“Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
Henry David Thoreau
I knew what I was after, and it was not just fish; it was more experience and another skill. The ants had stopped providing experience to level up and had never offered much in the first place, so I was after something else to catch and shamefully kill. It sounded a little psychopathic if I did not at least acknowledge to myself the primary motivation for my actions. I was doing it for the experience.
The ants had been an acceptable case of pest control in the house. I could also sweep my victims under the rug without my family noticing or at least commenting on their little one’s alarming habit of squishing them. It was not hard to imagine what their response might be if I started killing larger prey for no reason, and I doubted it would be favourable. It would have been harder to hide the corpses, as I was still mostly restricted to the house.
I needed larger prey but also acceptable prey to catch and kill for the experience it would give me. My mother ran a tight ship, the ants a temporary and only exception to the rule. There were hardly any mice or rats to kill, and I had neither the speed to catch them nor the skill to craft such traps.
I would have to look outside the house for a worthy opponent. One that would not run away but was also small enough for me to tackle. One that would be acceptable to kill and that I would have a reason to do so. Possibly for eating? The solution I thought would be a bucket, string and food scraps. It was time to go fishing! The problem, as always, was escaping the house. My prison guard, Aleera, was still on duty to keep me corralled, but hopefully, she could be persuaded or ultimately told to take me outside if I played my cards right.
It was time to deploy my natural baby charm and that persuasive reincarnated spirit.
. . .
Mother’s POV
As an infant, Kai was above and beyond any she had seen before, not that she had much practical experience. She knew that everyone believed their child to be unique, but compared to his cousins, Kai truly was. He displayed an innate and constant curiosity and fascination with the world around him. Of course, all newborns did, but the speed at which he seemed to pick things up was almost alarming. Still, it filled her with pride.
She knew it was unhealthy to compare the two siblings, but it was difficult not to some days. She just had to ensure she was enthusiastic in her praise for how much Aleera helped out. Certainly, Aleera was quick and talented at picking things up, but it sometimes felt like Kai was not learning but simply remembering how to do things. He picked them up that quickly. Only his size and developing body limited his actions as he toddled around.
Of course, it made some aspects of raising him a lot easier. Every mother has a special bond with their child, but he could make both her and Kaius understand through gestures and expressions whether he was hungry, thirsty, tired or needed to make a bowel movement. It was not difficult to understand him, even without words. So he was rarely upset through circumstance or the inability to communicate his desires.
In fact, the only time he truly became unruly was when his desires were denied, but that was the case for all children, surely. He just seemed so expressively and loudly cross.
Kai was particularly enamoured with the enticing waters of the lagoon. Whether it was watching his father leave every morning, standing there by the door, or the water itself now that he had managed to get his feet beneath him, he was drawn to it, much to his father’s delight and my despair.
Despite his tender age and my reluctance, his natural charm offensive of waving to his father every morning slowly drew us closer and closer to the lagoon’s edge. It started simply enough with a wave of goodbye in the morning that tugged on my heartstrings and made my stoic husband act the fool in returning it.
It always made my morning, but somehow unknowingly, Kai managed to drag Aleera and me further and further from the doorway, following his father, until we found ourselves eventually standing on the water’s edge, watching him sail off each morning.
Even at such a young age, his enthusiasm for exploring the world was evident in every halting step he took. Tugged by our heartstrings, it was almost impossible to deny him.
Finally, by the end of the week, we stood at the water’s edge, and I watched with wonder as his eyes twinkled with excitement. Kai cooed and gurgled as he reached out toward the water. Words were coming closer and closer every day. His tiny hands splashed playfully as if beckoning his parents to grant his wish.
His father didn’t help.
“Kai is drawn to the water like iron to the Lodestone, a little fisherman.” Kaius smiled at his son’s enthusiasm as he threw his bag on board the boat.
“Following in his father’s footsteps,” he added proudly.
“Indeed, he seems worryingly captivated, much like his father.” She smiled sardonically. Her star wouldn’t have to deal with temper tantrums once he had sailed away, and she attempted to take Kai back inside.
“I find you no less captivating, my love.” He leaned in for a farewell kiss attempting to defuse the situation. “There’s no harm in it. The lagoon is safe enough.” He quipped as he stepped aboard.
“But he’s so young, Kaius. He can barely walk, let alone swim properly?” she pointed out to Kaius, fleeing his familial duties even if he was sailing out to catch their supper and earn a living.
“Let him explore the shore, I’ll teach him how to swim sooner or later, and he has his sister to look out for him.” He shrugged, untying his fishing boat. He felt they had already had this conversation and that the decision had been made.
“I can’t help but think that later would be better.” She fretted, knowing the decision would be left up to her. She would also have to deal with the consequences of the decision.
“With Aleera keeping a watchful eye, he’ll be fine.” He confidently nodded at Aleera as the boat drifted off from the pier. “And I will keep an eye out on them from out there. If I see anything to worry about, I will come sailing back.” He reassured.
Aleera, understanding her role as the protective older sister, nodded confidently. “I’ll be there every step of the way, Mother, Father. I’ll ensure Kai stays safe as he dips his toes into the lagoon.” She said proudly.
She contemplated their son’s eagerness and smiled warmly as she watched him wave goodbye to his father, not yet moving away but now adrift. It often felt like Kai seemed to be watching their conversation with an understanding far beyond his years. But right now, he seemed focused on waving his father goodbye.
“Very well, but remember, Aleera, your brother’s safety is your priority. You must keep a close watch.” It was what everyone wanted and would keep him out from underfoot so that she could get on with her orders. She had fallen behind recently due to the pregnancy and birth, and they had kept piling up, but it would be hard to have him out of sight. Perhaps she could work outside somehow.
