Chapter 16 “Tragic Fall”
“Emergence! Emergence!” A fish, exhausted and wounded, swam hurriedly towards the great protector.
“What happened?!” Shocked, the righteous rock-munching fish turned around.
The injured fish proceeded with its report. As it swam its usual patrol with a colleague out of nowhere, they and the resident creatures were mercilessly attacked; no one was spared by the hail of water-shaped needles. It was akin to a miracle that it survived to alarm its superior, or was it?
The courageous protector of the weak had an uneasy feeling, as if it was overlooking something…
It was definitely the creature that killed its hated sibling. But what was it that it wanted? Why was it attacking them? The big fish shook its head; it had no time for such thoughts; it had to prevent any further bloodshed, even if it meant killing the mysterious creature.
The oh-so-good-natured almost saintly fish had yet to realize what horror lay ahead of it.
***
As it arrived at the scene, a mix of terror and sorrow overcame it. Countless lifeless creatures that it had sworn to protect drifted through the red-stained waters. A true tragedy!
In a fit of anger, it searched desperately the area for the perpetrator of this brutal massacre, but to no avail. There was not a sign of life left. Where did it go? What was its objective?
Confusion plagued this all so saintly fish, its mind unable to understand what was happening. It decided to swim back for now and have the other fish tighten patrol.
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This day, no other attack occurred.
The next day, nothing either?
The third day, no sign of the mysterious creature…
The overly righteous fish did not understand what was happening yet again. Did it gave up? Are we save now?
Then the fourth day passed peacefully, and slowly the creatures of the territory protected by the mighty buzz saw fish forgot their fear and reverted back to their old lives.
What blatant naivety! Right playing into the sly snake’s slithering tail!
The fifth day, yet another meticulously orchestrated massacre occurred, and the day after, and the day after that. The mysterious, elusive creature continued its psychological warfare, sending all residents and its protector into a state of panic.
The ocean creatures that once looked up to their great, gracious protectors lost more and more trust. Why aren’t they doing anything? They have the duty to protect us!
More and more vicious rumors spread, some even accusing the good-natured family to be the same as their from madness-eroded deceased family member. All the good deeds, all the lives that this selfless kind of fish had saved over the decades, even the safe heaven they had painstakingly created, all came crushing down at once.
As the mob with pitchforks and torches stood before the big, spacious cave the noble and righteous family resided in and the saintly fish observed its parents tremble, unable to do anything, it snapped. “How can you do this to us? We gave you a home and protected you! That’s how you thank us!” it screamed, enraged by this great injustice. Rightly so! How dare they do this to our precious saint! These ungrateful peasants! Off with their heads, I say!
With its noble countenance broken and rash words spoken, the mob grew more furious. “You call this protection?! We are dying, and you, in your luxurious cave, do nothing to stop it!”
“Do you even want to stop it? Aren’t you conspiring with this creature to kill us all?!”
“How can we trust the sibling of a mad fish!?”
Overstrained by this onslaught of ridiculous claims, it continued to insult the mob, “You stupid, ungrateful bastards! You would have been all long dead if it weren’t for us!” True! Tell ´em!
This battle of vulgar insults continued until the mob successfully, with its pitchforks in their fins, tentacles, and other potential as hand-functioning appendages, destroyed the barricades and stormed the cave. A brutal fight ensued, the few loyal guards desperately protecting the out of grace fallen family. Shocked by their subject’s revolt, the naive fish couldn’t bring themselves to attack creatures that they once swore to protect.