Mother of Pearl: A Floyd Leech x OC Fanfiction

Chapter 71

We were jolted awake by the slam of a door. The same Scarabia senior's annoying tone of voice yelled, "You three? How long do you plan on sleeping? Get up!"

I am this close to shoving my shoe up his butt. I thought as I rolled my shoulder back.

"This freaking guy needs to get the freak out of my face," Yuu grumbled in a whisper beside me.

"Fgnya! What's happening?" Grim rolled off the bed and stared at the clock. "It's only 6am..."

"Today we will be doing a ten-kilometer march to the East Oasis," the senior delivered the message drill sergeant style.

"What?" Yuu and I both asked in our groggy state of mind.

"Dude, I'm American. I'm gonna need that in miles," I rubbed my eyes.

"Walking ten kilometers in the hot sand? Why do we have to do that?" Grim complained.

"Stop complaining! All of you! It's the dorm leader's orders. Now hurry up!" he grabbed Grim's collar and dragged him out of the room.

"GYAA!! No! I don't wanna!! Let me go!!!" Grim cried down the hall. "Yuu, save me!"

"This is a load of barni-agh!" I brought an arm to my gut. "Fluff this! I'd rather die..."

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"Please...end my suffering..." I coughed as we trudged through the desert. Not only could I feel myself bleeding, but my binding was chaffing. The heat, time, and exercising mixed together had my chest burning.

"Yuu! Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Grim jumped in front of our dorm leader. "Is the heat going to your brain?"

"Eh, probably, hehe," Yuu moaned.

"All, halt!" Kalim commanded from a top an elephant. Everyone stopped in their tracks as Jamil helped Kalim descend.

"A-are we at the oasis?" Grim huffed with a twinkle of hope.

Jamil took over the announcement, "We will be taking a fifteen-minute break. Then, we'll start marching back to the dorm."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Yuu sighed in relief. Everyone dropped to the ground. Kalim walked around his residents, surveying them. I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head on Yuu's lap. Tiny whimpers escaped at odd intervals.

"Water. Water..." Grim hurried to the oasis ditch nearby, "what the?! The oasis is dried up!"

Kalim finally was next to the clump that was me and Yuu. "Water...water..." he repeated as he stood there like a zombie. The weird mist in his eyes cleared and his peppy voice asked, "You want water?"

Huh, did the magic run out?...Ugh, no. No time to think about that. Too much pain...

I curled into a tighter ball as Grim pleaded, "Of course I do! My throat is so dry!"

"Then, I'll give you some nice, cold delicious water!" Kalim offered. As I peered at him, yellow and red sparks of light twirled around his figure. They grew stronger, leaving behind a blue-white trail as he chanted, "Relaxation of the hot sand, an endless feast, sing! Dance! Oasis Maker!"

As he said the final words, the colorful trails of magic shot into the sky like fireworks. They popped endlessly, and each time a shower of ice cold water rained down on the entire marching order.

"Woah!!! Glorious rain!!" Grim praised.

"Delicious! The water is refreshing my aching body!" came a Scarabia's praise. Others joined in.

"I know right. It's delicious! If you need more water, I can fill up this whole oasis," Kalim explained. "My unique magic, 'Oasis Maker', allows me to make so much delicious water with very little magic."

"That's so cool! Don't you think Viv..." Yuu looked down at me. I had covered my face as soon as the water started hitting it. I shivered and flinched each time a slightly larger drop hit me. In a stage whisper the hissed, "Oh no! Does this trigger your aquaphobia too?"

"I-I'll be- hngh!- fine..." I gritted my teeth. "But, like, to answer your question; it is cool, but due to circumstances, absolutely terrifying. I-I am going to shut brain off now. Bye-bye..."

I felt a hand try to brush some of the water off my hands and exposed arms from my rolled-up sleeves. While I couldn't see, I still heard the conversations around me.

"How should I put it...'making a bunch of water' seems like a pretty boring unique magic," I could make out Grim's blunt comment. "There are a lot of magicians that can do the same."

"Don't say that." Kalim had a slight pout to his voice. "Making so much water with such little magic is what makes the 'Oasis Maker' special. In the era where water is scarce and no water supply and no way to sterilize water with heat, I think my power is very useful." There was a pause before Kalim spoke again. "Well, you do make a point. This magic isn't as needed during this modern age, where water supply is readily available.

"I guess, but it can still be very helpful, even now," Yuu encouraged from our spot.

"Ahaha, thanks," Kalim chuckled. "Well, I'm positive my water is the most delicious water in the entire world!"

Can water be delicious?

"Now that you mention it...your water is nice and cold, not lukewarm. It's like a fresh mellow spring water that makes you just want to keep drinking it," Grim critiqued.

Jamil's skeptical voice popped in. I startled a bit when he asked, "How can a monster tell the difference between water?"

"What was that? How rude! My tastebuds are always on point." Grim growled.

"Don't underestimate Grim the Great Connoisseur!" I halfheartedly called out.

"What's wrong with you, Viv?" I heard the confusion in Jamil's voice.

"Don't worry about it," was my quick reply.

Kalim just continued on with the conversation with Grim, "Yes, yes! I'd expect nothing less form Grim! I knew you'd understand the differences! Alright, here's another cracker as a reward."

Was he just carrying a cracker in his pocket this whole time?

I felt Grim's damp fur back up to me. I scrunched away as he mewled, "Ugh, I may be hungry, but I don't want to eat something so dry..."

"He seems completely different from earlier..." Yuu pointed out their observations.

"You're right...he's acting like a completely different person than when we left." Grim concurred.

The magical rainfall came to a stop, and I sat back up. I sighed, "Maybe he's back to being his cheerful self."

"Hm? What was that? Did you say something?" Kalim tilted his head like a curious puppy.

Yuu shook their head and Grim and I followed suit. Jamil grabbed Kalim's attention and stated, "Kalim, the fifteen minutes are up. Let's get everyone and start heading back."

"Already? Can we let them rest for a little while longer?" Kalim tried to bargain.

"If we keep waiting the sun is going to rise more and its going to be hotter when we get back."

"I see what you mean. Okay everyone! Let's do our best on the way back, and then we can have some breakfast!"