Raising the sail, Kaius added, even though he knew his little infant couldn’t understand, “Kai, my little fisherman, listen to your sister and stay within her sight. We trust you both to take care of each other.”
The pair nodded, one in understanding, the other mimicking his sibling but seemingly grinning in satisfaction.
. . .
Kai’s POV
He was out of the house at last.
With my parents’ cautious but loving approval, I was almost ready to embark on my next plan to gain experience, fishing.
First, though, I needed to find a spot. So, under Aleera’s watchful gaze, I walked along the shore edge, occasionally stumbling in the shallows, searching for somewhere deep enough to work but not too deep that my sister instantly hauled me back. Credit where credit is due; buoyed by our parents’ trust, Aleera was impeccable at preventing me from falling in and drowning and as much as it irked me to keep getting pulled back or lifted, I couldn’t help but love her for it.
It’s said that siblings form unbreakable bonds throughout their childhood, and even though my situation was beyond bizarre, I couldn’t help but feel one forming with my older sister.
Finally, I found a deeper section along a ledge I could lie on, and even better, it had the dark shadows of fish swimming under it.
Now all I needed was a line and bait. A line would be easy enough, seeing as my family appeared to spin them, and bait could be weaselled quickly enough off my father.
. . .
A day later, I was ready to throw the towel in.
That had been a complete disaster. I had neither the strength, dexterity or range of movement to achieve anything much to the amusement of my sister, who watched all my attempts. I think she initially thought I was only attempting to feed the fish. It wasn’t until my rising frustration became evident that she realised I was trying to catch them. According to her and my mother, it was only too cute when they regaled my father with the tale on his return to his laughter and my embarrassment.
That they found my pouting and angry faces equally amusing only made it worse somehow. I could not even sulk in peace as my every action was watched less. I attempt to toddle off or otherwise injure myself.
Refusing to quit my perfect plan for progression, it was time to try again with something easier to catch.
. . .
Once again, we had paddled around the lagoon’s edge, looking for another perfect spot. My continued interest and intent on catching something . . . anything was once more passed onto my parents via Aleera. While my mother was still relieved, I was not throwing myself into the water after them. My father was happy to provide us with some nets. “The first step to becoming a fisherman.” He was elated at the idea that I might follow in his footsteps.
. . .
A day later, I stood by the lagoon; eyes narrowed with intent, I looked into the water and then back at Aleera, my big sister. She smiled in amusement at my determination, her voice soft but protective. “Careful, Kai. Stay close to me. We need to stay safe.” It could have been considered condescending, but I took it in the spirit that it was meant and accepted it as just another language lesson. More words to learn rather than being talked down to. After all, I was only a baby. So I nodded, excited and pointed my pudgy finger to shapes scuttling under the water. I was finally going to catch something.
Yes, they were only crabs, but they were bigger than ants. So, exp, here we come!
She chuckled, her voice filled with love and caution. “Yes, Kai. We can catch crabs together, but remember. We must be careful. The water is deep.” It was hardly past her ankles but nearly up to my knees.
I grinned, my small hand reaching for a net. I was tempted to shout, “Crabs, crabs!” but I didn’t want those to be my first words. Best to save those for Dada and Mama or maybe Lera. That would make a good nickname for my sister. Although the ‘l’ sound was proving tricky in my private practice. D and M were much more manageable. So, perhaps I should shorten Aleera even further to simply ‘Era’.
We splashed in the water, laughter bubbling from our lips. Aleera gently guided me, her words filled with encouragement. “Slow, Kai. Quiet. Nets low. Surprise the crabs.” She even helped me hold and steady the net Father had given us. Would I even get the experience if she was there to hold my hand throughout?
I pulled my hand away, insisting on doing it myself.
“Steady,” she chided, but she didn’t stop me. Instead, she was watching as I attempted to do it for myself.
I struck, pulling the net up with the crab inside it. I even managed to catch a little minnow with my strike, and she helped me deposit the two of them in the wooden pail we had brought.
Ding! Fishing (LV 1)
Success! A new skill. Surely that meant that I had to have achieved some combat experience too. I rushed into my mind to check my progress. Bingo, I’d gained 10 points for the minnow. The crab was still kicking around in the bucket, attempting to crawl out of it, but after flopping around for a while, the minnow had breathed its last.
Level: 9
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Name: Kai
Experience: 39,010/ 102,400
Age: 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 12 hr 10 min
Health: 1020/1020 Stamina: 433/433 Mana: 340/340
Trait: Long-lived
Vitality: 102
Endurance: 17
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 17
Senses: 42
Mind: 97
Clarity: 29
Magic: 34
Free Points: 10
Skills: Time sense (LV 15) Listening (LV 14) Meditation (LV 14) Sense Mana (LV 14) Swimming (LV 14) Eavesdrop (LV 14) Memorisation (LV 14) Echolocation (LV 14) Recall (Lv14) Composition (Lv 14) Mind fortress (Lv 14) Expel Mana (Lv 14) Absorb Mana (Lv 14) Mana Drain (Lv 6) Pain tolerance (Lv 5) Humming (Lv 14) Sneak (Lv 10) Whistling (Lv 14) Singing (Lv 14) and Drumming (Lv 14) Piano (Lv 14), Violin (Lv 14), Trombone (Lv 14), Saxophone (Lv 14) Running (Lv 1) Fishing (LV1)
Skill experience: 14,300
Origin experience: 10,000
Combat experience: 0 + 10
Crafting experience: 90
. . .
Together, we stood in the shallows, my baby noises mixing with Aleera’s guidance. We laughed, our voices a symphony of sibling joy. I was delighted by the success of my experiment. Aleera, happy to hear me laughing, just joined in with my infectious sound.
. . .