Nexha slowly woke up, feeling the familiar warmth of the nest. For a moment, he was confused to find himself lying in his old bed in the nest, but he quickly remembered that he had fallen asleep in Krahs' arms.
He stretched and yawned, rubbing his eyes as he looked around. The scent of the ocean and algae was still the same, but something felt different. That’s when he noticed Krahs sitting nearby, eating a lucky crab. The shark noticed the little one was awake and smirked slightly.
— Slept well, little one?
Nexha sat up slowly, still a bit drowsy, and scratched his head.
— Mhm… I think I slept more than I should have… — He blinked a few times before remembering his idea. — Ah! The seeds!
He quickly got up and searched for them. Krahs pointed to the turtle shell where he had stored Nexha's things. Nexha grabbed the fruit he had bitten earlier and carefully removed the tiny seeds, placing them in his hands. He looked at Krahs with excitement shining in his eyes.
— I want to plant these!
The shark raised an eyebrow.
— Plant? Since when did you become a gardening eel?
Nexha laughed, shaking his head.
— It’s not like that! These algae can attract fish! If we can grow them near our village, we’ll always have food nearby. That way, you won’t have to hunt so much or get so tired.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Krahs was silent for a moment, staring at the little one. Then, he sighed.
— Alright, alright… Let’s see this crazy idea of yours. But if this doesn’t work, you’ll have to help me hunt later.
— Deal!
The two swam together to a spot near the new village, where the seabed was covered in soft sand. Nexha analyzed the area and nodded to himself.
— This is perfect! Now we just need to dig a little and plant the seeds in the sand.
Krahs crossed his arms.
— Are you sure this is going to work?
— Yes!
Nexha said excitedly as he started digging small holes with his hands.
Krahs sighed again but crouched beside the little one and started helping. His hands were much bigger, so he dug faster. As they worked, Nexha smiled, feeling a sense of peace.
— You know, I like doing this with you.
Krahs paused for a moment, looking at the little one. The way Nexha said that, so simply and sincerely, made him smile.
— I’m only helping because I don’t want you messing things up.
Nexha chuckled softly.
— Sure, sure…
The two finished planting the seeds, carefully covering them with sand. Nexha then brushed his hands together to remove the grains stuck to his fingers and looked at their small makeshift field with satisfaction.
— Now we just wait.
Krahs stretched, yawning.
— I hope this is worth it. But… do you really think we have fewer prey? Enough to attract more?
Nexha hesitated a little before answering.
— I just don’t want you to overwork yourself. After all, you went pretty far to catch a lot of fish.
The shark stayed silent, analyzing the little one beside him. Then, he ruffled Nexha’s hair with a smile.
— You really care about me, don’t you?
Nexha turned red and grumbled, pushing his hand away.
— I just want to make sure everyone has food!
Krahs laughed, throwing an arm around the little one’s shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug.
— You can say whatever you want, little one… But I know the truth.
Nexha huffed but didn’t try to escape the embrace. On the contrary, he stayed there for a moment, enjoying the warmth and safety of Krahs’ arms.
Maybe building that village wasn’t just about having a home… But also about making sure they would never be alone again.