Building Zoids in a World of Titans

The river opened up beyond the last cluster of buildings, wider than Alex had expected from the settlement's modest size. Dark water moved with deliberate purpose, not the frantic rush of mountain streams but something deeper, more patient. The bank sloped gently downward, packed earth giving way to scattered stones that had been worn smooth by seasons of current.

Rhian stopped dead at the edge, her hand tightening around the bag of nut clusters until the plastic crinkled. She'd seen the rivers around Veridia—the trickle that dried to mud in summer, the small streams that cut through the forest—but this was different. This moved like it knew where it was going.

"It's... it's huge."

The word barely carried over the water's surface noise. Alex set down the supplies: the medical kit, the ammunition boxes, the wrapped river eel that would supplement their rations. He could see fishing boats bobbing in the distance, their single masts stark against the flow, and further out, shapes that might have been buoys or markers.

"We had the Veridia creek," Rhian said, her voice small. "Barely wide enough to skip stones across."

"That's not a creek." Alex found himself studying the boats anyway—not for threats, just assessing. Wooden hulls, simple rigging, nothing that suggested military purpose. "This is proper water."

Ziya joined them, her boots scuffing against loose gravel. "The Ashburn feeds a lot of settlements. Deeper than it looks."

Alex nodded, though he suspected the depth hid more than just fish. Every waterway on Terrax carried traces of something larger, something that had learned to navigate human spaces like this one. But watching Rhian step closer to the bank, her bare feet sinking into the cool sand, he let the wariness settle.

Alex unpacked the fishing rod they had bought from Hemlock's store. The bamboo shaft felt familiar in his hands, smooth from years of use in Veridia's smaller streams.

"I used to catch eels twice this size back home," Alex said, threading the line through the guides. "Patience and the right technique. That's all it takes."

Rhian watched from a few paces back, her bare feet sinking into the soft earth at the riverbank. "You make it sound easy."

Alex speared a wriggling worm onto the hook, the bait sinking into the water with barely a ripple. He settled onto a flat rock, the rod tip bending slightly in his grip.

"How long does it usually take?" Rhian asked.

"Fishing isn't about time," Alex replied, his voice carrying the same calm authority he used when explaining Zoid mechanics. "It's about reading the water. Feeling the rhythm. Waiting for the right moment."

The river flowed past them, carrying leaves and debris downstream. Alex's line sat motionless, the float bobbing gently.

Then the tip jerked.

Alex's reflexes took over before his mind caught up. He yanked the rod back, the reel singing as line tore through the guides. Something fought against him, small but determined.

"Got one!" he called out, though his voice held more surprise than triumph.

The fish broke the surface, scales flashing in the afternoon light. Alex hauled it onto the bank—a modest river perch, no longer than his hand.

"Not quite the eel I was hoping for," he admitted, unhooking the creature.

Rhian crouched beside him, her eyes wide. "It's beautiful."

Alex cleaned the fish with efficient movements, his knife flashing in the sunlight. "Want to try?"

Rhian's face lit up. "Can I?"

Alex handed her the rod, watching as she fumbled with the weight of it. Her enthusiasm was infectious, even if her technique needed work.

"Just hold it like this," he guided her hands. "Feel how the line wants to move."

The float jerked hard, nearly yanking the rod from Rhian's hands. Her eyes went wide.

"Alex!" she hissed, gripping the rod like it might escape.

He was already moving, boots scraping against stone as he slid beside her. "Easy. Don't fight it. Let the line run."

The rod bent double, water exploding in silver spray. Something massive was on the other end.

Rhian's face flushed red with effort. "It's... it's huge!"

Alex placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Steady pressure. Don't yank. You'll lose it." He guided her hands on the reel, feeling the tremor of her excitement through his touch. "Feel that? It's fighting because it's scared. Keep calm, and it'll tire."

The water churned, the line cutting a white arc through the river's surface. Rhian's small frame strained against the pull, but she held firm. After what felt like an eternity, a dark shape broke the surface—a fish easily twice the size of his own catch, scales gleaming like polished copper in the sunlight.

"Got it!" Rhian's voice rang out, pure triumph.

Alex grinned despite himself. She'd done it. Really done it.

The fish landed with a wet slap, and Rhian stared at it like she'd pulled a trophy from the depths of the world itself. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.

"That's... that's amazing," Alex said, genuinely impressed. He'd been fishing these rivers for years and had never pulled something that size from the main channel.

Rhian held the fish up, its gills still pulsing. "I did it! I actually caught it!"

Something warm twisted in Alex's chest. He was annoyed. But watching her there, covered in river spray and glowing with pride, that annoyance melted into something softer.

"Yeah," he said. "You did."

Ziya's voice called from upstream. "Alex! Rhian! Lunch is ready!"

They followed her voice to a flat patch of grass where she'd spread a cloth and arranged their supplies. The river murmured beside them, carrying the scent of water and growing things.

"You caught something impressive," Ziya said, nodding at Rhian's fish.

"All my doing," Rhian announced, settling cross-legged on the blanket. "Alex just told me to be patient."

Alex dropped down beside them, accepting the wrapped sandwich Ziya offered. "She's a natural."

The three of them ate in comfortable silence, the kind that had grown easier over weeks of traveling together. Rhian chattered about the fish's fighting spirit, describing each moment with dramatic flair. Alex listened, the knot of his earlier annoyance completely gone.

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