Heretical Fishing

Chapter 75: Lady of the Lake

"It's huge!" Maria yelled, her eyes wide as saucers.

I jumped to my feet and lobbed the half-scaled fish into the pot.

"It is! You've got this."

The rod was bent in half, constantly lurching further down as the fish's tail swept back and forth through the water.

A smile slowly grew across my face as I recognized the movement.

This is the same species—if not the exact same fish—that busted off the rod I made when arriving on Kallis.

Maria let some line out, doing her best to not let the behemoth of a fish snap the line.

"I-I think you should take it!"

"It's okay," I said. "You've got thi—"

She thrust the rod into my hands, and I had no option but to catch it.

"Why?" I asked, reeling the line in to take up slack.

"I've already caught plenty." She grinned at me. "It's your turn for some fun."

I grinned back at her before returning my attention to the water and the battle taking place beneath it.

The fish took another run, dashing from my left to my right. With each massive kick of its tail, the rod dipped down; each pull sent adrenaline shooting through me.

My heart raced, my breathing was fast, and despite the cold, my body felt like it was burning.

"I love this!"

I laughed uproariously, unable to contain what I was feeling.

"Fishing is the best!"

Maria giggled at me, but I kept my eyes forward, focused on the fight.

It swam toward me, seeming to come almost to the bank, but with the fading day's light, I saw no flashes of silver, despite how close it came.

The line went rigid, and I tugged, but nothing happened.

I had a moment of doubt, thinking the fish had managed to get snagged somehow—then, it took off.

With massive, sweeping kicks of its body, it swam at top speed toward the far bank. It caught me off guard, and I couldn't wind the line out fast enough, so I stepped toward the water's edge, reducing the strain on the line with my movement.

It repeated this action a few more times, seeming to rest on the floor of the pond before tearing off in another direction. I got better at judging the movements, and each time I was a little less caught off guard.

The fish's odd behavior reminded me of the shovelnose ray I'd caught from the beach. The ray had sucked itself to the ocean floor, making it impossible to budge, just as the hooked fish seemed to be doing now.

It began to tire, and bit by bit, I reeled it closer to the shore.

The fish was so large that I had to pull the rod up slowly, then reel swiftly to take up the line as I dipped the rod back down, similar to videos I'd seen of deep-sea fishing.

I continued this method, pulling the fish to me one reel at a time.

The line entered the water right before me, and I leaned closer, trying to catch a glimpse.

I saw a swirl, and I squinted, leaning further in.

All I saw was a monstrous tail resembling that of an eel.

"What is that?" Maria yelled.

The fish must have heard Maria, because it took off again.

The water roiled in its wake, displaced by its massive body.

I slowly turned to look at her, my eyes wide and mouth open.

She had the same expression, and we blinked rapidly at each other.

"I have no idea..." I said, returning my attention to the water.

I pumped the rod again, reeling as I dipped the tip back toward the water. This continued for a few more minutes, the fish taking another run each time it got to the shore.

Until, finally, it was too exhausted to swim away.

I passed Maria the rod.

"Keep the line tight until I get it out of the water!"

I strode into the shallows, put a leg on either side of the monster, then dipped my arms under its body.

I lifted, pulling it to my chest and holding it tight. If it weren't for my enhanced body, I'd have had no chance of lifting the creature without slipping a disc.

Maria flicked the reel open, and the line went slack.

"What in Poseidon's salted sack is that?"

"His what?" I asked, laughing.

"That..." She pointed at the fish in my arms. "What on Kallis is that thing!"

I looked down at the fish as I strode from the water, seeing a mouth that, if I were to try, could fit my entire head within. It had fleshy whiskers growing from around its lips, each as long as the mouth was wide.

My eyes were drawn into it the next moment.

Ancient Freshwater Catfish

Rare

For those that know how to prepare the flesh of the Freshwater Catfish, it is prized as the best-eating of all freshwater fish. The females of this species grow to monstrous sizes and can single-handedly provide the spawn to sustain entire ecosystems.

The fish squirmed, its muscular body doing the best it could to get away. It was so long that even with its head at my chest, the base of its tail slapped my ankles.

