The soles of Slimantha’s black shoes tapped against the cerulean street as she walked. Her brown eyes glanced over various white buildings as she wandered down the street. Said buildings possessed a peculiar feathery architecture. Maroon lampposts, currently unlit, lined the street, and overhead, the sky showed as a shimmering blue. The long locks of her brown hair gently swayed with a soft breeze as she continued to walk. She did not walk alone. Along with her, Samuel, Black, and Latril also walked.
“This place”—Samuel glanced at the buildings, his blue eyes wide—“is amazing. Who knew this was in the pond?”
Black brought her right hand up to her lips and snickered. Her brown eyes went to Samuel, and she lowered her right hand. A smirk crossed her lips. “So,” she said, “all we had to do to impress you was throw you into an aquarium. Who knew?” She snickered again, bringing her right hand back to her lips.
Samuel looked at the snickering black and sighed. “Ha ha. Very funny,” he said with a sarcastic edge. “It is not like we are actually under water.” He stopped walking, almost having walked into Slimantha, who had stopped ahead of him. Black and Latril came to a stop too.
“You know?” Slimantha said, spinning around to face Samuel. Her brown eyes met his blue eyes, and she flashed him a lovely smile. “What makes you so sure we aren’t under water? Behold!” She pointed up triumphantly at the shimmering blue of the sky. “You can see the water’s surface shimmering up there.”
Samuel blinked. His blue eyes followed the slime summoner’s outstretched finger up to the shimmering sky. “Just because that is shimmering does not mean that that is the water’s surface. I mean”—he spread his arms to the sides—“look around. This place seems awfully dry for being under water, doesn’t it?”
“I”—now Slimantha blinked—“see.” She lowered her hand. “Perhaps there was an error in my judgment.” She brought her right hand to her chin, and her brown eyes went back to the shimmering sky. Her eyes widened in realization, and she lowered her hand. Her gaze went back to Samuel. “What if, like, the pond is upside down?”
“W-What?!” Samuel gawked at the tan-skinned slime summoner for a moment. “Why would you possible think that? Besides”—he pointed up—“look. You can see the sun up there. If the pond was upside down, why is the sun up there?”
“The sun?” Slimantha looked up. Overhead, the luminous figure of the sun could be seen bleeding through the shimmering blue. “What if that’s just what the sun wants us to think?” She gave herself a confident nod. “That’s definitely it. The sun is trying to mislead us.” She pointed at Samuel enthusiastically. “Don’t believe the lying sun!”
A certain black-haired cat woman, Black, doubled over in laughter. “This is gold,” she said, managing to get the words out between laughs. The brown eyes of the short-haired cat woman went to Samuel. “I should totes get you an upside-down aquarium.” More laughter burst out from between her lips.
Samuel sweatdropped, the drop of sweat rolling down his right cheek. “What even is an upside-down aquarium?” He watched as Black, still laughing, collapsed to the cerulean street. “Is it really that funny. Also, can we knock off this nonsense about upside-down water?”
“Fine. Fine,” Black said, her laughter abating. She climbed back to her feet. She flashed Samuel a smile, and her black feline tail gave a playful swish.
“Nonsense?” Slimantha said. She blinked. “What part of the pond being upside down is nonsense. The pond is clearly upside down, and the sun is lying to us about it.”
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Samuel sighed and then glanced at Black, who had started laughing again. His blue eyes went back to Slimantha. “Whatever,” he said. He glanced at the white buildings and their attractive feathery architecture. “Upside down or not, this place is quite beautiful.”
Now Slimantha glanced at the attractive white buildings, a smile on her lips. “It is, but it is no cheese sandwich. 2 out of 3. Pretty, but no cheese sandwich.”
“Uh, guys,” Latril said. She pointed at a duck. The referenced duck wasn’t the only duck though. There were quite a few ducks, all feathery and white, walking about. The referenced duck wasn’t walking about though. The referenced duck instead had its head sticking out from a building’s doorway and wore a gray metal helmet that included a visor. “That duck is calling to us.” As if to reinforce Latril’s point, the duck wearing the helmet quacked.
“I see,” Slimantha said, her brown eyes on the helmet-wearing duck. Said duck gave another quack.
“What is it saying?” Samuel said. His blue eyes were on Slimantha. “I don’t speak duck.”
Slimantha pouted. “It says, ‘Don’t be daft. The pond is not upside down.’ It also wants us to follow it. I think it is a blacksmith or something.” Slimantha smiled and then pointed at the blacksmith duck. “Follow that duck!” She lowered her hand and headed toward the helmet-clad duck. Samuel, Black, and Latril followed after her. The four of them followed the duck into its shop.
Slimantha stepped onto the white flooring of the blacksmith duck’s shop. Her shoes lightly tapped against the white floor. The walls and ceiling appeared to be made of the same stuff the floor was composed of. Light bulbs on feathery-looking golden mounts cast out light from the walls. At the back, a white counter, also with feathery look, stood.
The blacksmith duck came to a stop and turned to face Samuel in particular. The blacksmith duck quacked, and Samuel blinked. They stood at roughly the center of the room. Suits of armor and a few swords stood on display around them. The blacksmith duck quacked at Samuel again, and Samuel looked at Slimantha.
“You mind translating,” Samuel said. “I don’t know what this duck is saying.”
A smile crossed Slimantha’s lips. “The duck wants to sell you some armor.” She glanced about at the various displayed armors before her brown eyes returned to Samuel. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to check out some armors.” She turned to head to one of the armors.
Samuel blinked. “Wait! Don’t just leave me! I don’t speak duck!” A hand, Black’s right hand, pressed against his back.
“Don’t worry,” Black said. “I got you.” She flashed Samuel a playful smile, her feline tail swishing behind her.
Slimantha stepped up to one of the suits of armor. Said armor was golden and shaped for a woman. Wait a moment. Slimantha blinked and then glanced at the other armors. Why were all the armors shaped for humanoids? The Place in the Pond looked to be a fairly ducky place. Why so much armor for humanoids then? Where was the duck armor? She blinked again and then brought her attention back to the golden armor from before. Her eyes went to the armor’s chest plate. She glanced down at her own chest. Was that armor big enough for her up top? She blinked and then returned to looking at the chest plate. It would probably be fine, and if not, she could have it adjusted for herself. Her gaze shifted down. The armor left quite a bit exposed around the mid-section. She glanced down at herself again. Well, she was wearing a crop-top.
“You know what?” Samuel said, his blue eyes on the blacksmith duck. “I’m good. Not really interested in the armor.” He watched as the duck crossed its wings. It gave him a forceful quack.
Black narrowed her eyes. “Lay off!” she said. “He said no! Stop being so pushy!” She maneuvered herself between Samuel and the duck. Her tail pressed up against Samuel. Her eyes were still on the pushy duck.
“Hey!” Slimantha said, calling to the blacksmith duck. “Will you”—she pulled out the partially eaten cheese sandwich from her left pocket—“trade this armor for this cheese sandwich.” She gestured at the midriff-revealing golden armor she had been looking at. “Also, do you have a changing room.” She got an angry quack from the blacksmith duck and promptly puffed her cheeks out. “Well, you don’t have to be so rude.” She took a bite of cheese sandwich and then returned the remainder to her left pocket. She looked at Samuel, Black, and Latril. “Come on, guys. Let’s vacate this rude duck’s shop.”