled as he took in the porpoise. It almost looked like she was wearing a little black and white conical hat.
"[I've met Deepcaller,]" Navi said as she let out a series of click while nodding toward one of the smaller hermit crabs scuttling away after a little fish. The porpoise that went after it twisted and smacked the fish with its tail, which the crab then picked and began munching on as its minder carried it back to the others on its left flipper.
Navi continued. "[A year or two ago, though. It's been a while. How is he? How are they?]"
"[They were doing well, as far as I could tell,]" Henry said. "[They've had new calves about, and they left a bit in a hurry. But it was fun to hang out with them,]" he said. And as he eyed the porpoises taking care of the hermits along with Maurice, he had to ask. "[How did your pod come to take care of the hermit crabs by the way? Did you find them in this area?]"
Henry was wondering if the crabs had been living here or if Maurice was one of the scamps that managed to scuttled away while the porpoise hadn't been paying attention.
"[The whales were fun! I met him when I was still a calf myself. It's been… a while. As for the crab, I don't remember! We always had them around ever since I was born, and I don't know if they've originated from here or from another place, but I know there are some around. It's… possible that through the decades a few escaped from our pod here and there and made this place their home. Like the other Sanctuaries we travel to. They're adventurous little fellows,]" she said, tilting her head left and right as the crab atop of her head waved its arms.
"[As for why we have them with us, we can learn from them. They pick up Skills and Traits from their shells, and we can learn from them because of our own nature. Nomads stick together, and all that,]" Navi explained as Henry listened, nodding along. Somewhere through the explanation, Maurice made his way back, intrigued by what he'd heard.
So the porpoises must have a way to share abilities between those who are part of their pod. And the crabs are their companions, Henry thought. It was a pretty cool adaptation.
Over the next hour or so, they chatted and hunted, but at some point, Henry began feeling the urge to get moving and anyway, the porpoises themselves were getting antsy from spending so much time in the same spot. So after they all grouped up and began exchanging a few last minute chats, Henry had to ask.
"[It was very nice meeting you all, but before we part way, I got a couple of questions, if you don't mind.]"
"[Sure!]" exclaimed Navi as she let down her hat-crab so it could join the others to encircle Maurice.
Pulling the metallic, copper-color orb, Henry asked as the porpoises crowded over it for a second before dispersing away.
"[Have you ever encountered an item like this? Have you heard of one?]"
"[Nope. But it looks fun,]" Navi said after a few seconds, crushing the little grain of hope he had in his chest. He hadn't expected much, but he was still a little disappointed.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"[How about ruins?]" chimed in Velistraine. She was back in Henry's arm, and she had a purple urchin in her hand that she cracked open with a swipe of her dagger that she then presented to a few hermits.
Navi tilted her head. "[What's that?]"
Good angle, Henry thought and with a wave of his arm, he summoned and image of the ruins in which he found the lobster. "[It'd look maybe like this. Structures that have been built. Not naturally formed.]"
Navi and the others crowded again, clicking up a storm.
"[Oh! Yes, we know of two of them. One's in the Sanctuary of the eastern Current and the other… I'm not sure. It was in one of the Currents… but I don't recall which. The one I don't remember sort of looked like this one, but not the second. It looked pretty different. But we didn't approach because there were like two A-ranks fighting right past it.]"
Eastern Current, Henry thought, taking note. Then turning to Velistraine, they began confirming which exact Pillar it was. They had to make they were thinking of the same one.
The odds of one of the orbs being there is remote as hell, but it's worth a shot. And it's worth checking the lobster spot when I get there, Henry thought. With that out of the way, the began saying their goodbyes in earnest.
Happy to have met a new group and glad that Maurice has had a good time, Henry was ready to move. He'd gotten what he'd come from, and the golden thread that should lead him to Deepcaller's pod was still shining in his vision. It was a little tough to maintain the instance of the Skill going, but he didn't want to drop it lest he'd have to extend his range back to this area. Turning toward Maurice and Velistraine, Henry asked. "[Ready to go?]"
"[Yes! It was fun,]" said Maurice as tapped a few of the hermits gently on the head. "[I'm happy I've seen them. What are we doing after this? Did you find the whales? And… Oh!"]
Maurice cut himself off and pulled out some of the spare shells Henry had fashioned him. He was about to give them to the crabs when he hesitated, looking back at Henry. "[Can I?]"
Henry waved an arm away. "[They're yours. Go for it. And in any case, I'm about to make some for you with the leviathan's bone. I should be able to carve them a bit easier now.]"
"[Awesome!]" Maurice shouted as he scuttled toward the crabs and began pulling out bone shell after bone shell. He had around seven of them, and while a few crabs did not look interested at first, the bone shells were soon taken over, though a couple were just consumed through the Skill without the crabs deigning to change residence to them. Preferring to keep their own colored homes.
Next time, he'd decorate them a little better, Henry decided as he watched one of the crab turn invisible. He winced.
Uh oh.
A few moments later, one of the porpoises disappeared as well, though Henry quickly noticed the mana emanating out of its form as it snuck on one of its companions.
Navi went after the crabs, as another one suddenly turned invisible and began roaming about, just as Maurice came back. "[They're funny. I wonder if I'm related to any of them,]" he said. A beat later, he looked up at Henry. "[So? What are we doing now?]"
"[Well… we got a couple of days left in Thalis. I want to finish up a couple of things. Go for a spar against the lobster. Do you wanna come with?]"
Maurice rubbed his claws together, which already surprised Henry. He'd expected the crab to jump at the opportunity. "[It's not that I don't want to… but I want to test a few things with Arisia before we leave. And I want to say goodbye to Sera and get Zerathstra to spar with me. So just tell me about it?]"
That was a busy schedule. Still, Henry nodded. "[Fair enough.]"
They eyed the porpoises as they ran after the invisible crabs for a few seconds before Maurice tapped him on the arm.
"[Can you give them a clone? Like, a small one. So when they're nearby one day I can visit the little hermits?]"
Henry chuckled. "[Sure thing, buddy]," and summoning an extra clone, Henry made it as small as he could manage then fashioned a bone shell around it, which Navi and the other happily accepted. Most of them had storage abilities, thanks to the hermit crabs they were taking care of, and after Henry told Navi to occasionally bring the clone out, Henry began channeling his mana to bring them back to Thalis.
"[This has potential. This Skill of yours. You should charge for it]", Velistraine mused.
"[Sure. What are you willing to pay for it?]" Henry said through one of his Octominds.
"[We don't charge friends, Henry. That's bad manners.]"
Henry just sighed as Velistraine elbowed him, grinning. He refused to look her in the eyes.