I'd already seen everything I had to.

I walked back to the water, quickly putting it back beneath the surface.

I moved it back and forth, forcing water—and therefore, oxygen—through its gills.

"You don't mind if I release it, do you?" I asked Maria, not looking up.

"Of course not. What makes you want to release it, though?"

"This thing is... old. It's a breeder, which means taking its life would lead to the loss of countless fish."

"How do you know it's a female?"

"Er—from its size."

It wasn't a lie—I knew it was a female from its size, but only because of the System's description.

Maria walked down to the water, running her hand along its back as I continued moving oxygen through its gills.

"Wow. Wow! It's so big and slippery!"

"She's a beaut, isn't she? I wonder how old she is...?"

Maria touched the fish's head, withdrawing her hand as it kicked.

"How many years have you been living here, lady of the lake?"

She turned to me, her head cocked.

"What does moving it like that in the water do?"

"Big fish can get exhausted when you catch them. After the fight this old gal gave us, I was worried that she'd suffocate if I just let her go. Moving her like this forces water through her lungs, which lets her breathe."

Maria put her hand against the catfish's head again, rubbing it slowly.

"When will you know she's ready to go?"

I smiled up at her.

"When she swims away."

As if in response to my words, the catfish kicked its tail, ponderously gliding away from the shore.

I watched it disappear back into the depths of the pond with an immeasurably deep sense of gratitude.

"Thanks, lady of the lake," I said, copying the title Miria gave.

"Thank you!" Maria called, her hands cupped to her mouth.

I'm so glad I didn't catch her when I first arrived in this world, I thought. Given my lack of food, I would've eaten her, robbing this land of a majestic creature.

"Wow," Maria said, sitting down. "I don't even know what to say. That was..."

"Unbelievable."

She nodded.

"Yeah... that..."

I walked over to the pot, removed the half-scaled fish, and resumed my cleaning.

"I didn't know fish got that big," Maria said.

"I've caught a similar-sized fish from the beach before, but that was a first for such a small lake."

"... what?"

I glanced back at Maria, whose eyebrows were raised almost off her face.

"What do you mean, 'what'?"

"You've caught something that big from the beach? The beach where you live?"

"Uh... yeah. Why?"

Her eyes got a dangerous gleam, and they bore down on me.

"Tell me."

"About the fish, or how I caught it?"

"Everything. Tell me everything."

***

Trent, the crown prince of Gormona, awoke from a terrible dream.

He'd been running for his life, trying to escape a monster. Each time, he'd almost escape, but just at the last minute, when he was thrashing free of the shackles confining him, more would wrap around him, cinching tight.

As he stirred further into the waking world, he yawned and tried to roll over. His sheets were too tight, and he scrunched his eyes closed, grunting as he put his entire weight into it.

Damned servants, putting too many sheets on—

The lavish coverings dug into his skin with his effort, and he opened his eyes in terror.

"Ah, you're finally awake," a voice said.

"Who... who's there?"

Trent squinted in the dim light, comprehension still evading him.

A man stepped closer, stepping into the light of a candle.

Recognition hit, and with it came Trent's memories.

The blood drained from his face as a spike of terror shot through his core.

The short-haired cultivator knelt down in front of him, his jaw set in a firm line.

"It's time we had a little conversation, Trent."

***

"Is it hot enough?" Maria asked.

I smiled at her.

"I'll show you how to test it!"

Maria had brought some beef tallow with her, so I'd put a decent amount into the pan currently heating over the campfire. Well, I'd instructed Maria to do it, anyway.

As misguided as I thought Roger's requests were, I wouldn't go back on my word. I would not be cooking any fish on this brief camping trip, and though adding fat to a pan might not technically count, I wasn't going to push it.

"You can check the temperature of the fat by putting some bed crumbs in."

Maria took a pinch of the leftover crumbs, dropping them into the tallow. It hissed and bubbled immediately, and I nodded at her.

"It's ready. You can chuck the fish in."

Maria picked up the crumbed fish carefully, not wanting to disturb the layer of pan-dried and crumbled bun that covered it.

"Watch your fingers," I said, urgency in my voice. "Don't drop the fish in—lower it down while holding the tail."

