(I Died and got Reincarnated) My New Life as a Saltwater Crocodile Begins

CH•24 - "Story Time in Darkness"

It took a while to resurface. When I got back, the bat was nowhere to be found. That's strange. Where'd he go? He's gonna miss out on all this grub I found. And, I can't keep the falcon waiting too. Guess we'll just start without him.

I crawl towards the falcon and the snake and barf out the prey in my mouth. I realized that my tongue is so big, thick and flat that it can cover my throat so I can store anything in my mouth without accidentally swallowing it.

Here you go, falcon. Fresh meat. It might be mixed with my spit, but you can't be picky about it. We're short enough on food as it is.

The falcon comes closer and starts pecking at the food with his beak. He starts with its head, gouging out its eyes and swallowing its eyeballs. Then, he continues with the rest of its head. After that, he pecks at its body and starts by plucking out the liver. Blood begins to stick on the falcon's beak and it slowly messes up his face as more bloody parts get stuck on him. This is my first time seeing him eat and he's already a messy eater.

The snake, on the other hand, instantly gulps down his prey whole. Then, he slowly crawls and rests beside me with his stomach slightly bloating. I'm starting to wonder who's really the younger one among them.

"W-What are they eating?!"

A voice is heard in my head. Looking up, the bat is seen hovering on top of us. There's a moth caught in his talons. Maybe he grew hungry waiting so he went to hunt for food on his own.

You wanna come down and join us? I promise we're not gonna eat you or anything.

"I-It's fine. I'll just... eat over here"

The bat roosts upside down on a stalactite and starts munching on his prey. Maybe he still needs time to get used to us. We certainly didn't give him a good first impression with how untrusty I was on him at first and how the falcon jumped on him before. I hope we can do better on the next reincarnated person we meet. If we ever meet another one, that is.

After we had our fills, we began our journey together in the dark cave.

So, we just follow this river?

"It's bound to lead to a way out, won't it?"

Well... it's as good a start as any.

With me drifting along the stream and baby snake on my back, we follow the river downstream, with hopes that it leads to an exit. The falcon is nonchalantly perched next to baby snake and is pruning his feathers as we go. The bat on the other hand is still distant from us and remains flying overhead. He reminds me of the little girl who used to be scared of me at first. I wonder if it's gonna take another life-and-death event to earn each other's trust.

"...... *ahem* So uh, how long have you been a crocodile?"

Huh? Oh. I dunno. Over a month, I guess.

"Where did you wake up?"

The end of a river.

"You fell from up this cave. Did you come from up there?"

What? No. It's... it's a long story.

"Let's hear it. It should at least help pass the time"

Hmm.... Alright, but on one condition. You join the others riding on my back.

"Uhh....."

They. Won't. Eat. You. Just do it. You can cuddle falcon's feathers if you want to. I guarantee its fluffiness.

"Why don't I just..."