Chapter 114: The First Meal
In the depths of the ocean abyss....
The Verdant Hollow welcomed them back like a wound slowly closing.
Gray slipped through the narrow entrance first, his serrated bell scraping softly against the pale stone. Behind him, wrapped carefully in the curl of two tentacles, was Cindy. Her new body small and fragile, the Glacial Axolotl’s frills drooping weakly against her sides. Her silver eyes were half-lidded, her glow faint and unsteady.
He carried her to the far side of the grotto, where a cluster of pale boulders formed a natural alcove. The Spirit Moss Ferns grew thick here, their green light casting soft shadows across the stone. It was hidden from the main entrance. Anything that swam in wouldn’t see her.
Gently, he set her down among the moss.
’Stay here,’ he said. ’I’ll find you something to eat.’
Cindy’s frills twitched. Her voice came faint, but familiar.
"...Okay."
Gray lingered for a moment longer than he needed to. Then he turned and slipped back out of the hollow.
The water outside was quiet. The pale stone ridges stretched in every direction, dotted with glowing moss and the occasional flicker of silver fish. Gray drifted above them, his senses spreading wide, watching the small creatures dart between the rocks.
’...What does Cindy even like to eat?’
The question hung in the water, unanswered. He stared at a school of silver fish as they drifted past, their bodies flashing in the dark.
’She used to eat human food.’ His tentacles curled, frustration bleeding through his thoughts. ’What do axolotls eat? I don’t even know what her body eats. Is it fish? Krill? Moss? Do I just... bring her everything and see what she keeps down?’
A small crab scuttled across a rock below him, oblivious. Gray watched it for a moment, then let out a slow, resigned pulse.
’...Yeah, whatever. I’ll just bring back whatever I can catch.’
He drifted forward, his Hollow Cloak folding around him until he was little more than a shadow in the dark water. The first fish never saw him coming. A single sting of Neurotoxic Drift, a quick pulse of electricity, and it was done. He tucked the corpse against his bell and kept moving.
The second was a spine-fin darter, faster than the first. He chased it between two rock spires, caught it with a Riptide Slash, and added it to his collection.
The third was a small crab, armored and slow. He crushed it with Grip Jaw without slowing down.
Fish after fish. Crab after crab. He didn’t bother identifying them anymore. He didn’t care what they were. He just killed whatever moved and added it to the growing pile pressed against his bell. His hunger ticked down as he fed on a few himself, but he made sure to keep the best pieces for Cindy.
When his tentacles were full, he turned back toward the hollow.
’This should be enough,’ he muttered. ’If she doesn’t like it, she can complain.’
He slipped back through the narrow entrance and crossed to the alcove where he’d left her. Cindy was still there, her frills barely moving, her glow dim and weak. But her silver eyes lifted when she sensed him.
Gray dropped the pile of fish and crab meat in front of her.
’I brought everything I could find,’ he said. ’I don’t know what this body eats. So... try it. Tell me what works.’
Cindy stared at the pile. Then at him. Then back at the pile.
"...You brought me a pile of raw fish and crab."
’Yes.’
"And you don’t know if I can even eat any of it."
’No.’
"You really are hopeless, Gray," Cindy said, barely suppressing a smile. She was touched by his effort.
’I worked hard for this, you know,’ Gray said, his tentacles crossing over his bell. ’So hurry up and eat. I’ll listen to your complaints after you’re done.’
"...Fine. I’m eating. Maybe this new body will make the food taste better."
Gray’s tentacle reached out and tapped the top of her small, soft head.
’Hmm... That makes sense.’
Cindy let out a small huff, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she lifted a strip of pale fish meat with her tiny front hands, they were small and delicate, almost like a child’s, with soft webbed fingers that trembled slightly as she held the food.
She stared at it for a long moment.
Then, hesitantly, she brought it to her mouth.
The first bite was cautious. The second was slower. Her small jaws worked through the soft flesh, and she swallowed.
Gray watched her, his tentacles still hovering nearby, ready to catch the food if she spat it out.
’...Well?’ he asked.
Cindy chewed slowly, tilting her head as if trying to make sense of what she was tasting. Her frills fluttered faintly, and her expression shifted through confusion, surprise, and something close to uncertainty.
"Hmm... it’s... not bad?" She paused, chewing again. "I don’t know. Is this tongue weird? I can’t tell if it’s actually good or if my body just... doesn’t know what good is supposed to taste like."
’So it’s edible. That’s all that matters.’
"It’s not just edible," Cindy said, taking another bite. This one was less hesitant than the first. "It’s... warm? No, not warm. Soft. It’s softer than I expected."
’Fresh meat usually is.’
She chewed thoughtfully, her small hands already reaching for another piece.
"...I think I like it. Maybe. I’m not sure yet." She paused, her silver eyes flicking up to meet Gray’s. "But it’s better than being hungry. Thank you, Gray."
The words were simple, but they landed heavier than either of them expected.
Gray’s tentacles curled slightly, and he looked away, his serrated bell tilting toward the far wall.
’Don’t thank me,’ he said. ’Just eat. You need your strength.’
Cindy smiled with a small, tired curl of her new mouth.
"Alright. But you’re eating too, right? Don’t just sit there and watch me."
’I already ate.’
"Liar. I can hear your hunger from here."
Gray let out a soft, defeated pulse.
’...okay. I’ll eat.’
He settled beside her, pulling one of the smaller fish toward his feeding surface. Gray watched Cindy eat with surprising appetite, and something in him settled. His only companion in this world hadn’t left him after all.