Collin swallowed the last bite of gill and panic prickled at him again. While he still had a decent air supply, he clawed his way to the other side of the fish and gnawed his way through to the next gill. Luckily he had made good time reaching this gill and burbled a chirp in relief.


    Collin made a conscious effort to take his time, eating it far more slowly this time.


    The waters grew thicker as more and more blood filled the inside of the fish. Collin could feel the Fish’s life pulse fading faster by the second.


    Such a fragile creature, part of him regretted being forced to consume it, but another part reveled in exacting revenge upon the thing that dared to harm him. His anger told him that it served the fish right to meet such a bloody end.


    Collin’s hunger pulsed in a much lighter way, mostly tamed at this point. Slowly chewing through the second gill, prioritizing oxygen rather than gorging himself, Collin had time to think. He needed to plan his escape from the fish when this gill and in turn, his air supply was gone.


    He could chew his way out, but he couldn’t swim, so that would only serve to trap him again. Even with taking his time, Collin was already halfway through the second gill. He was afraid of drowning, but he suppressed that feeling and focused on maintaining control over himself and slowly eating just enough to keep his oxygen supply up. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The fish''s life pulse was so weak now, that if he was not inside of it, he probably would not have been able to detect it at all.


    With a final twitch, the fish’s life pulse winked out of existence, signifying its death.


    Collin could feel the fish rotating and going belly up. As he felt himself turning upside down, he shifted to keep upright inside the rotating room without interrupting his meal. It felt like they were moving upward.


    The pulses of the dragonflies and water striders were coming closer as if to confirm the feeling and Collin felt a glimmer of hope. He was down to the last bite of the gill and as he slowly chewed, he peaked out of the gaping hole that he had chewed through the fish.


    Even through the blood soaked water the light of the water’s surface was coming closer.


    The fish was rising belly up to the surface. Collin saw his chance. He made sure to maintain a tight grip on the fish as he climbed onto the outside of it and onto its belly. As it popped out of the water, Collin planned to use that moment to jump to a hyacinth. He had to time this just right or it was all over for him.


    There would be no second chances.


    As soon as the fish belly breached the water, Collin leaped with every ounce of strength he had for the nearest hyacinth. The momentum was enough to throw him over the edge of the plant and he tumbled down the side to rest in the center. It felt so good to be back in the open air, he lay there exhausted and greedily took deep breaths of sweet, pure air.


    Collin chirped and kicked his legs in celebration.


    He was somehow still alive.


    Not only that, but he had just bested a predator far larger than himself. The sun may have been high in the sky, but his belly was full to bursting, so he decided that was enough for one day.


    Rest


    Collin tapped into his resting pulse and withdrew into himself, making a new chrysalis surround and protect him while he floated on the hyacinth.