Standing with Lilly and the duck elder beyond the village’s boundaries, we watched as Merit hugged the young duck who she had become friends with.

The duck lifted Merit in her arms, and spun her around. Merit grumbled and yelled defiantly, but didn’t seem to be struggling too harshly. It was telling, since she was so much stronger than the duck… even though half her size.

“Goodbye Vim. I’m glad we now have someone to rely on. I’ll make sure to send a letter far sooner, next time.”

I looked away from Merit and her final goodbyes and nodded to the elder. “Please do. Also send a letter if you see any more of those fish. Merit is sure at least a few survived,” I reminded her.

She smirked and nodded. “A few sole survivors are not as bad as whole school. All will be well,” the elder said lightheartedly.

Sure. Until people started dying. I really should stick around to make sure they really were all gone, or at least no longer a threat… but I couldn’t stay here forever.

It’s been almost a month since we had arrived… it was time we left. Now that we didn’t need to worry about re-locating them, there was no reason to stick around anymore.

Neither I, nor Lilly or Merit, had been able to find any trace of Merit’s people either. If any had survived… they were long gone. At least for now.

“You too Lilly. Thank you for coming,” the duck stepped over to Lilly, to shake her hands.

Lilly accepted the gratitude, but not smoothly. She smiled a little awkwardly and nodded, and I noticed how stiff her handshake was.

“Didn’t do much but… yeah… sure…” Lilly mumbled.

The elderly duck smiled and nodded, knowing full well… but that didn’t matter.

“Take care. And…” the elderly duck turned, to study the approaching fish. Merit had finally gotten herself free from her friend’s embrace, and was now slowly heading our way. She looked a little defeated… but I wasn’t sure if it was because she wasn’t looking forward to leaving with us, or the emotional stress of leaving her friend.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it,” I said before the duck could say anything about her.

The elder hesitated, but then nodded at me. “Right. Right…” she vocally agreed, but I could see in her eyes that she didn’t believe it deep down.

She thought we were making a mistake taking Merit.

“Goodbye. Safe travels,” the elder said as she stepped away.

“Farewell,” I said.

The elder headed back to the village… but once she reached Merit, she stopped a moment to speak with her. I strained my ears a little to hear their whispers.

“Goodbye Merit. One day return, if you’d like. I’ll make sure to save plenty of eggs for you,” the elder said.

Merit shifted and then smiled up at her. “Sure. Someday.”

The two nodded, and then separated.

Picking up her pace, Merit hurried up to us. She paused a moment, to glance behind us. To the village of ducks. The only people waving goodbye were the elder and the young duck who she had befriended.

Honestly a pitiful farewell party. But I was more than used to it.

To these people the danger was gone. The threat a thing of the past.

They had all swiftly returned to their everyday life… one of simple fishing and farming. Lives without any excitement. As it should be.

“Think it’ll hatch?” Merit then asked.

“Huh…?” Lilly and I both looked down, to see what she meant.

She smiled up at us, holding a familiar looking duck egg in her hands.

Ah. A gift from her friend. A parting gift.

“I uh… don’t think so, Merit,” I said gently.

Merit frowned, not happy to hear it.

Lilly chuckled as she turned. “Could you imagine a little person popping out of that thing?” she wondered.

I gestured for Merit to join us. I let the small fish walk between Lilly and myself as we headed for the nearby bridge.

“How else are they born?” Merit asked.

“Were you born from an egg?” Lilly asked.

“Yea? Though ours are were much smaller and…” Merit mumbled as she thought about it.

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I hesitated, and flinched at the knowledge. Great. The worst part was I doubted she was joking, or misunderstanding anything.

Her kind may very well be born from eggs. They were tiny things… with gills… and translucent skin…

Lilly glanced at me, for an answer I didn’t want to give.

“I’m just kidding,” Merit then said.

Both Lilly and I paused mid-step, as Merit kept on walking. She snickered at us as she stepped onto the bridge.

Relieved to hear it, and relieved to hear Merit was capable of such a joke… I felt a little better.

If she could make such a light-hearted joke about herself then I doubted I needed to worry over her.

“That’s messed up Merit, I actually believed you!” Lilly hurried forward, to complain.

“Birdbrain,” Merit teased her.

“Wha!” Lilly’s wings puffed up, and I smiled as I followed after them.

They were going to bicker the whole way back to Telmik, likely… but it was fine.

Better this than sorrow or bloodshed.

As we crossed the bridge, I glanced out at the river beneath us. It had returned to its original glory, flowing quickly and noisy.

“Fish bite hooks! Not very wise either, if you ask me!” Lilly argued.