She did so with deft fingers, dropping the tail at the last possible second.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're sure you haven't shallow fried a fish before? You've kind of already mastered it."

She rolled her eyes at me, a smirk on her lips.

"Don't patronize me, Fischer."

"Woah," I said, holding up both hands. "I was being serious!"

She pouted, squinting at me as if to decipher my intent.

"As I said before, I've never heard of shallow frying." She pointed at the pan. "I still contend that this is entirely too much fat to cook in."

"Yeah, it's a bit excessive, but beef tallow is good fat, and wait until you taste the fried fish—you won't regret it."

"I'll have to take your word for it."

"You won't need to when it's finished. Flip it over when the crumbs are golden and crispy."

I leaned over, looking down into the pot of berry jam I'd removed from the fire. I'd not long removed it, and steam rose from the surface. I dipped my pinky in and tasted it.

My face scrunched involuntarily as its flavor assaulted me.

"Did you bring any sugar?"

Maria leveled a flat glare at me.

"I don't care what you say—I'm not adding sugar to the fish, and neither are you."

"Not for the fish," I said, laughing. "For the jam."

"Are you sure you need it? The berries were already super sweet..."

"Just a pinch or two. Some were unripe, and it's a tad bitter. I'll set some aside to try with the fish, but for the jam we use on our pastries tomorrow morning, I reckon a little sugar will go a long way."

With another glare, presumably warning me not to add sugar to the fish, she walked to the shelter and removed a small pouch before returning and holding it out.

"Thank you." I said, accepting it.

Peering inside the pouch, I saw a handful of granular sugar inside.

I grabbed a cup and poured some of the jam inside, setting it aside to try with the fish. I carefully added some of the sugar to the remaining mixture and began stirring.

"Is this crispy enough?" Maria asked, grabbing my attention.

I stood and leaned over the pan as she lifted the fish. The underside was golden brown, and the fish's flesh had a slight curve.

"Looks perfect to me. Flip it over."

The tallow hissed and bubbled when the uncooked side hit it, and the scent of the fish rose from the pan.

"Mmm," Maria said. "That smells amazing."

"If you think it smells good, wait until you taste it."

I stirred the jam absentmindedly as the fish finished cooking, unable to focus on anything else.

Maria watched it intently; I found her focus entrancing. She had eyes for nothing else, occasionally sweeping a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She cocked her head to the side to see under the fish as she lifted it, and like clockwork, the hair fell back down, only to be swept back behind her ear.

Sensing my gaze, her eyes darted to me.

"What?"

"Er—nothing. I have to get some condiments for the fish. One second."

I strode to the tent, my face going hot.

I rummaged around in my bag, found the last ingredients, then returned to the fire.

"I think it's ready," Maria said. "What do you think?"

She lifted the fish, and the bottom was the same golden brown, cooked to perfection.

"Looks like it to me! Put it on the board and we'll check the thickest part."

She removed it from the tallow and placed it down.

"What are we checking for, exactly?"

I used a knife and fork to split the filet in the center; the flesh was flaky and white.

"See how the flesh has turned white? Fish can make you really sick if it's not cooked properly."

Maria nodded.

"Same with all meat... the texture is like nothing I've ever seen before, though..."

"Yep—fish's flesh is unique, both in texture and flavor."

I poured some salt from my pouch onto the board, then put the other ingredient down beside it, causing Maria to hiss a sharp intake of breath.

"Is... is that what I think it is?"

I smiled over at her.

"It is. Nothing goes better with fish than lemon."

"But... are you sure you want to use it? Isn't it really expensive?"

"Price is relative, and some things are worth more than coins."

To cut off any more debate, I grasped a knife and sliced two wedges from the citrus.

I took a large pinch of salt, sprinkled it over the fish, then squeezed one of the lemon slices over it.

"After you." I pointed at the fork in front of Maria. "It'll be hot."

As she pressed the metal prongs into the crumbed fish, it made a sharp crack before sliding into the soft flesh below.

She lifted the portion, blew on it a few times, then popped it into her mouth.

She bit down, and her eyes went wide.