What was the best way to oppose magic? After centuries of confrontation, facing countless failures and defeats, humanity learned the hard way the answer. The bullet. Scholars have tried to list possible types and kinds of magic, but in the end no list was precise enough. Unlike the plants and animals, nymphs could sometime create miracles beyond human imagination. They could change the shape and conditions of items or manage elements and even space. Different species showed different patterns. But regardless of those patterns, a quick shot from the gun still offered the best chance of survival against the nymphs.
Ashwin was aware of this truth, like any other person. And being not only without a weapon, but with his hands restrained, he knew he didn’t stand a ghost of a chance of coming out of this ordeal. The only option left was to hide. With no trees or large rocks on the shore, all that could serve as cover were the crates and barrels brought for trade. The teen rushed towards them, holding his breath. And almost immediately, several pirates followed him. It was a wild guess, but it worked. The sand was filling the air, sticking to the guns and blocking the view. Ashwin hid behind a barrel and inhaled. The bandits hadn’t told him exactly how alcohol affected nymphs. But whatever its usage, one thing was obvious - the Scaled Ones valued it so much that they were avoiding losing it at all costs.
A gunshot and words of swearing were heard close to the teen. He looked up and saw one pirate hitting his weapon with his fist and trying to fire it again. When the rifle clicked but didn’t fire, the man threw it on the ground, swearing at the useless thing. Ashwin flinched when something bumped his shoulder. He turned and saw Ziana. The girl wasn’t reckless enough to try wielding her saber and had left the fighting to her companions.
After a few gunshots in a minute, the shore was quiet. Both sides were thinking about how to deal with the situation. Ashwin peeked from his hiding spot. The man who was attacked from behind lay face down, with his hands scrabbling in the sand. 'If they want to save him, they had better think fast,' thought the teen. He dived behind a barrel when another whistle sounded in the air. Expecting another wave of attack, Ashwin turned to the pirate, who was having trouble with his weapon. The man froze. The crate he was hiding behind was pierced just a few inches away from his face.
If nymphs decided to sacrifice their goods in order to get rid of humans, their death was one step closer. However, nothing followed this single shot. A ridiculous thought crept into Ashwin’s mind as he stared at the sandy beach. The book he had studied a long time ago, and the lessons Batsa taught him about the world’s nature...
"Could it be...?" he muttered to himself, then turned to the girl. "What do you know about shrimp?"
Ziana looked at him with wide-open black eyes. "What the hell? Do you think I’m Qi Baishi or something?" But before he could reply, she glanced at the sea. "Wait, you mean...? Oh, darn!"
"It’s the shooting shrimps!" Her scream sounded even louder in the night air after the commotion had ended.
Ashwin turned to the barrel and pressed his palm against its wooden wall. "Can you help me roll it towards them?"
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Instead of answering, the girl pushed the barrel over, tipping it onto its side. The holes in the sand made it difficult to roll the barrel, but the man closest to them rushed to help. To Ashwin’s relief, humans were not the only ones who realized the true enemy. Now, nymphs didn’t attack the pirates, instead, they focused their efforts on the place where waves licked the shore. There was a grinding sound in the air, as if a nutshell with mushy insides had been cracked. Ashore, the crawling marine animals, were one by one, enveloped and crushed by the encroaching sand. The barrel landed amongst the shrimp after the final tug. Ziana pierced its wall with her saber. She poured gunpowder liberally on it and left a trail as they retreated. Then Ashwin set it on fire.
He wasn’t expecting the effect to be large, but something must have been done on the nymphs’ side, too. The barrel blew, burning the shrimp, and at the same time, the fire didn’t reach the humans. Ashwin stared at the sea animals running in the fire. They didn’t scream, and the crackling sound of their shells being burned added more dread to the sight.
"Damn shrimps," mumbled the pirate, who helped roll the barrel. "Why the hell are they here? This island used to be free of them!"
His complaint about animal migration made Ashwin roll his eyes. Although the shooting shrimp might have been absent from here before, they had no obligation to humans to stay away from these islands forever. Moreover, these sea creatures that could grow to the size of a cat loved sand beaches. Being able to breathe in both water and on land, they preferred areas with low water near the shore. However, at night, the adults hunted on land. With a pair of massive pincers, they could create water “bullets” on the ground and air “bullets” in the water. Ashwin heard from his mother how some countries are happy to reside in territories with sea access because of the favorable climate, but they hate cleaning up the shores from animal colonies. Any leisurely swimming was prohibited until the government ensured that no shooting shrimp were nearby and granted permission. Even if the pirates lacked some of this information, it was incredibly lax and irresponsible for people who deal with the sea daily to not check the shore.
But the demise of the shooting shrimps was not the biggest issue at the moment. While the flame distracted some people, others, including the captain, looked at the nymphs with their hands on their guns. Ashwin finally breathed out when the Scaled Ones walked towards the cargo without any interest in the pirates. Their leader took his time with the flask, while others were taking barrels and crates, just like the dryad dragged its prey. Only for the nereids, sand created small waves that carried goods. With no explanation, the nereid returned the sealed flask and took a handful of pearls from the chest. Ashwin guessed it was to adjust the price after losing one barrel.
Then, without sparing humans even a glance, the nymphs left the meeting point. They did not apologize for wounding a few pirates or demand compensation for their injured ones, nor raise the question of buying a teen. 'Come to think of it, they were silent all along,' thought Ashwin. He was sure that nymphs could speak. They just did not bother to talk to humans. He sighed. Ziana took it the wrong way. The girl patted him on the back.
"Cheer up, you survived both the shrimps and the nymphs! Nice speed, by the way," she said and grinned. "Guess you’re not totally helpless after all, monkey boy."
Her last statement negated the impact of the encouragement. Ashwin turned away from her. While the pirates were helping the wounded ones, the captain held a flask and a chest of pearls. The scarred man grimaced as his gaze met Ashwin’s.
"Hurry, let’s return to the ship," barked the captain, heading back to “Fenghuang” first.