Chapter 11 - This Is Somewhat Worrisome

Chapter 11 - This Is Somewhat Worrisome

They were having a rollicking fun conversation even though the topic was highly serious and controversial, but Colton didn't mind at all. In fact, it challenged him to dive deeper into what could be a turning point if they were careful. However, he did wonder if some of what they talked about would change the outcome of the game.

Kellen stared thoughtfully at him. "How was your meditation going?" He reminded Colton of what he'd been doing.

Meditation, right? Was he supposed to be doing that? Colton winced a little and shook his head. "Nope, I was being bugged by something that keeps niggling in the subconscious of my brain."

Of course, he was supposed to meditate, which was written into his character description. Screw that. That wasn't something Colton had been able to focus on after all. "Weren't there some mottos built into the ideologies of the books and games?" He tapped his jaw as he spoke.

Kellen frowned. "Not that I recall, but I could be overthinking things now." He shrugged. "Uhm, right, there was something about being able to create your own speciation if you didn't care for the one you were stuck in. You could always find another solution other than the obvious routes available?" He tapped his jaw. "Does that give you anything to work with?"

Colton frowned slightly. "Maybe, but it seems a bit tough to create anything new from scratch without stepping on toes."

As for the other points, of having policies of any kind against eating sentient species? Colton frowned.

Kellen had a good point, but there was no sign of that happening in this world at all. "I'm still stuck on the fact that there were cannibals in all the civilizations to begin with. That is disgusting." Colton heaved a sigh. "Not that it changed the minds of the ancient members of the Noctu-Shydon or any other civilizations." He folded his arms. "Though the younger generations began protesting the killing of sentient creatures for purposes of eating. They cited cannibalism as a form of mental illness that could also become a physical illness and deform anyone who ate sentient creatures."

Kellen frowned. "So that means there's no way of knowing how to tell the sentient from the non-sentient anymore?" he grimaced. "That can't be right." He shook his head. "No, there has to be a way of telling the difference between creatures." He ran a hand through his hair.

Colton nodded. "True, I feel the same way, but several cultures, including mine, would do that anyway." He shrugged with a sigh. "I believe that kind of insensate cruelty is why, despite us originally having been enemies,"

Colton caught Kellen's eye when the other man muttered. "We then became frenemies,"

Colton finished up, "Now we're two people with similar problems. At least we have become somewhat tolerant of one another."

That was all he could say to sum up their situation and how it coincided with their previous lives. However, some parts diverged. Neither of them had felt the need to view one another as lovers. If Colton had recalled the plot correctly, there would have been some kind of marriage vow somewhere. That didn't fit who he was, though. He frowned when Kellen sighed.

*

There were aggravated growls, clicks, and hisses at the reminder.

The mentioned one could've lived happily without that damned reminder of why he was even allowed to remain as one of them. That wouldn't last much longer, and he had to make his way to a landing port soon. However, he needed to remember the specifics of where to go. After all, being underwater meant he had no landmarks to guide his path.

"Oh, good grief." The creature muttered. "He's been tossed into this world as I was." Ironically, the author who'd created the book series also suggested to his tormentors, the chaos gods, that they should have tossed Colton into the world. He'd also made a list of others perfect for ruining an environment rather than helping restore its vitality. This could only mean that the person with Colton was Kellen. What bad luck.

The other creatures looked at the speaker. "So, you recognize them?"

"Well, one of them," the speaker sighed. "Though I've not spoken to him face-to-face back where I came from." He hadn't been well received either, having first become a shark-like hybridized human.

"Do you think they will respect the ecosystem and not throw trash into our environment?" These creatures' main beef was that humans were deplorable and ruined whatever environment they encountered.

The speaker shrugged. "One of them, I don't know," he reminded them of what he'd said earlier. "the other, I do," Why was it he who'd become one of these damned creatures? He kept that disgruntlement to himself. Instead, he focused on trying to discern what the humans above discussed.

One of his companions muttered. "I heard the mention of 'Serpentina Regalas and Noctu-Shydon," The youngster didn't seem pleased. "I could've sworn both civilizations would eat our kind because we're delicious seafood."

That was enough of a revelation to rattle the others and make them even more determined to overturn the raft and make the two men into a meal.

However, one person didn't agree with what they were doing and made it clear that he thoroughly disapproved. It was the author, of course. Though he couldn't tell them that he'd been the one to write the civilizations' settings as they were currently, now the author wondered why he'd made such vicious delineations for some of those civilizations. It would be difficult for some creatures to come to terms with the future as it unfolded for them.

"Don't do it," the speaker advised. "If they are indeed of the Serpentina Regalas and Noctu-Shydon civilizations," he grimaced before revealing what he feared happened. "Then at least two main characters have shown up."

The others stared at him with confusion. "Main characters? Oh, right. You mentioned that this is supposedly a fictional world made up from a writer's imagination."

The speaker nodded. "We'll probably have to work with them to ensure that our world doesn't get destroyed and left out of the Purgatory Waystation later." he shook his head. "Though I suppose other options are available eventually."

There was heavy silence at his words. Clearly, they wanted something else from him. He feared he'd overstepped his bounds, but at least none of them attacked with their sharp fangs and other nasty paraphernalia at their disposal.