“Good thing I’m not a fish then, huh?” Merit responded.

Lilly’s wings once again fluttered in annoyance as her shoulders raised up. “Wha… Yet you call me a bird!” Lilly shouted.

“Are those wings or not?” Merit asked her.

We left the bridge behind, and I realized Merit didn’t seem to care at all that we were leaving her homeland. A part of me wanted to ask once more if she was sure or not… but I knew better than to interrupt their happy little argument.

“Are those gills?” Lilly responded, reaching over and flicking some of Merit’s thick hair as to reveal them.

Merit grumbled at her, and turned around to look at me. “Your servant is insufferable, Vim!”

“Servant…!” Lilly’s wings folded back inward, and she had to pause a moment… unable to believe what Merit had just said.

“Where’d you go and learn a word like that from, Merit?” I asked her.

“Nasba. My friend. She said if you’re not a wife that makes you a servant,” Merit said simply.

Friend. That duck then.

Lilly groaned, and actually calmed down a bit. “I’m getting mad at a child,” she mumbled.

“I’m not a child!” Merit was now the one upset.

“Lilly is no servant, Merit. If anyone’s the servant it’s me, honestly,” I said.

Lilly nodded quickly, and smiled. “Wait, that’s right. You basically are, huh. That’s funny,” she said as she realized it.

“Oh… really? You’re a servant?” Merit asked me, rather seriously.

“To the Society,” I stated, to make a point.

She blinked at me, and then turned around as she hummed and went into thought.

Lilly giggled, and glanced back at me. “She might just join us yet,” she said.

“Baby steps Lilly. We just got her to wear clothes a few days ago,” I said.

Merit huffed, and rolled her shoulders a little to shift her dress. It was a childish color, with little flower designs sewn at the bottom.

An old dress of her friend. It was honestly a little too big for her, but it at least worked. For now.

Lilly giggled again, and reached over to pat Merit on the shoulder. “I’ll teach you all about the Society while we travel, Merit,” Lilly promised.

“No thank you,” Merit turned away from her and flinched, as if Lilly’s hand was a bug to avoid.

Lilly though wasn’t insulted, and instead only smiled warmly.

Following the two as we headed for Telmik, to report the… good and bad news, I wondered where she’d end up.

She needed to learn more of the world. She had a lot to learn. Although not a child, even though she looked like it and acted like it to a point, she may as well be. She’s never ventured beyond the waters of her birth. And thanks to the hostility of her people… well… she hadn’t been given much opportunity to socialize or learn manners.

But that would all come. Merit wasn’t the first primitive I’ve dealt with. In fact she was far from the worse. She was already wearing clothes, and making jokes.

I wasn’t sure yet how serious her disdain for joining our Society was. But even if she chose not to join… it was okay. I’d help her out as much as I could all the same. It was the least I could do for getting her whole family killed. Even if they had been abusive.

Hopefully before she ran off or away from us, we’d be able to teach her enough to survive. To survive in this world that was slowly becoming human.

Or better yet maybe she’ll find somewhere in the Society to call her own.

“If you keep being so snarky I’m going to make you eat Vim’s cooking later,” Lilly warned.

“Relying on your servant to fight for you. Ha!” Merit scoffed at Lilly, in a way that reminded me of a haughty queen. How the heck did she sound like that when so tiny?

“What…! Vim!” Lilly took offense, for real, and turned to me for help.

What kind of help was she expecting from me?

“Keep arguing and I’ll make the two of you spend the next month working for Celine in the Cathedral as choir girls,” I sent out a threat of my own.

It’d work. Lilly had a good voice, and Merit’s voice was unique enough to be something special too. It was a mix of an adult’s voice and a child’s.

Lilly’s wings extended, as if about to take to the sky, but instead she just shivered and shook her head. “No!”

Merit glanced back at me with a frown. “Is that bad?” Merit asked.

“I’d genuinely rather eat boiling sand,” I told her.

“It’s horrible!” Lilly also agreed.

Merit seemed to take her warning to heart for she gave me a look of utter disgust. “Should we run away?” Merit asked Lilly.

“Want to?” Lilly asked.

Merit hummed, and then glanced at me again. Then she shrugged. “Maybe later.”

Lilly smirked and glanced at me, her thoughts readily visible on her face.

Folding her wings back up, Lilly stepped over to Merit. Who this time didn’t shy away. “Want me to tell you how I met Vim?” she offered.

Merit immediately looked up and nodded.

Sighing as the two began to share stories, and grow closer, I followed them dutifully… Protecting them even as I was made the brunt of their jokes and taunts.

Like the good servant I was.