Life in the temple was... interesting.

  I was woken up by a Wushii,a temple servant whose role was always to be assigned to guests, who was similar to me in some ways. Their upper body resembled that of a Raroren or perhaps even a human, but below the pelvis, their form took on the likeness of a crab. Their lower body was a mass of chitinous legs, and they used their crab claws for almost everything. Despite the long, flowing sleeves that hid their hands, giving the appearance of useless arms, they were surprisingly adept at handling objects with their claws, albeit in a somewhat clumsy-looking manner.

  The Wushii assigned to me was called Nomi. I wasn’t entirely sure of it but I think their a boy, though it was hard to tell. But either way, they were cute in their own unique way.

  Nomi’s job was to assist me, and the first thing they helped with was bathing. They used a bubbly soap all over my scales, scrubbing each one individually. The process took hours, but it felt amazing. However, the next part wasn’t as pleasant. Nomi carefully removed any damaged scales that couldn’t be repaired, so new ones could grow in their place. After that, they scrubbed my upper body with soft brushes, cleaning my skin with meticulous care.

  I thought we were done, but then they started working on my hair. Surprisingly, it wasn’t tangled, but Nomi still spent a long time washing and rinsing it. I almost fell asleep during this part. By the time we were finished, most of the day had passed.

  Now, I find myself with my first scroll—a series of bone slats woven together, allowing it to be rolled up for storage. Lochlainn had mentioned how he missed paper and even rawhide, which I found amusing. Those would be impossible to keep underwater, though I suppose they could be stored in the air-filled parts of the temple.

  I ran my fingers over the bone slats, feeling the faint etchings carved into their surface. The script was foreign to me, but I was eager to learn.

  But something else was on my mind, and it seemed like Nomi could sense it, their eyes lingering on me with a hint of curiosity.

  "Does Mistress wish to see her appearance?" Nomi asked, their voice soft, but I could see a blush creeping across their face, their eyes briefly darting away.

  "Yes, I really would want to... I mean, yeah," I replied, trying to sound casual, though I couldn’t help but notice the way Nomi was looking at me. I had never seen myself in such nice clothes before, and now, I was curious about what spending half the day being scrubbed clean had done to my body. Am I scraped raw like a fish? I didn’t feel too bad just a little tender where those scales had been pulled out.

  Nomi reached into their robes with slightly trembling hands and pulled out a small blue orb, about the size of an eyeball, with water swirling inside. They held it up as if offering something precious, their gaze shy.

  "What's that?" I asked, intrigued by the strange object, and more by the way Nomi’s cheeks seemed to darken further.

  "An Recira, Mistress. It captures a moment in water, allowing you to view it later as many times as you like," Nomi explained, their voice barely above a whisper, as if embarrassed about the temple not having proper mirrors. Their eyes flickered to my body and then away again, their discomfort evident.

  I spun my body around a bit, making sure Nomi could capture every angle. They seemed almost nervous, fumbling slightly with the Recira, but they showed me the best ways to move to ensure a perfect image. It felt almost like dancing, each movement deliberate and graceful. Midway through, I decided to take off my clothes. I wanted to see my scars. I'd never been able to properly see the ones on my back.

  Nomi’s blush deepened as I undressed, their eyes widening slightly before they quickly looked away. Yet, they remained incredibly helpful, though flustered, ensuring we recorded every angle. After about an hour, Nomi sighed softly, "It’s all full. We’d have to record over what we’ve already captured if we wanted to add any more," they said, their voice tinged with a mix of regret and relief.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  They handed the Recira to me, their fingers brushing mine for a moment, and gestured for me to hold it up to my eye. Looking inside, I saw myself. Everything had a slight blue tint and a bit of a wavy distortion, but it was me. My black hair had grown so long that it now reached my serpentine tail. As I swayed, following the motions Nomi had recommended, I noticed how hydrodynamic my body was. Unlike the larger Nahesa, I had little to no breasts my chest was only slightly more noticeable than Nomi’s, and they were a boy, I think.

  The gills that ran alongside my ribs were a bit larger than average. I felt a pang of disappointment when I saw my face. The scar I had from two days ago had already faded to a small line running up and down my lip, right above where my fangs were barely noticeable. My eyes were the same blue I saw in the reflecting pool, though it was hard to tell with the Recira's tint. My pupils were white, and I could form them into slits if I wanted, but they usually rested in a way similar to human eyes. Overall, my face could be mistaken for human if you ignored the pale blue skin.

  As the figure in the Recira began removing her clothes, I focused on my scars. The image was a bit murky, so I wasn’t sure I could see them all, but I made out the deep scars around both my wrists and neck, as if the flesh had been flayed away at one point. It wasn’t far from the truth. As much as I liked my knife, I think I'd prefer to never see an Okris again. The surface is terrifying.

  A few claw marks adorned my back, a reminder of that encounter with the Raroren boys a few months back. I should have known better than to take on two at once, but they were cute and insistent in just the right way.

  The only other scar I could make out was a circular hole straight through my right hand. That’s why I avoid the sea floor stingrays really don’t appreciate being disturbed.

  With my viewing over, I handed the Recira back to Nomi, their eyes avoiding mine. I hope they have fun with it.

  "You're wasting time. start learning," Karson’s voice cut through the moment, as usual, ruining what little peace there was.

  After Nomi left, I sat alone with the scroll in my hands, the room suddenly feeling much quieter. The moment the door closed behind them, the reality of my situation hit me. I had managed to distract Nomi earlier, but now I was faced with a problem I couldn’t ignore I couldn’t read.

  The scroll’s intricate bone slats wove together beautifully, but to me, the symbols etched on them might as well have been meaningless scribbles. My stomach twisted with anxiety. What if they found out? Would they kick me out? I was already certain that my being here was a mistake, a case of mistaken identity. I might be oblivious, but not that oblivious.

  I sighed and rubbed the scars on the back of my neck. "Okay, Karson, teach the reading," I muttered, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

  Karson’s voice echoed in my mind, tinged with exasperation. "First off, girl, speak properly. And what makes you think I know how to read the Ausawen language?"

  I frowned, confused. "Because you’re currently speaking it?"

  There was a brief pause, followed by a reluctant sigh. "Very well, child. I will assist you. But don’t expect this to be an easy learning experience."

  I could almost sense him smirking in that shadowy void he called a face. "I still remember the basics from when I was a child. I had a life before I met you, you know."

  He snorted at that how did he even do that? If he's made of blood or darkness... "I wouldn’t exactly call the state we found each other in 'life,'" he shot back, trying to ignore the memories that came with that statement. It was a time I’d rather forget.

  Pushing those thoughts aside, I focused on the task at hand. This was going to be a long and arduous process relearning a language I never fully grasped in the first place. Karson's voice droned on as he began breaking down the basics, pointing out the patterns and sounds associated with each symbol.

  "Focus, girl," he snapped whenever my attention wavered, his tone sharp but not unkind. "This isn’t a skill you can afford to ignore."

  I sighed, staring at the scroll, trying to force the symbols to make sense in my head. My thoughts drifted back to when a woman as large to me then as the giant outside is to me now had helped me learn these characters for the first time. The memory made me smile, but I quickly shook it off, focusing on Karson’s voice.

  Hours passed, and my head ached from the effort, but slowly, the symbols began to take on meaning. It was frustrating work, but Karson was patient for once, guiding me through each step with surprising skill.

  By the time I was able to read a simple sentence again, exhaustion had set in, but I leaned back, staring at the scroll, my chest swelling with pride.

  "Not bad, girl," Karson said, his voice softer now, almost approving. "Keep this up, and you might just manage to stay here a bit longer."